Mar
22
Gammons sees Yanks in on Holliday
ByMatt Holliday stands to be one of the most sought-after free agents come October. Today, Peter Gammons checked in on the A’s outfielder. Holliday is concerned with his upcoming 2009 campaign, but Gammons speculates on the future. Early indications are that the Angels, Red Sox and Yankees will be competing for Holliday’s services if he proves he can hit outside of Colorado this year. Of the Yanks, Gammons writes, “There are scouts who believe Holliday’s natural center/right-center power is best suited for Yankee Stadium.”
Everything Gammons says is so obvious, I think the man still has a job based on name & time in the league.
He’s still got a job because he’s got personal phone numbers for every GM in the league. He can call anybody and get the information he needs. For that they ignore all the garbage that flows out of his mouth.
I think he is a good reporter, it’s just being the homer that he is can ruin his work.
Pass
Care to elaborate at all? The Yanks are going to have outfield holes next year, and Holliday is probably the best non-internal option out there. What would you have them do?
I would love the Yanks to get a player like Holliday.. but can we really have another $20 million player??
With Tex, Arod, Jeter, and Sabathia.. thats 80 million.. can we spend 100 million a year on 5 players?
I really don’t think they should add another huge contract, that’s all. I say resign Damon to a 1-2 year deal for LF, Ajax for Cf (Gardner if Ajax isn’t ready). Swish for RF
The fact that Jason Bay will also be a free agent might keep Holliday’s price down, and if he has the kind of year I expect him to have in Boston he might actually be seen as the prize. If Holliday is solid but unspectacular at sea level he could be looking at Damon/Matsui money (4/52) instead of Tex money especially when you look at what happened to the corner outfield market this year.
What do you think Holliday/Boras will be asking for?
If all goes right for Matty H. this year, probably Teixeira-like money.
And he’s an inferior player. Not worth it.
i’m thinking he’ll get a Carlos Lee type contract.
“all goes right” ?
If Holiday can somehow come close to his career averages of .319/.386/.550, then yeah, he’ll ask for Teixeira money. But what’s the chances those averages hold now that he’s playing elsewhere? Not good. That BA and slugging % is going to drop.
“All goes right” to me means what you said–having a good season outside of Coors. While I doubt that’s going to happen, he did OPS .891 on the road in ‘08 (.308/.405/.486).
Right. That stat line is nice and all for 90% of major leaguers, but if Holliday and Boras have designs of getting at least a carlos lee type contract, that slugging percentage must improve significantly. Holliday shouldn’t be thinking of success in terms of Teixeira dollars ’cause he’ll be sorely disappointed.
And I agree with you. I’m just saying what I think Boras would say before the year even starts. Remember what he said about Varitek and pitching staffs? I’m sure he could whip up similar stuff for Holliday.
If Nady plays well again and Damon has a decline-like season (or flat out falls off a cliff), how likely does everyone think it’d be for Xavier to come back? I’d be interested, but only for a short term deal.
That depends on how Holliday performs this year. If Holliday gives the Athletics all-star production, then he’s definitely going to sign before Nady simply to inflate the market for the other corner OFs.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out, but I’d like it to go like this: have a team that is not in the AL east, preferablly an NL team overpay for Holliday…then we snag Jason Bay by outbidding the Sawx for like half the Holliday money…gotta think that Bay at half the price of Holliday is a lot more bang for the buck.
I fully agree with that. While I’d prefer Holliday over Bay, when you consider the circumstances here, I’d rather go for the shorter term deal for a slightly lesser hitter in Bay than blow the roof off for Holliday.
Taking Bay away from Boston would be the icing on the cake…
I would rather bring Damon back on a cheap deal, assuming he doesnt decline too much. Rick Ankiel is also another option, although I think his price tag will be much higher than what he’s worth. Holiday is a great player and I would be happy to have him, but he’s going to command a 5/100 deal, maybe more.
Manny Ramirez will probably opt out too, and I’m sure the Yanks will give him a look on a short term deal unlike Holiday’s.
Let ajax play an outfeild spot next season. Ajax Gardner Swish.Id feel alot better about things if we still had Tabata.No way do i sign Holliday to a long term contract.
If Jackson’s gonna play anywhere, it’s going to be CF. I really don’t think the Yankees are gonna “waste” a premium offensive spot on a rookie with a 10-15 homer ceiling in his first full season. I’d much rather bring back Damon on either a on year deal or a one-and-one with an OF of Damon/Jackson-Gardner (platoon til one wins the job?/Swisher.
I doubt the Yanks will platoon Jackson, it’s not the best way to go for player development. If need be, move Gardner to the bench, and trade Melky, or vice versa. Jackson needs regular ABs.
That’s true. But he also shouldn’t just be handed the job if he struggles in AAA this year or in a cup of coffee at the end of the year. There’s no need to rush the dude, he’s just a few months older than I am.
Of course the Yanks shouldn’t rush him, we don’t want another Eric Duncan on our hands(I just think Eric Duncan isn’t an MLB caliber player and him being rushed wasn’t entirely why he’s not productive). A combination of Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner can hold the fort until Jackson is ready.
The guy is very young, pretty new to baseball, had success-for-his-age at AA (but wasn’t amazing), and tends to strike out. He hasn’t played more than a few games at AAA, and you’re handing him a spot in the big league outfield? What if he has a setback? Or is merely OK? Guys have to EARN it. I’m not saying they need to go get Holliday on an 8 year deal because I’m not sure if Jackson is the next Grady Sizemore, but he’s got to show me that he can play in AAA before I think about giving him a shot to win a starting job in MLB in 2010.
Ya, locking up him for 6-8 years might not be the best idea considering all the big contracts the Yankees have in place. He would be awesome to have, sure, but I don’t know if the Yankees go for it. Tex, A-Rod, Holliday. Pretty sick though.
Tex, A-Rod, Manny would be sicker, and a shorter commitment provide Manny opts out.
If Manny opts out. I doubt the Yanks go after him anyways, even though I am with you on Manny.
I doubt they will, but who knows? There’s going to be an abundance of DH’s/outfielders out there next year worth looking at that will put up comparable numbers with Holiday without the comparable contract. Bobby Abreu, Vlad, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, Jason Giambi, etc.
You do realize that Holiday is at least 4 years younger than the youngest guy on that list (Vlad). If Holliday proves he’s Vlad’s equal in terms of power… he’s by far and away the best option. Power production is the big question of course. Holliday should be good for a .300 BA / .380 obp.
IfWhen Manny opts outTop 3 options for the Yanks in 2010:
Holliday
Manny
Bay
“There are scouts who believe Holliday’s natural center/right-center power is best suited for Yankee Stadium.”
http://www.hittrackeronline.co.....ype=hitter
According to, you know, the data…he doesn’t really have a center/right-center power bat. Can he get it out in those directions? Sure. But he also pulls a lot of homers, like anyone. He looks more left-center/center to me, and that’s less of a good thing for Yankee stadium.
Well, that’s also just counting homers, not doubles or anything like that.
Coors:Left field: 347 ft.; left-center: 390 ft.; center field: 415 ft.; right-center: 375 ft.; right field: 350 ft
Yankee Stadium
Left Field 318′ 318′ ( 96.9 m)
Left Center 399′ 399′ (121.6 m)
Center Field 408′ 408′ (124.4 m)
Right Center 385′ 385′ (117.3 m)
Right Field 314′ 314′ ( 95.7 m)
Holiday would benefit a litle bit, wouldn’t make too much of a difference.
also, no one knows exactly how the new stadium is going to play yet.
there is more to park effects than the dimensions of the OF.
IM against Holliday for one main reason… he will be 30 at the start of next year and anything over 5 years is stupid. He will get more then 5 years though. I dont want to have a team in 6 years of the 40 year old Arod 35 Tex and 36 Holliday… that’s insanity. With 75 million committed to them.
I know this isnt a popular idea considering how bad Igawa turned out… but if you pencil Swish in for right or left, and hopefully Ajax in Center or Gardner (most likely a 4th OF)… there are a couple of good options out of Japan. Norichika Aoki comes to mind… fast, premium defense and very good contact hitter, but little power. He is 27 now, if he is posted I wouldnt mind him on a 3 year deal. He has been compared to a poor mans Ichiro.
a “poor man’s Ichiro” doesn’t really sound all that enticing…
Really? Ichiro, the same guy who has averaged .331 .377 .430 40 SB’s and 225 hits a year over the last 8 years…? While having a laser-rocket arm from right and playing a very good RF?
This guy is considered the best position player in Japan. I mean not liking the idea is one thing… calling out Aoki or anyone for being a lesser version of Ichiro is ridiculous if he can bat 300 and have a 370 OBP from the leadoff spot and swipe 30 bags a year, while giving plus defense for the 5-7 mil he’ll make I will take that in a minute, over Holliday, Manny, or Bay.
He would essentially be Damon with less power and better defense.
Of course, they will be involved if/when he becomes a FA. The more interesting question is will they be involved if the A’s trade him by the deadline, and what would they be willing to give up.
I highly doubt that the Yankees would be involved if the A’s try and move him. Beane will ask for way too much and there’s no guarantee that Holliday would sign an extension once coming to the Bronx. I would either go after him in free agency or not at all.
It will depend on the cost, how productive their offense is, injuries, whether or not they feel the need to block another team from getting him, as well as how many games they are up or behind in the standings.
But I agree that they should not burn top prospects for him, however, I would have thought that they would have been smart enough not to trade Tabata (whose value was at an all time low) for Nady/Marte.
I agree with Matt’s whole post. Cash knows that Boras is going to get his way (i.e., Holliday will hit the FA market). No point in mixing it up with Beane and then Boras at the deadline when it’ll cost us prospects and more money than what Holliday is likely to get in a recession hit FA market.
As I said, I have less confidence about what the Yankees would do, if a need a arose, after the Tabata trade.
Cash has said times before, such as with Santana the Yanks don’t want to pay in both cash & players, which would be the case, its one or the other.
Marte was a FA in waiting when they acquired him, and not only did they give up Tabata at a time when his value had tanked, they also ended up giving Marte a three year deal. So in that case,they paid in both cash and players.
when damon is gone, i want someone with speed and average (idk, maybe crawdaddy’s option is not picked up?) to take his stead. swish can provide the isob and isop. ajax/Melk/Gardner will be the wild card
maybe x or bay can be bargains. ankiel could be a possibility. his arm in left would be cool.