Swisher and Damon get ready for their close-ups
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 15, 2009 
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Thanks to everyone who emailed about the Yankees going primetime.
The first one seems inevitable. Nick Swisher will be playing himself in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. For about a year, my friend Cory tried to convince me to watch that show, and I had absolutely no interest. Finally watched it, and it cracked me up. If you’ve never watched the show, check out the Swisher episode on Feb. 1. The idea of Swisher and Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) in the same place could be over the top.
The second primetime appearance is technically a former Yankee, but he’s still on the market so it’s worth mentioning that Johnny Damon will be WWE’s Monday Night Raw in six days. I assume he’ll also be playing himself, and he’s apparently bringing “Secret Santas” with him, which could be absolutely anything.
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Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays edged Hideki Matsui for the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.
Lind appeared in 95 games as a designated hitter in 2009, batting .299 with 21 home runs and 74 runs batted in. Adam also posted a .539 slugging percentage and a .362 on-base percentage in addition to collecting 200 total bases, 60 runs scored and 26 doubles as a DH. Overall, the 26-year-old appeared in 151 total games this season, batting .305 with 35 homers and setting club highs with 114 RBI and 46 doubles. His 81 extra-base hits were second best in the A.L., while his 114 total RBI placed third and his 35 homers, his 46 doubles and his 330 total bases all ranked fifth.
Matsui took second place in the balloting after posting a .270 batting average, 27 home runs and 86 RBI as a designated hitter for the New York Yankees. Five-time winner David Ortiz (.235, 26 HR, 94 RBI as a DH) of the Boston Red Sox finished third in the voting.
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The New York Yankees will continue another great tradition this holiday season with their 16th annual Yankees Food Drive, presented by White Rose. On Thursday, December 17, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Gate 2 at Yankee Stadium (corner of 164th Street and Jerome Ave.), any fan bringing 30 pounds of non-perishable food will receive a voucher good for two Grandstand or Bleachers tickets to one of 20 designated games.*
All collected food will be distributed throughout the Bronx to those in need. Fans driving to the Stadium may pull up to Gate 2 to drop off their donation. Rice and bottled water will not be accepted. To help kick off the Yankees Food Drive, White Rose will donate 6,000 pounds of food. In addition, the Yankees will purchase $10,000 worth of food from White Rose for distribution.
*Designated Games: 5/3/10 vs. Baltimore; 5/4/10 vs. Baltimore; 5/19/10 vs. Tampa Bay; 6/2/10 vs. Baltimore; 6/3/10 vs. Baltimore; 6/29/10 vs. Seattle; 7/20/10 vs. Los Angeles-AL; 7/21/10 vs. Los Angeles-AL; 8/2/10 vs. Toronto; 8/4/10 vs. Toronto; 8/16/10 vs. Detroit; 8/17/10 vs. Detroit; 8/19/10 vs. Detroit; 8/31/10 vs. Oakland; 9/1/10 vs. Oakland; 9/2/10 vs. Oakland; 9/8/10 vs. Baltimore; 9/20/10 vs. Tampa Bay; 9/21/10 vs. Tampa Bay and 9/22/10 vs. Tampa Bay.
Non-Yanks fans can cry that the Yanks spend a ton of money…
but nobody can argue that they are at the top of the game when it comes to giving back..
(and I’m not just talkin bout luxury tax and revenue sharing)
Nice job Yankees!
…get Swisher on SNL for an episode….THAT ought to be entertaining !!!
I’ve never seen the show and I don’t watch wrestling, lol.
Good job by the Yanks re: the food drive.
Yankees on TV?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_FRxh_xDFc
NY Yankees on Sgt. Bilko/Phil Silvers Show
Hoffa
December 15th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Brett,
What guy do you think Cash covets? If he was going to trade 2 of the 3, he would have done it for Halladay.
—
After reading about the Josh Johnson negotiations with the Marlins and how messy they were and also the quotes from his agent, I became convinced that he’s definitely available for the right price via trade but the Marlins want teams to come to them. They know their prospects though having successfully targetted Hanley Ramirez. Their scouts are top notch and their farm system consistently produces quality young talent. They have players in mind for sure. Johnson’ agent threw out a figure of 18-20 for JJ once he hits free agency in 2 years. He did it through the press, 2 years in advance. 2 YEARS. The message to the Marlins was clear – he will want a giant contract that they can’t afford.
Maybe Cash thinks he can trade for JJ and give him that 4 year extension he wanted from the Fish and the Fish think they can replace him with cheaper talent.
We’ll see.
If what Phil says is true, then the Yankees may have dangled Joba. I can’t say I’m surprised……
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....eason.html
I’m sure we won’t go after him……..unless the Yankees don’t mind trading Montero/Hughes/Joba, etc…..for him
Wonder if Swisher will “suit up”. I love that show.
I just wanted to add to what was being discussed on the previous thread…..I’ve watched John Lackey pitch for the past 6 years, and regardless of the physical setbacks that plagued him 2008, let me be clear he’s a very good pitcher…..Combine him with ( a hungry for a new contract ) Josh Beckett along with an ever improving John Lester gives the Boston Red Sox as good of a top 3 rotation as their is in baseball……Dice-K is the wild card here…However if he was to return to form then the AL East will be all about an Arms Race…..The final outcome could come down to Joba and Young Master Hughes…..I expect an least 20-21 wins from them this season
Phil
December 15th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
They flat weren’t trading Montero or Hughes and the only evidence you need to realize that is that Halladay is not a Yankee.
—
Maybe so but the point was to leak all 3 names and let GM’s know that all 3 are available. If you combine those strategic leaks with Cashman’s statements about ‘REALLY’ wanting to add another starter and being willing to trade ‘ANYONE’ in the right deal, you’ll see that Cashman is exploring the trade market – and if he approaches every trade like the Granderson one – he already contacted another GM about a pitcher. Given the caliber of talent of the names leaked, it’s a darn good pitcher.
Pat M, the Sox have the best 1,2,3 in baseball right now on paper. I think thats pretty inarguable. However, if the Yankees can sign Sheets and he stays healthy I think the Yankees overall staff can be just as good. The Yankees are much better offensively and if one of Joba/Hughes is in the pen then I like the Yankees bullpen better as well.
I don’t know an awful lot about Sheets, but I would love to get him….what an arm. I saw one clip of him a couple of years ago and my jaw dropped.
I think Phil will have his ups and downs, but I do think his ups are going to be fantastic. His ability to paint the black with velocity is tremendous. He can still do that as a starter – 92-94 with the way his FB moves and has late life? Hitters have a hard time picking it up. He’s a very smart kid….I hope fans will be patient with him.
Steve Goldman is certainly bully on the Sox. Man, I respect the Sox, but I hate them – I can’t stand the idea that they might be better
http://www.myyesnetwork.com/12.....e_thinking
• Boston’s signing of John Lackey shows that the Red Sox are committed to going toe-to-toe with the Yankees for the division title, never mind you a wild card route to the playoffs. With a front four of Lackey, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Sox are set to win every day, and with Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield around, they have the depth to solve the inevitable injuries. Lackey’s ERA will probably pop up closer to 4.00 with the change in venue and opponents (he’ll see the Yankees 42 times this year, not the A’s and M’s, and Fenway is harder on pitchers than Angel Stadium), but that still beats the heck out of relying on Brad Penny or Paul Byrd. Some pundits are now grousing that the Sox aren’t going to have enough offense, and we’ll see if that’s true, but those concerns seem overstated. The starting pitching should keep the Sox in most games, and a close win is still a win. Further, with the signing of Mike Cameron, a move which presumably pushes Jacoby Ellsbury to left field, they’ve improved their defense substantially, and they’ll upgrade again whenever they finally consummate the Mike Lowell trade and sign Adrian Beltre. If you don’t want to over-commit to Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, this is the smartest way to go.
I believe Cashman’s first priority is to trade for a starter. If he can’t pull it off, he’ll sign Sheets. There are no guarantees of course. He waited on Granderson for 1 month and finally the demands came down.
If Phil goes to the pen, then they should have traded him for Halladay.
I don’t think Phil or Montero are available at all and very likely lot Joba…..I’m sure we’re reading way too much into a dopey tweet.
Why would Cashman trade for a starter when he could sign Sheets for just $$? There is no available starter that I’m interested in…..
I sure hope the Yanks get their pen straightened out as well. Melancon and Dunn ? We really want to go into the season with those two?
The Yankees need to pencil Hughes into the #5 slot and leave him there until his innings limit is reached or better yet skip starts so he can pitch all year. Every time Hughes has started in the big leagues he has either gotten hurt or struggled and been sent to Scranton or the pen. He’s never going to learn to get hitters out as a starter if he isn’t allowed to struggle and figure it out. Felix struggled for awhile, Greinke struggled for awhile, Halladay did the same, most pitchers do. Another reason why the Yankees need another veteran arm is so they can allow Hughes to feel his way through this year. He’s going to struggle at times but if the Yankees and the fans will stick with him it will pay off big time in the future IMO.
“for the right player, I’ll move anybody,”
“How I Met Your Mother” is one of my favorite shows. I can’t wait for Swish to make an appearance. Should be hysterical
“I’ve had trade discussions with various teams, and the price tags are currently what they are,” Cashman said. “Obviously, the price tags in the Detroit and Arizona deal was one thing awhile ago, and it turned out to be in the end what we settled on.”
Blake, I completely agree…….which is why I think a competition in ST will be completely detrimental to him (he’ll have to focus on “winning”, so forget his curve and change – it will be strictly FB/cutter)…….and another stint in the pen will set him back a couple of years as far as being a starter goes. Skip his starts…….that’s fine. I would really rather see him in AAA than in the pen.
“I believe Cashman’s first priority is to trade for a starter.”
The yankees need another starter. I agree with that.
But right now both their LF and DH spots project at replacement level production.
That is a big problem.
Cash is so inscrutable – it’s hard to know what he’s doing at any time and what he plans on doing. He can’t possibly think a rotating DH is a good idea……and if he thinks Miranda is the answer (like he implied at the winter meetings), then he’s a fool…….and Cash is no fool. I really wish he’d forget about Damon. Not only is Damon not going to sign for a year (I do not want to give him 2 and I barely want to give him one), but we’d have to deal with this LF merry-go-round in another year or two anyway.
If Sheets is healthy and willing to give the Yankees a demonstration of this by throwing a side session, medicals, etc. What kind of a deal would the Yanks be willing to put in place for him ? Is he worth 12 Million on a 1 year. Would 8 + incentives do it. Would a 1 year with a 2nd year option be a smart idea under the above scenario. In other words what do people here think it might take to land him ?
I like the idea of a 1 year with a 2nd year vesting option based on IP. and if he is healthy and it takes the full 12Mill to secure him I go there. Anybody else willing to join me ?
Have the Sox improved their chances with the addition of Lackey? It is safe to say yes.
But even as a Sox fan I still believe the Yankees have the edge. I believe the Yankees improved themselves last year with the very significant addition of CC, Burnett, and Tex….more than the Sox have improved themselves with the addition of Lackey, Cameron, and Scutaro.
I think Seattle will be very interesting to watch this year with both Cliff Lee and Felix in the rotation.
Betsy, Phil has nothing left to do in AAA. Every time they send him down there he mows down the hitters like Bob Gibson. He’s 23, not 19 or 20, the kid is starter and its time for him to start. I think they are preparing him to start and if they sign another starter then Joba will be going to the pen (where I think he belongs)
Betsy – high on pie
December 15th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Why would Cashman trade for a starter when he could sign Sheets for just $$? There is no available starter that I’m interested in…..
I sure hope the Yanks get their pen straightened out as well. Melancon and Dunn ? We really want to go into the season with those two?
…………………………..
The day may come when the Yankees field the perfect 25 players but it won’t happen in your lifetime.
DVR Set for Monday Night Raw = Check!
Blake, I hope you’re right. It’s not about Phil having anything to prove in AAA as it is about keeping him out of that pen. You and I are in total agreement about him.
Question: Does anybody think Bay would sign as DH?
YOu think, Clark? I already know that- what’s your point? I just want to field the strongest team possible.
I highly doubt the loser of the Hughes/Joba competition will go to AAA.
Especially if the relievers look shakey during ST.
Bay-no
If Hughes or Joba begin the season in the ‘pen it would mean that Cashman went out and got a quality starter.
I see no problem with that.
Glad they are no longer accepting rice and water. Cheap people were bringing it to the stadium cause it weighed a lot.
Anyway, the comment about Melancon and Dunn came out wrong. It’s nice to give arms a chance, but if they are not up to the task, then who do we have?
What if Joba comes to camp in shape and looks fantastic like he did in 2008 when he started?
Then what?
They are going to send him to the pen?
I think it is going to be a fair and square competition. A motivated Joba with his velocity back is going to be a scary proposition for the rest of the league.
I think that is another reason why Cash wants to bring in another starter… it gives him many more options if guys like Melancon or Robertson can’t get the job done.
Rather have one too many good arms than one too few. If one of the kids has to be in AAA or the pen, so be it.
PAT,
You are exactly right. Lackey went from overrated to extremely underrated. He is a darn good pitcher and a bulldog on the mound. He’s battle tested in the postseason and has been tough on us in the past.
No way to spin it— this was an excellent signing for them.
CB, I’m with you on the lineup…In fact right after the series you were the first person here to make that point…I knew centerfield was an issue, and with the pending free agency of Matsui ( big hit ) & Damon, the lineup would be even weaker…..As illustrated several times by a few here, some guys had better than expected seasons in 09, some a bit below projections….I’ve been harping on the 5 hole since the final pitch by Rivera…..It only seems logical to fill the leftfield spot and the # 5 hitter with one player…….Blake, that’s a lot of if’s my man………Matt Holliday is the answer, he’s a superior ballplayer when compared to Bay
This Japanese kid is very intriguing. Hope the Sox don’t get him. Most guys from Japan are junkballers, this guy throws in the mid 90s.
phil’s biggest fan….yesterday you wanted him traded, today you want him demonted to aaa, with fans like you, he doesnt need any enemies…
“Most guys from Japan are junkballers, this guy throws in the mid 90s.”
…does he throw a gyroball?
Career Totals 31 24 3.14 219 27 1 1 14 22 426.2 370 161 149 44 22 109 329
Anyone like the career line above ? Care to guess what free agent pitcher it belongs to ? I kind of like this one also.
I said it before and will say it again…
Cashman will regret not signing Matsui. He could’ve been in the fold for a reasonable 5-6 Million and a 1 year contract.
Check his lifetime stats against the A.L. East, particulary Boston and Tampa Bay, he is one of the top clutch hitters this team has seen over the past 7 years.
Yes, he has knee issues, but I’m willing to bet Matsui is still a better LFer than Johnny ‘Chicken Arm” Damon. (My Grandfather could score on his arm from second base on a shallow single to Left field!) and a more consistent bhitter as the DH.
Not every player can DH well. The position is similar to a valuable utiliy infielder who doesn’t play every day but keeps himself ready and gives valuable contributions to the team when called upon.
Thanks for your big moments, Hidecki. Sadly, this is your reward!
That is Duschester’s career numbers right?
He would be a nice signing if we lose out on Sheets
Bingo ! we have a winner.
Pat M. what is a lot of if’s. Really only 2, if they sign Sheets and if he stays healthy. I have been a supporter of signing Holliday for weeks, even when 99% of people on this blog thought it was a terrible idea. He is perfect for what their needs are .
Cashman will regret signing Matsui when Juan Miranda whiffs at a curveball in the dirt from John Lackey or when Vlad strikes out to end the game on a ball at his neck……
“Matt Holliday is the answer, he’s a superior ballplayer when compared to Bay”
Pat M.,
The yankees have painted themselves into a bit of a corner. No team can go into the season with replacement level production at two spots in the line up and believe that this isn’t going to damage their chances to win in the AL East.
At this point in time, there are limited ways of fixing this.
Holliday may actually be the most efficient way of doing so at this point in time.
Pat M, if the Yanks don’t go after Holliday , would you re-sign Damon? I love the guy, but he clearly looks like he’s on his last legs…. Also, would you be disappointed if the Yanks backed out of Chapman because of $$$?
I really hope the Yankees are not so stuck on budget and keeping payroll down that they don’t lose sight of the fact that their real goal is to win another WS. The Red Sox and other teams are not going to stand pat and we can’t either. Stand pat? We have to move forward…..I hope “penny wise, pound foolish” is not the motto for this year as I thought it might be at the trading deadline last year.
They only Tweet what they want you to read.
signing sheet for $12M with his injury history, coming off surgery and not pitching for a year is a pretty expensive risk.
Holliday is also a superior ballplayer to Crawford, Werth, and any other options out there for LF in the near future.
Haven’t heard much about DeRosa lately. Anyone know what’s going on with him?
cb can u get through a comment w/o using the term ‘replacement level’?
or this one:
CAREER 51 41 3.71 144 141 1 1 0 0 822.0 762 375 339 75 30 325 801 .244 1.32 1.06
Y’ – you clearly need reading lessons. Stop trolling and get a life or get mommy to read and explain to you what I posted.
Ironic how we were praising Cash a few days ago and now we’re killing him for doing a bad job with LF/DH. I have never wondered this about Cash, but does he have a plan? It almost seems like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. If I’m him, just forget Damon already and move on.
Pat M and CB are “talking” sense, as they always do.
However, Cash is no dummy, he is just as aware of these points. He is also very proactive – just look at how the Granderson deal came down. And just because we aren’t reading anything in print or in the e-media, doesn’t mean Cash isn’t busy. He has been saying, the right player at the right price. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that he gathers information, and plans, then acts “when it makes sense”.
He may be looking at Holliday (I’m sure he knows the terms of the St. Louis proposal much better than we do), or a trade, or FA when he feels prices have matched his idea of value. But he is definitely not sitting around.
We will only know when it’s done.
Are New York Yankees giving up on Japan, Taiwan markets for players and fans by not resigning Matsui and Wang?
Here are my thoughts:
http://tinyurl.com/yejucpd
Maybe there really is a strict budget and Cash is completely restricted from doing much of what he wants.
What I don’t get is how he painted himself into a corner if he never intended to sign Matsui in the first place (wanting to get younger and more athletic). He had the hammer on Damon – maybe his mistake was not using it and continuing to hang around? Also, I don’t get the idea of being younger and more athletic at DH. Just how many young athletes does Cash think he’s going to find to fill the DH spot? A DH is for aging hitters who can’t field – that’s Matsui. He should have targeted Matsui first instead of Damon. Now if Matsui really wanted to play the OF, then ok -pass.
Cash’s plan is and was always signing Damon.
Didn’t Matsui’s agent come out and say that Cash told him they want to figure out LF first before looking at Matsui?
Now Matsui is gone, Cameron is gone, it looks like his plan was always Damon, but Cash knows he has to wait out Boras and it could take a while.
Joe, the problem is they are not always going to be able to get a player at exactly the right price……If the Yankees have a strict budget, they’re going to have to go cheap and get lesser players. For good players, they’re going to have to spend. If Hal has had his fill of spending, then what does that mean for the future? We’ve now got a bunch of huge contracts that aren’t going away………Either Hal loosens the purse strings a bit more (and really – we just won the WS, why not) or Cash is going to be hamstrung in the moves he can make.
“cb can u get through a comment w/o using the term ‘replacement level’?”
Your comments should be better than replacement level before you take an unwarranted shot like that.
Ralph, I’m tired of Damon’s act already….and I’m not sure why Cash is soooooo gung ho on him. He’s aging, he aged badly late last year…..and I really don’t see why Cash should wait around. If he gives Damon 2 years, that will be a huge mistake…….and I’d like to know what he plans on doing in LF in 2 years (if that’s the case).
Mike,
You are on point with your assertion that losing Wang and Matsui will not hurt the Yankees bottom line. Those signs in the OF will be replaced in no time and the amount of fans lost that just follow the Yankees because of those 2 guys will in no way affect the Yankee profits.
Cash all off-season has been promoting the “rotating DH” idea. When he was asked about his priorities, he said pitching and LF. He never even mentioned DH. It really looks like he doesn’t want to tie up one position with a guy that can’t field.
I have not updated this free agent pitcher list taken from MLBTR. It shows what Cashman’s choices in FA pitching might be. See anybody there other than Sheets and Duke worth considering ? Apologies for the length, and if you have looked at this already. It’s the choices folks(in FA).
Starting pitchers
Brandon Backe (32)
Cha Seung Baek (30)
Miguel Batista (39)
Erik Bedard (31) – Type B, not offered arb
Kris Benson (34)
Paul Byrd (39)
Daniel Cabrera (29)
D.J. Carrasco (33)
Aroldis Chapman (22)
Bartolo Colon (37)
Jose Contreras (38)
Doug Davis (34) – Type B, not offered arb
Lenny DiNardo (30)
Justin Duchscherer (32) – Type B, offered arb
Adam Eaton (32)
Shawn Estes (37)
Josh Fogg (33)
Jon Garland (30) – Type B, not offered arb
Tom Glavine (44)
Mike Hampton (37)
Mark Hendrickson (36)
Livan Hernandez (35)
Rich Hill (30)
Shawn Hill (29)
Jason Jennings (31)
Jason Johnson (36)
Randy Johnson (46) – Type B, not offered arb
Braden Looper (35) – Type B, not offered arb
Rodrigo Lopez (34)
Noah Lowry (29)
Jason Marquis (31) – Type B, offered arb
Pedro Martinez (38)
Eric Milton (34)
Dustin Moseley (28)
Mark Mulder (32)
Brett Myers (29)
Vicente Padilla (32) – Type B, not offered arb
Odalis Perez (33)
Joel Pineiro (31) – Type B, offered arb
Sidney Ponson (33)
Mark Prior (28)
Horacio Ramirez (30)
Tim Redding (32)
Jason Schmidt (37)
Ben Sheets (31)
John Smoltz (43)
Brett Tomko (37)
Chien-Ming Wang (30)
Jarrod Washburn (35)
Todd Wellemeyer (31)
Kip Wells (33)
Nick in SF
December 15th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
“cb can u get through a comment w/o using the term ‘replacement level’?”
Your comments should be better than replacement level before you take an unwarranted shot like that.
———————
Comment of the day
love getting the ‘get a life’ message from someone who posts 40x/hour from morning till after mindnight.
Hey CB I remember you were very much of the “buy” opinion on Aroldis Chapman. Today I read in an mlb article one Mets front office guy compared him to Brian Taylor (1991 Yankee 1st pick.) and people on this board have talked extremely high of that poor guy. I’m affraid if they go big game hunting for lf or dh we may have to pass on this kid simply due to the budget crunch. Chapman is likely to get a 40 man spot and a major league deal I would think but he hit 96 and he wasn’t really throwing max effort?
I know we have a few holes to fill and the budget is hanging over Ca$h’s head like a sword of Damocles but IMO you can’t pass up a #1 overall type talent.
(here’s the article. it was posted earlier too) http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....8;c_id=mlb
If they sign Holliday then filling the DH from within and occasionally resting people at the DH would be fine. In that lineup it wouldn’t matter who DH’d. Montero could make an appearance there by the end of the year, who knows.
Wilson Betemit just hit a walk off for the Gigantes!!!
I don’t trust Duschetser…
It is basically Sheets or bust. But Sheets is in apparently no rush to sign…
Looks like we’re going to be waiting a while for Damon and Sheets.
“I don’t trust Duschetser…
It is basically Sheets or bust”
Is there a reason to trust Sheets?
Not locking in LF for the next 5-6 years has its advantages. You have much more flexibility to make moves. You are protected from injury. You have no idea who may hit the trade market.
Who would have thought a few years ago our RF would be Nick Swisher and our CF would be Curtis Granderson.
I for one want to “lock in” as few positions as possible unless they are supreme talent like Arod, Tex, CC, Jetes, Mo
Betsy -
That’s exactly the point! Matsui is a seasoned DH at this point in his career. Damon is a big “?” at that position. Hideki was the best available option, made more valuable to the Yankees by the fact that he is a lefty who can take advantage of the short dimensions in RF at The Stadium and the fact that he hits lefties well, too. and hits in pressure situations.
Ask guys like Beckett, Lackey, Papelbon, Shields who they would rather avoid in a key situation Damon or Hideki…..
He accepted his role last season and woud’ve accepted the DH job in 2010.
“Ironic how we were praising Cash a few days ago and now we’re killing him for doing a bad job with LF/DH. I have never wondered this about Cash, but does he have a plan? It almost seems like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. If I’m him, just forget Damon already and move on.”
WHY does it seem that way? It’s December 15th. He made a significant trade and a significant signing LAST week.
Do you honestly not see that fans like yourself are basing your “opinion” on that fact that the Yankees haven’t made a transaction in the last 6 days?
Betsy – How do you know Hal has given a strict budget? Or how much it is? If that info is made public, then I guarantee Boras will demand every last penny of it. Not the best negotiating tact by the Yankees, no? Why would anyone want to pay more than they have to? Or that he’s had his fill of spending, in what interview did he say that? Or, for that matter, what trade Cash is working on? If Cash leaked everything, it might prove very embarrassing to other GMs. Confidences can be very important.
And Cashman is probably collecting input from other sources within the organization – Billy Eppler in scouting, Gene Michael, Nardi Conteras, Girardi, and on and on.
You know the point I’m making – patience.
Well, I’ve got to get up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning, so good night, all.
Damon is a team leader
He is the one who was doing the main recruiting last year… not the “core 4″. AJ even said at his press conference, “I hope Cash gives Damon another couple of years, he did a great sell job on me”.
He also called out Hughes when he was struggling and told him he has to keep us in games. He did the same to Wang.
There is a reason why Cashman painted himself into a corner with Damon… he knows what he brings to this team.
Hideki Matsui was better on the road than at home last year…
I didn’t mean ‘get a life’ — more like get a clue.
Taking shots at me (warranted or otherwise) is more permissable.
I love how people think Sheets is a lock to be a stud in the AL East. He is also made of glass and is coming off a shoulder surgery that wiped him out for a year.
He will be a question mark until he proves he is healthy and his stuff is all t he way back.
LathamJoe
December 15th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Betsy -
That’s exactly the point! Matsui is a seasoned DH at this point in his career. Damon is a big “?” at that position. Hideki was the best available option, made more valuable to the Yankees by the fact that he is a lefty who can take advantage of the short dimensions in RF at The Stadium and the fact that he hits lefties well, too. and hits in pressure situations.
Ask guys like Beckett, Lackey, Papelbon, Shields who they would rather avoid in a key situation Damon or Hideki…..
He accepted his role last season and woud’ve accepted the DH job in 2010.
————————————
LH blogger LathamJoe thinks the Yankees should have resigned Matsui
Brian Cashman did not think the Yankees should resign Matsui
Winner?
Brian Cashman
I don’t see the disadvantage of locking players in if they are good. The Giambi deal has scared people to death of commitment. The Yankees have done many long term deals that have worked out great. Holliday and Granderson could set at least two of the outfield spots up for a few years and the Yankees could then concentrate on other things. They have been playing musical corner outfielders for years, its an issue every year.
Stuckey you’re speaking my language.
Unfortunately you’re wasting your time. She’s impossible to reason with.
On another note, out of that entire FA list I like John Garland the best. Rubber arm, consistent. Can slide right into the 4th starter role.
Duch has a 3.14 career ERA and made the All-Star team both as a starter and reliever. He has a sick BB-K ratio and for a guy who doesn’t have a blazing FB, he misses bats at an excellent level.
He also has great numbers vs. the AL East. The question is, is he healthy?
“I love how people think Sheets is a lock to be a stud in the AL East”
He doesn’t have to be a stud, he would be the #4 starter and if he’s healthy you have a #2 type starter in the #4 spot in the rotation. Thats a good thing.
Johnny Damon is a great teammate..but a leader?
He is a free spirit who does many unconventional things on the playing field, more than once raising the ire of Girardi.
It’ll be interesting to hear Jeter’s reaction to Matusi leaving.
If Cash does indeed want another starter this year he only has 3 options:
Pick one of the starters from the list above. I only like 3 -Sheets, Duke, or Bedard.
trade for a pitcher.
do nothing and stand pat.
There are no other options.
Maybe making a trade makes more sense than signing a FA ? It gives Cash more options doesn’t it ?
I am against option 3.
blake
December 15th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I don’t see the disadvantage of locking players in if they are good. The Giambi deal has scared people to death of commitment. The Yankees have done many long term deals that have worked out great. Holliday and Granderson could set at least two of the outfield spots up for a few years and the Yankees could then concentrate on other things. They have been playing musical corner outfielders for years, its an issue every year.
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1. Because you most likely end up overpaying in years and dollars
2. You thus significantly restrict your flexibility
3. Bad things happen to people and all that money is guaranteed
4. You block off positions for extremely long periods of time where you are unable to put cheap young cost controlled players
5. You invest so much in one guy it potentially hurts the team overall
4
lets go yankees (formerly lets go twins)
“LH blogger LathamJoe thinks the Yankees should have resigned Matsui
Brian Cashman did not think the Yankees should resign Matsui
Winner?
Brian Cashman”
Let’s wait to see the outcome of 2010 season and these players’ individual results to see who the “winner” is.
I bet the players right now are puzzled at what Cashman is doing
Posada an Andy both said last week they wanted to see both Damon and Matsui back. Cash better be careful about trying to sell the veterans on the idea of a “rotating DH”. Perhaps if we get Holliday, it can be sold more easily. But at the moment, the players must be rolling their eyes thinking “WTH? This is how we respond coming off a WS? Weakening our lineup?”
Justin Duch on major league deal+Kelvim Escobar on minor league deal
You have depth at SP and you have two swing-man that can help in the bullpen if Joba and Hughes prove themselves in the rotation.
LathamJoe,
Brian Cashman. The guy who assembled the 2009 WS champions. The guy who has completely revamped the minor league system. Winner in a knockout. Do not need to wait
Let’s go-
I think Escobar may already be off the board. I think it was reported on MLBTR that he has serious interest from the Mets.
I might be mistaken.
Key word: interest
qualify that by saying he could very well go to the Mets. Just my personal wishlist for pitching this offseason
lets go yanks, Jeter, Arod, Posada all long term deal that have worked out fine. If flexibility means signing a different mediocre or old player every year to play LF then how is that good. The Yankees aren’t the Royals, they can afford to take chances on players .
“can u get through a comment w/o using the term ‘replacement level’?”
Don’t read my posts.
See how I did that?
Let’s go-
who would you consider trading for, and what would you offer ?
We have no one in our system who projects to be a major league OF’er in 2 years. Jackson is gone.
Holliday would be blocking nobody. Sign him.
LathamJoe…..As always it’s great when you’re here….As for Matsui I guess history will determine the wisdom or Poor Judgement ( yes ) in letting # 55 go…It’s been coomon knowledge that over his tenure in NY , Matsui was the most feared clutch hitter on the club…The last guy you wanted to see with the game on the line….He’ll be missed, and his departure has left the Yanks in a bind…..LathamJoe, you’ll also notice that the temperment and atmosphere here at The LoHud has changed over the seasons…..Betsy, I think Chapman’s money actually comes out of a Latin Development account…..
relax people, all of a sudden b/c the socks sign cameron and lackey, (whom the yankees had little interest, if any) everybody thinks cashman is sitting on his hands. other teams sign players, they cant all play for the yankees.
geez, the guy just won the WS, maybe u could give him a week or two to make another move, u think maybe he’s earned that?
If we sign Damon and no one else, then Damon will be the primary DH with Melky being the primarily LF’er. And if Posada needs the DH in 2011, we can move Damon back to the OF for the final yr of his contract.
Signing Damon gives us flexibility.
If the Yankees go after Duscherer or sheets, I think that will tell us what the Yankees think of Joba and Hughes.
If it is Duke, they are probably expecting Joba and Hughes to have good years, and trying to start the year with both in the rotation, but have Duke for insurance. If Joba and Phil are starting, Duke in the pen, or Duke starting with one of the young guys in the pen if they are unable to handle starting.
If they sign Sheets, they are signing him to start only. That would be signalling a lack of confidence in the young guys.
By the money they would have to pay Sheets he would have to be in the rotation. The lesser money to Duke, along with a lower stature in the game, allows the Yankees to use him as a swingman if need be.
Scott, so how do you think Damon is gonna look in LF after he’s 2 years older and had hardly played any in the outfield the season before? He can barely play out there now.
Cashman has a chance here to replace Damon and Matsui with Granderson and Holliday. If he pulls that off, it’s a major move.
I wanted Damon back as long as we had Matsui in the fold.
Without Matsui, I don’t feel great about Damon as our full time DH and Melky as our full time LF.
Holliday is a better player for the next years than Damon is.
If St. Louis is trying to force him into a 5 year deal, the Yankees can grab him.
If the Yankees signed Holliday to a 5 year a deal that would cover for the fact that we don’t have a corner OF prospect anywhere close to the majors and will also keep us from chasing players through trade that can cost us valuable prospects.
Holliday and Granderson would be part of the OF for the next several years and give the team continuity.
In a few years Swisher’s contract expires and RF will open up and create an opening in the OF that could be filled internally or through trade and free agency.
When Swisher’s deal ends, the Yankees could even sign a CF and move Granderson to a corner if they wanted.
I don’t think signing Holliday hurts flexibility and I think Cash knows this.
What I’d be interested in is hearing how Holliday compares to Damon in that wins above replacement stat.
Scott Boras was right– Granderson is not a #2 hitter because his power comes with the detriment of strikeouts.
blake
December 15th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
lets go yanks, Jeter, Arod, Posada all long term deal that have worked out fine. If flexibility means signing a different mediocre or old player every year to play LF then how is that good. The Yankees aren’t the Royals, they can afford to take chances on players .
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Those are three of the best players in baseball at their respective positions. I am all for signing FA but there is a limit where you hurt your team more than help.
Johnny Damon is not a mediocre player that can fill LF/DH
There is much more out there every year than just stud free agents like Holliday. Like I said before who would have thought the Yankees would have Swisher + Granderson in their OF?
Replace those guys with more expensive long term deals and you have a Yankee team that is (1) a lot worse because some other position suffers (2) bordering a 250 million dollar payroll.
In the next 5-6 there are plenty of guys that can fill LF at a fraction of the cost of Holliday in money and years which will allow the Yankees to go out and sign other elite players like lets say Cliff Lee next season.
Finally, the Yankees have not had a farm system like they do now in recent memory. You lock up every position and you have nowhere for those guys to go.
“If we sign Damon and no one else, then Damon will be the primary DH with Melky being the primarily LF’er. And if Posada needs the DH in 2011, we can move Damon back to the OF for the final yr of his contract.”
One of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. Sadly, it seems Cashman is leaning towards something like this and doesn’t want a full-time DH. It is scary to consider though.
Mark-
Do you think Duke with his history of depression would be able to handle the bright lights of Yankee stadium ????
“No team can go into the season with replacement level production at two spots in the line up and believe that this isn’t going to damage their chances to win in the AL East.”
That’s superficial (and thereby bad) accounting. How FAR above replacement level is the Yankees LINE-UP?
Are Jeter and and any SS “above replacement level” therefore equal?
The Yanks are UNUSUALLY strong at C, 1st Base, 2B, SS, 3B, and CF, and above average in RF.
Their combined strength allows them to easily carry average to below average at a couple of positions, and we don’t even know IF they will actually do that yet. It is afterall, December 15th.
And btw – Melky Cabrera is an above average 9th place hitter. To play positional averages math is again an obtuse way of looking at it.
Mark, I agree. If the Yankees sign Sheets and therefore move Joba to the pen, doesn’t that likely close the door on him as a starter? He’s getting to the age where its decision time on him.
As an additional bonus, signing Holliday puts an end to the Jeter to LF chatter that is sure to start after his first misplay in spring training.
“I know we have a few holes to fill and the budget is hanging over Ca$h’s head like a sword of Damocles but IMO you can’t pass up a #1 overall type talent.”
Rob,
I posted about this before here several times – but when I saw Chapman throw I did think back to Brien Taylor.
I never saw Taylor in person but I saw some video clips of him I saw and he was really something. Just unbelievable. Chapman isn’t as good as Taylor is, but he’s very gifted.
And there are just so few left handers that are gifted with the kind of arm speed Chapman is. I think David Price is terrific. He doesn’t have Chapman’s arm speed.
The thing is – both good and bad – chapman hasn’t even scratched his potential yet. Not even close. Chapman has so many moving parts to his delivery. His arm slot and release point aren’t very consistent. His secondary stuff needs a lot of work and he almost tips pitches (which would lead to him getting pummeled in the bigs right now if he hasn’t already fixed that problem).
His command isn’t particularly good – this is by far the biggest concern. The other issues you can fix. Command you can also “fix” but some pitchers just don’t have the skills needed to throw the ball in the zone where they want to. And right now it’s very difficult to know if Chapman has that skill set.
But all that said, to me he’s a must sign. He ball has so much life through the zone. You just can’t teach that.
He literally could be a complete waste of $20M dollars. It wouldn’t shock me if he were to never make it to the bigs (e.g. injury). If he made it to the majors in 2 years I would be impressed.
But if you’re the yankees, you can’t pass on this arm – not when you were able to absorb sinking 40M into Kei Igawa and you were able to win a world series despite that mistake.
They should sign him.
Mark in Tampa,
(1) Find a hammer
(2) Find a nail
(3) Hit nail with hammer
LathamJoe, I see you’ve met the lets go yankees dude…..
The trouble is, Ham Fighters, is having two players who were highly regarded and liked being gone in a flash, while big moves go on. Matsui being an Angel is like being kicked in the gut, especially when you see he signed for a low amount and 1 year. Wang being non-tendered, and hitting FA is tough as well.
Its emotion from knowing what they brought tied to seeing other teams improve taking some of the possibilities for the Yankees to go after.
Just like the sky is falling after every loss.
55 Matsui
December 15th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
“If we sign Damon and no one else, then Damon will be the primary DH with Melky being the primarily LF’er. And if Posada needs the DH in 2011, we can move Damon back to the OF for the final yr of his contract.”
One of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. Sadly, it seems Cashman is leaning towards something like this and doesn’t want a full-time DH. It is scary to consider though.
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Why?
“We have no one in our system who projects to be a major league OF’er in 2 years. Jackson is gone.”
Many baseball people think Montero won’t be a catcher. 1B is blocked. That leaves DH and outfield.
If we get Duch… it probably means we lost out on Sheets. i can’t imagine Duch being our Plan A when Sheets is superior, health and stuff-wise.
Duch also has depression problems in addition to arm problems. He has never pitched more than 141 innings in a season.
Duch is intriguing, but has many more red flags than Sheets.
Chapman will probably only cost 3-4 million a year. That is a risk you gotta take if you are the Yankees
Lets go Yankees, Who do the Yankees have in their system to play LF that is even close to as good as Holliday? Answer, there isn’t one. There also is no free agent available next year thats as good as him for that position. A trade costs you prospects. Holliday makes perfect sense and he isn’t blocking anyone because the Yankees have nobody to block.
“It’s been coomon knowledge that over his tenure in NY , Matsui was the most feared clutch hitter on the club…The last guy you wanted to see with the game on the line….He’ll be missed, and his departure has left the Yanks in a bind….”
I think Cashman had no interest in signing Matsui. Angels got Matsui cheap, I wish Cashman would have reconsidered and signed him for 1 year.
“Do you think Duke with his history of depression would be able to handle the bright lights of Yankee stadium ????”
I have no idea, I am not a psychologist, I don’t even play one on baseball blogs. But I know that bright lights usually perk me up a bit.
Seriously, there is no way to determine that without qualified people looking at his history AND talking with him in person. I know NY is the center of the universe, but MLB is MLB to a certain extent, especially for a #4 starter or swingman. We aren’t talking about him getting the kind of attention reserved for Jeter and Arod.
No way the Yankees would let Damon appear on Raw and risk getting hurt doing “professional” wrestling. Guess Johnny figured he would take advantage while he was free. I won’t be watching because the Giants play at the same time vs. the Skins.
I still would like to have Johnny back, 2 years $22M. No other team will be after him, especially with Bay and Holliday still out there. If we do somehow lose him, I think we should go into the season with Miranda/Gardner/Hoffman as DH until mid year when a non contender wants to trade.
“What I’d be interested in is hearing how Holliday compares to Damon in that wins above replacement stat.”
Damon projects to be around 1.5-2 wins above replacement next year.
Holliday – conservatively – projects to be 4-4.5 wins above replacement.
2.5 wins is worth around 13M dollars to the yankees next year.
we have an older team. What is wron with wanting to rotate the DH?
Make some kind of schedule
Monday – Damon gets off (Miranda DH, Melky LF)
Tuesday – ARod (Pena 3rd, Damon LF)
Wednesday – Posada (Cervelli C, Damon LF)
Thursday – Jeter (Pena SS, Melky LF)
Friday – Tex (Miranda 1st, Damon LF)
Saturday – Swisher (Melky RF, Damon LF)
Sunday – Cano/Granderson alternate (Pena 2B/Melky CF, Damon LF/Melky LF)
Mark in Tampa, the trouble is the media will give attention to every and any Yankee especially if the struggle.
“That’s superficial (and thereby bad) accounting. How FAR above replacement level is the Yankees LINE-UP? ”
Not superficial at all. There have been studies done that show that the presence of even one replacement level bat in the line up disproportionately increases the probability of a team missing the playoffs. The other players in the line up don’t “make up” for that poor performance.
Right now with Melky and Miranda in the line up the yankees look to be a 90-95 win team next year.
In the AL East that’s not going to cut it.
“the trouble is the media will give attention to every and any Yankee especially if the struggle.”
Are we expecting him to crumble if questioned? If he is that fragile, he isn’t worth even discussing then.
Red Sox upgraded their rotation with Lackey. Their top three – Beckett, Lester and Lackey are slightly better than our top 3 of CC, AJ and Andy.
Contemplated trade of Lowell and loss of Bay as FA hurts the Sox offense. Cameron is not an upgrade offensively over Bay. So Sox pitching has improved. IT appears that the Sox offense will decline.
Yanks upgraded offense with Granderson. They lose offense at DH with MAtsui move to LAA. If we re-sign Damon then he is the primary DH. WE may put Melky and Hoffman in LF but I would not be surprised if we make run at Bay.
Yanks will fill in pitching help with Sheets or Durchester. I also think we need to add an arm int he pen.
“Just like the sky is falling after every loss.”
exactly abdab, you cant lose it every time the team loses a game or loses out on a f.a. yes they were possiblities, but there are a lot more possiblilities. and yes other teams spend millions to get better, we do that ,, too, only we do it better than anybody else.
i love matsui, my favorite yankee since bernie left, but all good things must come to an end. i really think the yankees got lucky that matsui was able to play as many games as he was on his really bad knees, but it wasnt a good bet that they’d get that lucky again next year.
cash will make even more improvements to this team before ST (and during ST and after ST) so be calm, all is not lost.
i love johnny damon, but the decline in his speed and OF range is startling, and the drop off in his power in the 2nd half leads one to believe that there may not be much left there.
Yeah… ask a guy with anxiety problems to pitch big games on the biggest stage in sports. That is a brilliant idea.
Sign Sheets. At least he only has injury concerns, not injury AND anxiety concerns like Duke.
jeez, you’re a broken record!
Kenny December 15th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
we have an older team. What is wron with wanting to rotate the DH?
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Very simple. Do the math on how many games that adds up to, then ask yourself if the starters would like to have it go that way.
The defense would go down at their normal position, the offense from the team is always decreased due to a lesser player being put into the lineup.
The season is about 6 months long. There are 4.3 weeks per month. Its a lot of games with a half day off, which isn’t the same as a full day off, nor as beneficial.
Jeter, Teixeira, Alex, Damon would get over 20 games at DH a piece, Posada even more. Swisher isn’t “old”. Cano isn’t “old”.
It puts an inferior team out there just about every single day, and negates the largest benefit of the DH. Why not just have the pitcher hitting in that spot if its going to be wasted like that?
162 games averages:
Player A: Runs: 102, Hits: 178, 2B: 41, HR: 37, RBI: 122, SB: 2, AVG: .290, OBP: .378, OPS: .923.
Player B: Runs: 109, Hits: 195, 2B: 43, HR: 29, RBI: 112, SB: 15, AVG: .318, OBP: .387, OPS: .933.
Player A is about 3 months younger than Player B.
Hint: Player A was worth $180 million. Player B according to most on this blog isn’t worth $100 million.
Guess the players.
“What is wron with wanting to rotate the DH?”
How about everything?
Tex does not need to DH. Jeter DHs every so often when he is getting run down, but once a week? Jeter does not need to DH 25 times a season. Arod doesn’t need to DH if his hip is healthy, which it is by all accounts so far. Cano and Granderson are everyday players, there is no need to DH them ever. If Posada is getting rest he needs to rest not DH. I never really bought this 1/2 day off stuff.
That leaves Swisher. How about get an outfielder and have Swisher DH full time? Or sign an actual DH? If they sign Damon, have him DH nearly full time. That puts Melky in left for most games. If you rotate DH, Melky is still in for 45% of the games anyway, with Pena for the other 55% of the games. I think the offense is better with more Melky and less Pena.
Holliday stabilizes the position for the next 5-6 years. He is a a HOF type bat. High average, high OBP, 40 HR power (in YS), pretty good defender.
Rather sign an elite bat like him than sign a broken down Damon who can’t field, run, and is 37 yrs old. Then in 2 years, we have to look for another LF who probably won;t even be 1\2 as good as Holliday.
Signing Damon puts a bandaid on the cut. Signing Holliday is like having the cut treated by the best doctor in the city.
It’s fine to give Cashman a pass. Truth is until we see the finished product we won’t know if he had a plan and got passed by or if he had a plan and it worked out. Free agents and trades have all come together very quickly this year. Did Cashman get passed by because other teams and agents acted without keeping him in the loop or is he fine with what has happened?
Did Halladay want to come to NYY or go to the Phillies? Seems to me he was very happy to become a Philly, even giving them a discount in both years and dollars for the privilege of playing for them. I’d have thought if he pushed it Roy might have commanded five years guaranteed at 25mm per. Rumour has it he’s happy with a lot less in Philly.
Cashman is not right all the time. No-one can be when dealing with athletes. It’s fair to criticize him. It’s also fair to wonder why certain moves were or were not made. So the Yankees won the WS. A great accomplishment. As they said to Matsui and Wang, what have you done for me lately?
December 15th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Scott Boras was right– Granderson is not a #2 hitter because his power comes with the detriment of strikeouts.
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Curtis Granderson strikes out something like 50% more than Damon, but Damon’s K% is still over 10. It is not like Damon doesn’t strike out.
The everyday players are going to be irate at a rotating DH. Everyday players hate DH’ing. They get out of rhythm. They are used to playing the field. Taking a break every now and then is fine, but not playing the field once a week is going to hinder a lot of these guys.
Posada flat out said on Kay’s show that he doesn’t want a rotating DH. Cashman wants to give rest who don’t want it. That is going to be a problem if he follows through with it.
Monday – Damon gets off (Miranda DH, Melky LF)
Tuesday – ARod (Pena 3rd, Damon LF)
Wednesday – Posada (Cervelli C, Damon LF)
Thursday – Jeter (Pena SS, Melky LF)
Friday – Tex (Miranda 1st, Damon LF)
Saturday – Swisher (Melky RF, Damon LF)
Sunday – Cano/Granderson alternate (Pena 2B/Melky CF, Damon LF/Melky LF)
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Wow we’re going to sit Cano? Who plays 160 games?
That rotation has 85% of our games being played with multiple below average players
There isn’t going to be a rotating DH, Cashman just keeps saying that because its part of the game.
posada talks alot of spit. to hear him tell it, he can (and should) catch 172 games a season. till he’s 44.
posada talks alot of spit. to hear him tell it, he can (and should) catch 172 games a season. till he’s 44.
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Posada should catch 120-130 games per season until he is physically unable to do it. He is a terrile DH, admittedly so.
We can live with Melky in LF.
We have elite production from CF. Above average production from RF. Elite production from C. Elite production from SS. Elite production from 3B. Elite production from 2B. Above Avg. production from 1B. Above Avg. production from DH (Damon).
Yeah, how dare we have one position on the field where we don’t have an above average player! Nevermind we have elite production from 5 positions…..
“Not superficial at all. There have been studies done that show that the presence of even one replacement level bat in the line up disproportionately increases the probability of a team missing the playoffs.”
Fair enough, let’s see them… these “studies” I mean.
“Right now with Melky and Miranda in the line up the yankees look to be a 90-95 win team next year.”
What you mean to say is with “Miranda in the line-up” because whether or not the Yankees beat the odds on the conclusions of these “studies”, the Yanks already won 103 games with Cabrera in the line-up.
And we already know they’ve essentially at worst replaced one of the two (potential) lost bats in Granderson and improved themselves defensively.
Even if you discount defensive improvement in center/left and grade Granderson an offensive wash with either Damon or Matsui, that means the difference between a 103 win the the 2010 version is DH.
AND it’s December 15th and there are BATS still out there, and I would suggest a number of them “above replacement level”.
Are you honestly suggesting 1.) The difference between Matsui and Miranda is 8 to 13 wins? and/or the Yanks as of DECEMBER 15th have no options but Miranda?
Yeah, how dare we have one position on the field where we don’t have an above average player! Nevermind we have elite production from 5 positions…..
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Melky is no guarantee to be average, and then our (weakened at the moment) lineup will have to support a below average player. That then kills the lineup, free outs to the other team.
The Yankees hadn’t planned to pursue Matsui unless Damon signed elsewhere, not wanting to lock up their DH spot with one player. Jorge Posada is expected to see at least 50 games as the DH, while Alex Rodriguez should get 15-20 games there, too.
Should Damon return – no sure thing, as he and the Yankees are roughly $20 million apart on a contract – he would also see his share of at-bats as the DH.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....z0Zosb60Su
So we essentially replace Granderson with Matsui in that case.
And we have to assume drop offs from Damon, Jeter, and Jorge.
So if we bring back Damon and no one else, we are a worse offensive team than we were last year. People don’t realize how important is to have above average production from EVERY position. Otherwise, we are giving away an advantage. Damon alone doesn’t even get us to the level we were at last year.
Who DH’s on opening day in the rotating system?
“Right now with Melky and Miranda in the line up the yankees look to be a 90-95 win team next year.
In the AL East that’s not going to cut it.”
I really disagree about Melky being a detriment. Remember he is now the “Starting Center Fielder of a Championship Team”, as opposed to “The kid playing CF until Gardner or A Jax takes his job or he gets traded for Mike Cameron”.
They can and have won with Melky as an everyday player. As for Miranda, I wouldn’t say the Jury is out, I would say, the Jury hasn’t even been chosen yet.
Damon stunk for the last 6 weeks of the season. He is one of the worst fielders I have ever seen. He is dinged up all the time. He had a career year in his contract year.
He is a major risk. Do not give him the money. Go for Holliday and get younger and better defensively as well as adding a monster bat.
“Melky is no guarantee to be average, and then our (weakened at the moment) lineup will have to support a below average player.”
You do realize you’re making the point of the person you responded to for him, don’t you?
Do you also understand what it means when someone says “our weakened line-up” is a relative term?
Holliday and Granderson would be a significant upgrade both offensively and defensively from Damon and Melky last year in the outfield. The Yankees would go from having one of the worst outfields in MLB to one of the best, and they won the WS with that outfield last year.
If you’re going to spend money then shouldn’t it be to make significant upgrades?
dan 771
December 15th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Yeah… ask a guy with anxiety problems to pitch big games on the biggest stage in sports. That is a brilliant idea.
Sign Sheets. At least he only has injury concerns, not injury AND anxiety concerns like Duke.
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People go to therapists to get better. Just because the guy had a problem does not mean it is permanent. In fact, because he has made his psychologist available to any team who would like to speak to him/her. He would not do that if there was a concern regarding his mental health
Isn’t a rotating DH a lot of trouble to go through just to thwart a bunch of people playing a guess the lineup game?
Pat M, it’s not like Matsui was the Yankees’ first priority, so if they are in a bind, it’s because they chose to be. I didn’t know about a Latin American fund – that’s interesting -thanks! I don’t remember what it was like here a few years ago, but I can only speak for myself in that there are clearly a few people who try to poison the atmosphere.
“And we have to assume drop offs from Damon, Jeter, and Jorge.”
Can we get some credit for an extra 6 weeks of Alex Rodriquez in comparison to Cody Ransom?
How about maybe Cabrera does break out a little this season? How about Cano goes back to his mean average in terms of RISP?
Maybe Swisher’s play-off debuting closed stance pays dividends. Maybe Granderson, who hit 25 Hrs in 81 road games has a monster season?
Why do we only use red ink when trying to determine how many runs this team will score in 2010 on December 15th 2009?
It is not just about LF for Holliday. You have to look at Holliday regarding the whole team.
For example, Posada will be gone soon: Who is going to replace him? Hopefully Montero, but if not C is a lot harder to fill than LF
The Yankees do not seem to be just wildly spending anymore to fill any hole they have on the team. When you lock up one position you probably cannot lock up another one. To me, LF is not that hard to fill on a yearly basis. It is the least demanding of the OF positions.
I would much rather leave LF open for guys like Damon who will be cheaper in money and years and be able to lock up another, more important position.
And who knows who you can get in a trade. Maybe they trade for an OF prospect. Maybe they pull a Swisher. While it was a trade Swisher on his contract is better than Holliday on his.
Obviously we will not be in agreement on this, but I really do not like the idea of locking up a position that is (1) not a premium position and (2) will cost a lot of money to do so.
With Holliday on board the money already locked up in 2012 and 2013 is very scary.
stucky,
Sure. But then you’d have to apply that same logic to the Sox hitters. Expecting regression from players over the age of 35 is really not unreasonable.
Try 15.5 million as the Sox already have an offer. They are in on that Japanese pitcher and they clearly want Chapman. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been very quiet – they will regret not spending the extra $$$ on this guy. They just seem to want to limit spending where at all possible and since Chapman is not a guarantee to do anything in the majors, I don’t believe they will take any chances. This really goes against what Cash said he learned from Stick – that you can’t be afraid to take risks even after failure. Of course, he didn’t have a budget then.
stuckey is clearly firing on all cylinders now.
“Fair enough, let’s see them… these “studies” I mean. ”
It’s referenced in the Baseball Perspectus Handbook from 2006.
“What you mean to say is with “Miranda in the line-up” because whether or not the Yankees beat the odds on the conclusions of these “studies”, the Yanks already won 103 games with Cabrera in the line-up.”
No I mean Melky and Miranda. Melky is had a positive year for a CF in 2009. He had an awful season in 2008. Looking forward you cannot just assume he will continue to produce at 2009 levels rather than say 2008. There’s a risk premium on melky that has to be figured in.
And in 2009 the team got oustanding performances up and down the line up – especially from it’s older veterans.
You cannot assume that in 2010 the same will hold. There is going to be regression.
And as such carrying Melky’s bat will be more difficult. Same applies for Miranda.
The question isn’t whether or not the yankees have “enough” offense.
The question is whether or not playing Melky in LF and Miranda at DH decrease the teams probability of making the playoffs relative to even having a modest, slightly above average player at each position.
And the answer is that both those guys will decrease the yankees likelihood of making the playoff because right now they look to be significantly below average at LF and DH. That means that over the course of a long season the yankees will have been outplayed at those two spots and that will invariably cost them wins.
Damon was beastly in August. September could just very well have been a natural evening out. That tends to happen in baseball quite often.
Swish would be a terrible DH – he’s hyperactive as is. Also, he’s not a terrible fielder the point where he should be restricted to just hitting.
If Cash allows this team to go into 2010 with Miranda as DH, then he should be criticized. The rotating DH is a horrible idea, but Miranda in the DH is right behind.
I doubt the Yankees are going to go into 2010 with Melky in LF and rotating DH/Miranda. If CB is right about the team being 90-95 win team, then Cash is not as smart as we all thought. It would also be a lousy way to defend a WS.
Lets go Yanks, you make fair points. However the Yankees are loaded with catching talent, Montero, Romine, etc. They have no outfield prospects anywhere near the big league level and none of them project to be as good as Hollidy.
Damon is not the best option for LF. And he’s not the best option for DH. Damon as the LF/DH if not satisfying at all.
“If CB is right about the team being 90-95 win team, then Cash is not as smart as we all thought. It would also be a lousy way to defend a WS.”
It’s only December 15. As I’ve said before – the hot stove is hardly over.
The team would benefit from upgrades to both it’s line up an it’s rotation.
I expect that those upgrades will be made.
Doesn’t have to be Holliday – that’s one direction to go in.
They could go with Damon in LF, Sheets and Nick Johnson at DH. That would likely get them back up to being a 97-98 win team.
Why will the Yankees regret not pursuing Chapman? Is he a can’t miss future all star?
Who’s to say we aren’t pursuing him? Here’s a newsflash: Not every GM is calling in his daily phone log to the media. You have no idea if the yankees are pursuing him or not.
Stick didn’t have a budget when he was GM? Cash didn’t have a budget until this year? I’m sorry, you just don’t seem to have the slightest clue. You think the Yankees, a billion dollar corporation, have been running wild with no restrictions until recently?
There’s really not much else to say here.
Boras is playing the Yankees badly – he’s going to keep both Damon and Holliday out there until the team caves.
Right now, we’re lining up to be a worse team than we were when we won. Though Granderson is an upgrade in CF, Melky’s a down groud in Left, and DH is an unknown. Even if we get Damon back, he’s probably not gonna be as good as he was this past year. Fortunately we have a long time before we have any games and hopefully the Yanks realize the problem they have on O.
Plus, we are going to have a weak bench of Pena, Cervelli and Gardner……ick. I want Hairston and Hinske back, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Kind of piggy backing off Stuckey here and assuming they resign Damon…
You would expect a drop-off from Posada, Damon, and potentially Jeter and Tex but less likely for those two.
A full season of AROD, probably some improvement from Cano as he gets more and more into his prime, potentially an improvement from Swish as Long seems to have already made him a better hitter so hopefully that trend continues, and Granderson in the mix.
With that, the Yankees could very well be a better offense than last year. Every team has question marks going into the season. With Damon, the Yankees would seem to have very few in comparison to other teams.
Lowell, Ortiz, VMart catching full time, Cameron…That seems to be more ? than the Yankees
CB, very true – the off-season isn’t over, not even close. Do you think bringing back Damon is a good move given how badly he faded the last couple of months of the season? Whether it’s one or 2 years……….please, just one, lol….we have the same issue in LF again after Damon leaves.
blake,
That is true. Trust me I think Holliday is a fantastic player. It is less about Holliday and more about another long term commitment to a position player.
Would I be mad if Cash signed Holliday though? Heee***lll No
Let go yanks, what long term committments to position players do they have right now. Arod, Teixera, you can assume Jeter will get an extension or new deal. Other than that the rest are short term or about to run up.
Johnny Damon in August:
.327 AVG .371 OBP .994 OPS
He was not keeping that up until the end of the season. No way. September just brought him back down to reality
AROD, Tex, and Jeter are enough for me. They are the highest paid players at their position. Also, Cano is not going to get any cheaper
Or rather enough for me until Posada is off the books
They are also All-star players that are very low risk. It would be different if you had a bunch of money tied up in bad contracts like the Giambi deal.
“With that, the Yankees could very well be a better offense than last year. ”
Sure if everything goes right again. 3 of the team’s top 4 offensive players are 34 and over. Two of those play up the middle.
People keep talking about a “full season of ARod” as if it’s a given. It’s not. He’s 34 and he’s coming off major hip surgery. If he starts having trouble rotating through the zone and they find a new fluid collection in his hip it would be surprising but not shocking.
If Posada’s shoulder starts acting up again it wouldn’t be that unexpected.
Damon is literally coming off one of the very best years of his entire career.
Injuries are very difficult to predict but we do know that the older a team is the higher the probability that they will lose time from injury.
People are assuming that Mike Cameron is going to produce at level X for the Sox. There’s no way to be that certain with him given his age, how he plays and how he generates value (which is highly dependent on his legs.)
Looking past likely risk in the winter when there are comparatively inexpensive options isn’t a good strategy.
Johny Damon was sporting a very slow bat as the season wore down…In fact I watched him chasing breaking balls during October……Of course we all that lasting image of his great ab and the double base steal….The bottom line, Johnny Damon is on the back nine of his carrer…In fact he can see the 19th hole……Let’s go Yanks, you painted a very rosey picture for 2010, but you failed to mention the loss of Matsui and all the plate cleaning he provided….Whatever Texeria or Alex left on base, Mats ceertainly didn’t disappoint….
CB, that’s why I mentioned Alex having the surgery…….if there’s the potential for problems, why not just have it and get it out of the way? If he has it now, he’d be fine for ST…..
Jeter is going to be fine – he doesn’t have to hit .334 again. I knew he’d rebound off of last year as long as he didn’t get hit in the wrist again……He’ll be fine. Tex will put up his usual numbers. Cano I assume will be fine….though his inability to hit with RISP is annoying (as is his inability to hit higher than 6th). Alex will be Alex…Swish will be Swish (which is fine). Po is probably a little shaky. Granderson will be very good to excellent. Damon? I don’t want him back, so that tells you what I think……and who knows about DH. The only guys I think are really likely to regress are Posada and Damon.
Cano is a big key to this year. It’s time for him to just get that OBP over .360, add a few more homers, and have better luck with RISP, and be the great player his talent demands.
Something to remember:
The Yankees didn’t start 2009 with Mitre, Gaudin, Pena, Cervelli, Hairston, or Hinske.
Something to keep in mind:
The Yankees most likely won’t end 2010 with Mitre, Gaudin, Hoffmann, Melky, Gardner, and maybe even Swisher.
Gnight yall, I fully expect for the Yankees to have signed Holliday, Damon, Sheets, and Capps by the time I wake up.
I wonder how many years the Yanks will sign Po for after his deal is up. He’s going to push for multiple years, but I’m not sure I want to give him more than 1 or 2 – and two is pushing it.
“There’s a risk premium on melky that has to be figured in.”
As I said, why are we only using red ink? Don’t you conversely have to factor in a reward factor?
He is a 25 year old entering his 5th full season, which is probably statistically the time when players that have extended careers begin figuring it out.
And Cabrera has proven he can hit and slug in the major leagues, his problem has been his Jeykll and Hyde swings.
I by no means am predicting anything specific, but I don’t think the odds of him regressing (which is possible for sure) are much greater than him maintaining or improving.
“You cannot assume that in 2010 the same will hold. There is going to be regression.”
Perhaps, but there will likely be gains in areas as well. I already named a few possibilities. Here is another. Maybe Teixeira isn’t god awful in April? That might be worth a win or two right there…
“The question is whether or not playing Melky in LF and Miranda at DH decrease the teams probability of making the playoffs relative to even having a modest, slightly above average player at each position.”
But again, this is where the obvious, superficial logic comes in.
NO ONE is going to argue with the notion that having an an average player at every position as opposed to below average increases your play-off odds.
Swap the terms above average/average, and elite/above average, and again, no one would argue with that quite obvious logic.
Seriously, do you really think “having better players makes you a better team” is some advanced, elusive argument you have some unique insight into?
The practical issue is the Yankees don’t have unlimited spending and there is not an unlimited supply of above average players than Yankees can just dictate acquisition of.
EVERY player comes with an price tag, which can be defined in several ways – salary, years of commitment, price of acquisition in player terms.
NO team has unlimited resources.
The Yankees, like most ALL other teams might have to live with certain production from certain positions.
“And the answer is that both those guys will decrease the yankees likelihood of making the playoff because right now they look to be significantly below average at LF and DH. That means that over the course of a long season the yankees will have been outplayed at those two spots and that will invariably cost them wins.”
One last thing. The use of the terms “LF” and “DH” is really irrelevant and in fact a distraction in this discussion. If you want to use it, then you HAVE to cite the Yankees significant advantage at other “positions”.
The more relevant modifier is how the Yankees compare to other teams in the 8 and 9 holes in the batting order (where many teams bat up the middle players), and qualified that way I’d argue pretty darn well. If a Melky Cabera is your 9th place hitter, you’re in fact WELL above average.
I wonder what Montero’s future is with the Yankees. It doesn’t seem like he’s ever going to be a good defensive catcher, while Romine seems like he’s got the potential to be a very good defensive catcher (while also being able to hit). I wonder if the Yanks would make Montero a full-time DH. I’d hate to see him relegated to that role at such a young age, but it seems that’s what he’s built for.
In any case, by the end of 2011, Po will be seriously pushed by these kids.
Blake, goodnight! I would forget Capps as he’s got teams chasing him that will make him their closer
“NO ONE is going to argue with the notion that having an an average player at every position as opposed to below average increases your play-off odds.”
In fact you did. That’s how this thread got started.
The original “superficial” point you were trying to raise was that it doesn’t matter if melky is “below replacement” because the rest of the team is so much “above replacement.”
So you were originally arguing against the point you just conceded.
I’m officially debunking Johnny’s now infamous Game 5 “midnight run” to 3rd.
I mean he saw nobody between him and 3rd so he ran.
You’re supposed to run!
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....onals.html
MLB.com’s Bill Ladson spoke with Marquis, who seemed very interested in pitching for the Nationals. Marquis indicated that he likes serving as a mentor for younger pitchers and wants to be part of a team that “making the moves that is necessary to get themselves back to being a winning organization.” He pointed to several moves the Nationals have made that suggest they are that team.
****
I find this funny – Marquis is from Staten Island and everyone has assumed that he wanted to play for the Mets. However, the above quote seems to be directed toward that organization (without saying it – implying that they aren’t making strong enough effort to improve themselves).
I really hope that the Yanks don’t guarantee Damon a 2nd year. I think next season he would be ok playing LF and DHing when Posada is not but I don’t think his legs will hold up for the 2nd year. Plus in 2011 DH won’t be an option for him because Posada will be 40 and will definitley have to DH most of the time. I know there aren’t a lot of options but 2 years is not a good idea.
I will miss Matsui and all his clutch hits. Especially will miss how he would kill the Red Sox! Wish him well he’s a great guy.
“In fact you did. That’s how this thread got started.
The original “superficial” point you were trying to raise was that it doesn’t matter if melky is “below replacement” because the rest of the team is so much “above replacement.”
__________
No, that’s a child-like (or should I say message board like) interpretation of what I actually wrote.
I responded SPECIFICALLY to the SPECIFIC notion that is was particularly significant that the Yankees MIGHT be below average at “2 positions”, rather than evaluating the line-up as a whole 1 – 9.
That is in NO WAY arguing that the Yankees wouldn’t be better with a better player than Melky Cabrera.
And I realize you’ve read studies you apparently can’t link to, but I’d still argue that the amount the Yanks get on base and slug individually from 1 through 9 DOES have a cumulative cascading effect down the line-up.
“…….if there’s the potential for problems, why not just have it and get it out of the way?”
Because he’s asymptomatic and unnecessary surgery is dangerous.
I wonder if Montero has enough speed where he could play RF? If they think he can then they better start getting him ready or at least try him out there. I highly doubt they want a 20 year old DHing.
Montero is probably gonna be no worse defensively than Po has been and a little better to start out. More and more scouts are seeing that he’ll be able to do it. Btw, he has power to all fields and will probably be able to do what ARod was starting to do once he found the short porch.
There’s this notion that a DH has to be some grizzled veteran.
The reason DHs tend to be older is because that’s where you put guys who can still hit but who can’t field well any more.
And it’s doubtful that Juan Miranda is not going to be a weak link in the Yankee lineup if he’s the DH. It’s ever more likely that he is going to exert his lefty power and help the Yankees win ballgames.
Cabrera did not only have a decent season for himself in 2009, he actually changed his habits at the plate – he evolved as a hitter.
His biggest improvement came RH, which means he isn’t likely, going forward, to be a switch hitter in name only.
Whether the Yankees upgrade or not, Cabrera is a better hitter now than at any point in his brief Yankee career. Based on that improvement, I expect his numbers to go up to reflect that.
Defense is also an important part of the equation.
We had hellish COF defense last season until Swisher got his act together. Damon cannot run balls down in the LCF gap anymore.
The guy on here who said LF is relatively unimportant in terms of filling is forgetting the kind of legs/glove you need for NYS LF.
Doubtful that Miranda is going to be…
What does anyone think about Jermaine Dye as DH…
1 Year contract…?
Check out his numbers!
Bod, I agree with you on Melky….That was my issue with lets go yankees, as he was promoting Cameron….My stance was I’d think that Cameron was that much better than Melky to warrant the huge difference in salary and commitment…I’m holding out that Melky will continue to improve…Now the question is by how much of an improvement ????
How come nobody mentions Ankiel for LF. Plus defender, plus plus arm, and great power…Ankiel is definitely a guy who’s still learning to hit at the big league level. Definitely a late bloomer. Think he might be a cost-effective, high-upside option for left, with a taylor made stadium swing. Thoughts?
Bronx Jeers
December 15th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I’m officially debunking Johnny’s now infamous Game 5 “midnight run” to 3rd.
I mean he saw nobody between him and 3rd so he ran.
You’re supposed to run!
======
It’s only infamous if you’re a Phillies fan.
You want to “debunk” his run – whatever that means – fine.
How about we also mythologize Lidge’s failure to cover 3B?
I mean, he saw nobody covering the bag – so he froze.
As the pitcher – you’re supposed to cover!
Actually Melky was a better hitter at 21 then he was this past year. He had the same OPS both years, but at 21 his OBP was better. Melky looked like he’d be a much better player by now based on his age 21 season. He’s was a below average major league hitter this past season and he’d be a well below average hitter for a left fielder if we have to play him there.
I never saw Montero catch so I don’t know how he is behind the plate. But these “scouts” make it seem like there is absolutely no way he will catch in the majors. He is obviously very young so I don’t know how everyone can make that decision already.
Phil, Just how bad was Melky this year ??? His numbers didn’t appear to be as poor as some are making them out to be….
Pat M.
December 16th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Bod, I agree with you on Melky….That was my issue with lets go yankees, as he was promoting Cameron….My stance was I’d think that Cameron was that much better than Melky to warrant the huge difference in salary and commitment…I’m holding out that Melky will continue to improve…Now the question is by how much of an improvement ????
====
We don’t know how much he will improve, Pat, but one thing I would like to see is when he runs the count full and fights off those outside pitches, I want to see his OB improve in 2010.
For a guy who has a dumpy-looking little body, he’s actually well coordinated and has very good hand-eye – and sometimes he’s a little guilty of the see ball, hit ball mentality. ( I think, in fact, body “type” on Melky makes him “look” like a worse fielder than he actually is).
The development from the right side of the plate is very important – and I’ve yet to see anyone on this board or elsewhere even acknowledge that it took place, although it wasn’t subtle but clearly dramatic in light of his body of work.
The only person to comment on it was the manager – several times – he said it was the key to determining his role as the starting CF.
I don’t see anything particularly far-fetched about 18 or so HR from Melky, & a .280 BA. I saw decent pitch counts – if he turns them into better OBP then we’re really turning a corner. That’s going to be my measuring stick.
Bod, He loves chasing high heat, especially with 2 strkes and he’s in a pitchers count…..He’ll get traded and prosper somewhere else…Far from the LoHud critics…..He’ll have himself a nice MLB career
Melky’s developmental time in the minors was cut short when they yanked him up here in ’05.
Well, if Melky Mesa and Kelvin DeLeon ever learn to hit breaking pitches, he won’t be in the Yankee outfield for that much longer.
We have a slew of toolsy guys about 3-4 years away. Mesa’s already 23, though, so he needs to start picking up the spin in a hurry…
Pat,
his OPS+ was 99 where 100 is dead solid average. One of the reasons we all have some cognitive dissonance before we go back and check the numbers that we remember the good stuff more than all the bad stuff. Unless a player is Bill Buckner or someone whose good stuff, and there was a lot, is replace by his one big blunder. So Melky was just a tick below average this year. But he’s been so up and down, we can’t give him that extra point going forward. Because he has lost his OBP skills, he doesn’t have to foundation to necessarily maintain the level he reached this year. Now he might, but we have no indication that he will.
To demonize or Damonize the mad dash to 3rd base…that is the question.
Kelvin DeLeon is years away. Melky Mesa will have to be added to the 40 after this season and he’s only will have gotten to high A this coming March. For about 6 weeks in the middle of the season, maybe longer, Melky Mesa looked like the light had gone on and he had out his tools together, but then he broke down and started swinging at everything again. He’s a terrific fielder if he ever learns the strikezone.
The Yanks probably would not have picked up Hoffman if they were convinced Melky could replicate 2009. He could very well take a step forward but would anyone here really be surprised if he takes a step back or worse?
No, we’ve been waiting on Melky a long time and he’s only been consistent in his inconsistency.
“Ellsbury is going to be apart of some package. The Sox roster right now makes little sense. 6 starters, no 3B, still missing a big bat. They are still going to make one more big move. their roster is kind of cluttered right now.”
What makes the Red Sox think that any team is going to be willing to part with their superstars, solely for the Red Sox convenience.
I remember when it was Cano and Wang for Jason Michaels.
It is going to take a lot more than Buchholz and Ellsbury (both are lesser compared to Wang and Cano) to take away a superstar.
I fear that Cashman will start chasing Damon and he ends up with a 3 year deal, and that’s not good…..I thought getting a real CF, Resigning Matsui for the 5 hole and then maybe finding another starter were the keys to this offseason…..The starter acquisition was to be determined if the club goes all out with Hughes & Joba or not….Lackey would have been a good pickup rather than chasing Damon, Bay , Holliday who seems to be the best fit….Now the Cards are dangling a 7-8 year deal in front of him…..Losing Matsui as of now hurts…
I don’t think there is any force on earth that could make Cash give Damon three years. I think this will just end up pushing us to Holliday and Damon to St. Louis or somewhere.
And Pat, it turns out that the Cards are only offering Holliday 5 years, not the 8 that were reported last night.
Phil, Then there’s still hope that Matt Holliday can still be a viable option for leftfield and hit in the 5 hole…..
Who do you think will fill that 5 hole best. Holliday or Bay?
From a purely offensive standpoint I think you have to take Matsui. However, with Posada’s increasing need to DH, Damon’s mere adequacy in the OF will provide the Yankees with a lot of value.
Holliday’s a much better fit for us. We need some top notch bats to cover us as Po and other start retiring.
Hey, I’m merely trying to condition ourselves to a possible Damonless team.
I root for laundry!
This (on days when Po DHs):
Jeter
Damon
Tex
Arod
Granderson
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Cervelli
looks a lot better than this:
Jeter
Granderson
Tex
ARod
Matsui
Swisher
Cano
Cabrera
Cervelli
or substitute Pena for Arod or Jeter.
*substitute Pena for Cervelli when Arod or Jetes DH
There will be very few days when Posada DH’s as long as NYY carries only two catchers.
Jeter SS
Grandy CF
Teixeira 1B
Alex 3B
Holliday LF
Posada C
Cano 2B
Miranda/Delgado/Vlad DH
Swisher RF
That lineup can have 9 players with >= 20 home runs
Rotating DH is not too cool. I want Alex getting as close to 162 as possible. same goes for Jorge, Derek as well. Rest when needed. no scheduled DH days
ArodMVP217,
I like your lineup, except I’d have Melky in right and Swish as the DH.
On the Chapman issue – any team that can throw $40m at the garbage that Igawa throws should have somewhere around half that amount for a fire-balling left-hander.
Maybe the Igawa case has scared the Yankees, but that was just a moronic move that no one else was going to make.
Chapman doesn’t cost you a draft pick or any talent and there is no waste on a posting fee. What you pay him he gets (and his agents fight for their share) .
Yankees interested in Sheets….He is asking for 12 million..that would be a waste of money…..they might as well save their money for next year….
Unless Holliday or Bay falls in their laps, the Yankees appear not to be interested in either of them. Maybe Miranda is the answer at DH. It seems like the checkbook for Cashman has been taken away from him.
Hoffman is a AAAA player. Please stop talking about him like he is going to help the Yankees. By May reality will set in on Melky too. He is a fourth outfielder. At that time, everyone on here will be trading him or screaming for his head. Losing matsui and damon and adding granderson and hoffman doesn’t add up to a wash. putting Miranda in the DH hole is not going to fly either. Cashman has some work to do yet.
I agree with Rick – Miranda could end up doing a fine job, but you cannot count on him going into the season, especially at DH, where you hope to get a lot of production in terms of RBI and HRs.
I also agree that it’s silly to see Hoffman as an answer. Like Miranda, he could work out fine, but you cannot count on him. There’s a reason he was available, and he’ll only stay on the team if he stays on the roster, and that’s what dooms most Rule 5 draftees.
And finally, I also agree that Sheets at $12m is a total waste of money. For that the Yankees could have had Matsui and Wang and cash left over. His health is too questionable for any team to throw that much money at him. He should get a contract like Pettitte got last year – potential to make a lot more than market value, but less than market value guaranteed.
Thanks for the greetings, Pat M. I hope everything is well with you.
Yes, I’ve met the “yankee’s dude”. Nothing wrong with rooting for your favorite Team, but unrealistic adoration and sense of accomplishment is so naive.
Yes Cashman is the “architect” of the 2009 World Champions and justifiably deserves credit. So who deserves “credit” for the comparatively dismal results in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008? Although the Yanks finished in the Playoffs (sans 2008), they spent ungodly sums of money, made many ridiculous trades/signings (Jared Wright, Steve Karsay, Jason Giambi, Tony Womack, Kevin Brown, Kyle Farnsworth, Carl Pavano, Xavier Nady to name a few).
Last year, even arguably their best transaction, they bid against themselves and overpaid for C.C., as well as Burnett.
How many GMs that have made so many major blunders do you think would still hold on to their positions?
Its great to have the flexibility to throw vast Millions to solve your problems…just like the Federal Government “solving” the banking crisis!
Paco, rick, yea sheets is a risk but he also could be a huge addition to the rotation. I think its an even bigger risk to go into 2010 with an aging Pettitte and with two kids who both have injury histories and both can be expected to struggle at times.
If sheets stays healthy he could in a lot of games against opposing #4 staters
I agree with Blake !. The Yanks should sign Sheets. We need another Starter.
I’m not saying that they shouldn’t sign Sheets, it’s just that $12m guaranteed sounds like way too much for someone that hasn’t shown he can pitch effectively after surgery.
I imagine that the Yankees would be interested in a low base guaranteed, like the deal Pettitte got last year. Give him $5-8m guaranteed and offer incentives that would bring it to $12-14m if he is healthy and effective (like the innings thresholds that Pettitte had, with perhaps some performance bonuses like wins or ERA thresholds). If he feels confident in his ability to recover, then he should see the incentive goals as achievable.
rick: you don’t know if Hoffmann is a AAAA or a major league player. I like his chances. Then again, i won’t turn my fan card in, if the yankees don’t have an all-star at every single position
Tim Kurkchin was just in mike and mike and said he thought Holliday was going back to the cards for 5 or 6 years at around 16M per year. That’s either 80 or 96 million. If that prediction is true then it would be a huge mistake for the Yankees to not get involved with him at that price level. They would end up spending that much or more in Crawford or to sign a different stopgap every year. There is nobody in the minors in the way anymore (Jackson is gone).
Its funny to me how the ESPN guys refuse to mention the Yankees as a possible landing spot for Holliday. Maybe they are right but it seems more like denial to me at that price.
what-up blake. yes. Timmy also said he thinks Bay is on his way to the mets
I still think Damon re-signs w/ the Yankees, being a part time LF and mostly a DH.
Cards need to make a serious attempt at Holliday or risk losing Pujols down the road.
if Damon insists on this charade. I like: Ben Sheets, Nick Johnson, Matt Caps
Hey vinny. Yea that’s what he said. I can see that, bay seems like a Met signing. I just can’t imagine the Yankees not getting involved if Holliday goes for anything under 100 Million.
If Chapman were to take a minor league deal, I suspect the Yankees would sign him.
They only have 3 spots open right now and they need (want?) a Lf’er, DH, and anther SP who could help the next year.
I never quite understand why some players insist on being on the 40 man roster, especially players that are bound for the minors (like draftees). Is the idea that you get guaranteed money, or are more likely to make it to the big show since you are already on the 40 man and only need to be moved to the 25 man?
Can someone explain this to me?
I think Sheets makes the Yankees overall rotation comparable with the sox, at least on paper. Sheets is just as good as Lackey of not better when he 100%. Lackey is more of a sure thing of course but what other options are there. Its either take a chance on a guy like sheets or go with what you’ve got.
The wild card in the Yankee-sox comparisons is Matsuzaka. He is now their #4 starter. If he pitches like last year, or is still injured, he is nothing to worry about.
But, in 2007 he was 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Yes, he walked himself into trouble constantly, and frequently left after 5 innings because of pitch count. But we are talking about their 4th best, not their ace. He also gave up 40 fewer hits than IP. That is nothing to sneeze at. Hopefully, he returns to his 2009 form.
I hope Swish will be Barney’s wing man.
Yanks need to get active again. I like Sheets or the Duke at a fair price and bringing back JD would be fine. I am intrigued by Holliday. A 5 yr 100 il dollar deal wouldn’t be the worst thing but it is a long shot. They definitely need another arm and bat. I hate the budget talk. When you have a payroll like the Yankees and most fans have been priced out of the Stadium, the Yanks should still have a payroll at 200 mil. So sick of hearing about a Yankee budget!!! Its a farce!
Paco, Hal wasn’t running the team then……..I don’t know why people keep asking “well, where’s the proof that Hal has a budget or that he’s not going to spend” when Cash already said there’s a strict budget and it is very obvious that the Yankees are not throwing around money. I don’t think Hal will give the green light to spend $15-20 million on Chapman and frankly, I’m not sure that Cashman wants to either. His few quotes on the matter aren’t exactly brimming with desire to sign him. The Sox will get him, IMO……
Cash is too smart to give Damon a 3 year deal……..but I don’t even want him back for one. He’s allowed Boras to play him into a corner because now Cash is desperate for either Damon or Holliday. Cash brought this on by waiting and waiting and waiting on Damon. Now, aside from Damon and Holliday, there are no real options for LF.
good morning all -
My 2 cents?
I think Cashman isn’t “promoting” the idea of a rotating DH as much as he is “floating” that idea. What I recall was him discussing that there is a risk to doing that, which says to me it’s not carved in stone if they can get a DH is is a primary DH, but who can play the field at times, which Matsui was not going to do for them. Cash was quoted many times saying for the Yankees, Matsui was only going to be considered as a DH, with no intention of playing him in the field whatsoever.
So, it’s clear to me that Matsui was only a fallback for the Yankees. Sad, but true, and I’m going to miss Matsui. I’m not sure it’s the right decision – having Matsui as a strict DH in 09 seemed to work out just fine. They must think they dodged a bullet with his knees all season. Wasn’t it almost a constant reading about how Matsui’s knees were wrapped after every game and how much time he put into maintaining them all season, in addition to having them drained at least twice that I can recall.
I was opposed to Holliday initially. But that was before they traded Austin Jackson. As G. Love posted above, there is no up-and-coming outfielder ready to take his place at Yankee Stadium anytime soon (within the next 2-3 seasons), at least as far as any of us know, so the idea of giving Holliday 5 years doesn’t really hurt the Yankees’ flexibility as it would have if Jackson was still in the fold. And, as G. Love also indicated, Swisher will likely be gone by the time there IS a home-grown replacement ready to go (if indeed there is one at that time). So, put me in the “I won’t be disappointed/surprised if they sign Holliday” faction.
The Red Sox did improve themselves, and had the Yankees signed Lackey many here would be very happy. I didn’t think they’d sign him, because of the money, and I’m glad they didn’t, because he’s not pretty enough for me.
I no longer care about Damon. The farther removed from the two stolen bases I get, the more I tend to focus on the (mis)adventures in leftfield and the calf strains that come in extreme weather (which is a given in NY in April and September/October), as well as the very dismal September Damon had – he was in quite a slump. Again, if they sign him, fine. But if they don’t, also fine.
Cashman isn’t finished.
The only thing I always have a “thing” about is how in all these discussions, Melky Cabrera comes up very, very short. I know he’s not a superstar, but he’s a more than adequate player. And if they’re “stuck” with him, I don’t think it’s the end of the world. They somehow managed to win the WS last season with an outfield of Damon/Cabrera(Gardner)/Swisher, which I would consider an average at best outfield from a defensive standpoint (though Cabrera/Gardner defensively are better than average IMO).
So, let’s see how this day unfolds.
I don’t know why fans get so upset at players looking to get paid.
The owners certainly make money. So should the players.
The verbal jousting that goes back and forth is no big deal.
The marketplace determines deals.
Damon will get a 2 year deal from somebody, most likely the Yankees, because that’s what the marketplace dictates from this off-seasons deals to date.
This NY Times article from Nov. 2008 about Matt Holliday’s dad wishing his son was in Pinstripes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11.....kland.html
The Yankees are not spending the kind of money it would take to get Holliday… the budget is the budget. I like Hal, but I wish he had more of his father in him.
A year and a half ago, before the Nady trade I opined that Nelson Cruz might be a cheap guy to get because his minor league stats were great but he appeared blocked on the Texas roster. I was summarily dismissed because Cruz was a AAAA player… how did that turn out?
Hoffman entered pro ball with little baseball experience. Odds are he won’t help the Yankees, but to dismiss it out of hand is both arrogant and ignorant.
I think the 40-man status has some implications pension-wise but I’m not certain about that.
I’d risk $ 12 Million on Sheets long before I would give a ton of money to the most overhyped pitcher since Sidd Finch.
“Cash is desperate for either Damon or Holliday. Cash brought this on by waiting and waiting and waiting on Damon”
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what was the alternative? Offer Damon what he’s asking for? Lie to Matsui and tell him they will play him in the OF?
please, tell me what the alternative was? Anyway, Cashman is not desperate for anyone
“Cash is too smart to give Damon a 3 year deal……..but I don’t even want him back for one. He’s allowed Boras to play him into a corner because now Cash is desperate for either Damon or Holliday. Cash brought this on by waiting and waiting and waiting on Damon. Now, aside from Damon and Holliday, there are no real options for LF.”
Wow, you really need to get a reality check Betsy. Which real LF option other than Cameron has signed? Cashman knows what he’s doing here and I would think some Yankee fans would give him the benefit of the doubt here before assuming Boras is playing him.
Betsy — Be careful what you wish for. Hal has shown both the willingness to spend big at the right time and the prudence and patience to maintain roster balance and some semblance of fiscal responsibility.
To me that’s the best of both worlds.
The Yankees have spent little of the money that came off the books and there’s no reason to think they’ll simply pocket the rest.
Oh, Gosh. I need to revise a bit. Signing Damon would be “fine” only if its for 2 years or less.
Betsy,
if the Yankees weren’t interested in Chapman, they wouldn’t have been at his workout.
Since when has Brian Cashman gone public with his plans? What he says publicly means nothing.
You do realize the Yankees payroll, despite a budget, is 50-60 million dollars MORE than everybody else. Is that not enough for you?
They can’t sign every player that is available.
Take a good look at the roster. It’s not exactly lacking in talent and they aren’t finished yet.
“A year and a half ago, before the Nady trade I opined that Nelson Cruz might be a cheap guy to get because his minor league stats were great but he appeared blocked on the Texas roster. I was summarily dismissed because Cruz was a AAAA player… how did that turn out?
Hoffman entered pro ball with little baseball experience. Odds are he won’t help the Yankees, but to dismiss it out of hand is both arrogant and ignorant.
I think the 40-man status has some implications pension-wise but I’m not certain about that.
I’d risk $ 12 Million on Sheets long before I would give a ton of money to the most overhyped pitcher since Sidd Finch”
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86: nice post, bro
I’m not upset at the players – I’m a players fan. It’s a free market, they have every right to get what they think they deserve (how many of us wouldn’t do the same in our jobs)? They didn’t have any choice as to which team drafted them, so now – let them make hay.
I’m starting to get frustrated at Hal’s budget…….
“I’m starting to get frustrated at Hal’s budget……”
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yes. 200 million dollars doesn’t buy what it used to
“The Yankees are not spending the kind of money it would take to get Holliday… the budget is the budget. I like Hal, but I wish he had more of his father in him.”
Actually, I think he’s going to be better than his father without the bluster and bad decisions he makes in regard to player acquisitions.
vinny-b
December 16th, 2009 at 8:32 am
“I’m starting to get frustrated at Hal’s budget……”
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yes. 200 million dollars doesn’t buy what it used to
******************
LOL
One industry source believes the Yankees will increase their offer to two years and $22 million, adding a third option year with a buyout that would guarantee Damon approximately $26 million for the two-year deal. The Yankees had budgeted roughly $8 million to $9 million per year for Damon going forward, so that could be a stretch.
Seems about right. 2 years 11 to 12 million with a buyout on the 3rd. ( i don’t like the whole buyout thing ) but it thats what it takes .. so be it .
Damon has 2 good years left .. no doubt
SJ, I understand that……you’re talking about this team not being good enough as presently constituted to win (or maybe it was CB – now that I think about it, I think it was – sorry). We have to sign a LF and DH (I’m sure you’re not a fan of the rotating DH, are you). I don’t want Damon back – you expressed concern about our aging players yesterday. Well, Damon has aged the most out of all of them – he’s on his last legs. I don’t want him back for 1 year and absolutely not for 2 years. I like Melky – I guess if the Yankees want to see what they have and if he can improve more, I’d be fine with him in LF for now. If he’s not, then Cash will have to make a trade.
In any case, we have about $15 million to spend to keep us under budget. How do you propose to improve the team using that figure?
If people want to misread what I’m writing, that’s not my problem. I realize where the Yankees payroll stands in regards to other teams, but there are still holes on this team that have to be filled. I just don’t believe in being “penny wise and pound foolish”. If the Yankees can get cheap players that are also good, great.
“I’m starting to get frustrated at Hal’s budget…….”
Why? The Yankees are going to have a 200+M payroll in 2010 and is giving MLB well over 100M in luxury taxes and revenue sharing. That’s not enough for you.
On the topic of this blog -
How I Met Your Mother – I watch it all the time. At first, I wasn’t crazy about it, but there was nothing else on. Since then, the stories have gotten (mostly) better, and a few of the characters have really grown on me. I LOVE Lily. I can’t wait to see the Feb 1 episode with Swisher.
I do recommend this show.
And they’re really are playing it out well – I’m always wishing that we’d get to meet the “mother” to be, but that’s the hook. I’m sure we won’t meet her until episode “the last,” and hopefully the quality of this show will maintain for a couple of years so we don’t get to meet her for a while.
Hal Steinbrenner has run the Yankees for 2 years.
In that time span, he has guaranteed over 800 million dollars in player salaries, and has never told Brian Cashman not to go under slot for draft picks. Yup, some cheapskate.
Oh, and in that time span, he won a World Championship and you are frustrated at his budget? Seriously?
You mean the budget that is over 50 million dollars higher than EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE GAME? You mean that budget?
What do you want the Yankees to do? Have a 300 million dollar payroll? 400 million? Sign every single player in baseball to 100+ million dollar contracts and stash what you don’t need in AAA?
How exactly has Hal Steinbrenner been a problem for the Yankees?
They are the World Champs, just acquired an all star CF, who is under 30 (remember Curtis Granderson?), didn’t give up Hughes, Joba or Montero to get him, and are still loaded with talent.
That’s not enough for you? If it isn’t, nothing will be.
Might as well become a Red Sox fan since Theo is a genius and they sign everybody.
Good, Vinny. When Pena craps out because he’s not very good and you start wishing we had Hairston back…..or Melky reverts back to his usual self, then I’m sure you will be glad we didn’t spend for a utility infielder or a better LF.
“One industry source believes the Yankees will increase their offer to two years and $22 million, adding a third option year with a buyout that would guarantee Damon approximately $26 million for the two-year deal. The Yankees had budgeted roughly $8 million to $9 million per year for Damon going forward, so that could be a stretch”
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hope not. There’s no reason to cave to Damon. (SEE: Abreu, Bobby 2008)
I like the hardline precident Cashman has been establishing (to players and respective teams). Cashman should continue this
LOL Well, insults from SJ now – I guess I should leave the blog. Ok, I’ll just become a Red Sox fan now….no problem. I’m not a real Yankee fan anyway.
“In any case, we have about $15 million to spend to keep us under budget. How do you propose to improve the team using that figure?”
We don’t even know what the budget is and even if it’s 200M, it’s not a hard cap because the Yankees have already indicated that the final budget will be determined by circumstances.
SJ- i think some on here are still bitter from the Lackey signing .
Mike, I’m a Sox fan so I probably shouldn’t post this, but that’s terrible. The Yankees are bidding against themselves………….and no, Damon doesn’t have 2 good years left, he barely has 1.
Also, can you please provide a link, Mike? Thanks
“LOL Well, insults from SJ now – I guess I should leave the blog. Ok, I’ll just become a Red Sox fan now….no problem. I’m not a real Yankee fan anyway.”
Maybe, you need to take a step back and see what you are actually writing in your posts. You think all of us have a problem with you, but maybe, you’re the problem with what you’re writing to us.
If the Yankees can cut ties with Matsui they can certainly do the same with Damon and still not lose a relationship with Scott Boras if Holliday is signed.
Boras can’t possibly believe that the Yankees would sign both. He would obviously prefer that Holliday be taken.
As for Ben Sheets, if a serious offer is to be made, he needs to go to Tampa and let Dave Eiland, Nardi Contreras, and the medical staff watch him have a bullpen session to see if he meets all that’s needed to sign a deal.
Vinny . Cashman has to be carefull here. or he could over play his hand.
Matsui and Cameron are now gone. Bay and Holliday are about to sign. That leaves us with little to no options in left. and Damon knows that.
I believe in Cashman and he knows this stuff better than I do. So i’m sure he’ll make the right move.
Doreen
December 16th, 2009 at 8:37 am
On the topic of this blog -
How I Met Your Mother – I watch it all the time. At first, I wasn’t crazy about it, but there was nothing else on. Since then, the stories have gotten (mostly) better, and a few of the characters have really grown on me. I LOVE Lily. I can’t wait to see the Feb 1 episode with Swisher.
*******************
Doreen, I’ve never watched it, despite several people telling me I should. But I will definitely be watching Feb 1 when Swish is on. Can’t wait.
Betsy,
Its December 16, not April 16. Do you not think Brian Cashman knows what he needs?
Seriously, do you think he is saying, “gee whiz, I don’t have a LF or a SP, how did that happen”?
Honestly, what evidence is there he is asleep at the wheel?
The guy called the Tigers about Curtis Granderson while he was handing in his World Series roster!
Does that sound like a guy asleep at the wheel?
Johnny Damon will eventually re-sign with the Yankees. The marketplace is shaking out and he will get deal marketplace-worthy. As he should because he is a terrific player.
There are plenty of good pitchers on the market to fill the 4th or 5th starters role, which is all they need.
Before you start complaining about the “Big 3″, CC, AJ and Andy, those guys just pitched this team to a World Championship.
They don’t need another #1 starter.
I would understand this level of angst from you if it was April 16 and the Yankees still hadn’t filled their hole in LF and on the mound.
Sorry but, a team as loaded as the Yankees, and who are still shopping to fill out their roster, is hard for me to worry about right now.
Its even harder to read folks complain about Hal Steinbrenner, given the success he has had on and off the field in the short time he has owned the team.
Once you realize the team is not going to have 25, 100 million dollar contracts for their roster, you will be able to relax and enjoy the club.
“Its funny to me how the ESPN guys refuse to mention the Yankees as a possible landing spot for Holliday. Maybe they are right but it seems more like denial to me at that price.”
Again, this reminds me of how everyone assumed Tex was going to BOS last year. The situation with Holliday this year is progressing almost exactly like the situation with Text last year. That is, the Yankees sat on the sidelines as the market developed, once it firmed up we started hearing various leaks denying interest in Tex/Holliday as well as reports that the Yankees were/are comfortable with Swisher at 1B or Melky in LF. Like you conveyed, the consensus is that Holliday’s market is only 5 years @ 16MM per. At that level, I can’t imagine the Yankees not going for him. The fact of the matter is that Holliday is very likely to outperform this caliber of contract. If the Yankees were to go with Damon it would likely require a 2-yr committment. IMO, that would entail far greater risk than Holliday on a 5-6 year contract. The combination of Boras’ ridiculous hype, Holliday having started his career in COL and him being perceived as failing in OAK, have really caused people to lose focus of how valuable he actually is.
Betsy. i disagree respectfully. I believe Damon has 2 good years left
heres the link
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....index.html
I am so glad the Yankees did not get Lackey. I want our young guys to get a chance to pitch, and I want to be in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes next year.
I would be happy w/ Damon back, w/ Melky being the primary LF…but I would be happy w/ Holliday as well. I have faith in Cashman and his stealth moves.
betsy:
waiting for the alternative of what Cashman should have done, in the above scenario you referenced.
“I am so glad the Yankees did not get Lackey. I want our young guys to get a chance to pitch”
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upstate kate: thank you. 100%
and if Hughes/Joba receive the chance in the rotation this year and do well, we will not even have to sign a Cliff Lee
upstate kate
December 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I am so glad the Yankees did not get Lackey. I want our young guys to get a chance to pitch, and I want to be in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes next year.
I would be happy w/ Damon back, w/ Melky being the primary LF…but I would be happy w/ Holliday as well. I have faith in Cashman and his stealth moves.
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kate, agree 100%. Cashman knows what he’s doing. I’m happy they didn’t get Lackey, too-I’ve never been able to stand the guy. Rooting for him would have been very tough. lol
From what we are hearing re: Holliday, if the Yankees don’t sign him, it is only because they don’t want him and didn’t pursue.
He is out there for the taking right now.
“and if Hughes/Joba receive the chance in the rotation this year and do well, we will not even have to sign a Cliff Lee”
Lee would be the Pettitte replacement in 2011.
I don’t think there is a chance that Holliday signs for an Avg annual value of 16 mil per year. he is going to get at least 18-20 mil per yr and probably at least 6 yrs.
Why should anyone assume Melky would revert to his 2008 stats? He’s 25 years old and last year improved his OPS 91 points, doubled his extra base hits (21 to 42) while stealing 10 bases and providing the Yankees with their best defensive play in the OF.
I assume Melky will continue to improve this year and post numbers in the .280, 20 HR, 85 RBI range.
The Yanks don’t “need” anything to enter 2010 as one of the best teams in the game. Should they add a quality arm and/or bat they will be even better.
I don’t know anything about the Yanks budget but I do know that returning players will cost the Yanks $ 10-12 M more than last year and Granderson ($ 5.5) is the only addition to offset the losses of Matsui, Damon, Nady, Hinske, Molina and Hairston (approx $ 35 Million).
Even if payroll stays relatively flat there’s plenty there to add to the roster. It could be that some of that $$ is already earmarked for Chapman.
The marketplace will determine Johnny’s value. Not fans who are upset because he hasn’t pledged lifetime loyalty to the Yankees.
Bobby Abreu and Mike Cameron got 2 years. If those guys can get 2 years, Damon is getting 2 years.
He will probably get between 9-11 million for those 2 years.
That’s pretty much is his market, whether it comes from the Yankees or someone else.
Betsy,
Nobody is insulting you. However, when you constantly complain about Hal Steinbrenner’s “budget”, a “budget” BTW that has not hurt the Yankees from acquiring ANY significant players, you can’t expect people to take you seriously.
You genuflect over everything you read about the Red Sox online. If they offer Chapman money, which is their right, they are “signing him”.
Where is that a guarantee? They tried to bum rush his previous, inexperienced agent and failed.
One of the reasons Chapman got rid of the guy was he had no idea how to do business at this high level.
He now has more experienced agents and its probably going to take more than the Red Sox 15.5 million dollar offer to sign him now. Is he worth it? That’s for talent evaluators to decide.
The prospects that went in the Lee/Halladay deals were at the level of Montero, Hughes and Chamberlain.
Unless you wanted those guys gone, you weren’t getting Roy Halladay. That’s not a Hal Steinbrenner decision, that’s a baseball decision.
If they decide not to sign Matt Holliday, its not because they are cheap. Its because they don’t want to tie themselves down with another large, long term contract.
Again, that’s a baseball decision and not evidence of being “cheap”.
I feel sorry for a lot of people here. They take no satisfaction / happiness from our WS win. You’d think we just finished in 4th place. Some of you enjoy the drama and hand wringing for some odd reason. Good luck with that.
People will deny that and say, “sure, I liked the WS win, I’m not hand wringing, we have holes and the world is about to end!!!!”
Whatever. Enjoy negativity and arguing against “your” team, GM and owner. I’ll enjoy being positive and watching Cano throw to Tex for the last out for the 5,000,000 time on my DVD.
I really thought winning the World Series, and acquiring a guy like Granderson for little back to Detroit, would have folks ease up a bit.
Yet, its still the same nonsense. “Hal is cheap”, “Cashman is asleep at the wheel”, “the Red Sox sign everybody”, etc.
Mind you, this is a team that has, Arod, Jeter, Cano, Tex, Posada, CC, AJ, Pettitte, and Mo. None “decent” players.
Not counting guys like Hughes, Chamberlain, Granderson, Swisher, that’s half the roster of above average major league talent.
Its only December, still plenty of time to fill needs, and its still not enough for the same folks who declared the season “over” in April, to declare 2010 “over” now.
Its why the world hates Yankees. 200 million isn’t enough. It has to be 250+ million or the team is going into the crapper.
Amazing.
New post
Saying that Cashman is screwing things up is rather laughable. Which move should he have made? He (smartly) wasn’t giving Lackey or Cameron that much money, and he wasn’t really in the running for Halladay from what you can see now that a deal was done.
Keep in mind that at the end of the Winter Meetings he was seen as the biggest winner, at least in terms of established talent.
“December 16th, 2009 at 8:35 am
One industry source believes the Yankees will increase their offer to two years and $22 million, adding a third option year with a buyout that would guarantee Damon approximately $26 million for the two-year deal. ”
If the Yankees were going to pay that much, why wouldn’t they have offered arbitration, or was that a miscalculation? If you are basically guaranteeing him $13m a season you should have offered him arbitration. I don’t see him getting >$20m on a two year deal.