Other starters scramble for spots
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Dec 10, 2008 
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For the top-tier starters remaining on the market — A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets — the signing of CC Sabathia appears to have created some urgency.
The Yankees need at least one starter. The Mets need one. The Braves need one. Maybe the Red Sox do, maybe they don’t. There are only so many large-market teams willing to spend money.
The Yankees are, in Cash-speak, engaging all of them. Burnett is believed to have a five-year offer, Lowe a four-year proposal and Sheets a two-year offer. They definitely want one and could take two. That probably depends on what Andy Pettitte is willing to do.
I THOUGHT I OVERHEARD HERE IN LOS ANGELES THAT AJ ACCEPTED THE 91MM OFFER?!?
**Sorry for the caps**
Ralph,
“Overheard”? Context, please.
heyman @ SI reported 5/80 just a few minutes ago.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3761008
Just FYI:
I work for a newspaper, not a web site or a television network. I’m not allowed to use anonymous sources in my stories. I have to things on the record and/or approved by my editors.
In a place like the Winter Meetings, rumors fly around. It was less than 24 hours ago, people were chastising me for not reporting the rumor that Sabathia has turned the Yankees down. How did that turn out?
If you want gossip, this really isn’t the place. I try and report the news, not guess at it. I’m not trying to make an excuse, I choose to work where I do. I’m just telling you how it is for me.
I posted this in the other thread
“‘the only 2 and 3 I’m concerned about is which one will be the # of quality seasons we get from him out of a 5yr contract.’
That’s a gamble you take with anyone you sign. CC pitched almost 500 innings the last two years, is he due to be hurt?
Lowe has always been healthy, is it his time to break down?
At the same time, you can say that Burnett has successfully rehabbed from Tommy John. It’s rare that players ever require the surgery twice, maybe his prime is about to begin.”
I also think that they way the Yankees are handling Pettitte is a foreshadowing of how Jeter’s contract will be handled. Setting the precedent now will make it easier to handle when the time comes.
http://www.fannation.com/si_bl.....-year-deal
“rather ,see the Yankees go into Boston with CC,Wang,Sheets,Perez…Joba 8th inning man(closer of the future)”
Stop listening to Mike Francessa he is as un-informed as he is fat. Joba is a starter and the bullpen is stacked with late inning stud Mark Melancon waiting in the wings. Putting Joba in the pen would be a complete waste of his talent.
I think Lowe, and Sheets would be a better pick up. Rather then Burnette and Sheets…both have history of injury.
We get plenty of gossip from around the net anyway, it’s nice to hear we can always count on accurate details and stories from LoHud Yankees.
I have a sentimental spot for Andy, but I drool at how dominating and overpowering this rotation would be:
CC
Burnett
Wang
Joba
Sheets
And you always have Hughes to fill in for the inevitable few missed starts by Burnett and Sheets…but when healthy this would be by far the most dominating rotation in baseball.
Got it Pete.
Thanks for the site…. u the man!
RalphDaddy,
Do you not remember the last time Derek Lowe pitched in the AL East? it was a 5+ ERA and got hammered on a consistent basis. He doesn’t have the stuff to pitch in this division.
Pete,
I’m sure a lot of us, including me, respect and appreciate that you go about things the right way and use the due diligence that is part of the craft of a truly good and responsible reporter.
Rock on,
Phil
“I couldnt agree more. What do these signings say about the Yankee drafts the last 6 years? It’s basically an admission they didnt work. They’re going to give a rotation spot for the next 5 years to Burnett at the expense of one of their prospects. After all the lecturing we’ve hears about fans exhibiting patience,they buy a rotation .What message does this send to Kennedy, Aceves and Brackman? Those kids and others are about to be stonewalled”
Drive 4-5:
right now Gerrit Cole is believing he made the right decision.
If you want gossip, this is *totally* the place, just not gossip coming directly from Pete Abe that isn’t labelled as such.
Heck this is where I first found out that CC had two secret offers besides the NY and Mil. deals. We now know that one of them was from the Governor of Illinois, but what about the other one????
Now “other starters are scrambling for spots”. This is why the Yankees should sign Pettitte to the 1 year deal and then sign the player that will take the most reasonable deal.
Both Burnett and Sheets have filthy stuff but might be injury risks. Derek Lowe is pretty good but not on their level. And what everyone seems to be forgetting: When they sign Lowe for 4 years he will be 39 in the last year of his contract. Do you really think he’s going to reinvent himself like Mussina did in the AL East? Possible, but I’d rather have the younger guys…
Anyone know how the deal with CC suddently got to 161 million. I know for an deal that large the extra 1 mill is not much of a difference bit everyone was at 160 this am and now it is 161.
These offers just sound backwards… Sheets should definitely get more than Lowe.
“Heck this is where I first found out that CC had two secret offers besides the NY and Mil. deals. We now know that one of them was from the Governor of Illinois, but what about the other one????”
Lets forget Petitte . Get Burnett and Sheets and call it a day .
The 1 million gives him a yearly average higher than Santana’s. I think
Mike R
December 10th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I posted this in the other thread
”’the only 2 and 3 I’m concerned about is which one will be the # of quality seasons we get from him out of a 5yr contract.’
That’s a gamble you take with anyone you sign. CC pitched almost 500 innings the last two years, is he due to be hurt?
Lowe has always been healthy, is it his time to break down?
At the same time, you can say that Burnett has successfully rehabbed from Tommy John. It’s rare that players ever require the surgery twice, maybe his prime is about to begin.”
-
Mike R, you’re right on with this. Watch and see as he is filthy, motivated and getting stronger each year. Remember, he has never played on a really good team. He was on the 2003 Marlin team that won, but that was the year he got hurt. He will be awesome with us.
good players find a way into the rotation or roster.
if we are set for pitching wich is highly doubtfull we can turn these prospects or players over for position players that are needed or younger prospects.
we didn’t trade any prospects for the most part in a few years.
if hughes or any other pitchger is pitching great & lowe stinks then lowe loses his spot or if ajax is on fire he taKES CF.
the important thing is that we didn’t trade any prospects so if they become good or great they have value wether that is with us or someone else & it will cost a team if they wan’t any of them from us.
via ESPN.com
Source: Yankees offering Burnett five-year, $91.5M deal
Burnett @ 5 yrs and Sheets @ 2 yrs. That would make the starting rotation nasty and when Sheets’ contract expires, Hughes should be more then ready.
Hey Pete,
Can you pass on my X-mas list to Cash?
1. CC (check)
2. Sheets (new addition)
3. Burnett
4. Tex
5. Manny
Tx
galye,
I thought the idea behind the extra mil was to best Santana’s deal.
who rather wait for hughes and kennedy to get it right than have burnett for the next five years?? i kno i would!
I’ll pull for AJ as hard as anyone else if he signs with the Yanks, but I really don’t like 91/5
Pete, are you implying that television networks are not reliable sources of news, nor places where reputable journalists are to be found? (lol)
Whether its 5yr/80M or 5yr/90M make no mistake about it – the yankees are paying AJ Burnett to be a #1 starter.
Doesn’t matter where the technically slots into the context of their rotation.
At that money they are saying AJ is a true #1 and that they want to have as many “aces” in their rotation as possible.
They are basically gambling that AJ Burnett is the next Curt Schilling. A pitcher with a ton of talent and great stuff who has underperformed and is ready to turn it around in his early 30′s.
That’s the gamble.
Jake,
Post the link. Only thing im seeing is that agent is “thought” to be seeking 5/91.5
They aren’t offering 5/91.5.
Geez, can’t people read?
It says it’s BELIEVED Burnett’s agent is looking for Zambrano money. It didn’t say the Yankees OFFERED Zambrano money.
Heyman’s story of 5/80 is probably more in line with the Yankee offer.
Signing AJ Burnett means the Yankees are going to pay $50+ million for the rotation long term. They’ve got A-Rod, Jeter, Posada, Cano, and Swisher for $80+ million and $20+ million committed to the bullpen. Doesn’t look like they are trying to cut payroll.
Hughes and IPK could really use another year or two to develop more pitches (esp Hughes) which can only help them. Sheets could definitely be used as a transition pitcher to accomplish this.
Pete,
Isn’t it peculiar how the Red Sox were not really involved in serious pursuit of CC?
I mean last year they were going to trade some mighty good prospects to the Twins for Johann Santana and then they’d have to pay him big bucks.
This year they could have saved the prospects and just spent the dough to bring CC to Boston.
Sort of illustrates that last year the Red Sox simply wanted to stop Minnesota from trading Johann Santana to the Yanks.
Once the Yanks pulled their generous offer for Santana…the Sox beck-pedaled and were embarrassed…left Minnesota hanging.
It will be a long time before the Twins and Red Sox hook up on a big deal.
The Yanks spent some dough and a draft pick for CC but maintained chips (especially Hughes).
CB,
Exactly. You might say the Braves are also looking at Burnett in the same way.
New thread posted.
ESPN.com, is funny:
“Yanks’ Peavy talks going nowhere”
Oh really? Trying to create a little news there?
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....tings_2008
SJ,
No doubt. The thing that has become clear through this process is that both the yankees and the braves have decided that AJ Burnett is a true #1 shut down starter.
This is even more true for the Braves. The braves do not have $65M to flush away – never mind 70 or 80M.
Dave O’Brien has written this in the atlanta constitution journal – the braves see him as a #1.
Bobby Cox loves burnett.
And its at least good to know that another team likes burnett as much as the yankees do.
80/5 isn’t that much better. I would hope the Yanks would try to parlay the CC signing into offering Burnett/Lowe 4 and 3 year deals respectively. I guess it’s not going to happen. I’d much rather do Sheets for two and try to sign Andy than take Burnett or Lowe for 5/4
I think the Yankee offer is 5/85M.
Wow. I’m really glad to hear it’s ONLY 5/80. I’d feel a lot better if someone could point out 5 years of AJ Burnett’s career when he wasnt injured.
I just understand giving 18 mil a year to Burnett. His stuff just doesn’t translate to the same results. Sign Sheets and Pettitte and allow an opening for the young talent down the road. I would rather add a few mil a year and throw it at Tex than give Burnett that kind of money.
“Jeet Skeet
December 10th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
who rather wait for hughes and kennedy to get it right than have burnett for the next five years?? i kno i would!”
I’d rather see one of the rooks step up and be given a shot, to be honest. With CC/Wang/Joba/Pettitte (or one other high-dollar FA), I believe that’s enough space for Hughes to work his way onto the rotation. Rather root for the homegrowns.