Comments on: Looking forward on the cusp of the Hot Stove League

By: Shecky

Shecky — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:05:26 +0000

For the first time in my life, I’m not certain the Y’s will simply be able to sign whatever free agent they want. They’ll have the money to pay, for certain, but it seems playing in the Bronx may not be everyone’s end-of-the-road destination. Sabathia has hinted he may not want to play in NYC, Peavy too. We know the Yankees will get free agents but I’m not sure it’ll be “pick of the litter” time like it’s been in the past.

By: Matt K

Matt K — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:34:29 +0000

Getting manny means he plays Left or right which means moving Damon to center. Making our outfield manny damon nady. defensively an outfield of damon gardner nady would be much better. I would like to see gardner get a chance to play consistently obviously that would not happen if manny was on the team,

That would be to many. As of right now there are Damon Matsui Nady and either Gardner/melky for 4 lineup spots including DH. I would rather see those 4 players occupy those spots. If we could get manny and trade matsui that would be a different story. I stand by my statement that we would have to many outfielders.

By: RustyJohn

RustyJohn — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:52:41 +0000

If it came down to one of the two, they have to get Teixeira. 1B has been an issue since Tino left (the first time)- they have either had someone who could hit but couldn’t field for crap or vice versa. A team with Damon, Gardner/Melky, Nady in the outfield, Matsui at DH, and ARod, Jeter, Cano, Teixeira and Posada is pretty damn good- assuming of course that Posada and Cano regain some form.

After 2009- Jeter in left field, hopefully Cervelli can transition to catcher the way they did with Jorge and Girardi- with Jorge getting split time at DH, and we land another outfielder or have AJax develop. Any ideas on a new shortstop?

I don’t see an absolute need to sign Sabathia, especially if Mussian returns- Hughes and IPK have to get innings and they aren’t going to progress sitting in Scranton.

I have more confidence in the pitching after 2009 than I have in position players.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:14:02 +0000

Okay: According to PinstripeAlley.com, if we lop off all the expiring contracts (including options/buyouts like Giambi, Pavano, and Marte) we’ll have a baseline payroll of 133M for 2009. Let’s add Marte’s 6M option to that, and Giambi’s 5M buyout (which should probably be included in our figures for fairness sake), and I’ll tack on 10M for Pettitte (sounds fair.) We’re now at 154M before signing any free agents.

If CC takes 22M AAV and Texy takes 20M AAV, we’re at 196M payroll for 2009, with the following roster:

2-Posada
3-Teixeira
4-Cano
5-ARod
6-Jeter
7-Damon (13M coming off the books at end of year)
8-Gardner
9-Nady (5M coming off the books at end of year)
DH-Matsui (13M coming off the books at end of year)

C-Molina (2M coming off the books at end of year)
IF-Betemit (2M coming off the books at end of year)
OF-Melky
UT-??????

SP-CC
SP-Wang
SP-Joba
SP-Pettitte (10M coming off the books at end of year)
SP-Hughes/Aceves

RP-Albaladejo
RP-Robertson/Coke
RP-Edwar
RP-Veras
RP-Bruney
RP-Marte (6M coming off the books at end of year)
RP-Mo

Say we could find someone willing to take on half of Hideki’s salary in return for a non-prospect. (Like, say the Mariners, who have Jose Vidro as their DH and will likely lose Raul Ibanez?) That cuts the above ’09 payroll down to $189.5M, with an additional 49.5M coming off the books after next year (the other half of Hidek + Johnny + Pettitte + Marte + Nady + Molina + Betemit + my 5M accounting total for the Giambi buyout). Meaning that, even after adding CC and Texy, our 2010 payroll is 140M.

Would you be willing to give 25M a year for 3 or 4 years of Manny, knowing that we could add CC, Texy, AND Manny and still have a 2010 payroll of under $180M and that he’d have a natural slot at DH within a year? I would. We’d have a bloated $214.5M payroll for one year, but we still have a lot of expiring money in our future. (Don’t forget that Mo’s 15M falls off the books after 2010.)

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:33:12 +0000

In respons to your (and Emac2)’s Hairston suggestions, I went and looked them up:

Scott: .248/.312/.479 (115 OPS+) in 326 AB’s at CF and LF (only played one game at 2B this year for the Padres)
Jerry: .326/.384/.487 (124 OPS+) in 261 AB’s at SS, 2B, and all three OF spots for Cincy

Scott’s younger with decent pop but doesn’t have all that great of a bat (lifetime .303 OBP) and seems to be more of a reserve outfielder than a true utility infielder (75% of his major league appearances have been in the outfield, his RF at 2B is a rather pedestrian 4.88, and he’s never played SS or 3B).

Jerry, on the other hand, can indeed play anywhere, and run, as Emac2 states, but I’m just not sure on the hitting yet. The aforementioned 2008 line was great. The ones before that? Decidedly not.

05 – .261/.336/.368 (82 OPS+)
06 – .206/.270/.253 (36 OPS+)
07 – .189/.249/.289 (42 OPS+)

My socks aren’t knocked off. What do you guys always say? “Name 3 utility infielders better than Wilson Betemit?”

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:50:16 +0000

But he pees on his hands!

By: ceciguante

ceciguante — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:41:50 +0000

i’d be shocked if the yanks signed both tex and manny. no way i see them spending $20M-25 each on 2 bats. sure, they’d mash, but they wouldn’t spend anything significant on pitching after laying out the dollars it would take to get those two.

that team would score 900+ runs and lose in the first round to, say, the angels, when they’d boot the ball all over the field and watch their own pitching get hammered. no thanks.

tex is the better fit b/c manny is going to decline any year now, he’s a major defensive liabilty (LF is much bigger in YS than the fens), he’s a ticking timebomb in the clubhouse, and he generally adds to our strengths (hitting) and deepens our weaknesses (defense, speed, age, team first attitude). tex in a landslide.

By: tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones

tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Mr. Snarky Irrelevant Non Sequitur Jones — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:20:26 +0000

Sorry, I knew as I was typing it I’d leave a name out. Fact remains, the romanticization of the title Yankees as homegrown players is bunk. The core of those teams were acquired mercenary style. Yankee Dollars brought Cone, Rodgers, Key, Hernandez, Clemens, Wetteland, Nelson, Martinez, Knoblauch, Strawberry, Justice, Fielder, Sierra, etc. to the team, and they were the core (with Bernie) of the title teams. Jeter, Pettitte, Posada, and Mo came up as the young guns and supplemented THEM, not the other way around.

The title Yankees were built equally through the free agent market (or the quasi-free agent market) and through the farm system. There was not a preponderance of homegrown talent.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:19:55 +0000

If Sabathia and Teixeira both turn down the Yankees, we will probably throw money at guys that don’t steer the ship in an entirely new direction. My question is: who’s out there in off-season 2009 to keep in the back of our mind (like we did with CC during the Santana talks)? Probably nobody of Tex or CC’s stature, I’m just curious.

By: ceciguante

ceciguante — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:16:16 +0000

imo, those numbers are wishful thinking.
he just had significant surgery on his throwing shoulder, and he’s 39. that’s a big deal. we have to find out if he can even play his position, let alone hit like he used to. true, he had a season of “rest,” but his shoulder was cut open. maybe his legs got rest, but shoulder surgery is a major hurdle. i wouldn’t feel comfortable assuming any level of production from jorge until i see him play for a month.

i think the better way to look at it is that IF he overcomes the surgery to be able to throw at close to his former level, and therefore can continue to play C without being a huge defense liability, then we can hope that he’ll be able to swing well too and put up the triple slash numbers you suggested.