Dec
08

Yanks will meet with Ben Sheets’ agent

By

Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees (among others) will meet with Casey Close, agent for free agent pitcher Ben Sheets. I’m assuming the meeting will take place in Indy at some point. Close also represents Derek Jeter, so surely he’s familiar with Brian Cashman & Co.

Sheets, meanwhile, represents a tremendous buy low candidate. He’s coming off non-ligament elbow surgery, and has had over 14 months to recover from his various non-arm maladies. Assuming he signs for a short deal (one year plus an option would be ideal) at reasonable dollars, then Sheets provides (dare I say) ridiculous upside without much risk. For what it’s worth, Keith Law rated Sheets the 17th best free agent on the market, saying there’s “not much downside with the upside of a No. 2 starter who might give you 160-180 innings.”

Categories : Asides, Hot Stove League

80 Comments»

  1. mr yankee says:

    Ok I will be happy with Sheets or Harden as opposed to Halladay if it can be done. There I said it and I feel ok about it.

  2. Mike bk says:

    give him wang’s 5 mil base and performance incentives?

  3. Tom Zig says:

    Dooooo it!

    Step 1: Sign Sheets
    Step 2: Sign Pettitte
    Step 3: Sign Mike Cameron
    Step 4: Sign Damon.
    Step 5: Piss in Theo Epstein’s water cooler
    Step 6: ????
    Step 7: Profit
    Step 8: Lather, Rinse and Repeat

    • Christos says:

      +1 on step 8

    • Charlie says:

      if we get sheets, should/do we need to sign petitte?

    • Drew says:

      I’m Drew and I approve this message.

    • ewbolla says:

      Agree except not sure you are cutting budget. Sign Andy, Sheets, and Cameron, use Swisher or Miranda as DH. Cuts payroll can have an OF of Cameron, Granderson, and Melky which would be one of the best defensive OF’s out there. Rotation of CC, Aj, Sheets, Andy, Hughes/Joba.

    • 5th Starter says:

      After Steps 1-3, I’d skip 4. Unless we’re talking a one year deal.

    • king of fruitless hypotheticals says:

      …if we get sheets, i still want pettitte for all the reason mentioned, plus i want the dude to be more competitive for the hall of pretty damn good…and another 14 wins and a ring will help.

      um, tho…for step 4 up there? if we have cameron and granderson…why not add somebody that has been hitting lefties well, and will also reduce payroll? godzilla will be cheaper than damon.

      if dont get cameron, i could see it, but even then–we’ll have The Landscaper, The Milkman, Granderson and Swish…(and Ajax in the wings…boohoo hoo hoo…)

      nah…if we get cameron its a no on damon.

    • Reggie C. says:

      Hiring Kevin Towers should be on that list too.

      We’re gonna have to continue the building of the farm. Slade Heathcott is the best outfielder prospect in the system as of tonight and for the foreseeable future.

  4. Christos says:

    I honestly prefer signing a guy who could pitch almost as well as Halladay if everything goes right as opposed to giving up Jesus himself for Halladay.

  5. mr yankee says:

    That was not an easy post for me, but its hard not to like the upside of sheets or Harden. The question is which way do you go? Sheets or Harden?

  6. kevin says:

    please sign him he is back to 08 form our staff is unreal

  7. JobaWockeeZ says:

    With IPK gone I say go for it Cash.

  8. Jake H says:

    Let’s say Sheets is looking for a 1 year deal to try to reestablish himself. Could he be a guy they sign knowing that in a year if he performs he could get the Yanks a draft pick?

  9. mr yankee says:

    Does one year het it done? I have to think most teams will want Sheets.

  10. Salty Buggah says:

    Please Mo, let us get Sheets at a good price

  11. mr yankee says:

    Ok I am convinced lets get Sheets. I just hope he would rather pitch for the Yankees than the Rangers or Astros.

    • JobaWockeeZ says:

      Do you still want Halladay though at the Jays’ asking price?

      • mr yankee says:

        Tell me what it is and I will let you know. I read heyman’s recent article he has the Yankees as the number one team to get Halladay. Followed by the Sox.

        • JobaWockeeZ says:

          Hmm could’ve sword it was the opposite because a lot of fans whined about that one on the YES Network forums…

          Anyways a combination of the Big Four Three since AJax is gone…
          So let’s say it’s Jesus, Hughes and I don’t know, let’s say Nova.
          Do you say yes?

          • mr yankee says:

            No too much I was thinking Joba-Romine-KMAC-Melancon. I might do it for that. I dont think you can give up Montero. I dont think you would have to, remeber the Phillies deal with Indians and the Mets with Twins. However if that were the only deal they would take I would say no. Now you play Theo do you give up Bard-Bucholz-Kelly and Hagadone?

            • JobaWockeeZ says:

              Hmm I might if I was Theo but John Henry love his prospects so I doubt they’ll do that.

              But for your proposal that would only work if no one gave a good offer and it was getting close to Halladay’s deadline. I don’t think Jays accept that.

              • mr yankee says:

                Well I doubt the Sox would do it for what I suggested. I think Theo would only do that for King Felix, as I think Cashman might only move his best prospects for the same. Hard not to be enticed though, what Halladay brings is very unique.

          • king of fruitless hypotheticals says:

            No. Why? We lock up a ton of money for several years (i know i know he’s most likely to pitch 2200 innings over the next eleventy years)…if the Yanks have a budget thats not HIGHER than last year, I dont see it getting done (trading one of the New Big Three (or more) for one year of Doc is insance)…much less LOWERING payroll.

            plus…we dont need him…add a sixth starter–either an upside guy like sheets, an innings eater or maybe just take a chance on our next crop of youngins.*

            *assuming andy signs. if he doesnt, adding another starter becomes a little more important

            • JobaWockeeZ says:

              Oh I’m not advocating it. Just wondering if mr yankee does since he’s pro-Halladay.

            • mr yankee says:

              I would do the Halladay deal for what I suggested. I would not do it for Monetro, when I hear words like “once in a lifetime bat” like I have with Montero I think he is the dealbreaker.

              • mustang says:

                I think they are going to get him for about what you said “Joba-Romine-KMAC-Melancon” its going to be a last minute deal.
                And we are all going to be here saying how the hell did Cashman pulled that shit off.
                No Hughes
                No Jesus.

          • toad says:

            No.

            Why pay that and give Halladay a FA-level contract as well? No reason and no one will do that. Either Halladay will stay with the Jays or be traded for a much worse package than you describe.

            To get a deal done either Halladay has to take hit on money or the Jays have to take one on players. And Halladay isn’t likely to yield. The Jays are the ones under time pressure, so they might well back off.

  12. Charlie says:

    i’d sign sheets/petitte/both and then cameron. that’s it. there’s no need for damon/matsui after that. cameron gives you a righty bat and good OF defense prob cheaper than damon. From left to right, Cameron/Granderson/Swisher, Melky 4th OF, miranda/rotation as DH.

  13. Christos says:

    Anyone else willing to admit they were in the Sheets over AJ bandwagon last year?

  14. Rod says:

    Pull the trigger on Sheets Cash then take a nice long vacation.

  15. Amy says:

    Sheets or Harden, good moves. Sign one of them, resign Pettitte, let Joba/Hughes/SheetsorHarden battle it out for 4 and 5 during spring training. If we sign Sheets, we’ll probably end up with something like Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Sheets, and Hughes as our opening day rotation… I like that.

    • king of fruitless hypotheticals says:

      Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Sheets, and Hughes Joba.

      no, i’m not going to make any played out ‘starting pitcher’ jokes about joba :)

      its just that with hughes…and teh eigth!

      • Amy says:

        Yeah, Hughes was great in the 8th last year, but Cashman says he and Joba are both starters in the spring. I like Hughes as a starter more than Joba. But yeah, that rotation works, too … either way, with Hughes/ Joba

  16. Faiaz says:

    Whatever it is… I want Wang on the team. I know most will find this uninteresting but I remember when we got Randy Johnson, I was not familiar with Wang. I read an article that read something to the tune of how Wang was penalized for something and had to run laps and had to pick another partner and he picked the big unit. I was like, whoa this Wang character has some balls, he’s a nobody and he picks Johnson to run laps with him? Ever since that day I have been following Wang so I’d hate to see him cut from the team.

  17. Ted Nelson says:

    I like Sheets to give the Yankees 6 starters, one of whom can start the season as the 8th inning guy. (Joba or Hughes?) The chances are really good that you’ll need a 6th starter at some point, and they need an elite set-up man, too.

  18. Ted Nelson says:

    Maybe Harden can reinvent himself as a dominant (healthy) 8th inning guy and then take over the closer role from Mo…

    • Ted Nelson says:

      ok, that’s not really going to happen… but it would be ideal. Really wonder how much both will command on the market.

  19. Lanny says:

    If they are going to pass on Halladay which it looks like is highly probable they will take a flier on one of these high risk high reward starters.

    Just depends on who they like best. Sheets, harden, ducherer, bedard

  20. [...] indicated that he’s open to high-risk, high-reward pitchers, which is certainly what Escobar (and Ben Sheets) would be. From what I’ve seen, he’s looking to work in [...]

  21. [...] see them go for a high risk starter — i.e., Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer, or Ben Sheets. They might be able to fit one of them in for around $10 million, which would work well. The risk [...]

  22. [...] Yanks expressed interest in various free agent pitchers throughout the week, including Ben Sheets, Kelvim Escobar, and Ryota Igarashi, and of course they’re still in on Roy Halladay. They [...]

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