What do you want out of this week?
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Dec 06, 2009 
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Greetings from Giants Stadium, where it’s halftime of Giants-Cowboys and there is a lovely marching band playing at the 50-yard line. How their hands aren’t falling off is beyond me.
Chad is either en route or recently arrived in Indianapolis for the winter meetings this week and will check in shortly, but on my ride to the stadium today I was thinking about what the two most important things the Yankees should hope to accomplish this week are. To me, they’re:
1. Move closer to a resolution in left field. Scott Boras says Johnny Damon has plenty of teams interested but Damon has made it clear he wants to stay in New York. I still like Damon over someone like Mike Cameron; can the Yankees work out a deal to fill the biggest starting lineup hole they have?
2. Get a solid feel for whether they’re in or out on Roy Halladay. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos figures to be the most popular man at the meetings and the Yankees – and their supposedly-lowering payroll – may not be willing to meet the money-plus-prospects cost that getting Doc will probably take. This week should be a good indicator, though, of whether they want to stay in the conversation.
Honorable mention: Pitcher reclamation projects (Harden, Sheets, et. al), Andy Pettitte, due diligence on Matt Holliday.
Remember, the baseball market has changed over the past few years so that more deals are finalized in January (and February) than ever before, meaning the winter meetings aren’t necessarily where everything is going to happen. Still, this is an important week for setting the course of a team’s offseason.
get roy and call it a merry christmas
Johnny Damon is a DH.
Playing Damon in LF for 2 more years with his 36 year old legs and his weak arm makes no sense.
Matsui is the better DH and middle order hitter.
Amen…Roy Halladay is the only thing that The Yankees should be focusing on this offseason besides resigning Damon and Pettitte. The FA class is especially thin and they really don’t need to sign Bay, Lackey or Holliday as none of those “big 3″ are going to be worth the money they are going to be asking for.
Best to save that money for next offseason for Crawford and Mauer
Scott Boras says my azz doesn’t look fat in tight jeans
What do they do in Indianapolis besides cow tipping?
The Doc
If not Doc then Lackey
Pitching is the name of the game!
johnny damon = mercenary
at least one very good move.
The idea of having a rotation of Roy Halladay/CC Sabathia/AJ Burnett/Andy Pettitte/Joba or Hughes is too good to pass up. That is pitching at its finest…
isn’t cow tipping is one of those urban legends?
the reality is that roy is a game changer, much like tex.
if he’s a yankee next year, and the guys stay healthy, it’s the division signed, sealed, and delivered.
i’m not saying that the future should be mortgaged, it’s just important to keep him away from the red sox.
kinda off topic
But i’m watching the 1985 Yankees take on the White Sox. and Billy Martin is in the dugout staring down his own starting pitcher. LOL i was only 4 when they played this game . I love Girardi but hearing the stories and doing some research Billy would have been awesome to watch. he’s really moved up my list of favorite Yankees
I think resign Damon and sign Cameron for CF. Melky slides to LF for this season and Damon DH. When we want to rest someone at DH, Damon goes to LF and melky to bench.
This would mean about 75 games at DH for Damon and about 70 in the field. Could work.
I don’t want much. Holliday , halladay, Pettitte, matsui, trade for granderson. That should do it..I don’t ask for much
Holliday, halladay, Pettitte, matsui, trade for granderson.. That should do it, nah I don’t ask for much…
Mike RI
December 6th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
kinda off topic
But i’m watching the 1985 Yankees take on the White Sox. and Billy Martin is in the dugout staring down his own starting pitcher. LOL i was only 4 when they played this game . I love Girardi but hearing the stories and doing some research Billy would have been awesome to watch. he’s really moved up my list of favorite Yankees
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Billy was like milk. Not a very long shelf life till it went sour.
i’m not saying that the future should be mortgaged, it’s just important to keep him away from the red sox.
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People say this kind of thing all the time and it’s so unbelievably misguided.
No GM worth a damn is going to make a move just to keep him away from your rival. You make the move because it makes the most sense for your team.
Keeping good players away from the Red Sox is simply a bonus, not a priority, especially when the cost is going to be very big.
Besides, Theo isn’t going to pay that price in prospects for Halladay. He’s just as much of “prospect hugger” as Cashman is.
I wish there was a way to get Halladay without including Montero or Jackson
Because I’d be totally willing to part ways with Joba for him. I also wish Jason Bay was a DH option, but I know these are unrealistic.
Hopefully there will be some clarity on the Yankees’ plans this week. I know they keep saying they lowered payroll and all, but I’m expecting a huge unexpected sign. C’mon…it’s the Yankee way!
According to a Daily News story I just read, Cashman talked briefly with Tellem about Matsui, they are scheduled to talk more during the Winter Meeting.
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“Cashman got to work immediately. He spoke to Matsui’s agent, Arn Tellem, as he was boarding his plane Friday and the two plan to meet at baseball’s winter meetings, which begin Monday in Indianapolis.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....z0YxE7QhNw
I could see Matsui coming back on the right deal. It hasn’t sounded as if there is a lot of interest in him so far, but AL teams sure would love his type of batting.
Alex anthropologist
I understand the logic behind not going after halladay just to keep him from the red sox because that’s not really the best way to make decisions. However, having said that I would not want to face Halladay , beckett, and Lester in a playoff series. That would be very tough to beat
GF… I think some moves are looked as for the combined effect of keeping a player from the rival AND bringing them in as an important part of their own club.
With Halladay, not counting any of the cost of players involved, the club improves. Any club would improve from adding him to the rotation, be it Boston or the Yankees.
The thing the Yankees have to evaluate is if Halladay would improve the club more than keeping the players that would go in a trade. Keeping him from Boston would be the added bonus to that deal which would get at least some consideration being that they are in the same division.
I remember the on going saga with Billy Martin. He wasn’t dull, that’s for sure.
He was a big part of the Bronx Zoo.
I basically agree. I certainly want a resolution to LF – it’s really not that complicated. Damon either wants to return (which will be on the Yankees terms) or he wants more $$$ and security elsewhere. I hope the Yankees make an offer and tell Damon that they are going to have to proceed as if he’s not coming back if he doesn’t get back to them in short order.
AS to Doc, I don’t know what to think. We’ve spent hours trying to get into his head and into Anthopolous’ head…..No one knows what Doc really wants, what he will accept (for instance, say he prefers the Yankees….will he go to the Angels instead?) and what he won’t accept. No one knows what Anthopolous will accept. Sure we can speculate that he “has to do this” or ” he has to do that”, but he doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to.
Jim M December 6th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
isn’t cow tipping is one of those urban legends?
____________
Nope. I did it a few times. Its a riot.
We got our ace last year in cash. Roy would be amazing to have if we didn’t have to give up, Joba/Hughes, Montero, Jackson plus a multi-year deal on top. Too much in my mind. I have a feeling two of those guys mentioned will go on and have good careers, maybe one very good.
Cashman had a brilliant offseason last year by taking advantage of the situation it’s completely different this year. We also won the World Series. The Sox should be the ones worried not us.
As to the Yankees having an idea of what Halladay wants, they do have an in… AJ.
AJ and some others have been talking to the Yankee brass about acquiring the Doc.
David DeJesus from KC is the answer in left. 6 years younger than Damon, much better defensively, similiar offensive numbers and he is a local guy.
The Yankees love Halladay; it’s not as if they want him JUST to keep him from the Sox. It all comes down to the price. I think Cash would trade some prospects for him, but he’s not going drawn into a bidding war with the Sox. If Anthopolous is willing to negotiate, then we have a chance. If not, I’ve no idea where Doc will end up.
Since this is wishing upon a start here goes….
Trade for Joey Votto
Trade for Conor Jackson
Sign Sheets, Pettitte, Bedard and Donnelly.
Aba, AJ is not going to convince the Yankees to part with prospects they don’t want to. I think it’s pretty clear the Yanks would like Halladay – AJ doesn’t play any part in this anymore (if he did). Now it’s up to the Jays……..
Betsy, do you have reading comprehension problems? Where did I say anything remotely like that?
Man, you love putting words into someone else’s mouth.
But first things first: GO GIANTS!!!
Finally showing some life!
Andy, Hideki, and call it a Halladay.
I know that makes me a totally horrible person, a spoiled fan. But technically, we only have two starters…
Abdababdaserser December 6th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
GF… I think some moves are looked as for the combined effect of keeping a player from the rival AND bringing them in as an important part of their own club.
—————
Understood. But a lot of people use the “we have to keep him from the Red Sox” as a top priority.
Smart GMs don’t operate that way. Cashman doesn’t know Theo’s true intent regarding Halladay. We only know what the media tells us and all of that could be hogwash.
Theo may not be all that interested in Halladay because of the high price in talent it would take to get him. Theo may only be interested in Halladay to drive his price up and little more (just like the Santana sweepstakes two years ago).
That’s why keeping good players away from their chief rival should only be an added bonus to making a deal. GMs think about what is best for their team first and worry about everything else later.
m
December 6th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Andy, Hideki, and call it a Halladay.
I know that makes me a totally horrible person, a spoiled fan. But technically, we only have two starters…
——————————————————
Did they trade Joba and Gaudin?
GF
It was George’s MO to try to keep players away from the RS. I don’t think Cash is as paranoid about that as George.
I like Sam’s delicate wording: Move closer to a resolution in left field. I guess that means what Betsy said: find out if Damon is in or out on reasonable terms.
I’d prefer a 1-year deal only. The Yanks were very lucky that Damon played so well throughout a contract that took him to a relatively advanced age. They shouldn’t press their luck by committing to him for another 2 or 3 years. If he can get a 2 or 3 year deal from some other team, then I say let him go and wish him well.
Joba went to Toronto in the Halladay trade. Gaudin? Sounds familiar…Who’s that?
“johnny damon = mercenary”
No less so than Teixeira, Sabathia or Burnett. Nobody is going to leave real money on the table. I think he’s worth 2 yrs and $19M-$20M, but if someone offers 3/$33 with an option for a 4th year, how can you begrudge him for taking it?
m
December 6th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Joba went to Toronto in the Halladay trade. Gaudin? Sounds familiar…Who’s that?
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I guess if the Yankees got Halliday that still isn’t 2 pitchers.
I think Gaudin is the one they leave in the BP so Harkey isn’t lonesome when they use all their RP.
“AJ and some others have been talking to the Yankee brass about acquiring the Doc.”
I’m sure all 25 players on the roster (with the exception of Hughes and Joba) would love for Halladay to come to the Yankees.
The problem is Burnett, Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and most of the Yankees don’t give a d*mn where the team is in 5 years because their only goal is for the team to be as successful as possible throughout the duration of their contracts. They’re not looking beyond the next 3 or 4 years like Cashman has to.
My dream offseason would be:
Pettitte to the Yankees (1 yr)
Sheets to the Yankees (1 yr with a team option)
Damon to the Yankees (1 yr with a team option)
Matsui to the Yankees (1 yr)
Bay to the Mariners
Holliday to the Giants or Cardinals
Lackey to the Mets, Rangers, or Brewers
Halladay stays in Toronto
Red Sox get desperate and trade Buchholz and Kelly+ for Gonzalez.
I want the Yanks to sign Bedard and re-sign Wang. Bedard might have said something stupid about the Yanks once, but he has the highest ceiling of any starter available. He is also AL East battle tested and a lefty.
They might not be healthy at the start of the season but that gives Hughes and Joba a chance to prove themselves. As guys who can come in during June/ July when we are always scratching about looking for extra pitching these guys would take the team to a new level, and very cheaply.
These two guys and bringing back Damon are my top hopes for the Yanks this winter (and not giving Mitre a contract)
I agree that the Yanks should check on Bedard and try and bring him back to the AL East.
I also think they could also check in on Duchsherer for the bullpen.
If they are able to trade for Doc without giving up Austin Jackson, I think he should get his chance to play. With a staff of CC, Doc, Andy, AJ, Bedard or Hughes, the Yankees can afford the have their future start today. Moving Swisher to LF and Melky to RF, would free up CF for Ajax.
Sweet victory by Big Blue. I hope The San Diego Chargers pound Dallas next week. Help the Gmen out.
I’ll throw in my dreams:
Andy for 1 more year, as the #3 starter.
Ben Sheets signs a 1 year contract, and becomes the #4 starter.
Joba and Hughes compete for the #5 spot. Loser to AAA.
Wang signs a minor league deal, recovers at AAA.
Mike Gonzalez declines arbitration, and is signed by the Yankees to strengthen the pen.
Matsui resigns as DH for 1 year.
Cameron signs on for 2 years for CF, Swisher moves to LF, Melky to RF, Gardener becomes 4th OF.
Hairston resigns a 1 year deal as a super-sub OF/IF.
“…a lovely marching band playing at the 50-yard line. How their hands aren’t falling off is beyond me.”
I hope they’re wearing gloves. That helps. Strategic pockets with hot water bottles help until the show starts. Hot drinks right after — you just keep your hands wrapped around the drink until the drink is too cool to do any further good for your hands. Then you drink it, and go get another hot drink, lather, rinse, repeat.
When I was in high school my marching band played at the late, mostly unlamented Veterans Stadium for a Monday Night game (I forget who the Eagles were playing but I could go back and check). It was *cold*. We used all those tricks and more. And I will never understand how the players could manage to play on that $^#%@+?! rock-hard Astroturf. Our feet hurt for weeks, just from marching on it for one halftime. The stadium could have saved money just by painting the concrete underneath.