Fan Confidence Poll: January 18th, 2009

January 18, 2010 by Mike Axisa 40 Comments

2009 Season Record: 103-59 (915 RS, 753 RA), won AL East by 8 games, finished with the best record in MLB by 6 games, won 27th World Series

Top stories from last week:

With Spring Training not too far away, the Yankees started to fill out the edges of their roster by signing Reid Gorecki, Royce Ring, and David Winfree to minor league contracts.
In what is nothing more than a procedural move, both Chad Gaudin and Boone Logan filed for arbitration.
On the left field front, there’s some mutual interest between the Yanks and Rocco Baldelli. The Braves still have some interest in Johnny Damon, and it sounds like the Yanks only have $2M to spend on a left field upgrade.
Back when he was still on the market, the Yankees tried to get Roy Halladay by offering Jesus Montero straight up.
A committee is being put together to start implementing some major changes to the draft, and the Yanks were ordered to pay a former executive almost $700,000 in a law suit.
The YES Network continues to dominate the ratings.
The lower level of the Old Stadium is gone.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the new and improved Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

{democracy:75}

Stryker

virtually nothing’s changed since the acquisition of javy vazquez. i’m of the thought that this team is pretty much set unless damon takes a MAJOR pay cut to play for the yanks.

even with the losses of damon and matsui, this team still has the talent to contend well into the post season. it’s going to be a real treat to see curtis granderson manning center this season.
- Stryker
  
  should have also said that i’ve been at a 9 since the end of the season.
Rose

I’m kind of confused about the whole Jerry Hairston Jr. thing. The Yankees publicly announce they have about $2M left in their budget. There is another story about how highly interested the Yankees are in bringing Hairston back. Hairston is a perfect fit for the Yankees needs (bench, utility, LF guy). Yet, he’s signing with San Diego for possibly $2.25M or so to do the same thing for them.

I mean, it’s not THAT big of a deal and I’m aware I don’t know the whole story…but from what I do know…it doesn’t make that much sense I guess.

I’d MUCH rather have Jerry Hairston Jr. than Eric Byrnes. I’m aware one is much more expensive than the other…but it’s well worth the difference in money. IMO anyway.
- Steve H
  
  Maybe he wants to play with his brother? Or maybe he knows he’ll get more playing time in San Diego, which will help him on the market next year. I know we all would like to think that everyone should want to play for the Yankees first, and everyone else 2nd. But primarly it comes down to money. Hairston has a ring. $2.25 million will get him a lot further in San Diego than in NY, plus he has a chance to play with his brother and get more playing time. I can see where he would consider San Diego superior to New York.
  - Rose
    
    I suppose, but you’d think he’d get quite a few at bats pinch hitting for Gardner a bunch…OR…you could start Hairston in LF…making Gardner a big pinch-running threat off the bench like he was, in a very successful role, last season too. Also, you have the whole story about resting the older guys a whole bunch this year…where Hairston replacing them is far better than any of our other options at this time.
    
    I’d think he would get a good amount of playing time. Maybe not AS much as San Diego…but I see what you mean. It really had nothing to do with “everybody should want to play for the Yankees” though.
    - Steve H
      
      I see what you’re saying. One extra thought is maybe Hairston expects the Yankees to sign a Reed Johnson/Eric Byrnes/Rocco type, lessening his chances for PT. If they weren’t going to sign one of those guys, I’d think Hairston would be more likely to want to come back.
      - Reggie C.
        
        Hairston got his ring , so now he’s looking for familiarity and good weather. Just my psych assessment.
        
        Steve H
        
        I agree with that. And if the money is the same, the $2.25 will go a lot further in San Diego than in NY, which means something for a guy who hasn’t banked a huge (baseball terms) amount of money in his career.
      - Rose
        
        That’s true. I always thought the “$2M” they were talking about didn’t just represent LF but their entire remaining budget all together. I could be wrong though.
        
        Either way, you’re probably right. He just won a WS ring, his brother is over there, more playing time, more money perhaps, AND…it’s fucking San Diego lol.
- Chris
  
  Last I checked $2.25M > $2M.
  
  Seriously though, I’m not sure that he’s worth more than $2.25M as a bench player, and he’s ultimately going where the most money is.
  - Steve H
    
    Two things with that. The Yankees said they had $2 million to spend, that’s called negotiating thru the press, we have no idea how accurate that figure is. And #2, if they really wanted Hairston, would they let $225k stop them?
    - Zack
      
      “would they let $225k stop them?”
      
      I dont think thats a fair question to ask. What if they started at 1.5, and negotiations got up to 2.25, and SD was willing to go to 2.5 or more?
http://yanksdraftsandprospects.blogspot.com/ Jake H

9 still. Nothing has changed.
Evilest Empire

The Yankees are the reigning WS champs, The Jets are in the AFC Championship game, and I smell terrific. Confidence level: 11
- Steve H
  
  And the air is just right for drinking.
  - Evilest Empire
    
    The time is ripe for ‘tubing
Reggie C.

9.

I’m hoping Eric Byrnes clears waivers and is then outright released. At that point, Byrnes should be open to signing a league minimum deal; here’s hoping that Byrnes wants to win a championship instead of playing out West.
- yankswin27
  
  LOL @ Eric Byrnes! Please stop this, my goodness.
  - Reggie C.
    
    At league minimum, Byrnes could only offer upside at the LF position. Of course, he’s got to be willing to enter ST without assurances of starting, but that if he performed the possibility exists. Byrnes should be able to glove balls in play better than Damon.
    - Steve H
      
      This.
      - Evilest Empire
        
        Plus just imagine how absurd he’d look with a pie in his face.
        
        Steve H
        
        He’d dive out of the way, unncessarily.
        
        Reggie C.
        
        Byrnes and Swisher squaring off in ‘stache wars would be pretty hilarious.
JMK THE OVERSHARE’s Glenn Beck Complex

6. Can’t believe we passed up Jason Bay…
- Steve H
  
  -2. We passed on Chapman.
nick blasioli

what if the yankees made a deal and signed holladay…boy would they be over their limit…now all of a sudden…they cant sign damon because they dont want to go over the limit…it doesnt make sense..just dont use the excuse that they dont have the finances which i think is a pot of crock…damon would solidify the team as a whole…period…
- Zack
  
  what are you talking about?
  who said they were going to give holliday 17m/year?
  
  damon would make the best offense in the league better, and make the defense much worse…period…
  - pete
    
    “damon would make the best offense in the league better, and make the defense much worse…period…”
    
    this. not that improving is ever a bad thing, but improving an area that is not only a strength, but is already the class of MLB (the yanks offense as it stands) is not worth turning your best defensive asset into your worst, and turning your entire team from an above average defensive team into a below average defensive team, if in so doing you are cramping your budget. If johnny wants to come back at $2-3 million (which will make the people crying about cash not ponying up $2.5 million for hairston feel better), then by all means, take that deal. Damon is more of a known quantity than Gardner, and represents anywhere from a slight overall upgrade from him to a massive upgrade, depending on how Gardner’s season turns out. But it’s not the kind of upgrade that you throw out the budget for.
    - Zack
      
      Yeah didnt mean for it to sound like I want Gardner instead of Damon. But I want Gardner instead of Damon at his demands, which locks up the roster and loses your ability to make an in-season moves.
      - pete
        
        exactly
- JGS
  
  what does Matt Holliday have to do with anything?
- Steve H
  
  /head explodes
- D
  
  Holladay, do u mean Halladay or Holliday???? english people…LMAOOO
  - Zack
    
    get both!
Sal

If they sign Rocco Baldelli. He and Nick Johnson can be room together in the infirmary.
- pete
  
  HA ees funny because ees not nice weather!!!
Joe(sit)ragman

9+ for me, never truly know the future. Love the present though. Anyone have any thought on Jim Edmunds on a st invite?
Bob Stone

No major changes this past week. I’m still at 9.
pete luciano

If they sign Baldelli to a major league contract it’ll be a disaster. He’s not healthy, put up poor numbers in Boston, is not playoff proven and we’d be giving up a lot of experience if both Damon and Matsui depart. Use the $2 million we just saved with Hairston going to San Diego, add the $2 million Cashman says he has and give Damon a $4 million base with incentives. Gardner in a cornor outfield position in Yankee Stadium is a joke and so is this supposed budget. Sign Johnny.
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