About Kevin Russo
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 04, 2009 
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A few days ago, Mike Ashmore told us a bit about Eduardo Nunez. This morning, I thought we’d look at another infielder recently added to the 40-man.
Kevin Russo was a postseason all-star with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .326 with a .397 on-base percentage and — having covered the league – I honestly believe he was the best lead-off hitter in the International League. It’s a league that’s often dominated by veterans, but at 25 years old, Russo was terrific in his Triple-A debut. When he missed time with a hamstring injury, the Triple-A Yankees were never able to replace him at the top of the lineup. He was especially good down the stretch — .477 on-base percentage in August, all five of his home runs in the final month of the regular season — and he finished third in the league in batting average and fourth in on-base percentage. If not for teammate Austin Jackson, Russo would have been my vote for the league’s Rookie of the Year.
Most of Russo’s time came at second base, with a few starts at third and a handful at shortstop. In the past he’s also played the outfield. Russo went through a stretch when he seemed to make more mistakes than usual in the field — half of his errors came after August 1 — but he’s generally a reliable defender with a surprisingly strong arm for a guy who’s spent most of his career at second base.
Although he missed significant time the past two years, I wouldn’t label Russo as an injury concern. His 2008 injury came when he was hit in the face by a batted ball during batting practice. Last year he tried to come back from a hamstring injury too quickly and wound up missing an additional month.
Russo’s bat should get him to the big leagues in one role or another. He has a good eye at the plate, makes consistent contact and has enough speed to steal a bag. Power is not a significant part of his game, but there’s a little bit of pop in his bat. The question seems to be whether he can play shortstop well enough to be a utility infielder. I haven’t seen him enough at the position to know whether he can handle it, but I thought he was good at second and I like his arm.
Bottom line is, Russo can hit. Nunez might have more power, but I think Russo’s bat is the most advanced of the 40-man middle infielders (other than Jeter and Cano, of course). That should be enough to give him a long look in spring training.
Chad, good analysis on Russo. I watched him play a lot at SWB last year and agree the team was much better with him in the lineup than without.
The lacking pop was disappointing, but as you said he did have the 5 HRs at the end of the season.
Looking forward to the 2010 SWB Yanks, ticket renewals just arrived yesterday!
Yet another reason why the 2006 draft could turn out to be historically great.
http://www.baseballamerica.com.....p?team=NYY
A big step forward this season from Betances would help cement that.
Chad,
I really appreciate these overviews of the minor league talent.
Ugh. Marco Scutaro is another one of those pesky players that seems to annoy the Yankees. He seems to come up big in big situations against them. He is the guy who hit the homerun off Mariano while he played with Oakland, right?
Poor Tiger, he’s being extorted by his mistress
http://www.newseum.org/todaysf.....ef_pge=lst
I told you, rich married people should never hook up with a 20 something waitress. A professional lady of the evening would have been so much cheaper.
Though I have to say, the waitress did have nice fake boobs
“He is the guy who hit the homerun off Mariano while he played with Oakland, right?”
Yes, and then he took about an hour to circle the bases.
Mark in Tampa -
I will never, ever forget that game. Or that name. It was such a heartbreaker, that HR. I can see it happening in my head so clearly – where I was standing in my house and everything. It was such a shock to the system!
Iconoclast
December 4th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Giuseppe Franco,
“Thank you very much for the kind words. They are appreciated.
What was your moniker on the Newsday blog? I see Chip hasn’t changed.
It’s a shame Newsday killed that place. You could actually carry on a discussion during the regular season.
Sometimes, this place has too many people going back and forth during the summer months and the author(s) create new threads rather quickly.”
Giuseppe, sorry to be getting back to you the following day. We’re six hours ahead of you here in France and I had signed off shortly after posting last might.
I rarely posted on Newsweek (as is the case here) but I read the blog virtually everday. I can’t even be sure of my handle back then. I think it was “ingognito” (which was kind of appropriate.)
You’re absolutely right about what a great place Newsweek was back then. There was a nice group of people including Jim A (who I think has found a home on the Daily News blog, along with Rick), yourself, Chip and a number of others. You always came up with the best arguments, Giuseppe! But I did love the fights between you and a few of the nitwits on that blog, not to mention between Chip and Rick – the latter who always said the Yanks would never win with ARod. Wonder what he’s spouting now! I also wonder what Chip’s feeling is now about Pettitte! Chip was adamantly against signing him while you were all for it. I must confess that I had my doubts, but you were right once again (happily the Yanks felt the same way you did.)
Once again, I wish you a quick recovery. I always enjoy reading your comments
Little surprised Scutaro settled for 2 years, especially in light of Polanco’s 3 year deal. As I understand it, there is an option year, but I thought he migh hold out for a guaranteed three. He turned down two years from Toronto in November.
“A big step forward this season from Betances would help cement that.”
Not likely. Betances had TJ surgery in August and will be rehabbing most of this coming season. He might get on the mound in August for a few games.
turning down two years from the jays is different than 2 years in boston. say what we want about the sox, but they are always in the playoff hunt (wildcard). His chances there are 100 times better than in toronto.
He is the guy who hit the homerun off Mariano while he played with Oakland, right?”
………………………………..
And for that reason the Yankees are supposed to be concerned about Scutaro ? Think not.
Scutaro will turn out to be another in the growing line of flops at shortstop thanks to “Blunder Boy” Epstein.
They also have to pay the final year of Lugo’s contract for 2010 worth $9M.
“Not likely. Betances had TJ surgery in August and will be rehabbing most of this coming season. He might get on the mound in August for a few games.”
Are you sure? I have read several conflicting reports on that.
I do believe that contracts in Canada cannot compete on a dollar for dollar basis with those in the States. I do wonder if the sky-high NY taxes(and Mass) would ever contribute to players making decsions to go elsewhere. The Yankee and red sox brand seems to overcome all of that.
Luckily, the teams with built in advantages of no state income taxes, and lower property taxes, like the Rays and Marlins, have no interest in competing for FAs with the Yankees.
I would be interested to hear from somebody familiar with the California situation. I have heard that CA is witholding an extra 10% from people’s checks because of their impending bankruptcy. Are baseball players 1099 employees, and, if so, do they get 10% extra w/h as well? That could be a huge factor in a FA decision. If you are going to get 20M per year, and realize about 8M take home, would you not consider going somewhere else? Supposedly they will get it back after April 15, but I wouldn’t count on CA writing a multi-million dollar check to anybody right now.
Tiger’s Wood December 4th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I told you, rich married people should never hook up with a 20 something waitress. A professional lady of the evening would have been so much cheaper.
______________________________________________
Don’t be so hard on Tiger. The waitress may be the Mayor of Cougar town, but she’s an alluring Grade A freak.
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/.....ress-27172
scutaro is a career .265 level and .337 on base.
all 9 of our hitters were better than that in 2009, even melky.
Great info Chad. I really appreciate the knowledge and feedback from you and some of the other posters here who regularly follow the minors. It seems like we have a strong bunch of MLB caliber players ready to contribute in one way or another. Russo will likely compete with Pena for the utility role.
Has anyone noticed that none of the Yankee Free Agents has signed with anyone as yet? I’m thinking that they’re thinking that they may have a chance to return, so they’re waiting until Cashman & Co finish their deliberations and budget deliberations.
Not sure how many of you watched Yankee Hot Stove last night but Kevin Kernan and Jack Curry were on: Kernan believes that Halladay will be a Yankee, Curry’s not so sure. Both agree that if Halladay is a Yankee and the Yanks have not yet come to terms on a deal with Andy, odds are Andy will be left out in the cold.
I like Russo, but I think he’s gonna get traded.
Remember those “Nomars better” chants in the late 90′s. Well here we are 10 years later and Jeter is pretty much the same player he was then and the Red Sox are just trying to get a descent player out there at SS. Scutaro is a very slight upgrade over what they had last year, no big deal.
Russo makes it possible for Cano to be included in a trade for Halladay.He is an established hitter,and would cut down on the prospects needed to be a part of the trade package.imo
wasn’t jed lowrie supposed to be the best player in the history of baseball?
I think if the Yanks get Halladay then it will be one of those “exceptions” like with Tex last year and it will be decided that the payroll won’t be coming down this year. If Andy wants to come back I can’t see them telling him no after all he’s done for the franchise.
cano is not going anywhere in a trade.
Trade Cano !? Noooo. Jays have 2 good infielders.. hard hitting.. John McDonald and that other guy who had a good year . I hope we don’t give up on Cano.
mark in tampa-
i’m not sure on this ,but doesn’t each state that has income tax consider the portion of a visiting player’s salary earned in their state taxable?
if true, kind of dumb, but great for accountants.
if halladay shows up and we lose either hughes or joba, there will still be room in the rotation for andy.
cc
halladay
burnett
pettitte
hughes/joba
If by some magic, they get halladay without giving up hughes or joba, i still want andy and send either hughes or joba back to the pen….
Trade Cano !? Noooo. Jays have 2 good infielders.. hard hitting.. John McDonald and that other guy who had a good year . I hope we don’t give up on Cano
___
aaron hill? was real good at second this year. plus cano is a .300+ hitter with power making 7 mil. you want to get better not worse, and replacing cano at 2nd base with anyone not names chase utley would be a downgrade.
John McDonald isn’t that good but Aaron Hill is one of the best 2B in either league. He’s right up there with Pedroia, Kinsler, Cano (Utley is above and beyond all of them).
If Halladay were to come to the Yankees, still a big if at this point, the Yankees would still need to sign Andy. More than likely one of the young arms would be gone meaning the Yankees would have a need in the rotation for one more arm.
I don’t see the Yankees going into the season having just 3 reliable pitchers, an innings limited starter and a fill in the blank.
The Yankees did fine this year with 3 SP for the playoffs, but that isn’t going to be the plan going forward.
“Russo makes it possible for Cano to be included in a trade for Halladay.He is an established hitter,and would cut down on the prospects needed to be a part of the trade package.imo”
Jays won’t take Cano because of his contract. He’s making real money now. Further, the Jays could make a reasonable argument that they are OK at 2B with Aaron Hill.
I don’t see Andy being left out in the cold. Both Cash and Girardi have said that he’s a top priority. Even if they do get Hallady I don’t see them saying “it turns out we don’t need you back after all”.
And as for trading Robbie-NO!!!
yp_joelsherman stat that probably only interests me: Scutaro has 11BBs, 6Ks v. Burnett, Pettitte, Sabathia in 68PAs
___
good so he will get on, then ortiz will hit a lazy pop up to cano or jeter and that will end that rally.
Toronto doesn’t need a 2B and Cano isn’t getting moved unless its for someone like Felix Hernandez. If Cano ever gets his head screwed on straight he could be a top 10 player.
damon enjoy 27…think 28
December 4th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Russo makes it possible for Cano to be included in a trade for Halladay.He is an established hitter,and would cut down on the prospects needed to be a part of the trade package.imo
————————————————————
Is baseball going to pass the “Toronto Rule” that allows them to use 2 second baseman at the same time?
Randy, you are correct to a point. The same as it works for any entertainer, they have a certain amount of tax for when they are playing there. The tax situations are why players like Jeter reside in Florida or other states when they are in the off season.
Taxes are probably just one of the reasons why the Yankees spend a premium on players, then you have cost of living as well to add in.
I wouldn’t mind a Cano trade.He’s a frustrating .300 hitter.Toronto would get a mlb ready player,with lots of postseason experience,and coming off a WS win.
Cano would cut down on the huge package of prospects,needed to get Halladay.
The rookie would get to work next to the captain.Yankees get to cut payroll,and stay young at the position.
Cano isn’t getting traded. Sheesh.
Andy should have a contract offer by the end of today the latest. No screwing around on either side this year. Last year they made a nice 10mil offer early and he turned it down. Offer him 10+ and get a desition this weekend before next week’s meetings.
How they go after Doc will have a lot to do with Andy.
randy I,
I know that there were states that tried that a few years back, but I don’t think it is actually happening. I am not an accountant, so I don’t know for sure. I was just wondering how different tax laws may affect player movement, especially with some of the states getting out of control. If a player, and some do, is looking for the most money they can get, it would make sense that they would take into account what they will actually see in their bank account at the end of the day, not just the gross figure.
McDonald is a great glove, but his bat is weak. The lost playing time he sees is because of his offense being offensive.
Yeah…that Cano’s quite a headcase. Imagine having to put up with a .320, 25 homer, 48 double, 100+ run scored, 85 RBI, 200 + hit, 2nd baseman. What a slug.
I just read Verducci’s article in SI on Jeter. That spoonful of Cinnamon thing is pretty good, I’ll have to try that sometime.
I was a freshman in high school Jeter’s rookie year. I was a shortstop also and he quickly became my favorite player. My dad had Mickey Mantle and I have had Jeter for over 10 years now and he’s never let me down or given me any reason to dislike him. Thats pretty rare these days.
Patrick from CT
December 4th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Andy should have a contract offer by the end of today the latest. No screwing around on either side this year. Last year they made a nice 10mil offer early and he turned it down. Offer him 10+ and get a desition this weekend before next week’s meetings.
How they go after Doc will have a lot to do with Andy.
**************************
Patrick, I think they’re still waiting for Andy to let them know what his intentions are before they offer him anything. From what I’ve read, everyone seems to think he’ll be back, but they’re not 100% sure yet.
“Remember those “Nomars better” chants in the late 90’s. Well here we are 10 years later and Jeter is pretty much the same player he was then”
blake-
identifying the players that have this ability to last would be a real skill for a gm to have.
looking backward it’s easy to see why jeter has lasted and nomar hasn’t, but not so easy when looking forward at say cano vs. pedroia.
i remember carl yaztremenski once saying that the ability to work hard at his craft was a skill. he said it in response to being criticized for overachieving because of hard work and not really being that talented.
jeter probably works out more than we’d imagine.he certainly reinvented himself last winter.
and cano may be the one with the long lasting career rather than pedroia . you don’t get as good as he is making it look so easy without a lot of practicing and paying your dues.
Article on taxes:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer.....aries.html
GreenBeret7
December 4th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Yeah…that Cano’s quite a headcase. Imagine having to put up with a .320, 25 homer, 48 double, 100+ run scored, 85 RBI, 200 + hit, 2nd baseman. What a slug.
***************************
Yeah I really don’t understand the logic that if the Yanks acquire Halladay that means Pettitte will be left off the team. Presumably Cashman would have to give up one of Hughes or Joba to get Halladay. That still leaves us with only 4 starting pitchers unless you want to give Ian Kennedy or Alfredo Aceves a spot in the rotation (I don’t). Pettitte is needed unless Cashman decides to sign Lackey and trade for Halladay.
I hope neither happens, honestly I’d prefer a rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes, Chamberlain.
Cano’s not going anywhere, and he has an escalating contract.
Randy, yea that is really important and hard to predict. I have my suspicions about what happened to Nomar. I think Cano can be as good as he wants to be. If he wants a great model for longevity then he needs to only look a few feet to his right.
“If a player, and some do, is looking for the most money they can get, it would make sense that they would take into account what they will actually see in their bank account at the end of the day, not just the gross figure.”
mark in tampa-
makes sense to me. it has to be a factor.
If the Yankees acquire Halladay then a decision to not reduce payroll will have already been made and won’t affect bringing Andy back IMO. It would do no good to get Halladay and neglect the other needs they have and they know that..
Per MLBTR, Scutaro’s deal is $1M signing bonus, $5M in 2010, $5M in 2011 and mutual option for $2012($6M if the Sox opt,$3M if Scutaro does)or a $1.5M buyout. So that’s 2 for $12.5M or 3 for $14M. Less than I thought it would be, but probably not far from where it should be.
Guys and Girls, I just don’t see why the Yankees, Sox or any other team would trade a real good young 500K ML starter for 1 year of a 16.5mil starter. I know it’s Doc, but it’s still a lot of $$…
Then on top of that Doc and his NTC is likely going to ask for another 100mil to make the move.
I really don’t see Toronto getting more than 2 good minor leaguers and a throw in…
I figured Scutaro would get about $5 mil a year. Not a bad contract really. Based on that, utility guys like Hairston Jr. can probably only expect maybe $1 mil – $1.5 mil and a 1 year deal.
What are the chances that Toronto accepts an offer like Kennedy + Miranda for Halladay?
“Presumably Cashman would have to give up one of Hughes or Joba to get Halladay.”
It would shock me if either were traded.
randy l.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am
remember carl yaztremenski once saying that the ability to work hard at his craft was a skill. he said it in response to being criticized for overachieving because of hard work and not really being that talented.
————————————————————
I’m trying to remember what HOFer said that early in Yaz’ career, he was a million dollar talent but, dead from the neck up.
I’m concerned about hearing the Mar-Co Scu-Ta-Ro chants.
“I figured Scutaro would get about $5 mil a year.”
I thought of Polanco as a reasonable comp. Both the same age, middle infielders, decent bats, etc. Polanco plays better defense (though who knows at 3B?) and has been better over all the past few seasons, but Scutaro was the better player last year. I thought it would end up around 3/$18M, but feel the contract he ended up with is about right.
rich in NJ,
Thanks for the article. What a nightmare. The state and federal tax laws are a travesty and getting worse.
rich in nj-
great link on the tax thing.
the example made with the yankees being taxed when in philly for the world series is surprising.
wouldn’t that mean that PA wouldn’t tax their own players when they were in new york?
if so that would be a wash and would make no sense.
of course , since it’s a bureaucratic thing that’s probably what happens
Patrick, we will see what the market is for Halladay soon enough. However, if I’m Toronto and I’m not getting anywhere close to what I want for him then I’m just keeping him, trying to compete in 2010 and taking the draft picks when he walks.
“What are the chances that Toronto accepts an offer like Kennedy + Miranda for Halladay?”
Pretty slim.
“What are the chances that Toronto accepts an offer like Kennedy + Miranda for Halladay? ”
Zero.
DaSaint007
December 4th, 2009 at 10:28 am
What are the chances that Toronto accepts an offer like Kennedy + Miranda for Halladay?
************************
If Cash could pull of that trade, I think they’d have to erect a statue of him.
I guess if you give up Joba or Phil for Halladay you still have to bring back Andy. That would be a vary vary expensive rotation for 2010 and would likey make the Yanks skimp somewere else. Payroll is not going up for 2010.
Like I said yesterday, I think it’s more likely to see Andy sign for 1 year and the Yankees get another mid level starter on a 1-2 year deal.
“I’m trying to remember what HOFer said that early in Yaz’ career, he was a million dollar talent but, dead from the neck up.”
gb7-
probably ted williams.
of course,with the cryogenics, yaz can’t say the same thing in reverse can he?
if halladay shows up and we lose either hughes or joba, there will still be room in the rotation for andy.
In the rotation sure, but maybe not in the budget.
Here’s the money coming off the books (in estimates)
Damon 13
Matsui 13
Andy 11 (after bonuses)
Nady, Hinkse, Hairston, Molina – about 5 mil total
If the Yankees trade for Halladay he’s going to likely want a contract worth the same annual value as that of CC’s – so 23 mil, Cano gets a 3 mil bump so that takes care of Damon and Matsui’s contracts
Now you’ve got 16 mil to fill LF, DH, find a pitcher and fill out the bench and pay out arbitration and other salary increases.
If you bring back Andy at even what he made last year you’re probably looking at an OF/DH group made up of Melky, Gardner, Swisher, and Juan Miranda (maybe Jackson too if he’s not included in the trade)
So here’s your probable lineup:
Jeter
Swisher
Tex
Alex
Posada
Cano
Melky
Miranda
Gardner
and a super thin bench to go with it.
“of course,with the cryogenics, yaz can’t say the same thing in reverse can he?”
Not clever enough.
“What are the chances that Toronto accepts an offer like Kennedy + Miranda for Halladay? ”
they aren’t doing something like that in the division. The Yankees will have to part with Hughes or Joba to get Halladay.
Chip, we don’t know what the budget is. If they get Halladay then they have already decided against lowering payroll.
randy l.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:34 am
“I’m trying to remember what HOFer said that early in Yaz’ career, he was a million dollar talent but, dead from the neck up.”
gb7-
probably ted williams.
of course,with the cryogenics, yaz can’t say the same thing in reverse can he?
————————————————————
I would say that was a pretty cold remark, but, it wouldn’t be much better than your’s.
I don’t see Halladay and Andy both on the team. It’s too much $$.
CC 23mil
Doc 16.5mil
AJ 16mil
Andy 12mil
Joba/Phil .5mil
That’s 68mil for 5 pitchers. I know their the Yankees, but that is a lot of $$$$$$.
More Likely:
CC
AJ
Andy
Joba
Phil
or
CC
Doc
AJ
Phil/Joba
Ace or some other
I think it’s more likely to see Andy sign for 1 year and the Yankees get another mid level starter on a 1-2 year deal.
Agree completely.
I think the Yankees are vastly more likely to bring in a Kelvim Escobar, Ben Sheets or Justin Duchscherer. Duchscherer or Escobar are more likely because both have experience also pitching out of the pen – Duchscherer’s ex wife and kid live in NJ so maybe coming to the tristate area would appeal to him.
Actually – I’m just reading Jerry Crasnick’s article and Escobar has decided to come back strictly as a relief pitcher with hopes on becoming the dominant closer that he was with Toronto.
we can hope we get one more year from pettitte, then wow halladay in the offseason to replace him…
“wouldn’t that mean that PA wouldn’t tax their own players when they were in new york?”
Yes. Except the Yankees payroll is higher so the tax benefit is greater to PA to tax the Yankees than their own players.
Rehab guys I would seriously consider:
Duchscherer
Sheets
Escobar
Myers
Ankiel
and I’m starting to warm on the idea of Delgado at DH if other options (Adam Dunn) fall through.
“Payroll is not going up for 2010.”
Thats what we said before 2008 and before 2009. It wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. If Cashman and ownership feel they can improve the team they aren’t going to care about the payroll.
All this talk about budget is just stupid. The Yanks will reduce payroll if they can but they aren’t going to skip signing or trading for someone due to money.
Fans talk about this every year and every year they are proven wrong.
I am for going after Hallday but if they decide its too much money then a rotation of:
CC
AJ
Pettite
Sheets
Hughes
would also be really good. Sheets could wind up being the #2 in that rotation and I like Hughes over Joba in the #5 slot. I know that Joba is supposed to be “unleashed” next year with no innings restrictions but until he proves me wrong I think he’s a reliever (which is why I have no problem dealing him for Halladay).
We can go around and around all day I guess.
Cash did not trade Joba or Phil for Santana because he didn’t want to pay twice.
The Yankee were disperate back then and he still didn’t do it.
The Yanks are the Champs! He is even less likely to trade them and write a big another big contract now.
Having Andy and another high $$ starter along with CC and AJ does not make sence when you still have to replace or retain Damon and Sui with major league players not minor league players.
and I’m starting to warm on the idea of Delgado at DH if other options (Adam Dunn) fall through.
___
Adam Dunn? no thank you. way too many strike outs. if you want delgado as a dh, just resign matsui.
Delgado will cost just as much as Matsui probably and I’d rather have Matsui back. Id rather have Vlad than Delgado also.
“I would say that was a pretty cold remark, but, it wouldn’t be much better than your’s.”
gb7-
hey, i haven’t even had my second cup of coffee, and you haven’t had your second… nevermind,
got to respect the blunderbuss
at any rate, i’m with you on cano.
great player.
Delgado is 37 and has a semi-platoon split. For an old lefty bat that is injury prone, just go with Matsui.
I think that one HR did more for Scutaro’s rep than anything – it was just one HR. I don’t know what his lifetime numbers are vs. the Yankees, but I suspect that HR makes them a lot better than they really are.
“wouldn’t that mean that PA wouldn’t tax their own players when they were in new york?”
Yes. Except the Yankees payroll is higher so the tax benefit is greater to PA to tax the Yankees than their own players.
———————————–
True, but the resident state allows a credit for taxes paid to nonresident states. So, a player who lives in NY but pays taxes to PA, takes a credit on the NY state tax return for the taxes paid to PA (and all other nonresident states he pays taxes to).
“I think that one HR did more for Scutaro’s rep than anything – it was just one HR. I don’t know what his lifetime numbers are vs. the Yankees, but I suspect that HR makes them a lot better than they really are.”
He’s only 2 for 11 vs. Mo.
He’s hit Sabathia and Burnett pretty well
Pettitte and Joba have owned him.
He’s right around .260 against current Yankees pitchers.
he’s around .260 against most pitchers because thats what he is.
Do you like Russo over Pena?
Adam Dunn? no thank you. way too many strike outs. if you want delgado as a dh, just resign matsui.
I would generally agree with you on the strikeouts but Dunn is a very different case. Even with the big strike out numbers Dunn is one of the most productive players in baseball. He gets on base (never had an OBP below .370), can be counted on for at least 40 hr and 100 RBI a year and walks nearly as much as he strikes out.
If you put him in the 5 spot behind Tex and Alex he’s going to do a lot of damage to opposing pitchers and so will Alex. He’s six years younger than Matsui, and while he is not by any means a good fielder, he can play the field without getting hurt. He has a very reasonable contract (1 year 12 mil remaining) and wouldn’t cost the Yankees much in terms of prospects.
Also – and this is something that might appeal to Cashman as much as anything – he gives the Yankees production from that spot on a short term deal but also allows them to build for the future.
I’ve read it a lot and heard it a lot – let’s squeeze one more year from Matsui, one more from Damon, one more from Andy – and while I agree that all of them are still productive players at some point you need to move forward. Dunn, at 30, gives them an established player who you know will produce and, if the Yankees like what they see, is someone they can build with going forward and lock in a middle of the lineup of Tex, Alex, Dunn for the next 5 years.
Matt -
I am not “concerned” about Scutaro. But he is a pesky player against the Yankees. His overall numbers are not great, but he seems to be one of those guys, and there are a few in the league, who seem to be able to get a hit when it counts against the Yankees. Whether he is on the A’s, the Jays, the RSox or any other team, he is a pest. That’s all I was saying. That and how that HR against Mariano was a killer that day.
Rich in NJ
December 4th, 2009 at 9:43 am
“Not likely. Betances had TJ surgery in August and will be rehabbing most of this coming season. He might get on the mound in August for a few games.”
Are you sure? I have read several conflicting reports on that.
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Betances reportedly had TJ on August 27th, & Andrews predicted he’d be out for 8 mos.
He’s supposed to throw a baseball in mid-Dec, and if everything goes well, may see some action by June. Keep your fingers crossed.
Andy Pettitte will be a Yankee in 2010 whether they trade for Halladay or not.
The Yanks really thought they loaded up on starting pitching during last offseason and they still had major issues filling the rotation in the second half of the season.
Can’t have enough pitching. It might bring glee to Chip to think they might leave Pettitte “out in the cold” but he doesn’t seem to see this situation realistically.
The Yanks don’t wn the WS without Pettitte. Plain and simple. He will return unless he decided he’s done.
If Dunn strikes out this much in the fastball league (NL), how much will he K when he comes over and sees a steady diet of junk in the AL. Dunn isn’t going to be a longterm solution for the Yankees and if you want a one year stop-gap then Matsui is a better option. The decision is either re-sign Damon or Matsui as a short-term solution or sign Holliday and fix the problem long-term.
Pettitte has been huge for the Yankees since ’96. That #46 should get a plaque in monument park Pronto !
Delgado is 37 and has a semi-platoon split. For an old lefty bat that is injury prone, just go with Matsui.
I’m listing Delgado as an alternative if Matsui doesn’t return
Adam Dunn would absolutely go off in YS in the Yankee line-up. And most opposing pitchers wouldn’t get out of the 5th inning if we had him.
No thanks to Adam Dunn.
If Dunn strikes out this much in the fastball league (NL), how much will he K when he comes over and sees a steady diet of junk in the AL. Dunn isn’t going to be a longterm solution for the Yankees and if you want a one year stop-gap then Matsui is a better option. The decision is either re-sign Damon or Matsui as a short-term solution or sign Holliday and fix the problem long-term
I respectfully disagree. If you look at his splits (shown here: http://www.baseball-reference......r&t=b ) you’ll notice that against Finesse pitchers (the ones who are going to feed him a steady diet of junk as you put it) he has done well.
Phil, what would happen is Arod would see nothing to hit because they have a guy that they can strike out on deck.
Phil -
I agree. Between Dunn and Swisher the Yankees will probably have two guys hitting under .250 but at the same time they’ll also lead the league in walks and just wear pitchers down.
There are no perfect players out there, and I get that there’s a lot of sentiment towards keeping Matsui for what he’s done here, but I’m sorry – if I can get a guy who is going to give me 40 and 100 on BAD teams and plug him in behind Alex or bring back a 36-year old injury prone player for 1 year I don’t see that there’s any debate to be had.
blake,
so if ARod sees nothing to hit, he walks.
Chip, Dunn+Swisher is a recipe for killing a lot of rallies. I just prefer guys who put ball in play.
Phil, what would happen is Arod would see nothing to hit because they have a guy that they can strike out on deck.
Dunn isn’t Soriano or Mike Cameron here – we’re talking about a guy who has a .400 OBP and walks almost as often as he strikes out. That means you can’t really pitch around him as easily as you’re making it sound. And if you make a mistake, the results are not going to be good for you.
Plus – who is more likely to take the field each day, Dunn or Matsui? Hideki has played in fewer than 100 games twice in the last four years and is coming off yet another off season knee surgery.
If Teixeira, A-Rod, and are on base all the time, I sure hope Cano gets over his RISP issues.
Phil, he walks and Dunn K’s.
I doubt very much that the Yanks have an inkling of interest in Dunn.
GF,
I would think Cano will be better with RISP going forward as at least some of it was just bad luck.
Glad to see you’re back Giuseppe. You feeling better?
Don’t get me wrong, I am happy that the Red Sox signed an aging SS coming off a career year, and have to give up their first round pick, but…
I wonder where the media is with a story about tension between Scutaro and Beckett, considering Beckett nearly ended Scutaro’s career with his drill shot the skull.
GF
The Yanks tried to trade for Dunn a few times when he was with the Reds.
blake,
he walks and Dunn walks, and now you’ve got two on and the pitching coach out there talking to the pitcher.
Chip, I don’t want to see Matsui or Dunn either one in the outfield. As I’ve said before I’m much more in favor of fixing the problem longterm with Holliday than I am signing a stopgap and then facing this same problem again next year.
Phil, thats a wild pitcher you have out there.
blake,
no that’s two very good hitters who will punish your mistakes, so you have to be careful.
Chip, Dunn+Swisher is a recipe for killing a lot of rallies. I just prefer guys who put ball in play.
Generally I agree with you – there are a few exceptions though and to me Dunn is one of them. When you consider that even with the strikeouts he’s still one of the most productive hitters in baseball I think that’s a tradeoff you make.
It also varies on where you’re putting a guy in the lineup – would I want a big strikeout guy batting in the 2 spot? No, because those are the guys I want getting on base. But batting 5th I’m willing to trade the strikeouts if the guy is going to crush the ball and more often than not that’s what Dunn is going to do.
Also he’s not a guy who is either going to hit the ball far or strike out like Sori, he’s a guy with a terrific eye who takes a ton of walks.
# Phil December 4th, 2009 at 11:42 am
GF
The Yanks tried to trade for Dunn a few times when he was with the Reds.
———–
Never heard that one. Source?
Even if that’s true, it was before they landed Nick Swisher as their everyday RF. Two guys who don’t make good contact.
They want to improve their outfield defense (Girardi and Cashman has said as such) and Dunn doesn’t exactly fit that bill.
Phil, you’re entitled to your opinion but we just disagree on this one.
Feeling better, CR9.
Thanks for asking.
GF,
I doubt they are gonna get Dunn now, as they have a LF they want. But adding another high OBP, high OPS hitter to the line-up would be good. Also, I don’t think he GIDP’s much.
Chip, those are valid points but thats just not how I look at it and I don’t think its how the Yankees will look at it either.
Chip, I don’t want to see Matsui or Dunn either one in the outfield. As I’ve said before I’m much more in favor of fixing the problem longterm with Holliday than I am signing a stopgap and then facing this same problem again next year.
Blake – Getting Holliday would fix LF – but I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about DH options and to me Dunn is a better one than Matsui.
If the Yankees could get Dunn for a package of Melky (or Gardner) Ramiro Pena (or Reegie Corona), and a couple of RH pitching prospects (say Whalen and Pope) I think that would be an outstanding deal for the Yankees.
I think signing Holliday makes all the sense in the world for what the Yankee’s needs are. They need a LF, they need a #5 hitter, and they need to get younger. Holliday does all these things and I don’t think he’ll cost as much as a lot of people think.
I think Holliday might be the guy they are after.
Chip, Ok you trade Melky for Dunn, now you’ve opened up another hole that has to be filled. Whose going to play CF. Why would you trade for a guy like Dunn when you can just re-sign Matsui, or Vlad, or Damon to DH and give up nothing.
Blasphemy ! Matsui just won the W S MVP ! It was a thrilla from Godzilla !
I doubt very much the Yanks are all that interested in Holliday either. That’s a disastrous contract waiting to happen.
I’d rather wait a year for the big ticket outfielder and hope Carl Crawford becomes a FA.
I don’t get the love affair for Dunn. It would take losing other pieces of the current roster while replacing the DH.
I could see a possible Holliday signing, but I think it still is dependent on Damon and what he will sign for. Holliday will get expensive fast if it turns into a bidding war for him.
The Yankees right now need a DH, LF and a SP or two.
with dunn he can at least play the of or 1b if needed
matsui cant
i looked at matsui’s numbers & i was suprised that they were as good as they are
i guess i forgot
matsui simply can mash but not quite like dunn can strike outs or not
dunn produces & gets on base for others to also do so & in our lineup it is scary to think what he would do
Crawford might just stay with the Rays. He has the longest tenure there, and both he and club seem to be looking to keep him there. I think Crawford is one reason why they traded away Kazmir.
“Chip, those are valid points but thats just not how I look at it and I don’t think its how the Yankees will look at it either.”
While I would be surprised to see the Yankees attempt to trade for Dunn, I think the Yankee front office would be more inclined to agree with Chip’s valuation of Dunn. I say that because Adam Dunn posesses the two skills the Yankees seem to prioritize–OBP and power. I think you’re overvaluing “putting the ball in play”, the true goal of an AB is to not make an out. While it is true that a strikeout is generally the least desirable type of out, the difference isn’t that significant. What is significant, is the rate at which a player makes outs (of any kind). Despite his K%, Dunn reaches base an at impressive rate, meaning he makes fewer fly outs, grounds outs, line outs, etc. The composition of his outs is not what keeps Adam Dunn from being an incredibly valuable player, it is his atrocious defense. As a DH, Adam Dunn would undoubtedly be among the best players at his position. Personally, I would be thrilled to see him playing DH for the Yankees next year.
With the World Cup Draw on right now on ESPN2, I am really looking forward to the World Cup next summer.
Would it be too much to ask for the Yankees to be cruising to another division title by time the World Cup starts.
I know it’s not fair to ask that, because it’s not easy, especially in the AL East, but I’ll ask anyway.
i just don’t see us trading for a dh
no way we trade melky unless we have a replacement not to mention i think cash want’s to give melky 1 more year to see if he breaks out
he is still young
doc,pettitte,damon & matsui will have us around 216 million max if doc gets 16 million in 2010 & everybody else gets 10 million
very doable but it is a long shot we get doc
& bring all of our fa back.
Um. Guys.
This ain’t good.
http://www.gannettoid.com/westchester1204.html
Giuseppe, I disagree. I actually think Crawford’s may be the bad contract waiting to happen. Crawford is only a year younger than Holliday and his game is much more reliant on speed which will start to decline over his next contract and he’s never developed the power that some thought he would. I think Holliday will be a better player over the next 5 years than Crawford. Offer Holliday a 5 year deal, he’ll be 35 at the end of it and as he’s starting to decline you can let him go.
Many here know I’ve long advocated for Carl Crawford, as an OF of Crawford, Jackson, and Melky/Garnder or better yet Werth, would cover a lot of ground.
I think it’s possible that Crawford is available next offseason, but not guarantted. More and more teams are locking up their players through extensions as opposed to letting them get to Free Agency (and this is affecting the number and quality of Free Agents, which I’m sure will be addressed in the next CBA, but that’s for another day). But you have to play the odds, as nothing is certain. I’d rather have the OPTION of adding Crawford and Werth next year, than tying up too much in Holliday this year.
Chip, Ok you trade Melky for Dunn, now you’ve opened up another hole that has to be filled. Whose going to play CF. Why would you trade for a guy like Dunn when you can just re-sign Matsui, or Vlad, or Damon to DH and give up nothing.
1. CF could go to either Austin Jackson or Brett Gardner (just as the Yankee lineup was deep enough to support Melky it can support their struggles too)
2. Dunn > Matsui & Vlad and Damon’s not really part of the discussion. They could trade for Dunn and still have a place for Damon if they wanted him. Picking up Dunn wouldn’t alter the fact that they still need a LF.
However, if you pick up Dunn and go with a stopgap in LF (Damon, Winn, etc) that could free up the position if they want to go after Crawford next winter.
The rotation has long-term veteran leadership in CC Sabathia and he’s probably the one giant contract in the rotation. If there will be a second giant contract, it might make more sense to earmark it for a younger future free agent like Felix Hernandez or Josh Johnson.
I don’t think Halladay will be a Yankee.
DaSaint007, I wouldn’t cry if the Yanks had Crawford, I just don’t really see it. I think he is their franchise player and they wouldn’t want to let him go and lose half of the 100 fans they have.
I also tend to agree that a lot of his play is his speed. If that slows down, his value is much less. Not sure how soon it would decline though, it hasn’t looked bad yet.
Its tough to gauge which players who would be FA next year will sign extensions. If the economy doesn’t start showing some signs of real life players might be glad to lock themselves into deals even at a bit of a discount.
# DaSaint007 December 4th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
But you have to play the odds, as nothing is certain. I’d rather have the OPTION of adding Crawford and Werth next year, than tying up too much in Holliday this year.
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Agreed.
I think if you gave Cashman and Girardi truth serum and asked them who they’d prefer to have patrolling LF for the Yanks, Holliday or Crawford – they’d both emphatically say Crawford.
I’ve been a big advocate of Crawford myself and so has Pat M.
I’ll take my chances rather than sign Holliday.
Chip, we’re starting with the Winn recommendations again?
Call me crazy, but I was reading the Crasnick article on bargain free agents and thought that Delgado would be a nice alternative to Matsui.
I know he’s coming off of an injury, but he can’t be any worse an injury risk than Matsui. He also certainly can’t run any worse than Matsui.
The Yanks can just leave him at DH and let him play first once a week.
His production would at least be the same as Matsui’s maybe better (maybe not as clutch, but who is).
From Ken Rosenthal:
Once the major free agents sign, the Royals expect left fielder David DeJesus and possibly right-hander Gil Meche to draw significant trade interest.
Both players are under club control for two more years. DeJesus will earn $4.7 million next season, and his contract includes a $6 million club option for 2011. Meche is owed $24 million over that period.
For the Royals, the idea of trading either or both players would be to reduce payroll and increase their inventory of young talent.
DeJesus, 30, had the fourth highest OPS in the American League out of the leadoff spot last season, trailing only the Yankees’ Derek Jeter, Rays’ Jason Bartlett and Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki.
Meche, 31, had a 3.82 ERA and averaged 213 innings in his first two years with the Royals, but took a step backward last season, in part because he missed nearly a month with lower back spasms.
- I could see both of them in pinstripes.
I’m not as high on Crawford as I used to be. Great defender, great baserunner, lacks ideal obp and pop.
If Crawford’s not available next year then what?
Holliday is a productive enough hitter to lock him up and he wouldn’t be ‘blocking’ a significantly better player in Crawford. Crawford might be more valuable to this current team but it’s not by much and certainly not worth risking losing out on Holliday. He’s a middle of the order guy and a signficant upgrade over Damon in LF even though he’ll earn a few million north of 13 mil. He’s worth the upgrade.
Without Crawford though, the Yankees will need to find a top of the order guy. So either they see Jackson panning out or they package him for a bona fide leadoff guy.
Chip, we’re starting with the Winn recommendations again?
Nope, just listing him as a “stop gap” LF
i try to bring damon,pettitte & matsui back for 1 year.
then try to get a pitcher like sheets,harden for a year & wait for next years fa pitchers
isn’t king felix a fa next year
i make him a top priority & get him at all costs
we can trade some of our prospects for an o.f. or two when & if needed instead of trading for pitchers
Chip has had some weird DeJesus and Gill Meche love affair for a couple of years.
Never quite understood it.
I am sure that the Yanks would love to have Crawford, I am just not convinced that he will be available. The Rays are motivated to try to keep him. He has said he wants to stay there as well.
You can’t put all your hopes on him not making a deal with the Rays. With CC it was pretty much a lock that he was going to FA. With Crawford, not so much.
I’m not sure why people are so down on Holliday, especially when we don’t even know the asking price yet. If its 5 years, 100 million then thats not too bad IMO.
If Crawford’s not available next year then what?
Jayson Werth is also a FA that year, David DeJesus if his option isn’t picked up – who knows, Jesus Montero might end up being the Yankee LF (if he can’t stay at C he’s going to have to play somewhere)
Abdababdaserser makes an excellent point about the economy. It’s a real factor. Lots of players will be forced into early retirement this year. Look how many well known and still decent players didn’t get signed at all last year. Others may take 20% less than they expected, just to have a job. Others even less, while some will sign extensions.
Scutaro, in my mind took about 17% less than I expected. Wagner, in my mind, took 30% less. Sure he was injured, just returned, yada, yada, but he’s a PREMIER, LEFTY closer, with an extensive resume, and he took $7 mil this year, and $6.5 NEXT. Sounds like an effort at job/economic security to me.
So far only Alex Cora scored big: $2 million for Alex Cora? But then again, it’s the Mets making those kind of decisions.
Anyway, I digress. If you pass on this year, you have a much better free agent pool next year, and you have a chance to react to the economy for another season.
The Yankees need to TINKER, not make big moves.
blake
December 4th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
If Crawford’s not available next year then what?
———–
sign werth & by that time we get a better read on melky,ajax & gardner
blake December 4th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
If Crawford’s not available next year then what?
—————–
Then you go to Plan B.
Matt Holliday is not the only option to play LF for the Yanks over the next few years.
That’s really playing a longshot, figuring that Crawford will sign with NYY in the first place. There more than a 75% chance that he resigns or signs an extention with Tampa.
I don’t think Holliday’s getting 100M.
I also don’t understand why people want to sign a “stop gap” and go through this same thing again next year. What if the Rays sign Crawford to an extension. Then the stop gap is holding the spot for nothing..
Phil, if he’s not getting 100M then he’s absolutely worth it.
I don’t understand the philosophy of just waiting for players to “maybe” hit free agency. Ok, so it worked for CC – that was a different story as he was (a) a real stud and (b) definitely going to hit FA. Crawford may or may not be available next year and he may not want to come to NY. If he re-signs with the Rays or doesn’t want to come to NY (or gets a better offer from another team) then you’ve put your plans on hold for another year and for nothing. If they re-sign Damon for 1 year (or 1 plus a team option for another), then fine – if Crawford is available next year, go after him (though once his legs go, there goes his value. He’s not someone I’m dying for). If they can’t come to terms with Damon, then the Yankees need to do something about LF now, for next year and the foreseeable future.
As to Felix or Josh Johnson, they are not available now and they may never be available. If they ever become available, there will be many suitors for them. They are not even on my radar – as far as I’m concerned, it’s a complete waste of time and utterly foolish to plan for a future involving those pitchers (at this time).
By the way – I think we can officially forget about Damon coming back.
If guys like Scutaro and Polanco are getting 6 mil per year for 2 and 3 years respectively there’s no way Damon settles for less than a 3 year deal at 9 mil per.
These Dunn, Cameron, and Randy Winn suggestions, along with trading Cano; just keep coming back like a bad rash. Enough already.
As to Crawford, he is a very good player, but he is not a leadoff hitter. The Rays have tried to have him leadoff, but he insists that he hits better elsewhere in the lineup. He seems to have some kind of block against it, even though with his skills it would benefit the team most for him to leadoff. He would most likely bat second. That is not necessarily a bad thing, just not what I think most fans are looking for out of him.
I can’t think of many teams who can offer Holliday much more than 5 years, 80 million. That’s 16 mil for a left fielder. In THIS market?
Another reason against putting off moves until next year is that Jeter, Rivera, Arod will be another year older. Just because of the age of the core players, the Yankees likely will have a better chance to win in 2010 than 2011.
Ya never know, Johnny Damon might end up being the stop gap until they find a long term solution
That wouldn’t be the worst decision in the world. I’d rather see them sign Damon than Holliday.
If the market for Holliday is 5 years, 80 million then where do I sign..
Giuseppe, ok what if they sign a stop-gap and then come next off-season both Crawford and Werth have signed extensions. Then Everyone’s a year older and you are again searching for a LF..
What if the Rays sign Crawford to an extension.
Gotta have guts to be a GM in this league. When Cashman walked away from the Johan deal he knew there was a chance that CC, Burnett or Lowe wouldn’t be there the following winter – but he did it anyway.
Tampa has a lot of very talented OF players and prospects and they also have to decide whether or not to keep Carlos Pena and are going to have to start paying guys like Garza, Upton, Zobrist, Bartlet. With their payroll they can’t keep everyone and so there’s the chance that Crawford is allowed to go to Free Agency.
Another thing people aren’t considering is that the economy might be better next year. If it is then the free agents may cost more next year. If things turn around financially for some teams then Crawford or Werth may cost a lot more next year than Holliday does this year.
The chances of Felix and Johnson reaching free agency are high.
These Dunn, Cameron, and Randy Winn suggestions, along with trading Cano;
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The only bad idea I see in there is Randy Winn. Dunn? Excellent batter, would make any lineup powerful and would push a lineup like boston or NYY over the top.
Cameron? Plus defender at one of the premium positions, hits 20 hrs a year and gets on base at an AVERAGE rate
Trading Cano? For the right players, sure!
Blake,
Again, Matt Holliday is not the only solution to LF. There will be other [and better] options down the road.
Adam Dunn and Mike Cameron are very good players, both would be upgrades. Think about it, at DH we have Juan Miranda as of now, Dunn would be a MASSIVE upgrade there. At CF, Cameron is a better fielder and hitter than Cabrera.
I’d be very very happy signing Cameron and trading for Dunn.
Chip is making my point for me: Next year’s ‘class’ of Free Agents projects to be much better. We can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that Crawford may not be available as a Free Agent because he could get an extension, so get Holiday now. Holiday could have gotten an extension too, but didn’t. Most players want the full value of their worth, and that’s often determined by the right to explore Free Agency. Now, if at that point you decide to give your home team a discount and resign, thats your right, but you want to get there.
Crawford will earn $10 millon in 2010, at age 29. Think he’ll accept a 4 year $48 million extension? Try 5 year $75 million. Now do you seriously think that Tampa Bay, currently #29 with a payroll around what $45 million, will pay 1 player of 30 teams, will pay 1 player 33% of their payroll? Is it possible, yes. Is it likely, emphatically NO.
Carl Crawford will be a Free Agent.
Giuseppe, down the road Jeter, Arod, and Rivera will be old. You can’t replace those guys and it will be harder to win once they are gone.
Also, Adam Dunn wouldn’t be a stop gap – you’re talking about a 30 year old slugger who along with Tex and Alex could be the most formidable middle of the order in baseball.
Last year he played on an awful team with a terrible lineup around him and in a huge park and in a division that features several huge parks and still jacked 38 HR. Just imagine what he would do playing 81 games in Yankee Stadium with that short porch in a lineup where you have to pitch to him because the guy behind him can also hit.
If I could get a lineup this year (and going forward) of:
Jeter
DeJesus – LF
Tex
Alex
Dunn
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Jackson
and a rotation this year of CC, AJ, Andy, Sheets, Joba/Hughes – I’m quite fine with that.
Blake,
They are already old and they won the WS anyways.
Holliday just isn’t the be all end all solution to LF.
A couple of things. I think there are possibilities for next year for the Yankees to sign, but that doesn’t address the holes they have THIS year.
Damon isn’t likely to sign a one year deal. Figure at least a 2 year deal. I would think that Matsui might feel the same way.
I agree that the Yankees don’t need to make major signings, but sometimes you make exceptions if the right player comes available for the right deal to fill your needs.
I really don’t care either way if the Yankees get Holliday. I like watching him play, he plays hard, but I don’t see him getting the big bucks to play that is being talked about.
If I were spending the money, while I think the offense will need to be vamped, I would invest it in pitching. A core rotation of CC, Halladay and AJ, with Andy for one more go around, and Hughes or Joba and a new arm would put the Yankees in contention for a decent period of time.
This economy might have Damon and Matsui thinking about accepting shorter term deals though, which to me would be the ideal. It gives Jackson another season or part of a season to develop more, and gives Melky that same period to either come into his own or give the Yanks the full idea of what he will be.
Chip, Cashman knew that CC wasn’t going to sign an extension with any club. AJ had been talking to the players about him wanting to play for the Yankees, so Cashman knew he was more likely than not going to hit FA.
Don’t assume that these players don’t talk or have their preferences for where they would like to go. These guys are all pretty friendly with each other and use that to gauge interest in them hitting FA.
While Dunn would be an upgrade vs Sui, you have to trade for him and is 12mil contract. Sui can be resigned for 7-8mil. I’m not trading for a DH and neither will the Yankees. Now if you think his D is good enough to play him in the field 50% of the time, maybe.
If you trade Melky or Gardy in that package you need a backup plan for CF. Is That AJax?
I think there must be better options out there than trading from Dunn…
The Mets should get Dunn to play 1st for them, that would make sence…
“Holliday just isn’t the be all end all solution to LF”.
no but he’s certainly a good option and I’m surprised so many people just dismiss him especially when we don’t even know what he will cost.
Giuseppe, down the road Jeter, Arod, and Rivera will be old. You can’t replace those guys and it will be harder to win once they are gone.
Well yeah but here’s the thing – Alex is gonna be here for a while, Derek is probably going to get another 4 or 5 year deal next winter and Mo will probably get another 2 years if he wants it after this contract runs out. So I wouldn’t concern myself with their departures just now.
There’s a big difference betwwen “having the guts to be a GM” and being stupid. There were far less suitors for Burnett, Sabathia and Teixeira and there would be for Crawford, mainly because Crawford will be far cheaper, meaning that more teams could afford him.
Chip, they may be here but will they be playing at the level they are now. The Yankees are better equipped to win right now than they probably will be for awhile. I think they need to take advantage.
Blake,
Don’t forget that his short time in the AL against tougher competition and pitching was unimpressive to say the least.
I’d be very very surprised if Cashman went hard after Holliday. He’ll kick the tires like any GM should. But I just don’t see Holliday coming to the Bronx.
I think the odds are better that Cashman pulls the trigger on Roy Halladay and I don’t think that’s likely either.
Betsy
it is very possible that waiting for fa might be a better idea depending on who is available in the future
example
who knows if it is better to trade for doc now or wait & sign king felix or another pitcher(s)when he or they become a fa next year?
there are a lot of moving parts here
do you trade for a pitcher,wait or try to bring our fa back?
tough call
what happens if we bring damon & matsui back & matsui gets hurt while damon has a terrible year & our pitching is not as good when the right move might be to sign holliday,lackey or sign holliday & trade for a younger pitcher if possible?
very hard to predict the future
the baseball experts can’t even do it but we try
imo we need an of now
do we bring damon back,sign holliday,trade for one or go with what we have & see what happens & maybe sign a fa next year?
do we keep hughes,joba,ajax,montero & hope they are good future players or sell high?
will any of them be great & will keeping them instead of trading them hurt or help us?
I think the Yankees will resign Damon for 2 years to be a part time OF and DH. Then, I think they will make a trade for other guy in his late 20s that can play any of the OF spots that has a little pop; like another Swisher or Nady type.
No way they pay Matt Holliday 100mil.
Jesus Montero might end up being the Yankee LF (if he can’t stay at C he’s going to have to play somewhere)
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Chip,
Have you seen Montero play much?
Because Jesus Montero is not a candidate to play left field in (New) Yankee Stadium.
It’s not Fenway – you can’t hide out there. If they wanted to hide him in the OF, it would have to be RF (he has a good arm). Even that, I fear, would be an adventure. But LF is out of the question.
Hopefully, he continues to progress at catcher, pre-empting any such move.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXhAtPj4YY0
Giuseppe,
He also hit .322 during interleague against the AL. If you’re going to count half a season in Oakland then you have to count that too. I put very little stock in 70 or 80 games in Oakland on a bad team.
While Dunn would be an upgrade vs Sui, you have to trade for him and is 12mil contract. Sui can be resigned for 7-8mil. I’m not trading for a DH and neither will the Yankees. Now if you think his D is good enough to play him in the field 50% of the time, maybe.
If you trade Melky or Gardy in that package you need a backup plan for CF. Is That AJax?
I think there must be better options out there than trading from Dunn…
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Patrick -
All valid points but here are my answers
1. Marco Scutaro and Placido Polanco just got deals of 6 mil per year and neither of them are in Matsui’s class so I’m not sure that he’s going to come as cheap as the Yankees would have hoped. Dunn’s salary slots perfectly into the salary slot vacated by Matsui (actually Dunn makes 1 mil less)
2. Yes, you do have to trade for Dunn, but I don’t think the package would be all that painful for the Yankees. Dunn was signed by the previous GM in Washington and I think that the current one understands that Dunn just isn’t a great fit for what they’re trying to do.
3. If I have to trade Melky or Gardner for Dunn it doesn’t really alter much of anything for the Yankees. I think that Gardner and Melky were going to have to fight with Austin Jackson for the starting CF role this spring anyway and so this just cuts the competition down to two of them.
4. I do think Dunn can play the field. Not well, but he won’t break like Matsui has done. If the Yankees wanted to play Dunn in RF or 1b so someone else could DH for a game or two, they could do that. Matsui doesn’t give them that option. There’s a difference between being a poor fielder (Dunn) and being physically incapable of playing the field (Matsui)
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....8;c_id=nyy
A fairly superficial look at the farm from Hoch with some quotes from Mark Newman.
Chip, why exactly would Washington want to trade one of the few players they have that put fans in the stadium for spare parts?
bru, I don’t think Felix is a FA next year. I think that is further away than that. Wasn’t this last season his first Arbitration year?
Josh Johnson might or might not be available, but he also has more time than just to the end of next season. He is just coming into arbitration years and that is why the speculation on him being traded came up, the Marlins wanted to lock him up and he didn’t want to.
Someone needs to let Hoch know that Banuelos is a LHP. Thanks for the link. At least Hoch recognizes that our farm system exists.
Patrick from CT
December 4th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I think the Yankees will resign Damon for 2 years to be a part time OF and DH. Then, I think they will make a trade for other guy in his late 20s that can play any of the OF spots that has a little pop; like another Swisher or Nady type.
No way they pay Matt Holliday 100mil.
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i agree
i think they invest money into pitching & patch the o.f. & dh the best they can
i would try to trade for a good young pitcher
if we can’t i make kf a top priority next year
if even one of joba/hughes turns into a real good pitcher a rotation of cc,kf,burnett,joba/hughes will be nasty
i think we go with manageable contracts for the o.f. & dh combined with what we already have
the pitching is the tricky part
the problem with doc is we would have to extend him for huge dollars
do we do that or wait for kf next year??
if we wait for kf we can keep our prospects & use them for more pitching & outfielders if needed & end up with a 24 year old ace or keep them
Starting pitchers
Bronson Arroyo (34) – $11MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Josh Beckett (31)
Joe Blanton (30)
Jeremy Bonderman (28)
Dave Bush (31)
Matt Cain (26) – $6.25MM vesting option
Kevin Correia (30)
Jorge De La Rosa (30)
Jeff Francis (29) – $7MM club option
Freddy Garcia (35)
Chad Gaudin (28)
Roy Halladay (34)
Aaron Harang (33) – $12.75MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Hiroki Kuroda (36)
Cliff Lee (32)
Ted Lilly (35)
Kevin Millwood (36)
Sergio Mitre (30)
Brian Moehler (39)
Jamie Moyer (48)
Tim Redding (33)
Nate Robertson (33)
Jeff Suppan (36) – $12.75MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Koji Uehara (36)
Javier Vazquez (34)
Brandon Webb (32)
Jake Westbrook (33)
Dontrelle Willis (29)
Chris Young (32) – $8.5MM club option
i guess kf is not a fa next year
not a whole lot available
Chip
December 4th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
While Dunn would be an upgrade vs Sui, you have to trade for him and is 12mil contract. Sui can be resigned for 7-8mil. I’m not trading for a DH and neither will the Yankees. Now if you think his D is good enough to play him in the field 50% of the time, maybe.
If you trade Melky or Gardy in that package you need a backup plan for CF. Is That AJax?
I think there must be better options out there than trading from Dunn…
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Patrick -
All valid points but here are my answers
1. Marco Scutaro and Placido Polanco just got deals of 6 mil per year and neither of them are in Matsui’s class so I’m not sure that he’s going to come as cheap as the Yankees would have hoped. Dunn’s salary slots perfectly into the salary slot vacated by Matsui (actually Dunn makes 1 mil less)
2. Yes, you do have to trade for Dunn, but I don’t think the package would be all that painful for the Yankees. Dunn was signed by the previous GM in Washington and I think that the current one understands that Dunn just isn’t a great fit for what they’re trying to do.
3. If I have to trade Melky or Gardner for Dunn it doesn’t really alter much of anything for the Yankees. I think that Gardner and Melky were going to have to fight with Austin Jackson for the starting CF role this spring anyway and so this just cuts the competition down to two of them.
4. I do think Dunn can play the field. Not well, but he won’t break like Matsui has done. If the Yankees wanted to play Dunn in RF or 1b so someone else could DH for a game or two, they could do that. Matsui doesn’t give them that option. There’s a difference between being a poor fielder (Dunn) and being physically incapable of playing the field (Matsui)
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both great points but if we trade for dunn it might limit our options if ajax & or gardner don’t work not to mention we lose young cost controlled players that can be kept or used in other trades when matsui is cheaper & put up respectable numbers compared to dunn
we would be increasing payroll for a dh wich takes away from other areas of need
i can see matsui back or dunn dh’ing
my main focus would be on pitching at all costs
doc,lackey or a trade for a pitcher
i try a big trade for the best youngest pitcher i can get
if i can’t do that i consider lackey & or waiting for next years fa pitchers or another future pitching trade opportunity
i can see matsui back or miranda dh’ing
is what i meant
if we could would anybody trade joba,ajax,montero for kf or joba,montero & a filler or two??
we are talking about a more cost controlled ace for years
i talk to my manager & scouts & if they say no way i don’t do it
but if they say yes & montero won’t catch & ajax is replaceable by another prospect or two i do it
i just for once would like to develope or trade for a young ace
if joba & or hughes end up being that pitcher(s) then great
the problem is waiting,selling high,low,etc…
what happens if hughes & joba turn into 5.00 era pitchers when they could have been used to trade for pitchers or outfielders?
very difficult
Patrick the Prospect Hugger
December 4th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Adam Dunn and Mike Cameron are very good players, both would be upgrades. Think about it, at DH we have Juan Miranda as of now, Dunn would be a MASSIVE upgrade there. At CF, Cameron is a better fielder and hitter than Cabrera.
I’d be very very happy signing Cameron and trading for Dunn.
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dunn replaces matsui & cameron replaces damon not melky
we might be better but maybe not a whole lot
Felix Hernandez and Josh Johnson are free agents after the 2011 season.
Johnson wanted a 4 year extension that would require the Marlins buying up 2 years of free agency. The Marlins only wanted to give him a 3 year deal and buy up only 1 year of free agency. His agent responded by shutting the door on negotiations indefinitely. When I read his quotes, I got the impression that the talks grew nasty and Johnson’s agent basically declared him an imminent free agent.
you can wrap anything in bacon. anything