Levine: We have money to improve the team

December 30, 2011 by Mike Axisa 54 Comments

Via Mark Hale, team president Randy Levine confirmed that the team has money left to upgrade the roster despite reports to the contrary. “There’s obviously room to improve the team,” said Levine. “I don’t like to get into the amounts, but obviously there’s room to improve the team … We intend to always improve in whichever way we can. So far, after [CC Sabathia], as far as large contracts, we haven’t done anything. But that’s really our choice.”

I roughly estimated that the Yankees are sitting on a payroll of about $197MM right now, but I wouldn’t take that number as gospel. It’s just an estimation and the error bars are probably in the $10M range. There’s really only three players left on the market that would require a contract in excess of $10M per year (Hiroki Kuroda, Edwin Jackson, Roy Oswalt), but I don’t see the Yankees going after any of those guys at that price. The bench still has to be addressed, but so far the Yankees haven’t spent any money because there really hasn’t been anyone worth spending it on.

Mike HC

And here we all were thinking the Yanks were broke with no more money. Happy Levine cleared that up for us.
- Peter R
  
  I am sure Levine will get a mental punch in the face from Cashman who has done a great job trying to get everyone to think the Yanks are broke.
  - Elvin
    
    If it wasn’t for the luxury tax, the Yankees can easily support a $300 million team payroll, and I’m just being generous
  - viridiana
    
    Levine takes a lot of heat because the Yankees have always used him as the hatchet man — mainly to deliver harsh and unpleasant messages. Nice to himn get a chance to be the bearer of some some (hopefully) good news.
- Bob Loblaw
  
  They missed the second part if that quote.. it read like this:
  
  “We have money to improve the team… and I will personally make sure it is spent in the most unnecessary and irresponsible ways imaginable”
  - viridiana
    
    …as I was saying…
Peter R

Sounds good to me, all of it.
nedro

We need more setup men!
- Mike HC
  
  Levine may be starting to get that itchy trigger finger like last year. He sees that last 10 million or so sitting around and he just has to give it to someone.
  - Louis
    
    I’ll take it.
joek

He’s such an idiot the Yankees only stand to gain from people thinking they have nothing to spend
Mike Myers

Between all the choices, I would go Oswalt. Even if he misses half the season, you still get 15-18 starts from an elite (cose to elite anyway) pitcher. We would really be buying him in the hopes of a playoff run anyway. If you are going to roll the dice, I would say go for upside.
- Mickey S
  
  I agree whole-heartedly. Worth the gamble and on a one year deal, it’s not too much of a risk. If he does get hurt or misses time, then you give a spot start to the AAA depth without them feeling all Hughes and Kennedy’d ala ’08.
- Need Pitching
  
  that only works out if he’s healthy for the playoffs though. they need the upside much more in the postseason than the regular season
jsbrendog

can he please keep his big stupid mouth shut? i fucking hate this guy
- krazziness
  
  They need to lock him in whatever closet they found to keep Hank in! Maybe there’s a beer pong league they could get the two of them into…
  - jsbrendog
    
    his job was to help make sure the stadium got built. he is still employed because…… who is he banging? who does he have nude photos of?
    - Slugger27
      
      ive been saying its nancy newman for a while now. it just makes too much sense.
- JobaWockeeZ
  
  Seriously he thinks he runs of the team. He’s a joke.
  - Slugger27
    
    hes the president, he does run the team.
crawdaddie

Levine doing the Yankees no favor opening up his mouth.
Rich in NJ

When Levine decides how the money is spent they don’t necessarily get better.
- Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
  
  I really hope Madson signs VERY SOON
  - http://www.mystiqueandaura.com/ JMK
    
    We’d have the best 5-9 inning reliever squad in big league history. Imagine how fresh CC would be only needing to pitch 4 innings every fifth day!
    - TCMiller30
      
      0 wins though.. That’d be a bummer
Rich in NJ

If their scouts really like him, spend the money on Cespedes.
William

Placing a bet now that Levine going to spend all the money to get a life.
- viridiana
  
  This hate for Levine is realy something. Was he the guy that signerd A-Rod? Did he draft the new CBA?
- Franko
  
  I agree they got knocked out Of playoffs because of lack of hitting
Mike

F it . . .Pull the trigger on something LEVINE . Make it interesting !
- Mike HC
  
  Lets have another introductory press conference for a free agent where the GM says he wanted nothing to do with the guy! Genius!
  - Mike
    
    at least it makes for entertainment
    - Mike HC
      
      That it does.
Gonzo

Madson baby! Come on down!

Seriously, this could be a strategic statement. Maybe they want to raise the price of pitching for the Sox, or hell, maybe they just want to save face. Who knows.
ZZzzzzzzz

I smell a Boras signing…. E Jax on a bad contract.
Rainbow Connection

Levine has a lot of credibility.
Graig not Craig

The Yankees have money? That’s the newsflash for today? I’ve got more newsflashes for you. Derek Jeter has a big house. John Sterling uses nicknames for players in his home run calls. Brett Gardner enjoys diving into first base. Alex Rodriguez eats popcorn. There you go. All the news that’s fit to print.
Fernando

He’s making a list
He’s checking it twice
Gotta find out
If he oughta buy at this price
Randy Levine is…a clown!

I say let’s get Cashman an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action,
Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! Maybe he’ll shoot out Levine.
Mrpappageorgio

Levine is a dicksneeze, but if cash thinks he’ll get lucky again with Hughes, a.j., Garcia, and nova he’s smoking crack. That may get you to the ALDS but that’s all the farther they’ll get.

I don’t like this new era of frugality. If the Boss were still alive, our staff would look different.
- Need Pitching
  
  “I don’t like this new era of frugality. If the Boss were still alive, our staff would look different.”
  
  yeah, big Stein probably would have made Cash trade Montero and Banuelos for Jiminez at the deadline last year
  - Jumpin’ Jack Swisher
    
    Well, for one, the Boss would still be owner. I guess that would make the staff look different.
    
    I need to use the term “dicksneeze” more often.
- http://www.mystiqueandaura.com/ JMK
  
  Dicksneeze. Nice, I like that.
Adam

Available, unnecessary relievers coming off of career years all just got really excited out of no where and without knowing why.
Rainbow Connection

Am I the only one who realizes that Randy Levine and Dan Shaughnessy are one in the same???
- http://www.mystiqueandaura.com/ JMK
  
  Curly haired boyfriends?
- Jumpin’ Jack Swisher
  
  You’ve raised your commenting game. +1.
Yank The Frank

Cashman should take Levine rappeling with him next time and cut the rope.
- Rainbow Connection
  
  AJ, too.
Jumpin’ Jack Swisher

Uh, how did Randy Levine get loose? I need to learn to tie better knots.
CJ

Trade Martin and Garcia, start kids.
$7m + $4 m + $10m=
sign prince fielder
- Chad Gaudin the Friendly Ghost
  
  You’re right. It would be fun to watch Betances whip fastballs 2 feet over the batters head, then watch Montero lumber over, recover the ball, and sail it into right center, all while $21mm sits on the bench gaining more weight.
  - CJ
    
    I don’t worry about princes weight. Did you worry about wells and CC packing it on every 4 out if 5 days?
    Noesi/phelps banuelos in July
    Montero, romine, cervelli catch, if they can’t do it now, what are we waiting for?
    Prince capable of a 50+ hr season and an MVP year
    ARod hitting ahead of prince he will regain .950 OPS
Bill

It sounds like once again there is a an internal debate about whether or not to pursue a guy like Kuroda. I use Kuroda as he is the one guy the Yankees have shown interest in but claimed money was the object. With Darvish the bid was so low that it was clear the Yankees interest was not real enough to spend. With Kuroda it seems there are some Levine included that feel the Yankees have the money to land him while Cashman and others don’t think he is worth the investment it would take. If this is in fact the case I tend to side with Levine given that its a 1 year investment and won’t tie up any long term resources, but its not my money (although its not Cashman’s either).

In the end though I think Cashman wins this battle after the Soriano signing last year backfired.
dan gen

they better do something, season tickets renewals are due the middle of january….and i am the renewing with this team…get both cubans!