Comments on: Yanks, Giants talked Matsui

By: Joseph P.

Joseph P. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:32:19 +0000

1) Sanchez is 24 and has plenty of promise, especially in the bullpen. To write him off as a “pitcher with an ERA of 5.00″ is simply misinformed.

2) The swap would be one based on current needs, not objective value. Yes, in 2008 it’s more than likely that Hideki Matsui would provide more value in terms of production than Sanchez. It’s almost always going to be the case when you pit an above-average corner outfielder against a reliever. But the Yankees have three starting outfielders and a starting DH (though you can debate the merits of Giambi’s health; I have no refutes). So they would be trading a surplus for a need.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 05:32:14 +0000

Holy, crap. While I was sleeping yesterday, the Yankees went bankrupt. That’s the only reason I can think of where they’d consider unloading a 100 RBI machine for a relief pitcher with an ERA of 5.00!

By: Mg

Mg — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:39:46 +0000

Cameron (Yuma): What is your sense on how the Matsui for Lowry/Sanchez deal is going down. Is it close or what?
[quote]
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/.....t_id=18378

SportsNation Jayson Stark: (1:29 PM ET ) That deal was never close. The Giants are basically strolling through every position-player section of the department store, trying to get a feasible shopping list together. That’s all that was, I think — them just exploring whether Matsui is a realistic option. They haven’t gotten down to specific names, but obviously, they’d be trading pitching, because it’s all they have to trade.
[/quote]

By: Rob_in_CT

Rob_in_CT — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:55:03 +0000

Exactly! Matsui has been and remains a good player. Not great, but good.

And if anyone thinks you can count on Giambi to stay healthy over the course of the season (even healthy enough to DH), I’ve got a bridge to sell ya. So we do need the guy. Then there is his NT clause to consider. If he would waive it (questionable), I’d trade him for the right package – but I’d kinda have to be blown away, meaning it’s a ripoff for SF. If Cashman can fleece Sabean and get Lincecum, great… and I’ll be looking around for the flying pigs.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:11:04 +0000

Lincecum is not going to be traded to the Yanks when the Jays have an offer that includes Rios who is a much better value.
The idea is that Matsui goes for lefthanders Noah Lowry or Jonathan Sanchez. “Lowry, 27, went 14-8 with a 3.92 ERA this season. In his career, he’s 40-31 with a 4.03 ERA. Sanchez, a 25-year-old reliever, was 1-5, 5.88 in 33 games.” – Newsday.com.
Sorry he is worth far more than that. If you talk about a player that plays with the team concept of getting the runner over you won’t find any better. As long as his knee got cleaned up well I have the feeling he will slip back in behind A-Rod. He still has enough power to make hitters pay.
And as Mike mentioned his value off the field is huge brinnging in plenty of Japanese fans… he’s very popular there where they get to see his personality. The revenue we’d lose for yankee games becomming less popular in Japan would probably cost the same amount as his salary.
Plus just to top it off I don’t see him waiving his NTC to go to a team that stinks and that is in the NL.

By: MS

MS — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:44:28 +0000

Matsui, Horne, and Duncan for Lincecum. Then send Lincecum, AJ, and Kennedy for Santana. Yes, we give up 5 for Santana, we get Santana without giving up Hughes or Melky.

By: Mike Plugh

Mike Plugh — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:49:05 +0000

Also, Matsui’s value is linked directly with what he does on the field. What are you people smoking? His batting lines:

2003 .287/.353/.435 and 109 OPS+
2004 .298/.390/.522 and 137 OPS+
2005 .305/.367/.496 and 130 OPS+
2006 .302/.393/.494 and 128 OPS+
2007 .285/.367/.488 and 123 OPS+

Those aren’t HOF numbers, but he is 25-30% better than replacement level, and at a reasonable price. He is consistently a 25-30 HR-pace hitter every year. In the context of the Yankee offense he’s a 100 run/100 RBI guy every year, if you like counting stats. Where are you going to find those numbers at his price? How is his value primarily determined by his Japaneseness? That’s myopic.

By: Mike Plugh

Mike Plugh — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:42:06 +0000

“His 4 for 4 was a joke – at least two were scratch singles then he slumped a bit and then he beat up teams like the O’s who were dying for the season to be over.”

You can make that same argument about 19 games vs. the Rays, Orioles, and 8 or 9 versus the White Sox, Rangers, and so on and so on. That’s baseball. Only someone trying to justify a particular point of view would take that perspective on the situation.

“As for the comparison with Jeter, where are Matsui’s rings? Never mind that, where is his big post season moment – against the Twins or before Game 4 in 04 – when everyone was hitting?”

This is a shoddy argument. The “rings” argument is one employed by philosophically immature thinking. Baseball is a team sport that largely relies on pitching, which has been more or less absent since Matsui has come to town. It is also predicated on a certain amount of luck in the playoffs, which the Yankees have not had in the least. I think your “post season moment” idea is also worthy of the Hall of Clutch. The big moment is an illusion. It’s largely based on doing what you do every other at bat with the context of the game wrapped around you. Someone throws a ball at you, you swing, you hit it. That’s it. The rest is out of your control. Matsui is like Jeter in that both players produce at the same level of metric excellence regardless of the situation. That’s the illusion of clutch. Look at the numbers…..or don’t and continue to live in Fantasyland.

By: Mike NYY

Mike NYY — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:37:33 +0000

Part of Matsui’s value is how he opens up the Japanese market. He`s worth more than what he does on the field. I wouldn’t trade him for les than Lincecum or Cain and I`d throw in some more prospects.

By: Joseph M

Joseph M — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:23:29 +0000

I know Matsui’s value to the Yankees go well beyond what he gives on the field but it’s time to recognize the simple fact that the Yankees are first and foremost a baseball team. The Yankees are a better club without him, Damon give you more on offense and defense and the club is stuck with the designated albatross Giambi. He can’t even be used as a fourth outfielder, so if they get an offer, any offer, I hope they take it.