Cashman Notes: A-Rod, Andruw, Nakajima

December 28, 2011 by Mike Axisa 32 Comments

Brian Cashman spoke to reporters earlier today, mostly about the experimental knee procedure Alex Rodriguez underwent in Germany earlier this month. Let’s recap the news…

“He had recovered we felt fully from his [knee] surgery,” said Cashman, who confirmed that Alex also had the procedure on his left shoulder. “I think this is more about maintaining health going forward.” The GM said A-Rod has already resumed physical activity, and for some reason he’s working out in Boise of all places (h/t Don W). The procedure was apparently taped to ensure there was no funny business. (Mark Hale, Marc Carig, Will Carroll)
“Nothing to report,” said Cashman about Andruw Jones, “other than I’m still talking to him.” A week or two ago we found out that the two sides hadn’t made much progress towards a new deal (Hale)
One way or the other, the Hiroyuki Nakajima situation will be wrapped up by next week. The two sides have 30 days to hammer out a contract after the Yankees won the infielder’s negotiating rights in early-December, and that window closes either Friday or Saturday of next week. It sounds like Cashman is waiting to see what happens with Nakajima before pursuing a new deal with Eric Chavez. (Bryan Hoch)

FIPster Doofus

With Boston’s lack of viable right fielders, I fear Andruw will end up there.
- CJ
  
  Boston just got Bailey, and a platoon split for andruw.
  - Steve (different one)
    
    If the Sox want to make Ryan Sweeney the big half of a RF platoon, I think I am ok with that.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  I hope not, because that would force me to dislike him and I don’t want to do that.
  - CJ
    
    Yup according to buster olney
    - pat
      
      It’s all good, we have Marcus Thames on speed dial.
  - Plank
    
    Spending the bulk of his career in Atlanta never really endeared him to me.
    
    I can’t think of any players outside of Sheffield and Lofton that I liked on the Braves.
    - CS Yankee
      
      Aaron, Murphy, et al are all sad face now:(
      - Plank
        
        I was referring to the late-90s, early-00s Braves.
Mark L

It really is starting to seem like Cashman is crippled by his inability to offload bad payroll. There has to be an NL team out there that believes they can turn A.J. around. At a 50% discount, I could think of worse pitching gambles.
- Joe
  
  So if AJ was on the market teams would give him a 2/16 deal? I think it’s possible, but for the teams that have the payroll in the NL to actually do this, would it be an upgrade?
  
  The other problem is even if the Yankees do this…. they are still paying him 8mil and that’s still payoll, so what ever other pitcher you acquire to replace him is effectively costing you 8mil more per year.
  
  Is kuroda a 20+mil upgrade over AJ (the ~12mil to sign him, the 8 mil you are still paying AJ and the extra little luxury tax on the difference).
  
  Unless AJ would be replaced for a league min guy, you are not freeing up all that much money. I think it’s an option next year, especially with the possibility of a Noesi/Banuelos/Betances taking that spot at league min. Not to mention a team is more likely to take a flier on a guy in the last year of a deal (like the Derek Lowe deal this year)
- jsbrendog
  
  and who replaces his 200 inning sin the yankees rotation?
Monteroisdinero

I won’t be too concerned if Andruw doesn’t resign. We can replace his righty power easily with the Martin/Montero combo. We also won’t see much of Andruw since CC is our only lefty starter and Boone our only loogy.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  I really want them to re-sign Jones, but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t. They can find another decent right-handed hitting outfielder somewhere, he just won’t be as good as Andruw.
  - Plank
    
    I would imagine Andruw could find a team that starts him more than 58 times.
- Steve (different one)
  
  Not sure I follow your last sentence. What do you mean?
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
    
    He’s saying if the Red Sox sign Jones the Yankees won’t see much of him because CC is their only lefty starter.
    - Steve (different one)
      
      Gotcha, that makes sense. Missed that piece
    - Monteroisdinero
      
      I hate getting hurt by guys we just got rid of especially if they suck. Thanks alot Shelly Duncan and Austin Kearns.
      - jsbrendog
        
        andruw jones does not suck
Julio

What do you ‘experts’ out there think of the following? Is it feasable, or am I way off? I have to admit that I am not sure of this one, but the Yankees need a couple of starters (one lefty and the other righty) and now that Alex Rodriguez has submitted himself to a radical knee therapy (suggested by Kobe Bryant), it is possible that he may be a full time DH.

Why not try to acquire David Wright to play 3B and Jon Niese, who is a lefty? Niese is only 26 and has good stuff and room for improvement.Since ARod would be a full time DH and Russell Martin our full time catcher, why not trade Montero, Betances, Nunez and another lower tier prospect to the Mets? Also, try and sign Kuroda or Oswalt to a one year contract. Then we have: 1-Sabathia 2-Nova 3-Niese 4-Oswalt 5-Burnett or Freddy Garcia. We can move Hughes to the bullpen or include him in that trade. The players mentioned in the trade to the Mets don’t necessarily have to be the ones I wrote down, but something similar to it.
- Guns of Navarone
  
  You’re pretty far off because A-Rod isn’t close to being a full time DH. If you read the post, Cashman states that they think he is fully healed from his knee surgery. What he did in Germany was to make sure it stays healthy. It seems like icing on the cake to me. Something to do just because… because he has the money, the desire to stay healthy, and other athletes recommeding it. A-Rod moved positions to come to NY but he won’t be happy moving to DH. He’s a few years or a serious injury away from that.
  
  Another minor point is that it would be tough to make Montero the main piece of a trade to an NL team. There are lots of opinions about his defense and where he’ll end up, but right now he doesn’t have a position. Plain and simple.
  - Monteroisdinero
    
    Let’s just drop the Montero trade rumors. Crazy!
    - CS Yankee
      
      Cashman’s vm should say something like…
      
      “If your calling to trade for Montero, and you not willing to part with, or don’t employ the following;
      Doc
      King
      Kershaw or
      Verlander
      …don’t even bother leaving a message.”
      - Tyler
        
        Is that really the only 4 guys you would trade him for? Myself and a buddy were trying to decide how many players we’d trade him for we had more than 4 would be curious as to who else you would take.
- MannyGeee
  
  Maybe you missed the end of 2011, but A Rods only redeeming quality come September was his glove… Soooooooooo maybe it is not off to the glue factory for A Rod the 3rd baseman yet, mkay?
  - CS Yankee
    
    Agreed!
    
    SSS but likely the best i’ve seen him with the glove and close to the worst with the stick.
    
    This tells me that Alex is doing everything (except banging Kate Hudson) to get back to his 2009 heroics.
    
    This “O” will exploid could really, really exploid with a rebound from Teix, a healthy Arod, a driven Jeet & a kid that can hurt a baseball. The weakest stick is Martin…a good problem to have.
- RetroRob
  
  Even if the Yankees and Mets could figure out a deal, I just don’t see the two teams doing it. The Mets trading Wright to the Yankees would be scary for them. The Yankees trading Montero and watching him become a major star would scare them.
  
  I’m not saying that’s how MLB teams should operate, but they do. They don’t want to deal with the fan reaction and the media reaction for the next decade plus if the deal backfires on what team or another.
  
  Wright is also going to become very expensive, and as much as I’m sure the Yankees love Montero’s bat, they are probably equally excited by the potential of the dollar/cost equation. $490K for Montero’s bat will go along way toward helping them lower payroll.
MannyGeee

Am I the only person without a huge man-boner for Andruw? I mean, nice platoon bat and all, still has some great pop but I was never a huge fan. I think at this point in his career he’s kinda a bit overrated. Not ‘done’ but for sure a little overrated.

Just me?
- CS Yankee
  
  Not at all…
  
  The good…
  1) One of the best CF’ers to arrive in the pros at 19.
  2) An outstanding glove for over 10 years in the toughest OF position.
  3) An unusual power CF
  4) HoF worthy for the first 10 yeras
  
  The bad…
  1) Every single day as a Dodger.
  2) Staying in shape…admitted hater of conditioning
  3) His bat in the mid-late 2000’s
  
  The ugly…
  1) Any breaking ball thrown in the dirt.
  2) The buffet after Andruw, CC & Joba go thru the line.
  
  He likely needs a regular starting gig if he wants to get in the HoF for a couple of years. Doubt he returns to what the Yankees gave him in PT & salary.
- RetroRob
  
  I gotta say, there was quite a bit of hating on Jones through at least June when Girardi would try to play him instead of Gardner.
  
  I’d like to see him come back, and I don’t even have a problem if they worked out a platoon with Gardner.
  
  You don’t need to have a man-boner for him. He is a logical fit for the Yankees needs because he has power, hits lefties, and can still field. I’ll take him for another season.
  - Plank
    
    The problem is that he would be a logical 4th OF for the other 29 teams, too.