The Rays wine and dine The Big G
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Dec 09, 2008 
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Baseball writers have long predicted that Jason Giambi will use his local knowledge of Las Vegas to set himself up for a deal this week. The Big G dined with the Tampa Bay Rays last night and wore a nice t-shirt for the occasion.
TBG makes a lot of sense for the Rays. He can DH, chat up those young kids about hitting and drive in a heap of runs. He also knows the division and would be a great fit in their clubhouse culture.
They seem smart enough to sign Milton Bradley instead of Giambi.
Bradley could snap at any moment. He can be a loose cannon.
The Big G, whatever his past faults, has never gone nuts.
Just heard on KNBR,(SF Giants radio station) from Brian Sabean that the Giants aren’t making an offer to CC & are just doing due diligence.
if they’re looking for a short-term option, and a guy that can bring experience and good leadership to the clubhouse, they can’t go wrong with giambi
best of luck to him wherever he goes, as long as its not against the yankees
OO0O I HOPE NOT …I CAN HEAR MICHEAL KAY NOW.. BOTTOM OF 9TH IN TAMPA THE 2-2 FROM WHO EVERRR …THERE IT GOES DEEP TO RIGHT NADY BACK STILL BACK SEE YAA…. THE BIG G PUTS IT IN THE SEATS ..THATS THE LAST THING WE NEED ANOTHER GUY WHO WANTS TO BEAT US AND HATES US,, THAT MUCH MOREEE LOL
Buddy, thanks for monitoring the 50,000 Watt Flamethrower.
He also said he doesn’t foresee trading Jonathen Sanchez, for those who were still deluding themselves about that.
2 words Brian Cashman needs to utter to CC:
Brett Favre.
If that proud-to-be-a-country-bumpkin can find a place to his liking to live in Jersey and play for the Jets, CC can certainly find a nice big house in Rye or somewhere to live during the season to escape the “hustle and bustle” of NYC…….
It’s funny about the reactions to the mets signign of K-Rod.
They signed him on a good deal.
They’re bull pen is absolutely no better than it was in July of 2008.
The 9th inning was not their problem at all. It was the 7th and 8th.
Sometimes clubs get so focused on big moves they forget to make the smaller ones.
Why did the mets not bother to make an offer to Jeremy Affeldt when they are desperately trying to get rid of the awful Schoeneweis?
They just made the biggest move they might make all off season.
And they are no better than they were in the summer when they started falling apart again as the middle relief and set up guys went from bad to awful.
I REALLY hope Cash is meeting with Sheets.
I think Tampa would be a great fit for Giambi. However, it seems unavoidable that, if he shouls sign with the Rays, that he will deliver some big hit for them against the Yanks. Oh how fun that would be (Michael Kay would have a fit just thinking about it).
Interesting how everyone seems worried that CC is playing the Yankees – even at RAB they talk about CC and his agent playing things perfectly.
I happen to think the Yankees are playing this perfectly. They offered fast, offered hard, and so far have scared everyone else off. We hear the Brewers might raise their offer – no dice. We hear he wants to play in LA – no dice. We hear he will get an offer from the Giants – no dice. We hear the Red Sox have made an offer – no dice. There are only a finite number of teams in the league and most have already been crossed off.
Let’s wait until this plays out before criticizing.
as soon as the Yanks fill one spot in the rotation, the pressure on the other 4 pitchers they have offers out to, goes up, because the offers could start disappearing.
If the dude doesn’t want to play in NYC, no problem. Respect, and move on. If I get a job offer where I don’t want to be but for an insane amount of money, and I can get a job where I want to be for less money but can still live very very well,I would decide to take the job where it is I want to be. It’s that simple.
I fully expect CC to turn down the Yankees offer in the end, but he’s be foolish to do anything until his other option is finalized.
I seriously would be shocked if Sheets is the first pitcher that the Yanks signed. People would think CC would be the first pitcher that the Yanks will be signed.
Pete and all-
Pitching mechanics will determine how successful we are in the starting pitching department. Real concerns about Burnett and Sheets mechanics and durability. Not keen on Lowe, who really wants to go back to Boston.
Teixeira IMO will sign with Boston, unless we become players.
Manny will be signed by the Dodgers, because I really think he likes it there.
Sabathia will then be signed by the Angels, who can trade one of their starters for another hitter.
If this is the possible scenario, then I’m all for getting Teixeira and looking at the 2nd tier free agent starters, possibly getting someone like Brad Penny on a one year incentive backup plan. If we sign Pettitte, we still need two starters.
Thoughts on how this might all play out?
I remember listening to Mike Francesco a few months ago and he was guaranteeing that the Yankees would sign CC. He said something along the lines of, “That’s what the Yankees do. They have the power to go out and get any guy they want. It isn’t even a question of if. The Yankees will sign him.”
That seems like a very long time ago.
“I seriously would be shocked if Sheets is the first pitcher that the Yanks signed. People would think CC would be the first pitcher that the Yanks will be signed.”
CC could have been signed 3 weeks ago, he had his chance you cant put the world on hold because of 1 player. Who cares what people think this team needs pitching and Sheets is world class when healthy.
So is it playing the yanks or using the yanks if CC keeps the yanks offer as leverage or a backup plan to get big money from a team on the west or is that just good savvy business? I think it all depends on how you want to view it to say right now whether cc is using the yanks or not – for me, if he keeps us flying in the wind until mid january preventing us from signing a guy like Tex, he is USING us. Some may think about it differently.
Big G lookin like he may be in need of a “man-ssiere”
Sweeny and Ed Coleman are good together. WFAN should put them on more often. I’ve never noticed before but you can hear Sweeny snickering at some of the stupid stuff people are saying.
I meant to write if he keeps us flying in the wind and in the end, sings with a west coast team for less or the same amount of money as we originally offered, He was using us. Because that means he really had little intentions of coming here in the first place.
Yankee Trader –
I think Tex will either sign with the Angels or Sox. I’d much rather have him go the Angels mainly because a lineup that would consist of Pedroia, Youk, Ortiz, Tex, Bay, and Drew (when he actually hits) is a very unpleasant thought. Also, I’ve come to actually like Lowell. He’s a very classy guy who took less money and years to sign with the Sox. For him to be traded away after one off season filled with injuries would be a shame.
If Tex doesn’t go to the Angels, then I think they would sign CC. If he wanted to sign with the Yanks, it would be done by now. I doubt the Yanks would offer much more and there isn’t any other competition (in terms of money).
Finally, Manny will be back in LA. There doesn’t seem to be a huge market for him and LA loved him. He’d get a good amount of money to absolutely destroy every pitcher in that league. Though, it would very amusing to see him as a Yankee blasting HRs over the Monster. Fortunately, I don’t think I will ever have to root for him.
CC has the hammer now, as no one has signed a starter (excluding Ryan Dempster and the Cubs).
Should the Yanks sign either Sheets or Burnett, they will have more leverage with CC. He and his agent will see that the Yanks are not idly standing by, and it might be a matter of time before all the Yanks’ SP needs are met. CC would then no longer have that 140M offer to shop, and be forced to settle for however much less other teams offer. Maybe 40-50M less? That’s a lot of money for CC (and his agent and his commission) to say goodbye to.
I don’t think it’d work against the CC pursuit if Sheets signed first. Doesn’t everyone already know the Yanks are hell bent on signing two or even three pitchers? CC should be fine with not being the Yanks first FA acquisition this off season. Now if they sign Sheets and have offers on th table to both Lowe & Burnett, and one of the two takes it while the other is still seriously considering, that could be seen as a little pressure on CC. But we’re not there yet. I’d think that unles he’s gone out and said he wasn’t into it, they’d give CC every last opportunity to be one of the three pitchers.
I think they’d go ahead and sign Pettitte after they’ve concluded they’re not going to get three of the big arms they’d hoped for on terms they’re willing to make.
Id rather them sign Giambi than sign Bradley or Abreu.
The more money we spend, the less extra money he can get from us. When he realizes that we’re moving closer to our budgetary limit (yes we have a limit), he’ll feel intense pressure to grab his share.
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde.....meeti.html
Graziano is hearing that Cash is meeting with either Burnett or Derek Lowe and definitely not Sheets or CC.
I hope Sweeny recovered from his time with Francesa today.
Signing Sheets or another FA pitcher shows CC that we are not afraid to move on. Its basically saying hey we could use you but we can also give this money to Tex. If CC walks away from 40 million there is nothing we could have done to have him.
My optimism is recovering following girardi’s blow. CC is one of the most competitive personalities in the game. All the othwr teams are crap-shoots. He’s going to play for the giants for 10 years? And after what they did to the best baseball player in the history of the game? And after said player wasted his career playing for a barely competitive team? One thing about cc: he is one of the few players in the game with balls. He’s playing the giants and the left coast teams, not the yanks.
I really don’t think CC would feel ‘intense pessure’ Bret, nor would he grab for his share. Certainly just signing Sheets to a deal wouldn’t bring the pressure on, and the offer isn’t getting any smaller.
CC only has the hammer if he’s really willing to leave $30-$40 million on the table.
But I’m curious, AROD fan, how is CC ‘playing’ the west coast teams? By wanting them to give him a competitive offer?
Josh-
“I think Tex will either sign with the Angels or Sox. I’d much rather have him go the Angels mainly because a lineup that would consist of Pedroia, Youk, Ortiz, Tex, Bay, and Drew (when he actually hits) is a very unpleasant thought.”
I agree with you and that’s the premise of what I was talking about. It sounds like Teixeira wants to play in the Northeast. Therefore if he signs with Boston the Angels will sign Sabathia.
Therefore maybe we should make a play for Tex 1st, if we sign him, look at starters beyond Burnett and Sheets, both extreme injury risks. Still could be in on Sabathia and if we were lucky to get both Tex and CC, which would put us near a payroll of 180M, maybe rounding out the rotation with Pettitte or incentive contract for Brad Penny, would work.
Sabathia
Wang
Joba
Pettitte/Penny
Hughes/Aceves or trade for another starter using some of out minor league pitching depth.
I hope one thing that Giambi doesnt fail to teach those kids in Tampa is how to hit into a shift. I hope he doesnt forget his trade mark and become the Giambi of the A’S.
“He’s playing the giants and the left coast teams, not the yanks.”
How is he playing the WC teams if he is calling them and begging for an offer? I think hes just trying to get them in the 110+ range and then he’ll sign this is why we should pull the offer let him grovel and beg the WC teams and we can move on to Tex!
Well, okay… The word ‘playing’ wasn’t used totally seriously.
6 things for Ben Sheets to do when signing with New York:
6)He will teach Wang how to base run better in an NL game.
5)He will dare not to ask for #51 due to the fact is Bernie William’s number upton flip flopping #15.
4)He will wear #25 because of a)Joe Girardi wore it, b)Jim Abbot threw a no-hit game, c)at the age of 25 was his only dominating year in 2004 before the injuries, d) started 25 major league career games, e) and flip flop #52 in honor of CC Sabathia.
3)He will actually wear #52 because CC told him too.
2)He will live with Joe Girardi until he finds a house.
1)Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will teach him how to be rich and famous, and score hot celebrities.
Arod fan – do you consider the Angels a “crap-shoot?” They were the best team in the AL last year. If they didn’t choke everytime they faced Boston in October, they could’ve gone all the way. I’d say they have a good chance of landing him.
Besides, as the Rays proved, past succes (or lack of) is not always an accurate indicator of future results. Giants could be next year’s Rays w/ CC (not saying I believe that, but I’d never believed that Favre would be playing for the Jets or the Rays would make it to the WS).
Angels owner downplaying that they are or would be interested in CC.
“Teixeira’s my guy,” Moreno said. “There are obviously other people we like. But he’s our main target.”
“I wouldn’t say we’re in the Sabathia picture at all,” Moreno said. “We have four pitchers. And we’re not getting into a long drawn-out process. He has a very good offer on the table ($140 million for six years from the Yankees). And we’re not in that ballpark.”
But the pt is I think he wants to sign ultimately w us and not with some ‘inconsistant’ left coast team who might make it to the play-offs one of the years of his contract. I said he has balls bc I like how he is sticking around and demanding competitive offers – ESP. Now that the gov just demanded collusion on the part of owners.
Al: you know the primary objective is to sign CC, not teach him a lesson, right?
Yankee Trader
I agree about Tex. Some people have been commenting on the possibility of Manny hitting behind Arod – well, I would have no problem seeing Tex in that fourth spot. It would also be refreshing to see some great defense at first base.
Last year’s problem was offense, not pitching. And I doubt we would have the good fortune to obtain both Tex and CC. I don’t like Lowe or Burnett though. I think Sheets would be a good signing. That would give us a rotation of Wang, Joba, Pettite, Sheets, and ///. I’d be happy with that (if we have Tex).
I hate to admit it — and I hope I’m wrong — but if the Sox are about to sign Tex they’ve outsmarted us yet again.
Apart from strengthening themselves, by signing Tex Boston puts the Angels into the mix for CC, making for the maximum Yankee headache.
I read today that Tex wants to get signed fast — isn’t sleeping. Instead of chasing a guy who doesn’t want to play for us, the Yanks should have been putting their chips on Tex. Sign him first, which them puts the pressure on Boston. Instead, they seem to know Tex will break first, they focus on him and thereby put the pressure on us. End result? we’ll wind up overpaying for people like Lowe.
The key mistake in my mind was this notion that they needed three pitchers. They really only need one ace (CC or Burnett or perhaps Sheets) along with Tex.
In my opinion the Yankees have over reacted to the misfortunes they had last year with their young pitchers. Now they’re not counting on them at at all. At the least they should be in on the Tex negotiations. At this point Tex is the best player who might actually want to play for them. And they could still sign Tex and afford one of the ther big arms, even CC.
Poorly played, it would seem.
Ed-
“things for Ben Sheets to do when signing with New York:
1)Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will teach him how to be rich and famous, and score hot celebrities.”
Sheets by the way is married and has two kids.
Maybe, you hit on it, with CC-wife worried her hubby will stray, being around A-Rod and Jeter.
Talking to a single player, who will remain unnamed, when on the road many of the single guys were looking for one night stands!!!
Feinsand thinks Cash is out offering AJ and Sheets.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blo.....-duck.html
Where’s our guy on all this?
Yankee Trader,
didn’t know Sheets was married, but yeah..the whole thing was suppose to be a joke. although I do believe Sheets will wear #25.
wear #25 if signed with the Yanks***
“Poorly played, it would seem.”
Prematurely concluded, it would seem.
The angels are DEF a crapshoot 4 the reason u cite: that past perf… They have been on a reasonably successful drive for fans, and now that is over. What does that mean? Some really bad future teams. ANd, 4 the record (bc all my opinions must b recorded here) I am appalled that there aren’t any competitive offers for CC. They don’t even seem to be trying to hide collusion.
it’s time to tell CC he’s about to be dropped like bad bait.
i hope that there’s some skullduggery going on and the Yanks are offering Teixeira.
Arod fan – Sadly, none of know where CC is going to sign or what he really wants. However, I would not refer to the Angels as inconsistant. They won the WS back in 02 and were in the post-season in 04, 05, 07, and 08. Also, as I hate to point out, we did not make it to October this year. And no doubt he is competitive guy; he carried his team in the second half of the season.
Phil-
The Graziano blog was updated, Cash is meeting with Burnett & someone else, Sheets maybe.
Prematurely concluded, it would seem.
Both nasty and childish, I would bet.
Ed-
Realize it was a joke.
Phil-
If the Yankees are seriously interested in one or both of Burnett and Sheets [and as I've said, everything I've researched on line doesn't make me hopeful that both won't have arm problems], we’re better off letting Burnett and his 4-5 year contract go to the Braves and get Sheets for two years.
Thanks, Buddy!
Arod fan – sorry I didn’t read your last post when I replied. I don’t understand your reasoning – what makes you think their run is “over?”
Like life itself: solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
We need the big guy!! December 9th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Angels owner downplaying that they are or would be interested in CC.
“Teixeira’s my guy,’’ Moreno said. “There are obviously other people we like. But he’s our main target.’’
“I wouldn’t say we’re in the Sabathia picture at all,’’ Moreno said. “We have four pitchers. And we’re not getting into a long drawn-out process. He has a very good offer on the table ($140 million for six years from the Yankees). And we’re not in that ballpark.’‘
——————–
Is this legit? Where did you find this?
Why do yankee fans insist on believing that somehow the red sox are never going to sign a big name free agent and that if any big names go to the sox it’s just a huge blemish on what the yankees are doing?
The sox have $40M coming off their books. In terms of proportion of payroll, that’s roughly equivalent to what the yankees have coming off their books.
They are going to spend it.
The yankees have more money than the sox. But not so much that they can corner every free agent.
$150M + contract are major risks and huge guaranteed money costs.
Signing AJ for $64M is in no way remotely like giving Tex $170M even if the AAVs aren’t wildly different.
The sox are going to get quality players. That’s just all there is to it.
As for Sabathia taking less to play in Southern California where he is building, or San Francisco where he is currently living, the players association would have a hard time justifying putting pressure on him after the premier relief pitcher on the market just signed with the Mets for a lot less, in years and money.
CB
actually they probably do have so much more that they could corner every free agent. The new stadium and food company really change the picture.
“Is this legit? Where did you find this?”
On si.com
Hobbes =)
in case you people don’t know
UPDATE >>>>>>
CB-
“The sox are going to get quality players. That’s just all there is to it.”
My question are the Yankees going to get “quality” players in Sheets and/or Burnett?
Again, real concern if Teixeira goes to Boston, Angels can offer CC less and get him, then trade a pitcher for a hitter, as their starting pitching is stocked, and they’ll be favorites anyway to take the West.
Then we’re looking at injury high risk aces-Burnett and/or Sheets!! Not real confident in that scenario.