Wang willing to wait until May
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jan 25, 2010 
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Apparently Chien-Ming Wang is expecting a major league contract, and he’s willing to wait for it.
Wang’s agent, Alan Nero, told Ken Rosenthal: “We’re anticipating a major-league offer with a substantial guarantee and substantial upside… We’re so confident with what is going to happen, if we don’t do it until May, we’re OK. Whoever shows the initiative to take a little bit of risk is going to win.”
Floating the idea of a May signing might be a power play by Nero, or it might be indication that Nero doesn’t expect major league offers at this point. Teams are still reviewing medical records, so Wang might not sign for a while. Whether it takes until May, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
A lot of other Yankees related news and notes floating out there today.
• Add Oakland to the list of possible Johnny Damon destinations, but the A’s apparently have Ben Sheets higher on their list of priorities.
• Our old friend Austin Jackson will go into spring training as a favorite for the Tigers lead-off spot. By comparison, the Yankees had Jackson open last season batting sixth because they didn’t want to put too much pressure on him… in Triple-A.
• Speaking of Detroit, has anyone out there read a negative Curtis Granderson story? He certainly sounds like a good guy in this one. And this one.
• Apparently Kei Igawa is looking to stay in America long term, no matter what happens at the end of his current contract.
• The Rangers have designated Joe Inglett for assignment. He’s a career .293 hitter in the big leagues, where he’s played every position except pitcher, catcher and first base. Not a bad utility candidate if the Yankees were to put in a claim.
I’d love to sign Wang as insurance. If one of our gays gets hurt in April, or one of the oung guys really gets rocked, we may end up having to sign Wang.
Repost-Rosenthal is down on Wang.
Nick-
What was the deadline on our Wang wager???
This is just agent puffery. There is no way in this baseball economy that Wang is going to get a multi year deal without proving himself healthy and effective.
Remember, even when he was supposedly healthy last year he was very ineffective.
hobbie
January 25th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
In Erica’s nightly Damon dreams- is he wearing pinstripes?
****************
Of course!!!!!
What else would he be wearing?????
Nothing…?
Just saying, Erica.
Wang has no choice but wait because he’s not going to be ready to pitch until June or July.
Nobody waits until May to sign unless they have to.
2 shoulder surgeries and a Liz Franc fracture. Those are serious injuries.
Going to be tough for teams to sign him unless they see if his stuff is what it was prior to the injuries.
A smoking jacket perhaps?
“Apparently Kei Igawa is looking to stay in America long term, no matter what happens at the end of his current contract.”
I knew creating a statue for the AAA pitcher of the year in downtown Scranton was a bad idea.
Wait til we do it all over again
Which “gays” are on the team,do tell?
There was no deadline, so it’s still an open question until he signs with an organization.
I think you made some joke about June or July a few weeks ago.
The “Big money” A’s really need Damon with their excess of defensively challenged outfielders. If it’s Sheets, no Damon. Dollar considerations aside, this makes little sense.
Boras is getting desperate in trumping up his boilerplate “other teams are interested”/ “we’re evaluating other offers” lines. Let’s see him get out of this and save the day for JD.
vey-Heh.
Nick in SF
January 25th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
There was no deadline, so it’s still an open question until he signs with an organization.
I think you made some joke about June or July a few weeks ago.
************
I had concerns about it going on indefinitely. But I thought we decided on the start of the season?
braeden
January 25th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Man Rosenthal really gives Wang a thumbs down, he actually tells teams on MLBTR to save their money. ouch!
————————————————————
What he said was that if the teams don’t have infielders that can play defense, those teams had better look somewhere else.
Boras is like an addictive drug, the GM’s can’t get enough of his nonsense. They just lose all common sense with the clubs checkbook.
I don’t recall deciding on the start of the season as a deadline — why would I do that?
“I’m smokin’ in any jacket”
Sam “Mayday” Malone
I guess Kei Igawa is getting sponsored by the Yankees?
Unless he’s married to a resident/citizen.
Maybe Joe Biden is pulling some strings?
Nick in SF
January 25th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
I don’t recall deciding on the start of the season as a deadline — why would I do that?
**************
I dunno… cause you like giving me money???
If Wang hasn’t signed with another team by April 4, I think that makes it MORE likely he will return to the Yankee family.
So if you’d like to settle the bet in my favor on that date if he is still unsigned, I won’t argue.
We also don’t have a deadline for Damon. If he announces his retirement, I call that a win for me too.
Nolan Ryan Gm of the Rangers really likes Ben Sheets, I’ll bet he goes after him.
I hope Wang recovers his form, and I would like the Yankees to sign him again. I just don’t think it will happen.
One or two more moves yet to be made prior to ST.
“Tampa Bay Rays Moving to Southern Connecticut or New Jersey?
The Tampa Bay Rays may not be able to afford staying in Florida much longer. NESN baseball analyst Peter Gammons reports on MLB.com that the Rays eventually could be forced to move to a more profitable market
http://www.nesn.com/2010/01/ta.....ersey.html
Jeez, C-Grand really is a nice guy. And seemingly he’s a little wacky if he thinks that acquiring Johnny Damon could force him to move to left.
“I’m waiting to see what happens,” Granderson said. “I’m not worried one way or the other. If he comes and I have to move, left or center, doesn’t matter to me.”
Don’t worry Curtis. If you’re playing out there next to Johnny? You’ll be “moving” all right. You’ll be moving so much you’ll think you’re out there alone.
http://www.itsallaboutthemoney.com
Tells Damon to call Andy so he can explain exactly how crow taste, but how a WS title helps it disappear!
It’s about the money stupid!
The Connecticut Rays, The New Jersey, no no this is Selig’s way of getting a team to move to NY. He wants a 3rd team to slow the Yankees ability to spend, watch.
i see rex ryan thinks the jets run this town
Bronx Jeers
Funny stuff dude!!
I didn’t go to the original bleacher report, but I really don’t think that moving spring training out of the state of Florida will help the Florida teams at all.
Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water!
That’s just one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen suggested.
Andy’s only mistake was letting the Yankees know his true intentions.
But, I’m sure he’s much happier now.
Nick in SF
January 25th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
If Wang hasn’t signed with another team by April 4, I think that makes it MORE likely he will return to the Yankee family.
So if you’d like to settle the bet in my favor on that date if he is still unsigned, I won’t argue.
We also don’t have a deadline for Damon. If he announces his retirement, I call that a win for me too.
********************
Wang will be in another uniform. MPB Johnny Damon will not. Its just that simple
http://www.fenwaywest.com addresses the unanswered questions about the 2010 sux! See Chad they have issues too.
I missed out on asking this in the last thread, but here’s a question to anyone who has seen the farm recently:
Who is faster – Brett Gardner, or Melky Mesa?
If Orlando wants a team and Rays want a bigger market, wouldn’t it make more sense to move the Rays to Orlando than the Brewers to Orlando or the Rays to the tri-state area?
An hour drive for the Rays to keep their old “fanbase” and pick up a new one from Orlando residents, tourists and surrounding cities/towns.
Wang is getting really bad advice.
Isn’t NJ kind of a Bermuda triangle situation? Any baseball team will get lost in the throngs of phillies, mets, and yankee fans. I mean they latched onto the nets and devils, but they are perennial winners.
Don’t see the rays winning for awhile.
Lol. Nets were perennial almost winners I meant.
The Nets are tired of waiting in vain for a savior to rise from these streets; they’re bugging out for Brooklyn.
If Wang is healthy and remembers how to throw his sinker (two big IFs, I agree), then he will be a steal for whoever gets him. This guy can pitch (he went 54-21 when healthy with New York). I’ll never figure out what’s going on in that little brain of Cashman’s
Come on Andy Roddick!!!
This is some great tennis.
http://sports.espn.go.com/bost.....id=4857994
Look at this sick story. Why does this get a front page on NESPN? I guess that’s rhetorical.
Anywho, why doesn’t Big Baby clothesline another Magic fan and then cry about it as if he was wronged.
It would appear that Orlando might well be a great location for The Rays. Rename them the Orlando Oranges and let them play in used prison jump suits as an economy measure.
I think Boras is getting desperate if the rumors he’s floating is Johnny Damon as Plan B for Oakland. If Ben Sheets is plan A Johnny Damon shouldn’t be plan B- plan Z maybe. Johnny’s arm is not strong enough to reach the plate consistently for six innings a start
“If Wang is healthy and remembers how to throw his sinker (two big IFs, I agree), then he will be a steal for whoever gets him. This guy can pitch (he went 54-21 when healthy with New York). I’ll never figure out what’s going on in that little brain of Cashman’s”
Your first sentence actually explains what’s going on in Cashman’s mind. The reason that he and apparently every other GM doesn’t want to guarantee Wang significant money and offer him a ML contract is that there are so many “ifs” about his ability to be an effective pitcher going forward. He has had two serious shoulder surgeries and a serious foot injury.
Whatever is going on in his brain, it did lead to a WS just a few short months ago.
Rich,
funny how that works isn’t it?
A 12 year old, possessing a small brain, accuses the GM of the World Champs, a team he built, of having the same infliction he is suffering from.
If Cash has a “small brain”, so does every GM in baseball regarding Wang since he remains unsigned.
Wang’s time with the Yankees is, most likely, over. And I really don’t think it’s that hard to ‘figure out what’s going on in that little brain of Cashman’s’-Wang just had shoulder surgery. His 2nd shoulder surgery of his career. This reason, and not his ground ball rates, strike out per nine innings pitched or ‘not an ACE’ talk is the reason Cashman, or any team for that matter, has not signed him. Wang just cannot be counted on to pitch next season. Which is a shame.
It would be in Wangs best interest to go to an NL west or NL central team (Cards or Dodgers).
If youre a pitcher trying to re-gain your form then those are two good teams to do it on because they are the only teams in their divisions that can hit.
Rx for CMW :
Part 1 – Dr James Andrews – Done !
Part 2 – Dr. Frankenstein (Neil Allen)
OR
Part 3 – Igor (Dave Duncan)
If I’m CMW there’s no way I’m returning to the AL east to try to figure things out unless they pay be significantly more money than someone else would.
Never got to receive his big pay day because of injuries so I’d be surprised of he accepted an “insurance role” with the Yankees unless he has no other choice. He wants to re-establish himself in hopes of getting paid next offseason and I can’t blame him for that.
Blake,
Correct. It’s not in Wang’s best interests to come back to NY for a variety of reasons.
The Yankees also don’t fit for him at this point either.
Childish emotions aside, it’s not difficult to see it’s in the best interests of BOTH parties to move on.
blake,
If Rosenthal is correct, Wang (and his agent) isn’t looking for a chance to re-establish himself as much as he is guaranteed money, perhaps because he fears that he won’t be able to re-establish himself.
If it was merely about a finding a situation that would offer him patience and a chance to pitch, why wouldn’t he except a mL contract with incentives and prove that he can become the pitcher he once was?
“If I’m CMW there’s no way I’m returning to the AL east to try to figure things out unless they pay be significantly more money than someone else would.”
Yup. AL East hasn’t been all that kind to him. To wit:
Career numbers:
vs. AL East = 20-15 with a 4.88 ERA
vs. everyone else = 35-11 with a 3.61 ERA
What’s the average difference in the split for the AL East v. everyone else?
“If it was merely about a finding a situation that would offer him patience and a chance to pitch, why wouldn’t he except a mL contract with incentives and prove that he can become the pitcher he once was?”
Because he may not have to?
The career of a professional athlete can be cut short in a heartbeat.
Because of this I can never understand those who begrudge them when they try to get as much money as they can as quickly as possible.
It’s not a 9-5 job.
Fate wasn’t kind to CMW.
I always thought he was underappreciated by many.
As such.
Vaya con Dios CMW. All the best to you wherever you may land.
JMTC.
Wang’s problems with finding a team is first, finding a team that’s not really going to contend and can gamble a spot for him to figure things out, and secondly, has the money to make that gamble. That most likely eliminates most AL teams like Oakland, who can’t afford to waste the money and NL teams like San Diego who has little chance of contending, but has no money to waste.
Two of the few teams that fit his needs would be Washington and Kanas City. Ideally, it would be a team with a strong pitching coach, (St. Louis), but, they can’t afford a spot and with contracts due after 2010, may not have the money to gamble.
“Because he may not have to?”
Then why hasn’t he already signed a ML contract with guaranteed money?
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“Then why hasn’t he already signed a ML contract with guaranteed money?”
Didn’t say he DOESN’T have to. I said he MAY NOT have to. Teams now seem to be taking a look at some of the FA’s with physical issues. Doesn’t hurt him to wait and see whether some of the more pitching starved teams will be willing to take a one year gamble on him.
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“Didn’t say he DOESN’T have to. I said he MAY NOT have to. Teams now seem to be taking a look at some of the FA’s with physical issues. Doesn’t hurt him to wait and see whether some of the more pitching starved teams will be willing to take a one year gamble on him.”
Again, as I posted above, I think his negotiating strategy reflects his diffidence about his ability to return to form.
if someone can make a case that cashman handled wang last spring and summer in a way that would have resulted in a healthy pitcher i’d like to see it.
for one thing, wang should have never been pitching in the major leagues with his arm slot 6 inches to a foot high for much of the summer.
this is just simple baseball common sense.
the resulting shoulder injury is what you’d expect with his use last summer.
just like you’d expect something like a shoulder problem when joba was stretched out too fast two years ago which he may never have recovered from .
winning a world series is great and a lot of good decisions had to be made to do that, but rushing pitchers because the yankees are scrambling for wins has become too predictable with cashman.
wang, hughes, and joba all were rushed because of the urgency of winning games and the resulting injuries were no surprise.
patience with pitchers when faced with in season pressure to win is not a strong point of cashman’s. in all three cases mentioned above, the yankees were in trouble and chasing the red sox.
in all three cases, cashman should have slowed down the pitchers for their own good. he didn’t and injuries resulted.
remove cashman from influencing wang’s career and he has a chance to get back on track.
wang really needs to move on to another team for his own good.
the yankees under cashman are not the ideal place for a pitcher like wang to rehab. he needs to go somewhere he can progress at his own pace because the yankees’ constant need for winning makes the bronx a difficult place for a rehabbing pitcher to be .
If Oakland wanted a reclamation project Wang will be a lot cheaper than Sheets. And Oakland might be an ideal place for him.
Everyone talks about Texas for Sheets, but why would he want to try to re-establish himself as a top pitcher in a hitters’ paradise on a team that rarely wins?
Cashman has played things pretty well this off season, swapping Damon, Matsui and Nady ($ 32.5 M) for Granderson, Johnson and Vasquez ($ 23 M).
He also retained Pettite and has said goodbye to pricey bench guys Hinske, Hairston, Molina ($ 5 M)
There’s still work to be done, but to me this is a much better team on paper than it was a year ago today.
“the yankees under cashman are not the ideal place for a pitcher like wang to rehab. he needs to go somewhere he can progress at his own pace because the yankees’ constant need for winning makes the bronx a difficult place for a rehabbing pitcher to be.”
Is it really Cashman or the pressure that ownership applies as a result of their business model?
After all, they did give Wang a spot in the rotation over Hughes (which I viewed as a mistake at the time).
I do agree that their monitoring of his physical condition in April raises questions.
In any case, a mL contract would afford Wang more time and patience no matter where he pitches.
“Again, as I posted above, I think his negotiating strategy reflects his diffidence about his ability to return to form”
Well, even his agent acknowledges that the team that “shows the initiative to take a little bit of risk” will get his services. Could be that that’s no team at all and he will have to accept a two-way deal. However, the agent is right about them not being pressed to do or accept anything quickly.
I was pretty impressed with Inglett last year. He had quite a few hits against the Yanks. Seems to handle the bat pretty well. Definitely worth putting in a claim on.
Randy-
I have always thought that the Yankees could benefit from having a “professional” pitching coach.
I am not a big fan of Eiland.
Someone more in the mold of a Rick Peterson type who understands the “science of motion” stuff.
Avoiding injuries to pitchers thru preventative strategies would be worth pounds of cure.
“Well, even his agent acknowledges that the team that “shows the initiative to take a little bit of risk” will get his services. Could be that that’s no team at all and he will have to accept a two-way deal. However, the agent is right about them not being pressed to do or accept anything quickly.”
Really? I think it’s in Wang’s best interests to attend ST and get the benefit of a ML team’s monitoring, instruction, and training staff.
Very well said Randy. Although I don’t think that Cash is solely to blame for that. George has created this win it all today at all costs culture that I think drives the Yanks decisions for the worse at times and having the revenue streams that we have backs it up. I think Cash in many ways is trying to get away from that somewhat but Wang Joba and Hughes are perfect examples of the short term goals of the team out weighing both thw long term good of the franchise and they correct career paths of some of our young future.
My fear this year is that this will drive much of Girardi’s opinions on input into the makeup of the roster as he is to some extent managing for a contract.
The idea that Joba isn’t being told to report to camp early to work with Eiland in preparation to start 180-200 innings this year for the Yanks without the kid gloves is a joke to me.
That’s one of the things that I love and respect about Kevin Long’s approach to his job is that he’s proactive and begins working with his hitters especially the projects i.e Cano,Swish and this year Grandy early in an effort to aid their development by giving them a plan. I’d like to see Eiland adopt this approach with the young pitchers both starters and relievers to give these guys a focus prior too when pitchers and catchers report.
“Really? I think it’s in Wang’s best interests to attend ST and get the benefit of a ML team’s monitoring, instruction, and training staff”
I’d think he gets that one way or another. Doesn’t sound like he’ll be good to go for ST. More likely scenario would seem to be some time in extended ST along with a 30 day rehab stint in the minors to get his legs under him. All of which can be done under a major league contract as I understand it. Again, doesn’t mean he’ll get one, but it can’t be ruled out either.
MTU
January 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Randy-
I have always thought that the Yankees could benefit from having a “professional” pitching coach.
I am not a big fan of Eiland.
Someone more in the mold of a Rick Peterson type who understands the “science of motion” stuff.
Avoiding injuries to pitchers thru preventative strategies would be worth pounds of cure.
————————————————————
It’s really too bad that Mike Marshall was pretty much blackballed by baseball for his radical approach to pitching. He’d make a great minor league pitching guru if he could get the young pitchers early.
GB-
Why was Marshall blackballed ?
New thread >>>>>>>>
“I’d think he gets that one way or another. Doesn’t sound like he’ll be good to go for ST. More likely scenario would seem to be some time in extended ST along with a 30 day rehab stint in the minors to get his legs under him. All of which can be done under a major league contract as I understand it. Again, doesn’t mean he’ll get one, but it can’t be ruled out either.”
That’s my point. I think he may need more than 30 days in the mLs, and that arbitrary deadlines may not be in his best interests. btw, I didn’t mean to imply that he should go to ST to pitch, only that he would benefit from the services that a ML team can offer at ST.
Forget Wang and forget Damon. Both might get it done for someone else but its not worth having to wait out a shoulder and never having a good arm in leftfield. Let’s move on to some good options. I like Reed Johnson. Good defensive leftfielder who can hit righties, and who should fit into the budget.
“Is it really Cashman or the pressure that ownership applies as a result of their business model?”
rich in nj-
no doubt that there’s a constant pressure in new york to win.
i’m just saying this isn’t ideal for rehabbing injured pitchers or developing young pitchers.
cashman is the one in charge so i do think he’s the one making the decisions on rehabbing and development pace.
despite the focus on holding onto young pitching prospects, their move into the yankees rotation is an erratic process.
the red sox go through the same problems. buccholz has been all over the place. lester is an unusual case because his development was impacted by having cancer.
maybe the best model for the yankee is letting aces and #2′s develop somewhere else at their own pace , like sabathia and burnett, and then sign them as developed top pitchers as free agents.
the rest of the staff could be filled from within.
correction..meant to say Reed will hit lefties a good righty hitter.
MTU
January 26th, 2010 at 9:26 am
GB-
Why was Marshall blackballed ?
————————————————————
Because baseball viewed him as an educated freak. He has theories that are based on motion that threatens the teachings of old time pitching instructors like Billy Connors. He has a series of videos on training and instructions that aren’t acceptable to them. Quite interesting viewing. It worked quite well for him. It allowed him to pitching in 2/3rds of his teams’a games. A relief pitcher that was logging over 100 innings a year with a high over 200 innings? He’s a doctor of kinesiology at Michigan State.
Eiland changed CC’s grips on both his two seam fastball and changeup in mid-season last year, making him a dominant pitcher in the second half. CC himself as has said Eiland turned his season around.
He convinced Andy to pitch inside more, made a subtle adjustment on his placement on the rubber, and he pitched much better.
He taught and refined Hughes’ cutter.
He convinced Girardi to use Robertson in more high leverage situations.
He is the best pitching coach they have had since Mel in his heyday.
You don’t need to be a scientist to be a pitching coach.
You need to understand pitching, be a good communicator, be able to make adjustments, and
have the respect of the players.
Eiland has all three.
Sj-
On the other side of the coin.
I don’t believe Eiland did a very good job with Joba.
I am not impressed with Hughes cutter. I personally think a changeup would have served him better.
And while I agree you dont HAVE to be a scientist to be a good pitching coach. I think some one who has both what you mentioned AND understands the science of pitching would be even better.
“I don’t believe Eiland did a very good job with Joba.”
There is only so much a teacher can do with a pupil that refuses to listen and revise their approach to pitching.
Jobs did a bad job with Joba.
His struggles, from conditioning to his constant shaking off of catchers, is on him.
Hughes’ cutter was a great pitch for him all year.
The movement is so subtle and late breaking, it makes the pitch unhittable when thrown properly.
Who’s fault is it that the Yankees don’t have the $$$ to take a legitimate gamble on a very talented pitcher who was the team’s ace as late as mid 2008? Unclear to me why the fact that the Yankees are too impoverished to offer Wang an incentive-laden contract is anyone but Cashman’s fault. He’s the one, who after driving the Yankees into the ground, had to spend 420 million after the 2008 season to right the ship. Its not genius to spend that kind of money to make up for your littany of mistakes. Any monkey could do it. Moving forward, if the Yankees have a poorly constructed, half baked team, how does Cashman not get the blame for not having the money to fix it? He shouldn’t have it both ways, but he does.
An athlete’s health is always the wild card from both the perspective of the team and the athlete. I agree that the average professional athlete’s career is relatively short.
The ones who make the big money have a rare and fragile talent. They usually deserve what they get.
buzz, indeed.