Sheets may need elbow surgery

February 5, 2009 by Michael Axisa 75 Comments

Via Adam McCalvy & TR Sullivan, free agent righty Ben Sheet may need surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his throwing elbow, which is different from Tommy John surgery. Apparently the Rangers and Sheets had agreed to a two year deal last week, but the elbow issue popped up and prevented the deal from being finalized. In a somewhat ironic twist, the Brewers may be on the hook for the medical costs of the surgery, which Sheets is contemplating. Sometimes life just isn’t fair. Roy Firestone of Orioles Hangout beat everyone to the story this morning.

Update (4:46pm): Sheets will have the surgery and hopes to be ready for the second half of 2009. (h/t Yanke1010)

http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel

Should the Yankees offer him a Lieber type deal? This is the type of financial muscle flexing they should do. Worst thing that happens is that he does not recover and you lose the low base salary.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

Brewers may as well just sign him now. If you’re going to pay for the surgery, at least get the benefit for it on the other end.
- radnom
  
  Sunk cost.
  
  He is, however, cheaper to them than any other team.
  I think it would be in his best interest to wait until after the draft, perhaps sign on with a team that was hit hard towards the stretch run by pitching injuries.
  - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
    
    Yeah, but they’re reporting a 9-10 month recovery. That mean’s he’s done for all of ’09.
    
    May as well try and sign the Lieber deal now with the Brewers. No point missing the whole year and then trying to pull a Freddy Garcia, searching for a non-minor league deal after the lengthy layoff.
http://www.styleforum.net Jeremy Brown

Does anyone still think it’s a good idea to sign Sheets? Maybe a Lieber type deal?
- http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel
  
  I think you owe me a Coke, young man.
  - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
    
    Both of you owe Macphisto a coke. 2:40pm timestamp.
    
    http://riveraveblues.com/2009/.....ent-275871
    - http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel
      
      Actually, check out my post on Sheets at theyankeeuniverse.com, posted at 2:11 according to my feedreader. I now demand Cokes from the entire blogosphere.
      - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
        
        I do not recognize any non-RAB Yankee blogs as valid members of the blogosphere. They all suck.
        
        http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel
        
        Hey, play nice. I think you are just cheaping out on the Coke, sir.
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
        
        How about a Pepsi? It’s the only cola I pour into my mouthhole.
        
        http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel
        
        Deal- anything but RC cola is acceptable.
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        Pepsi sux. Coke rulez.
        
        jsbrendog
        
        rc trumps. it has a crown
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
        
        I reiterate: There is only one cola I will pour into my mouthhole. Pepsi is that cola.
        
        jsbrendog
        
        i also go with sunkist and doctor pepper. actually they are the only two i will compromise my i dont drink soda thanks for. (ginger ale doesn’t count)
        
        honorable mention, stewart’s orange and cream
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
        
        While I prefer Coke to that carbonated sewer water known as Pepsi, Dr. Pepper reigns supreme.
        
        A.D.
        
        Dr. Pepper is damn good.
        
        http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
        
        Jones Soda, you ignorant fools. Canadia all up in this biznatch.
        
        Macphisto
        
        Dr.Pepper and an 3×3 Animal Style In-n-Out burger. Few things better in life.
        
        UNION YES.
        
        Moxie!
        
        whozat
        
        Moxie tastes like poisonous cough syrup.
        
        UNION YES.
        
        Yes, isn’t it wonderful?
        
        jsbrendog
        
        yes moxie is gross. but for the novelty, good. but taste. yech
MattG

Wow, who pays for the surgery? It’ll come from his own pocket?

This is a guy that declined arbitration. This is a whole new kind of stupid.
- radnom
  
  He must not have known.
MattG

I just want to bash Torre some more. You see this:

“Heyman says that Joe Torre prefers Bobby Abreu to Adam Dunn, in terms of a backup plan.” (mlbtr)

Why? What does Bobby Abreu do better than Adam Dunn at this point of his career? The only reasons to value Abreu are things that should not concern Torre at all: length of the contract, AAV, etc.

He’s your problem now, LA.
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
  
  One advantage for Bobby: Adam Dunn doesn’t carry around candy in his pocket. That’s a big negative.
  
  You never know when you’ll be in the middle of supervising a fungo drill or something and be struck by the mood for a nice Werther’s Original. Especially Torre, old guys like him love that stuff.
  
  Oh, and Adam Dunn doesn’t really like baseball that much and doesn’t have a passion for the game, or so I’m told.
  - MattG
    
    This enjoyed did I.
- A.D.
  
  I saw that too, and thought to myself, I guess i really shouldn’t be surprised by this
  - whozat
    
    Joe likes players he knows. He doesn’t know Adam Dunn. He seems hesitant to learn anything new. Hence…he likes Bobby.
    
    In fairness, Bobby hits for a better average. If you lend credence to AVG over OBP, SLG, and other stats…preferring Bobby is at least a rational conclusion.
TheLastClown

Ah, it’s refreshing to see those bloody sheets flying in the wind.
- UNION YES.
  
  That brings me back. Summer nights…
A.D.

So why didn’t he accept arbitration?
- MattG
  
  Couldn’t hold the pen, probably.
  - jsbrendog
    
    this made me chuckle
- http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
  
  He, um… I got nothing.
  
  Maybe he figured the injury wasn’t that bad and an offseason of rest could solve the problem? Maybe he was concerned that it was that bad, but accepting arb and getting paid a fat 10-15M while missing the year was a bad look and would hamper his future free agent earnings?
  
  It doesn’t make much sense. Then again, neither did Jason Varitek.
  - Chris
    
    I wonder how the arbitrator would have ruled when it turned out he would need season ending surgery (assuming this somehow came out before the hearing)? Would he still have gotten a big pay day?
  - http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
    
    Yeah, I guess he didn’t want to be labeled as a “Pavano”.
    - Steve O.
      
      Na, what Pavano did was highway robbery, atleast Sheets pitched 190+ innings. Pavano didn’t pitch 190 innings in all 4 of his Yankee years combined, while collecting 40 million dollars. He’d have to bleed them dry to even come close to Pavano.
  - Reggie C.
    
    Brewers dodged a bullet right there…
Yankee1010

http://www.fannation.com/si_bl.....osts/47664

He’s going to get the surgery.
- A.D.
  
  Hope he has COBRA
  - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
    
    http://www.z3btr0n.com/images/.....mander.jpg
  - billbybob
    
    With Obama’s plan to extend COBRA coverage, he should be all set.
Drew

Sign him now for 4 mill, maybe he’ll be ready for the second half/ playoff push.
- A.D.
  
  Or dare we say… for the 8th inning?
  - JohnnyC
    
    Yeah! Then we can pitch Joba as the 7th inning guy to set up Sheets. If we can find another arm to man the 6th inning, we can cap every starter at 5 innings, allowing them to pitch on fewer days rest, allowing you to shorten the rotation to 3 starters with an additional 4th starter/spot starter guy. That way, you can get CC, Wang, and AJ’s 200+ innings each spread out over 45 starts! I’m sending this idea in to Mike Francesa now.
    - Yankee1010
      
      I don’t know about that though. I would think the best thing would be Mo in the 9th, Joba in the 8th, CC in the 7th, Burnett in the 6th, Sheets in the 5th, Wang in the 4th, Pettitte in the 3rd. Then those other guys could just take care of innings 1 and 2.
      
      Right? Makes sense.
      - Doc
        
        U use that terrible joke daily
- http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
  
  Not at all. It takes a month or two to get your mechanics back on top of that 9-10 month recovery period.
http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal

He will shed his Type A status then I think we will see a deal.
Matt

Since Yankee Fans are the Smartest fans in Baseball I thought Id ask your advice for my fantasy baseball team.

The Guys of keeper quality on my squad are
C/3b- Russell Martin
1b- Ryan Howard
1b- Lance Berkman (last year it was great because he had OF elig for an ESPN League but he wont this year)
2b/SS- Alexi Ramierez
3b- Evan Longoria
SP- CC Sabathia
Of those guys I can Keep 5
Hitting Categories are Runs, HR, RBI, Steals, AVG, OBP.
- http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
  
  I think it is a decision between Berkman and Ramirez, but since you already have Ryan Howard you should go with keeping Ramirez.
- A.D.
  
  I’d drop Ramirez, then trade one of the 2 1B for a SS
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
  
  Do you have to keep five? And if you keep a player, do they dock you a pick? I know some leagues will take away your first round pick if you “keep” last year’s first rounder, for example.
  
  I’d keep Longoria and Ramirez (esp. with dual position eligibility) for sure.
  - Matt
    
    I dont have to keep 5. the first five rounds of the draft are used for keepers If u dont keep all 5 you get an extra pick after you keepers are selected but you dont lose any picks from the general draft.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
      
      I’d definitely keep Berkman over Howard, especially if BA and OBP are two of the categories.
  - andrew
    
    Yea, in my keeper league you lose the pick that you drafted the guy with, so the best keepers arent necessarily the best players
- http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt
  
  Speaking of fantasy, when does Yahoo! registration start?
  - UNION YES.
    
    I think mid-February.
Reggie C.

Wasn’t it just last week that Heyman commented that new medical reports had caused renewed interest in Sheets around the league?? Now he needs surgery??

Sheets is facing surgery + remains unsigned + no foreseeable contract beyond 1 year. All this and he’s seen the other injury-bit guy land $84 million … Sucks to be Sheets right now.
http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal

FYI- About an hour until The Show demo comes out.
- Brooklyn Ed
  
  Yes… but by the time the server will be jammed up. I think I’m going to wait until the midnight.
  - http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
    
    Killzone 2 demo is taking FOREVER. 7% in 30 minutes.
    - Brooklyn Ed
      
      wait, it came out today?
      - http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
        
        In europe and if you preordered it at gamestop.
- Infamous
  
  Im really contemplating selling my Xbox to get PS3 just for the show. you think it’d be worth it?
- Arin
  
  Do you know what this demo will feature? Just like a 4 inning game or something?
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    Last year it was 3 innings, Rox at Sox, so it’ll probably be Rays at Phils this year. Couldn’t make pitching changes or anything.
    - http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
      
      It is Rays at Phils but it is 4 innings, not 3 like 08’s demo.
      - Arin
        
        Nice. Price and Hamels will be fun to throw with.
        
        Arin
        
        Well, I guess Hamels will be fun to throw with. I’m not good at reading.
JeffG

This is exactly why I prefered AJ from the start. Betting on a guy that could not finish the season is a massive risk. Thankfully Cash was smart enough to pass on Sheets… would have been the start of another uphill season.
Doc

All the Sheets people here are eating crow.

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