What’s next?
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 09, 2009 
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I love The West Wing. It’s probably my favorite television show of all time. The show’s central character was President Jed Bartlet, and whenever Bartlet came to a decision, his response was a quick and blunt, “What’s next?” There was no sense lingering in the past. It was on to the next thing.
After a major trade and a free agent signing, Brian Cashman seems to be in the same state of mind this evening.
“We’ve done OK so far,” Cashman said. “Andy was the first priority. It gives me comfort to have Andy in the fold with what we’ve already got. And we like our team. We lost 50 plus home runs due to free agency when Johnny and Matsui elected. Now I’ve acquired someone who kind of mitigates that to some degree and provides youth, and he’s signed, and athleticism. And that’s all good. But is it enough? Are we where we need to be yet? We’re not a finished product. We have areas of need. We have people within the system that we can try and may very well be the answer. It’s just, is that the right way to go right now?”
Cashman said the Curtis Granderson trade has not completely eliminated the possibility of bringing back both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, though that doesn’t seem likely and “would come at the expense of a Gardy or a Melky.”
Cashman also wouldn’t rule out the idea of making another big trade that involves multiple prospects. “It depends on the player I’d be getting,” he said. “I would in the right circumstances. I don’t like to for good reason.”
Although Cashman said there is not a defined next target — pitching or an outfielder/designated hitter — it’s clear that someone who is strictly a DH ranks low on the list. Cashman described the free market as one in which you can look any direction and find a guy who can DH. Cashman acknowledged having at least talked to John Lackey’s agent, and it seems that pitching remains his highest priority. But only pitching within reason. Beyond CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, Cashman rattled off a list of seven in-house names who could compete for a spot in the big league rotation (Hughes, Chamberlain, Aceves, Mitre, Gaudin, Nova, McAllister. “I used to have Kennedy in that mix and I don’t now,” he said). Cashman said the group of free agent starters he’s legitimately interested in is “not big” and said last year was the right market in which to be aggressive.
“The pitching is getting more expensive in all of my conversations,” Cashman said. “If that market keeps getting higher and higher, that might change my focus.”
CR9
December 9th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
How are the Red Sox going to get a catching prospect Max Ramirez from the Rangers for Mike Lowell???????????????????????????????????
Does anybody understand this???????
Unless the Sox pay his entire 12 million dollar exorbitant salary, then this is absolutely insane.
Pitching within reason? What does that mean?
The Yankees can’t depend on signing sheets. Weren’t they supposed to meet with Harden’s agent and Harden signed today with the Rangers?
Screw a Gardy or a Melky, bring them both (Damon and Matsui) back
For example, what would you think of a former professional poker player/ computer programmer attempting to do “advanced statistical analysis?” And what if people said that person really needed to be heeded because he was a “statistician”?
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If I understand the question correctly which I am not 100% sure I do, I would take a real statistician’s opinion on the subject matter of an advanced statistical analysis much more seriously than a former poker player.
repost, RE Lowell to Rangers talk:
That trade makes no sense. The Rangers moved Michael Young to third last year. They can’t move Young to 2nd, Kinsler is there. Would Lowell play first? DH? If he was to DH for 12M, why not just sign Matsui, Thome, or Vlad w/o giving up anything?
Just listened to Pettitte on WFAN with Sweeny. He’s high on Granderson – nice to hear how excited baseball insiders are about this pick up.
CR,
And where would Texas play Lowell? They have an All-Star 3rd Baseman. Would they trade Young somewhere?
Either Cashman wants pitching or he doesn’t. Sure seems like he changed his stance from a few days ago. Maybe he does want Hughes/Joba in the rotation after all.
Sheets wants 12M next year. I’m not site he gets that
“Sheets wants 12M next year. I’m not site he gets that”
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and i want an F-16.
December 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
GreenBeret7 December 9th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I’d be more inclined to resign Matsui and let Cabrera take over in left field. His numbers should continue to climb to closer to .285, 17-20 homers, 75-80 RBI.
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If Melky did that, he would be one of the best CF in baseball and that is way too optimistic.
I think Cash is going to get another pitcher. ( i don’t want to rush him )… But he might want to hurry up.
I think desperate teams might ante up the price of some of the Yankee targets.
“I would take a real statistician’s opinion on the subject matter of an advanced statistical analysis much more seriously than a former poker player.”
There’s this perception that quantitative analysts in sabermetrics are “statisticians.” From what I can gather the vast majority of them are not. In fact, from what I can gather most of them have no formal training statistical methods or measurement construction.
There are very, very few true statisticians doing any quantitative work in baseball as far as I can tell.
And right now – one of the guys who has “invented” a number of advanced metrics – a guy who’s word is often taken as bible truth in sabermetrics literally was a former professional poker player and computer programmer.
I guess that means Halladay is not on the horizon?
Heyman tweets that the Jays asked for Montero, Hughes or Joba, and other prospects…
Jeez,Theo Epstein is searching the globe & leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of improving the Sox’ pitching staff.The guy thinks outside the box & he’s willing to try anything.I just read he signed Fabio & Castro!!! OOPS, My bad……….he signed Fabio Castro…..Sorry!!
I wish he would stop adding Mitre to the list of in house candidates.
That scares me.
What’s next? If Sheets wants 12 move on to Duchscherer.
I also still like Derosa and Matsui.
i think with the price of pitching & our need for another bat we need to pull off a blckbuster trade if possible for a good young pitcher that is more cost controlled
joba,montero & one more if needed but have to get a kf,jj,etc.if not then go in another direction
joba & montero should bring back something nice
we have plenty of catchers in our system,a few good infielders & a lot of pitching
I don’t trust Aceves. If another team (over)values him, I would move him.
“Pitching within reason? What does that mean?”
It means the price, be it in player assets or money, has to be right.
“Heyman tweets that the Jays asked for Montero, Hughes or Joba, and other prospects…”
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Toronto had better develop a liking for Romine or they can go **** themselves.
at this point, who cares. We have Granderson and personally no longer want Halladay. Would rather win with the players we have and players in the system.
vinny-b
December 9th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
“Sheets wants 12M next year. I’m not site he gets that”
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and i want an F-16.
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lmfao
Hi, all, what a day!
1. Hi, CB – nice to see your posts again.
2. Don’t take everything Cash says at face value. Instead,we should all think, “Why is Cash saying this?” In regards to pitching, my guess is that he is trying to drive down price on somebody(ies), by appearing to not really need them.
3. As I’ve said before, I’m not a baseball professinal. Can someone please explain what the Texas Rangers could possibly see in Mike Lowell that could fill an unfilled need for them?
The Jays are entitled to ask for anything they want. Cashman reserves the right to laugh and hang up.
If Halladay rumors about him not signing an extension are true, no one would give up that much for a one year rental.
Lowell interests the Rangers for his bat. That’s about it. I think earlier the Sox were talking that they would eat half his salary. Lowell as DH and spot starter at 3rd for around 6 million isn’t horrible, but still seems expensive for what he can do.
http://talksportsphilly.com/?p=1307
If its guaranteed that Montero and joba would get it done for Halladay then I think you have to at least consider it but only if an extension is part of the equation.
http://talksportsphilly.com/?p=1307
^^^^analysis of Granderson Deal
“Can someone please explain what the Texas Rangers could possibly see in Mike Lowell that could fill an unfilled need for them?”
I doubt there’s much substance to that. The Sox are doing there usual leak like crazy to the boston media approach.
They are trying to leak rumors to create some kind of perception that there is a real market for Mike Lowell – who they are desperate to try to move.
They leak to Rob Bradford all the time. And from the story its clearly a Red Sox source.
This is totally off hot stove topic, but is the old stadium still standing? Have they decided to leave it up as a historical building? I’m just curious.
Mitre is still on the roster. He showed some signs that he could pitch decently enough to interest another team as an add in to a trade.
He adds pitching depth.
Repost from the previous thread.
CB,
Who would like to see as the DH, if not Matsui?
I think the Yankees could go a number of routes in short-term deals – Vlad, Thome, even Nick Johnson.
What does Cashman mean that if pitching gets too high he will change his focus? It seems to necessarily mean a change to offense. I got the sense from watching him on MLB, nothing should be ruled out.
Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, “would come at the expense of a Gardy or a Melky.”
Um… then I keep the Melk man. He delivers.
“The Jays are entitled to ask for anything they want. Cashman reserves the right to laugh and hang up”
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yes. You right. Was out of order.
simply tire of of seeing the media attach Montero’s name to every Halladay/Yankees report. He is the #1 hitting prospect in baseball, and for all we know may be the next Pujols. He needs to be an untouchable
Laura, they are tearing the old stadium completely down. Some of the interior is demolished, the outside walls are still there. Those will be the last to come down. It would be nice to see some preserved (front wall?) but that probably won’t happen.
It due to be down by the summer, maybe sooner.
The Yankees rotation of CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba, and Hughes is more than enough for them to win in 2010. They don’t gain any rotation depth by replacing Joba with Sheets.
It’s fair to say that Pettitte will probably decline from his numbers last season, but Joba should do better, Hughes has to be better than the group of 5th starters they used in 2009, and Burnett should be better as well.
I agree with CB that having a strong hitting CF only to have a weak hitting corner outfielder is a waste.
I took that comment on the “pitching gets too high” being the cost for the various ones they are looking at. Sheets for 10 million? Ain’t gonna happen.
SJ, you said you were impressed with Nova in the 4 starts you saw him in. Did you see Moesi at all, and if so, what did you think in comparison to Nova?
rconn,
If they don’t sign Matsui my second choice would be to play Damon at DH and sign Cameron for the OF.
One could make an argument that in terms of defense and flexibility a Cameron Damon alignment would be very attractive should they decide that they just don’t want matsui as a pure DH.
In terms of pure DH’s I’d take a look at Thome, particularly given that he’s a left handed stick.
Joe from Long Island,
You’re right about not taking everything Cashman says at face value. For the most part I think he’s honest when he talks to us, but you certainly can’t blame him for playing the game a little bit.
He wants teams and agents to know that he doesn’t like to lose his prospects and that he doesn’t like to spend a lot of money. Both messages are true and could be helpful in negotations.
Didn’t Halladay say he is not signing an extnesion if he gets traded. He is going to test free agency. So why waste the prospects and time on Halladay ? move on !
We don’t need Halladay this year to win it all anyway. And he is getting olf. If Felix Hernandez tests free agency next year go after him.
“It due to be down by the summer, maybe sooner.”
Thanks Abdababdaserser!
Laura…To the upper right on this page there’s a site named ” demolition of Yankee Stadium’….Great site with updated pixs….The site is in with all the other recommended Yankee sites
no 27.
The Yankees rotation of CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba, and Hughes is more than enough for them to win in 2010. They don’t gain any rotation depth by replacing Joba with Sheets.
– with Cashman always preaching Pitching Pitching Pitching its hard to believe he’s set with our rotation.
I think that what Cash is putting out there that if he senses that the available arms out there – either FA or trade – are too expensive for the value, as he sees it, he’s prepared to go it with what he already has. That’s why he is ready to tick off his options in Joba, Hughes, Ace, etc. So, he’s saying that if someone is serious about a deal, they need to get real as to the price they want Cash to pay.
can you imagine:
Jeter
Granderson
Teixeria
Arod
Jesus Montero
Cano
Posada
Swisher
Gardner/Melky/anonymous OF’er
sorry I mean’t old.
Felix hernandez is a better investment, and you don’t give up your best prospects.
Its sounding like Matsui isn’t someone they are considering. Cashman has said that he sees hideki only as a DH and a straight DH is low on their list. So that leaves Damon or opening the wallet for Holliday.
We’re not trading Montero. That’s exactly what Cash means when he calls thing “unrealistic.”
Joe from Long Island
December 9th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Hi, all, what a day!
1. Hi, CB – nice to see your posts again.
2. Don’t take everything Cash says at face value. Instead,we should all think, “Why is Cash saying this?” In regards to pitching, my guess is that he is trying to drive down price on somebody(ies), by appearing to not really need them.
3. As I’ve said before, I’m not a baseball professinal. Can someone please explain what the Texas Rangers could possibly see in Mike Lowell that could fill an unfilled need for them?
————————————————————
Say….is this Bobcat? The only thing missing is…”They only tell you what they want you to know.” Bobcat-Joe.
Ah yes, Bobcat. Those were interesting times. I can’t hate too much though because that escapade is what first brought me to this blog…
The one thing that Cashman said that seemed to annoy him about this deal was that it was leaked sometime in the couple of weeks. He didn’t appear too pleased.
It’s interesting that Cashman’s list of FA starters is “not big”. I really don’t like what’s available, with names like Lackey, Sheets, and Harden being thrown around. They all have lots of potential having been very good in the past, but all have serious health issues. Some lesser name FA starters might be what he has in mind to sign to a minor league deal. That way Hughes and Joba get a real shot to start, and there would be experience in the minors if needed.
His remark that “If that market keeps getting higher and higher, that might change my focus.” is interesting as well. Could we see a run at Holliday? That would provide protection for ARod by batting him 5th, and give the Yankees an outfield of Holliday, Granderson, and Melky/Gardner. Swisher would then be our DH.
GB7 – Hey, that’s the highest compliment!
How are you today? Hope you’ve kept the doctors honest.
rodg12
December 9th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Ah yes, Bobcat. Those were interesting times. I can’t hate too much though because that escapade is what first brought me to this blog…
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It was like watching the old cliff-hanger serials at the movies. You knew what was going to happen, but, you had to see it anyway.
CB
December 9th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
“I would take a real statistician’s opinion on the subject matter of an advanced statistical analysis much more seriously than a former poker player.”
There’s this perception that quantitative analysts in sabermetrics are “statisticians.” From what I can gather the vast majority of them are not. In fact, from what I can gather most of them have no formal training statistical methods or measurement construction.
There are very, very few true statisticians doing any quantitative work in baseball as far as I can tell.
And right now – one of the guys who has “invented” a number of advanced metrics – a guy who’s word is often taken as bible truth in sabermetrics literally was a former professional poker player and computer programmer.
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Yeah, but advanced statistics in baseball are far from advanced statistics in the real world. They are advanced just in relation to the regular statistics like .AVG which a fifth grader to figure out. Bill James or Dave Cameron are far from advanced statisticians in the real world and I highly doubt either of them could do the job of a real statistician.
There is no doubt that the pitching prices are out of control (See Penny, Brad & Wolf, Randy), so I would have no problems going in-house with the 4th and 5th starters.
Joe from Long Island
December 9th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
GB7 – Hey, that’s the highest compliment!
How are you today? Hope you’ve kept the doctors honest.
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Doing fine, Joe. Thanks for asking. How’s things your way?
That Bobcat stretch was fun times. I think he had about 75% of this board hooked and waiting on the edge of their seats for the next episode.
Bigjoe, if cashmam decides that all of the pitching is too pricey and he will just go with what he has them I think he could possibly make a run a Holliday. If they didn’t sign a FA pitcher and filled the DH from within then they could sign Holliday and actually lower the payroll from 2009. Its a possibility..
I’m not exactly a fan of Cash “changing his focus”. The Yankees need more pitching…..period.
“His remark that “If that market keeps getting higher and higher, that might change my focus.” is interesting as well. Could we see a run at Holliday?”
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NYY is not interested in Holliday. Perhaps the above comment may lead to a signing of Mike Gonzalez LHP, and keeping Joba & Hughes in the rotation.
Abdababdaserser
December 9th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
If Melky did that, he would be one of the best CF in baseball and that is way too optimistic.
__________________________
GreenBeret7 specifically said LF, not CF though.
I could see Melky possibly improving to around those numbers, or fairly close. I don’t see where the numbers were that optimistic. The thing with Melky is that his fielding in center is decent, but not outstanding. Granderson is way better at fielding center.
Melky in Left with those numbers seems pretty acceptable to me, and his fielding would be more in line with that position.
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Putting him in LF does not change who he is. Those numbers and his defensive ability in CF would project him to be one of the best CF in baseball. If Melky projected to be one of the best CF in baseball his value around the league would be incredibly more than he is now. He would be an incredible trade chip at his age, cost, offensive and defensively ability.
That is why it is overly optimistic. Just because in comparison to LF his numbers would not be eye popping would not change the fact that other teams would view him as an incredible option for CF which he certainly is not.
“I’m not exactly a fan of Cash “changing his focus”. The Yankees need more pitching…..period.”
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they have plenty of pitching. Joba, Hughes, Gaudin, Aceves, Nova, McCallister etc. Gaudin and Aceves alone, may be better then anything available on the market (absent of Lackey & Halladay)
wow said incredible way too much in that last post
Who cares how much money Sheets wants? It will only be a 1 yr deal. I don’t mind overpaying for 1 yr rather than committing multiple years to a guy like Lackey.
When is the press conference to introduce Curtis?
Tom- There is no guarantee of how well Sheets will pitch this year. He is always hurt and is coming off surgery.
“When is the press conference to introduce Curtis?”
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was wondering the same. Curtis will light up the room.
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/.....eHTRoK2vII
Sounds like Doc is going to the Angels…….
Unless Cashman imports more bullpen help, the 2nd lefty in the pen will almost surely be Wilkins DeLaRosa. The next righty should be Melancon, assuming that he’s finally ready. Bench help will be Miranda, Pena, Cervelli and Gardner. One other candidate for an early call-up for a start is Jason Hirsh.
GB7 – I’m OK. But, the mrs. is going through a tough stretch. She’s got a strained back muscle, needs oral surgery, and has a cold. I’ve told her I should’ve asked her father for more goats and chickens.
That Bobcat stretch a couple of years ago was a lot of fun. I was off work that day that Alex came back, and reading the posts was something else.
Take this with a grain of salt, but Bill James projects Granderson to hit .275 with 27 HRs and have an OBP of .353.
http://www.fangraphs.com/stats.....osition=OF
vinny-b
We don’t know that the Yankees aren’t interested in Holliday. Cashman keeps things pretty close to the vest, and makes moves that improve the team. Holliday would definitely improve the team, and as blake pointed out, could actually lead to a lower payroll in 2010.
I don’t know what Cashman has planned, and I think signing Andy and trading for Granderson have already made this off-season a success. It’s just my opinion, but I would like to see Holliday in our outfield.
“Unless Cashman imports more bullpen help, the 2nd lefty in the pen will almost surely be Wilkins DeLaRosa. The next righty should be Melancon, assuming that he’s finally ready. Bench help will be Miranda, Pena, Cervelli and Gardner. One other candidate for an early call-up for a start is Jason Hirsh”
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all the above completely works for me. And loved Jason Hirsh in Taxi (big nose and all)
Vinny-b, we can’t exactly count on Nova and McAllister. I am down on Aceves and although I like Gaudin, he’s limited – he is what he is. I think we need another starter……
If the Yankees really want to sign a reclamation project then they need to sign Wang to a minor league deal. Let him work in the minors, build up his arm strength and be ready by July/August. By then Hughes will be at his innings limit and Wang should be ready to show what he can do again.
if Damon is gone, what about like DeJesus or Cody Ross for LF? would we have to give up lot for either of them?
ESPN noted that Royals asked about Brett Gardner’s availability. Wouldn’t be surprised if Cashman moves Gardner or Melky in a deal for some prospects.
lets go yankees, the trouble is Melky isn’t fast enough nor athletic enough to be one of the best CF in league. The offense isn’t unrealistic, but while he is OK fielding he isn’t in Granderson’s class. That is what lowers his value.
I think the value he really brings is being able to play all three positions, which many can’t do. He would be a decent LF. I think he has a very good arm but needs to learn how to throw better. His judgment on where to throw needs work as well.
He can cover center, but that seems like it came more by default.
BloggingBombers (Mark Feinsand)
Cashman said his list of SPs he’s interested in is short. Yankees will watch Chapman’s workout next week, but he’s not on that short list.
about 2 hours ago from web
*Does that even make sense? Chapman would be signed for the future, not as a SP in 2010
Cabrera’s numbers don’t need to be “eye-popping”. All he needs to do is put up the numbers I mentioned, which are hardly a stretch, as long as he provides more solid defense. I don’t care what his value to another team is…only his value to the Yankees. They have a catcher, 2 middle infielders and a center fielder with corner outfield bats.
“Take this with a grain of salt, but Bill James projects Granderson to hit .275 with 27 HRs and have an OBP of .353″
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check the 2009 graph of Curtis Granderson’s HR’s at the bottom of this page. If he remains healthy, he will hit over 27
http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?showtopic=52034
That’s Judd Hirsch who was in Taxi……and Dear John
raymagnetic, I agree that for a reclamation project Wang would be the better way to go. Cost shouldn’t be high, and it keeps the Taiwan fanbase happy. That is a market that could be very healthy for the Yankees, and there is talent there that could be developed.
Is there any chance that we see montero in NY in 2010? I’m thinking he could catch every third game and DH the rest of the time. Posada could DH the game Montero catches. I know he’s young but Arod was in the big leagues at what 18. Even if he struggled it would likely pay dividends later in because he would be seeing and learning to hit major league pitching sooner. Is that a. Possibility or is he just not ready yet?
raymagnetic,
Why do I always forget about Wang. I think signing him makes sense. He should come cheap enough, and if he ever returns to form, provides us with a solid #2 pitcher behind CC.
Betsy, Chapman is thought of as too rough to be MLB ready. He has already said he would take a minor league deal.
He has very good raw talent that needs some work. I could see him being signed by the Yankees with the idea that he is in the minors to start out and see where that goes.
“ESPN noted that Royals asked about Brett Gardner’s availability. Wouldn’t be surprised if Cashman moves Gardner or Melky in a deal for some prospects”
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wouldn’t be suprised if they moved him and another player for DeJesus. Except i like Gardner as a 4th OF’er very much. And would rather they trade Melky to a team like the Cubs while his value is at an all-time high.
Joe from Long Island
December 9th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
GB7 – I’m OK. But, the mrs. is going through a tough stretch. She’s got a strained back muscle, needs oral surgery, and has a cold. I’ve told her I should’ve asked her father for more goats and chickens.
That Bobcat stretch a couple of years ago was a lot of fun. I was off work that day that Alex came back, and reading the posts was something else.
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You shouldn’t made the “O;d Ball And Chain” out there shoveling snow and putting on snow tires. At least let her use a car jack.
Hope the Mrs starts feeling better, Joe. Just don’t cook. Order pizza. Less clean-up and she’ll think that you were only thinking of her. For a real treat, go get some Mickey Dee’s.
“Is there any chance that we see montero in NY in 2010?”
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if not for the hand injury, would have said a definite yes. As it stands, instead i believe a sept call-up is likely.
“Old” Ball And Chain
I would love to see them work something out with Wang, but you hardly ever see his name mentioned.
I think Wang would work pretty hard to make a come back. The biggest thing is if he would re-sign with the Yankees if they let him go in order to sign him for a lower, incentive based contract, or if he would feel insulted by that and go elsewhere.
He really hasn’t pitched much over the last 1 and a half seasons, which makes it a tough choice.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....-1.1645748
For those who aren’t subscribers:
from around the industry
55 m ago By Ken Davidoff
Busy, busy day, and still have a conference call with Curtis Granderson coming up.
–Scott Boras held court in the hotel lobby here, and my Newsday teammate David Lennon was there. Not shockingly, Boras sees the Curtis Granderson trade as creating a greater need for the Yankees to bring back Damon.
Said Boras: “Obviously, Granderson’s strengths are his defense, his power, his left-handed power. But his detriments are he’s clearly not a number two hitter and with his power comes – as most power hitters – comes the strikeouts. His skill set, his strengths, are obviously not fit in that phase of the lineup.”
Cashman, in his session with the New York media, said he envisioned Granderson hitting second against right-handed pitchers and “somewhere else” against lefties. He had no explanation for Granderson’s poor performance against lefties in 2009.
Also on Granderson, Cashman acknowledged that he and his scouts noticed what people throughout the game have noticed: He takes some questionable routes to balls. Or at least, he did during the Tigers’ collapse at the end of last season.
“We still think he’s a premium, above average centerfielder,” Cashman said. “Our defensive metrics show us that.”
Cashman didn’t show his hand regarding Damon and Hideki Matsui, but it’s evident the Yankees don’t view bringing either back as a priority. My hunch nevertheless remains that Matsui will return, because he’s not getting much heat anywhere else.
As Cashman put it, “You can turn left, you can turn right, you can look up and down, and you’ve got a DH sitting right there begging for a job. The DH market, you’ve got opportunity there. You should be able to take advantage of that if you’re a club.”
The starting pitching market, on the other hand, “is a headache,” Cashman said. “…We might need to wait that thing out, or refocus.” Cashman said he has met with agents of all of the prominent free-agent starters, including John Lackey, but don’t count on the Yankees going hard after him.
As for giving up more prospects in a second trade, “It’s obviously depending on the palyer I’d be getting,” he said. “I would, in the right circumstance. I don’t like to, for good reason. It was tough to give up those guys. Having depth is nice.”
–Finally, the Yankees and Red Sox are among the teams that will watch Cuban free agent Aroldis Chapman throw a bullpen session next week in the Houston area.
Cashman affirmed the conventional wisdom that Chapman, 21, is not major-league ready. Said Cashman: “He’s not a guy we’re looking at in 2010 in our rotation.”
vinny-b, thanks for that. I never thought I’d read this:
“Cashman might be the best GM in the game.”
on the Sons of Sam Horn.
“That’s Judd Hirsch who was in Taxi……and Dear John”
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lol. I know. And Kirk was a trip (Dear John)
Aba, that’s what I thought, but Feinsand made it sound like the Yankees are not interested in Chapman period.
They aren’t pursuing Lackey seriously – much to the chagrin of many fans….
Chapman is very interesting. LH starting pitcher who throws 100mph. Lots of upside as he is only 22 yrs old, but lots of questions as well. I really think the money that is being talked about (15-30M) is pretty steep for someone who has control issues and possibly maturity issues.
Just listened to pettitte’s interview on the Wfan. He’s adorable. So glad hes coming back
I hope they have a press conference for Granderson soon. I’m anxious to see how good he looks in pinstripes.
Gardner is a fun player to watch, except for when he is batting. I love what his speed can do, but he needs to learn to bunt for hits.
He also doesn’t make great routes to balls. His judgment of where the ball is going may improve with time and experience.
LOL I thought I was the only one who watched Dear John. Kirk was hilarious, but I loved the sexed-up old lady who had a crush on Tom, who never, ever spoke. Judd Hirsch is hilarious, though……
“vinny-b, thanks for that. I never thought I’d read this:
“Cashman might be the best GM in the game.”
on the Sons of Sam Horn”
———————————–
Tom: you’re welcome. Was set to mention the above Curtis Granderson/SonsOfSamHorn link for everyone to read. Enjoyed checkin it very much, yesterday evening. The entertainment value is 10/10
Yanks are interested in Chapman.
wouldn’t be suprised if they moved him and another player for DeJesus. Except i like Gardner as a 4th OF’er very much. And would rather they trade Melky to a team like the Cubs while his value is at an all-time high.
Agreed. I prefer Gardner as a 4th OF option more than Melky as well, but if Gardner can somehow bring us DeJesus…I say go for it. Don’t even hesitate. There is your young, talented, and not to mention cheap LF right there. And bring Matsui as DH. Imagine an outfield with DeJesus, Granderson, and Swish.
Abdababdaserser
December 9th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
lets go yankees, the trouble is Melky isn’t fast enough nor athletic enough to be one of the best CF in league. The offense isn’t unrealistic, but while he is OK fielding he isn’t in Granderson’s class. That is what lowers his value.
I think the value he really brings is being able to play all three positions, which many can’t do. He would be a decent LF. I think he has a very good arm but needs to learn how to throw better. His judgment on where to throw needs work as well.
He can cover center, but that seems like it came more by default.
————————
With those numbers he would probably be the 4th best offensive CF in baseball next year behind Kemp, Hunter, and Granderson. Couple that with his above average defense in CF and he is one of the best CF in baseball. It does not matter how fast or athletic he is if he has those numbers on offense and continues to be average or above average in CF.
I just can not fathom Melky Cabrera projecting to be one of the best CF in baseball, because with those numbers he would
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....ces-at-Doc
Halliday to the Angels for a year is perfectly fine with me. For the Yankees, Roy is only a threat for the postseason.
So you’ve got Jered Weaver, Roy Halliday, and who else? Scott (no velocity) Kazmir? Ervin (ERA 7.29) Santana?
Who’s the left side of your infield now?
Why not sign Lackey for the same $$$ for longer, and give up nothing else?
That’s why I don’t see that one going down, and if it does, it does not upgrade the Angels.
kc wants gardner? send him….
This postseason, I think Joel Sherman has been right on target. His nose for the Granderson deal almost 2-3 weeks ago was like he was right in the room.
I’d trust him a lot more now than Klapsich.
“LOL I thought I was the only one who watched Dear John. Kirk was hilarious, but I loved the sexed-up old lady who had a crush on Tom, who never, ever spoke.”
————————————————-
yup. It was a funny show : )
another under the radar sitcom in the same era was: “Day By Day” (Julia Luis Dreyfus played a neighbor)
GreenBeret7
December 9th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Cabrera’s numbers don’t need to be “eye-popping”. All he needs to do is put up the numbers I mentioned, which are hardly a stretch, as long as he provides more solid defense. I don’t care what his value to another team is…only his value to the Yankees. They have a catcher, 2 middle infielders and a center fielder with corner outfield bats.
————————-
I am not saying his numbers NEED to be eye-popping. I am saying you are projecting him to be one of the best CF in baseball. If Melky projected to be one of the best CF in baseball (1) they most likely would not have traded for Granderson and (2) if they did Melky could bring back a haul in a trade. He would bring back more than Adam Jones in a trade.
You are not understanding my point. My point is not that Melky would not be ok in LF. It is not that Melky is a pretty good player.
It is that with those numbers Melky would be a borderline great player coupled with his age, salary, and above average defense. I am sorry, but Melky is not a GREAT baseball player.
Roy Halladay will determine where he pitches next season…….Roy and only Roy makes this call….
“Why not sign Lackey for the same $$$ for longer, and give up nothing else?
That’s why I don’t see that one going down, and if it does, it does not upgrade the Angels”
——————————————–
don’t know what the Angels are doing this off-season, but i love it.
GB7
Dunn id ahead of DeLaRosa on the depth chart and has a real chance to make the team out of ST if Eiland can improve his control and cut his walks some…
DeLaRosa i think will start the season in the Trenton starting rotation anyway with Noesi,DJ Mitchell,Bleich and Horne or Garcia if they are ready at the start of the season…That is a sick rotation…Phelps actually would be in line to start in Trenton too…
I do think that we sign Chapman also and he may start at Trenton as well….that Trenton squad will be a murder squad this year with Montero,Romine,Abe ALmonte,Laird,Brewer and David Adams to go with the arms they are def a championship squad this season
Pittsburg,
That’s what I’ve been thinking about the angels. If they trade for halladay but lose lackey, figgins, and probably another one of their young pitchers in the trade for him then I don’t see how that really makes them any better. Now if they traded for Halladay and kept Lackey then that’s a different story but I don’t see that happeningg
I think the Angel interest in Halladay is to put pressure on Lackey.
“Agreed. I prefer Gardner as a 4th OF option more than Melky as well, but if Gardner can somehow bring us DeJesus…I say go for it. Don’t even hesitate”
———————————————-
Bill: yes. Except i expect KC would want more than Gardner. Either that or the KC front-office is even more inept than i think. Either way, i agree NYY should at least look at it.
Austin Jackson was the best prospect in the Yankees farm system and depending on which scouts you speak with, may be a potential all star or a solid regular in the big leagues. Regardless, he is a valuable player to have because he is very close to being ready for a call up, has impressive speed, and hits for a solid amount of power—————————————————————————–
i copied & pasted this
ajax has power
lol
Cash is such a cool guy. I love his style.
I hope that Damon is insulted by that offer and we move on.
I think Cash knows that instant offense can be added by offerering Hideki a 1-yr. deal.
Gardy & Melky? Good role players.
We could literally go with the team we have right now. So Cash is operating from a position of strength.
SP want to come down in price to play on a championship team? Welcome aboard!
Anyone want to trade a LF for some middling prospects? Give me a call.
We don’t HAVE to do anything, but the moves Cash makes from this point on will only make us better because we’ll be bringing in more experience.
“don’t know what the Angels are doing this off-season, but i love it. ”
I’ll tell you what they’re doing… they’re preparing for 3rd place. And that makes me very happy.
hope the Angels trade Erick Aybar in a package for a Doc Halladay rental.
vinny-b,
“yes. Except i expect KC would want more than Gardner. Either that or the KC front-office is even more inept than i think. Either way, i agree NYY should at least look at it.”
i totally agree. it would take more than just him. and it is definitely worth looking into. I know they are trying to shed some payroll so i think Cash, and i’m sure he is, should inquire about what it would take to get DeJesus. i wouldn’t think that we would have to give up any of our top level prospects, but i don’t know much about that. i always imagined DeJesus in pinstripes though and if Damon doesn’t return, he wouldn’t be a bad replacement.
This is just great. Subtraction by addition. I cannot believe the Sox are serious about Milton Bradley…
http://www.boston.com/sports/b.....e_exp.html
add to that list of CF’ers better than Leche Sizemore,Upton,Adam Jones,Guttierez,Hamilton,Victorino,Beltran,McClouth….while I do think that Melky continues to improve as a player and has not yet hit his ceiling or begun to plateau yet he is at best in the middle tier of CF’ers in the game even if he goes .280/17hrs/85rbis/.350obp/435slg%
If Melky is soooo good & everyone is projecting such improvement – exactly why are there absolutely no rumors, offers, or requests anywhere about him ???
Everyone talks to the Yankees – Cashman can barely leave his room – constant ‘kicking the tires’ about our ‘younger’ players – isn’t Melky one of them ? – but no inquiries…
Why ? Because almost no one outside of this site thinks that he’s going to be anything more than a #4 or #5 outfielder !!!
I hope I’m wrong – but I can’s see him actually being of much help to anyone….
How about the sad, Mets – they could use a new corner outfielder that’s ‘young & on-the-cheap’….they don’t even ask !!!
Realistically – what/who could we actually get for him ???
(this may create some interesting answers !!!)
wow
SI_JonHeymanaccording to toronto sun, #angels offer LHP joe saunders, SS erick aybar and OF peter bourjos for halladay. but would he go
“I’ll tell you what they’re doing… they’re preparing for 3rd place. And that makes me very happy”
——————————————
when you typed 3rd place i took it you meant behind the yankees and redsox. Then i realized you meant the AL West. Tru dat.
If Doc is willing to go west for a year, then he’ll sign an extension. Why would the Angels make this strong of an offer (not sure who Bourjos is) if they didn’t think Doc would sign? Didn’t they say recently they would only dangle Saunders if Doc would sign long-term?
For the Jays, what is Saunders’ salary situation?
“SI_JonHeymanaccording to toronto sun, #angels offer LHP joe saunders, SS erick aybar and OF peter bourjos for halladay. but would he go”
————————————-
if it’s a rental, i hope he does go
I’d be stunned if The Angels were to make that deal or any deal close to it…..They’ll resign Lackey and get Beltre or some other 3rd baseman……This is all an exercise in futilty…..
Phil, if they made an offer, that can’t be it – the Angels are really pushing very hard for the Doc….
edit: no way Roy Halladay signs a long term extension with the Angles. Don’t see it…
WOW thats alot for Halladay !!
The Tigers turned down a Bourjos centered deal for Granderson. And Saunders sucks.
Why would the Jays want Saunders. Dude is going to be 29 next season.
after listening to cashman on mlb, i believe he’s pretty much given up on damon. i think he’s still interested in matsui at the right price.
he said his granderson “slots right there in that #2 hole”
could be he’s sending damon/boras a message, but i think he’s moved on regarding johnny.
IF Heyman is correct and that is the best that Anaheim does then Halladay will not be out on the west coast….
who exactly is the centerpiece of that deal…Erick Aybar?
please don’t tell me it’s Saunders cuz he’s a #4 starter on a good staff and the BJ’s have six starters on their 40man that are better than Saunders
There’s no way the Angels made that offer for a rental……
I don’t think Halladay would sign a long term extension with the Angels (but what do I know
)
Could this be Tex v. 2.0?
RE: Peter Bourjos
Los Angeles Angels Top 20 Prospects for 2010
1) Mike Trout, OF, Grade B+: On overall upside potential, has to rank number one but although I’d love additional performance data about his power development. A bit of a risk, but the upside is outstanding.
2) Hank Conger, C, Grade B+: I think a full breakout is possible in 2010. I like the bat, the glove is coming along, just hope he stays healthy.
3) Trevor Reckling, LHP, Grade B+: Needs to lower his walk rate, but I liked him a lot last year and he performed well as one of the youngest pitchers in Double-A.
4) Garrett Richards, RHP, Grade B: First-class stuff and command was much better in pro ball than in college ball.
5) Peter Bourjos, OF, Grade B-: Borderline B. Speed goes nicely with improved plate discipline.
http://www.minorleagueball.com.....els-top-20
which package is better ???
the Angels offer
or
Chamberlain and Romine
Betsy,
that offer sucks.
Betsy that is a terrible offer….terrible
IPK Romine and Nunez is a better offer as you get more upside and 20 combined controlled years with them….
Saunders sucks and is an arb player so he’ll be making millions and same with Eybar who is an okay player not great.
We def should not be considering Joba,Hughes nor Montero for Roy if that’s the best that’s on the table
Peter Bourjos
Angels Best Prospect Performance #7
Nov 7, 2009
7) Peter Bourjos, 22 – CF, AA
.281/.354/.423 with 6 HR and 32 SB’s. +7 bat, +15 glove
Like last year, Bourjos’ bat tailed off in the second half. Turns out, it was injury related: he underwent surgery last month to clean up his wrist, which had been bothering him since June. Once healthy and in Salt Lake, it would not surprise me at all to see him return to his first half, ~.800+ OPS ways. Given Bourjos’ power potential and the PCL’s generous hitting environment, we may see some more homeruns as well. Looking further out, I think it’s likely his early career mirrors Erick Aybar’s, where he spends a good chunk of time as an under-appreciated backup on the mlb club, quietly contributing outstanding defense and speed, while steadily improving with the bat to the point where he gets leadoff consideration.
http://www.halosheaven.com/200.....t-prospect
WOW thats alot for Halladay !!
==========================
It’s not for a team that actually wants to acquire him. The Angels are in a bad way right now especially if The Mariners sign one of the big LF FA. The Mariners have some legitimate stars now…King Felix, Ichiro, Figgins and you add Bay/Holliday to that and factor in Lackey, Vlad and Figgins leaving Anaheim. That is one heck of a blow to an organization in one offseason.
Remember The Jays asked for Montero & Hughes/Joba plus another prospect…they asked for Buchholz/Kelly and probably another prospect from The Sox…they aren’t going to trade Halladay on the cheap to anyone. People need to realize this
======================
As far as Montero goes, the reporters keep reporting him as not being untouchable because he isn’t. Per Sweeny Murti on WFAN this morning…Murti spoke to his Yankee sources who told him that Joba, Hughes and Montero are not deemed as untouchables by The Yankees. Murti also said his sources went of their way to tell him that The Yankees view catching prospect Austin Romaine as untouchable and would loathe trading him for even a pitching stud like Halladay.
Bottom line: If Toronto said give us Jesus Montero and a few other prospects not named Joba or Hughes for TBJ, Montero would be on the first flight to The Rodgers Center tomorrow and everyone knows it. The reason The Yankees are holding pat right now is because Toronto wants Joba/Hughes + Montero.
“I don’t think Halladay would sign a long term extension with the Angels (but what do I know)”
——————————————–
don’t see it either. Every indication is Roy Halladay want’s to play for a team which practices/trains in Florida. And reports have mentioned he would prefer to experience what a place is like before committing to an extension.
Yeah Betsy that offer is absolutely atrocious….totally sucks…players are not that good, limited upside and will be making money so they are not cheap….just unbelievably bad offer
Montero is untouchable.
Correction: Buchholz/Kelly should be read: Buchholz & Kelly – Red Sox would need to deal both to acquire Doc Halladay.
Given some of the comments above if The Angels are able to pull this off with the package they have on the table now a lot of Yankee fans are going to be asking the same question all season:
“We couldn’t beat that?”
If this is true about the Angels it doesn’t do much for them overall. They already are down a top line pitcher in Lackey, so they would trade one of their rotation which has some weakness for a better pitcher, but also give up a good player in Aybar.
If Halladay sticks to what was said, he was testing FA no matter what (who knows if this is really true), then the Angels traded away cheaper longer term players for a rental that doesn’t make them that much better.
I think Saunders is OK, a decent return for Doc, but it seems they would be better off just signing Lackey unless they don’t think he is healthy enough for any length of time.
This is sort of like their move for Teixeira. Tex wanted to play on the east coast, as Doc has indicated he would prefer. Another rental that they would trash afterward while not making any real effort to keep?
vinny-b,
Judging by what they offered it’s probably a rental anyway.
The Angels offer is very light. Saunders has average stuff and is a back of the rotation starter. I don’t know why they would want him.
Wasn’t there a rumor earlier in the week though where The Angels supposedly wouldn’t trade for Doc Halladay unless he agreed upon an extension? What happened to that line of thinking?
“Murti spoke to his Yankee sources who told him that Joba, Hughes and Montero are not deemed as untouchables by The Yankees. Murti also said his sources went of their way to tell him that The Yankees view catching prospect Austin Romaine as untouchable and would loathe trading him for even a pitching stud like Halladay”
———————————————–
then i suggest Sweeney Murti get new sources. That and to stop being a punching-bag for Mike Francessa.
I was just comparing last years stats for Melky and Gardner.
AVG OBP SLG OPS
Melky .274 .336 .416 .752
Gardner .270 .345 .379 .724
Fairly close there. Gardner gets on more, but Melky slugs better. Kind of washes out though when you throw in Gardners steals (26 to 10 with less playing time).
AB RUNS RBI
Melky 485 66 68
Gardner 248 48 23
If you double Gardners AB’s to match Melky, he ends up around 96 Runs and 46 RBI’s. Once again, fairly close in total offense of Runs + RBI’s.
I think I would give the overall edge to Gardner for a full season in the outfield because of his defense. Melky has the better arm, but Gardner has the better range. Gardner also broke a finger (which would definitely affect his offense) this season, which is why Melky got back in CF full time.
Just throwing this out there to add to the Melky/Gardner discussion.
Granderson, via twitter:
“Sometimes change is good. My job is to now work as hard as I can to help the New York Yankees win their 28th World Series”
http://twitter.com/LarryLage
Thanks for the info on Bourjos, Upstate. So Bourjos’ power will depend on the fact that he plays in the PCL? I wonder if the Jays will be tempted by this.
If Saunders is arbitration eligible, that doesn’t make sense that the Jays would want him……
Wait – Romine (who I like – a LOT) is untouchable, but not Montero?
Dark Dante
you need to come into the light….that right there that Murti is reporting is called propaganda…if there is 1 “untouchable” in the entire franchise it’s Montero….i’m sure they are high on Romine and with good reason but if Toronto relented and took a package with Romine then Roy would be on a Gulfstream V in 2 hrs to do the press conference in NY
then i suggest Sweeney Murti get new sources. That and to stop being a punching-bag for Mike Francessa.
===========
I agree with the second part but he has better sources than any of us so unless you can come up with something that contradicts Murti’s sources, I’m gonna go with the information he passed along.
Who knows if the Jays even want Buchholz or Kelly?
Maybe the Jays view Buchholz and Kelly for what they are, losers.
Dark Dante
you need to come into the light….that right there that Murti is reporting is called propaganda…if there is 1 “untouchable” in the entire franchise it’s Montero….i’m sure they are high on Romine and with good reason but if Toronto relented and took a package with Romine then Roy would be on a Gulfstream V in 2 hrs to do the press conference in NY
===============
What is your source for this?
Well, we don’t even know if Anthopolous will honor Cash’s request that he come back to them with any offer he receives. I imagine he would because they apparently have a good working relationship, but he’s under no obligation to do so.
“What is your source for this?”
———————————-
common sense
” Murti also said his sources went of their way to tell him that The Yankees view catching prospect Austin Romaine as untouchable and would loathe trading him for even a pitching stud like Halladay.”
Therein lies the rub. Yankee sources don’t leak anything without a purpose. Romaine is publicly “untouchable” meaning he’ll be the centerpiece for any Halladay trade package.
“There are very, very few true statisticians doing any quantitative work in baseball as far as I can tell.”
cb-
that’s always been my perception of sabermetrics that they were not only amateurs in baseball but also in the academic world of statistics.
that said, sometimes people outside a field innovate in a field that they are not experts in so i try to keep an open mind.
one thing people need to remember is that baseball is a game played with clubs and balls. the best statistical minds are not likely going to spend a lot of time on it nor should they as there are real world life and death issues obviously more important.
and one thing that i find amusing is that on base percentage and walking a lot was part of the early sabermetric dogma. to me that was a big duh. i always knew mantle was even more amazing because he walked 100 times every year.
personally i think much of sabermetrics is just a way into the game as a kind of cottage industry through a side door by people who love the game but can’t figure out any other way into it.
i can’t really blame them because it is a game that is addictive.
My Source is my brain the fact that i can think helps me out a lot in life
Maybe the Angels made that offer knowing that the Jays don’t want to trade him in the division so maybe they would take less from them. Exactly like the Santana trade. The Twins got nothing after asking for the moon from the Yanks. I guess it doesn’t hurt to try.
How do you think Aybar feels about the possibilty of moving to Canada? I don’t think cold weather and him mix too well, good thing they play inside.
I don’t see that deal happening if the Jays are serious about wanting impact players for Halladay.
common sense
===========
Sorry not enough for me because what it really boils down to is subjective opinion. Others may claim that guys like Heyman, Murti and the rest of them need better sources when their gossip clashes with your own opinion of the value of certain players but at least they have sources.
They are paid to do the job that they do and while they aren’t always accurate their reporting does carry a little more weight to it for me when compared with subjective opinion.
The Jays will not accepth THAT offer they will just go into the season with Halladay and see what shakes loose at the trade deadline
Here are more quotes from Granderson:
The following quotes are from Curtis Granderson, responding via email on gettin traded by #Tigers to #Yankees 24 minutes ago from web
but I also want to wish both the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks the best of luck next season,” Curtis Granderson wrote in closing. 20 minutes ago from web
Sometimes change is good. My job is to now work as hard as I can to help the New York Yankees win their 28th World Series 20 minutes ago from web
Obviously this is a trade that three teams felt would be beneficial to each of them for different reasons and in different ways. 21 minutes ago from web
I’ve established a lot of great relationships in Detroit, not just with other players, but also with fans, businesses and the community 21 minutes ago from web
Trade speculation and rumors happen every year with so many players, so until it’s final, you really can’t think too hard about it. 22 minutes ago from web
I really didn’t think about it much until I actually received the call from Mr. Dombrowski. 22 minutes ago from web
It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m sad to be leaving one great organization and excited to joining another great organization. 23 minutes ago from web
They’ll trade Romine, they won’t trade Montero. And they won’t mind keeping Romine if they don’t like the terms.
Aybar fills the void left by Scutaro, but Saunders is less than overwhelming.
But, barring a Yankee trade this could be the best case scenario. I don’t think I’d want to potentially face a Halladay/Lee or Lee/Halladay combo in a series.
“Sorry not enough for me because what it really boils down to is subjective opinion”
————————————–
Romine being a better prospect than Montero is a subjective opinion? I would refer to it as another word
•”Yahoo’s Steve Henson hears that the Yankees will be strong players for Matt Holliday. ”
For all of you who say the Yankees have zero interest in him.
The Angels have some real issues. Vlad is likely gone, as he is not aging well – remember his playoff ABs? And Figgins is gone, and I have to think they know something about Lackey (why else would they let him walk?). They really need to add a bat (Bay?) and more pitching. The catch about Doc is that it will cost them another starter, at least, and a position player. Their risk? Seattle and Texas are breathing down their back.
The issue of Montero being traded for Doc, as mentioned above, is interesting. I heard on the radio this AM, that Heymann is reporting that the Yanks have turned down deals invovlving Romaine. This makes sense if they really believe he is their catcher after Posada. Then what about Montero? It depends on what the Yanks really think about his ability to stick behind the plate. Because 1B is taken by Tex for the forseeable future, the only other option is DH is Montero isn’t catching; and Cash and Joe Girardi have said they really like the idea of rotation through the DH spot for Jeter, Alex, Tex…
I could see Montero going for Doc, IF Toronto comes off Joba/Phil. Why no Joba/Phil? Because after Andy retires, they would then step in, after CC, Doc (if the trade works) and AJ to give the best rotation for a very long time.
I wonder if the Jays like Romine, or if they are so stuck on Montero. Again, we’ll see if A.A. is any different than Ricciardi in terms of whether he will negotiate or if he insists on the packages that he is asking from the various teams.
Betsy, its always best to go back to Cashman to check before making a deal. It may not pay off, but it might help getting the initial offering increased when the other team knows the Yankees are checking in.
I still wonder about what the Angels are doing. Being in California right now is not a very good thing. Their state is in big financial trouble which means more taxes coming. That means less disposable income as well for baseball.
They pass on Figgins, not even giving it much of a go. They didn’t try to keep Teixeira. They are probably letting Vlad go. They might very well be letting Lackey go.
Very strange for a usual contender for the post season. And they don’t appear to be moving much except with this Halladay offer.
Romine being a better prospect than Montero is a subjective opinion? I would refer to it as another word
=======================
Just reporting back what I heard. You have every right obviously to disagree with it. *shrug*
All The Best.
Blake, I really don’t believe that…..
“Just reporting back what I heard. You have every right obviously to disagree with it. *shrug*”
—————————–
dante: no offense. Not shooting the messenger. I just don’t believe that info is valid.
UNLESS, the Yankees have absolutely given up on acquiring pitching. I still wouldn’t do it – too much $$$, too many years.
Romine is not a better prospect than Montero. He’s not close as a hitter and not much better on defense. I was Montero and not Romine who blew apart the FSL and had to be promoted this year. Plus, Romine is older, and the younger player passed him. No one on earth, outside of moronically reflexive contrarians thinks Romine is better than Montero. Which isn’t saying Romine isn’t a good prospect, he is. Montero just might be the best prospect.
“For all of you who say the Yankees have zero interest in him.”
You know that many Lohud bloggers are actually in the upper levels of the Yankees organization! *cough cough* SJ44
I do not want Holliday for the $$ he will command, but to say unequivocally that the Yankees want this or dont want that is absurd.
Betsy, if Cashman decides that a Halladay deal is out and that all of the FA pitchers are too expensive then I can see him getting in on Holliday. If they choose to go with the pitching staff as is, and decide to fill the DH from within then they could sign Holliday and still come in with a lower payroll than in 2009. I think if he can make something happen for a starting pitcher then Holliday is probably out of the picture but if not then you never know.. he makes a ton of sense in LF.
Joe, I didn’t know the Yanks had turned down offers for Romine. I’m not surprised though – he’s a very good catching prospect who happens to get overshadowed by Montero.
blake December 9th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
How do you think Aybar feels about the possibilty of moving to Canada? I don’t think cold weather and him mix too well, good thing they play inside.
I don’t see that deal happening if the Jays are serious about wanting impact players for Halladay.
_________
I think Aybar will feel as if he was sent to the gulag in Siberia. Half his salary would be spent on winter coats to wear during the summer. lol.
He would address the Short Stop position, even though they have McDonald, the Jays don’t seem all that high on him for a starter.
I highly doubt that Cash has serious interest in Holliday. I wouldn’t be surprised to start hearing that the Yanks “really want him” because that will be Boras throwing out his fake interest like always.
CR9, I have no idea what they are going to do. I have learned to never put anything past Cashman.
blake
Although I thought there was no way we would get Tex last year, I never stated it on here. I always have hope…
But these are the same people that said there was no chance we would get Tex and belittled any blogger that suggested otherwise.
Hey folks –
Has there been a definitive statement that Granderson is playing CF? Michael Kay and Gammons seemed to assume that he was going to play LF and leave Gritty, Gutty Brett Gardner and Melky in CF.
Thoughts?
Cash said he’s playing CF.
Blake, I suppose that’s possible. This is ridiculous – I really need to tear myself away from the computer
Wow, Buster Olney just said if Damon comes back we’re gonna look to flip Swisher. Then Jason Stark said KC called to see if Gardner was available. If Damon comes back something’s gotta give, and for sure, I’d rather see Swisher or Gardner go before Melky. I still can’t believe I was hearing “trade Melky” yesterday…
If we do pick up Holliday, I think it might be possible that he plays RF and Melky/Gardner plays LF. Holliday is an average (or below average) defender, and LF in Yankee Stadium is huge.
cb-
that’s always been my perception of sabermetrics that they were not only amateurs in baseball but also in the academic world of statistics.
that said, sometimes people outside a field innovate in a field that they are not experts in so i try to keep an open mind.
one thing people need to remember is that baseball is a game played with clubs and balls. the best statistical minds are not likely going to spend a lot of time on it nor should they as there are real world life and death issues obviously more important.
and one thing that i find amusing is that on base percentage and walking a lot was part of the early sabermetric dogma. to me that was a big duh. i always knew mantle was even more amazing because he walked 100 times every year.
personally i think much of sabermetrics is just a way into the game as a kind of cottage industry through a side door by people who love the game but can’t figure out any other way into it.
i can’t really blame them because it is a game that is addictive.
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Bill James and other sabermetrics did innovate the academic field of statistics at all.
They innovated the way people analyze baseball. The actual pure statistical analysis they do is juvenile compared to what real statisticians do. Like I said before a fifth grader could figure out how to calculate a player’s AVG or OBP. Sabermetrics is just a step up from that, but far from some genius statistical analysis.
Until I see Doc in a Blue Jays uni come February 14th ( pitchers & catchers report ) I still say the NY Yankees will have the final decision in bringing Roy Halladay to The Bronx…..I do think it’s better than 50-50 that he’s a Yankee …..He would stack the deck on winning several World Championships…..
If the Yankees had serious interest in Holliday, we wouldn’t know about it until he was signed.
He seems like the perfect NL player. Let him rot there.
You can’t believe any of these front office people. They lie to everyone but each other.
CR9, thats why I posted that.
Blake-The Yahoo quote is consistent with my earlier take that when Cashman says if the pitching stays this high he will change his focus, mean offense. Offense would mean Holliday to me. Holliday has some speed and power. He could hit second or fifth.
“I think Aybar will feel as if he was sent to the gulag in Siberia”
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well Hamilton Ontario (near Toronto) and pretty much Ontario in general resembles a gulag. When traveling via the area over Thanksgiving, the skies resembled nuclear fallout. The border guards are a treat too.
Steve Hanson has no valid sources.
He’s a gossip type writer for Yahoo.
There isn’t a single beat writer or national baseball columnist who have written ANY source based material that puts the Yankees in play for Matt Holliday.
Blake, you need to learn a little bit about reporting.
“Hearing something” isn’t a story. It’s nonsense and why nobody in the business takes Shandong seriously.
I think we would be surprised by the offers for trades that most GM’s get all the time.
I think the Yankees would think about Holliday for left if they felt his price tag was reasonable. Boras is trying hard, but this market is a tough one. It may even make him think that a shorter deal would work out better as it could bridge to a better economic time.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Holliday with the Yankees, but I’m not sure its a high probability.
“If we do pick up Holliday, I think it might be possible that he plays RF and Melky/Gardner plays LF. Holliday is an average (or below average) defender, and LF in Yankee Stadium is huge.”
He’s an upgrade over Damon.
Betsy – I’ve got no reason not to believe the report.
It really comes down to what the Yankees’ internal evaluations and projections are about Montero and Romine, and how they envision the makeup of the team in the years ahead. That will, I believe, will determine what happens with the two of them.
http://www.wfan.com/pages/223566.php
Granderson audio on this page
“It may even make him think that a shorter deal would work out better as it could bridge to a better economic time”
I’ve thought about that, it’s risky but could pay off if the economy improved.
“Wow, Buster Olney just said if Damon comes back we’re gonna look to flip Swisher”
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normally i find Buster Olney among the most reliable. I don’t want to believe NYY would try to trade Swisher. Not when Melky is the one who should be leaving (in the above scenario)
Kinda funny …………
http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/wilbur/
Sweeny said that a lot of scouts including the Jays see Montero as a 1st baseman and definitely not a catcher. So Romine could have more interest since a good hitting catcher is hard to find. But obviously no one knows if Montero will stick behind the plate or not.
vinny, I live fairly close to Canada, the border crossing has gotten very tough. When you do travel to Canada you feel like you are a long way from the US. Amazing how different it can be just a few miles across the border.
CR9,
I have a helluva lot more contacts in baseball, and with the Yankees, than you do.
The Yankees aren’t involved with Matt Holliday.
That’s Scott Boras feeding Steve Hanson fodder to spur a bidding war.
SJ, his sources that say they are interested are no different from your’s they say they aren’t. Nobody knows what they are really up to. Everything is speculation until something actually happens
Thanks for that link Carl – Granderson has an outstanding rep as a stand-up guy.
If you find a taker for melky you drive him to the airport. He’s a good kid, switch hitter, versatile in the field. But he’s going to start costing money, more each year. And then you have to decide what to do with him. And I think by that point, he won’t be the best option at any of the 3 OF positions.
Gardner is not a good hitter right now, but I wouldn’t give up on him. He’s barely played a full season? But he fits the bill for the 4OF/pinch runner role that any team needs. Cheap and athletic.
If Damon’s not here what do the Yankees do? They gotta keep Swisher. Who’s going to trade for Swisher? The last 2 years on his contract aren’t favorable at all. But he’s a good player with pop.
I’d rather run melky out there than acquire Cameron. I can’t see them trading melky, gardner, or swisher.
But in order of ease it’d probably be: swisher, gardner, melky. swisher is the best player of the bunch by far and gardner is cheap, cheap, cheap.
TKinDC December 9th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Thanks for that link Carl – Granderson has an outstanding rep as a stand-up guy.
np
Blake,
Believe what you want.
Scott Boras has met with 6 teams on Matt Holliday and has not moved off 20 million per year for him.
He will wait out the market for him, perhaps even into January.
The Yankees aren’t one of the teams who met with Boras on Holliday and have no intention of meeting that price.
He’s not coming to the Yankees.
The Yankees will fill their LF/DH slot well before Holliday signs.
Get Cameron too.
Add to the clubhouse and get better as well.
The Yanks still think Montero’s a catcher, and they really like his progress there. People saying he’s not are just trying to trade for him.
SJ, I’m glad you can make that statement with 100% certainty. I guess we will just see what happens
“But in order of ease it’d probably be: swisher, gardner, melky. swisher is the best player of the bunch by far and gardner is cheap, cheap, cheap.”
Which is why I think Gardner would be the easiest to move (if I’m reading your post correctly).
Another team can justify his salary even if he’s only a 4th OF/defensive replacmeent/pinch runner. Alternatively, if they are believe in his potential, they can look to his WAR, which was 2.1 in limited PT last season. Although that may prove to be an outlier, it may also indicate that he can be a productive player with more development and PT.
“vinny, I live fairly close to Canada, the border crossing has gotten very tough. When you do travel to Canada you feel like you are a long way from the US. Amazing how different it can be just a few miles across the border”
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yes. When had entered Canada over Thanksgving via the Windsor border was talked down to by the canadian guard and not treated like a human being. Didn’t even say anything to have antagonized him. All i did was show him my license and passport. He then designated me for ‘secondary examination’ where the entire vehicle was searched by canadian customs.
to be fair, i received similar treatment (complete vehicle search) at the US-Buffalo border. However, at least the US guards were professional. In the end, i don’t know if the guards didn’t like my face, the white Lexus i was in, or all of the above?
bold
Did anyone hear Sweeney Murti propose that the Yankees bat Cano behind Alex? His theory is that Alex will get pitched around so much that it will force Cano to be a better hitter (he’ll get good pitches to hit). Not sure Robbie is ready for that yet. Alex does need some protection. That’s why I’d like Matsui back. Posada to me is only mild protection.
The Yanks purposefully leaked that Romine tidbit.
In no universe is he more valuable than Montero. However, the Yanks want people to think that.
Posturing… just like Cashman talked up Jackson last week and how he could make the team out of ST.
“If Damon’s not here what do the Yankees do? They gotta keep Swisher. Who’s going to trade for Swisher? The last 2 years on his contract aren’t favorable at all. But he’s a good player with pop.”
100% agree – the only reason we got Swish for Wilson Betemit (
) was that his contract was not good. He’s been much better for us than for the Pale Hose, but he is a character. I think that he is an important ingredient in last year’s recipe for success. The quirky fact that he hit a ton of HR’s on the road and was so great pre-A-Rod showed a lot of value imho.
I’m surprised that Granderson and CC don’t know eachother… Granderson mentioned knowing Jeter and Swisher. Maybe he forgot CC was on the team haha
Laura,
No, but given the present composition of the roster, Cano is one of the better alternative to bat 5th.
“Gardner is not a good hitter right now, but I wouldn’t give up on him. He’s barely played a full season? But he fits the bill for the 4OF/pinch runner role that any team needs. Cheap and athletic”
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totally agree, m
Girardi’s numbers before the ASB made him one of the top CFs in the game. Check the numbers.
You cannot believe anything Cash, or any GM says at this time of the year (if at any time)…it’s all posturing. Remember last year when Cash said that it “would be pure fantasy to think we could/would sign both CC and Tex”!!! And our former host on this blog took him at his word and did battle with anyone who deigned to think otherwise. And our former host, crestfallen as he was, did indeed eat humble pie.
“If Melky is soooo good & everyone is projecting such improvement – exactly why are there absolutely no rumors, offers, or requests anywhere about him ???”
These are the best arguments. Melky’s name hasn’t been brought up in trade rumors, therefore, he’ll never get any better. How do you get from a to b and what makes you think that’d you’d know if his name was brought up? did you know about the Swisher trade ahead of time? Did you know about the Bruney trade? One of Cashman’s goals in trade negotiations is to keep them OUT of the media.
By the time Melky starts making any real money he’ll be a free agent.
Not sure why people think Melky is going to get some huge raise in arbitration. He isn’t.
“But he fits the bill for the 4OF/pinch runner”
Pinch runner- absolutely
OF? He’s played 17 games in LF and 0 games in RF. He’s a replacement CF.
If you think Melky is going to get too expensive, that means he’ll be putting up the numbers to do so. If he’s as bad as some people here seem to think, why would they pay him more?
Cash is quite slick, the “boy next door” appearance notwithstanding. He has to be for rather obvious reasons. He will do whatever he has to do to put the best team on the field and will not show his hand in so doing.
Wow…West Wing was my favorite tv program as I have the entire series on dvd. What next you say?? How about monitoring the Halladay situation and see where it leads. How about taking a chance on Sheets if other options of getting starter doesn’t make sense. How about a lead off hitter to replace Damon should he not return. How about bring back Matsui as our DH to provide protection for A-Rod. If that option is not viable how about an super utility guy to give Jeter, A-Rod and Teixeira a blow so they can perform at the highest level toward the end of the season. And last but not least, what about Wang???? A two times 19 game winner should deserve another look.
Perhaps Cash’s best performance as a straight faced liar came when he anointed Bubba Crosby as his starting CF… and then signed Damon.
Compared to that, Cash suggesting that signing Teix would be sheer fantasy sounds almost, well, believable.
Cash-man is waiting to pounce.
Cabrera is a guy with some hitting talent, no question about it. He became a much more versatile offensive threat as his hitting from the right side developed in 2010.
I expected him to have a decent 2009, and he did – would have liked to have seen a bit better OBP from him, but based on what he did in 2009, I expect to see that raised in 2010 – in addition to a further increase in power.
in 2009, that is.
Wow…West Wing was my favorite tv program as I have the entire series on dvd. What next you say?? How about monitoring the Halladay situation and see where it leads. How about taking a chance on Sheets if other options of getting starter doesn’t make sense. How about a lead off hitter to replace Damon should he not return. How about bring back Matsui as our DH to provide protection for A-Rod. If that option is not viable how about a super utility guy to give Jeter, A-Rod and Teixeira a blow so they can perform at the highest level toward the end of the season. And last but not least, what about Wang???? A two times 19 game winner should deserve another look.
I often get the feeling that people make comments without having read, listening to or watching the things they comment on.
Simon
December 9th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Wow, Buster Olney just said if Damon comes back we’re gonna look to flip Swisher. Then Jason Stark said KC called to see if Gardner was available. If Damon comes back something’s gotta give, and for sure, I’d rather see Swisher or Gardner go before Melky. I still can’t believe I was hearing “trade Melky” yesterday…
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It’s wishing & hoping.
….however – no one wants Melky.
Zero interest.
No one can even come up with a hypothetical trade of equal value for him !
Rather see Swisher or Gardner be traded than Melky ???
(must be a Boston Fan – or someone with a cute little man-crush on Melky – cannot be a baseball reason behind that wish)