Budget? The Yanks don’t need no stinking budget
ByBreaking news: Yanks will have a limit on payroll this season. Buster Olney even tries to peg it at between $190 and $200 million. “Of course,” he adds, “it’s not a hard ceiling.” Damn right it’s not a hard ceiling. The Yankees have some important spots to fill, and they’re not going to cheap out on them. No, they’re going to hit the free agent and trade markets hard. At least, that’s what Yahoo!’s Tim Brown1 tells us in his AL East hot stove primer.
Holes to fill: In spite of their World Series championship, the Yankees could use help in places, but nothing they can’t throw a few dollars at. The obvious issues are in the rotation, in left field, in the bullpen ahead of Mariano Rivera(assuming Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are going to the rotation) and at DH. Yankees problems, however, aren’t often like other people’s problems. They’ll have Andy Pettitte back, or jump in hard on John Lackey and/or Roy Halladay (or all of the above). They’ll have Johnny Damon back, and/or add Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. They’ll have Hideki Matsui back, or run the DH at-bats through the guys they already have.
Yes, there will be a hard cap on the Yankees’ payroll this season. It’ll be somewhere around $260 million, but it’ll be there. Somewhere.
Exclusive photo taken outside the Yankees organizational meetings.2 Photo credit: Tim Brown3
Don’t think that’s it. Oh, no. Brown wants to make sure you know that the Yankees are prepared to pick up salary in trades, too.
They’ll be in on Halladay. And they’ll talk to the Tigers about Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson.4 They’ll talk to the Reds and Braves about pitching.5 In some cases, they’ll have to be prepared to part with Hughes or Chamberlain and outfielder Austin Jackson.6
Projected 2010 Yankees lineup:
C: Jorge Posada
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Alex Rodriguez
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Curtis Granderson
RF: Nick Swisher
DH: Johnny Damon
SP: CC Sabathia
SP: Roy Halladay
SP: A.J. Burnett
SP: John Lackey
SP: Aaron Harang
RP: Edwin Jackson
RP: Javier Vazquez
RP: Andy Pettitte7
RP: Bronson Arroyo
RP: Phil Hughes
RP Damaso Marte
The 8th: Joba, where he rightfully belongs because he’s a bull in a china shop
CL: Mo
World Series on a budget, folks.
1Clearly, Tim Brown is mryankee. (Up)
2Not really (Up)
3Not really (Up)
4Who will cost money (Up)
5Who will cost money (Up)
6Who will not cost much money (Up)
7Even though he’s a starting pitchah (Up)
41 Comments»
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The Mason Williams Watch
This.
is.
fucking.
gold.
This just made my sucky night that much better, thank you.
Awesome…Only 2nd to the Melvin Crousett post.
Thank God We Have Tim Brown.
Ok, theory coming: (The Ghost Of) Alex Gonzales and mryankee are the same troll.
Finkle is Einhorn! Einhorn is Finkle!
Heh. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ne.....5806935056 (SAFE)
Nah. ag wouldn’t lower himself to that standard. I have a feeling he’s among us everyday undetected.
…Drew = ag?
Matt Holliday or Jason Bay? Why aren’t they trading Nick Swisher for Halladay/Felix and signing them both!
b/c that would get the GMs of Toronto and Seattle fired, probably. Swisher for Halladay/ Felix?
SARCASM FAIL
+1
ANDY PETTITTE IS A STARTING PITCHER
Hello? Joe Mauer is gonna catch and Posada is the backup.
Been out partying and its now 7.30am. Wifey left sheets downstairs on sofa for me for when I get home. Little did she know I would be dreaming yankees baseball. Its true its not fair, we can get anyone we want. What’s even moreworrying is that I actually like it
“December 5th, 2009 at 1:31 am”
Maybe he’s in mainland Europe
Or South Africa.
If anyone believes that the team the Yankees will trot out in April is Tim Brown’s, then they are smoking something quite different than the guy in the photo.
I happen to like the Yankees strategy of waiting, and cutting payroll. They are not in dire straits, they are still the defending Champions. I have little doubt that they can go out and get a bat in July to fill a hole if need be (Adam Dunn?).
As for the pen, there are in house options there: David Robertson and Mark Melancon come to mind. I think eventually Graham Stoneburner and DJ Mitchell will be there (Stoneburner already CLOSED the Championship game for Staten Island. I know it is A-Ball, but it is still a pressure situation he was thrown into (Second game as a professional), and came through with flying colors). I think of Robertson in the playoffs against the Twins: Bases-loaded, no one out, and gave up nothing, and set the stage for Tex’s Home Run (That is not an easy situation for a veteran (Let alone a rookie)). Joba is still another option: If Andy Resigns, you can have Hughes as the 4 and Gaudin as the 5 (That is not too bad).
2010 looks like a transitional year: They will try and repeat (And still have a good chance to do just that). But they will also do the weeding out process (Posasa will not be here in 2012 nor will Damon, Andy and Matsui (Even if they return in 2010)), and start bringing in new IN-HOUSE fresh blood in 2011 and 2012: Such as Montero, Jackson, Romine, another starter (McAllister or Banuelos?), as well as previously mentioned guys like Melancon, Stoneburner, and Mitchell.
The future looks very bright, and 2 0r 3 more titles in the next 5 years is not out of the question.
I think you missed the part where the post was tagged “whimsy”.
Gentlemen, this was hilarious – quite possibly your best post ever.
Januz = too caught up on prospects.
I am a person who likes to see prospects that is true. But at the same time, I know that all prospects will not cut it (I did not mention the Ian Kennedy’s, Slade Heathcott’s, Caleb Cotham’s and Garrison Lassiter’s of the world for that very reason). One thing that is very important to note however, is without production from prospects like Robertson, Pena and Cervelli (All of which came put of nowhere), they would not have won the World Series.
Turns out Wilpon lost a much greater amount of money through Madoff and decides to blow up the team. Santana and Beltran are gift wrapped for Christmas in a salary dump for a plethora of low end prospects and Igawa to lessen the financial burden on the Yanks.
The idea of Santana and Beltran for Igawa will not cut it………. Don’t forget Omar wants to have a team of LOS METS. David Wright, Jeff Francour, and John Maine for Melky, Pena, and Aceves. That sounds more like a trade the Mets might go for).
Do the Yankees have to have Bronson Arroyo in the bullpen? Even in jest, it’s a horrible and frightening idea.
http://store.doyourownpestcont.....l.JPG?2590 (safe)
Put Mo at 2B where he belongs…
Cano is lazy and is a liability on our team…
+28 , love the post
I always thought Vasquez would make a great 6th inning guy.
Realistically we should trade for Halliday and Edwin Jackson, put Joba in the pen as Mo’s successor and put Hughes as the 5th starter..
Jackson and Hughes can learn greatly from having CC, AJ, and Doc in front of them..
Without Joba or Hughes in the pen our BP is greatly weakened
Halladay**
The projected lineup that was posted for 2010 must have been done by someone with half a brain Do you honestly think they will make those moves to acquire those players? Are you kidding me> Harang, Arroyo? Get a new job. Edwin Jackson in the bullpen? 260 million payroll? Go back to writing greeting cards. You analysis is horrible
Your comment intrigues me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
I would like to see a list of the prospects we traded for Halladay, Granderson etc…. That is my only complaint of the post. Other than that, bravo. Can’t wait till 2010.
See why it’s not a good thing to do Crystal Meth kids?
> Projected 2010 Yankees lineup:
You forget the 10th player as a back-up.
Quatation:
—–
C: Jorge Posada
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Alex Rodriguez
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Curtis Granderson
RF: Nick Swisher
DH: Johnny Damon
——
This is wrong because the Yankees will not have a full-time DH.
What is right is:
C: Jorge Posada
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Alex Rodriguez
LF: Matt Holliday or Johnny Damon
CF: Curtis Granderson
RF: Nick Swisher
BackUp: Pena etc.
One of position players play DH while the BackUp player plays that position — every day.
If the Yankees have a full time DH, it must be Matsui, but it will not happen.