Notes and links on the night before the GM Meetings
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Nov 06, 2012 
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I’m still making my way to California, but here are a few notes as we head into tomorrow’s opening of the General Managers’ Meetings.
• It’s pretty early in the process, so it’s not surprising that things have been quiet so far. Jayson Stark reports that agents are saying the Yankees have been especially slow in their free agent conversations. The assumption seems to be that the Yankees are waiting for their qualifying offers to be accepted or rejected.
• Ken Davidoff writes that Brian Cashman is expected to meet with Torii Hunter’s agent during this week’s meetings. Agent Larry Reynolds also represents B.J. Upton, but Hunter is seen as a much better fit for the Yankees current needs and financial desires.
• From that same Davidoff piece: Cashman will not meet with Mariano Rivera’s agent this week, but there’s a chance a Rivera deal could be done by the end of the week or sometime next week.
• Robinson Cano was picked as the Yankees best defensive player in the first ever Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
• Center field prospect Slade Heathcott was named the Arizona Fall League’s Player of the Week. He played in just two games but had 13 total bases.
• The Denvor Post reports that the Rockies’ manager search is down to two finalists: Walt Weiss and Matt Williams. That means former Yankees slugger Jason Giambi is out of the running.
“@BorowitzReport: BREAKING: Man Who Told Half the Nation to F*ck Themselves Somehow Loses Election
YankeesWFAN NBC’s David Gregory just compared Bill Clinton as “closer” for Obama to Mariano Rivera. For real.
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lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....ntext-gflo
Can’t wait for Michael Lewis to write the Nate Silver story.
The sabermaticians win again.
RadioKev November 7th, 2012 at 12:33 am
Can’t wait for Michael Lewis to write the Nate Silver story.
———————————————————————————-
haha. Silver already beat him to the punch. He just published his own book. The man
knows his stuff and statistics. Karl Rove … eh not so much.
Initiative 502 passing in Washington State…
An enticement for Timmy to come home?
Tonight feels even worse than the ALCS…
I think the yankees get younger use the farm an have patience
Well that’s over…..now it’s up to Cashman to get Justin Upton , Chase Headley , Alex Gordon and josh Hamilton
Good luck with that Blake.
If you’re really lucky you might get Torii.
Morning MTU….how are ya
Nothing like waking up to the newspapers who re-iterate the Yankees will do nothing big and are insistence on staying within the cap. The new Yankee fan joy of dumpster diving and cost accounting.
Today’s a hike day so I’m good.
Hold those you love closer than ever.
Mac-
Yup. Seems to be the new reality.
That’s what happens when the bean counters take over.
I pray our nation has made the right choice…..and I pray that the Yankees realize their offense needs help
Blake-
The help is guys like Hunter.
I would not give Hunter 2 years….if he will come for one then great….but they’ll not even need him in 2014 and they just can’t afford to put any more money on the books for that year than necessary IMO…..which also means saying bye to Martin if he demands a multi year deal
The Rangers are likely going after Hunter from what I read. I have no faith they will outbid anyone on a player.
The discouraging thing to me is I see no sign the Yankees see potential declining income from an uninteresting team. To make all focus on cutting spending misses the revenue part of the equation.
It is going to be a long off season of minor moves. Ichiro for Swisher, pray Kuroda re-signs and Pettitte returns and add a substitute RH OF bat. I bet Nix returns as they will not out bid others on Keppinger or Scutaro.
Blake-
I think Hunter represents the kinds of solution the Yankees are looking at right now.
I hold to the position that they are in stopgap mode.
Would love to see them prove me wrong.
189 has put a straightjacket around the Yankees.
Ownership has no inclination to buck it as far as I can tell.
Once the pocketbook suffers that’s when they might react.
Otherwise they go on their merry way.
Blake,
What do they do for players in 2014 if they won’t sign anyone to a contract? It requires only old or otherwise unwanted players will sign. Neither Hunter nor any other player will come for one year when other teams will give two.
I firmly believe this train is quickly de-railing. The papers report they will not sign Cano but will let his market set itself for next year. Since next year will be cap controlled by Hal’s demand, he too will leave via free agency. They exchange him for an 18 year old who may or may not sign. Great.
Good morning. Up rather late last night. The only politics I want remark on is that baseball geek and statsman, Nate Silver, was corrrect yet once again.
GM meetings are sually quiet, but Frank Wren did acquire Dan Uggla in a trade with the Marlins at a GM meeting, and the local papers think that they have 25M to spend for either a LF’er or 3rd baseman and a CF’er. Born is not going to be brought back.
I don’t think the Yankees will do much at the GM meetings, except welcome back Hiroki Kuroda, and hold their breath, hoping that Soriano doesn’t accept the QO, which might put a kink in their spending for other players to round out the offense/bench
Hey.
We made the playoffs last season.
What’s the problem ?
Signed,
Team thrifty
YT-
Soriano is as good as gone.
P.S.
You are wise not to comment on the politics.
Blake,
When you say they won’t need Hunter in 2014, is that because you believe that Austin or Flores will be ready and capable?
“What do they do for players in 2014 if they won’t sign anyone to a contract? It requires only old or otherwise unwanted players will sign. Neither Hunter nor any other player will come for one year when other teams will give two.”
If they aren’t going to actually go and try to sign real upgrades then Id look to go young in 2014…..if Austin keeps hitting then he could be ready and so could Heathcott….. Heathcott is hitting in the fall league and most folks consider that upper level competition…..(mixture of AA, AAA, and some of the best lower level talents).
I still think they should seriously consider signing Hamilton if his price falls into a certain range…..if negotiations with Cano don’t progress then they need to consider back up plans should he leave after 2013……Hamilton could give them some leverage against that short term.
Mac-
Banking on unproven prospects no matter how promising is fool’s gold IMO.
JF thinks Hunter’s 2012 season was an outlier, with an elevated BABIP. I looked at his 2012 hit chart at Angels stadium and he appears to be able to hit to all fields.
Blake-
What do you think?
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/p.....rii-hunter
YT-
I think Hunter might be a nice stopgap type guy.
But the team needs to get younger, faster, and more athletic now.
IMO they should use their available resources and trade for some of what they need rather than holding onto to the majority of their prospects.
They may or may not pan out.
The Yankees should not try to keep all, or even the majority of their MiLB guys.
The trick is to know which ones to keep and when to move the rest of them.
The papers report they will not sign Cano but will let his market set itself for next year.
———–
Huge mistake. Why even let it get to that point. Do they realize what Cano on the market would get?
Blake-
There still is Team 178 before we get to Team 189, and Team 178 as JF correctly states is calculated at 2013 season end when all perks, performance bonuses, insurance, etc will be factored into their LT threshold.
Hamilton would therefore be possibly affordable, IF you plan to trade Granderson and all of his salary sometime between now and the July trading deadline for cheap prospects, and Cano for 1-2 everyday, but cheaper players, during the same time frame.
Thoughts everyone?
Yankees are like an old dog and it’s hard to teach them new tricks.
YT-
I think they might shop Grandy this OS but I think the odds are he stays.
Yankees should consider extending Cano but it appears they may not.
That risk aversion on the part of the Yankees is not appropriate in a time where budgetary concerns are paramount.
MTU-
I’d prefer Hunter on a one year contract, at most with a club option for a 2nd. I like to see how they perform in a walk year. However I believe he’ll have a 2 year offer out there.
What happens with Ichiro if Hunter signs with the Yankees.
If Melky is not punished further by the commissioner, where do most of us stand on him for one year, prove you’re clean and productive?
YT-
I was just giving my take on what I think the Yankees might do.
Not what I think they should do.
Melky represent a fantastic value right now but I just don’t think the Yankees go there.
I think if Hunter comes on board Ichiro may not.
Or vice versa.
If Ichiro comes back as an everyday player, does that possibly put Gardner on the trading block in a package for a young corner OF’er?
Will Kevin Towers and Cashman talk about what their team needs are to complete a trade for Justin Upton today or tomorrow. Nova/Phelps + Gardner[to replace Young] + prospect, get it done?
“Blake,
When you say they won’t need Hunter in 2014, is that because you believe that Austin or Flores will be ready and capable?”
Either that or they can stop gap it again…..my point is that they need to avoid putting money on the 2014 books unless they have to…..especially for old guys like Hunter that could realistically fall off a cliff in 2013
“JF thinks Hunter’s 2012 season was an outlier, with an elevated BABIP. I looked at his 2012 hit chart at Angels stadium and he appears to be able to hit to all fields.”
I think it very well could be yea…..old guys usually don’t get better and stay that way…..as great as Jeter is they can’t count on him hitting .320 again either
“There still is Team 178 before we get to Team 189, and Team 178 as JF correctly states is calculated at 2013 season end when all perks, performance bonuses, insurance, etc will be factored into their LT threshold.”
They don’t seem to be making 2013 a mandate though…..the mandate they keep talking about is 189 in 2014
Blake-
Don’t use the word “mandate” around here.
Id love Hunter for 1 year….I wouldn’t give him two because 1) he may fall off a cliff in 2013 and then you’d be stuck with dead money they can’t afford in. 2014 2) I’m hopeful that one of the outfielders they have in the far will be ready by 2014.
You’re not getting Hunter on a 1 yr. deal.
MTU says:
November 7, 2012 at 8:53 am
You’re not getting Hunter on a 1 yr. deal.
Then they shouldn’t sign him IMO
Do you even get Ichiro on a one year deal?
Blake-
I’m not in favor of the stopgap approach so that’s fine w me.
Dog walk time.
Later.
I’ll repost this again if Chad has a new post soon.
NY Post-Newly Frugal Yankees not hot for top-tier FAs
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....5TvSFFs51N
Yankee Trader says:
November 7, 2012 at 8:58 am
Do you even get Ichiro on a one year deal?
I think so yea
New Post—————–>
YT-
Next time tell us something we don’t already know.