Thrilling morning here in Chicago
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Nov 09, 2009 
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My first few hours of the General Managers meetings have tought me this: It’s nice to have a cell phone with Internet access. Checking email and such seems to be a pretty important part of this event.
Most everyone seems to be just arriving. Some writers are just getting here. Front office people will be trickling in throughout the day. There hasn’t been much excitement so far. The only front office personnel I’ve seen has been John Hart, the former Texas Rangers GM who now does a lot of work for MLB Network.
As more people get here, I’m sure there will be more to discuss. Right now, it’s just a bunch of writers standing in a hotel lobby, sipping coffee and playing on their cell phones.
11:00 AM and everyone is still in bed?
“Tought”? Ouch!
sounds absolutely thrilling chad, what color is the rug?
Chad,
Can you ask the GMs about Chapman.
thansk.
Chad –
please keep an eye out when cashman starts talking with Alex Anthopoulos and if they decide to go to dinner or something like that….and let us know…
could be worse. could be doing my job and sitting here waiting for any updates you give us.
Like I stated yesterday, I don’t expect much trade activity, but the GMs will get together and discuss possible paramters for potential deals.
Chad, waddya gonna do for fun in Chicago — hit some clubs? Dine with Jay Mariotti?
It’s difficult to imagine Gaudin and Mitre competing for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation.
Brian Cashman has to think soon about the 40-man roster with anticipation of any moves he has in mind.
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....p?c_id=nyy
CD
November 9th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Chad, waddya gonna do for fun in Chicago — hit some clubs? Dine with Jay Mariotti?
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For Chad’s sake I hope he can avoid dining with Mariotti.
I think that Ivan Nova could be a dark-horse for the fifth spot in the rotation. He had a fantastic season in the minors and has carried it over to the winter leagues.
And even if the Yankees sign Chapman, the general thought is that he’s a good year or two away from being mature enough to pitch in the majors.
Am I the only one who wishes we were discussing the Yankees possible rotation for the upcoming 7-game series against the Yomiuri Giants for the championship of the Universe? (Answer: probably).
Constantine
November 9th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Am I the only one who wishes we were discussing the Yankees possible rotation for the upcoming 7-game series against the Yomiuri Giants for the championship of the Universe? (Answer: probably).
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LOL. That would be awesome! I’m going through baseball withdrawl.
So far the GM Meetings sounds about as exciting as cleaning out your locker day at Yankee Stadium on Saturday
Ivan Nova as the 5th starter? really?
Sounds to me like some people are getting back into the habit of over-hyping Yankee prospects. How many pitches has he thrown for the Yankees to date? Oh, right, ZERO.
And you think he’ll get the 5th starter spot?
Payroll obligations stand at $166M right now.
http://spreadsheets.google.com.....utput=html
Still need to find a LF, DH, and 2 more starting pitchers to complement CC/AJ/Joba/Phil. And fill out the bench.
Erin, I’ve already got some serious withdrawl too!
I have a copy of the Ken Burns baseball documentary, which I watch several times a year to get me through the off season. It was kind of expensive, but totally worth it. And now I can supplement it with the new MLB network.
m,
assuming pettitte doesn’t come back, which I’m willing to be he does.
Then, you plug in Joba OR Hughes into the rotation and trade for or sign a starter.
I guess they could put both, but that’s a risk I doubt they’ll take.
sounds as exciting as the day spent waiting for players to clean out their lockers
ditmars,
Ken Burns is a fruitcake, but those documentaries are INCREDIBLE!!!
I hope to get a copy someday.
Enjoy yourself, Chad. Somehow…hopefully it gets exciting pretty soon.
ditmars1929
November 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Erin, I’ve already got some serious withdrawl too!
I have a copy of the Ken Burns baseball documentary, which I watch several times a year to get me through the off season. It was kind of expensive, but totally worth it. And now I can supplement it with the new MLB network.
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I’ll have to check out that Ken Burns documentary-I’ve heard it’s amazing.
chad,
don’t you have a iphone already? Pete spent most of his spare time marketing for Apple…
Mad Prince, most film makers are a bit odd!
Yes, I’d highly recommend you get a copy. I’m going to have to upgrade to DVD one of these off seasons.
Do we get to play WDCJHFL again????
(What did Chad Jennings have for lunch- for those who missed it Saturday)
Am I the only one who wishes we were discussing the Yankees possible rotation for the upcoming 7-game series against the Yomiuri Giants for the championship of the Universe? (Answer: probably).
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Yeah you are, but that’s a fun idea. It would rock to see Matsui playing against his former team. We’d SO win.
Chip
And even if the Yankees sign Chapman, the general thought is that he’s a good year or two away from being mature enough to pitch in the majors.
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I think thats correct. He needs to build up his inning total (I heard that he never exceeded 118 innings in Cuba) and he needs some help with his mechanics. A September-2011 callup would probably be the earliest that he will be in the majors. Nonetheless, I hope the Yankees can sign him.
Sounds to me like some people are getting back into the habit of over-hyping Yankee prospects. How many pitches has he thrown for the Yankees to date? Oh, right, ZERO.
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Mad Prince – Andy hadn’t thrown a pitch for the Yankees until one day he did. Point is that saying a kid who has never pitched in the majors doesn’t have a track record is redundant. But the only way for him to get a track record is to pitch in the majors.
Mad Prince,
Yes, I would think Andy would be one. Joba, Phil, and Ace could definitely cover the other two slots.
Just for fun, the Sox are obligated to $109M right now. But $9M is for Lugo and an additional $1M is for Wagner. tee-hee.
For all of us with baseball withdrawal…it’s a bit like people coming off drugs or alcohol…I don’t know what that’s like…but if it includes minor depression, mood swings, feeling like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and pining for even the worst Sterling fly ball calls, then yes…I have a really b ad case of it…
add just one big time starting pitcher
I am for keeping Damon, Matsui and just adding one big time starter- then let Hughes and Wang battle it out for fifth spot and keep joba in the pen
The Mad Prince in Pinstripes November 9th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
ditmars,
Ken Burns is a fruitcake, but those documentaries are INCREDIBLE!!!
I hope to get a copy someday.
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They are incredible and I almost always find documentaries boring.
For all of us with baseball withdrawal…it’s a bit like people coming off drugs or alcohol…I don’t know what that’s like…but if it includes minor depression, mood swings, feeling like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and pining for even the worst Sterling fly ball calls, then yes…I have a really b ad case of it…
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Pining for Sterling??? Holy cr*p, and I thought I had it bad.
Pining for Sterling??? Holy cr*p, and I thought I had it bad.
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LOL…no I have it BAD. I wanted to kill him this postseason on a few fly ball calls where he raised his voice “IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS…….CAUGHT!”…I reallly wanted to cry…but I’d take that right now..screw what it does to my heart…lol
The Ken Burns baseball documentaries will make you sit on the edge of your seat, shout in delight, and cry. It’s like a real life version of the original “Bad News Bears”.
Chip,
Maybe as a spot starter or something, but to inject a guy into the rotation having never thrown a pitch is redudant. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that they don’t remember what happened when they they threw the supposed “Big 3″ into the rotation. Caution will be excercised.
Two questions:
1. What is Wang’s status for 2010 — both health-wise and in terms of his contract? He signed a 1 year contract in December of 2008. Can the two sides do that again, or does he have to go to arbitration this time? If the Yankees decline arbitration, is he gone no matter what? In terms of health, what’s the earliest he could be ready (without rushing him along)?
2. I need a new screen name for 2010 — my current one is lame. Any suggestions?
SI_JonHeyman #mariners gm zduriencik: Felix is our property. we’re going to have him the next 2 years.”
___
What an a-hole quote from the mariners GM. He’s our property?
Guess what. there is NO WAY you hold onto him past 2011.
Are we doing Guess The (Opening Day) Lineup in November? Could be interesting.
Are we doing Guess The (Opening Day) Lineup in November? Could be interesting.
ok Joba is not going back to the pen. this whole issue with him stinking up the last month is because they kept changing him back and forth, one routine after the other. they have him up to 200 innins for next year and they are going to stick with that
crawdaddy
November 9th, 2009 at 6:38 am
crawdaddy
“November 8th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
“He’s also the best pure hitter the system has produced since Don Mattingly.”
No, he isn’t, I think Jeter is a better pure hitter.
====
Different kind of hitter. Both great. Cano has more natural ability.”
So they’re too different type of hitters, but Jeter is great while Cano is still trying to reach that plateau. As far as natural ability, how did you quantify that ability?
There are some around here that give Cano too much grief, but then there are those like you that give him a little too much credit. Somewhere in the middle is where I think the true value of Cano lies right now. His next five years of his career will define if he’s ready to reach the plateau of greatness.
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Yes, his career will be defined by how much his ability translates into production.
Natural ability isn’t quantifiable.
Cano’s bat has greatness in it. It’s not a matter my giving him too much “credit,” it’s acknowledging how much talent he has.
If you’re saying I’m over rating his talent, then I have to strongly disagree with you.
His talent is enormous. There’s a reason, when they asked ARod, how good can Cano be, he replied: “As good as he wants to be.”
Finally, I’d say, the first time I saw Cano take a swing, I knew this was a special player.
How did I know this? I am able to see ability, dormant or otherwise. Always have been. Actually, my whole family is like this – I’ve no idea why. When I covered pro sports, and got into a discussion with a certain GM, he said “you should become a scout – with your eye for talent, you’re wasting your time in journalism.”
I told him that was a matter of opinion, because did I really want to spend my time driving all over the country, going to amateur games, etc. The life of a scout is somewhat grueling. We had a laugh about it, but it came from me asking him questions about some of the young players in the team’s system.
I guess I always assume what I see, others see. You don’t have to necessarily see it, but it’s also not exactly going out on a limb to say Cano has tremendous ability. There are others who agree – many others. I think that’s probably why he’s been compared, several times, to Rod Carew.
So, the idea that I’m giving him too much “credit” is kind of out of balance. The credit, I suppose, goes to his DNA.
Now, Jeter is a peerless player in many respects. He’s also a great hitter. To me, Cano has more natural hitting talent. So did Mattingly. Doesn’t mean he’s going to have a storied career.
We will see how much Cano wants to be “the man.” Because Alex is right – he can be “as good as he wants to be.”
abernste November 9th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
2. I need a new screen name for 2010 — my current one is lame. Any suggestions?
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Peter Gammons
The Mad Prince in Pinstripes
November 9th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Oh, and you guys need to be realistic.
Add Lackey, Halladay, and a better pen??????
Do you really think that’s going to happen? Don’t say yes.
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i didnt mean both
i meant one & a better pen
my point is if we can upgrade our pitching we should try so we can have 3 very good 1-3 pitchers & a good 4th
why cant we do that with a 206 million dollar payroll
???
it is not impossible
we keep going ti t for tat in debating every single thing on this blog
every player is tradeable except a few that is why all names get thrown in.
Also MAJOR MAJOR priority this offseason:
1. 5 year extension with jeter (probably going to end up 5/100)
2. 3 year extension with option for 4th with Rivera (probably 3/45 like last time)
I wonder what John Henry thinks of the MT curse? Hey Chad can you ask him. Just say MT curse. Watch his eyes roll in the back of his head.
I like the quote from Seattle’s GM. That should put an end to it….
what these meetings do is let all the gms know who is available & what their needs are
yankees do NOT want to get into an ugly contract issue with Jeter, and we saw how it went down with Rivera two years ago. he said he can play 5 more years. i say, thank god. jeter wants to play until he is 42 (probably to challenge pete rose), i say, good.
These are the faces of our team and show no signs of slowing down.
Maybe Henry was speaking of a curse to his own team! He might very well be psychic.
Okay, we’re obligated to $166M right now. Guestimating, add $10M for Andy, $10M for Dammon, $8M for Matsui. Okay you don’t want Hideki, but it’ll cost that or more to replace his production. That puts you at $194M without accouting for Melky, your 4th & 5th starters, bullpen (that figure only includes Mo and Marte), and bench salaries.
It looks like the Red Sox have declined the option on Alex Gonzalez. Maybe they will come up with a new ‘cash-4-clunkers program to fill the shortstop position. Can anyone say Nick Green?
http://www.boston.com/sports/b....._gonzalez/
How many short stops have the soxs been through since Nomar left?
As to Pete, Pete got angry when I called Kenny Albert “the Deuce” as a play on Moose, Goose, and “the Deuce.”
I figured the reason why was because he thought of himself as a deuce.
The more you visit the guy’s site, the more hits he gets. He does not need comments to be successful. It’s the hits that matter.
GB7, “Jimmy Olsen” and “Cubs reporter” LOL
But please do not insult Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy sometimes played his part in helping Superman. Pete all the time plays his part in helping himself to hamburgers.
Mad Prince –
By your logic no rookie should ever be given a chance to win a job. I am not saying hand the kid a job, I’m saying let him come into Tampa this February and compete for a spot in the rotation.
With Hughes likely staked to an innings limit, Joba possibly heading back to the pen, and Wang gone the competition for that fifth spot will be wide open barring a significant signing.
After the “hamburgers” belongs
Can someone explain why everybody says we spent nearly a half a million in the offseason.
That is simply not true.
We committed nearly half a million over the course of 8 years.
We have not spent it yet.
tex’s friend,
Seattle definitely has the economic resources to lock up Felix for the forseeable future.
If they don’t they’re foolish.
He is one of the few pitchers in baseball you do everything in your power to lock down for the next 7-8 years.
m
November 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Okay, we’re obligated to $166M right now. Guestimating, add $10M for Andy, $10M for Dammon, $8M for Matsui. Okay you don’t want Hideki, but it’ll cost that or more to replace his production. That puts you at $194M without accouting for Melky, your 4th & 5th starters, bullpen (that figure only includes Mo and Marte), and bench salaries.
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8 million each for 24 million total
190 million
then trade for a starter that wont cost us 15 million a year
or just sign pettitte,move melky to lf,sign nady to dh
about 179 million
8 million for pettitte
5 million for nady
then go out & get a stud pitcher
even if you sign lackey for 15 million payroll is down to 194 million from 206 but if we trade for one we can be sitting lower
166 million plus
pettitte for 8 million
nady for 5 million
179 million
How many short stops have the soxs been through since Nomar left?
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Jennifer, I don’t know but this was Alex Gonzalez second tour of duty with them. It was part of a recycling program.
Jennifer:
Orlando Cabrera
Alex Gonzales
Julio Lugo
Jed Lowrie
Alex again
and I wouldn’t be shocked if Orlando Cabrera gets a second act next year.
Chip,
By my logic, you let guys prove themselves on the mound.
Ivan Nova? Come on man. I appreciate your optimism and hopefully he’ll pan out, but to give him the keys to the 5th starter job out of spring training is a risk the Yankees really don’t need to take.
And I would imagine he’d be limited with innings to, no? I just don’t see him trumping Joba or Hughes for that 5th slot.
I think giving him spot starts where feasible is a grand idea and the way by which he should prove himself at the top level.
Remember, Pettitte came around before the Yankees launched themselves into an unprecedented financial stratosphere. They have the resources to mitigate these kinds of risks and allow guys to fully develop.
Jennifer,
Great question: here’s my tally…
Orlando Cabrera
Julio Lugo
Alex Gonzalez
Jed Lowrie
Who else?
Last year at this time, everyone wanted to trade for Cano..he still has an upside and he’s young at 27. I still think we traded Soriano too soon. Is Hughes destined to be the 8th inning guy? don’t think so. I think Cashman will be listening but something is going to have to fall out from the sky. He should re-sign Pettite at what his total package came to be after incentives. Matsui’s wheels are too much of an issue to offer him a contract again although we love him. Re-sign Johnny rocket Damon for 2 more years for 20 million over two years.Matt Holliday should be the target then for left field. Unless Lackey comes cheap he aint coming here. Let Molina go and use Cervelli as #2.
Mad Prince,
But how does a guy prove himself on the mound unless you let him pitch?
I don’t have in front of me how many innings Nova pitched last year but I assume it is more than the 90 Hughes threw.
Again, I’m not saying hand him the job, but let him fight for it with Gaudin, Aceves, Mitre, etc…