Nov
16

Open Thread: Hot Stove news of the day

By Benjamin Kabak

While it’s been a slow day in Yankeeland with only a scant rumor about CC Sabathia to whet our collective appetites, some interesting news around baseball has surfaced.

As Scott Boras and Manny Ramirez attempt to convince potential suitors that Manny can be a serious baseball player, someone — probably from the Red Sox — leaked a sordid tale of suspension to ESPN’s Pedro Gomez. Apparently, the Sox came very close to suspending Manny without pay over his decisions to opt against playing in the July contests against the Yankees. Instead, they traded him to the Dodgers, and it’s clear that this story is supposed to serve as a caveat emptor to any team looking at Manny.

In other Red Sox news, Nick Carfado reports on a potential trade between the Red Sox and Tigers. The Red Sox would ship the useless Julio Lugo to Detroit while the Tigers would send either the useless Dontrelle Willis to Boston or the also-fairly-useless Nate Robertson to the Red Sox. That trade would simply swap one reclamation project for another.

Finally, in some CC Sabathia-related news, Jayson Stark feels that the Yanks are the most likely destination for the lefty. I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch though.

So enjoy this thread. Discuss whatever you like: baseball, Skins-Cowboys. Just play nice.

Posted on Sunday, November 16th, 2008 at 7:15 pm in Hot Stove League, Open Thread.

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185 Comments »

Ivan says:

Im intrigued by where AJ Burnett is going this offseason. I gonna assume CC is gonna a yankee (yes I am counting my chickens) and I,ve heard the Jays who really wanna resign Burnett might offer him a contract of 4-years at 54M. Would it be surprising if Burnett stays with the Jays?

 
dan says:

Wouldn’t it seem likely that one of the teams going after CC will sign Burnett once CC signs somewhere else?

Steve says:

It was reported last week that he’s limited the teams he will consider to those on the eastern corridor. Baltimore, Yanks, Braves, Toronto, Red Sox and maybe another that I’m forgetting. So even if the Angels or Dodgers want him, he’s not interested in signing with a west coast team.

Chris says:

Isn’t that basically the opposite of CCs position? I think in the end, the money will talk.

 
 
 
FL Yank says:

I asked this in the thread about CMW but I think this years FA signing’s (pitchers) will have an affect on the question. Assuming we sign two starting pitchers this year and with all of the pitching depth we have in the minors; do you make a concentrated effort to keep CMW when he hits FA? I say emphatically yes. Like the old adage goes, “There is no such thing as too much starting pitching.”

Ivan says:

If im Wang, and Burnett gets a 4+ year deal with 60+ Million dollars, wouldn’t I feel that I deserve more? I mean Wang is better than Burnett and younger.

 
Ben K. says:

Why would you not make an effort to keep CMW? I’m curious to hear that argument.

FL Yank says:

Heard. I’ve just seen too many “CMW is overrated” posts for one lifetime. Here’s another way to put my question; If you have to over pay for CMW (say 4-5 years at 17-18 million per) do you? Then again, maybe that isn’t overpaying for someone who’s shown that he can get it done in the AL East with the horrible infield defense that’s behind him.

 
 
Steve says:

The second pitcher we sign or Wang could be an obstacle in the coming years. That’s another reason I like bringing Pettitte back this year, its a 1 year deal. So lets say the 2010 rotation is CC, Burnett, Joba, Wang, Hughes. You have no room for a Betances/Z-Mac/Brackman.

But these things tend to take care of themselves, and like you said “you never have enough pitching.”

Mike Pop says:

Ya could suck but maybe we could make nice trades or deal Burnett in his final years if he is worth it.. Cuz think about it 16 mill a year in 2 or 3 years can be considered a bargain right ?

 
 
 

Is anyone else besides me for only signing CC and not Burnett or Lowe?

Ivan says:

Im here. I been saying that for like minute. I would like the yanks to sign CC and avoid pitchers like AJ and Lowe. Joe Shennan of BP has said this as well.

 
Thomas says:

I am just for signing CC. I’d prefer the Yankees not sign Lowe or Burnett unless we get a good deal (though if they do sign them it isn’t the end of the world in my opinion).

However, I would like the Yanks to add Sheets and/or Pettitte.

 
Mike Pop says:

we need more than one starter though

True, but I don’t think we need two big fish from the market. Behold:

1. CC
2. Wang
3. Pettitte
4. Joba (only b/c of innings caps)
5. Penny (he’s 3 if healthy)
6. Hughes
+ Kennedy (who I think gets traded, regardless of your view on him), Aceves, Giese, even Coke

Steve says:

This is why more and more, people are thinking the Yanks will let Andy go. I hope its not the case, but it appears to be moving that way.

I don’t think they can afford to let him go if they don’t sign a guy like Sheets/Burnett/Lowe. Of the best of the three evils I’d pick Sheets, but not for more than 2-3 years.

Mike Pop says:

Aj already had TJ and Sheets hasnt.. Take that into consideration plus Sheets could have a torn muscle or some shit… fuck that

Steve says:

Kieth Law said in his chat the other day (the one that mentioned RAB) that Sheets was telling people he had a “Torn tendon” in September and then changed his story to “Torn muscle” a few weeks later. In any case, he pitched poorly with whatever injury he had down the stretch.

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Slugger27 says:

id pick lowe… but again, not sure any of those 3 are necessary if we get CC

JD says:

Heres the deal:

1. Sign CC

2. Make a deal for Peavy unless the Padres keep insisting on Hughes

3. (if #2 fails) Sign Burnett, because Lowe had a ERA of 4.30+ in a weak NL west, Sheets’ arm is about to fall off

4. (after completing #1-3)Tell Andy thanks but we have gone in a different direction and take the 2 draft picks we will get when he signs with the Astros again

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Slugger27 says:

ya im with u… cc, wang, pettitte, joba, hughes for the rotation is fine by me

lowe wouldnt upset me, sheets would somewhat intrigue me, but i dont think theyre necessities… i DONT want burnett

dunno what to think about penny… but if u take ur rotation and make hughes the no. 5 starter then i think thats pretty solid and probably all thats really necessary

JD says:

Say NO to Lowe!!! Penny is DONE! Sheets is most likely getting surgery and needs to stay in the NL. The Yanks are going to acquire another pitcher besides CC, so take your pick: Burnett or make the trade for Peavy.

 
 
 
 
Slugger27 says:

ive been advocating signing only CC and pettite to a 1 year deal ((assuming moose retires)) …. does that count?

 
 
Old Ranger says:

CC only, as I also have been saying…although if we can get another good pitcher, that’s ok with me (never to much pitching etc.). CC, CMW, Andy, Joba/Phil and FA (put in a name), we have the staff to match-up with anyone in the play-offs/WS. With Tex and Swish added, I think we would be very solid for 2009.
One thing to think of is; do we try trading guys like; Johnny, Shelly, Miranda, Ransom, Melky? Do we keep some of them for injuries? If we try, what can we get for any of them (if we get Tex), Johnny is still a good pick-up for someone…and the most useful.
To be honest, I don’t think (never have) Johnny is useful to the Yanks anymore…he is a liability on defence and his offence is not what it was. I know, stats say differently…I’m sorry for the stats, they don’t show what the eyes see. In LF, he has been slow off the ball and doesn’t get set-up for a throw to the infield. When a player is told to bunt and doesn’t do it…then says, “I don’t bunt”, sorry see you later. Bunting should be part of every Professional players game, I don’t care who they are. 27/09.

 
 

Also, what would you sign Brad Penny for? I’d do 1yr/$2M + incentives to $10M + vesting option for 2009 for $10M-ish

Steve says:

Reports are he has a bad shoulder and he pitched with it all year. Incentives or not, its tough to sign a guy like that. The Yanks are looking to win it all, not be shopping off the discount rack.

 
 
gxpanos says:

Man, I was thinking it over today, and I’m going to be super pissed if they Yanks don’t go hard after Tex.

There’s NO WAY Cash has forgotten about Tex since getting Swish. I think…hope.

Right?

Thomas says:

I hope they still go after Teixeira. I see Swisher as more of a back up or just in case we can’t get him plan.

I think even with Teixeira, Swisher and rest of the team will get plenty of at bats, since Damon needs DH/days off, Nady was a platoon hitter prior to last season, and Matsui will probably get hurt/traded.

 
RichYF says:

I agree, I would be a little pissed if they didn’t sign Tex and it was money related. If the deal is awful, then that’s fine (10 years $200-240), but if he signs for 5-6 years at $20 per, I’ll be a little pissed. It’s not that often that these guys make it to free agency anymore. Eat the payroll for a year, there’s tons of money coming off the books. It’s not a bad deal, he won’t be signed through his age 49 season (a la A-Rod).

I guess I’m just greedy. But that’s what being a sports fan is all about.

 
Steve says:

If you remember the Damon signing (who was repped by Boras) the Yanks told everyone how they were going with Bubba Crosby all winter, they wanted to keep payroll down (which they say every year and never do) and how they weren’t really that interested in Damon. Then they signed him in January.

There’s a few things going on there.

1-Boras clients tend to go to late Dec/January before signing. Damon, Beltran and A-Rod’s Texas deal were all done late. So the Yanks feel like they can wait.

2-I think Cashman doesn’t like dealing with Boras, he has certain agents he has a good relationship with and he’s not one of them. He deals with him when he has to, but seems to keep him at arm’s length.

3-If I’m right about assessing the marketplace, Tex will less suitors than everyone thinks. The Angels are a great fit but they’ve already made noise about moving on if he doesn’t sign quickly. As I said in #1, I don’t think he will. The Nats already have two 1B. The Red Sox don’t do deals more than 4 years. Baltimore will want him to take a hometown discount and they’re not an attractive place to land if he wants to win.

4-This economy could affect free agents more than we know, and once you get past the guys you absolutely need (pitchers) it makes sense to sit back and see how things play out.

So I think the Yanks feel like they’ll let him test the marketplace, and then decide whether or not they want him. If the $ or years get crazy, they’ll pass. But anywhere around 7 years and 20-22 per I think they go for it. I’m sure Brian will get a call from Boras before he signs anywhere. Its in both of their interests to do so.

Slugger27 says:

exactly… the yanks can say whatever they want, whenever they want, and nobody will believe for one second theyre not interested in tex

Steve says:

Oh that’s not true at all. I’ve heard WFAN hosts, Yankee beat reporters and ESPN types all tell us that Swisher is the Yankee 1B, and that’s it. Cashman said the idea that he would sign 2 pitchers AND Tex is “fantasy land”. Heyman posted that they’re not pursuing Tex the other day. Peter Abraham said something to that effect as well.

MOST media types seem to believe the Yanks are no longer interested. Seems like the only ones who don’t are you, me, Kieth Law and WFAN’s Richard Neer.

Slugger27 says:

like i said, i dont care what beat writers and other media people say at this point… i refuse to believe they will be completely out of the tex sweepstakes… not willing to get in some massive bidding war and not being interested are completely different

like u said with the bubba crosby thing.. i just cant imagine them not being players and checking in and keeping tabs on the matter regardless of any WFAN or espn types opinions

i believe they may be willing to settle for having swish as their 1b if it comes down to it… but i dont believe for one second they wont be involved with tex

 
Mike Pop says:

I agree with you Steve. I think the only way we go full throttle for Tex is if we sign only one of CC Burnett or Lowe and we have that money left over and just realize we need some kind of upgrade. I think they can afford both CC and Tex but Cash said no.. But then again hes not gonna come right out and say we want both of those guys

Steve says:

The funny thing is, Cashman refers to signing 2 pitchers and Tex as “fantasy land”. Then, when people mention we have 88 mil coming off the books, in the next breath tells everyone he wants to get the payroll to 190 this year. Signing Tex would mean the payroll would be almost exactly the same as last year (208 mil)

So keeping the payroll the same as last year and filling a position we need is “fantasy land”? Not buying it.

BTW-We don’t pay luxury tax anymore, thanks to the new stadium.

steve (different one) says:

BTW-We don’t pay luxury tax anymore, thanks to the new stadium.

this is not true.

there will be some reduction in revenue sharing, but luxury tax will not change.

they are still paying 140% on every dollar over the limit.

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Steve says:

Its 40%, not 140%. And the point still stands we will save money next year in either case.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mike A. says:

Hah. Lugo for Dontrelle would be a downgrade for the Sox. Robertson has some bounceback potential, nice buy low candidate.

But they have negative use for Lugo. And I think Willis is still remotely salvageable–maybe that’s the hopeless optimist in me.

Ivan says:

Another Brilliant signing by Theo Epstein.

Mike Pop says:

It was a great signing becuz it helped them win the world series.—peter gammons

 
Slugger27 says:

sox fans are always pointing to the pavano and jaret wright contracts to make fun of us… not realizing that lugo, crisp, and clement were just as bad if not worse

Mike Pop says:

The Crisp one isnt horrible but it was bad

Mike Pop says:

Well it was bad fuck what I said.. They gave up Shoppach hehe and signed him for 15 mill

 
Slugger27 says:

to tell u the truth it might be the worst

 
 
 
 
 
Steve says:

Robertson has some bounce back potential, but nowhere near the upside that Dontrelle has. Plus, he’s still only 26. Nate Robertson is at best a league average innings eater.

I’d give Dontrelle a shot if I were them. Maybe even stick him in the bullpen and see if you can straighten him out.

Mike Pop says:

They win in that deal in my opinion.. They have no need for Lugo so they get an interesting arm for a nothing

Slugger27 says:

isnt d-train signed for like 3/30 or somethin though?? isnt that more than whats remaining on lugos deal??

not sure, and too lazy to look it up… but even with lowrie i would still think theyd have more use in lugo than they would d-train… i just cant see d-train pitching any better than ponsner

Mike Pop says:

Lugo got like 18 or 20 mill left.. They still win

 
 
 
 
RollingWave says:

well, at this point I think D-train is the better hitter and Lugo’s the better pitcher.

 
 
Andy In Sunny Daytona says:

That bullshit call at the end of the Pittsburgh game cost me $500. Can’t advance a lateral? What the hell is this 1928?

Andy In Sunny Daytona says:

nevermind. Lt lateralled forward. Not so mad anymore.

 
 
Baseballnation says:

Willis would get destroyed in the formidable A.L. East and I think it’s pretty clear he’s much better suited for the N.L. Perhaps the cubs, or Atlanta if either miss out on their targets…Though I’m not sure how enticed they’d be to pick up Willis money…I was also thinking maybe the brewers or Cardinals since they have a reputation of sucessful reclimation projects.

A.D. says:

With the way he’s been pitching Willis will get destroyed everywhere

 
Steve says:

Yeah, the Tigers stupidly gave him an extension when they traded for him. They did the same with Sheffield when we traded him there. Bad extensions seem to be a habit of Dombrowski’s.

 
 
27 this year says:

What would happen if the Red Sox upped our bid just cause they know Steinbrenner will pay even more. The Red Sox could potentially screw us over.

Steve says:

Then we would just do that to them the next time they were bidding on someone. Which we do.

 
 
dkidd says:

i wouldn’t bet against dontrelle coming all the way back, even in the al east. great make-up

i think the swisher deal means they’re not going after tex (montero moves to 1st eventually anyway)

re pitching, i’m for cc and penny (1 yr deal)

Jamal G. says:

Dude, his body is too big to support that delivery. Unless they employ the Roy Halladay treatment (break his ass down and start him over in High-A), he’s a lost cause.

Slugger27 says:

u talkin about d-train or penny?

personally, i think theres no chance d-train ever becomes useful again for the rest of his career… hes andruw jones in my book

as for penny… i could see him havin a few useful years left in the tank

 
Mike Pop says:

I dont think you can say he is a lost cause.. You never know what kind of turn around a guy could have.

Slugger27 says:

if ur talkin about willis… its not just that he had a bad year or 2.. its that EVERYTHING is gone… his velocity is way down, the movement on his pitches is way down, hes lost all command/control… and at this point im sure he has zero confidence

yes lugo is pretty useless… but at the end of the day i think lugo would be the lesser of 2 evils and the one more likely to bounce back and once again be productive… i like this trade for the tigers

Mike Pop says:

Lol NO Lugo has no chance to help them. Lowrie is better than Lugo in all forms.. Theyd be paying 8 or 10 mill for a bench player. There is no way he is THAT valuable to them. If Lowrie goes down with an injury is the only way that Lugo would be valuable to them.. Boston could save money on this deal and get a guy who could be valuable to them

Slugger27 says:

we will have to agree to disagree… i think lugo as their utility guy would be of more value than anything willis could give them

on top of that, i think lugo is by far more likely to return to better form, mainly cuz d-train wasnt bad cuz he was pitching while injured, he was bad bc he no longer has good stuff or control

at the end of the day, tehyre both pretty damn close to worthless, but we just disagree on which one could be of more use to the sox in the future

Mike Pop says:

I respect your right to say waht you say but I dont agree with it.. lol

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Slugger27 says:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
E-ROC says:

Too bad Romo doesn’t tackle.

 
Steve S says:

Can someone click that link and tell me what stock Warren Buffet bought?

Is tomorrow D-day for Moose?

If they sign CC and one of Burnett/Lowe do they bail on the Peavy negotiations?

I really think they should take that as far as it can go with Peavy. Either of AJAX or Hughes, if they take it get him with CC, if they dont want it move on.

I just dont get why they would think spending money on both Lowe and Burnett would be a better investment then say signing Pettitte and TExiera (along with CC). Plus if you can get Peavy, its a cheaper, younger and better alternative.

Steve says:

Damn, you ask a lot of questions.

“If they sign CC and one of Burnett/Lowe do they bail on the Peavy negotiations?”

Yeah, I think that’s why the talks seem to be heating up, because Towers knows the Yanks are about to make other moves which would fill their needs.

I think its pretty clear the Yanks will obtain 2 pitchers, one being CC. The only question after that is do they bring back Andy. But after they get that 2nd pitcher, they’re pretty much done.

Steve S says:

But what about the stock?

Steve says:

BUY HIGH!! SELL LOW!!!

 
 
Steve S says:

So then my question why the rush to offer Burnett and Lowe a contract? Peavy is clearly the better investment over the two. Im guessing that Burnett will run 5 for 15 or 4 for 16 and Lowe would probably take a similar amount for less years. Peavy is 27 and even with the guaranteed option year he comes out to about 16 for 5. Granted you have to give up players and thats an added cost but he still seems like a better investment than Burnett at age 31 with his injury history and Lowe at age 36.

Steve says:

Maybe they wanted to send a signal to Towers that they are serious about moving to Plan B.

Its rare that pitchers sign the first offers sent their way, so even if they got a nibble on the bait it would take another week or so to complete the free agent deals. Most free agents don’t sign before the end of November in any case.

 
 
 
Old Ranger says:

You would give up A-Jax or Phil for Peavy? Why? We need good young players and A-Jax is one on the rise and Phil is Peavy in a few years. Trading a young 22 year old highly talented pitcher for an older version of the same, just doesn’t make sense to me. 27/09.

Steve S says:

Thats a ridiculous comment and you know that. You have to give something to get something. I preface this by saying I love Phil and I do think he is going to be extremely talented. But I dont know and while I would prefer to keep him, the reality is that if you have to give up Phil Hughes for a guy like Peavy you do it.

BUT Peavy is a Cy Young Winner, 27 years old and signed to extremely affordable contract for his talent level. Not to mention his stuff alone makes him far and away better than Hughes. Phil Hughes MAY be Peavy ONE DAY. If Hughes picthes like Peavy next year that would be fantastic, HIGHLY unlikely, probably impossible and its foolish to say something like that. If Hughes has half the success that Peavy has had or will have over the next five years, then Hughes will have a great career. Peavy is a proven commodity who is signed long term. Phil Hughes is no Jake Peavy and to even anticpate that is ridiculous. Phil Hughes is talented and extremely capable but Peavy has been one of the best young pitchers in league, to expect that is being unrealistic especially when you have already have Joba.

As for AJAX I only see box scores and he looks like he can be very good. But again, it takes to get something. The Red Sox gave up Hanley Ramirez and got Josh Beckett and a world series of it. Ask the Red Sox how they feel about their shortstop situation and I guarantee you they still wouldnt go back and give Josh Beckett back. A year ago Jose Tabata was rated above AJAX and AJAX is actually older. Yet he went this year in a deal for a corner outfielder and a lefty reliever.

Im all about youth and I love prospects and I love when the Yankees properly develop them but Jake Peavy is young, he is a dominant pitcher and is more than affordable.

Mike P says:

Look man, you’re not making the best of arguments either. “Do the trade ’cause it worked for Boston with Beckett”- not a comparable situation. You trade Hughes for Peavy when the FA market is weak. Not when you could get Lowe/Burnett/Sheets/Dempster/Penny/etc. and keep Hughes. Hughes for Peavy is a bad move because it’s unnecessary. Not because of talent levels. The Sox wouldn’t trade Hanley Ramirez for Peavy in this market.

Steve S says:

Thats such revisionist history. And my argument was not based on the Red Sox motivations, just to demonstrate that you have to give talent to get talent.’

The argument is that Hanley Ramirez at the time was a super prospect who had slightly faltered, at least the year before he was traded when he was at AA. His numbers hadnt taken the jump people had anticipated.

If you think that Lowe/Burnett/Sheets, Dempster/Penny are even close to what Peavy is then were definitely not going to agree. If it was a matter of needing one starter its a not a starting point. CC is the better pitcher but the need for the 2nd starter makes Peavy that much more relevant. Peavy is heads and shoulders above those guys you mentioned for all the reasons I mentioned above that you managed to ignore and focus on my one comment about the Josh Beckett

 
 
 
 
 
Mike Pop says:

Cowboys gotta win this game… and cant believe Knicks choked it away

Slugger27 says:

i hate the cowboys like poison

Mike Pop says:

I hate the Gmen like I hate the Mets

 
 
Baseballnation says:

The knicks have a winning record…Nuff said!

Mike Pop says:

They shoulda won that game….Nuff said!

 
 
 
will y says:

honestly, I don’t like trading for Peavy, his away ERA is just way too high. Aren’t you guys worried that he might flop in the AL East?

I would just take CC and try to get Pettitte and/or Mussina back. We have plenty of young arms down in the farm who can hold down the fort in our starters are injured.

Sabathia
Wang
Joba
Pettitte
Mussina or Hughes/Kennedy/Aceves etc.

Mike Pop says:

Id deal for PEavy if it was an absolute steal like Ive said before.. KEnnedy Aceves Melky and Gardner Id give em lol

Old Ranger says:

Who plays CF with that trade? And don’t say Johnny, he is a disaster. 27/09.

Ben K. says:

Disaster is more than a little bit hyperbolic. He’s an average center fielder with above average offense. He’d be fine in CF this year.

 
 
JD says:

Think more of the lines of AJax, IPK, Horne, +1(not Hughes) for Peavy.

 
 
 
donttradecano says:

mlbtraderumors reporting krods comin to ny for a physical….from a Venezuelan paper

Steve says:

Hugo Chavez ordered him to get one. If not, he was going to send his entire family to prison for associating with capitalists.

 
 
Mike Pop says:

I wouldnt do this but would any of you deal Wang as the main piece for Peavy ? Wang and another guy for Peavy if that gets it done ? WOuld it make sense

Slugger27 says:

as of right now, since we havent signed cc yet, wang is the only guy on our staff that u can chalk up for 200 innings

wang will make somethin in the neighborhood of 5 mill next season.. peavy like 17 ((too lazy to look it up)) … and wang isnt eligible for FA until after 2010 i believe… which means another year after this one at below market value

i wouldnt trade wang for peavy straight up, wouldnt even consider it, much less include other players

Manimal says:

Wang deserves a big raise, he’s earned it. I think the yankees should do what the Rays did to Longoria, tie him up for a long term deal at a cheaper price.

Manimal says:

I meant sign Joba to long term.

Mike Pop says:

No reason to sign Joba long term yet right ? Hes got plenty of years left and with pitchers you never know… We should sign Ajax long term once he comes up in 2010 and hits 16 bombs with a 280 avg

 
Slugger27 says:

we should at least wait until arbitration years… right now he makes the minimum and theres really nothin he can do about it

why change that?

 
 
Slugger27 says:

wang missed 3 months… i doubt hed get anything more than a 1M raise, if that

now, in 2010, assuming he puts up his usual numbers next year, he could command somethin big in arb… but for 2009, i just dont see it

 
 
 
Old Ranger says:

Not in this world, would that even cross Cashs’ mind. 27/09.

 
 
Ed - sign CC immediately says:

K-Rod to the Mets?

According to El Universal, Francisco Rodriguez traveled to New York City ‘to be checked by doctors,’ in advance of eventually signing a contract with the Mets, according to a source linked to the closer.

“The Mets have made the best offer so far,” the source tells the Venezuelan newspaper, “though I know he wanted more money than what was offered.”

http://www.metsblog.com/2008/1.....en-in-nyc/

Mike Pop says:

Good let them overpay for him.

Ed - sign CC immediately says:

K-Rod will wear #62 to remind everyone that he is the new record holder for the most saves in a season. ugh. I remember watching on ESPN that he said his new jersey number for next year will be number of saves he finished with.

Mike Pop says:

Lol then in his time with the MEts he will get 62 saves all together haha

Ed - sign CC immediately says:
Mike Pop says:

Idk they say his velocity is down and his violent delivery is bad but of course all these things are overblown wehn considering big money contracts.. But they dont want another Billy Wagner

Ed - sign CC immediately says:

they could trade for Jenks but they wouldn’t give up Martinez for him. I think Minya been eyeing KRod when the season ended.

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Mike Pop says:

They should get Fuentes but I guess he might be too old

 
Mike A. says:

They should sign Fuentes, he’s definitely the more reasonable of the two big free agent closers. Better hit, walk, strikeout and homerun rates, plus he’ll come cheaper.

 
Mike Pop says:

Yaaaa plus hes a lefty

 
 
 
 
 
 
christopher says:

so how much of their payroll will be devoted to closers Wangmer plus krod salaries – that is alot of money per inning

 
 
Steve says:

Won’t be the first time Omar overpaid for a latin ballplayer who’s best years were behind him.

Come to think of it, that’s pretty much ALL of the guys (Pedro/DelGado/Alou/Castillo) he picks up.

Can’t wait for him to sign I-Rod.

Mike Pop says:

Yup I’ll take that sandwich pick from them.. I still think Giambi should of been at least a type B though especially considering Varitek is type A is a joke..

But wait my bad He’s Caught Four No Hitters !!!

Steve says:

That just goes to show you how many good hitting 1B there are and how lousy most catchers are with the bat.

 
 
 
 
tony guns says:

Heres a trade:

A-rod to the dodgers for Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Klayton Kershaw. It may seem crazy, but it does fill some holes

Slugger27 says:

doesnt make sense for the dodgers…

 
Mike Pop says:

AND IT FREES UP MONEY FOR MORE FREE AGENTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE’D SAVE LIKE 26 MILLION IN ONE YEAR

Steve says:

AND CHEESE DOODLES!!! THINK OF ALL THE CHEESE DOODLES YOU CAN BUY WITH 26 MILLION BUCKS!!!!

Mike Pop says:

oooo soooo many cheez doodles

 
 
 
Slugger27 says:

this would be like the mets calling us offering carlos beltran for joba chamberlain, robinson cano, ajax, montero and nady

Mike Pop says:

Id give em Montero and Nady for Carlos.. Hell I’d even throw in Melky

 
 
 
C.Panella says:

When will u nerds give up on the a-rod trades he a life time yankee now! give it up the guys the best alive

Mike Pop says:

I dont remember because I am young but were we in on A-Rod when he4 hee was a free agent the first time before he signed with Texas ? OR did we not even bother because of the Captain ? Cuz I know Arod wouldnt want to move to 3rd back then right

Slugger27 says:

they signed the same offseason i believe… but no the yanks were never seriously involved

the mets were… actually i think the mets were the favorite to land him and the rangers swooped in and made an offer that he couldnt refuse… if i remember correctly those were the 2 teams that were bidding for him

Mike Pop says:

Ya I know he seriously considered the Mets

christopher says:

until the famous 24 – 1 clubhouse that AROD wanted with an officwe. private jet, and personal lap dancer

 
 
Steve H says:

An offer he couldn’t refuse. Hopefully the CC situation plays out the same way. It’s crazy to say, but I wish CC has Boras as an agent, then you know we’d get him.

Mike Pop says:

Boras is the god of all agents

Slugger27 says:

until he makes u take the money even if it means playing in a place u hate… just ask arod or millwood

Mike Pop says:

Lol Im just saying if I were a player who was good.. Id hire him

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Mike A. says:

If I had a kid that was even just a decent draft prospect, I’d want him to hire Boras. The guy plays by the rules, and he’s damn good at what he does.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
cupz says:

I know it doesn’t really make sense to say this now, but if we sign CC, and 1 of Burnett/Lowe, that’s a set rotation of 4, with the 5th spot likely filled by Pettitte or Mussina. Where does Hughes get his innings in in this case? What about the opportunity to develop more talent? I don’t know, but I love the idea of having pitchers compete for the starting #5 job out of spring training, just because I’m quite curious as to who is going to come out on top. We have Hughes, Pettitte, Aceves, etc. as viable #5 options, and I’d just rather havve a home-grown arm in there instead of a purchased one.

Mike Pop says:

Ya man I guess they might be banking on a Burnett injury lol

 
 
Steve says:

BTW-Mike, you were right about Pinstripes Plus. Its unreadable.

They had a 2-1 special for like $9 the other day, so I signed up to read some stuff about Betances and an interview series with Nardi Contreres. Here’s what I learned

-Every Yankee prospect will be a MLB pitcher at some point
-Every draft pick is doing great
-If anyone has any flaws, they dont mention it

Mike A. says:
 
Slugger27 says:

whats pinstripes plus?

Steve says:

A Yankee prospect site for 12 year olds.

Slugger27 says:

the real question is, what are their knee jerk reactions on brackman?

 
 
 
 

the mlbpa is concerned about cc gedtting enough…eff ‘em; they have more bravado than brains…they even got on moose when he settled with nyy…these greedmongers need to back off…focus on gmotors, mebbe

 
Mike Pop says:

When will guys start to sign.. I think the first big guy signs on Thanksgiving or the day before

Slugger27 says:

ya i bet at least once big name FA is signed by turkey day… torii didnt waste time last year

 
 
peavy for cano says:

how long before the yanks acquire peavy?

Mike Pop says:
 
Slugger27 says:

hopefully never if their package includes cano

Steve says:

Towers said he doesn’t want Cano. He’s owed 27 mil over the next 3 years, and Towers is looking to cut payroll, that’s the whole point of dealing Peavy.

If it includes Hughes, Melancon or Betances, then I’m out. I’ll try to build a package around A-Jax, IPK and a few relievers. If its not enough, I sign Burnett.

Slugger27 says:

ive never been on the peavy bandwagon

i wouldnt mind seeing him i guess if we get a swish-like steal for him… but with so many FA pitchers i just dont see why we would trade prospects for pitchers when we could sign them and not give up anyone

ive been one of the biggest anti-burnett posters on here, but id still rather them sign him than trade the farm for peavy… especially since their contracts will probably mirror each other over the next several years

Steve says:

Peavy is more attractive than Burnett. He’s been much healthier, and if you adjust for the ballpark/league/division you come out with a pitcher who should be about the same as Burnett. Contract is good next year, will be around the same as what Burnett will likely get (16 mil) after that.

If I can trade a guy I don’t love in A-Jax, and a bunch of spare parts in IPK and some relievers, then its very much worth doing. If its going to hurt at all, then I’ll sign Burnett. I’d rather keep Hughes for depth behind the injury prone Burnett than have Peavy alone.

Steve H says:

Ok. So if you adjust, and they come out the same, why would you want to give away anybody, even if you don’t think highly of them? If someone else does think highly of Ajax, IPK, etc. (and there are plenty of teams that do), why not just sign Burnett and trade the other guys to fill a different need?

Steve says:

DON’T TRY TO CONFUSE ME WITH LOGIC!

IT WILL GET YOU NOWHERE!!!

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peavy for cano says:

it seems you dont wnat peavy

Slugger27 says:

not really… especially if it means giving up cano

 
 
Mike Pop says:
Ben K. says:

I wrote about that last night. I didn’t use the Gammons column, but it doesn’t say anything that Olney didn’t already say.

Mike Pop says:

OO my bad.. I thought it was funny how Gammons wants to convince people that CC wont sign with us.. Also says CC was sighted with Dunn and Odog at a houston football game.. A high school

Ivan says:

He’s afraid of the potential of CC with the yanks bashing his beloved Sox team. Awwwwwww.

 
 
 
 
Samsonov KGB says:

who signs first and where?

Slugger27 says:

k-rod with the mets is my prediction

 
Mike Pop says:

Ramon Vazquez Tigers for their SS vacancy

 
Mike A. says:
Jamal G. says:

Really? Not back with the ‘Stros? Did I miss something, or is that just your best guess?

Mike A. says:

I know they’re in on him, and it seems like a good fit for both parties. Just a guess really.

 
 
 
Steve H says:

Jeremy Bleich signs with Dr. James Andrews to schedule TJ, and obviously very soon.

Steve says:

Is that before or after Phil Coke has his shoulder rebuilt?

RollingWave says:

after Carl Pavano and Mark prior’s next injury

 
 
 
 
peavy for cano says:

burnett to the braves

Ivan says:
Mike A. says:

I think he was responding to the “who goes where first” question.

 
 
 
 
Slugger27 says:

mike or ben… do yall see any legitimacy in pettitte possibly signing with the astros?

i know he has already told the yanks he wants to come back.. but do yall see something like the 03 offseason happening where the yanks just keep stalling and stalling and not showing any aggression towards him and he finally gets fed up and signs with houston?

i know the yanks wanna find out about the other FA options and mussina first… but at some point andy has to want an answer, right?

Mike A. says:

I see zero chance of Pettitte signing with the Astros. McClane’s dreaming.

Steve says:

Andy’s changed his mind before . . . . .

and the Astros were surprisingly competitive in that God-awful division last year.

 
 
Steve says:

Pick #20 and 50 (54th overall), baby.

 
steve (different one) says:

kindof like how the Yankees gave him all the time in the world to make up his mind last offseason?

Slugger27 says:

he had a player option… thats a different scenario

i guarantee the astros check in on him… theyre DYING for pitching

 
 
Ben K. says:

If Mussina comes back and the Yanks land Sabathia soon, I’m not sure if they’ll continue to extend an offer to Pettitte. But I’m not really on board the “Bring Pettitte Back” train. I think he’s far down on the list of pitchers they should look at this off-season, history with the team notwithstanding.

Steve says:

You could see them leaving the 5th spot open for one of the kids.

Andy would have to take a big pay cut to come back. Like 9 mil or something. If not, I can see them passing on him.

 
 
 
Manimal says:

OH YEAH, we have moose’s formal decision tomorrow. I hope he stays.

 
Ben K. says:

I’m not sure it’s tomorrow as much as it’s some time this week. I don’t believe Moose set himself a deadline of Monday. I could be wrong though.

Steve says:

He’s going to retire and then un-retire in January. He’s a big Brett Farve fan.

 
Manimal says:

I thought I heard Monday but I couldn’t tell you where I got that from lol. Maybe it was just “early next week” and subconsciously I hoped it was monday.

Steve says:

Moose will want to hold his press conference on Monday, at Noon so he can get back to his regular routine of polishing his collection of old cars from 2-5:00 every Monday.

He’s one of those “Who moved my Cheese?!” guys.

 
 
 
 
Ivan says:

If your the mets, wouldn’t it be smarter to sign Wood over Fuentes or K-Rod?

A.D. says:

probably, but you also wouldn’t have thought that signing & relying on Alou was a good idea….and then you wouldn’t be the Mets

 
 
Mike Pop says:
 
Mike from Montoursville says:

I think today will be the day that Mussina decides if he is retiring or not. I bet he spent all weekend discussing it with his family. Whatever the decision, we as Yankees fans should respect it.

 
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