In bullpen news…

December 3, 2007 by Benjamin Kabak 29 Comments

We interrupt this Johan Santana orgy to bring you word that the Yanks are one of a few teams interested in Octavio Dotel. When last we saw Dotel, he threw 10 innings for the 2005 Yankees and was terrible. Last year, he threw 30 injury-filled innnings and was slightly less terrible. I say, “Pass.”

Bo

He wouldn’t be bad as an option. Obviously the money doesnt matter. So why not have as many options as you can?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  Because he’s not healthy. Because he would command too many millions of dollars and more than on year. Just because the dollars don’t matter doesn’t me we should go about spending them unwisely.
Mitchell’s Eleven

There should be some strange contract agreement in which Dotel actually pays us for 2006.
steve (different one)

depends on the $$. i’d probably rather take a 1 year, $3M flier on Dotel than give Viz $10M/2 or something like that.
Dimaggio5

Let’s add him, we can’t have too many under performing multi-millionaires coming out of your bullpen.
- Count Zero
  
  LOL
JT from NYC

We need to get off this idea of “the money doesnt matter”. Eventually, the money has to matter. We cannot keep spending the money where we get no returns. Its one thing to spend it on Johan or Arod, but to waste money on the likes of Octavio Dotel is a terrible decision.
- steve (different one)
  
  like i said, it depends on the money.
  
  it’s not like he doesn’t have a lot of upside.
  
  this isn’t the same as signing a player you KNOW will be bad.
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
    
    I can state with some confidence that I know Octavio Dotel will be bad. He hasn’t been good since 2004, and he’s 34, not an age at which pitchers improve.
Franky

You might even be able to get him on a 1-year deal if he’s trying to build up his value.
- Count Zero
  
  I don’t think he’s trying to build up his value — he’s looking to pad his bank account prior to the long winter of his suckitude and retirement. ;-)
Bo

Like i said, money isn’t a factor. For other teams a 2 yr 10 mill deal would be all consuming. For the Yanks? If hes not healthy or ineffective they’ll just write it off. If money isn’t a factor why not have as many good options in the pen as you can?

You may as well go for it in 2008. Why skimp on the pen? It’s not like hes asking for years here.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  You keep asking why not go for as many good options as possible. Well, as I’ve said before, Octavio Dotel is not a good option and hasn’t been in four years. Just because money isn’t an option when it comes to big salaries, the Yanks shouldn’t piss money down the drain when dealing with relief pitching.
- Count Zero
  
  Not to mention roster spots.
Bo

Check Dotels stats last year. He was a very effective pitcher. Finally healthy and his K rate was real good. If he is over the injury he got in the 2nd half of the year he wouldn’t be a bad addition to the pen. Especially with what else is out there. Unless you’re happy going into battle with Farnsworth, Bruney, etc.

You better get used to this because they are going to sign afew guys for the pen. Be it Dotel, Viz, Mahay, Affledt, Hawkins etc
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  You’re missing the overall point: Octavio Dotel was not at any point finally healthy last year. He slogged through 30 innings – and only 30 innings – because he was having shoulder problems last season. He’s a frail injury risk and the Yanks have many better internal options already. Pass.
http://riveraveblues.com Mike A.

The Dotel Experiment has come and gone. They’re better off just trying Veras out, he and Dotel are very similar pitchers except for age and price tag.
http://nyyu.blogspot.com Mike

Pass also.
zack

Too many mikes in this world
Eric

Dotel or Farnsworth??

Hmmmmm
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=56352514 Jamal G

Seems the Nats have acquired TB Outfielder Elijah Dukes for a Player To Be Named Later. I dont know how these PTBN deals work, but if it was that easy I hope the Yankees were at least somewhat interested in the kid. He was still a blue-chipper -character issues aside- and outside of Brett Gardner we dont have any viable OF options at the top level in our system.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071203&content_id=2315981&vkey=hotstove2007&fext=.jsp
Eric

Dukes is a disaster. And in NYC???
- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=56352514 Jamal G
  
  Girardi is an A-Typical hard ass, and he did get through to Scott Olsen -who messed up agian this year after Girardi left- so maybe he could’ve gotten through to Dukes.
Glen L

With young, cheap relief guys popping up every year and flourishing … why on earth would the yanks waste money and, more importantly, a roster spot on a 34 year old injury guarantee (the word “risk” isn’t strong enough here) … the yankees have a bunch of young arms that have the potential to be effective (ramirez, ohlendorf, etc.) .. if they aren’t .. send them back down .. if they are, then the yankees will have done what many playoff teams have done with their bullpens … throw a bunch of (internal) stuff at the wall and see what sticks

on the Dukes front – the yankees have enough media attention as it is .. do they really need the back of the Post, Daily News, etc. showing a huge picture of Dukes with a pithy headline basically saying “Elijah Dukes has been arrested on murder, larceny, and treason charges”? … sure he’s a top grade prospect but he’s (possibly) insane … just not worth it

besides mlbtraderumors reported the nats gave up Glenn Gibson .. i’m not familiar with him .. but he certainly seems to be more than just a bag of balls
- Dimaggio5
  
  Milledge and Dukes on the same team, the Nationals must be desperate for headlines onw way or another. :-) That locker room is going to be a reality show waiting to happen. LOL
Eric

I like hearing about Marte. Wouldnt mind Viz back either.
Eric

I’ve seen a lot of teams do the “see if it sticks” routine for the pen and have it blow up in their face.

We need another reliable arm or two and then let the kids fight it out for the other 3 spots.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  Fine. Valid point. Octavio Dotel is not a reliable arm however.
- Glen L
  
  I don’t disagree, I just think its foolish to overspend for an arm whose only reliability comes from his persistent ability to remain injured
  
  Its of course very important to have 2 reliable arms leading up to Mariano .. i’m just not sure what’s left on the FA market is any better than what we have internally … so why overpay for it?