Swisher agrees to four-year deal with Cleveland
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Dec 23, 2012 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
On my phone at the airport so not able to provide a link right now, but Mark Feinsand is reporting that Nick Swisher has signed a four-year, $56-million deal with the Indians. It includes a vesting, $14-million option for a fifth year.
Farewell Swish…..you were a great Yankee. Glad you got your money…..perhaps in a different time you could have stayed
@FeinsandNYDN: Swisher’s $14 million vesting option for 2017 is based on plate appearances in 2016. If he’s healthy, it should happen easily.
So essentially a 5/70 deal if he’s healthy
Yanks guaranteed at least one comp pick now….should get a 2nd when Soriano signs
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 10:03 am
@FeinsandNYDN: Swisher’s $14 million vesting option for 2017 is based on plate appearances in 2016. If he’s healthy, it should happen easily.
So essentially a 5/70 deal if he’s healthy
————–
Gotcha..
Good for Swish. I really thought Tex might make a move for him but it sounds like the Indians made the biggest push. I wonder if he had any other offers that came close.
When Cleveland is doing more offseason moves than the Yankees you know it’s a slow time.
Signing Swisher to that deal and trading Granderson wouldn’t have been the worst plan if Hal didnt own the team…..
Sadly Yankee fans will remember Swisher more for the postseason failures than for the fact that he actually helped get then there 4 times……
Good for Swisher. He really was ideal in the role he had with the Yankees. Solid contributor who was never required to be The Guy. I think in Cleveland expectations will be more along the lines of one who is supposed to be a key middle of the order (3 or 4 hitter) bat. Be interesting to see how it plays out.
Is it just me or does Delmon Young make too much sense for the Yankees at this point? can rotate between platooning in RF with Ichiro and DH. lifetime .290 hitter with RISP and hits in the postseason, will give you 20 bombs too.
Im not high on Morse, hes a good player, but id rather not give up anything from the farm and sign Young instead.
Just getting around to reading Sherman’s article from this morning.. I’m always impressed by how people can completely misrepresent arguments.
“Im not high on Morse, hes a good player, but id rather not give up anything from the farm and sign Young instead.”
Young is much worse than Morse and he’s a knucklehead…..if they can’t do anything else and they can sign Young cheap for an Andrew Jones role then ok…..but he made some pretty offensive remarks recently that Im not sure would go over well in NY
In a perfect Yankee world, no one player is ever expected to be The Guy. I think we’re getting away from that though.. Cano is gonna have to be insane this year.
I like Morse a lot as far as fit goes… I just wonder how much he’ll cost, because we definitely wouldn’t be the only suitor. We haven’t had much luck when that’s been the case this off-season outside of getting Kuroda. We had to offer Youk double the AAV to get him lol.
Good luck Nicky…. and congratulations an guaranteeing you’ll never choke in the post-season again. Way too much money. Glad the Yanks have Granderson for one instead of Swisher for four/five at similar $$$.
I’m fine with Delmon Young. His bat is ideal… career masher versus LHP (.824) and decent against RHP (.708).
Defense not good at all, but any time they use him out there they’ll have good late inning defensive replacement on hand.
I’m just guessing on Morse’s price….he’s only had one full healthy season and he’s a FA ar the end of the season….just can’t see a team giving a whole lot for him and if the Nats thought that much of him they’d be playing him at 1b and not signing Laroche
yeah i completely forgot about that incident. But i have a feeling that Morse is going to cost Nova and one of our outfielders and probably more. I dont think Young is MUCH worse than morse, hes worse sure but Young hasnt been discussed all year, i feel we can get him cheap. I might be the only one who likes the guy, been hoping the Yankees sign him since the start of the year.
“Hopefully the Yankees will have a new owner by then”
========================================
the dolans? donald trump? cbs (again?)…
be careful what you wish for…
i think the Nats are so willing to trade him b/c his defense doesnt really compare with Laroche, and Laroche has been a very solid hitter for a long time.
I’m not going to label a guy cuz he shouted some drunken comments at strangers. He faced up to it, got treatment and counseling and should be forgiven.
His track record as a hitter is better/longer than Morse’s, though Morse has been better the last two years. He’s only 27 and doesn’t cost anything other than $$$
“yeah i completely forgot about that incident. But i have a feeling that Morse is going to cost Nova and one of our outfielders and probably more”
I don’t think he will command that much….if so then yea pass but Nova for Morse straight up seems pretty fair to me
Trading Nova and his years of being cheap for a 1 year rental of Morse sounds like a pretty awful idea to me… Sure it makes the offense better this year but in 2014 it leaves our rotation as CC/Pineda/Phelps/?/? and it’s certainly not like Pineda and Phelps are sure things for the rotation moving forward either. Due to the self imposed budget restraints the Yanks need to hold on to as much of their cheap talent as possible.
“His track record as a hitter is better/longer than Morse’s, though Morse has been better the last two years. He’s only 27 and doesn’t cost anything other than $$$”
Career OPS of .742 for Young and he’s been dreadful the last 2 seasons.
Morse is a much better player at the moment and that’s what matters
4 years of the drum would be 4 too many for me.
Go Cowboys.
“Trading Nova and his years of being cheap for a 1 year rental of Morse sounds like a pretty awful idea to me”
Again this all depends on what you believe Nova is and how competitve the Yanks will be beyond 2013…..personally I feel like Nova is a fairly replaceable back end starter and that 2013 may be their best shot at a title for a few years.
So Id make the deal based on that….if you evaluate the situation differently then fair enough….
Dumb signing by Cleveland who will still suck considering they were 68-94 last season. They basically locked up a guy who will be a DH or one masquerading as a bad RF in the last half of the guaranteed part of the contract through age 36, possibly 37 if the vested option kicks in.
They basically replaced Choo with Swisher. That’s a downgrade, to me, as Choo is a better all-around player than Swisher.
Swisher like Ibanez, Martin, and Keppinger et.al. showed he cares more about money, security, and comfort than he does winning, and spare me “He’s from Columbus, OH and wanted to play closer to home.” Paul O’Neill is from Columbus and there was never a hint from him that he wanted to play for the Indians or return to the Reds when he was a Yankee.
Swisher, Ibanez, and Martin have rendered themselves irrelevant. The former two are on crap teams who will finish last and Martin is out of the league, no big deal.
young has a reputation as a fool going back before his drunken outburst. im perfectly willing to overlook what happened that night, but you can’t just dismiss it that lightly. i
f the yankees bring him here, that incident will be splashed all over the papers again and then every time he acts surly or throws his helmet, the post will probably post his arrest picture on the back page.
if delmon was a potential starter where he would make a big impact on the team, the team would likely be more willing to deal with his junk, but as the short end of a platoon, they likely won’t consider it worth it.
jmo.
i dont even see why they would want Nova now that I think of it. They have their 5 man rotation set. What would be fair would of been Hughes and a prospect for Morse. Both have 1 year left and would be filling needs. But the Nats have Haren now. I just rather have Young for money, hopefully signing a cheap 1 year deal would motivate him to sign a more lucrative contract next year. Getting out of Detroit wouldn’t hurt either.
Yankees have one of the largest Jewish fanbases in baseball.. If they were sour on guys like Melky, AJP, and Hamilton because of ‘character’ issues there’s no way in hell they bring in Young.
The Nats might want Nova as Haren insurance and also as a rotation option next year
I am fine with
C – Romine
1B – Teixiera
2B – Cano
3B – Youkilis
SS – Jeter
LF – Granderson
CF – Gardner
RF – Suzuki
DH – Nunez
That’s potentially an 8/9ths .350 or better OBP lineup with Romine being the only hitter posting less.
People like Joel Sherman wanna run “four dudes who won’t hit homeruns” about the C, CF, RF, and DH, well, I see upgrades in BA and OBP at all four positions and as many as 130 SB at three of them (50 for Gardner, 50 for Nunez, and 30 for Ichiro.)
Maybe the incident does get splashed on the papers, but for how long? Theyll quickly be replaced with Pineda and Arod injury questions and whatever goes on in Yankee land. Maybe itll headline a few days, but yankees didnt seem to care about that in the playoffs when they benched Arod. Nothing another apology and solid play cant solve. And the fact that hes not getting a lucrative contract and playing a pivotal role will downplay his importance.
“They basically replaced Choo with Swisher. That’s a downgrade, to me, as Choo is a better all-around player than Swisher.”
They couldn’t sign Choo and they essentially replace Choo with Swisher and Trevor Bauer…..
.. i love Nova, i wouldnt be willing to trade him. I want to see one more year out him. If he flames then you can say i told you so, but the Yanks need him for the future, if they ever want to stay under the self imposed cap. Too much potential to give away for one year of Morse. Hes not going to push them into being a WS contender, at least I dont think so.
I think yankfan is right.. I think the Nats could probably get something they actually need from another club, and pitching ain’t it. But then again maybe they’re looking to just have cheap, controlled insurance for the rotation.. I guess you never know. I just wouldn’t get my hopes up that they’d make a move for him.
Swisher is a better player than Choo. I like choo, but hes a platoon hitter, cant hit lefties for the life of him.
@JimBowdenESPNxm: Levine told us they’ve had great conversations with Towers regarding Upton…if they can’t get him it won’t be because of lack of effortXM89
Duh
I dunno much about the Nats system but I always imagine they have like 4 little Strasburgs sitting around waiting to be called up.
“I think yankfan is right.. I think the Nats could probably get something they actually need from another club, and pitching ain’t it”
What do they need? morse really can’t play defense and has one full season where he stayed healthy…. And is a FA at the end of the year…..I just can’t see teams giving up a ton for him.
The orioles would be a great fit too but that’d be like the Yankees and Mets trading
See ya Swish. I’ll always have a soft spot for that guy.
Shame Spencer says:
December 23, 2012 at 10:50 am
I dunno much about the Nats system but I always imagine they have like 4 little Strasburgs sitting around waiting to be called up.
Nah….they’ve traded away a lot of their pitching depth in the Gio and Span trades
I do think the Rangers and Braves could be players for Morse….but how much would they give up for 1 year?
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 10:50 am
@JimBowdenESPNxm: Levine told us they’ve had great conversations with Towers regarding Upton…if they can’t get him it won’t be because of lack of effortXM89
Duh
—————-
They’re just so schizophrenic.. they’d have to trade 3 top prospects to get their hands on Upton..
Being drunk and stupid is one thing, but bringing up personal racial hatreds is another. I remember in dental class a Jewish friend nudged me and said, ” she’s a JAP ” – I had no idea what he meant, but after finding out, I left it to my Jewish friend to comment on his own culture. I don’t even want to use the term when it comes to Prufrock, even though he and everybody here uses it with nothing but affection.
Being kinda’ stupid, I find it best to be self deprecating
I still think that Texas could get Upton if they’d part with Andrus….
The Yanks will face Swisher in Cleveland 4/8-11 (games 6-10) then at Yankee Stadium 6/3-5 – only 7 times. They’ll face Ibanez only seven times and King Felix no times, once, or twice. They won’t face Martin.
If Swisher gets injured in mid/late spring training, he could miss facing the Yanks 4/8-11. He’ll draw Kuroda/Pettitte/Hughes/Nova or Phelps (just miss Sabathia) assuming the rotation is them after Sabathia who will face Boston 4/1, Detroit there 4/7, and Baltimore 4/12 (good) if he pitches every fifth game.
Two of the suitors for Morse would be the Braves and Orioles …one of which is in the same division and the other in the same market ….doubt the Nats would prefer to send him either of those places
I think the fact that Swisher ended up signing with Cleveland for mid level money pretty much confirms what a lot of us were saying about him. He’s not as well regarded in the game as some of you thought he was. If he were as great as some of you made him out to be & how the Yankees are going to miss him desperately, he would’ve made double that contract.
What he is, is a guy who can’t be relied upon to hit middle of the order and carry your team. He’s a guy who can’t his off speed pitches and when the pressure/heat goes up he gets himself out.
He’s a nice complimentary player, but he’s not a franchise player.
I had a love/hate with him from jump street because my seats were very close to him and a lot of the time the guy seemed like he was putting on a show for the fans out there and not concentrating. When he’d screw up in RF I was privy to seeing how before the bat hit the ball the guy was out to lunch and not prepared causing some of the bigger gaffe’s he made out there.
That said, I do believe he played to the best of his personal abilities while he was here and he has the Yankees to thank for rescuing him from Chicago so he can go and land that kind of contract in Cleveland.
Still, the fact that the Angels, Rangers, Braves, Giants and pretty much every contending team passed on him at those dollars and his market was Seattle or Cleveland says a lot about how the rest of the league perceive the guy.
All that said, the best Yankee plan for this off season would’ve been to sign him to a similar deal (I believe he’d take less to stay here in all honesty because it helps his wife’s career goals among other things) and trade Grandy.
The Yankee front office is completely myopic in it’s approach. I haven’t seen any creativity from them in such a long time it’s not surprising. It’s all about plugging holes with the simplest and ultimately cheapest patch.
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 10:54 am
I do think the Rangers and Braves could be players for Morse….but how much would they give up for 1 year?
—————-
I dunno exactly but we’re talking about giving up a 200 inning eater controlled for at least 5 more years, so my guess is there could be other teams willing to give up something valuable as well.
I could see the M’s maybe being players for him.
yeah i took a look at their top 10 prospects. Its a fit. closest SPs to ML are going to be in AA next year. Dont see the Yankees doing it anyway, either Young or Morse.
Here’s a good look at the Nats Top 10 2013 prospects and why they’ll be a potentially exciting team still in 2016.
http://www.thenatsblog.com/201.....-2013.html
JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Adam LaRoche does not have an offer from the Rangers and does not have a third year offer from anyone. Expect him to sign 2-year deal w Nats
I dont understand why Texas isnt doing Andrus for Upton. Profar is ready in my opinion.
Swisher is a good player. He is no foundation player, but guys with .800 plus OPS every year don’t grow on trees. He will be missed.
I would like them to add a good bat because I simply don’t think they have enough offense. I doubt there are many teams who would look at Nunez as a DH.
Well guys, at least you won’t have Swisher to worry about,…..he’s lost in Cleveland. That city has sure suffered with their teams; they even had an NHL # ( the Barons ) that quickly faded away. In the eighties, it was always the Indians in the basement while the rest of us took turns having a good time. I know it wasn’t the best for the Yanks, but they sure did scare me with Mattingly etc..lebron kicked Cleveland in the head,….in front of everybody!
Poor Swish. I am sure that he waited as long as he could to try and get a good team involved. The money isn’t bad but the Indians are a last place team. If the Yanks offered even 4/$44 I am sure he would have jumped at it. The offense is really going to struggle next year and the organization is a joke now.
I have to go.
I agree with Yankfan1. The Rangers should be trading Andrus in a deal for Upton.
Have a very Happy Holiday everyone.
Until later.
Jon Heyman?@JonHeymanCBS
Swisher and jayson werth have comparable regular-season stats. Werth got $70M more, partly due to better octobers/glove
All that said, the best Yankee plan for this off season would’ve been to sign him to a similar deal (I believe he’d take less to stay here in all honesty because it helps his wife’s career goals among other things) and trade Grandy.
The Yankee front office is completely myopic in it’s approach. I haven’t seen any creativity from them in such a long time it’s not surprising. It’s all about plugging holes with the simplest and ultimately cheapest patch.
====================
For all the nonsense in here this fits well.
If you sign him you keep the status quo,
the status quo you hate.
Fact is, this team is getting old. It was condemned as being homer happy.
So they let Ibanez go, that takes care of those 2 things.
Maybe Nunez gets a shot as the everyday DH. You just got younger and have a situational hitter, which was also pined for.
Swisher was a bust in the PS. The only season that matters to most here. It remains to be seen whether we make it there w/out him, but I say our pitching will carry us and we will still hit HR’s as the OS is not over yet and the porch is short. In fact, our defense just got better, with Ichiro in RF fulltime, of which Swisher isn’t 1/2 the ballplayer.
Just waiting for the pining over Martin to begin. That will be the height of hypocrisy.
Swisher was a great trade for the Yankees considering what was given up and a good contributor for a team that has won 1 WS, went to 3 ALCS, 3 AL East titles, and postseason berths during his tenure – - a good regular season contributor that helped them reach those postseasons – best of luck Nick and maybe he will see more Ohio State games – - – -
In the Yankees of yesteryear, guys like Grandy and Swisher would be retained to fill out the bottom third of the line up.
Another thing regarding Morse: I could see whatever trade made involving him being more than just a swap of one player for another.. Example: Could you see Texas giving up Olt for Morse and Suzuki? It fills a couple of holes for Texas quickly. Not saying I’d love the deal as a Texas fan but I could see something like that going down..
Actually.. maybe we should try to make that deal lol!
Captain Clutch says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:11 am
Jon Heyman?@JonHeymanCBS
Swisher and jayson werth have comparable regular-season stats. Werth got $70M more, partly due to better octobers/glove
Mostly due to the Nats grossly overpaying
Cleveland did put Rush on the American radar ( aren’t ya’ glad!
), when a local DJ, Donna Halper, knew that, ” Working Man ” would be an instant seminal hit in that city. Thanks, Donna, for giving the three non fashion guys a chance.
( Everybody kept phoning in asking for the next Zeppelin album )
Joe Carter also got his chops in Cleveland, and we know where that ” led “, whohoo!
mick,
The reason why I’d sign Swisher & trade Granderson is because both of them stink during the post season. I would sign Swisher because he helps during the regular season more than Grandy in my opinion and also because his contract is not ridiculous. He hits more than Grandy, gets on base more than him…the only think he doesn’t do is HR more than him. He’s a better offensive player in the regular season than Grandy is.
The whole idea behind keeping one & trading the other is bringing in young talent in the trade and keeping the team at a level of performance that allows them to contend.
I don’t understand why that’s so hard to grasp. Right now we’re going to let both walk for draft picks and get worse instead of trading one or both to get better.
As for pining for Martin, if the Yankees current catching trio hit like many think they will, they’ll pining for Jose Molina.
“Could you see Texas giving up Olt for Morse and Suzuki? It fills a couple of holes for Texas quickly. Not saying I’d love the deal as a Texas fan but I could see something like that going down..”
The Nats have Zimmerman signed long term and Anthnony Rendon coming at 3B….plus presumably they will have signed Laroche….. They’d have nowhere to play Olt and I doubt Texas would give him anyway
The Rangers kinda need a LH bat more than a RH one all things equal…unless its J upton
If the Nats thought that much of Morse then they probably would just play him at 1B and not sign Laroche…..but they like Laroche’s glove and they want to balance out the lineup with a LH bat.
The Nats will have nowhere to play Morse so they really have to deal him…..pretty ideal scenario for a trade
Good luck to Swish,he rejuvenated his career with the Yanks but is still another overpaid guy in the era of overpaid players!
As for Ibanez and notwithstanding the usual Cashman nonsense,once they signed Ichiro and have not traded Granderson,they never intended to bring Raoul back! Some dramatic dingers but still a part timer with a .240 avg.
That’s still a lot of outs!
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 11:18 am
“Could you see Texas giving up Olt for Morse and Suzuki? It fills a couple of holes for Texas quickly. Not saying I’d love the deal as a Texas fan but I could see something like that going down..”
The Nats have Zimmerman signed long term and Anthnony Rendon coming at 3B….plus presumably they will have signed Laroche….. They’d have nowhere to play Olt and I doubt Texas would give him anyway
——————
I thought Olt could play one of the OF positions. Also, perhaps long term, you could try him at 1B since LaRoche doesn’t represent a long term option.
I’m really just throwing ideas out there for how/why other clubs might offer more.
I say good bye to Swisher.
He was a PS choker and showed his lack of class to his beloved creatures and portrayed himself as a self serving phony.
If you really want to win, you don’t want him on your team. He went for the highest dollar, not that most wouldn’t. That’s baseball…
As far as Grandy, how do you know he won’t be traded?
Odds are , Cash has something up his sleeve.
As it stands now we will still finish 1st.
I think Dennis Eckersley was a 20 game winner in Cleveland about ’75, but man, they suffered otherwise even giving Toronto Alfredo Griffen for Victor Cruz who was a complete washout after that,….geesh. We also got Rico Carty from them who was rather off hand when my eleven year old self caught him in the parking lot and asked him for an autograph.
Why weren’t the Yanks in on Reed Johnson?
Last 3 years vs lefties: .306/.339/.457/.796… Career .828 OPS vs lefties.
Signed for 1 year – $1.6M with a club option for 2014.
i think they keep 1B open to move zimmerman there in the future allowing Rendon to slide in and play 3B
This Yankee team as it is now will not make the playoffs in 13…..dropping this bomb shouldn’t surprise any Yankees fan not looking thru the Yankee colored glasses
Just looked up Austin Romine’s splits in the minors (2011-2012).
vs. lhp (141 pa): .370 .433 .575
vs. rhp (353 pa): .235 .309 .303
Yikes.
Mick, I didn’t know Swish was such a dick. Maybe he should listen to some Rush or something
I’m happy with my RA #1 Dickey.
As it stands now we will still finish 1st.
—————-
The Orioles won 93 games last year.
Granted Ichiro is old but we have gotten younger with Chavez and Ibanez gone.
That’s what fans wanted.
It’s time to try a few youngsters, maybe Adams and Mustelier are ready.
I’m sure Ichiro could outrun most of the guys on this team.
right on mick!
turn that roster over!
The Orioles won 93 games last year.
=======
Will they this year?
yankfan1 December 23rd, 2012 at 11:25 am
i think they keep 1B open to move zimmerman there in the future allowing Rendon to slide in and play 3B
———————-
Probably. I’m really just throwing ideas out there.. I could see the Nats packaging Morse with another piece to get a better return.
mick December 23rd, 2012 at 11:29 am
The Orioles won 93 games last year.
=======
Will they this year?
—————-
Well … we’ve gotten worse at key positions and they haven’t, so it stands to reason their chances of repeating last year’s production are better than ours.
Shame Spencer December 23rd, 2012 at 11:28 am
As it stands now we will still finish 1st.
—————-
The Orioles won 93 games last year.
—————————
Yankees are not as good as last year
Shame…there is no logic in baseball.
Ichiro will be fun to watch, maybe he just had a momentary downturn in Seattle sorta’ like Lymon Bostock in his initial Angel beginnings, and is ready to rev it back up.
JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Direct audio from Rangers AGM Thad Levine http://siriusxmsports.posterou.....-general-m …
” Shame,…there is no logic in baseball ”
Great, now I know I belong!
I do wish the Yankees had Jose Molina. He is truly good defensively and will likely outhit who we have. I would then like Romine to be a backup and get some MLB experience.
The Yankees are younger if they play young guys. I think they will sign a geriatric player for DH and RH OF.
@Ken_Rosenthal: #Indians will lose 2nd-round pick for signing Swisher; they have top 10 choice, which is protected. #Yankees gain pick at end of 1st round.
Sweet
Jmills,
Bostock wasn’t in his late 30s when he declined. Ichiro should be a 4th outfielder in my opinion at this point. His OPS will be among the lowest for a RF in the league next year.
“jacksquat says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:27 am
Just looked up Austin Romine’s splits in the minors (2011-2012).
vs. lhp (141 pa): .370 .433 .575
vs. rhp (353 pa): .235 .309 .303″
A platoon with AJP would have been cool
“I thought Olt could play one of the OF positions. Also, perhaps long term, you could try him at 1B since LaRoche doesn’t represent a long term option.”
He does….but with Span, Harper , and Werth and no DH….still no place for Olt
Blake, that sounds good considering Mick doesn’t want him on the team anyways!
JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Levine told us they’ve had great conversations with Towers regarding Upton…if they can’t get him it won’t be because of lack of effortXM89
51m JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Thad Levine Rangers AGM just told us at #SXM that they are looking more at trades than free agency to improve their team at this point
53m JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Thad Levine Rangers AGM just told us at #SXM that they have not discussed Kyle Lohse or Adam LaRoche at this point Sirius 209 XM 89
*****
Rangers need to bring in a big fish – their fan base is restless after being promised that the team would dominate the winter meetings and the Rangers front office projected a cavalier attitude of Greinke + Upton + Shields at one point – - – -
I would rather have Ichiro in RF over Swisher.
If we are relying on Ibanez to repeat what he did last year god help us.
ChaVez was not the missing piece and Youk will play everyday vs RH and LH pitching.
He was Arod’s caddy when he DH’ed and that is no more.
Gardner hopefully will be healthy instead of the crazy platoons we had.
Grandy will come back in a walk year.
The biggest loss is Martin but we have good defensive catchers and he provided no offense 5 of the 6 month season.
Our staff is better than last year.
Bring it on newbies, Balt and Tor beware.
Olt is 24 ….and they’d sign Laroche for at least two years….they just have nowhere to play him and he’s too old to send back to AAA and waste
mick December 23rd, 2012 at 11:32 am
Shame…there is no logic in baseball.
——————-
Just because there is no logic applied to the thought people put into their baseball predictions doesn’t mean logic doesn’t not apply to baseball.
It’s a long season, sure.. but we look worse than last year as of right now. The Orioles have a couple of key players with crazy upside. If people believe we can win 95 games again they shouldn’t count out that the Orioles can win 93.
I, of course, would be thrilled if they could not repeat their production and Machado breaks a leg.
JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Thad Levine Rangers AGM direct audio on conversations with D-Backs regarding Justin Upton: http://siriusxmsports.posterou.....-general-m …
8m JIM BOWDEN ?@JimBowdenESPNxm
Rangers were never “in” on Swisher or LaRoche…not interested in long term deals for them or yielding draft picks for either player
Expand
Hi Austin, I know, and I was being a bit facetious, but still, when you consider the likes of Winfield and Molitar, you just never know.
Possible right now lineups:
vs rhp
Ichiro RF/DH
Jeter SS
Cano 2B
Texeira 1B
Granderson LF/DH
Youkilis 3B
Dickerson DH/LF/CF/RF
Cervelli/Romine C
Gardner CF/DH
vs lhp
Jeter DH
Ichiro RF
Teixeira 1B
Cano 2B
Youkilis 3B
Granderson LF
Nunez SS
Cervelli/Romine C
Gardner CF
maybe he just had a momentary downturn in Seattle
==================================
Only thing about Ichiro that was momentary was his 3 week outburst at the end of last season. He has sucked offensively since the end of 2010.
Upton probably will end up in Texas..
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 11:36 am
“I thought Olt could play one of the OF positions. Also, perhaps long term, you could try him at 1B since LaRoche doesn’t represent a long term option.”
He does….but with Span, Harper , and Werth and no DH….still no place for Olt
——————–
Forget Olt, my over arching point is that just saying other teams might not want to overpay for Morse cause he’s controlled for one year doesn’t mean they won’t, especially if the Nats get creative and try to package him instead of moving him straight up.
If they move Morse, X player, and the team getting them knows they’ll likely get a draft pick as well, they could be motivated to give up a better piece than we have to offer in a guy like Nova.
The fact that I want them to trade for Morse means it has roughly a 0.0001% chance of happening
Mick, I like your attitude, and I’d rather be a Newbie than an Oldie
Shame,
They might….but this late in the game a lot of teams have already filled their rosters. I don’t think he’d cost a fortune though….some think Nova is an over pay
A team like Texas that needs and OFer and a catcher could be a match with the Nats even if they don’t give up Olt.
Or we could be looking at another 3 or 4-team trade there.
I think the multiple team trades are going to be a lot more common with the new CBA.
Swisher’s vastly underrated production is going to be sorely missed and not easily replaced.
The “playoff choker” garbage isn’t really going to matter if this team isn’t playing in October.
The way this team is currently constructed….that can’t be taken for granted.
The Yanks offense is significantly worse than it was last year and it wasn’t good enough last year…..Cashman still has time to address it but if he doesn’t then I don’t think this is a playoff team and I think they will have wasted possibly their last chance at a title with this group
right. Swisher didn’t choke. Forget the playoffs, he choked in the regular season as well.
Postion solved. Blake is your present receiver. Blake, why did you backstop all those years when you had delicate dental hands to consider?
ok the offense is worse because they gave away 90 HR’s.
how does that reconcile with those that said we were HR happy?
mick says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:47 am
right. Swisher didn’t choke. Forget the playoffs, he choked in the regular season as well.
Everybody chokes from time to time….he was a big factor in them making the playoffs every year he was in Ny
jmills says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:47 am
Postion solved. Blake is your present receiver. Blake, why did you backstop all those years when you had delicate dental hands to consider?
I never caught after little league
Sounds like a good deal for Swisher and he won’t have to worry about post season or those unruly right field fans( lol)
Sorry, ” position “
Could Delmon Young be a RH-DH for this team a fit or not.
mick says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:48 am
ok the offense is worse because they gave away 90 HR’s.
how does that reconcile with those that said we were HR happy?”
Cause they replaced the homers with worse players
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 11:49 am
mick says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:48 am
ok the offense is worse because they gave away 90 HR’s.
how does that reconcile with those that said we were HR happy?”
Cause they replaced the homers with worse players
——————–
Bingo
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 11:43 am
Shame,
They might….but this late in the game a lot of teams have already filled their rosters. I don’t think he’d cost a fortune though….some think Nova is an over pay
——————–
I think the Nats would be smart to try and do a package.. too bad we couldn’t get on this sooner and try to pry one of their 3Bs from them along with Morse. I think we discussed it earlier in the off season, but something like that would have been great because it would be both a short and long term fix.
I only mention Suzuki because he seems dispensable for the Nats and could help a team with no catcher like us or Texas.
replaced who?
Ichiro replaces Swisher.
Gardner replaces Ibanez and Jones.
Nunez and maybe Adams and/or Mustelier replace Chavez.
Now we all love Martin. We will get a catcher and try Romine.
Swisher was one of the most productive RFs in the entire league during his Yankee tenure.
Deny that all you like but the stats back it up.
blake December 23rd, 2012 at 11:49 am
mick says:
December 23, 2012 at 11:48 am
ok the offense is worse because they gave away 90 HR’s.
how does that reconcile with those that said we were HR happy?”
Cause they replaced the homers with worse players
———————
mick is playing the Sherman card.
I love how this arguments are misrepresented.
‘Oh you wanted the team to get younger? Be careful what you wish for!’ as if there were ONLY TWO options!!
It’s unbelievable.
Swish choked in the playoffs like usual last year but he was actually one of the best Yankees with RISP last year:
2012 W/ RISP: .301/.406/.589/.995
2012 W/ RISP & 2 OUT: .303/.403/.576/.979
Its funny to think about what qualifies as choking. A lot of sabre rattling individuals are hammering Joe Carter for what they claim is lousy production, but all the guy did was hit 30 home runs with 100 RBI’s,…..every year; along with the bomb of all time. Swisher,..I have never followed so will have to take Mick’s word on it since he knows more about music than I do
AJ won a game in the WS, maybe we should have kept him.
mick December 23rd, 2012 at 11:52 am
replaced who?
Ichiro replaces Swisher.
Gardner replaces Ibanez and Jones.
Nunez and maybe Adams and/or Mustelier replace Chavez.
Now we all love Martin. We will get a catcher and try Romine.
————–
Ummm…
Ichiro replaces Swisher (worse), Gardner replaces GARDNER, so far no one has replaced Ibanez/Jones, Youk has replaces Chavez (worse), we still have Nix hanging around to keep guys like Adams and Mustelier from doing anything useful…. and our only option is to replace Martin with a AAA guy who was on the DL almost all of last season…?
None of this is GOOD.
Ichiro replaces Swisher.
Gardner replaces Ibanez and Jones.
————————————————–
there’s no doubt that production is missing here..Martin was a mistake not resigning him, a good D catcher who had sme pop with the bat
Mick, touche!
All who complain we were getting old, we no longer have Ibanez, Chavez, Jones…
All who complained about Russell Martin, he is gone…
All who didn’t like “hero swingers,” Swisher is gone.
Isn’t that what you wanted?
can’t wait till someone comes up with something that replaces twitter so i dont have to try to sort through all the 1h42m@somebodyandthiercorporation to get to the point someone’s trying to make.
Nunez hits like a middle infielder. His lifetime OPS is .701. That is the Yankees every day DH, assuming, of course, Jeter is healthy enough to play short.
Nobody really wants less homers….just a less homer reliant offense. The current one might even be more reliant on homers because we have no idea what Youk will provide….no idea if Ichiro will be good again….no idea if Gardner will stay healthy…..and no idea what the heck we are getting from behind the plate…..oh and they have no DH currently
but we have a MI who hits like a DH…
The Orioles are not winning 93 games….their pitching staff is suspect and they won an uncanny number of one-run games last year. They lost Reynolds and all his HR. In fact, I’d be suprised if they finish ahead of Boston.
austinmac December 23rd, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Nunez hits like a middle infielder. His lifetime OPS is .701. That is the Yankees every day DH, assuming, of course, Jeter is healthy enough to play short.
—————————-
and to me thats a huge if
Hero swingers are best left protected in the order, that’s why Carter worked out so well. Henderson and Molitar worked their way on, setting the plate for Joe.
You can’t really do who replaces who with the OF/DH/3B situation because guys moved around and were out.
Gardner does not replace Gardner, he didn’t play last year. I do know one thing, our OF defense is pretty damn good now. I won’t miss Jones/Ibanez/Swisher out there.
And our baserunning speed is going to be much better.
Yankee Trader says:
December 23, 2012 at 8:58 am
Blake-
Ibanez apparently will play the OF. After al,l the fences are in 17? in left center and 4? in right-so less ground to cover. Morales at 1st. Montero primary catcher, and Smoak if not traded sharing DH with Morales?
~
I doubt Raul will be a full time player – but, he will definitely be a full time mentor to all those youngsters
As it stands now, Raul would likely platoon with Wells in the OF and DH/PH occasionally. Jaso and Montero would platoon at C and Smoak and Morales would cover 1B and DH respectively.
There is still a lot of the off season left though, and the M’s still have all their “chips” …. who knows what JZ has up his sleeve
I would to see us attempt to pry Willingham from the Twins.
Would like*
mick December 23rd, 2012 at 11:55 am
AJ won a game in the WS, maybe we should have kept him.
———
I don’t even know what that means considering Burnett was statistically one of the worst pitchers in the major leagues during his last two seasons with the Yanks.
Swisher, by contrast, was one of those most productive at his position.
So WTF is your argument because that comment doesn’t make any sense.
I’m not saying the Yanks should have signed Swisher to a bloated long term deal into his late 30s.
But not having a viable plan to replace his production is a big deal and very concerning.
so now we are in a transition period. would you rather be the redsox?
we are loaded in the minors and that is set in motion.
it seems like everything you wanted is going to take a little time.
trading montero was not trading away of the farm , he was a piece.
they will have to get FA’s again but this year they stunk.
if this is not the direction they are headed in, than i am wrong.
i know how much being right means to some of you.
TheStraw December 23rd, 2012 at 12:03 pm
The Orioles are not winning 93 games….their pitching staff is suspect and they won an uncanny number of one-run games last year. They lost Reynolds and all his HR. In fact, I’d be suprised if they finish ahead of Boston.
———————
It makes sense to believe this.. but it grates me when the same people that say so also talk about the Yankees winning 95 games last year as if that is a predictor for where we’ll fall in 2013. We’re currently a much worse team production wise than last year. The O’s might not be as good as their record was last year, but they have a couple of key guys that have insane upsides.
the m’s didnt move the LF fence in 17 ft all the way around, just in one spot. most of the way around the OF it is only coming in a few feet. its still going to have a big OF.
Rumor has it that seattle might make john jaso expendable, seems like he would make a nice for at catcher
lot more speed in the ’13 lineup than the ’12
weak catchers in the al east, except baltimore. could it be that the bronx bombers want to play small ball?
if tex could only hit .280 again…
swisher and aj were losers and that’s why they are gone.
mick December 23rd, 2012 at 12:06 pm
so now we are in a transition period. would you rather be the redsox?
———————–
There are only two options???
Straw,…..I hope the Orioles don’t win 93 games…. ( And I’m not giving Dave McNally and Pat Dobson back
) – not even Scott Macgreggor for that matter, as that ’83 team burned me too many times.
Gardner does not replace Gardner, he didn’t play last year.
—————
He’s not replacing the DH/4th OFer role of Ibanez and Jones, either.
He’s replacing himself.
They still need another DH/4th OFer whether it be a combo or two different players.
Thank goodness we got rid of Swisher as he was second on the team in OPS andin homers and in RBIs. Can’t have that.
No, the Yankees are not “loaded” in the minors. I expect their minor league system with be in the middle of the pack. Where do you come up with such foolishness?
The Red Sox are in a much better place in the next several years. They have a system that will probably be higher rated and money.
After next year, the Yankees will have one reliable starter, if healthy, and a few positional player starters. Yes, it is a golden age coming.
So every player who has left the Yanks is a loser?
That’s a fine argument there.
DONNY-LIKE CRAZY LIST OF PREFERRED TRADE TARGETS:
(1) – JASO
(2) – SANTANA
(3) – WILLINGHAM
(4) – MORSE
(5) – SUZUKI
Jaso is a guy I’ve wanted for a couple of years. Jaso/Romine would be better than Martin/Stewart in my opinion.
Baltimore was the luckiest/flukiest team in baseball last year. 93 wins even through they only outscored their opponents by seven runs is absurd. They had ridiculous records in one-run games (29-9) and extra inning games(16-2) that almost certainly won’t be approached.
Baltimore is the safest bet in baseball for a significant drop in wins…. them and the AAA Marlins.
So every player who has left the Yanks is a loser?
================================
Matsui and Damon weren’t.
Okay… now I know why Donny makes so many lists. That was kinda fun, and I got to feel like I was yelling the whole time.
Ibanez and Chavez weren’t.
Shame,
The O’s were without Markasis down the stretch. He is, in my view, one of their best players.
Too many people look at things through rose colored glasses after smoking the unreality pipe.
At this point, we will score 100 less runs.
if gardner is replacing himself than he’s gonna be +85 in runs and +45 in SB…
Gardner is replacing SWISHER.
Ichiro and Granderson were the other every day OF for the majority of 2012.
What the Yanks have yet to do is replace Jones/Ibanez.
Shame, its good to yell,…better than playing golf clubs on the front door!
Baltimore is the safest bet in baseball for a significant drop in wins…. them and the AAA Marlins.
—————–
The point of me saying they won 93 games last year isn’t that I think they will again.. it’s that I think they won’t – and based on that it stands to reason citing the Yankees 95 wins from last year is just as misguided.
We’ve lost over 100+ runs in production and haven’t replaced any of it. That’s not insignificant.
we have a ton of talent in the minors.
that wasn’t an accident.
you are too entrenched in old school thinking
and must win now at any cost.
that too has been criticized here.
now this is what it looks like to be in a state of transition.
get over the mid to late 60′s…
Gardner cannot replace himself, Gardner did not play last year.
We’ve lost over 100+ runs in production and haven’t replaced any of it. That’s not insignificant.
===================
tell that to the SF Giants …
Gardner isn’t coming close to Swisher’s stats in the reg season
Mick, I’d love to get to the mid / late sixties; the music was better!
86w183 December 23rd, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Gardner is replacing SWISHER.
——————–
Whether it’s Gardner or Ichiro replacing Swisher, neither is actually as productive as Swisher.
I do like our D out there though.
Problem is keeping all of them healthy for 2013. Granderson was very overworked last year IMO, with Gardner and Swish’s injuries.
They need a 4th OFer. And they need a DH.
Mick, I’d love to get to the mid / late sixties; the music was better!
========================
It was the Renaissance.
There are 30 teams, and the Yankees may have three players in the top ten. That seems statistically averaged.
Old school thinking must involve believing good players help a team win. Your new philosophy is less offense and a dozen holes on next year’s 25 man roster is a good thing. Simply genius. What can I say?
We’re just going to have to play the games out, before Toronto naturally wins the thing
I don’t disagree that the O’s were major overachievers in 2012 and a strong argument can be made that they will not repeat that kind of season again in 2013.
But I don’t think the Yanks are any better than last season given the obvious holes on the roster as of this writing and very significant drop in offensive production.
There’s still time left and the roster certainly will look different in Sept than it does now. But I’m not exactly confident in the direction of the team going forward.
Gardner isn’t coming close to Swisher’s stats in the reg season
*****************************************************************
Not if you look at HR and RBI. but I bet he hits for a higher average, scores more runs, steals more bases and plays much better defense.
And if the Yanks make the post-season I bet Gardner will hit better than .167.
not sure i’m buying the toronto marlins this year…
Mick, I missed the renaissance,…I was only 4, what could I do about it?
The real keys to improving our offense this year:
-better hitting from Teix
-better RISP from Cano
-Gardner staying healthy
-fewer K’s by Granderson.
These have nothing to do with our offseason plans.
Shame, they will get a 4th outfielder. His principal asset is he will play for very little money and desperately hopes to rebuild a career. That is what you get in February.
Gardner is a contact hitter who has a .266 LTBA & strikes out a lot
-better hitting from Teix
-better RISP from Cano
-Gardner staying healthy
-fewer K’s by Granderson.
******
Cano also needs to hit the lefties – - – -
YS, I’m not sipping the cool aid until the damn post season is blaring from the bathroom radio.
I like Jaso, but I kind of doubt the Mariners will trade him unless they are getting offense back. And we don’t have offense to spare.
I like Santana, but the Indians seem to want to be more competitive so I doubt they trade a key part of their offense.
I also like Perez (C) of the Royals, but they also seem to want to be more competitive, so I doubt they trade him.
The only somewhat realistic trade option I see for C is Rob Brantly of the Marlins. He’s a rook but at least we’d have a real left/right C platoon.
So, is the plan to hope everyone is better next year? I’m guessing every team would like for their players to do better.
Gardner may stay healthy and Cano may hit better with RISP. The other two guys are steadily going in the wrong direction.
I don’t think it is so much better hitting from Tex – it is at this point Tex needs to stay healthy – a healthy season of Tex can still possibly lead to 35 and 110 – - – -
Giueseppe —-
I completely agree that the Yankees at this moment are not as good as they were when the season ended. Basically they’ve added Youkilis and Gardner to replace Swisher, Martin, Ibanez, Chavez and Andruw Jones.
I leave out A-Rod because the post-DL Alex was so bad you could replace that productivity with someone who sleeps under the Whitestone bridge.
Pitching is basically the same with Soriano out and Mariano in.
A big key for me for 2014 will be seeing how Slade Heathcott progresses – he is definitely on a fast track at this point – starting in AA – if he is ready to take the CF job and bat 9th in 2014 – that could help quite a bit – - – -
Also – Yanks might try to repeat why they are doing with the pen with the rotation. In the pen – it is big money to your closer, and then cheap controlled options from there on out. Yanks have big money to their No.1 and No. 2 (no. 3 this year) – but next year it could be money in slots 1 and 2 – and the 3-5 filled with cheap and controlled options – and they have several types who can fill those needs in the mold of Nova, Phelps, Marshall (possibly), Turley (possibly), Matt Tracy (possibly) – - – -
@mikeaxisa: Swisher couldn’t handle the pressure of the playoffs, so he only hit .407/.521/.661 in the last few wks of the season to get them there.
Bill James predictions for the Red Sox offense next year – everyone hits above .300 – oh and he works for the Red Sox – - – -
http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/.....sox-future
I agree Heathcott is a key. He is the closest player witha high upside. Marshall is also very important. It would also be nice if Warreen could help.
I’m not sure what all the hand-wringing is about. The only positions in the lineup that actually opened up are C and DH. Yes, we need a RH OF for platoon/depth. I, for one, will not miss Martin and his .210 average and lousy throws to 2B. I feel Cash will still find us a decent RH hitting OF. This lineup may actually be better at producing now that the swing out of their shoes crew has been reduced by two.
@mikeaxisa: Swisher couldn’t handle the pressure of the playoffs, so he only hit .407/.521/.661 in the last few wks of the season to get them there.
******
And Cano put on a clinic and then stumbled in the postseason after setting ALDS records in 2011 – as they say – anything can happen in the postseason – - – -
86w183 December 23rd, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Giueseppe —-
I completely agree that the Yankees at this moment are not as good as they were when the season ended. Basically they’ve added Youkilis and Gardner to replace Swisher, Martin, Ibanez, Chavez and Andruw Jones.
I leave out A-Rod because the post-DL Alex was so bad you could replace that productivity with someone who sleeps under the Whitestone bridge.
Pitching is basically the same with Soriano out and Mariano in.
———–
I also think the pitching will be fine as long as they are reasonably healthy.
I’ve been a regular LoHudder for a number of years now and my reputation here has always been that of an optimist by nature when it comes to Yankee Baseball.
That doesn’t mean I always drank the Cashman kool-aid and didn’t have differing opinions on roster decisions/transactions of the past.
But as of right now, the direction of the franchise going forward concerns me and I no longer have any confidence in the front office to make smart baseball decisions.
If they are headed toward a significant downward trend than it’s been one helluva run since 1995 and life will go on.
Berkman makes a lot sense for this team right now.
Steve Stone, ” anything can happen in the post season,” like Dave Stieb not being right and Jim Sunberg hitting that wind assisted ball up against the fence in that AL ’85 final. As Al Oliver is my witness, …Jays should have won that series and deprived George Brett once again.
austinmac December 23rd, 2012 at 12:38 pm
I agree Heathcott is a key. He is the closest player witha high upside. Marshall is also very important. It would also be nice if Warreen could help.
————————————————–
I saw Marshall pitch 3 times in Trenton last year… I’m no talent evaluator but he looked solid to me… Looked like he had a good amount of poise and knew how to handle himself on the mound (of course there is a lot less pressure in AA)… Doesn’t have the raw stuff to be a frontline starter of course but he might end up being a solid mid to back end of the rotation type guy.
Tar,
Berkmann is a FAR worse hitter right handed. That’s why I don’t think he works. He also would make Ibanez look like Mays in the outfield.
Steve Stone, ” anything can happen in the post season,” like Dave Stieb not being right and Jim Sunberg hitting that wind assisted ball up against the fence in that AL ’85 final. As Al Oliver is my witness, …Jays should have won that series and deprived George Brett once again.
*****
Or Derek Jeter tying up game one of the ’96 ALCS – - – -
Well guys,….at least you won 4 out of 5 in the nineties which makes you the baseball Montreal Canadians. Do what I do ( I youtube 92 and 93 all the time )
Jmills,
You are on to something. Someone should have gotten me a 1998 video for Christmas. Come on Santa!
It was great to see the Braves lose again in ’96,…..I wish the politically incorrect Indians beat them!
I saw Marshall pitch 3 times in Trenton last year… I’m no talent evaluator but he looked solid to me… Looked like he had a good amount of poise and knew how to handle himself on the mound (of course there is a lot less pressure in AA)… Doesn’t have the raw stuff to be a frontline starter of course but he might end up being a solid mid to back end of the rotation type guy.
******
And those guys can be very useful to a staff and payroll keeping the budget within what it is and not overpaying on them. In Nova, Phelps, Marshall and possibly even Turley (doubtful for 2014) or Matt Tracy – there is a bunch of potential solid innings eaters who could fit in the slots no. 4-5 – and maybe one of them elevates their performance enough in a given year to a no. 3. The big rotation money is and can be spent on C.C. and friend no. 2 – like a Kuroda type – - – -
Austin, I have the ’92 series on VHS, but it won’t go around anymore.
It was great to see the Braves lose again in ’96
*****
For me – it was great seeing Maddux be the losing pitcher in game 6 that year – especially after he spurned Gene Michael, Broadway, and the Yankees for the Braves in the 1992 offseason – and who did Maddux face in that game – Jimmy Key (one of your guys) – and Jimmy was brave enough to come to the Yanks went Maddux would not – - – -
Isn’t Marshall very much like Phelps? That’s my understanding anyway.
Last season Yankees catchers hit .220 with a .308 OBP. THAT will be easy to improve upon. The .387 SLG might be a bit harder.
Yankees LF combined for a robust .241 BA, .312 OBP and .415 SLG. That, too will be easy to replace.
Right now the biggest drop looks to be at DH where last year’s DHs went .293/.362/.497. That .860 OPS was the second best position on the team behind 2B.
One more thing…. care to guess the lowest OPS position besides catcher and LF??
Shortstop.
Surprised?
Mac
He fits the budget. Can play 1b, DH and the OF corners. A switch hitter and a veteran presence.
I’m not talking about him as starting OF. Just a versatile guy to have. And I disagree with Ibanez being a better fielder than him.
Stone, I love Jimmy Key and was pissed off we chose Dave Stewart over him for ’93. It makes me happy he did you well!
Right now the biggest drop looks to be at DH where last year’s DHs went .293/.362/.497.
******
That was a team effort and why the Yanks last offseason were resistent to go with a full time DH – - – -
RS building thenselves a nice BP
No, the Yankees are not “loaded” in the minors. I expect their minor league system with be in the middleofthe pack. Where do you come up with such foolishness?
—————
Probably from Cashman when he goes into his mL rant: we have x number of guys that can play in the majors right now, ten GMs called me about this guy, those two pitchers in high A are number 1 s, blah blah blah
Berkmann is a FAR worse hitter right handed. That’s why I don’t think he works. He also would make Ibanez look like Mays in the outfield.
————————————————————————————————-
If Yankees signed Berkman, which I highly doubt, been there done that, they would burn his outfield glove.
I think they are only looking at cheap 1 yr. deals. They are done with free agents.
Stone, I love Jimmy Key and was pissed off we chose Dave Stewart over him for ’93. It makes me happy he did you well!
******
He was great – a real stabilizer in the rotation for that ’93 team – towards the end of the deal he was wearing down – but still came up big imo in game six – even if he started to walk a few too many in the middle innings of that game – - – -
Stone, watch Jimmy’s performannce against the Braves in’92 – the guy was sweet!
we have a ton of talent in the minors.
—————–
We do?????
joeman December 23rd, 2012 at 12:58 pm
RS building thenselves a nice BP
*****
But did the RS make a mistake in not dealing Ellsbury and parts for a Bauer plus an Eaton or Pollock??
RIP Ryan Freel.
I’m glad ( so far ) the Jays gave up D’Arnaud,…its not as if he’s going to be Brian Milner or anything
jmills December 23rd, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Stone, watch Jimmy’s performannce against the Braves in’92 – the guy was sweet!
*****
I bet it was – 7.1 IP, 6 Ks, 0 BBs, 1 ER, Jays win 2-1 over Glavine – - – -
What do you think of Morris and the HOF?
If the Yanks are unable to trade for an Upton-type, I’d rather they go with Mustelier as the RH/OF player instead of a washed-up big leaguer … It would be nice to see more youth over aging veterans, even if it costs a couple of wins over the course of season.
Who are we wanting the RF/4th OFer to platoon with?
“I think they are only looking at cheap 1 yr. deals. They are done with free agents.”
Exactly why I think Berkman fits. Cheap and versatile.
He would allow you to sit Tex against some RH pitchers, DH platoon, Occasional OF stint, and PH. Not sure he liked it here his first go around so he may not want to. But he fills a lot of holes and I believe the price has to be cheap.
Stone, I say Stieb gets in before Morris,…..what does that say?
RMS, I didn’t know about Ryan, speed be with him!
The Yanks did have a promising ml system a few years ago, but the team traded so many pieces away rather than sign free agents. (Kennedy, AUstin Jackson, Montero, etc.) … The budget austerity plan has been in full effect since 2010.
Stone, I say Stieb gets in before Morris,…..what does that say?
RMS, I didn’t know about Ryan, speed be with him!
******
More favorite memory – winning the first one in ’92 or touch them all Joe in ’93?
Tar
I’ll say one thing about Tex, he’d better have a huge year.
The Yanks did have a promising ml system a few years ago, but the team traded so many pieces away rather than sign free agents. (Kennedy, AUstin Jackson, Montero, etc.) … The budget austerity plan has been in full effect since 2010.
*****
Then why did they offer Cliff Lee almost the moon in the 2010 offseason?
Stone, I think, ” touch ‘em all Joe , you’ll never hit a bigger one,” is the one for me considering it was called by Tom Cheek who is #1 in my heart alongside Sir David.
@ Tucker they were set up so well after they won in 09. It’s crazy to think how they reached this point.
“I’ll say one thing about Tex, he’d better have a huge year.”
I agree.
Right now Youk is the back-up 1b. Which doesn’t really allow you to sit Tex vs RH pitchers. That’s not very helpful. Just another reason why I think Berk works. Tex is a very driven competitor, I think if someone starts taking AB’s from him, he might re-think his approach.
I like Tex and do expect to have a good year, but it wouldn’t hurt to nudge him in the right direction.
Stone, they had a ver specific plan — pitching and more pitching. But they have ignored the offense. We’ll see if that is a wise move.
If they would have signed Cliff Lee, somehow I doubt they would have extended CC
Against,….its a crazy life , my friend
I don’t get all the hysteria over the Yanks’ offseason moves.
The rotation and bullpen are solid. The bench is weak right now but it’s only December 23rd. Stewart is a solid defensive backup catcher and Dickerson is a solid defensive outfielder. Why not try to reacquire Jerry Hairston via trade then after he’s acquired see if his brother Scott would be willing to take a one-year $7M deal (overpay him.) $10.75M for The Hairston Brothers but again, it’s for 2013 only. Bench solidified. The starting nine will most likely will be strengthed in June or July.
The catcher situation is overblown as Martin was hitting below .200 for most of the season and finished with a measly .211 BA. If Romine can minimize passed balls (say 1-1.5 a month) and have a 25% success rate throwing out basestealers, I’m cool with that.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/p.....#038;rel=0
Tar, something for you!
@Joelsherman1: Swisher was postseason dud for #Yankees but helped get them there: 124 OPS-plus 25th in NYY history (min 2000 PAs). #Indians (cont)
@Joelsherman1: Just to compare, Cano’s OPS-plus 123, Posada 121, Jeter 117, Munson 116. #Yankees #Indians
Blake, …. you’re relentless, take over the GM’s job now!
http://www.minorleagueball.com.....s-for-2013
Don’t know if this has been posted yet but it’s Sickels Yankee prospect rankings for 2013. David Adams is the most noticeable omission to me….
Yes it is mills
blake,
I’m going to miss Swish, too. Never thought he was a phony, just wore his heart on his sleeve, which is hard for cynical lohuders to understand. Hard-working player who gave us everything he had. Absolutely lacked the hard shell NY seems to demand. Hope he tears up the Central.
Swisher couldn’t hit in the playoffs….but you could argue that he was one of the top 5 players to help get them there over the 4 years they had him.
The trade to aquire Swish was probably Cashman’s 2nd best trade of his career…..
He will be missed….I fear a lot more than a lot of fans realize
Thanks Jmills reminds me of my first Rush show. Including all the blurry parts
Hi Tom! I know its been a crappy year, but we have to make the best of it.
….Now, now,Tar!
@Joelsherman1: Swisher was postseason dud for #Yankees but helped get them there: 124 OPS-plus 25th in NYY history (min 2000 PAs). #Indians (cont)
@Joelsherman1: Just to compare, Cano’s OPS-plus 123
******
Interesting – that is years 2009-2012.
During that same time – Cano had 136 OPS
The last concert I saw was the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965. Most of the girls there were too young for me, even then. Of course, you couldn’t see the stage without binoculars, or hear them sing over the shrieks, but damn, I was there.
Tom
Almost 50 since your last concert? You are way over due. Sounds like a date for you and the misses.
Tom, I saw that concert in the seventies. I was a big Beatles fan prior to my Simon and Garfunkle ( concert in the park ) days which only led to,…..Rush!
Tar,
I left out a couple of bluegrass festivals, and I did see Lady Antebellum in Augusta, for free. They’re good, too.
Tar,
Redo your math. That was 57 years ago.
That sounds good Tom. Ever go to Merle Fest here in North Carolina?
Tom
Are we talking dog years?
” Lady in antebellum in augusta? ” – I’m going to have to look this up !
New post ->