The key points on the Swisher deal
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- November
- 13
Here are the two key things Brian Cashman said today about Nick Swisher:
“We acquired him for the purpose of plugging him into the lineup on an everyday basis.”
Then a few minutes later:
“He’s at average at best in center field and it’s as simple as that. He’s a guy who can give us plus defense at the corners and at first base and we could play him in center field if we chose to do that. But we’d be looking for a different type of profile for that position, quite frankly. … Center field would be more of an insurance policy for us.â€
So if Swisher is playing every day and he’s not playing center field, he’s the first baseman. Unless Cashman blows it all up and starts trading corner OFs.
Swisher also fits what Cashman and Girardi have been saying since August: That the Yankees need to be younger, more athletic and better on defense.
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on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 7:54 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
such a smart move by cashman but we need CC! and its great to have an athletic first basemen
Totally agree Pete, most fans are crazy they want an all star at every position. We have tried that and it did not work so lets try something different.
I am confused. When does free agency start? Tomorrow morning, or today? Joe kept saying today.
Also something kinda interesting. The Yankees haven’t been able to get in touch with Nick.
midnight – today – 9pm on the west coast – so big cc can have an offer tonight
12am tonight, jennifer.
jennifer,
link?
Steve the beginning of the press conference with Cash.
This is a mistake. Heres next years line-up as of now:
Damon
Jeter
Cano
A-Rod
Matsui
Nady
Swisher
Posada
Gardner
ohh ok, thanks.
lots of faith in posada i see, batting 8th ?????
This isn’t about getting an all-star at every position. Athletic? Swisher is better than Giambi or Betemit athletically, but many fit that bill. Giambi was criticized for his lousy batting average and Swisher is worse. There just seems to be a number of moves that would have been better than this. Seeing him play this year left me very unimpressed. Apparently so was his former team.
I don’t like this move. I don’t like Swisher.
thats ok that you do not like swisher, but look at the move as a basball trade – players for players – is it a good move ?
Al,
Among teams over .500+, our lineup is near the bottom.
And it’s not like we have good defense either. Swisher is ok at 1st, Nady is probably average to below average in right, Damon is average in center, Jeter is average at SS, Posada is a potential liability at C.
And nobody in the outfield has much of an arm either, teams are going to run at will on us.
As of now, we are a very poorly constructed lineup. Even if we get CC, it doesn’t change things as dramatically as some may think.
“most fans are crazy they want an all star at every position. We have tried that and it did not work so lets try something different”
no one seems to remember this fact.
Does anyone know when Holliday will be a free agent?
Wow, I really hope this does not mean the Yankees are going to pass on trying to sign Teixeira. Even if they signed Mark they would still be able to afford CC and another pitcher. Swisher is not a long term answer at 1B. Cashman didn’t want to convert someone on our team (not that I endorse that) but he trades for a converted 1B from another team? It’s obviously a good trade, we gave up practically nothing and Swisher has talent and upside. But I seriously pray this doesn’t mean they’re waiving the white flag on Tex, he’s hands down one of the best players in the league and could be a piece that puts the Yankees over the top. Swisher will not do that.
Do people realize that the Yankees scored more runs last year then 4 out of the 8 teams in the playoffs? And that was with out Matsui, and Posada for most of the season. Without Alex for 2+ weeks and with Jeter and Cano having the worst years of their careers?
GET A GRIP!
Al, how many games are scheduled this month ‘as of now’?
It’s not April already, is it?
What’s the rotation, ‘as of now’?
Pretty scary, huh? Maybe Cashman isn’t done yet.
Yank1- Its just so troubling where we could have had a great 2 way player like Tex. Instead another platoon type player at 1st. Terrible off-season start hopefully it gets better.
This move solves one issue, but doesn’t address the other. While I’m not one that believes Mark Texeira is necessary because, let’s face it, no team has an allstar at every infield position, nevermind every position. It is not a question of needing a guy that destroys the ball at the plate. We just need a hitter. Swisher is a definite upgrade for now, but I would be disappointed with Swisher as our everyday solution for 1B come Opening Day….And if he is our solution, we damn better have a better hitting outfield than Nady/Gardner/Damon
So if Swisher is playing every day and he’s not playing center field, he’s the first baseman. Unless Cashman blows it all up and starts trading corner OFs.
Pete, Cashman just traded Wilson Betemit for a pretty good player, and you think it’s impossible to trade Damon or Nady if they needed to??
it’s November 11th. relax people.
A lot of the pro-Hughes crowd always brought up the fact that Santana would not have made a difference this year because we didn’t score runs or hit with RISP.
Well… we scored 200 less runs than last year and are losing 50 HRs/200 RBIs in Giambi/Abreu and replacing it with Swisher who hit .219.
And with Nady/Gardner/Swisher, you will get 120+ strikeouts. Nady especially got exposed in the AL. Gardner looks for a walk instead of a hit and strikes out as a result, and Swisher Ks in 30% of his ABs.
Where are these runs going to come from? How will Sabathia make a difference if we don’t score any runs? Santana wouldn’t have helped this year, right? Can’t have it both ways.
okay, so i just need to be a stereotypical whiney yankee fan for about a minute,
I WANT MARK TEIXERIA!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
whew it feels good to get that off my chest lol
Al, what part of “The Yankees can still sign Teixiera” confuses you the most?
Listen guys, I’ve watched Swisher play vs. The Angels alot over the years and he’s a good ballplayer….No he’s not Texeria who we all want, but he’ll be much better than the rummies we’ve rolled out there since Tino left….So if it comes to pass that he’s achoring 1B in 09 it’s not that bad especially for the dough that he’ll be paid…..I have been pushing for Tezeria since last winter, just waiting for his emancipation…However, the club needs pitching as the first priority….Improved defense at firstbase is essential after watching at least 12 games lost there last season….Go with the flow…Now not getting at least 2 top tier starters and then we have reason to munity
“Yank1- Its just so troubling where we could have had a great 2 way player like Tex. Instead another platoon type player at 1st. Terrible off-season start hopefully it gets better.”
thank God. whenever i want to know if a trade is good or not, i just come here, read the comments, and then i know to just think the opposite.
where did Tex sign? i guess i missed that.
I always liked what I knew of Nick Swisher, stasting when he was in Oakland and donated his hair. He seems like a good, solid ballplayer.
He will be better than anyone who played 1B for the Yanks this past year.
He had an off-year with his average last year, but still hit more HRs than a lot of guys.
He’s a solid improvement over Wilson Betemit.
We didn’t give up too much for him, and he’s got a reasonable contract if anyone wants to move him.
What’s not to like? That he’s not Mark Texeira? Very few players are. But, Tex couldn’t get the Angels past the first round this year, and they had a pretty good team with darn good pitching. What makes anyone think Tex could make the difference here, even if we got CC?
Swisher is like a backup plan to Tex. And he cost us nothing. And he can be plugged into multiple positions. Excellent trade. Go get CC and Tex now.
I just think this was Cashman being smart that there may be a chance that even if we went after Tex he still may sign elsewhere. What would people say if we didn’t sign Tex and then we had Juan Miranda starting the season at first. This was a good upgrade from a player for player point of view. If Cash went out and said that now we are going after Tex then Boras would keep driving the price tag up. We said we didn’t want A-rod after he opted out of his contract, and look where he is now. Maybe we got some sort of a “discount” at 275 million instead of the 350 Boras was claiming he was worth. With Boras clients its better to not go out and say that we want them.
Cashman will trade Damon and go after Texeira. Think about it: Damon is getting older, has only one more year on his contract and might be at the height of his value. I don’t know what he could get back, but it would allow Swisher to move to left for Texeira. I would trade Matsui, too, although I don’t really know what they could get back. I’d prefer if they got CC and Tex and made some trades for another solid SP. They could also go after Mike Cameron to get a better CF.
How does replacing Giambi with Swisher upgrade our offense? Clearly we needed another bat in our lineup after the debacle last season. IF this means they aren’t going to try to sign Tex, I have to think this means they will try to trade someone from our OF and sign Manny.
As a by-product of this trade, NYY opens up two more slots on the 40 man roster that is needed to protect players that could be light years ahead of what they gave up.
So I’m thinking that the Yankee season wasn’t lost or won at first base. Swisher is definitely an upgrade, young, and athletic.
Small steps in certainly places, large steps in others. A total turnover ain’t happening just because Joe or Jane average (that would be lohud posters) wishes it so.
I like the move. I can live with or without anything as long as the brains of the operation (read the organization) deems it so. Everyone needs to take a chill pill.
GB -probably a consideration, also.
“Well… we scored 200 less runs than last year and are losing 50 HRs/200 RBIs in Giambi/Abreu and replacing it with Swisher who hit .219.”
I love how you site HRs for Abreu and Giambi, but for Swisher you use his batting average. even though Swisher hit more HRs than Abreu in what was admittedly a down year for him. way to make an honest argument.
let’s wait a month and see what the rest of the puzzle is before we start getting our panties all twisted up.
thats a photoshop right?
This might be the biggest heist in a trade all off-season
“I always liked what I knew of Nick Swisher, stasting when he was in Oakland and donated his hair. He seems like a good, solid ballplayer.
He will be better than anyone who played 1B for the Yanks this past year.
He had an off-year with his average last year, but still hit more HRs than a lot of guys.
He’s a solid improvement over Wilson Betemit.
We didn’t give up too much for him, and he’s got a reasonable contract if anyone wants to move him.
What’s not to like? That he’s not Mark Texeira? Very few players are. But, Tex couldn’t get the Angels past the first round this year, and they had a pretty good team with darn good pitching. What makes anyone think Tex could make the difference here, even if we got CC?”
*Joe from Long Island – brilliant post.*
Stunning. We get the call.
Even if NYY has to play Swisher at 1st base, at worst, they break even on Giambi when you factor in Swisher’s much better defense. The errors he would save Rodriguez and Jeter alone would do that. On defense, Giambi’s only real value was digging balls out of the dirt.
At what point did Cashman say that Swisher is supposed to replace the offensive production of Giambi and Abreu?
I missed it.
only on LoHud would trading for a 27 year old player who has hit at least 21 HRs in his last 4 seasons and can play 4 positions capably be met with whining and complaining.
you want to hear REAL complaining? go on some White Sox blogs.
they are LIVID that Cashman just got Swisher for nothing.
I just don’t see how the plan can possible be to add Swisher to be your everyday first basemen, let Abreu and Giambi go elsewhere, and leave your outfield as Damon, Gardner and Nady with Matsui as a DH. Every other position is set! That would not be a good lineup; in fact it would be a lineup much worse than last year’s team that struggled to score very often.
To me, the plan has to be to trade Damon or Matsui as a salary dump, not expecting anything in return, and fill in the open slot with someone big (Texeira?). You put Swisher at first, there are no other moves to make… and this can’t be the only move for the offense.
TOUCHDOWN!
Blows it up and starts trading outfielders ?
Or, just doesn’t sign a clearly declining Bobby Abreu who is also 7.5 years older than Swisher. And would cost close to 3 times as much. I’d prefer to have Abreu’s Type A FA compensation picks anyhow.
Not a bad option by any means.
“To me, the plan has to be to trade Damon or Matsui as a salary dump, not expecting anything in return”
again, the Yankees just got Swisher for WILSON BETEMIT.
why does everyone think that Damon would have to be dumped for nothing? or why couldn’t they trade Nady?
or why couldn’t Nady, Damon, Swisher and Gardner share the 3 OF positions? 3 of them can play CF at least adequately.
there would be plenty of ABs for everyone.
in fact, I think this is a great idea. sign Teixeira and make Nady the best 4th OFer in all of baseball.
This from Rotoworld.com, and these guys are no Yankee lovers.
“We still think Betamit can be an adequate regular, but this is a great trade for the Yankees. Three pieces they had little use for in return for a possible 30-homer guy still in his prime. Swisher was quite a disappointment while hitting .219 for the White Sox last season, but he still had 24 homers and 82 walks in 497 at bats. If he bounces back to .260 or so, he’s a well above average regular. Plus he gives the Yankees plenty of flexability. He should be penciled in at first base for now, but he can be shifted to right or center if the Yankees go get that other Teixeira fellow.”
As this relates to signing Texeira, it means two things. First, it is insurance in case they don’t sign him. And second, it is a shot across the bow of the Boras machine. Boras need not hold out for the Yankees to give Texeira a 300 million dollar contract. So they have insurance and leverage. Nice job.
Losing 200 RBIs gaining less than half of that from Swisher coming in. This after a year when it was a problem. How does this help or solve that problem?
Yes, pitching wins but only if you have offense to go with it. Look at the Rays. They didn’t have great offense and it did them in when they got to the WS.
hmm.
i am a big fan of cash-money and hope he has a master plan. but this deal worries me a bit.
Ive been saying all season that after texiera there is no other 1b out there that would be a good fit for us.
but a .219 ba really scares me. we need players who can hit and drive runs. guys dont go from .219 to .300 all of a sudden.
Come on everybody. Free agency hasn’t even started and we’ve already
1) Gotten a versatile (if nothing else) player for virtually nothing
2) Dumped Betemit
3) Signed a great lefty long-term
4) Revamped the coaching staff
I think Cashman knows what he’s doing. Be patient and give him a chance to work it all out, and you’ll see that pieces start falling into place.
On Nov. 11, 2007, we thought Betemit was our 3B. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.
This from Rotoworld.com, and these guys are no Yankee lovers.
“We still think Betamit can be an adequate regular, but this is a great trade for the Yankees. Three pieces they had little use for in return for a possible 30-homer guy still in his prime. Swisher was quite a disappointment while hitting .219 for the White Sox last season, but he still had 24 homers and 82 walks in 497 at bats. If he bounces back to .260 or so, he’s a well above average regular. Plus he gives the Yankees plenty of flexability. He should be penciled in at first base for now, but he can be shifted to right or center if the Yankees go get that other Teixeira fellow.”
“but a .219 ba really scares me. we need players who can hit and drive runs. guys dont go from .219 to .300 all of a sudden.”
if there was such a thing as LoHud in 1998:
WHAT? WHO THE HELL IS SCOTT BROSIUS?!? HE HIT .203 THIS YEAR!!! WATSON/CASHMAN IS AN IDIOT!!! WAH WAHHHHH!!!! WHY DIDN’T WE SIGN MO VAUGHN?!!!!
“but a .219 ba really scares me. we need players who can hit and drive runs. guys dont go from .219 to .300 all of a sudden.”
if there was such a thing as LoHud in 1998:
WHAT? WHO THE HELL IS SCOTT BROSIUS?!? HE HIT .203 THIS YEAR!!! WATSON/CASHMAN IS AN IDIOT!!! WAH WAHHHHH!!!! WHY DIDN’T WE SIGN MO VAUGHN?!!!!
If this was strictly a leverage move I am with it however if Cash sees Swisher as the long term 1B option I have to disagree.
Why does he have to be every day at 1B? I don’t get it. The Yankees are short a RF. Why couldn’t he be plugged in there if/when they sign Tex? Rotate Nady, Damon and Gardner with Gardner maybe starting 60-80 games or so and DH being manned by Matsui and the occasional Damon or Nady.
” That the Yankees need to be younger, more athletic and better on defense.”
Which is why Teixeria should be playing 1B, not Nick Swisher.
Defensively, according to range factors, Swisher is average at all 3 outfield positions and poor at first. Not Giambi bad but pretty bad.
Swisher also allows the Yanks to aggressively shop their corner OF’s.
TOUCHDOWN LEON WASHINGTON! This kid is a beast.
I think this moves means Melky and Someone else is on the move ! ….
Manny
Manny
Manny
as
DH
yeah i could easily see damon or matsui going. neither seem to be healthy on a consistent basis, and the point was made that by spending money on swisher they could actually save money on Tex.
c’mon people do you really think that Cash-$ is done? ok go sleepy time now….
Lots of hatin’ goin’ on against Nady. Little reminder.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4564
That’s right, he hit .305 lasts year with 25 HR’s and 97 RBI with an .OPS well above .800.
Only Yankees fans would not be satisfied with that. Nady’s a hard worker and he’s clutch.
How many clutch hits did he get last year?
More than the entire team put together.
He’s your RF so I guess that means Swisher won’t be in RF. You’re running out of positions to put him in. All signs point to 1b.
I think the upgrade will come to cf.
It makes no sense to commit to Manny when you have Matsui and can accomodate Posada in 2010 if he can’t catch. They’re not locking up the DH spot by signing Manny so you can forget that.
Any time you can get a warm body,pulse included for W Betemit, you upgrade, some flexibility and options. Betemit you had wasted roster space. End of that story!!
Nick Swisher along with Kevin Youklis were practically the basis of Michael Lewis’ MoneyBall, for those that haven’t read it. The thing about Nick is although is batting average may not be high, is OBS is and he’s extremely patient at the plate. Great move, in my mind.
Last time the Yankees brought in a corner infielder role type player who came up through Oakland, that worked out pretty well. Maybe there is life without Teixiera after all.
I know the stats last year aren’t great. But this guy is a good On base player, something they missed last year and will really miss with no giambi or abreu. He is also young, relatively cheap, a switch hitter, can play multiple positions and don’t forget a 1st round pick just a few years ago. He was very solid with Oak and seems to have been a bad fit with Ozzie.
Maybe I am being too much of an optomist, but this really does remind me of the type of players NY added in the 90’s with Swisher and Nady. Guys who play hard, grind at bats and don’t look for a 3 run HR every time we’re down a run. I love it and can’t wait to buy my Swisher Jersey tomorrow.I am telling you, he is going to a very good player for NY, possibly an O’Neill type.
Great move. If the Yanks end up with Teixera, having Swisher already on the team during negotiations would likely save the Yanks more than Swisher’s entire salary.
Let’s get real for a moment, people. In 2007 everyone talked about how key Posada was and how they couldn’t afford to lose him. In 2008 they lost him. In 2007 everyone talked about what a stud Wang was (until the playoffs). In 2008 they lost him. In 2007 everyone talked about how great it was to have an emerging star at 2b who could be contending for the batting title for years to come. In 2008 Cano stunk.
The Yanks can win with Swisher, if necessary. What they can’t do is win if their pitching aces end up on the DL and they get underperformance at key defensive positions like C and 2b. Particularly as Jeter’s defense has really started to become a liability (watching Jeter go to his left now is like watching a mastodon trying to escape a tar pit).
Has Cashman been perfect? No. He’s made some gambles that didn’t pay off, but I haven’t seen him make any moves that were outright stupid AT THE TIME THE TRIGGER WAS PULLED.