Pettitte: Yankees or retirement in 2008
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- October
- 31
Here is what Andy Pettitte told a Houston TV station:
“The New York Yankees committed an awful lot of money to me and put it in my hands, gave me a player option and trusted me with that option. It probably wouldn’t be real honorable for me not to do anything other than if I shut it down, shut it down or go back and play for the New York Yankees.”
Pettitte has until Nov. 7 to tell the Yankees whether he plans to return. He has a $16 million option. He was 15-9, 4.05 and had no elbow issues. While he is tight with Joe Torre, he also had a good relationship with Joe Girardi.
“I gotta figure out in my own mind exactly what I want to do,” he said. “I know a lot of speculation is out there as far as with Skip losing the job an stuff like that, what effect it would have. But the Yankees gave me the contract. That’s the organization that has committed to me and it won’t have any bearing.”
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on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 at 2:23 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
riddle me this, statured pitcher could be resigned before a-rods ten day limit…. mmmmmm interesting….
Please come back, Andy. We could really use you!
Thanks for the update, Pete!
Ill put my money on that he comes back. He had no injuries during the season and a decent year.
andy pettitte is the definition of heart . the rotation benefits from a guy like pettitte throwing every 5th day .
wow. what a classy guy. that right there is the exact opposite of arod
Good to hear but just what I expected from Andy. He’s one of the rare few that you really feel is legit in terms of the character people talk about. You get the impression he is ad advertised, not just a politician in front of the cameras and totally different in real life.
I think last year gave him enough motivation to come back including losing the way they did. I think he’ll be back.
Andy will be Back for Sure!!! We Need MO and PO back ASAP!!! I would like to get Chone Figgins… Guy always put’s good numbers up and does steal bases.
Mobile is fun lol we need andy to be the veteran presence on this staff
Finally, some encouraging news. Let’s get this taken care of soon- Pettite will bring a bit of stability and a much-needed presence. 215 IP’s won’t hurt, either. Wang, Pettite, Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain. Imagine a Yankee rotation anchored by 4 young pitchers and a rock-solid veteran; what a concept!
I think it would be nice to see Andy back one more year. It’s also nice to see someone loyal to the franchise, rather than the manager.
You could have Andy in the rotation with Wang, Hughes, Kennedy, and Mussina. That would put Chamberlin back in the pen, so they can make him into a monster a la Gossage, Fingers, Sutter…something I’ve mentioned before.
That’s OUR Andy! A Yankee forever with total class! Please come back, Andy!
I’d prefer to see Joba in the bullpen too (2 more years of setting up for Mo, and then BECOMING Mo in 2010), but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen- that’s why I put him in my version of the rotation.
Joba is too valuable and has too many tools as a starter. If all he had was 2 pitches that he dominates with as a reliever, I’d love to have him out there and closing once Mo’ retires. But FORTUNATELY for us, he’s got 2 other pitches and is a starter.
If you owned a Ferarri, would you want to drive it every other day for 2 minutes, or beat the crap out of it once a week for hours?
That man right there,ladies and gentlemen, is a TRUE Yankee. Can’t wait to see Andy back in pinstripes next year!
Its easier to find an 8th inning guy or a closer than it is to find a potential ace.
Joba needs to be in the rotation.
I also think Andy has more left in him than 1 more year. He’s not that old, even if he keeps contemplating retirement as if he is.
His presence for the next 2, 3, 4 years would be great for the young guys.
Andy Pettitte is one reason why it is so rewarding to be a Yankee fan. The guy works hard, is a great teammate, helps the younger pitchers, and is very honorable. I seem to think that he will come back just because there were no elbow issues. Elbow trouble was the main reason why he was talking retirement after last season. He’s got plenty of life remaining in that left arm and if I had one game that I absolutely had to win, I would go with Andy Pettitte. The grit and determination that he showed in Game 2 of the ALDS is exactly what you get from him each time he pitches. The guy will give it his all and is absolutely unafraid of the big stage. PLEASE come back.
Just for argument’s sake, how about Wang, Schilling, Pettite, Hughes and Kennedy, with Joba getting another year as a setup man. While Schilling did not include the Yankees on his list of teams, you have to figure that it was simply a ploy to drive up the price, no? The man is the very definition of a mercenary.
Sounds positive. Great season last year. Why not come back if he’s got gas in the tank?
Providence: BLASPHEMY! haha
He could be a great starter or reliever. I just think they have an opportunity to make him a sort of throwback guy that can pitch a couple innings out of the pen…then if they decide to move him back into the rotation it won’t be so drastic.
Imagine a modern team with a reliever that can go out and throw two or three innnings. I don’t know if guys are conditioned like that anymore though. It seems more in line with and older philosophy…I like the thought however.
No way would I want Schilling. He is a scumbag.
Ha ha Providence, that’s a pretty good joke. Had a good laugh there.
I despise Pay-rod, but I hate Schilling that tool even more.
I am sure Andy will be back. We’ll have a veteran plus four young pitchers (+ Moose) to form a formidable rotation. We won’t have any need for a mega-Santana-deal.
Andy’s a true Yankee, he understands the need for a veteran in the pitching staff to bring some stability in this time of turmoil.
SoS27- I’m not so sure it’s easier to find a setup man than a starter. While it seems like that would be the case, how many pitchers can you name that have been CONSISTENTLY lights out in the 7th/8th inning role for more than a year or two? Most of the great ones are either flashes in the pan or are converted to be closers with mixed results.
Schilling and A-Rod can get married up in MA and fall into a Vulcano in Hawaii on their honeymoon.
Pete - I just posted a comment and it never showed up. I think it was probably because I used the black magic word “pavano”
Not that it was in a good context. I just wondered if anyone had heard if the guy had fled the country or if he was actually trying to recover from tommy john.
SJ - would he be an option for a back-up by mid season? not that i expect ANYTHING from him, but you can’t ever have enough pitching…
Providence, add Joba to that list of those that haven’t done it in the 7th/8th consistently. Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. He’s only done it for a couple months so far.
Again, I’d rather have a W than an inning or 2 of relief. Why would you take 70-80 innings from someone with his talent instead of 200?
Look, we’ve seen how important it is to have good relief pitching these days. But we’ve also seen how VITAL it is to have good starting pitching. Good starting pitching makes every bullpen better, period. He would be GREAT in the bullpen, but he’d also be wasted there.
If Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all-time, had 4 pitches, he would have been a starter too.
No Andy in the rotation probably means 3 rookies in the rotation, with Hughes, Ian and Joba..
Personally, I’d like the veteran pressence there. Andys more vocal than Moose, I think, so he’d be good in that clubhouse..
The thought of Schilling being a Yankee makes my skin crawl.
Wow, how refreshing to here a player use a word like “honorable” in discussing his signing intentions. What a concept, recognizing you have been treated great, make a ton of $, and don’t feel the need to scrounge for a few extra dollars elswhere & show actual appreciation to your employer. Love you Andy.
Girardi will prove to be a great hire especially if we spend tha A-rod $ to beef up the bullpen. JoeG.will get all tos squandered baseruners across he plate a littleat a time if need be if he has a pen that can actually get people out.
Classy way Donnie B. handled his rejection. Kudos to him.
I’m sick of Yankees WASTING huge multi-year $ deals on starting pitchers, no matter how great they may have been recently. Never pans out for us. Too big a crapshoot $ best spent signing & developing your own. Don’t want folks like Santana at expense of good young talent who will likely be good longer than an already established starter. Our track record sucks & I go back further even than Don Gullet.
i don’t think my comments are posting. i’ve tried to ask about something, but i guess it isn’t worth it
Schilling to the Yankees?
Um, no.
OK! IT worked!
SJ - Any word on Pavano’s recovery? I hate him, and I don’t care about him, but I’m curious.
I posted this on the previous thread, but with Speed Gonzalez now the V.P. in Charge of I.P., I couldn’t type fast enough:
It sure seems counter-productive to trade the prospects that Cashman has worked so hard to acquire. It’s been a dramatic philosophical change for the organization and I think they should stick to their guns and solve the problem (i.e., holes in the lineup) from within. That’s assuming there is no cheap solution that makes sense (such as Ian Stewart or a bandaid like Crede). If that means playing Betemit at 3B, so be it. There aren’t many answers in the FA Class of 2008.
The mantra for 2008 is “patience”, so they take the hit and cleanse the roster for 2009’s FA class:
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2002/02/2008-09-free-agents.html
i keep forgetting about pavano. i wonder if he’d be a possibility for the pen towards the end of the season…
The day that Curt Schilling becomes a Yankee will be the day that Gary Sheffield rejoins the team, although it’s pretty obvious that Schilling wants to be here. Why else would he mention the Yankees 20 times per day?
I would actually take A-Rod back if he did the following (none of which will happen):
1. Fired Scott Boras.
2. Admitted he was a fool to listen to Boras, who convinced him the Yankees were bluffing and they had to opt out to cal his bluff.
3. Stated he wanted to come back all along and will take a contract extension equal to what the Yankees were going to offer in an extension - 21M.
saucy- The only pen that Pavano could be an option for is a federal pen because of the way that he’s embezzling $10 million per year.
Or Peter, if you are reading right now.
I know our best friend Carl can’t fit into ANY plans for our 08 rotation, but the guy used to be able to throw a few innings. Has he left the country?
I think the whole bullpen issue can be solved if the Yankees go out and try to trade for the guy who would be my number one target on the trade market. Joe Nathan. His option was picked up, but that may have been solely to trade him, being that they have other options at closer and will never be able to pay him with all the others they will have to pay (Mauer, Mourneau, Hunter, Santana). Nathan could set up for Mo for a few years and then eventually replace him as the closer. He is one of the two or three best closers in baseball, and this would allow Joba to stay in the rotation.
When Hell freezes over!! No way to Curt!! He is as pompas as they come!!
Some fool named Nate Silver over at cnnsi.com said that the Yankees should let Mo go and make Farnsworthless their closer. This guy is clearly smokin’ crack. Either that or he’s never seen Kyle pitch. What a bonehead statement.
Peter,
off topic, your a Pats fan and im a colts fan. I was talking to friends about the 4 and 2 pass play the pats did in the end of the fourth quarter of the redskins game up 38-0. I thought it was bush league and its an unwritten rule that you dont pass when your blowing a team out in the 4th. But surprisingly the people i spoke to it was split 50/50 if it was right to do or not. So I want your un bias opinion on if you think less of your coach or like him more for playing the game that way.
Thats not including bringing Brady back in the fourth up by 21 the week before.
GO COLTS!!!
Ok, how the hell are we still paying Pavano? I thought his contract was up this year. You mean we are still saddled with that weak minded jerk? Ugh!!!!
Schilling has said that he would first prefer to return to the Sox for a one-year extension at what I think was his current salary. If they don’t offer him that, he listed several teams he’d be willing to play for. ANSKY wasn’t one of them.
Having him in the rotation would be a nice idea if he was five years younger, but I remember how much less dominating Randy Johnson had become by the time he finally wore pinstripes. The way I (and many) see it, Pettitte Wang Hughes Chamberlain Kennedy and Moose could collectively mix into a decent rotation. So who’d need an aging Schilling with a fastball that’s fading to about 90mph, for just one year?
Taking into account early-career innings limits for Chamberlain & Hughes, and expecting an age-related tailing off from Mussina, all six should get plenty of time on the mound over the course of the season.
Talk of acquiring Santana aside, Humberto Sanchez could get his rehab going and into some minor league games sometime in ‘08. Depending on how he progresses and his what abilities he actually has (independent of the TJ surgery) he could be someone to look for in ‘09 or ‘10.
Hopefully a Sanchez comeback isn’t along the lines of the old joke where the guy says to his surgeon “So you’re saying I’ll be able to play the piano after you operate on my hands? That’s great news because I couldn’t play piano before!”
Andy’s the key to our off season. An entire season with him leading the staff will be so valuable to the long term development of the kid starters that it’s almost worth the Yankees adding a few more million to his deal.
Not to mention we need Andy in the post season next year.
He was brilliant against Cleveland and we saw the old Pettitte that this team had sorely missed. If Joe had started him game one I think the series would have had a different outcome after watching Wang wet himself on the mound with his parents in the stands and his stuff somewhere far away.
I hope Jeter, Girardi and whoever else can help him see that he’s an important bridge to the next generation and keeping alive what they built together during the late 90’s.
We lose Pettitte, it’s a huge blow. There is not one pitcher who is available that anyone can say can play in NY and be the clubhouse leader that Andy is for this team. That pitcher doesn’t exist right now. Anyone, including Johan, we trade for or sign is a question mark.
Pettitte’s an exclamation point. Watching him talk with the kid pitchers after their starts this season had me feeling he’s more of a captain/leader than #2 is.
Laura, it’s funny what people will write when you let them write about anything they want.
Laura - yes, 4 years $40mm. He comes off the books after 08
i’d love to see pettitte back.
Re: Pats vs Colts
i can’t wait to hear the fans of the losing team mention how the playoff game is the one that really matters…
Last I saw of Carl Pavano, he was in a bar in Jupiter FL hanging out with friends.
I heard recently he is in Arizona rehabbing.
He isn’t coming back to the Yankees so I wouldn’t worry about him too much.
Andy is a standup guy. Breaks my heart he didn’t win Game 2 of the ALDS.
That game was setting up as a repeat of his 1-0 gem in the ‘96 WS. He really deserved to win that game.
I hope he comes back and I hope the Yankees offer him another player option as an incentive to come back. He deserves it.
If they get Mo, Posada and Pettitte back in the fold, this is still a pretty good team. They will just need to find some help at first and third and add a couple of arms in the bullpen.
Certainly doable this off-season.
With Pettite back this is formidable AL rotation we have brewing for 2008. I know there are still alot of ‘ifs’ but it is gettin pretty exciting.
By the way, I would love to see what the captain has to say of all this…
Joe Nathan isn’t going to NY to set up for Mo.
The guy is a premier closer going into his walk year. He isn’t giving up huge dollars (the difference between setting up and closing) to be Mo’s caddy.
That’s not how it works in baseball. Eric Gagne being the latest example of that failed strategy.
Pettite looks like he’s spitting in the face of A-Rod with that honor stuff. Saying the team paid him a lot of money and trusted him with an option. A-rod could take a page out of his book. I hope his team finishes in last this year and the Yanks win the series. . . especially if his team is the Red Sox.
Just saw that there is a 1PM press conference st the Stadium tomorrow for Girardi. Not quite sure why they need to do that after the long conference call yesterday.
Schilling to Yanks no way in hades. I predict he goes back to the Phils which would make me very sad as they are my other team.
gayle - more questions a million pictures of him with his jersey and hat. awwwe
Classy guy and a great pitcher. I hope he returns on ‘08.
And why would we want Schilling? We already have a washed-up old guy (Mussina).
“Just saw that there is a 1PM press conference st the Stadium tomorrow for Girardi. Not quite sure why they need to do that after the long conference call yesterday.”
Maybe jason giambi is going to apologize for something he doesnt want to be specific about
OK, Cash. Pony up. Offer Andy the same option for 2009 and tell him you will fly Clemens in whenever he feels lonely.
Andy — come on back — Girardi was your catcher in 98 and 99 — you can work with him and he can use your help with the youngsters.
Believe me I am all for the dog and pony show forpictures etc but 1 day after you spent over an hour answering questions maybe the Captain will be there
I think the feeling is mutual. The Yankees don’t want Schilling and Schilling has no desire to be a Yankee. I live in in the middle of “Red Sox Nation” and I have heard only one person say they would like to see Arod on the Red Sox. I think there is a decent chance that Arod will actually take a pay cut. The rumor going around is that the Sox offer Coco Crisp and John Lester to the Twins for Santana!!!
I keep seeing people talk about the rotation next year and no one ever really includes Mussina into it.
Yankees rotation as it stands right now is:
Wang
Mussina
Joba
Kennedy
Hughes
Kennedy may not be on board at the start and may get some time in AAA depending on how he pitches in Spring Training.
Let’s also not forget about Kei Igawa. Yankees didn’t pay a boat load of money for a AAA pitcher.
Kei Igawa may get into the rotation before Kennedy does, just because they have more invested in him than they do with Kennedy. Kennedy also isn’t going anywhere so they can take time with getting him up into the MLB.
But the point is what do you think the Yankees are going to do with Mussina? He has a no trade clause and makes a lot of money. He isn’t going to be benched. He will be in the starting rotation, so that means someone comes out.
No if Pettite returns then our rotation is this:
Wang
Pettite
Mussina
Hughes
Joba
But the Kei question still comes into play. Hughes or Joba may be in AAA at the start of the season.
Yankees would be smart to see what they can get for Kei and maybe include him in a trade for a high caliber player, like Miguel Cabrera. It would soften the loss of the money paid out to talk to Kei.
Melky, Kei, Horne, and another prospect may be able to get Cabrera. Add Hughes and you may also get Dontrelle in the deal.
I would take that deal in a second. I would also trade Kennedy and Wang for Santana in a heartbeat.
Kerry woods to the yankees? “Name recognition alone could make Wood a hot commodity, and with old friend Joe Girardi now managing the New York Yankees, the chances of Wood wearing dark blue pinstripes are probably decent if he bolts the Cubs. “
“Pettite looks like he’s spitting in the face of A-Rod with that honor stuff. Saying the team paid him a lot of money and trusted him with an option. A-rod could take a page out of his book. ”
pettitte’s situation is completely different than a-rod’s.
he had a handshake agreement with the yankees that he is honoring. i give him credit for doing that, but he is not “spititng in the face of a-rod”.
i’m not going to defend the WAY a-rod handled his opt out, but it wasn’t dishonorable that he DID opt out at all.
it is not even dishonorable that he didn’t want to negotiate with the yankees. maybe he is just tired of playing in NY? that’s his right and it’s pretty understandable after the last 4 years.
the timing of his announcement was inexcusable. but aside from that, the fact that he opted out of his contract does not reflect upon his honor at all.
people are putting way too much emotion into judging a business decision.
let’s say the Yankees held an option on A-Rod and he got hurt at the end of the year and they didn’t pick it up. would that have been dishonorable of them?
What a joke that offer would be. LOL
Well I think that the Yankees pitching has the chance to be very strong next year, that is if the youngsters can step up like they did at the end of this year. I still think that the Yankees-line up without A-Rod is one of the best in the league, not THE best, but a still a good line-up. I think the Yankees need to beef up their bullpen, before the make offensive upgrades.
I think the Yankees should consider signing the following relief pitchers:
LaTroy Hawkins
Octavio Dotel
Al Reyes
and re-sign Luis Vizcaino
I think with a Bullpen like the following:
Rivera
Dotel
Hawkins
Farnsworth
Vizcaino
Ohlendorf
Veras
Rameriz
Moose??
we have the chance to win more games.
Starting pitching, I do hope that Andy comes back to help the young pitcers (Joba, Phil and IPK)
Lester and Crisp for Santana? I hope the sux don’t actually think that the Twins would do that. Man, I REALLY HATE THOSE MORONS!
Hmmm,
Agreed. Arod didn’t do anything unethical. He wants out so he exercised his option. That’s life in baseball.
He may have done it in a smarmy way but if he was going to opt out, does it really matter HOW he did it?
Crisp and Lester for Santana, ain’t gettin’ it done. The Twins would laugh at that offer.
Arod isn’t taking a pay cut. Not going to happen. He will make over 30 million in his new deal. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be opting out.
Just so you can have a better idea of the rotation with those trades:
Santana
Pettite
Dontrelle
Joba
Mussina
That is a winning rotation and more than makes up for the loss of ARod, especially with Miguel on 3rd. His fielding may be an issue as I believe he had over 20 errors last season at third. His offense more than makes up for his fielding though.
Or take out Hughes and don’t go for Dontrelle and the rotation is still solid.
Santana
Pettite
Joba
Hughes
Mussina
It all makes it easier on us with Mussina still being in there for one last year. After that, we have more youth coming up to take his place.
Weeks agp $chilling has publicly stated he wouldnt sign with the Yankees. Thank God!!!There’s no sense even discussing it.
After the AFraud fiasco, it’s refreshing to see Mo and Andy give the Yankees their due consideration. Let’s hope Jorge gets over his anger and does the same. You’d think Jorge will take it to the last minute and make the Yanks sweat.
Sorry to see Larry Bowa might follow Joe Torre to LA. Potentially, one could make a case that hiring Joe Girardi cost the Yanks AFraud,Posada,Mattingly and Bowa. That’s a lot of talent to lose.
I wouldnt touch Reyes, Hawkins, or Dotel with a 400 foot pole.
Of course ARod had the right to opt out. But it was the way he did it, the way he tried to hedge his bets by giving the fans alll those phony “it feels like home in NY” BS lines. He’s a phony and the fans see right through him. I actually think the team will be better off without him, without the question of “will he or won’t he opt out” hanging over the team all season. Some guys know what it means to wear pinstripes, and ARod ain’t one of them.
Hey ItalianGreco,
I can just feel the love!!!!! lol
Kerry Wood i would take a flyer on… i like him better in the Yankees pen a lot more than Farnsworth, and thats even if Wood blows out his shoulder again.
There are really no words in the English language that would even come close to describing the ginormous amount of love, respect and admiration I have for Andrew E. Pettitte. He does the pinstripes so very proud and is always a joy to watch. It would be the Yankees’ honor and privilege to welcome him back next year, and I passionately hope he does return. There are still a lot of gems left in the tank.
Here’s lookin’ at ya, #46.
Joe G, I think the Yankees would only pull the trigger on a Miguel Cabrera deal if it involved another prospect other than Miguel. If the yankees could get a sean west or a Tucker in the deal I would pull it just to gain another youg pitching prospect. D-Train isn’t the best now, I think last year showed us he really is an average pitcher, not the best.
I’d rather have Phil Hughes than Dontrell
Does anyone else think a 6 man rotation could make sense for us given Joba, Hughes, and IPK’s young fragile arms and Mussina and Pettite’s old fragile arms
hmmmm,
How do you ratinalize AFraud’s statements that he “can’t imagine not putting this uniform on again” or about him enjoying New York now? Those werent outright lies???
I’d touch Octavio again, he recovered from his surgery fine it seems, and the Braves already declinded his option.
I posted in the other thread that the Marlins would committ highway robbery against us to get Cabera. They clearly don’t like Joe G and would look to fleece us for many players. I also would not touch Donrelle. I don’t think he would do well in the AL.
Hmmm,
What makes A-Phoney dishonorable is that he lied over and over and over again about loving NY and it feeling like home. He knew two months ago (supposedly) that he was leaving yet he said this stuff in the media. I’m sorry, but being a bold face liar is dishonorable.
He was perfectly within his rights to opt out. And yes, doing it during the WS was tacky (thought not as tacky as Gammons made it out to be). I could have lived with all of this if he hadn’t been lying for most of this year.
Right on, Laura!
ray,
I know that all of the fans in that horrible city think it’s a fair trade. LOL. I’m not sure if you are a sux fan or not, but the fact that they were chanting Yankees suck during their parade sums it up. I know we did not even think about the sux when won!!!
I would go after Kerry Wood before I even think about Reyes, Dotel or Hawkins.
All three guys are just guys, nothing special.
They are also guys who have had problems pitching to good AL lineups.
The 3 blown saves Al Reyes had against the Red Sox in September cost the Yankees the division.
Wood? If you can use him right (55-65 innings a year) you have a monster in the bullpen.
He and Girardi are tight so that may be a possibility.
I would use the money they have tied into Vizcaino and add to it to sign Wood. Wood is a better bullpen option.
I think Veras and Ohlendorf are going to be in the ‘pen. Perhaps Ramirez will join them. I suspect Farnsworth will be a Girardi pet project. He has always liked him and always believed he could get more out of him.
Could be a perfect storm brewing for Farnsworth. He’s in his walk year and he likes Girardi a lot. Who knows, that may turn out to be good news for the Yankees.
If the red sox want Santana, the starting price would be Buccholtz and Ellsbury… period… if the Twins are demanding Hughes/Joba and Leche from the Yankees, the Twins will not settle for less from the Sox.
Buck Martinez on XM radio put together this scenario: Mets include Jose Reyes in a trade for J. Santana and then sign ARod to play shortstop. I didn’t like it, because, of course, I don’t want the Mets to have Santana. I don’t think ARod will come within 100 miles of New York, but who knows, if money talks, ARod walks toward it.
Chone Figgins seems to me to be the type of player that, although he gives the Yankees fits, is not all that good and I don’t want to trade anything for him.
I could see Tori Hunter in NY if the Yankees feel they must include Melky in a trade. I don’t want to see Melky go, even though I have a feeling he won’t ever get all that much better than he already is — this was the second season in a row that he wore down at the end of the season. In 2006, I chalked it up to getting less regular playing time once Matsui and Sheffield returned. I don’t know what the reason was this year.
I don’t want any of the young pitchers traded for questionable talent, i.e. Miguel Cabrera or his type. I understand that Cashman is amassing this young talent for either actually playing for the Yankees or for helping them acquire better players. I understand not all of the pitchers will stay.
ARod’s great tragic flaw is he would not recognize happiness if it kissed him on the lips, and somehow, somewhere, he has learned to equate money with love.
Is everyone still talking about A-Rod?
Surely we can come up with someone else to rag on.
It’ll be good practice for 2008.
“hmmmm,
How do you ratinalize AFraud’s statements that he “can’t imagine not putting this uniform on again” or about him enjoying New York now? Those werent outright lies???”
of course, but what SHOULD he have said? could you imagine if he said to a reporter “my time here has been great, but i am going to keep my options open”
that would have been more honest, but he would have been COMPLETELY villified for saying that too. i think this site alone would have exploded.
of course, there is the small chance that he really meant it when he said those things, but Boras convinced him the yankees were bluffing that they wouldn’t negotiate. it’s possible he does regret his decision.
who knows?
it is also possible boras already 2-3 offers for $300M waiting for him and he just wanted the money.
with a-rod, i can basically believe anything at this point. it’s been nonstop drama for 4 straight years.
From what I’ve read, people keep talking about Crisp in a Red Sox/Santana trade. I am not saying that would be enough, but that’s what I have seen up here.
As for A-Rod, what is most disenguous for me is that his excuse for opting out was that the Yankees were unsettled, but that he didn’t take the time to talk to the team leadership. Ten days from now, a lot of the questions he raised could be answered. He has made himself look like an ass with this move (his rationale, the timing, etc.), and he deserves it.
Yeah I agree that the Marlins would now not trade D-Train (or probably Cabrera either) to us without committing baseball rape. Even if the deal was good for us I still wouldn’t want Dontrelle. He was a total mess this year in the NL. I actually think his decline may have been due in part to Joe G. not being around anymore (he also got arrested for DUI about 5 minutes after Joe left town) but even still, reuniting him with Joe isn’t enough to make me want him on the Yankees. Haven’t we learned our lesson from Porcelain Pavano?
Besides the Fish won’t trade D-Train. If they need to trade one of their stars this offseason, it’ll definitely be Cabrera. His value is far higher right now.
Oh and lastly, every time a Yankee fan seriously entertains the thought of Schilling in pinstripes, God kills a kitten.
PLEASE - think of the kittens!
SJ44 -
I first heard about Kerry Woods as a possibility for the Yankees this morning on the radio. Is he really “healed?” I didn’t follow his progress this summer, although I do think I recall him trying to pitch in relief. I guess you could do a lot worse than giving that a try.
I think that it helped Kerry Wood tremendously when he lost some weight and got into better shape. A team is definitely going to put a lot of stock into that. That tells every team looking at him that he is dedicated to working hard and getting his career back on the right track. He would be a good one-year option. Possibly a good incentive laden deal. One thing that Wood has going for him is his reputation. Many hitters remember just how dominant that he was early in his career. Hitters will be thinking, “this is the guy who used to blow fastballs by me, and he may still be able to do it.” He can still be an intimidator.
Who cares what Arod said? Arod says a lot of things.
I think some of you believe too much of what comes out of players mouths. Especially Arod.
Arod says things he thinks people want to hear at the time he says them. He’s been that way his entire career.
It means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Bottom line, he didn’t want to be a Yankee any longer. Its his right.
Nobody, not even Arod, is bigger than the Yankees.
Frankly, I think the Yankees are going to be a better team Post-Arod.
Nothing against Arod but, the drama queen stuff and the high maitainence reaches a point with me where its just not worth having him on the team.
He’s a GREAT player, the best in the game, from games 1-162.
After 162? He’s just another guy. Nothing more, nothing less. Whether folks think its fair or not, that’s the reality of his career to date.
To me, that’s not worth 35 million dollars a year to the Yankees. It is to other teams but, not the Yankees.
Its best for both sides to move on and that’s what is happening.
I’m more bullish on the future of this team than ever. They are letting the baseball people make decisions and Joe Girardi will bring a new energy and way of doing things to the dugout.
Change is good and its time for the Yankees to get into the way today’s baseball is run. They are doing that and the moves they are making are proof of it.
Arod will get big money somewhere and the Yankees will survive.
Hmmm,
Good point. However, where has A-Fraud been while all of this is going down? Everyone else and their mother has been holding press conferences. A-Dog isn’t stupid. He has heard everything that is being said about him. Why doesn’t he hold a news conference to clear things up or just apologize to the Sox and Rockies for what happened? If I was getting torn a new one on a daily basis in the media like he is, I’d be chasing down news trucks so that I could get my side of the story out there.
“ARod’s great tragic flaw is he would not recognize happiness if it kissed him on the lips, and somehow, somewhere, he has learned to equate money with love.”
of course, maybe he doesn’t equate anything baseball-related with happiness or love and he derives all his happiness from his family? maybe he just sees it as his job?
we don’t really know anything at all about his happiness.
i will say Doreen, that that was a very well constructed sentence though, great writing.
Laura,
agreed. No comment would have sufficed or im focusing on the this season and helping my team win and not the offseason.
The only way Crisp is involved in a trade for Santana is if the other two names are Buccholz and Ellsbury.
Joe G ITM;
I have many issues with your potential trades, but let me address just one; You’d trade Kennedy and Wang for Santana in a heartbeat? I’m the twins, I take that deal in a second, and if I’m the owner,I have concerns about your negotiating abilities.
That is too much (your #1 guy and a potential #2 or #3) for a one year rental. No extension from Santana, no deal,period. Also, I don’t deal one of the (3) pitching trinity along with Wang. I would more quickly propose Melky and Horne,, again,, only for an extension with Santana.
“of course, but what SHOULD he have said? could you imagine if he said to a reporter “my time here has been great, but i am going to keep my options open”
how about nothing? Or at least nothing related to his future…
nothing would have been great, but when a reporter asks - what are you going to do in the future? Silence (or “No Comment”) is just as damming as “I’m going to keep my options open.”
hmmm
That’s exactly my point. He lied. He didnt have to lie. It was his dishonest choice.There’s nothing admirable about a liar and we shouldnt make excuses for him.
All indications were that he was happy being a Yankee this year. As a season ticket holder throughout AFraud’s Yankee career, I never oncebooed him but cheered him heartily,especially this year. I’m now embarrassed that he lied to us fans and that I was stupid enough to believe his words. Here’s hoping he someday returns to the Stadium for the a$$kicking he deserves.
Here’s a thought - hopefully my last one on ARod. What if every word he uttered was true? What if HE really did want to stay here? That would explain why Scott Boras refused to allow him to meet with the Yankees - because perhaps he could have been persuaded to stay.
You also have to remember that with Boras, he wants to set the market for all the rest of his clients as well. If his most prestigious client gives what amounts to a hometown discount to the Yankees (the Texas money), his job gets just a little more difficult.
Believe me, I do believe ARod loves the money, too. But he seems to be a pliable individual; if Scott could “brainwash” him, as some have said, then maybe he is easily swayed, Boras knows it, and avoided that situation.
Or not.
Sunny, I don’t disagree, but the rationale is that Crisp is expendable b/c of Ellsbury. We’ll see.
Anyway, I think Boras is trying to take the heat on the Series announcement fiasco so that A-Rod can be blameless. It will be fun to see how he answers the question when he eventually gets it.
Is Wood being talked about as a starter or reliever? I’d rather see him in a Joba type role that would preserve his arm.
Doreen, A-Rod is 32 years old, and wealthy beyond imagination. He’s responsible, regardless of what Boras wants to do.
“Here’s hoping he someday returns to the Stadium for the a$$kicking he deserves.”
Can you say 2008 all star game.
Yankee Fan in Boston - I havent heard that Crisp/Santana rumor and I’m in Boston. Where are you seeing that? Boston fans are lunatics and one idiot might start a rumor that they all believe. I remember when they get Wily Mo and people here thought he was the next Babe Ruth.
hopefully sooner than that SoS:)
I’m open to Kerry Wood. No sure I want Viscaino back. That lollipop he threw Hafner still haunts me in my dreams.
Yankee Fan in Boston –
One would certainly think that 32-year-old man could make his own decisions. But ARod has been with Boras for a long time, and by this time has seen that Boras has made him a wealthy man. He trusts him. I agree he SHOULD BE responsible, but I’m not sure he is. A responsible person who realizes his agent works for him, who says he respects the history of the game, tells his agent to wait until Monday morning to send the fax about the opt-out, because, really, a few hours won’t make that much difference, will it? So, I submit that ARod is a man-child.
He doesnt have the stones to sign with an a.l. team. It would have to be an interleague game. Too brittal.
Doreen,
I went to Catholic schools. If AFraud is a manchild does that mean we can spank him?:)
Isnt Bernie’s agent Boras as well. He told Boras that he only wanted to play for the Yankees. Again hes a Fake.
Ooooh. A-Rod at the All-Star game…
Oh, wait. He won’t be there to face the music. He’ll come up with some phony family obligation like the one that prevented him from showing up to collect his Hank Aaron award at WS Game 4.
Who is offering ARod $30 million x 10? Who? Fire that lame a-s of a GM. For all but 2 clubs, that’s 25% of payroll or more on one player.
Sorry, but .310, 40-50 HR, and 130 RBI are not worth $30 million. Those are Vlad numbers, Ortiz numbers, and neither of those guys is touching $20 million.
ARod is better than those guys, but 50% better?
Boras and ARod know this, don’t they? What land are they living in? Once ARod has left the NYY orbit, and people think rationally about it, there can be no other conclusion. The guy is worth maybe $21-23 million per year, tops, in today’s market.
He had a much better deal brewing with the Yankees, who clearly would have paid him the most, especially with the Texas subsidy.
I think this was a major miscalculation of Boras, and perhaps the beginning of the end of him.
Back to baseball talk… I heard somewhere that Andru Jones might be willing to sign a 1 year contract to prove that last year was a fluke. If that’s true, would he be worth taking a flyer on?
No Jones and I don’t think he is going to take a one year deal with anyone. Remember that Borass is his agent too.
SJ is probably right, we should not have believed anything A-Rod said about loving the Yankees and wanting to stay here in the first place. He said the exact same things in and about Seattle the year before he left. Every Mariner fan I know was telling me all year not to fall for his hyperbole, and I did anyway. Mostly cause he had such a great year that I wanted to believe he would stay.
Drive 4-5:
Spank him, put him in the corner, pull him around by his ear, rap his knuckles with the ruler, call his mother, spray him with Holy Water, and give him demerits. (Could you tell… I attended Catholic School too).
I also heard Buck Martinez on XM talking about an ARod to Mets deal after Reyes is traded to Minny for Santana.
Let’s break that down for a bit:
Meta payroll right now is about $120 million. So you take on Santana to a multiyear contract at over $20 million and ARod at $30 million.
Your payroll is at $170 million, with 30% of it going to 2 players, one of which will be abused daily by 70% of the city.
Buck said he was wearing his “GM hat” thinking this one up. Better stay in the booth, Buck.
Drive 4-5 –
Whatever floats your boat.
Murphydog –
I knew he didn’t pick up the Hank Aaron award, but for some reason I missed that it was supposed to be given to him during Game 4 of the World Series. Well, well, well. Now, isn’t that interesting. He’s not going to be able to avoid the press forever.
Doreen,
Ever since Arod was 17 years old, Scott Boras has had control of every major decision in Arod’s life. Not just baseball decisions either. Alex sees Scott as a father figure.
I have no doubt Arod loved playing in NY. I also have no doubt Scott wants to set the bar with a new contract and he knows the only way to do it is by putting him on the open market. He also knows Arod wants the same thing. Those two guys keep score with money. Not saying its wrong, just saying its how they keep score.
I also know Arod thinks of himself as someone who wants to transcend the game from a business perspective.
When you add it all together, its not inconsistent to have him both enjoying his time with the Yankees AND looking forward to going somewhere else and setting the financial bar high again.
That’s why I’m not losing sleep over Arod’s departure. I would be more bothered by a Posada or Rivera departure because I think that would impact the team more in a negative way.
Arod is a GREAT, GREAT player. But, he’s just one guy and, as we have seen the last 4 years, one guy doesn’t put you over the top in baseball. Even a player as great as Arod.
Bless you murphydog:)
Andru Jones? A one year contract? I’m not so sure he or his agent feel there is anything to prove, he just had an “off year.” He’ll test the market and try to sell himself based on his total record to date, not his recent trends.
If the Yankees were interested in Jones, he would have to be told up front that he would have to come to camp lighter and agree also to work his swing over with Dr. Kevin Long.
The ChiSox just declined Mike Myers’ option. I wonder where he’ll end up next.
See, now muphydog and Drive 4-5, I went to Catholic school, as well. My second grade teacher, a nun, used to play tag with us at recess. I still have the picture of her in my mind with her habit flowing behind her. Pretty funny! Anyway, I must have been a good girl, ’cause I never witnessed any of those things you’re talking about!!!!!
Andy you must come back! We can’t let you retire from baseball without a proper send off with 55,000 applauding fans cheering and chanting your name. Anything less would be criminal for what you have given us.
PS while you’re at it please bring Mo and Po back, k thanks.
YFIB, I understand crisp is expendable, but the Twins don’t want an expendable player, they’d want a cheap long term prospect/rookie - and that’s Ellsbury, and if the WS showed anything, Ellsbury is 3 times the player Crisp is and the Twins would want Ellsbury over Crisp every day of the week and twice on Sunday. You want the best pitcher in baseball, you have to give up your best prospects and thats Ellsbury and BUccholz for the Sox and Hughes and Joba for the Yanks (with Melky). Whether or not it’s worth that - is up to Theo and Cash. And IMO, I don’t think Theo pulls the trigger on that deal, nor would Cash give up Hughes and Joba either. Besides, as Keith Law said, this whole trade rumor is “bogus.”
Doreen:
I’m pretty sure he was supposed to pick the award up before Game 4, but he came up with some family obligation excuse.
Back to Kerry Wood. It seems he has the same schedule as Farnsworth. One inning at a time, and not on back-to-back days. Do the Yankees really need that?
SJ44,
I’m not losing sleep over A-Dog’s departure either. In fact, I think that it will get the Yankees back to manufacturing runs instead of just sitting around, waiting for A-Choke to hit one out.
Having said that, I think I’ve made it clear that I hate how A-Liar has handled this whole thing. In the end, we may be better off with him gone. I just wish he had handled his exit better.
Keep dreaming if you think Arod doesn’t have a 30+ million dollar deal on the table right now.
Beginning of the end for Boras? Please, get real.
Scott Boras is the best agent in the game. He doesn’t make ANY move unless he KNOWS what’s out there.
This is the same guy that got Barry Zito 128 million dollars when all the baseball “experts” said, Zito would have a hard time getting 80 million.
Arod will get his money and PLENTY of it.
Doreen,
You havent lived till you’ve been beat with a steel edged ruler that the nun had stolen from your older brother because it raised such nice welts LOL
This was in the 60’s and the last thing you wanted was for your parents to see you’ve been whacked.hahahaha
I cannot see the Red Sox trading Elsbury. At all. He’s very good and he’s home grown. And he performed in the World Series.
Of course Schilling to the Yankees would never happen, he’s not the guy he once was and he’s not dumb enough to tarnish the legacy he has in Boston now. But…
Here’s a fact I never knew about until I recently moved to AZ. There’s a show on ESPN radio here called Gambo & Ash, they’ve been an AZ staple for something like 10 years. Gambo is a former writer for one of the New York papers, maybe the Post, I’m not sure. Well anyway, when the Dbacks were looking to trade Schilling, his first choice was the Yankees. Apparently when it was all going down he called Gambo and told him the Red Sox wanted him, but he wanted to be a Yankee…was there something he could do. Gambo, I guess, got through to Cashman and Schilling was told to hold tight. Obvioulsy we know what ended up happening, but I find it interesting that he really wanted to be a Yankee. Gambo points to the Yankees not pulling off the deal for Schilling as one of their biggest mistakes. For what it’s worth, I found the whole thing interesting.
CGram: That is interesting. I guess his Yankee Hater hat is just sour grapes then!
The Schilling story is true. I think the holdup was the contract extension. The Red $ox gave him 3 years at $40 mil I believe, but I dont know that the Yanks offer was.
Drive 4-5 -
You have my sympathies!!!
SJ44 –
After seeing how mediocre Barry Zito was this year for SF, don’t you think Boras has lost at least some credibility? I’m willing to wait and see on how Dice-K does next season, but he was also not quite as billed. Not that I wouldn’t have wanted him on th Yankees, mind you - he certainly is good, just didn’t quite live up to the hype (yet).
“Melky, Kei, Horne, and another prospect may be able to get Cabrera. Add Hughes and you may also get Dontrelle in the deal.”
I think you have the proposals reversed. Cabrera would cost more than Dontrelle, I believe. If the Marlins would do Cabrera for Leche, Igawa, Horne and a lesser prospect, I believe the Yankees could do that trade then sign one of the FA centerfielders (Hunter, Jones, etc.). It doesn’t sound all that enticing for Cabrera, however. If you throw Hughes in there as well, then it starts to be a bad deal for the Yankees (then you’d have 2 gaping holes (starting CF and SP) instead of 1).
Dontrelle really doesn’t make sense. I’m not sure what happened to him, but he’s been on a steady decline now and does not belong in the AL. Why trade a potentially dominating young SP for a mediocre NL SP, and also lose your CF in the process?
“I would also trade Kennedy and Wang for Santana in a heartbeat.”
I don’t think the Twins would take Wang and IPK for Santana. As someone on this board pointed out previously, the Twins probably won’t want a groundball pitcher like Wang on their cement turf (Wang is terrible on plastic grass). And the Twins could get a much better package for Santana. If the Twins would do it, I agree that the Yankees should. But they won’t.
As for the rumors in beantown about the Twins trading Santana for Lester and Crisp? That sounds like total fantasy. Maybe for Ellsbury, Lester and another upper tier prospect.
Yanks might be better off playing the tampering game that the Sox appear to have become so good at, and wait to snatch up Santana and/or Texeira after 2008. Remember, the Yanks need a 1B too. They could hold on to their good young players that way.
Betemit is not the answer to anything except maybe an AFLAC trivia question 30 years from now.
Doreen:
They didn’t usually hit the girls. But I had nuns (Sister of Charity with the black habits and Elizabeth Seton hats) through the third grade and let me tell you… they swung hands, yardsticks, pointers and the infamous 12 inch ruler for the knuckles. But I survived.
HAHAHAHAH….”Betemit is not the answer to anything except maybe an AFLAC trivia question 30 years from now”
HAHAHAHA
From USA Today:
“Brad Suttle went 0-for-3 for Honolulu of the HWL on Tuesday, leaving him with a .103 average in 58 at-bats.
Suttle’s future in pinstripes seemed to get a lot brighter Sunday with the news that Alex Rodriguez was opting out. Still, he’s in no position to capitalize in the near future. At least the 2007 fourth-round pick is no longer staring at a likely position switch. ”
Here’s hoping Mr Suttle picks it up rather quickly.
No, murphydog — I think they tried to recruit the girls.
I’d rather have gamers like Pedroia or Youkilis on the Yankees that ARod. As much as those two guys annoy the h*ll out of me, they are far more like the grinders of the dynasty Yankees than Mr. Regular Season.
Drive 4-5, thanks for the Suttle reminder. He may start to pick it up since the hassle of switching positions may be gone for a while. He may have a great opportunity down the road if he can put it all together.
SJ44
Who is giving ARod $30 + million x 10? Who? That’s is all I ask.
I think the Yankees had the high offer of $231 million x 8 with the Texas subsidy, so that’s really $200 million x 8, or about $25 million per year, which I think is what he is worth compared to similar players.
Boras does seem to play up the Mets in a conversation with Wallace Stevens in the paper this AM, but I cannot see ARod in Flushing, or remaining in NY.
I cant stand Youkalis, but when he annoys me I can’t help but think what opposing fans must have thought of Paul O’Neil. He fights for every at bat like Paulie did. The big difference is that Youkalis has a punk attitude about him and is more likely to scream at opponents too. O’Neil’s anger was mostly directed at himself and water coolers.
Yeah, every time I see Youkilis and his sweaty, beachball sized head, I want to punch him in the face. His repulsive, beaver-sized goatee ain’t too great either. But still, he’s a gamer and I can respect him for that. That’s the kind of quality that the new Yankees are gonna need (minus the punk attitude part, of course).
BTW, I’ve never seen any other player that sweats so much he has it drip off the bill of the batting helmet. In freezing October weather no less. It’s pretty gross.
Carl Crawford is a FA after ‘08 too. That’s another guy the Yanks should look into.
The Giants would give him the money. The Angels may give it to him. The Mets may and don’t count out the Marlins. There are more teams who will give it to him.
In fact, I would bet my life that Scott has two of those offers in his pocket right now.
Put it another way. If a team just used their MLB money they get annually, that covers a year of Arod’s contract.
For the sake of this discussion, let’s say the merchandising money given to teams is that strong for the last 5 years. That means, the the team giving Arod the money is not really taking money from their OWN coffers! They are using “bonus” money, if you will.
My point is, teams have the money and somebody will give it to him.
2 random thoughts:JG says that KW has the best stuff of any pitcher he has caught– by far. Afraud did buck Borass once when he took a below market deal as a youngster in Seattle. Guess he has regressed maturationwise as he has aged.
The Yaks have another 3rd base prospect named Mitch Hilligos. He played A Ball this year at Charleston and hit .310 with 168 hits in 128 games. He had a 38 game hit streak at one point. He doesnt seem to have much power though, with only 4 home runs and 53 rbi.
There are a lot of intriguing theories about ARod’s personality here, but this is the same guy who accepted a pay cut in the blocked 2004 trade to the Red Sox that preceded his trade to the Yankees. He has also been open about his need for therapy. Anyone who has watched the team over the last four years could see he has showed just as much enthusiasm and energy on the field as any other player.
He’s a complicated guy and I don’t think he can be summed up easily. I wish he had left more gracefully but what can you do? We will never figure him out. We should just be thankful we got four excellent years from the guy at a bargain price.
Sorry Jeremy, but AFraud left us little to be thankful about. Maybe if he didnt choke so bad in the ‘04,’05,’06 and ‘07 playoffs and left after helping us at least win a pennant we could tolerate being lied to a little easier.
Jeremy, good point. But, if ARod had waited just a couple of days for the opt out (and not done it during the World Series), and spoken to the Yankees just once (even if he had zero intention of staying here), the fans would be crying instead of toasting him. ARod would have the new contract (like SJ says, that one’s in the bag. It’s just a matter of Boras squeezing the last penny he can), and he’d still have the public on his side. Boras is undoubtedly a great agent, so you wonder why he made this mistake. Maybe team Boras needs a better PR guy.
Laura, Nate Silver is one of the brightest analysts around, and he is very often right, so I wouldn’t disregard anything that he says. He cautioned against overpaying for Rivera, as a big, three-year contract could end up looking pretty ugly in 2010, and could end up blocking young pitchers. For the closer role, he suggested Farnsworth (who certainly has stuff — just apparently not the makeup) and Ramirez (who just needs to do something to his HR-pitch), with Joba as a fall-back option.
That being said, Nate is a “pure stathead” who gives little regard to intangibles such as “clutchness” and “chemistry.”
I have problems with Nate’s suggestion of dumping Abreu in favor of Bonds or Dunn. Such a move, which would weaken the OF defense, presumes that Abreu’s .400 OBP days are a thing of the past. I would give Abreu one more year to see whether his decline is for real, and then make a clear-headed decision in 2009. $16 million each for 1 year of Abreu and Pettitte (whom Silver also disses as being extraneous in a staff of Moose-Wang-Hughes-Joba-Kennedy) are low-risk investments (i.e. neither will suck in 2008) that will buy time.
I like Nate’s idea of a Betemit/Lamb competition/platoon at 3rd.
Wishing, and hoping, and praying that Andy re-ups and that the Front office offers him 1 year options for at least 4 or 5 more years. Figure Andy pitches till he’s 40-I know, I know, his elbow is always going to be a concern, but he looks to be in fantastic shape otherwise, so let’s say he can pitch those 5 years and average 14-15 wins, by age 40 he’ll have 260-270 wins, near Hall of Fame numbers, especially if he keeps his career e.r.a. below 4, and his winning percentage about what it is now, .600+, Andy in the Hall, I’d drive to Cooperstown the day he’s inducted to say, “It has been an honor and a pleasure to watch you work…”
Andy is a true class act. I hope he’s back next year, and would love to see him open the new Stadium!
YankeeinMichigan,
I assume Nate Silver isn’t talking about the Kyle Farsworth that pitched for the Yankees the last 2 years. That Kyle Farsnsworth had a total of five one,two,three innings this year and has a bacl ailment that doesnt allow him to pitch on successive days. Is there another Mr Farnsworth he referring to? If not, Mr. Silver needs to find a new line of work.