I think you totally missed the big picture here. Brian Cashman completely screwed up the Rodriguez, Posada and Rivera contracts by playing hardball with them in the spring of 07. The Yankees had no replacements anywhere close to the MLB level for any of them and he let all 3 become free agents and have all the leverage. He literally cost the Yankees over 100 million dollars 5 years for Rodriguez, 2 years for Posada and an extra year for Rivera because he has no vision or guts. The odds of a 36 year old catcher being a good investment for 4 years are really low. Cashman should never have let Posada get to the point where he could shop around and force the Yankees to match. All you media guys buy the garbage Cashman sells about the Yankees needing to be home grown and cost controlled. Well the 95-01 team had just as many key players acquired by trading minor leaguers as they did home grown key players, maybe even more. Cashman is scared to make trades and has no idea which minor leaguers to sell high on and which ones to keep. Melky and Kennedy both should have been moved last off season. Neither player will ever have the value they did in the winter of 07 again. The best thing that could happen to the Yankees this winter is that all of their free agents get offered arbitration and everyone of them leaves except Pettitte or Mussina. With Cashman being the first one out the door.

I agree with this but I don’t think they need a star at every position. I said had Molina platoon with someone as an option because I recognize that it might have been a lot to ask him to play 135 to 140 games. Would it have been idea, probably not, but its better than handicapping yourself both financially and in roster flexibility if Posada wasn’t going to be able to catch at the backend of the contract.

Even though I wouldn’t have done it, I didn’t mind it at the time because I thought if they overpaid Jorge at the backend of his contract more power to him and didn’t think it would impact other decisions.

It seems that it clearly did. I think elite starting pitchers are the one position you do need to advance in the playoffs and should be willing to pay up for. And Santana is not in his thirties, he’s 29 and was only 28 when the trade was being discussed. I have no doubt in my mind, that the trade was not done for financial reasons rather than being afraid to swap Hughes for Santana. Even before his struggles this year, you’d have to be crazy to assume that Hughes would be the better pitcher over the next 5-6 years.

Financial flexibility wasn’t an issue in the deal either – the Yanks knew what they had coming off the books in ‘08 – ‘10. So taking on a couple of contracts wasn’t a problem. And with Giambi and Matsui leaving if not worthy of extensions after this year and next, DH would open up for Posada in the last 2 years of the deal.

The Yanks weren’t as concerned about Santana’s contract as his cost in players, but a 7 year deal for a starting pitcher in his 30’s is inherently risky financially. Especially one with some indications of potential decline. Pitchers just get hurt more often and more seriously than players. If Santana was facing the injury Posada has, he’d be gone for up to 18 months.

I like Kennedy and I want to see him succeed with the Yankees, as soon as this year (if all this Jarrod Washburn talk doesn’t lead to a trade). That said, the talk of his projections is more about his “stuff”, and that seems to get valued in trade talks as much as performance and numbers. He could pitch his way to more importance in the bigs than a 4th or 5th starter, but the scouting reports wouldn’t dictate that, so that’s what he gets pegged as until he proves otherwise.

I just think it’s funny how quickly fans sour on young pitchers who aren’t Joba Chamberlain-like successes right when they get to the majors.

anyways….Pete, I don’t know what to say about this. I mean, would you really have let Posada walk at the end of last year? I feel almost resigned to having Mariano, Posada, and Jeter walking around Yankee Stadium with walkers and sitting at the end of the bench in 2020. I don’t see how you ever allow them to wear another uniform, and I’m someone who preaches common sense often on here.

I think you’re dead on on why “move him to first” is not the right answer. He’d also be a defensive liability there. Depending on how this surgery goes, Cashman may have another need to fill on his hands in the off-season.

Were both these chances worth taking, though? Absolutely. Would I have signed him, ten times out of ten, to that contract? Yes.

Olney didn’t suggest it he said the Yankees are(keyword) having serious discussions for Washburn. (Igawa is said to be the price).

Absolutely. I never understood the argument that they HAD to sign Posada and Rivera. And the idea that committing to those contracts at their ages was a good idea but committing to Santana would have been too risky is mindboogling to me. I would have rather have waved goodbye to both and have acquired santana.

I could live with a platoon of Molina and someone else and tried to find more offense somewhere else to make up for the loss of Posada’s bat. Besides, its pitching and defense that win championships and not offensive firepower.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Posada’s a great guy and I like the idea in the abstract of these guys retiring as Yankees but to lock into these contracts at their age when it limits your ability to do other things to help your team was foolish.

Solid post. Since you brought up Gavin Floyd, same could be said about John Danks. The ChiSox took their lumps with those guys last year and look how it has paid off for them? People don’t understand the term “patience” and how we need to have it with young pitchers.