Josh Beckett prices risk close to fair value than Asante Samuel

Here's Rob Bradford on Beckett's contract extension:

After earning his 12th win of the season last night, Beckett offered some insight into why he took the Red Sox’ three-year, $30 million extension.
Along with having the peace of mind that went with knowing he would be earning $47 million by the time he was 30, and playing in a place he was confident would continue to be a winning environment, there was the issue of an insurance policy.
After missing his final start of the 2005 season with shoulder stiffness, Beckett’s insurance company informed him that it would insure every part of his body but his right shoulder. It was a problem that played a factor in approaching his future.
“I think if I had that insurance policy it would have been a little easier to go to (the Red Sox) with a hard number,” said Beckett, whose shoulder still isn’t insured but can be if he pitches approximately 600 innings (from the time he started with the Red Sox) without report of any shoulder ailment. “The way it happened was that we both sat down and hammered out something that made us both happy. I got that insurance with the contract.”
At the time of the back-and-forth in St. Petersburg, Beckett was carrying a 4.59 ERA to go with 10 wins. By the time the deal was inked, his ERA had risen to 5.12.
“Given the circumstances, yeah,” said Beckett when asked if he was surprised Francona approached him with the idea. “Their job is to try and save money by getting guys when they aren’t on the pinnacle part of their performance. To me, it was all about getting that security and playing somewhere I wanted to play.”

Contrast Beckett's wisdom--negotiating a win-win with his club--to Samuel's questionable testing of the market, as reported by John Tomase:

[Deion] Branch can’t help but view from afar the deteriorating negotiations between his friend Samuel and the Patriots.
“We’ve spoken,” Branch said yesterday from Seattle after spending the majority of his offseason in Boston. “Our situations are the same as far as holding out, but they’re two different examples. I was due about $1 million. He’s due $7.8 million. The most important thing I tell him is to do what’s in his heart. If he feels holding out is the right thing, then that’s what he should do.”
While stressing he was merely speaking for himself, Branch admitted he’d have had a hard time leaving almost $8 million on the table.
“It would be different if you were in his shoes,” Branch said. “If Zant goes out there, plays one down and gets hurt, he’ll get that $7.79 million and then when his contract’s up, what’s going to happen? ‘We don’t want to sign you.’ That would be the case throughout the league.

I've already debunked some other Branch mythology here, here and here.