The Official “Don’t Even Think About It” Post
ByIt happens every offseason. Out of nothing but pure boredom and an overdose of creativity, we’ll see suggestions about oddball players the Yankees should acquire to improve their team. Last year’s the fetish was Mark DeRosa, who would have presumably played every position under the sun while giving the regulars a chance to rest and play designated hitter for a day. Nevermind the tendon sheath he tore in his wrist late in the 2009 season, he was a perfect fit as a super-sub!
Sure enough, DeRosa played just 26 games (.241 wOBA!) in 2010 before rupturing that same tendon sheath, ending his season in early-May. All for the low low price of $6M. Rich Harden as a setup guy was another popular one, and the “trade Robbie Cano and sign Orlando Hudson” scenario had a two or three year shelf life. And, of course, there’s the always popular “sign a closer and make them a setup man” routine. As much as we might want these things to happen because we believe they make the Yankees better, they never do happen for a multitude of reasons. I doubt I need to explain them all.
Consider this post a preemptive strike. I want to cut off some of the dumb ideas before they even start, using some good old logic and reason. The offseason is a cruel mistress, it makes us think crazy things that make us wonder what the hell we were thinking when we look back on them. So let’s get to the list …
Get the trainer. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Erik Bedard
There’s no denying that Bedard is a special talent. His last two seasons with the Orioles were preposterously good (3.40 FIP, 9.3 K/9, .298 wOBA against), but you know what? That was three full years ago. Bedard has dealt with a barrage of injuries since 2008, the most serious of which were a pair of shoulder surgeries: one to repair a debridement and remove a cyst, the other to repair a torn labrum.
Bedard has made just 30 starts in the last three years, including zero in 2010. The Mariners shoveled $16.25M into his pocket since acquiring him before the 2008 season, and all they’ve gotten in return is 2.9 fWAR. There’s a ton of talent here, no denying it, but it’s bottled up in a big glass container of risk. The heath of Bedard’s shoulder is a total unknown, and the chance of getting zero return is rather large. There’s no reason for him to receive any kind of guaranteed contract this offseason.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Vlad Guerrero
Texas unsurprisingly declined Big Vlad’s $9M option after the World Series, during which he reached base twice (one single, one walk) in 16 trips to the plate. He got some attention after putting up a monster first half (.339/.383/.580 with 18 homers and a .405 wOBA through June 30th), but he was rather pedestrian down the stretch (.327 wOBA after June 30th) and straight up terrible in the postseason (.243 wOBA in 62 plate appearances with 16 strikeouts). Vlad’s had an awesome career, but he’s a shell of his former self and the risk of total collapse is just too great at age 35 (36 on Opening Day).
Gerald Laird
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
The defense behind the plate was a sore sight for Yankee fans in 2010, and Brandon Laird‘s older brother is generally considered one of the best defensive backstops in the game. He threw out 34.1% of basestealers in 2010, and over the last five years that number is a whopping 37.6%, truly top-of-the-line.
But there’s a little of a catch, and that’s that Laird can’t hit. Like, at all. He put together a whopping .207/.263/.304 (.256 wOBA) batting line in 2010, and over the last three seasons he’s hit just .238/.303/.342 (.293 wOBA). If you take out the hit by pitches and intentional walks, his on-base percentage since 2008 drops to just .269. Yeah, terrible. No amount of catcher’s defense is worth that kind of offensive cipher.
Willie Bloomquist
Yep. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
When rumors circulated that the Yanks were interested in acquiring Bloomquist at the trade deadline this year, I almost quit being a fan. Okay not really, but seriously, it was bad. Bloomquist has been worth a total, a total of -0.7 fWAR over the last four seasons, during which he’s received 1,047 plate appearance. There’s a reason teams like the Mariners and Royals are bad, and that’s because they employ players like Willie Bloomquist.
Unable to hit for power, get on base at a decent clip, or play passable defense at any of the seven defensive positions he plays, Bloomquist has basically no redeeming qualities. His versatility just means he can suck at more positions. There’s nothing to like about the guy, and if the Yanks were to sign him as a free agent, his very presence on the roster would be an insult to my intelligence and fandom. Yeah, I’m not a Bloomquist fan, but it’s justified.
* * *
The pool of free agents is something like 200 players deep this year, and that’s before non-tenders hit the market in a few weeks. These four players have very little if anything to offer the Yankees, and don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise. There’s either too much risk or too little return, and in some cases both. Finding better options at the same price won’t be difficult at all, and that’s the avenue the team needs to pursue.
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Oh g-d people actually want Bedard?
“Consider this post a preemptive strike. I want to cut off some of the dumb ideas before they even start…”
I think there’s a certain element that thinks three so-so/risky starters equals one Cliff Lee.
Yeah, people see talented injury-prone starters and think automatic deal, because they will come with a short term commitment with a base salary well below what they get on the open market if healthy. However, there base salaries are usually pretty high with many easily attainable incentives based on games or innings pitched. Usually these players are hurt and just get their base salaries making them total busts or they play and whether good or bad hit many incentives making them paid at market rate.
If the Yankees signed Bedard, Sheets, and Webb and got one Cliff Lee (or even a combined Cliff Lee performance), they’d probably still be paying $20M for the three making it no better than getting Cliff Lee.
I can’t say for sure, but Bedard has been too unhealthy for too long to get much money IMO. We’ll have to see, though. Bedard only made $1.5 mill last season and didn’t pitch all year… Can he really get a base salary higher than that?
I agree that the Yankees should sign Lee over 3 injury guys, 100%. However, there are cases where it is actually a wise investment to give a small or minor league deal to an injury guy, even if it means some rehab time. Take Jon Lieber. Yankees paid him just over $3 mill for a rehab year and decent year. Decent enough that the Phillies Paid him about 3 years $20 mill afterwards. He was no Cliff Lee for the Yankees, but a solid rotation guy for $3.25 mill.
How much could he possibly cost? If he comes on a minor league deal, then who wouldn’t want him?
This is great, however, this probably could be part one in a 20+ part series. There are very few free agents that would fit on the 2011 club in my opinion.
I am still holding out for Odalis Perez though.
Bruce Chen.
JOHNNY DAMON
WE NEED MATSUI TO GET BACK TO WORLD SERIES
Carl Pavano
Carl Paladino
He’s free now… but it’ll cost ya.
This is one of the funniest rants I’ve read in a while; especially the Bloomquist part.
When rumors circulated that the Yanks were interested in acquiring Bloomquist at the trade deadline this year, I almost quit being a fan.
The first thing that came to my mind was Bronx Teechur cancelling (sic) his season tickets thanks to WinnGate.
I’m a longtime RAB reader but I only recently started commenting. This sounds hysterical though and I’m kinda curious…did a member actually cancel his season tickets when they signed Winn?
Yeah, here is the post.
http://riveraveblues.com/2010/.....lan-23144/
hahaha…that’s amazing. I’m cracking up right now in my cubicle.
Thanks Thomas/bexarama
It was someone on… maybe New Stadium Insider? He claimed to be a teacher from the Bronx (only there were all kinds of grammar/spelling issues in his open letter), but he wrote this angry letter about how he was canceling his season tickets, which he’d had forever of course, because the Yankees signed Randy Winn, and didn’t sign Matsui/Damon, IIRC.
Yeah.
Thomas (First Name Only Male Handle Rule torn asunder!!!) beat me to it and did one better.
Yeah, that rule made me think about changing my handle, but I decided that I’m bringing it back.
i remember contributing to and laughing at the “we signed randy winn” thread… some hilarious comments for sure
Your Free Agent Acquisition Proposal Sucks
Some more:
Jose Lopez
David Ortiz
Nick Punto
Manny Ramirez
(Note: I have very little confidence in the thinking ability of the common baseball fan)
Cool quote, apropos the season: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” – Winston Churchill
I CERTAINLY don’t want him.
And he may be in decline.
But I think Papi would rake at YSIII.
They guy had a lot of 350′ outs last year.
I think he hits 25 HRs at YS alone.
I agree, I think he hits a Jose Guillenesque utterly empty and worthless 25 homers backed by a .238/.302/.411. And we all claw our eyes out.
Meh, Ortiz can still get on base too. But I don’t want him, he doesn’t fit our team’s needs, he’s too expensive, I’d be worried about the chance of total collapse, and he’s David Ortiz okay.
I’d like to give an additional just say no to Jon Garland.
But he consumes innings like Ponson consumes alcohol?!?!?!
Yes, yes, a million times yes. Jon Garland has “lit up like a Christmas tree” written all over him.
Branson Arroyo. Just because.
His option actually got picked up by the Reds so he is not a FA, whew.
What about Brandon Arroyo? Did his option get picked up too?
/McCarver’d
Where’s that guy the suggests that we trade every meaningful prospect that we have for Edwin Jackson when you need em?
I have just one name to add to this list, and that is Jon Garland. He can’t even talk to other teams yet and I’ve already heard no less than six people saying that the Yankees should sign him.
Do. Not. Want.
Pedro FTW!
I am dreading the moment when some MSMer starts pounding the rumor drum about how one of Damon or Matsui could be brought back/are interested in coming back etc. etc. What a nightmare that will become.
It’s already begun. Right before the ALCS, Johnny Damon said he would be interested in returning to the Yankees.
Am I allowed to say I don’t want Brandon Webb? Like, I know he was a pretty awesome pitcher, but shoulder injuries are serious business, look at what the Nats got out of Wang this year (after saying he’d be ready in June). Even if he was able to pitch, you don’t know if he’d be the same pitcher he was. Scouting reports are pretty roundly terrible. Plus he’s supposedly looking for $7M. No thank you, to any of that.
I was at an interleague game in 2007 when Arizona came to NY in June. It was Webb vs. Wang, back when they were both sinkerballing the league to death. The game flew by, both guys pitched well, it pretty much lived up to the pitching match-up.
And now both guys’ careers are potentially shot. Baseball is depressing.
I went to a game that series as well. Don’t remember who pitched for the Yanks, but I remember Livan Hernandez getting lit up.
B-Ref says Mussina pitched 7 inning (2 Runs, 7 K).
I was at the third game in that series (Pettitte vs Davis)
Not sure what this has to do with anything
Whenever one of my posts eventually leads to a Pettitte mention, I have achieved my goal. Obviously.
Pry Oliver perez away from the Mets!! hahahaha
I could live with Laird if the team aggressively limited his ABs to low leverage situations. If the team carried Jorge, Montero and Laird, the latter could be used as either a defensive replacement, or 2 at bat max starter (unless the Yankees have a big lead). The Yankees need innings behind the plate, so if the team can limit the negative impact of his offensive, Laird could be a decent addition.
Best 4th/5th OF option:
#51
Bernie Williams
#51
Only if he has his guitar and is singing “God Bless America”.
Or take me out to the ballgame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related (safe)
Pfft we have Greg Golson, who is capable of either fielding the entire outfield by himself or being traded for no less than Josh Johnson and Felix Hernandez.
lots of Golson hostility around here. I’m just trying to save us money and put it where we need it-on the pitcher’s mound. Come to think of it, Bernie can mentor Greg!
“lots of Golson
hostilityclear-eyed realism around here.”Fixed.
The ultimate white whale from 2006-2008/9ish: Rich Harden.
Duchscherer, who STILL hasn’t been able to stay healthy for more than a month at a time.
Oh, Ben Sheets, my dearheart. Parting is such sweet sorrow.
I remember the (small) anti-Sabathia contingent thought the Yankees would have been better off with Justin Duchscherer and Ben Sheets going into 2009.
i remember the duke crowd (i was part of it) and i remember the sheets crowd (was against it) but i definitely dont remember anyone being anti-sabathia
I know I personally was all for signing Sheets and J-Douche, but not in lieu of signing Sabathia. It was in lieu of signing A.J. Burnett.
(LeSigh.)
What’s a baseball fan supposed to do in this interregnum between the WS and the arbitration accept/reject deadline? Watch the Jeter-’n'-Mo show, I guess.
Send Jeter and Michael Kay a wedding gift?
Jeter’s getting married to Michael Kay?
:: head explodes ::
Larryf delivers a no location, no movement Javyesque straightline/fastball and TSJC predictably hits it outta the park.
/priceless
FACT: I’m constantly sitting dead red.
Meh, that show is a lot more boring than what the MSM portrays it to be.
If anyone mentions Brandon Webb I am going to come to your home and pelt you with Brandon Webb fastballs.
Will send a message, but won’t do any permanent damage.
What about Carlos Delgado?
(ducks)
I was going to say ‘that’s really not a serious threat,’ but then I read the rest of your comment.
to be honest, I think Webb could be a low cost/high reward kind of guy if he could regain his strength.
Dude’s been throwing in the low 80′s. If you think he can get by on that, you’re insane. He’s pretty much done.
so in another words, he got Dusty Baker’d. =\
Nah, he just broke down. A slew of shoulder injuries wrecked his arm.
But some other team more desperate than us (and more on the fringes of contention than us) will undoubtedly be willing to risk more money on him than we will.
What’s the most you’d spend on Webb, considering that we’re already going to be 10-15M overbudget in any realistic scenario? 2M? 3M?
Some team will give him a baseline 5M deal with a few more mil in incentives and slot him right in as their #3 starter, because they don’t have any better options. Like, say, the Pirates.
Book it.
Royals, Nationals, and dear I say the Red Sox. seriously, I agree with you in some sense. Take the Mets for example, they finally got rid of Minya and now the fans hopes the new GM will actually do some good to back up Santana.
Webb would actually be a wonderful gamble for the Mets.
Give him the contract we gave Nick Johnson this past winter.
I mentioned Brandon Webb! But only to say that no one should want Brandon Webb! Please don’t hit me with Brandon Webb 82 MPH fastballs :X
remember that great battle of him and Wang 3 years ago? A Battle of Ground-ballers!!! however, Webb gave up 4 runs that game.
I’m ducking my head already, but what about Melvin Mora as a UINF? He made less then $1.5M last year, he’s 39 and prolly not a hot commodity, but he could back up ARod and Jeter, and possibly produce an OPS+ of 100.
Now… before I’m banned from this site, look at all the FA middle INFs and 3rd basemen, and tell me if there are any non Type A/B guys who could be had cheap, are OK riding the bench and could even have a 90 OPS+ year.
My guess is Nunez is the guy, but I would like to have a backup for ARod/Jeter that might actually contribute to the team. Could Nunez be that guy? Could Mora (for $1m)?
Meh. He hasn’t played SS since ’08, and has only played 48 games at 2B in the last decade. He’s just a 3B. I’d rather have a guy like Wiggington for DH/3B/2B/1B.
JUST HEAR ME OUT
Sign Beltre to a frontloaded 3 yr deal, start him at 3rd and put ARod at 1st while Tex sits through April (wasn’t gonna hit anyway, lol whatevs)
Then you trade Beltre for a young starter (FELIX!) in June, agreeing to pickup his entire 2011 salary.
/whysoserious
Why stop there?
Then, trade Hughes, Chamberlain, Gardner, and Montero for Greinke and Soria. Let Mariano walk, then sign Crawford for Gardner’s spot. Trade Swisher, Banuelos, and Brackman for Tommy Hanson. Trade Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Slade Heathcott, and Gary Sanchez for Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. Then sign Orlando Husdon for 2B. Sign Adam for DH.
Championship.
I think you’re short a right fielder, unless you sign Werth.
C – Posada
1B – Tex
2B – Hudson
SS – Jeter
3B – A-Rod
LF – Crawford
CF – Kemp
RF – Werth
DH – Adam Dunn
SP – Felix
SP – CC Sabathia
SP – Greinke
SP – Hanson
SP – Kershaw
SP – Lee
CL – Soria
Six starters? That’s four too many. Move Felix to the 8th and Sabathia to the 7th. Give the 5th starter spot to Ivan Nova.
Greg Golson’s defense would have been invaluable there, but sure, Werth fits.*
*Disclaimer: Everything that was said in the last two comments was entirely sarcasm.
FACT: A team full of Greg Golsons and Edwin Jacksons would go 162-0 every year, with each game won via 1-0 shutout (the run scoring on an infield hit, two bunts to third base, and a straight steal of home).
That’s kind of weak at 2B…
Melky Mesa and Carmen Angellini for Chase Utley
But I was specifically told by that one guy that we can totally get Greinke without having to use Montero.
i laughed
Montero was included. Though, we had to get rid of him due to him having no position. He still doesn’t have a position as I type.
Melky Cabrera
Yea, I went there
i think i prefer randy winn part 2
wait wait wait….someone intentionally walked gerald laird?
Three times, in fact. once in 2007, and twice in 2008. Believe it or not, none of those were “he’s batting 8th in an NL park” situations either.
My favorite line in the post: “I want to cut off some of the dumb ideas before they even start, using some good old logic and reason.” If we wanted logic and reason, we’d read a philosophy blog!
Brian Fuentes…
7th/8th inning stability.
Solid LOOGY if nothing else.
Price may be too high.
I believe he’s a type-B
thoughts?
Fuentes ain’t bad…
All depends on price, though
As per usual
/haikuresponse’d
Maybe the Yankees can convince the 35 yr. old vet that they are his last shot to win a ring. He’ll still make a few mill, but he will have less weight on his shoulders as a pen piece and have ONE MORE SHOT AT GLORY!!!!!
/wishfulthinking’d
/don’tknowtheexactrulestohaiku’d
Only one of those lines has the proper syllable complement (assuming Fuentes is two syllables and not three).
I DID THE HAIKU IN JULY.
DON’T STEAL MY GAG.
Pass. No reason for two LOOGYs. Plus, he cannot face a RHB. Look at his splits.
Cashman literally said not 3 days ago that they are in the market for a lefty reliever. Fuentes basically leads that market right now.
FWIW
No worry about Bad Boone Logan showing up again in 2011? I mean, he’s got a role that is inherently volatile, and his track record is mixed at best over his ML career.
Fuentes is probably too expensive but another lefty reliever would definitely be worth looking into, since Damaso’s probably done as a Yankee.
It’s not that, it’s just that LOOGYs really aren’t as important as people think. You can find one during any point in the season, and I think Fuentes will require too big a contract. I’d rather sign a cheaper guy, or trade for a guy instead. JMHO.
I agree with you about the ability to find those guys on the fly and the cheap, but I think they won’t go into the season with only Logan from the left side in the pen. I agree too that Fuentes will probably get bigger $ elsewhere, but he’s worth kicking the tires on at least. Some lefty will hopefully be out there willing to take the CHoP money.
He had a solid season vs. lefties and righties last year.
Yeah, he did. That was too opinionated. I think he can help the team as a LOOGY, I just think the price/performance won’t fit. Also, I see an implosion in the near future. A modest one year 1-2M deal probably won’t get it done.
Don’t even need to look at splits. Just look at A-Rod’s AB in the 2009 ALCS. That’s Fuentes’ career against righties in a nutshell.
Still smiling over that one…
Add the “We can get [insert young Toronto pitcher here] if we take Vernon Wells!” proposals to this list too, please!
IETC.
Vernon Wells is owed $86M over the next four years. I really think Anthopoulos will send hired goons to his house to coerce him to opt out after this season.
Casey Kotchman??
Oh, and Bill Hall. We need someone to step in for Alex and Derek next season and beyond. Renteria? Uribe? Just throwin it out there.
It’s will be hard to find someone wiling to accept that role that can actually swing a bat. Or we just depend on Nunez/Pena. Ehh.
Manny.
Ramirez.
(takes another LSD)
How about a DO pick-up Bill Hall to play the Roll of Thames, but better defense and more versitile… Hall always had pop in his bat and could run, but struck out a ton. The greatest part about Hall though is that you get power, decent speed, and a utility guy whom plays 2B, 3B, LF, RF and SS/CF if needed for a game or 2..guy like that can only help, just depends on if he is willing to take on a salary of about 2-3 a year compared to hi 8+ mill this year
I think everyone is intrigued by Hall, but he’s good enough to start if that’s what he prioritizes… The playing time or the money someone might pay him to start… If he wants to live in NY/be a Yankee and win games… Maybe he comes.
I don’t particularly want any of the 4 guys mentioned and I agree about the crazy propositions thrown out there and group-think on who the Yankees “need”… but the one disclaimer I would include in the article is that some guys really do slip through the cracks.
If Erik Bedard or Gerald Laird or Bloomquist manages to get absolutely no contract offers, would signing them to a minor league deal be the worst thing? Bedard hasn’t pitched in forever… pitching is at such a premium someone probably throws some money at him… but maybe not. Bloomquist seems like a perfect AAA-lifer to me. Laird probably gets signed to back-up somewhere, but who knows… If he’s signing a minor league deal the Yankees might be a good candidate since Brandon and he can get in bar fights with Dwight Schrewt and Mchael Scott in Scranton, plus Yankees can dangle Montero is a rookie, Posada is old, and Cervelli isn’t that good to show he might get a call up (which is true).
I agree someone will pay Vlad and his 29 2010 HRs, so I won’t even go there.
And really not those 4 in particular, just pointing out that crazy things can happen in free agency and you never know who will get overpaid or who will slip through the cracks.
Good thing the Yanks had the foresight to pass on DeRosa- imagine signing a player who was injury prone and hoping he would be your everyday DH… oh ummm…hmmm
Sign Cliff Lee at all costs and sign Rafael Soriano to be the set-up man. If Texas manages to sign Lee then Trade Gardner, Joba, and Montero to Seattle for King Feliz.
Championship!!!
Seattle would never accept. It would take Montero, Burnett (yanks paying 100%), Joba and gardner
Lee 5yr/105mil Yankee
Crawford 6yr/114mil Yankee
Pettitte 1yr/12mil with incentives Yankee
Jeter 4yr/80mil and Mo 2yr/24mil or 1yr/14mil remain Yankees
Trade Burnett for bullpen help and pick up 50% salary
Trade Swisher for bullpen help
Sign Lilly 2yr/18mil or 1yr/10mil
Crawford LF
Jeter SS (busts his ass in off season, bats .320 and scores 120 runs)
Cano 2B
A-Rod 3B (MVP if works with Long if not Cano)
Tex 1B
Posada DH (Next year Gonzo signed to DH 5 yr/ 110 mil)
Montero C
Granderson CF
Gardner RF
2011 payroll 225 million
I’m not going to touch anything else in there but Ted Lilly signed a 3 year extension with the Dodgers sooooooooooo
http://www.esreality.com/files.....impson.gif