Olney on Meche

A week and a half ago, I wrote this:

Right now the image that every single player in the league has of Pittsburgh is that it's where careers go to die. No one will ever waive a no trade clause or sign a contract here until that changes. This off-season we've got the money to spend and we've got the hole to fill, bring in a guy like Suppan and prove to everyone else that Pittsburgh doesn't have to mean the end of a career.

I was highlighting the reasons why the Pirates might sign Jeff Suppan. Buster Olney thinks that similar reasoning is behind the Royals ridiculous signing of Gil Meche (behind the Insider wall, which I'll assume most of you don't have):

This is part of what Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore is trying to buy as he agrees to a $55 million deal for Gil Meche. Oh, sure, he's overpaying for a high-ceiling talent who really hasn't accomplished that much yet. Meche has never pitched 200 innings in a season, has won more than 11 games once, and has had more arm surgeries than seasons with an ERA under 4.00.

But Moore also is buying some attention from prospective free agents. The Royals went toe-to-toe with the big boys and won, outbidding the Chicago Cubs for Meche, outbidding the Boston Red Sox for Octavio Dotel.

The question, of course, is whether or not signing Gil Meche will allow Dayton Moore to do what Dombrowski did in Detroit by overpaying for Magglio Ordonez and Pudge Rodriguez. My gut feeling is no, but I guess we'll see. Dotel signing there quickly after Meche may be a sign that the Royals are changing perceptions.