Giambi agreement expected soon
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- June
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At some point today, it is expected that Jason Giambi and his lawyers will reach agreement with MLB and their lawyers on what he will tell George Mitchell about steroids.
From what I understand, they are literally scripting the questions and answers. Giambi will talk only about his own experiences.
Bud Selig seems to believe this will help validate the work Mitchell has done as Giambi will become the first active player to testify.
There is no update on Giambi’s medical situation, which indicates that he is nowhere near close to returning.
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on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 at 1:44 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Given that Giambi, MLB and Mitchell all have massive constraints, can someone please enlighten me on how Selig expects this whole scene to play out and be of any value to MLB or the average fan?
Pete –
How can Giambi be certain that the Yanks won’t use any admission attempt to void the remainder of his contract???
Peter:
This is off topic, so excuse me for that, but has there been any recent word on Philip Hughes’ status? I know that it was rumored that he could be out all year, but that was kind of hard for me to believe. Is he expected back in August do you think? Thanks.
They can’t void his contract. Check out the Denny Naegle case vs. the Rockies for precedent.
Its going to be a generic interview and nothing of any substance will come of it.
Considering that the Yankees have never tried to void his contract, probably because their lawyers told them any effort to do so would be futile, its a non-issue.
I care more about the condition of his foot than anything else. That’s the only real news that affects the team.
The rest of this stuff is for the moral frauds in the media to opine about and nothing more.
This is pathetic – they are scripting the answers and the questions???? What a joke! Why does Giambi even have to show up?
Was it in Alice in Wonderland where they say “first the verdict, then the trial”?
Travesty.
The investigation is such a joke, as is Bud Selig for actually applying pressure. We all knew Giambi took steroids. Bud is acting like a 5 year old here, and Mitchell needs to spend our tax dollars elsewhere. Worry about nabbing future cheaters, and let the past be the past. An investigation is not going to change the joke records that were created.
Hopefully ARod hits 71 this year and we won’t have to hear about steroids being on the record!
Is the agreement to do the interview going to be submitted tomorrow, or is the interview actually taking place tomorrow? I only want to know with regard to the whole thing being done and over with.
Much as I dislike Michael Kay, I agree with something he said a few weeks ago: This entire investigation will end up costing tens of millions of dollars, and the only big revelation will be that Jason Giambi used steroids???
Money well spent, I tell ya.
Why is Giambi even agreeing to this? All indications were that even if Selig would try to suspend him the MLBPA would have a huge advantage in front of an arbitrator.
What a farce. As Nomaas pointed out, George Mitchell is a director of the Red Sox.
Buster Olney was reporting that the powers that be are going to try to use Giambi as a means of getting at Barry Bonds (through Balco and Greg Anderson). Any suspension of Giambi for his quote in USA Today would fall down like a house of cards.
All I can say is that they better hurry up b/c Bonds is going to get the record before long.
michael barett(sp) got traded to SD, so thus this make Bard expandable?
What about say Chase Wright for Bard ?
or
Clippard for Bard and Meridth?
SD needs trading chips to send to CIN for Dunn.
plus, what about Brett Smith to COL for Jermey Affledt?
Not sure if any of these trades would work, thoughts?
michael barett(sp) got traded to SD, according to mlbtraderumors so thus this make Bard expandable?
What about say Chase Wright for Bard ?
or
Clippard for Bard and Meridth?
SD needs trading chips to send to CIN for Dunn.
plus, what about Brett Smith to COL for Jermey Affledt?
Not sure if any of these trades would work, thoughts?
I think the questions had to be scripted for two reasons.
First, it is in the nature of an offer of proof. (If asked these questions, what would Giambi’s answers be?) That allows Mitchell’s guys to decide whether they are getting anything of value. It also ensures that there will be no surprises, preventing Mitchell from sandbagging Jason during the interview with a series of questions he is not prepared to answer. This also allows Jason to say to Selig that he cooperated with Mitchell in good faith even if Jason is forced to refuse to answer questions not on the script.
Second, the script was required because I strongly suspect that the BALCO US Attorney needed to know/approve exactly what Jason would be discussing and not discussing. I’m guessing that Jason’s lawyers got him an immunity from prosecution agreement in exchange for his Grand Jury testimony, and that agreement probably limits what Jason can say about what he knows regarding the BALCO case. The Bonds Grand Jury is still allegedly ongoing and the secrecy of the Grand Jury proceedings and the integrity of the BALCO investigation must be protected. Thus, Jason won’t say anything different from his Grand Jury testimony and he won’t blab info the US Attorney considers confidential or a violation of his immunity agreement.
Having said all that, what’s the over-under on how long before Giambi’s statements to Mitchell are leaked to the press?
Barrett is going to be a FA at the end of the year. He is going to be Bard’s backup. SD isn’t trading Bard.
couple of things
How bringing in a player to testify in front of Mitchell when that person has to come kicking and screaming and they can onlky ask certain questions and he will only talk about himself validates this is a joke.Selig has no clue on this.
It would not suprise me if part of the deal also is that whatever Giambi says will not make his contract with the Yankees unvalidated. Arn Tellem is a smart guy he is going to make sure he is proetcted.
Regarding Bard the Padres are not trading him anywhere. They do not look at barrett at their all the time starting catcher. I think if anything being as Barrett is a righty and bard a lefty they will switch them up a a bit (especially since Barrett is looked at as an offensive Catcher more so than his defense) and like SJ said Barret is a FA after this year.
Jason, for all our sakes, please take your time coming back, how bout late Sept. 2008? Thanks!
Giambi ? Who cares ? He wont be back till next year . He certainly hasnt lived to his end of the contract either .
we lost last night because we didn’t have giambino.
What a joke.
Regarding using Giambi to help MLB “get” Bonds, that would only be viable IMO if the BALCO investigation is essentially over.
If the US Attorney thinks there is still sufficient evidence of criminality for the Grand Jury to consider, such that he could secure an indictment (not hard to do) and have a good faith basis to believe he can secure a conviction at trial, IMO he will keep going. If the BALCO case is still alive, it is unlikely therefore that the US Attorney would bless an effort by MLB to “go after” Bonds, using Giambi or anyone else.
MLB’s lawyers should know that if they suspend or ban Bonds there would be some kind of contract-based hearing at which they would need to put up their evidence of wrongdoing. If the BALCO case is still ongoing, the US Attorney would probably not want to expose his witnesses to testimony outside the Grand Jury and thus would not participate in an MLB-based proceeding. Thus, absent independent evidence of Bond’s wrongdoing, there would be no practical way for MLB to proceed if the BALCO case is still alive.
If, however, the US Attorney thinks the BALCO case is going nowhere vis a vis Bonds, he may work out some agreement to let MLB use some of his BALCO witnesses to testify against Bonds under MLB’s procedures to obtain Bonds’ suspension or issue a ban for some period. Expect that Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams still ain’t testifying.
It is an absolute OUTRAGEOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST that a Red Sox Director is heading up this witch hunt against Giambi. Is it really any coincidence that not a single, obvious Red Sox roid user is being questioned, but a Yankee is being hung out to dry? That was a rhetorical question. Tony Soprano should be hired (assuming he’s not dead…) to curb-stomp Selig and Mitchell for their sins.
The funny part of this whole to me is that at first it made Selig and baseball seem so powerful, Giambi must talk or be suspended. Now it’s scripted questions with certain areas out of bounds. Shows how powerful the baseball union continues to be, not only did they have to wait for a suspension to come down, they are basically assuring there will not even be one.
As for Giambi the player, the way Damon is hurting right now and hinting about the DL, we are going to be a DH short when we get to playing the AL starting Monday. If that happens, I think the next best option is calling up S. Duncan.
Surely Shelley Shall Succeed Sans Scranton.
This is what Jason Giambi gets for having the audacity to say that all of mlb, including Bud Selig,the owners and the players, owe the fans an appology for allowing steroids to enter the game.
Uncle Bud and his greedy owner cohorts knew that the home run records were being broken by players who resembled the Incredible Hulk. They fell in love with the gate recipts and television revenues they began seeing from 1998 to present and turned a blind eye to the chemical freaks that sparked the renewed interest.
Giambi was incredibly stupid to basically rat himself out however.
Wasn’t Barrett just a backup in Chicago too until their starter got hurt?
Giambi…. ughhhh, who cares until he’s back in the lineup.
I heard Hughes had the boot taken off and will begin throwing shortly.
38Stitches says his shoulder is fine… Anyone believe him?
“The – fat – boys – are – back… and you know we can never be whack… da dun dun duh da…�
Fat schmuck screwed up his shoulder becuase he’s out of shape.. so long fatboy!
GirardiBrokeMyHeart:
Mitchell, the former US senator, was the man who essentially brokered the 1998 Good Friday peace accord between the IRA and Great Britain, ending for now the bloody and entrenched civil-religious warfare in Ireland. Thus you might say he is no stranger to intense rivalries and he is considered able to rise above them for the Greater Good.
But Mitchell is not British or a member of the IRA.
The Yamkees have never tried to void his contract because they never had admissable proof that he used steroids. It has been widely reported that they have looked into voiding it. The Neagle case involved prostitution…wholly inapposite from the present case and involving different terms in their contracts.
The Yankees probably won’t try to void his contract, but it is most certainly still an issue.
pretty impressive murphydog, but did you just compare Yanks/Sox to “bloody and entrenched civil-religious warfare in Ireland” between the IRA and Great Britain?
Then again, sounds about right… lol.
“Catch Zimmer v. Pedro II on Pay Per View this August.”
Jeff NJ:
The Union really had very little to do with the questions being scripted. Selig was never going to get more than this. In fact, Bud might have gotten less from Giambi but for the fact that the Union is more afraid of Congress and getting a bad grade from Mitchell than they are of Selig.
By the way, for those still upset we traded RJ:
“Randy Johnson has a herniated disk in his back — the same disk that required surgery last year. It is unclear when he will pitch again.”
It’s being scripted and there was a “sticking point” holding up the negotiations because his side is trying to avoid having his contract voided. They don’t care about anything but that.
GirardiBrokeMyHeart
June 20th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
It is an absolute OUTRAGEOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST that a Red Sox Director is heading up this witch hunt against Giambi.
Actually Mitchell was not hired Giambi alone. He was hired to investigate the steroids in the baseball. And one of the players he was trying to investigate was Giambi and he happened to be a Yankee. This has nothing to do with the yanks and Sox rivalry.
By the way, just for the record, even though there was no testing or penalties at the time Giambi did Roids, they were still technically illegal per a decree from the commissioner in 1991 I believe.
Kevin M. :
Using illegal drugs is against the law and soliciting prostitutes is similarly illegal – - outside of certain parts of Vegas.
I believe that the Yankees removed an anti steroid-specific clause from Giambi’s contract, so I am assuming that the Yankees would have to rely on the morals clause in the standard agreement to try to “unguarantee” Giambi’s contract and terminate him without a payout. If there is some legally operative language, other than the standard morals clause, in Giambi’s contract, I’m not aware of it.
The Neagle case sets a precedent of sorts for the relative weakness of the catch-all morals clause in the standard agreement as a basis for summary actions separating player and team without a buyout. The Rockies, disappointed in Neagle’s woeful performance, terminated Neagle’s contract for soliciting a prostitute, without paying him the remainder of his contract. Then Neagle filed a grievance and ultimately Colorado payed out millions (probably) to avoid arbitration on whether Colorado acted properly. How close Colorado came to paying out the entire remainder on Neagle’s contract is not known due to confidentiality agreements executed with the settlement.
Chris NY,
Watch Sheff go down soon to, his shoulder will not last.
Here’s my plan for the Yanks to get rid of Giambi after this year:
1. Offer him $17M of his $26M due next year. If he accepts it, the Yanks clear $9M. I could see the Angels signing him for a year and $9M thus he’d still make $26M for ‘08.
2. If he refuses the buyout, put him on waivers and see who bites.
3. If he is not claimed off waivers, offer him and $20M to whoever wants him (basically his taker pays only $1M of his ‘08 salary + his $5M buyout for ‘09 = $6M). $6M cleared is better than $26M wasted.
4. If he refuses a trade, that’s it. Push him so hard in spring training, he is put on the disabled list before the season begins. He goes on the 15-day d.l. to start the year.
Put him on the 60-day d.l. when that can be done. After that, release him. Let’s see him choose the A.L. team who wins it all in ‘08 -I doubt he will- and have it together to hit again after all that time rotting on the d.l. This effectively takes millions out of his pockets for 2009 and perhaps the rest of his career, cuz he should get
what Dmitri Young took from D.C. this year: a year and $500K. Anyone who gives Giambi $1M or more for ‘09 is an idiot. I could see him exiling himself to Japan in ‘09.
Speaking of the Yankees and clause removal, the one thing I would like to see come out of the Mitchell investigation is the exact moment that teams had an inkling. This could be traced back to when the terms started to be altered in contracts.
If Baseball comes out with its final report and talks only about players, then we will know that the investigation is a complete farce.
[i]Actually Mitchell was not hired Giambi alone. He was hired to investigate the steroids in the baseball. And one of the players he was trying to investigate was Giambi and he happened to be a Yankee. This has nothing to do with the yanks and Sox rivalry.[/i]
It’s still a conflict of interest and it’s still outrageous. There have been and are steroid users on the Sox. I will bet you whatever your want that the “objective” Mitchell commission will never, ever, EVER find a single Red Sox guilty of anything.
test
Jeff NJ:
Thus, while the standard MLB contract is no protection against what the police or prosecutors may do, it’s pretty much the final word as to what Selig and the owners may do to the players (and the Union).
The Union and MLB only recently agreed to put a drug testing program in place with agreed-on penalties for flunking a test or tests. That’s what gives the Commissioner’s office the power to punish PED users now. As for past users who never failed a test and who are now clean, MLB pretty much can’t touch them.
Bonds may be a special case if he is indicted for something now. But even then, I’m not sure how a player who never failed a test after the program went into effect is going to get summarily banned under the present agreement.
GirardiBrokeMyHeart:
I’ll bet you that the Mitchell Commission will not find anybody on any team guilty of anything. It’s not their purpose.
Oh b.t.w. I don’t wanna hear garbage about this would be wrong to do
1. A buyout doesn’t end his career cuz you know at least 2-3 A.L. teams not including the Red Sox, Cleveland, Toronto, and Detroit who all have DHs would be lining up to sign him for ‘08. Here are A.L. teams I could see showing interest in him: L.A., Oakland, and Seattle.
2. It is perfectly understandable to put him on waivers when you look at him. Yeah, I can’t see who’d take him either, but it should be a move to make. See what happens.
3. It is well within the Yanks right to try to trade him or put him on the d.l. if necessary. If him being on the d.l. means he can’t have the walk year to get a nice contract for ‘09, tough shit. ‘Should’ve taken the buyout before the year, dumbass. You’re still under contract and if we don’t feel like you can play, too bad. You can always accept a buyout and sign elsewhere.
Dumbest comments I have ever read: It’s Make Giambi Miserable Time
That may be the dumbest thing I have ever read on this board re: making Giambi’s life miserable.
Do you really believe the Players Association would put up with such a transparent plan?
There are rules in place that prevent such nonsense. Thankfully.
Besides that, how many players do you think will ever want to come to the Yankees if they dump on Giambi the way you are suggesting? Try none.
Whether you like it or not, Jason Giambi is one of the most popular players among players in baseball. If you want the Yankees to continue to attract quality free agents, having them dump on Giambi is certainly not the way to go about it.
Some of you 12 year olds aren’t old enough to remember the 80’s when George Steinbrenner did this kind of stuff and NOBODY was willing to sign FA contracts to come to NY to be subjected to such crap.
The one’s that did were not good players that the Yankees had to overpay to get.
How did that work out? They ruined the window for Don Mattingly to have team success with this nonsense and it took over 10 years to clean it up.
This isn’t the mafia and you can’t just run people into the ground in spring training since there are rules in place (thru the Collective Bargaining Agreement) as to how long players can work out, how many workouts they can have, etc.
Don’t blame Jason Giambi because the Yankees overpaid for him.
If you think they can “execute him” to get out of the deal, guess again. They can’t.
Jeff NJ:
The final report of the Mitchell Commission may or may not be public. Hopefully MLB realizes the need for a public report and it sees the light of day.
Nevertheless, it will be hard to write such a report with great specificity since the evidence available to Mitchell to date seems less than conclusive or exhaustive – factors needed to compose the authoritative story. Mitchell does have an opportunity to be candid and make some general recommendations, but look for the truth about steroids and MLB to come from independent investigative journalists like the Game of Shadows team and others.
This is an agreement by the owners and PA to stop federal inquiries into the game. They dont want to lose their anti-trust exemption. So they’ll make it look official. Have a former Senator who is on the Red Sox board write a report that any fan can write in a weekend.
“athletes used steroids between the years 1975-2003″
wow! Real investigatory work!
When did management know guys were taking steroids?
Everyone knew. No one cared. Its just like football. You dont think every single NFL player is on HGH? They had doctors writing them prescriptions! A punter was on it! And you dont think 6′6 340lb linemen use it???
95% of athletes are on something. These are elite athletes. World class. They are fighting for every last dollar.
Lets see how most of us would respond if our companies banned performance enhancers. No coffee. No soda.
Those arent performance enhancers?
Maybe we should stop guys from working out because isnt that enhancing?
Selig recently appeared at the United Nations. Beyond that his main concern is his own induction into the Hall of Fame. This is all about Allen H. “Bud,” who’ll happily talk himself out of any problem including wasting $30 million plus of luxury tax money donated by the Yankee fan to one of his blue ribbon panels.
The worst part about all this bashing on Giambi is that he has played extremely well for us throughout most of his contract. Now it’s like none of that ever happened.
The contract we gave him pretty much guaranteed he would be overpaid. But when he’s healthy, he is either the best hitter on the team or the runner up.
Schelling is going on the 15 Day DL per rotoworld…
In other news:
FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees, Mets and Angels are among the teams that can acquire Eric Gagne without his permission.
Gagne can block trades to 17 teams, though there’s no guarantee that he would, assuming that he’d remain a closer elsewhere. It’s unclear whether the Yankees or Mets have much interest in Gagne. The Yankees recently had a scout watching the Rangers, but they might prefer Akinori Otsuka. The Angels clearly aren’t a fit.
Who’s bashing Giambi?
Only ones bashing Giambi are Sox and Met fans and non baseball writers. Or I should say writers who are still stuck in 1955 and worship Mantle.
Giambi has done decent here in NY. Too injury plagued but hes had some good years and a lot of power.
And if any Yankee fan bashes him just remind them of Game 7 2003.
Thanks.
Jeremy
Really??? He’s a better hitter than A-Rod? Than Jeter? Than Posada? Than Abreau? Than Matsui? Maybe 5 years ago you could make that argument…not anymore…and he was “healthy” for most of this year and didn’t hit very well.
Two words about streroids.
Who cares.
I bet these athletes have never taken a drink or cursed at their mothers before either. Yawn.
Asst Manager Yea I remember 2004 when he couldn’t play in the World Series
I fully expect Cashman to get bullpen help as soon as he can. That may be Gagne or Otsuka.
He’s also going to get a DH/bat for the bench. I expect it to be Dmitri Young.
Its typical of a segment of today’s Yankee fans, Jeremy. They rip on everybody. Its probably some of the same folks who booed Rivera and Jeter at the Stadium a few years ago.
I remember when that happened and you had people happily commentating how its their “right” to boo anybody.
Let’s face it, on the whole, Yankee fans are terrific.
I go to a lot of minor league and major league Yankee games and you meet some great Yankee fans when you go to games around the country.
Sadly, there is a segment of Yankee fans that are such punks and losers its not funny.
We will see them here again if they lose tonight.
They hate everybody. Torre, Giambi, Damon, Rivera (if he blows two saves), Pete (if he doesn’t write cheerleading columns), Arod, if he isn’t on pace to hit 70 HR’s, etc.
They are dumb, emotionally disturbed and absent of any fundamental baseball knowledge.
They aren’t even real Yankee fans. They are Yankee fans IF the Yankees win.
They are the type of Yankee fans that make everybody hate Yankee fans.
Plainly put, they are haters and nothing more. What’s worse is they don’t even enjoy the games or following the team.
We ALL get frustrated by bad play. However, most Yankee fans, especially in this blog, keep it in perspective.
The rest? Well, they are the same folks that are still trying to convince the rest of us that Josh Phelps is the answer because of his UZR rating.
JohnDoe,
Considering the Yankees didnt even make the 2004 series, I’ll take your point with a grain of salt.
When a team wins its going to pick up its fair share of bandwagon fans.
I mean, come on already. We have some fans that haven’t seen the Yanks out of the playoffs!
They didn’t experience the Stump Merril managed Yanks. The Bronx Zoo 80’s.
Its part of being a Yank fan. You got to take the good with the bad.
I don’t see how any real fan can go out and boo guys that give 110% every single day like A Rod. it made me sick last year to have people boo’ing him.
Not to mention I walked out of the stadium in disgust when these jabrones started boo’ing Mo.
oh sorry tough guy I meant 2003
The Yankees sent scouts to see the Rangers-Reds game. Everybody in the media figured the Yankees were looking at the Rangers guys on the market.
Funny thing is, nobody mentions David Weathers of the Reds. He’s having a good year, he is a veteran, pitched in NY, and would come much cheaper than Gagne or Oksuka.
It wouldn’t shock me if the Yankees have interest in Weathers. 30 K’s, only 9 BB’s and 13 saves this year.
He could be a solid, low cost alternative to boost the bullpen.
Thanks John Doe. Way to be a stickler for those details. Now would we have gotten to the Series if Giambi didn’t play in Game 7 in 2003?
I’d let you answer but you’d probably screw that one up too.
Tell Giambi not to rush back!
The probably want to see Hatteberg play 1b too.
If they get bullpen help like Gagne they could flip Farnsworth to some team in the NL thats desperate for pen help. Like the Cubs, Phillies, Braves, well every team.
You don’t know if his replacement in that game would have hit two home runs or gotten a hit with men on when Giambi didn’t.
Giambi is a cheater who lied about steriods even after someone leaked his testimony. Keep defending the jerk who can’t play anymore because of his various injections.
SJ44,
That’s a good thought about David Weathers. What would it take to get him?
Probably less than it would to deal with Texas since the Reds are blowing up that team.
You know Jon Daniels is going to hold out for more in Texas because he got burned in his two big trades as a GM.
I like Weathers better than anybody but Lidge as a bullpen option.
When you read how Gagne’s velocity drops by 6 MPH when he works back to back days, it tells me he can’t be counted on.
Weathers is a guy with a rubber arm and he can pitch in any situation. Have him setting up Mo and the rest of the ‘pen falls into place.
It gives them the option of moving Farnsworth for a younger arm and Chris Coste (who is in AAA right now) so he can be the backup catcher.
If I was Cashman, I go after Weathers before I touch Eric Gagne. He’s another guy whose body is breaking down since testing has taken place.
Memorandum
From: Senator Mitchell
To: Staff
Re: Stalled Investigation
Anybody remember where I put Jose Canseco’s phone number?
Lidge is on the DL
along with fatso 38pitches
ATLANTA — The Red Sox announced this afternoon that Curt Schilling will be put on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder soreness, and that Josh Beckett will move up in the rotation to pitch Sunday (he’ll have his normal rest).
Schilling, who had an MRI on his pitching shoulder yesterday that turned up normal, said this morning in a radio interview on WEEI that he received a cortisone shot yesterday. He also said he thought “a little touch of tendinitis” was contributing to his problems.
“We got injected yesterday and there’s a period of time here we have to let it sink in, cool down, and then we go,â€? Schilling said. “I’m not exactly sure what day that is. I haven’t heard from the doctors yet but I’m guessing it’s Friday or Saturday. And then we go from there.”
The Schilling reporting cracks me up. It goes from “nothing wrong” to, “he got a cortizone shot” to, “he may may miss a start”, to “he’s going on the DL”.
For a guy who has, “nothing wrong with his shoulder”, sure seems like something is wrong to me.
SJ:
A reliever and a catcher in one move with the Reds. Gotta like that.
But what about the Dimitri Young talk? There was the assault case last year and then he joined up with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Is the pressure of NY really the right thing for this guy?
Kevin M., here are the years that Giambi led the team in OPS or was runner-up.
2006 (#1)
2005 (#2 behind ARod)
2003 (#1)
2002 (#1)
So yes, except for 2004, Giambi was been the best or second-best hitter on the team in every year of his contract so far.
Murph,
I am not a big Young fan. I think its an instance of a guy playing with no expectation exceeding expectations. I don’t think he is a solution.
In addition, dealing with Jim Bowden is like dealing with the devil. One of Brian Cashman’s first jobs with the Yankees was “escorting” Bowden out of Yankee Stadium after he was fired many years ago.
Since then, he has been impossible to deal with when it comes to trades.
If they can get Weathers, and spin Farnsworth to the Phillies for Coste, that’s killing two birds with one stone.
They also won’t to worry about giving up “A” List prospects.
IMO, the biggest issue facing this team is the 8th inning.
They are going to hit. Everybody overreacts when they don’t hit for a game or two.
To make the playoffs, they are going to have to win low scoring, one run games. You do that with a reliable bridge to Mo in the 8th inning. A strikethrower who can pitch everyday. Weathers, IMO, can do just that.
If they got him to pitch the 8th, coupled with Vizcaino (a different pitcher in June), Proctor and Bruney, that’s a bullpen that can shut down teams in the second half of the year.
It also allows them to think about including Proctor or Bruney in a Teixiera deal if one materializes.
SJ44,
In response to your 5:14 pm comment: It seems to prove the point that Peter always makes when he says teams lie about injuries.
Did 38pitches.com really say “We got injected”? Who is we?
What a egomaniac.
SJ44:
i’m not disagreeing w/ your idea regarding weathers, but his time with the Yanks in `97 and `97 (26 IP) was very poor. (but his time with mets was quite good in 2002-2004.)
he seems quite inconsistent over the years, althogh this looks to be a “good” year for him.
i agree though, he doesn’t have to be a superstar (like Lidge) but just good for the rest of 2007 and hopefully the playoffs this year.
Jeremy, good point. We want Giambi!
I’m so excited about the Rockies. Now only 5.5 games back of the Dodgers, winning 7 of the last 10. With all the solid pitching while beating up on AL teams like the Sox and fading Yanks.
You heard it here first: sweep.
I’m so excited about the Rockies. Now only 5.5 games back of the Dodgers, winning 7 of the last 10. With all the solid pitching while beating up on AL teams like the Sox and fading Yanks.
You heard it here first: sweep.
7.5 can go back to 14.5 just as fast…
SJ:
I’m thinking that Teixeira isn’t going to happen. Then again, Cash is really good at driving down price and demands (e.g., Damon and Abreu). Maybe he’s just waiting Texas out.
TKinDC,
‘We” as in Giambi and myself.
SJ44 –
I had not really heard of Weathers. I like his k/bb ratio, but how will his stuff translate to the AL?
I don’t think the Yankees should go anywhere near Gagne. Lidge should be a guy you get for next season, not in the middle of a pennant race. Lidge may not be done, but he’s clearly got issues that won’t be helped by pitching in NY.
Is Chris Coste the career minor leaguer, feel-good story guy who finally got a chance in the majors?
murphydog –
I’m inclined to agree with you that Teixeira is probably not going to happen this year. But I also agree with you that Cashman is a master at making the Yankees look like they have the upper hand in negotiations — they are clearly the ones in control because they can walk away. I believe that’s why Andy Phillips is up here. So, it’ll be interesting to say the least. So, who knows????
I just hope Andy P. makes the most of this opportunity both for his sake and the team’s.
Murph
How exactly did Cashman drive down Damon’s price?
Mitchell isn’t going after Giambi because he’s a Yank – he’s going after him because he keeps opening his mouth and putting his foot in it.
If any of the Sox were or are on The Clear, they haven’t told USA Today about it. That’s the difference.
The other thing is, Giambi is not going to name names. But even if he did, what is MLB supposed to do about it? Scrub the record books? Keep people out of the HoF?
The truth is, steroids are probably used by athletes in every sport – but we still watch anyway. Want to get Selig to do something about steroids – stop watching baseball games and stop watching ESPN. Believe me, those two things will get the sport cleaned up.
The question is, how many peopl want to watch a version of MLB where the HR champ has 22 homeruns and most games are 3-2?
Murphy,
I hope Cashman is waiting Texas out, but realistically it may be more a case of Texas waiting out GMs like Cashman as you have to assume some big market teams besides the Yankees such as the RedSox, or Dodgers, would want to land Texiera.
Especially if Boston can flip Lowell somewhere, then Youk goes back to 3B and Sox have a hole that Texiera could fill. The Dodgers need a legitimate power bat and they have young prospects to move.
All this drives up Texiera value and gives Texas the ability to sit back for a few weeks and listen as the offers come in. A premiere player, especially if his contract can be extended, definitely puts Texas in the drivers seat.
Unless Cashman goes against his history and sells out one or two prime pitching prospects, I don’t see the Yankees having enough quality that Texas would want.
If Texiera does not agree to a contract extension then Daniels will instantly find his options limited because I don’t know how many teams want a 1.5 year rental in exchange for choice prospects or legitimate ML ready players.
Question: What is the historic significance of the dates April 24, May 6 and June 1?
Answer: They represent the only days in 2007 that Carl Farnsworth entered a game and did not allow a baserunner.
That’s right folks, in 29 appearances Farsworth has allowed baserunners in 26 games. Is anyone out there comfortable when Bob Shepard announces #48’s entry into a game???
The Yanks can get Mark Texeira tomorrow and not address their biggest need…. a reliable bridge to Mariano that is not named Proctor. Now that the draft is over and teams are looking to make trades, the Yanks need to address their bullpen issues more than finding a first baseman.
Cashman is not trading valued prospects for a 1b. Especially one whos currently on the DL. Get the heads out the proverbial buttox.
Cash is going to look hard for pen help. He can 1b, DH help cheaper than trading Hughes or even Chamberlain.
I lost a lot of respect for Rosenthal after that article.
Must win tonight. Give us a chance to get another series. I expect the offense to be much better with or without Damon.
I agree with you all on Tex. He is a luxury while a reliable bullpen arm in front of Mo is a definite need. A serviceable 1b can be had at the deadline and Cash should focus now on acquiring bullpen help.
The Yanks have enough talent in their lineup to win with a first baseman who can field the position and is a good situational hitter.
Doug M has a great glove, but is not a good situational hitter. If your going to go with something less than the protypical 1B power hitter, you need someone who is a contact hitter so that you can hit and run, can bunt and steal an occasional base. I wish Andy Phillips the best, but I’m not sure he’s that guy either.
There’s a lot of season left. I’d like to see Johhny Damon take a couple of weeks off and come back as Johnny Damon, only at first base.
One last thought on the Giambi situation…shame on every Yankee “fan” who doesn’t appreciate that when healthy, Jason Giambi makes the Yankees lineup much better. He walks so much because the rest of baseball fears him. Here’s wishing him a healthy future regardless of his past sins. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
I’ve been part of the debate about our 1B position as much as anyone, but looking back I realize it’s all been ridiculous. We’ve been debating whether Crappy Player A is better than Crappy Player B, C, or D. What’s the point? They’re all Crappy Players.
I found it comical at times how much praise Mientkiewicz got for making a nice scoop, but the guy did play a nice first base (even if the stats have always hated him). But he couldn’t hit. Phelps could hit a little, but he couldn’t field. Cairo is needed on the bench, and can’t hit either. Everyone knows that Phillips is no savior.
We had a big hole at first since day 1 this season. Craig Wilson was supposed to be the answer last year, but it didn’t work out. So we scrambled and picked up Mientkiewicz and Phelps. No one imagined either would be the new Tino, and now neither is playing. So the hole remains, swallowing up our offense.
The concept of first base being a power position is sometimes misunderstood here. The idea is not that you have to have a power-hitting first baseman, but that it’s generally easier to find a power-hitting first baseman (big guy who doesn’t have to move much) than a power-hitting, say, shortstop. That’s why Jeter led the league in VORP last year and why Morneau wasn’t even close.
Problem is, our power-hitting first baseman was supposed to be Giambi, and there seems to be a shortage of even decent first baseman that the Yankees can acquire right now.
It’s both bad planning and bad luck. The Yankees gave an overly long commitment to Giambi, who could not play first base and stay healthy at the same time. We got a decent fill-in with Wilson, but he became an awful player the moment he came to the Yankees. Phelps didn’t pan out and Mientkiewicz got hurt. We don’t have a decent first base prospect in the minors, and there’s no available first baseman on another team that’s a good fit for us, except maybe Teixeira, and he would cost us dearly.
So we’re still struggling at first, and if we don’t get Teixeira (and it’s more likely than not that we won’t), we will probably continue to struggle there for the rest of the season.
The good news is, the Yankees have such absurdly good production at SS, 3B, and catcher that we may be able to make up for having a terrible hitter at first. It’ll have to do.
Bullpen is much more important then 1B for sure. also Lowell is a FA at the end of the yr. he has almost no trade value at present…
They wont have a terrible hitter at 1b for long. Cashman will go out and get a decent hitter. They need to improve the bench anyway.
Jake, but who is that decent hitter? The market at first base is terrible. The only arguably decent players who may be available are Young, Dunn, and Teixeira, and there are big problems with all three. Young is a problem personality who may be playing over his head. Dunn has limited experience at first. Teixeira may cost too much considering we can’t guarantee his presence for more than a season and a half or so.
Other than those guys, I can’t think of anyone.
If the SPs perform as they have been over the last two weeks, excepting Clippard and DeSalvo, the relief pitching should be more than adequate,because they don’t get burned out. The relief pitching in fact has been acceptable, not lights out mind you, but for a couple of weeks now significantly better then April and May because the starters are going deeper.
I still think the priority at the trade deadline is bench players, and a serviceable 1b, over relief pitching.
Robbie Cano becomes a very important guy right now. With Damon hurting, Giambi out, and first base a crapshoot, he has to hit better with RISP (only .219 this season) and has to be a better situational hitter.
If Cano can get back to being a dominant hitter (as he was last year), run production at first base isn’t a big deal.
If he can’t, then they need to find a bat at the deadline.
Cano has mystified me. Much better defensively and much worse offensively this year. Hard to figure.
Last year, he not only hit .342, he led the majors in RBI the second half of the season. This year, he has been awful in run producing situations.
If he can get back to last years pace offensively, this offense will really soar.
I’m not convinced we need anymore bullpen help. If Farny and Vizk pitch to their abilities, that gives us more than enough effective bullpen parts.
1st base is a hole, but it didn’t seem that way with Cairo playing well defensively and everyone else hitting. It’s a much bigger issue if the team turns it off offensively.
I guess I’m saying I’m in favor of negotiating hard and getting Teix for 3 players, only untouchables in my mind are Hughes and Joba.
I agree, Cano is key, he provides balance in the order, and also if he hits lefties its serves to likely deter clubs from lining up starting lefties against the Yankees.
Matsui and Abreu for the most part have no problem with lefties. Cano does.
Two things Cano has going for him. Confidence and steadiness, if Long or Mattingly can teach him discipline and a good situational approach, he should return to .300.
Here’s a trade thought: Karl Farnsworth ( $5.7 mil salary) to the Cubs for the underachieving Scott Eyre ($4.5 mil salary) and first baseman Darly Ward ( $1 mil salary).
Trade Eyre and cash for a backup catcher … Adam Melhuse ( Rangers) ?
That’s Daryl Ward ,not Darly, my darlings.
um looks like the red sox will win tonight :\
If Eyre can’t hack it in the epitome of mediocrity NL central, why would the Yankees offer to take him?
And what would the Cubs be thinking taking F-worth?
Isn’t this a case of been there, done that?
Maybe Farsworth could dominate in the NL. The key wold be the Yanks getting a servicalble first baseman in Daryl Ward.
sorry about the spelling..been a lonnng day!
I don’t get the feeling that Farnsworth is a big hit in the Yankee clubhouse. I think he does have trade value, but the Yanks aren’t going to get a lot for him.
I think F-worth has trade value too, and the reason he has trade value is because he has shown the ability to be effective and dominate, it’s just a rare occurence.
Some team may well bite on F-worth, I just don’t see shuffling him back to Chicago as part of your trade idea would work for either NY or CHC.