Jan
15
Yanks and Baldelli have ‘mutual interest’
ByThe other night we examined the case of Rocco Baldelli. It’s a high-risk, high-reward move, though the risk in this case is higher than in others. Yesterday, Pete Caldera reported that there “is some mutual interest” between Baldelli and the Yanks. As I mentioned in Wednesday’s Baldelli post, the idea is to get him on a low base salary contract with some incentives, keeping the budget somewhat flexible. It will also make it easier for the Yanks to release Baldelli if he’s not working out and they need a replacement.
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I’m all for this move, a low risk-high reward. Even if he can only come in and play a couple days per week. Him him play LF instead of Gardner against tough lefties and seve as a late inning defensive replacement for Swish.
Sterling:
“Balls Deep for Baldelli!”
The 3 guys I wanted the Yanks to look at for LF were Conor Jackson, Rocco and Juan Rivera. I know Rivera and Jackson would cost the team some young pitching, but they would worth the cost. Rocco needs to be healthy, but he made it thru 2009 playing part-time and would be a great platoon with Gardner.
Baldelli/Gardner and “Great platoon” is stretching it dont ya think?
Considering a “platoon” by definition means you have 2 guys not capable of being full time starters, it’s a damn fine platoon. What do you expect, a platoon of Braun and Crawford?
/Waits 3 hours for reply
Man, I even came back to check.
i really like rocco. i know him and his family personally from playing high school baseball with him and they are great people. so being the yankee fan i am of course i want to see him give it a shot with us. other than that he still has good speed and hits lefties well and the cost should be very low for a good upside player.
Woonsocket Villinovans?
Hendriken.
Why not? Our bench has weakened from losing Hairston, Hinske, etc… Wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring in Baldelli.
Or we could just re-sign Hairston.
Preferably both. Strictly as a LF caddy, Rocco>>>>>Hairston considering cost and replacement cost.
tatis>>>>>>rocco because he is healthy and plays everywhere>>>>>>>>hairstons career 85 ops+
That.
Tatis is a better option than Rocco, IMO.
I’d prefer Tatis as well. I do like Rocco’s ability to play CF, but for this team it doesn’t add much to the table. If he’s playing CF, something as gone wrong.
it’s funny how my tatis push started as bo-baiting and then when i went to look at his stats became true approval
Exactly.
We have Granderson, Gardner, and Hoffmann who can already handle CF. Tatis is playable in LF as an occasional starter, but he can also play RF and all four infield positions. And, he doesn’t have a permanent medical condition that saps his strength and requires him to be Joba-Rules’d with planned days off.
I like my bench players to be able to play off the bench whenever necessary.
and his ops+ was the highest out of any of the caddies we have discussed so far who are free agents.
Tatis is basically Hairston with a better bat and less D. Good option.
I find it hard to believe they cant find a better RH bat for the bench. One who doesnt have an illness which has curtailed his promising career.
Suggestions, and at what cost?
/Waits 3 hours for reply
http://www.baseball-reference......fe01.shtml
I’m good with that.
see my comment below as to why he is better than reed johnson too
How is Baldelli “high reward”? What at best can you expect from him? He’s never healthy, hasn’t hit for power since 2006, and no speed since 2004. Low risk maybe, but not high reward.
Agreed. I wish the guy the best, but I just don’t see how he fits into the plans. I would rather make a push for Reed Johnson.
player a: only plays rf/lf/cf and in 09 ops+ of 89 in 165 abs
player b: plays lf/3b and in an emergency rf, 2b, and ss and in 09 ops+ 105 in 340 abs
which player do you want? both righties.
go on, i’ll wait
Oh come on now, using this “ops+” stat, I think you’re just Bo-baiting at this point.
/Saw Tatis go 0-4 once, with my own eyes
you’re right. i apologize.
::closes blinds on one window to his garden apartment and sulks in dark til mom has dinner ready::
For the record, I make my mom dinner. Just sayin’.
JMK: whupped.
Is it weird to say that for a 54 y/o woman, my mother is fairly attractive? Arguably way more attractive than 90% of the ugly trash skanks I snack with.
I cook the lady dinner ‘cuz she pays my rent.
BONUS: I don’t have to clean the litter boxes.
Arguably way more attractive than 90% of the ugly trash skanks I snack with.
Damning with faint praise.
Is it weird to say that for a 54 y/o woman, my mother is fairly attractive? Arguably way more attractive than 90% of the ugly trash skanks I snack with.
I cook the lady dinner ‘cuz she pays my rent.
BONUS: I don’t have to clean the litter boxes.
I…I…what part of “overshare” didn’t you understand???
I agree. She’s hot.
Against lefties there is potential for a high reward, 830 OPS against them.
This, + great defense.
How many games a year, though?
At a low base salary, who cares? If by June we’ve figured out that it’s just not working, kick his Sox loving ass to the curb and get someone else.
By June guys like Fernando Tatis will have already signed elsewhere, and then you have to trade for him.
Agreed that you’d have to trade for a Tatis-like guy, I just don’t think the cost will be much. Though I agree Tatis>>>>Rocco, but I don’t have a problem with them kicking the tires on Rocco.
Probably shouldn’t have said kicking the tires in reference to Rocco, that’d put him on the 15 day DL.
i dont have a problem with it either if they decide it isnt the right play and sign a guy you know will at least be able to play instead of having to trade a guy for him later in the year. there is a limited amount of eric fryers to be traded for bench depth so why waste one when you can have tatis now?
We paid about $500K for Eric Hinske last year for 98 plate appearances in 39 games and everyone loved it. I would not be shocked if Rocco Baldelli plays about 50 games and put up similar numbers for $500K.
false. hinske had signed a 1 yr 1 mil contract with the buccos no? and they included money in the deal. we did not pay that much.
it was 1 year 1.5 million according to Cot’s. We traded for him with about 800K left on it and they paid a little under half, from what I recall.
fair enough, my memory deceived me….MESSAGE
Even with all the injuries, he had a solid .180 ISO last year, how is that “hasn’t hit for power” since 2006? He’s not a great base stealer these days but he runs the base pretty well still. Speed is not just restricted to steals.
Eh, can’t say I’d be all that excited one way or another on this one.
Rocco? I say pass.
There is no high reward when talking about Rocco.
How is there no high reward?
Because he’s not that good, and definitely not as good as some of our other options.
Ehh, didn’t really answer the question. If you were to say the risk outweighs the potential reward, I’d agree. But to say their is no potential high reward with Baldelli is short sighted.
Calling it “high reward” is a misnomer in my opinion. Sure, there’s an outside chance he’s able to put up 2004 or 2006 numbers, and yes, his ISO is still pretty good, so he retains some degree of value. But saying “high reward” also has the designation that he’s able to do so in a fairly consistent period of time. That’s not the case here. You can’t rest the laurels of past accomplishments and automatically infer that they carry over to the present. I can’t sign Dave Parker, offer up 8-balls as compensation and call him “low-risk, high-reward”. Technically, it’s true because he’s put up numbers, but the probability compounded by other factors render it virtually impossible.
I realize it’s an extreme example, but “high reward” must come with some reasonable chance that the player can perform in quantity and quality. Baldelli hasn’t shown he can. If he has hit or even played reasonably well for more than 90 games per year and put up good numbers, yeah, he may qualify as “high reward”. Playing 125 games in three years and hibernating with Icy Hot patches reduces him to “low risk-moderate reward”.
I’m sticking with high reward, though it is a longshot. He’s 28 years old, and they at least diagnosed his health problem, they hadn’t done that just a few years back. With a better understanding of what exactly he has, and better treatment, I think he still could become an above average, though part time player. Had he not yet been diagnosed, or if he was 33 years old, I would absolutely not look a few years back at what type of potential he has, his window would be closed. I’m not quite there yet with Rocco.
I would be alright with it.
Just the fact we will hear people in the Bronx yelling things such as:
Hey Roccoooo!
ehhh Rockkkyyy
Eh yooooo, Ballldelliii
Totally worth it.
We could bring Rock Raines out of retirement.
He’s probably in better shape than Baldelli is, all things considered.
I would have zero problem throwing away the 25th player on the roster to get Rock Raines in the headlines, and boost his HOF campaign.
As I was writing this, I have solved the why is Tim Raines not in the HOF quandry, get this:
The BBWAA does not realize that Rock Raines and Tim Raines are the same damn person and are not combining their statistics (if they are aware of that term, statistics).
You could also sign Rock Jr (31 yo) to a MiL contract with an invite to ST. Would not be a bad move.
Reporter: Brian, Tim Raines is currently 50 years old. He’s lost most of his bat speed and is last in the AL in most offensive categories. He contributes virtually nothing to the offense. Carrying him seems like a monumental waste of a roster spot. I have to ask: why are you keeping Tim Raines on this team?
Cashmeezy: Because I can.
/bigpenis’d
Rocks last year in the majors he put up a 351 OBP, while only batting 191…that’s just impressive.
Now that he’s a FA, I’d rather roll with Byrnes.
Did you unnecessarily dive after posting that comment?
fact. last year tatis’s ops+ was 105.
fact. byrnes has not ops+ 105 since 2004. suince then he has averaged 80.6 and has only broken 100 once with 103 in 2007.
yes injuries blah blah blah, but the year he “broke out” to sign that contract ui believe was 07 when he was still at 103, 2 points below tatis.
fact: tatis can also play all 4 infield positions and all 3 of positions in a pinch
Byrnes has only OPS+ over 100 something like 4 or 5 times.
Fact: “Snort fine data” is an anagram for Fernando Tatis.
just……awesome
Fact: Bears eat beets.
Fact: Byrnes has a career OPS of 857 against southpaws.
Fact: I’d be happy with Tatis too.
You should check out some of John Hodgman’s writing, particularly The Areas of My Expertise. I think you’d get a kick out of it. It has a Dwight feel to it.
Hey that’s the PC guy.
I read some excerpts and it looks pretty funny.
tatis’s is 808 career ops vs lefties. your point? the extra positions played, the being healthy, and the putting up solid numbers in 350 abs last year far outweigh the “potential” of eric byrnes
heh.. My point is that Byrnes would be a solid pickup at or around the league minimum.
As far as playing the infield, Tatis is a below average fielder at 3rd, his primary IF position. He’s played a total of 68 innings at SS and 2nd combined in his entire career.
So, sure he can play many positions, that doesn’t mean he should.
You trollin’?
I think Reed Johnson makes the most sense.
Tatis hit two grand slams in one inning. ARod hasn’t even done that!!!!
Therefore Tatis is > than A-Rod.
Baldelli stinks, isn’t healthy and has never played in meaningful games. This left field talk is absolute nonsense. Damon is their best bet and the price has come down. He’s a great 2 hole hitter, hits leftys, and is playoff proven. Are the Yankees that cheap.
“[Baldelli] has never played in meaningful games.”
And, thus, should never be allowed to?
Baldelli has a mysterious medical condition that saps him of his energy. Do you think his condition is apt to improve in the fishbowl in Gotham, please. There are horses for courses and Damon and Yankee Stadium fit. He belongs in NY not Baldelli, let’s be real here Baldelli will be an absolute disaster. Gardners weaknesses will be exposed by June and the Yankees will be looking for left field help in July and will have to give up prospects.
Thank you Pete, you saved me a lot of typing. The only edit I would make would be to change the month from June to May.