Thanks but no thanks
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- November
- 1
Red Sox captain Jason Varitek was asked yesterday whether A-Rod would be a good fit with Boston if Mike Lowell leaves.
Here is how the Boston Globe reported it:
Varitek paused for a moment. “You guys are putting me in a tough spot,” he said. “I know Mike does. That’s the only way I can answer it. Mike’s a great player. He was even better this year. I can say that.”
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Peter Abraham
I’d be shocked if A-Rod doesn’t end up with a West Coast team (Angels, Dodgers or Giants).
ChiDave: since you’re on this thread now, I’ll answer your question as to who should play 3rd insteas of Crede…
I hear Matty DeSalvo plays a mean hot corner…
Andrea – Yeah, I saw your comment (and responded) on the last thread. I know you’re only trying to get my goat…
Still, in one way you’re right…DeSalvo’s only hope of having a major league career is to pull a Rick Ankiel (without the HGH!) and become a successful position player.
ChiDave: I disagree. His best bet is to put his reading skills to good use and become a scout or something. Or, you know, work really hard on his pitching. And get good.
Or maybe they can work it out so he pitches against the Mariners and ONLY the Mariners. Cause he kills them.
You know what would make me happy? veeeery happy?
if that A-hole called A-Fraud NEVER, never, ever makes it to the World Series. Yeah, I know he’ll be in the hall of fame some day (wearing what uniform, I don’t know-although I’m sure he won’t care) but I hope his greed,arrogance,and lack of respect for the game itself ultimately denies him the ultimate goal: to win a ring. Something we Yankee fans have gotten from great teams and players 26 times and counting!
‘nuff said about A-fraud. Now let’s win some more rings with Joe G!!
Translation:
If Varitek owned the team or was the Boston GM, A-Rod would have no chance of playing in Boston.
That might be the politest ‘F-U’ I’ve ever seen.
Andrea – “Or, you know, work really hard on his pitching. And get good.”
Now you’re REALLY making me laugh! That was a good one for sure…
Why should Varitek respect a guy that didn’t retaliate after he bitch-slapped him in front of 30,000 people?
Chicago Dave,
you might be right, a West Coast Team. But at what price? Withour the Yanks, other team might offer A_Rod 20 million a year for 10 years. Team owner collusion? Maybe but very difficult to prove as the owners do not have to talk to each other to do it. I hope the owners do it. I want to see Boras (who keeps repeating the Yanks can still deal with A-Rod) and A-Rod get the shaft.
What can I say? You’ve rubbed off on me. I still love him though. You can’t take that away from me. And if the Yankees were to name him their opening day starter, I would go right out and buy a Matty jersey to replace all my A-Rod crap that is now in a bag in my closet. That’s right. Bonfire start, right there. I would get my Matty jersey and I’d be right there on opening day and root him on. And then I’d pray that they were playing the Mariners on opening day.
Andrea – Spoken like a true Yankees fan! In this instance I actually agree with you 100%. Gotta support the opening day starter all the way!!!
Still, if you thought Pavano as the opening day starter was as bad as it could get…Just imagine things getting so bad that the Yanks have to go with DeSalvo to kick things off. Oy!!!
Now Martina Hingis is using HGH?! Holy crap?!! (Sorry, I was just watching the news and this story came on…)
ChiDave: At least DeSalvo has heart. He wants to do well. Pavano wants his check. “ouch, my butt muscle. Check please.” DeSalvo doesn’t want to be bad. So I’d say he gets opening day start over Pavano. In Andrea-Yankeeland anyway.
Thought she got busted for cocaine?
Last I heard Hingis was only on coke. Good lord.
Mark Loretta for 3B? What about getting Andrew Jones if he accepts a 1 year deal, or are all roads that lead to Boras burned?
Dave, this re-post’s for you.
Dave:
You can’t explain it away that easily.
The point is that you may be suffering from selective memory disorder when it comes to the championship years. All those ‘little things’ that you remember so fondly from those years, were actually present this year. The fact of the matter is that they didn’t get it done in the postseason with the bats or the arms. No amount of bunting/sac flying/dirty uniforms changes that.
Oh, and the Yanks also led the league in runs scored in ‘98. Offense certainly seemed like the answer that year.
Here are some other numbers that are relevant to your ‘argument’ regarding the makeup of the team. 1998: 32 sac hits, 59 sac flies; 1999: 22 sac hits (yes, TWENTY-TWO), 53 sac flies; and 1996: 41 sac hits, 72 sac flies. The only argument that remotely proves your point is ‘96, but even that year the 2007 team actually bunted more runners over.
The real difference between the past few years and the championship teams is the quality of the pitching. Plain and simple.
Prediction for opening day, 2008:
Starter: Wang
Lineup:
Damond
Jeter
Abreau
Posada
Matsui
Giambi
Cano
Melky
Duncan
Phillips
Bullpen:
Olendorf
Veras
Bruney
Britton
Kerry Wood (setup)
Mo
Opening day win, then 94 more on way to east champtionship
Peter,
Thanks. I am calling the Marlins to get ticket early in the morning.
What was Varitek’s line: “We don’t hit .250 hitters.”
Rod’s worn out his welcome on the East Coast, if not the American League. Cali is looking about right, unless it’s Chicago. Rod wouldn’t survive Boston. He can’t go to Texas, NY doesn’t want him, Seattle has a bounty on his head. Most recently A-Rod’s governing body, MLB, the most exclusive club of millionaires outside of the NY Stock Exchange, has rebuked him – - its richest player – - for being a selfish low life. And believe me, when a bunch of selfish low lifes like MLB rebuke a guy for selfish low lifery, that’s saying something.
Hey A-Rod… is your life a mess or a message?
oops.. Damon
Not a bad lineup at all. With a six man starting rotation (Wang, Pettit, Hughes, Joba, Kennedy and Mussina) the rookies won’t have to worry about too many innings, and an older Mussina won’t either.
Could be a championship team!
OK, my bad on Hingis…It was only cocaine. I heard the word “doping” and something about “performance enhancement”...so I think I just assumed HGH. SORRY!!!
murphydog: Sounds like both to me!
oops again, can’t have ten hitters in the lineup. Scratch Phillips.
Chicago Dave: I didn’t mean to correct you. I was just appalled that it was cocaine this morning, then suddenly HGH this afternoon. Either way—bad news for Martina!
What does the reporter expect Varitek to say??
..Oh Yes, he’ll be a good fit (goodbye friend Lowell) or no, he can’t handle it (trashing arod needlessly).
It doesn’t take a guru to realize any team would take Arod’s production, but some of the few teams that could afford him, like NY and Bos, have decided its just not worth it to find out if he can be a good fit.
IMO Arod is not going to Boston, too much bad blood between them. Lowell is a solid, performer even if 2007 proves to be a career year. My bet is still on the Angels.
rbizzler – I agree that the big difference is pitching. Then again, I think we’re beginning to go pretty far afield from my original comment(s). Basically, this all started out as a friendly debate about the merits of putting Joe Crede at third base for the Yanks, which then mutated into a debate about the relative importance of a “dominant” offense (in the overall mix of what makes a winning team). Now we’re moving on to pitching…
I think it’s safe to say that, while we all agree on the pitching issue, we have different perspectives on what approach the Yanks should take with their offense (i.e. what sort of position players they should be looking to get now). I’ll leave it at that.
So where’s the game winning ball Mr. Big Shot? Was Varitek still wearing his catcher’s armor when they asked him their question?
Wouldn’t it be nice if no one wanted A-Rod at all! Won’t happen but it is a nice thought – he has every right to leave but the way he shafted the team by not returning calls or telling buddies like Cano speaks volumes.
Not that I would know from firsthand experience or anything, but I bet the quality of the strip clubs in LA sway A-Rod to sign with the Dodgers! HA!!!
maybe sardinha can play 3b, why not give him a chance in spring training.
Don’t really care what Varitek or Boston thinks or does. This is a Yankee board. Here is what’s going to go down this hotstove:
Trade Damon, Giambi and Wang to Minny for J-San. Pay some money if you have to make it work.
Sign Tori Hunter to play center and move Melky to left and Matsui to DH.
Trade Kennedy, Igawa and some of the young bullpen arms/rookies to Florida for Cabrera.
Resign Mo, Po & Bobby.
Open the bank for Carlos Pena.
Now the lineup will look like this:
1P J-San
2P Joba
3P Phranchise
4P Andy
5P Mussina
C Po
1B Pena
2B Robby
3B Cabrera
SS Derek
LF Melky
CF Tori
RF Bobby
DH Matsui
Start clearing space of the mantel now for #27.
Get ‘er done Cash.
Um. That lineup has ten people, I think.
Dave:
My problem wasn’t really with your take on what position players the Yankees should pursue, just that you were presenting a baseless argument. I agree that they don’t need an all-star at every position and that certain immeasurable intangibles are important, but I also feel that these qualities were present in this year’s team. They just didn’t manifest themselves in the playoffs. This year’s team did bunt, sac fly, steal bases, drive in runners from 3rd with less than two outs and actually rated fairly well on defensive efficiency metrics. They just didn’t pitch well enough to win in the playoffs.
and RE Crede: word is that he may be non-tendered by the Sox if there is no trade interest in him. That leaves the possibility that he maybe had on the cheap. He is worth a flier for his glove alone, but I wouldn’t give up jack to get him in a trade.
I meant the one up top.. the one right here… is never going to happen.
Yes, let’s trade Giambi and Damon for Santana. Let’s also trade Molina for Pujols! And Mussina for Tulowitzki! And then Jeter can share SS with Troy, and we’ll have a ten person line up.
I’m being jerky, but understand that I mean to be lighthearted. Those trades will never happen.
SArdhina was moved from 3B because he made way too many errors, they gave it to Eric Duncan surely after and his back became an issue for awhile. So Sardhina is more like a COF stop gap (think of him as Rickey Ledee nothing big he’s not a franchise prospect)
Austin Jackson , Brett Gardner even Josue Calzado and definitely Jose Tabata have more upside than Bronson he’ll fizzle out.
future OF
LF Melky Cabrera better stay locked Calzado is hungry for a spot
CF Brett Gardner than Austin Jackson will take over
RF Jose Tabata (locked)
Not a fan of that line up.
Torii Hunter is good, but he isn’t young any more. If you’re going to trade Melky, you need to trade him for someone young.
I don’t want M. Cabrera unless he really shapes up…if he does, go for him at the deadline, but not right now.
I don’t trade Ian and then have Mussina as a #5. I love Moose, but this season, especially late, showed that he’s simply not in his prime any more. He can have a few good performances, sure, but I’m not sure he has enough in the tank for another season.
At any rate, if you wanted to trade Ian for Peña (Carlos), I might see that one working…but just.
rbizzler – Needless to say, I didn’t crunch the stats as you did. Still, if you want to talk stats, how about the Yanks’ awful record in games decided by two runs or less this year? Surely if they were doing all the “little things” offensively at the RIGHT time, they would have done markedly better in those games? You can’t blame every loss in a close game on the pitching.
I think my sense is more that the Yankee teams of the late ‘90s managed to do the “little things” when it really mattered, whereas the Yankee teams of recent years don’t have that quality about them. Its not so much about the sheer number of sac bunts, sac flys, etc. – it’s more about doing those things when the game is on the line.
Rob, those deals make no damn sense.
Justin,
I don’t really think you understand the economics of the game. A team like the Yankees have the financial resources to make these deals happen if they want to. Money cures all problems and if the Yanks were smart, getting a guy like J-San cures most of the problems they had last year. And Cabrera can fill A-Frauds shoes. These are small market teams who are looking for cash. Remember the #1 rule in Finance: Cash is King
Rebecca – Cabrera actually managed to stay in shape when Girardi managed him in Florida. Girardi = Jack LaLane!
There are three possibilities for A-Rod, as I see it:
1) The Angels
2) The Giants
3) He fires Boras and pleads with Hank and Hal to let him come back.
ChiDave: Mmm, true, but I’m still not sure that’s a risk you want to take, but it might be the best choice. Dunno. Probably a small part of why I’m not a GM
“CF Brett Gardner than Austin Jackson will take over”
Jackson will be ready at the AS break this season.
whoa, from what I’m hearing on the NYYFAN board number (3) might be in motion already
A-Rod firing Boras would be like asking him to cut off his own arm. They’re joined at the hip for life…
Brandon – Where is that rumor really coming from?
But the TWINS don’t want those players.
Please don’t tell me I don’t understand the economics of the game while ignoring that Wang pitches poorly on turf, no one wants Giambi, and many many other things.
Rebecca – I still wouldn’t trade Hughes (or Chamberlain or IPK) for Cabrera. Besides, the moment Girardi gets fired, Cabrera will blow up like a balloon all over again!
Dave:
If you do some reading on success rates in one-run games you will find out that the two most important factors are a) bullpen performance and b) good old lady luck.
I know that may seem like a lame explanation, but baseball people way smarter than people posting on message boards have boiled it down to that simple equation.
Like I said earlier, I enjoyed the championship years as well, but they were the product of a unique set of circumstances, not some set of gritty guys doing all of the same little things that this year’s team did. And yes, raw numbers do matter as they reveal patterns for each season.
ChiDave—Oh, I certainly agree on all points!
Pitching is more important than offense in winning championships. Right now the Yankees still have a good offense, although it has some holes. There are lots of pitching question marks.
The championship teams won based mainly on depth of pitching. You don’t trade that away. The All-Star offense the Yanks have fielded in the last few years has not worked. The championship Yankees had no huge sluggers. Bernie, O’Neill, Jeter, Tino, Posada all led to a balanced offense.
It’s no coincidence that the last Yankees team to really have success was in 2003 when the team still had pitching depth (Clemens, Pettitte, Mussina, and on occasion Wells). I’d rather have a good pitcher than a very good batter or a very good pitcher to a great batter. Pitching is just that important.
The Yanks should sign Lowell, try and find an upgrade at First and keep the focus on pitching.
I’m not making any deals that involve kennedy, hughes or joba. I would rather not make the playoffs for a year than trade any one of those guys.
whoa, absolutely
Austin has shown he adjusts to leagues in less than 20 games, that’s why Keith Law had to choke on his words when early in the season he called him a slap ball hitter won’t amount to much, now all the sudden he’s an ALL STAR CF waiting in the wings 
“whoa, from what I’m hearing on the NYYFAN board number (3) might be in motion already”
I hope the posters(s) in question have credible info, because that would be terrific.
rbizzler – I respect your point of view. However, regardless of what the “experts” say, the Yanks lost a lot of close games this year because their offense went completely dead in the late innings.
Can someone post the link where the rumor arod is firing boras
A-Rod firing Boras would potentially be a bigger story than A-Rod opting out of his contract.
Scott Boras getting fired would be like, I dunno, my birthday coming twice in a year?
Yeah, we need to have the link to this “rumor” ASAP!!!
For someone who knows how these things really work:
If Cashman offers arbitration and A-Rod accepted, given his 2007 #’s in particular and career numbers in general, what kind of award would he actually get?
Can’t understand how anyone consider trading any of our young talent like Kennedy, Joba or Hughes. We are here because of pitchers like Jared Wright, Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson. I think we need to let these kids pitch for one year to see just how good they are.
Chicago Dave, it started in the NYYFAN board, a few posters were on on MLB.com and listened to the baseballchannel tv and he said an announcer named Mike something reported Alex wants to come back to the NYY but his agent has screwed up his image and exact words… “Arod is upset the way this whole thing was handled and is debating firing Boras”
again I’ll call it a rumor but there may be legs w/ this
Brandon, can you link us to it?
Why would the best player in baseball fire the best agent in baseball who has gotten him absurd deals WITH OPT OUT CLAUSES in them.
ARod isn’t dumb. ARod is a very intelligent person regardless of what you may think of him.
ARod knows what he is doing and don’t think that he lets Boras do the thinking for him. ARod is very much in charge and has the final decision on everything concerning him.
ARod may have been hurt that the Yankees said they wouldn’t negotiate if he opted out. That is what may have led to him opting out. I never really agreed with Cashman saying what he did as it just didn’t look right. There should have been more ‘we want ARod to stay with the team’ than ‘no deal if opt out happens’.
Yankee ego against ARod ego is a tought place to be and it’s hurting both right now. ARod does want to stay with the Yankees and the Yankees want to keep ARod. Ego’s are stopping the union from happening.
Yankees can afford ARod even without the Rangers money.
BUT, I do believe the Yankees are better without ARod and all this nonsense needs to stop and ARod needs to go away and let the Yankees deal with their own issues. In other words, STFU BORAS!!
Rebecca I wish I could but right now it sounds like a few posters that heard it on MLB.com tv and I’m waiting for a real link source as soon as it happens trust me I’ll post it.
I f I were CashMoney…the ONLY way I were to listen to A-Fraud s demands,is if he were to cut ties with BoRaSS and negotiate with the Steins on his own….it will never happen…but that is the only way I would do business with him….as Joe Girardi said earlier today “this is the New York Yankees”....You do not treat us like the way you did last Sunday Nite.
Anyone remember when Pudge Rodriguez negotiated a deal when he was with the Rangers all by himself.Or how bout Gregg Zaun last winter with the BlowJays???
Be a Man…take off the collar,and do something.Show us you have a set of b—-s!!!!As Napoleon Dianamite might say “God so Stupid”!!!
OK, I just checked out the thread Brandon is talking about. I’m not sure that some Vinny guy from mlbtv.com quoting an “unknown source” is a “hot rumor.” When I see/hear the same rumor repeated by a major sports network, I’ll start believing there might be some fire to go along with this smoke.
Dave,
The problem with your statement is that you don’t really provide anything to back that statement up. It is just an empty generalization. But, by all means, let’s get back to the ridiculous trade proposals for Santana and Cabrera.
What’s your problem with experts (otherwise known as people whose job it is to study baseball trends)? The experts would explain the Yankees late inning failures on bad luck and would suggest that next year the same line-up in similar situations would likely produce different results. And by experts, i don’t mean the meatheads on ESPN or the NY media personalities, but people that actually conduct useful research on the sport.
Rebecca – Here is the link to the thread Brandon is referencing. Scroll down to toward the bottom of the page and start reading the posts.
http://forums.nyyfans.com/archive/index.php/t-107511.html
exactly Chicago Dave, IDK if the source is credible but the story may have legs, but if it’s true SI or some new group would have leaked it , so IDK wait to see what happens
U-man,
Andruw Jones (who is and was a Boras client at the time) actually negotiated his last deal with the Braves behind Boras’s back becaude he wanted to stay in ATL that bad. Not this time though as he is looking for his last big payday.
Anything can happen…
Interesting take on the AROD saga over at:
http://www.ruthlessreviews.com
Look for it in the “Rants” section, sorry I can’t post a direct link but there is profanity involved.
Thanks guys =D
I think Yankees fans have succumbed to the delusion of Dubyan double-think. “The U.S. is winning the War in Iraq” has about as much credibility as “A-Rod is poised to fire Scott Boras”
Still, I’m still convinced the Yankees position about A-Rod at the moment just reflects more clever negotiating. If they can’t find an adequate substitute for A-Rod at 3b and add a right-handed power bat, they have to re-consider A-Rod.
Everything the Yankees say at the moment will have the effect of lowering A-Rod’s market value, whether they intend it or not. In the end, I can’t believe the Yankees really would sever ties with him over the approximate amount of money they spent on Kei Igawa’s posting fee and Roger Clemens’ one-year salary.
Give the Steinlittles a chance to recover their equilibrium and to stop acting like jilted lovers. I can’t imagine they’ll let a little rebuff to stand in the way of a rational business decision.
Guys:
A-Rod is not firing Boras. They met in person twice before he opted out. Alex knew EXACTLY what Scott was doing. Why do you think there have been no comments from Alex?
Some of your lineup proposals for 08 need work. For starters:
Giambi has no value on the trade market. He is expensive, old, always hurt and off the juice. Carlos Pena is not a free agent. He is arb. eligible and property of Tampa Bay.
Why would the Yankees develop Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy and then trade them?
The B-level starters (Karstens, Rasner, DeSalvo, etc.) have little value on the market.
Damon is not bringing much back either.
Jose Tabata will not be MLB ready until 2010, if then. He hit for almost no power in A ball.
Santana is arguably the greatest player in Twins history. They’re not moving into a new park in a few years and beforehand trading him for Chien-Ming Wang and scraps. They will want Cano, Wang and somebody else very, very good. Like Kennedy. This is Santana we’re talking about.
The Yankees are not going to sign guys like Andrew Jones and Torii Hunter for big money. They’ll overspend to keep Jorge and Mo, find a 3B and move on. They’re not blowing it all up. They’re going to go with pitching, pitching and pitching.
“I think Yankees fans have succumbed to the delusion of Dubyan double-think. “The U.S. is winning the War in Iraq†has about as much credibility as “A-Rod is poised to fire Scott Boras—
Here’s the difference: Winning in Iraq is actually losing because all it does is make Iraq safe for Iranian domination.
A-Rod can never recoup what he will lose by leaving the greatest franchise in professional sports.
“The Yankees are not going to sign guys like Andrew Jones and Torii Hunter for big money. They’ll overspend to keep Jorge and Mo, find a 3B and move on. They’re not blowing it all up. They’re going to go with pitching, pitching and pitching.”
I sure hope that’s what they do! I’d love to see them take that approach…
pat
chance are A-Fraud would not accept arbitration for one year.
But if he did for some strange reason…he would get a raise from whatever the Yankees/Rangers paid him this year.
Just can’t wait to see who the 3B is…you gotta know Cash is gonna pull something incredible.
Pete, Tabata had surgery on his wrist and still at the age of 19 was hitting over .300 and had over 50 RBI, he can jump through this system quick according to minor league scouts
Rebecca – The only way Cashman pulls off something “incredible” at 3B is by trading our pitching prospects. No thanks…
“Jose Tabata will not be MLB ready until 2010, if then. He hit for almost no power in A ball.”
Something similar was said about Curtis Maybin until he was promoted last season.
You are aware that Tabata had surgery on his hand, right? That and the fact that he played in park that was difficult to hit HRs in are the reasons for his power shortage.
And as I said, A-Jack will be ready this season.
Dave used his opt-out clause as well! And so will I as I need to get some rest. Enjoy the rest of your discussion and let’s all think happy thoughts about the Yankee 2008 pitching staff.
ChiDave—Aww, c’mon, you should have more faith in Cash than that
As long as Cash leaves Ian/Joba/Phil/Wang alone, I think I’ll be okay…but I’m not familiar enough with the farm system to make that definitive.
Thanks UtilityMan.
I could do w/o Wang if I get Kazmir or Santana in a deal, I know he won 19 games but a wild fastball and the problems of him not keeping the sinker ball down doesn’t float my boat.
Peter is correct about Carlos Pena….He is arbitration eligible..and get this…his agent is…......Scott BoRASS!!
It s too bad that the Yankees didnt keep him around last Summer,when they let him go from his minor league deal,and then signed with the REDSUX.Could have resigned him in winter instead of choosing Josh Phelps in Rule 5 draft.
UtilityMan , read on a TB board his agent the A..hole is getting ready to hold up TB for 15 million dollars per yr. for Carlos Pena a player who hasn’t done more than 3.5 yrs. of service
Heres an interesting idea…...Kris Benson…...Better then Mussina…could be a # 4 or #5 starter.Pitched in AL already….and has a very hot wife..that probably wouldnt show up to home games with a bad word tank top…just a very sexy tank top!!!
P.S. anyone watching TNT Kevin Durant is the real deal
I heard he was looking for about 12 MILLION per year.Tampa Bay isnt going to give that kinda of money to him.Great fielder,who had an awsome year.But 12-15 Million????Nah No way….7 maybe….
We need a lefty for bullpen….how bout Ron Mahay of Atlanta?
Sean Casey of Detroit is available now that Gullien(great hitter) is moving fulltime to 1B for newcomer RENTERIA at SS
Can Durant play 3B or pitch???
FROM THE HORSES A*$ HIMSELF…
“Carlos Pena is the greatest player to ever put on a Devil Ray uniform,†Boras said at Angel Stadium before Monday’s game. “This will be kind of a litmus test for ownership. He’s a complete player. He’s a young player. We’ll certainly listen to what they have to say, if they want to say anything.”
“I think they got more than a $10-million benefit this year by getting a player who had probably a $15-million season for about $1.2-million, and good for them. They made the right decision, someone else made the wrong decision.â€
I dislike agents alot….I would negotiate contracts for myself…by myself…...Here it is…lets make a deal..GREED GREED….NEVER EVER IS ENOUGH——ENOUGH!!!!
Yankees can get Carlos Pena but the would have to give up pitching to get him. Devil Rays or the Rays as they are now called will give up big bats to get pitching. Is getting Pena worth losing Kennedy or Hughes? Absolutely not.
But if you offer enough 2nd tier pitching the Devil rays may listen. The annoying part is that Carlos Pena was a Yankee and they let him walk.
All in all, the Yankees REALLY need to concentrate on getting a bullpen that is reliable from top to bottom.
Riske is a possibility.
Bring back Vizcaino
Francisco Cordero is a free agent and definitely someone Cashmoney needs to be all over.
Britton will do better in 2008
Mariano is most certainly coming back. Mariano is as much the face of the Yankees as Jeter is. Yankees make a lot of money off of Mariano and it is in their financial interest to bring him back and they will.
If the Yanks have a above average starting rotation and a reliable bullpen then they don’t need to trade the farm away for anyone. I actually would not mind Betemit taking over at 3rd.
Don’t worry too much about 3rd base and 1st base. Worry about pitching as that is what will win you games and get you to the world series and the 2008 trophy.
By the way…I saw Austin Jackson this past September in Trenton….That guy can go get it in CF…and has a great arm….just hope the hitting continues to improve and could be a call up in 08..but more realistic in 09’
UtilityMan, the game I saw Action Jackson he made a b-line & made a web gem diving catch into the right field gap. He reminds me alot of young Tori Hunter
Dave, I hate A-Rod as much as the next guy, but his response to the bitch slap (emphasize the word “bitch”...that was not a blow to be proud of…) was clearly to put Varitek in a headlock and it was Varitek who needed to get saved from that one. My god, it’s as clear as day, why does everyone forget that aspect of that “fight”?
A-Rod has had his shameful moments as a Yankee but that wasn’t one of them. Now the game 6 slap of Arroyo’s ball…that was inexcusable…
Tampa Devil Rays: World-class Yankee beaters !
It’s no doubt that Mike Lowell is a MUCH better fit for the Yankees than A-Rod was for the Red Sox. Lowell would have the respect of the Yankees and the Yankee fans. It’s hard to say that Red Sox players and fans would respect A-Rod.
I am still shocked that Martina Hingis tested positive for cocaine. I just can’t believe that she is a doper, I just can’t bring myself to believe it. No matter what happens, I’ll always remember her for the great things that she did on the court instead of the positive test. Sure her comeback wasn’t the greatest, but it wasn’t a complete failure. She did reach as high as Number 6 in the rankings last year. And yes, I am a tennis fan.
Brandon- Durant is tearing it up tonight, he had 18 points in the first half. As long as he gets a bit stronger and improves his shot selection just a bit, the sky is the limit for him!
Those of you who Are still hoping against hope that A-Rod returns to the Yankees, may want to read the peice below from the San Francisco Chronicle. I find it very telling. A-Rod is not meant for the pressure of winning every year. look at the stat below you’ll see what I mean.
“Since Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS — the night Boston began its epic comeback from three games down against the Yankees — (Alex) Rodriguez has come to the plate with 38 runners on base, over the span of 59 at-bats. He left every single one on base, going 0-for-27, right through the Yanks’ Division Series loss to Cleveland this month.â€
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/jenkins/
Just in case anyone wants to check out the full article…A really good read on the A-Rod debacle.
Proctor is already preparing his teammates for the special Torre arm surgery.
Teammate Joe Beimel, whose career blossomed playing for Little, said he’s eager to play for Torre.
“I talked to [former Yankee] Scott Proctor today. He said to be ready to pitch a lot. He [Torre] likes to use the bullpen. That’s fine with me.”
VOIII
Tyler Kepner from the NY Times references that story from the SF paper in his blog and sums up the whole A-Rod situation perfectly with the following 2 sentences.
“You can spin stats against A-Rod, or you can spin stats that make him look better. The only question that matters is what someone is willing to believe.”
hmm, I wonder if the D-Rays are still interested in Sean Henn? Remember during the season, the DRays would trade Pena for Henn straight up.
Wow, some domino effect. Yankees decline invitation to the A-rod coming out party. Giants say unlikely, Angels say unlikely, any other teams? It’s like a big poker game and everyone’s bluffing and no one wants to show their cards.
Did Boras really think that the Yankees would change their mind about pursuing Alex in free agency? Yankees said goodbye so quickly that I bet Scott Boras’ head is still spinning. I bet this scenario wasn’t in his big presentation to Alex at the Malibu summit.
I just thought of who may be the person most affected by A-Rod’s departure. Our pal John Sterling will never be able to yell “an A-Bomb for A-Rod” again! What will he do?!?
“FROM A-Rod,” sorry.
J-dawg,
lol on the Freudian slip. Good, that was an offensive HR call.
Boras needs to stop complaining about the Yankees not willing to negotiate with arod after he opted out. actions speak louder than words…if he wanted to be a Yankee he would have met with the team and discussed an extension. testing his market value just shows he only wants the money and doesn’t care about playing for the yanks. they need to stop trying to gain sympathy.
Hey Chicago Dave
Varitek didn’t “bitchslap” A-Rod, he brushed his hand across A-Rod’s face in full catcher’s gear for maximum protection like the punk he is.
For those of you who think the Rays are letting Pena go, forget it.
He is a star there. He has strong ties with the
Hispanic community, and the team has desperately needed a player like him. He along with Crawford are the two leaders in the clubhouse. He seems to be a very personable guy and the team is always using him for promotional things.
Trust me, he is not going anywhere.
If I remember correctly…only one poster wanted Pena on the team.His demands if correct are way out of control.
“A-Rod is not meant for the pressure of winning every year.”
Unbelievable. No player and no team is. We’d have more teams repeating in the last seven years, and players consistently staying on winning teams, because they were winners and they have that “winning formula”.
That was a very diplomatic statement by Varitek. Rather than bash ARod he took the opportunity to complement his teammate.
Thanks but no thanks to Mike Lowell.
Home .373/.418/.575 14 HR 73 RBI
Away .276/.339/.428 7HR 47 RBI
He’s a product of Fenway Park. 2 years ago he was considered an albatross at $9 mil per. Now you guys want to give him 4 more years at what $15 mil?
Stay away from Lowell.
Mel, great points. He had 10 days after the WS ended to talk with he Yaks, find out who would be the manager, and answer whatever questions he had. He and Bora thought they would steal the spotlight, and that the Yanks would go agains their word. They were wrong. Have fun never winning on a team that can afford you and you alone A Rod. You’re leaving a team with some of the best young pitching, and one of the best your managers in the league. #27 is on the way!
Can hear John Sterling now (on Austin Jackson):
What a great play by “Action Jackson”!!
I don’t want to talk about AROD anymore unless he is sitting at home all season b/c no one picks him up with a contract that Boras demands….then I’ll be ready to talk again! (wouldn’t that be funny?)
no word on Rivera yet?
Pay-Rod