King: Ichiro tired of waiting, now talking to multiple clubs
ByA little more than a week ago we heard Ichiro Suzuki loved being a Yankee so much that he was willing to wait for them to handle other offseason business before seeing if the club had interest in re-signing him. Apparently he’s grown tired of waiting. “At the beginning we talked a lot but since that time, zero,” said agent Tony Attanasio to George King when asked about talks with New York. “As far as we are concerned we don’t care what the Yankees do. We have had conversations with multiple clubs. If we see something we like he will go through with it.”
This sounds an awful lot like a negotiating ploy — sign me before I sign somewhere else! — than actual frustration and a change of heart to me. King says the Yankees aren’t opposed to re-signing Ichiro to play right field, but he makes it sound like they don’t love the idea. “[We'll] move from the defense to the offense and engage all the players we have interest in and have interest in us,” said Brian Cashman to Anthony McCarron in response to Attanasio’s comment, essentially acknowledging that right field and catcher have become the priority since the pitching has been addressed.
55 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editor
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Technical Manager
Jay Gordon
Beloved Alumni
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Eric Schultz (Archives)
Subscribe to RAB by RSS
Follow @RiverAveBlues
Search RAB
Yankees News from YESNetwork.com
- Yankees, Ellsbury agree on seven-year deal
- Yanks ink RHP Brian Gordon to Minor League deal
- Yankees announce signing of C McCann
- Yankees sign Canzler to Minor League deal
- Yankees sign INF Ryan to two-year deal
- Yankees trade C Stewart to Pirates
- Twins reportedly agree to three-year deal with Phil Hughes
- Mussina on the ballot for MLB Hall of Fame
- A-Rod updates lawsuit against MLB, Selig
- Report: Yankees close to deal with Brian McCann
Banner Design By
Countdown to Spring Training
Just 2 months and 9 days 'til pitchers and catchers report!
Good riddance! We don’t need another 40 yr old. See what it will take to trade for Shoo and we will be all set. This will also please the Asian press
Asian Press? You do realize Japan and South Korea have two entirely different cultures and languages? Ignoramus
Who cares about Asian culture? Last time I checked it was still America
I’m impressed. Normally mammals whose knuckles drag to the ground have trouble typing.
Wow.
You’re an idiot. And a terrible catcher.
Damn right! USA! USA! USA!
Now then, do you mind running outside and crossing the street while the lights are against you?
…..says a guy using Eli Whiteside as his screen name.
You joking? Did you not see what Ichiro did for us down the stretch? We’d be fools to not to sing him. Hits for average, plays small ball, gets steals. Exactly what we need this year. Give him 1-2 years. He isn’t playing like a 40 year old at all.
If Cashman gives Ichiro 2 years, I will officially jump on the “Fire Cashman” bandwagon. That’s lunacy.
Yea, do you resign him because he had a terrific September, or do you actually look what he has done for the past 2 years outside of that one month?
Î agree we should sing him. He’s a baritone.
Yankees show them the money if u wanna make fans happy than sign AJ. AND ICHRIO. USE UR BRAIN. WE’LL BE A STORNG TEAM BY GETTING THOSE GUYS. I LIKE GUYS. IF I WAS GM OF THE YANKS IL SIGN THOSE GUYS TO HELP MY TEAM.
Yes but why AJ we would have to many lefties Jeter and Arod would be the only right-handed hitting starters on the team. That means outfield of lefties and right side of infield/catcher lefties. I say sign Napoli and ichiro to even it out.
SS JETER
RF ICHIRO
2B CANO
1B TEIXEIRA
C NAPOLI
3B A-ROD
LF GRANDERSON
DH lefty (ibañez)
CF GARDNER
Also then go out and sign Jeff keppinger who can play every infield position and hit well over .300 last year to play almost every day on the left side of the infield. Also if you re-sign Chavez he can play corner infield/DH. I think Scott Hairston would fill the void of andruw jones bench spot.
You seem to have forgotten that Napoli can’t catch 120+ games. I wouldn’t even count on him for 60+ either. Which means 100 games of Cervelli or Stewart. No thank you.
Yes, we would be “storing” more guys past their prime.
Unbelievable how this F.O. has treated this loyal future hall of famer. He wanted to come back at a reduced price and they wouldn’t even talk to him? Wouldn’t even say, we’re not interested? How disrespectful and I don’t blame Ichiro one bit for looking elsewhere.
Back to being in character, I see.
When did he say that he wanted to come back at a ‘reduced price’?
Based on what, a bunch of rumors you read on the Internet? Yeah, those are always true in Eddardworld.
Cubs are shopping Soriano again. I’d happily stick him in RF compared to the rest of the dreck. Of course 2/$36 is probably too much for the Yanks, even if Theo does pay some.
I was wondering this myself yesterday. If I recall correctly, last year the Cubs were willing to eat enough cash to make a 5 million a year player. At that price you’d think Cashman would at least make the call.
One Problem: I’m fairly sure the AAV counts against the luxury tax. Even if Theo eats most of it, the Yankees will still be in a precarious spot.
I don’t think so. If we are paying him $5mm/year and the Cubs $13mm/yr then that is how much each team gets docked for the cap. Or more accurately the Cubs would be docked an adjusted AAV averaging the salaries paid to date and the $13mm/year going forward. And we would get assessed on the $5mm/year. Could be wrong but I don’t think so.
That’s my understanding too
He defintatly earned his keep the last two months of the season Cashman so eragant thinking everyone will eat for him I think he would realize losing Martian both Andy and Mo weren’t going anywhere
“eragant”
I don’t know what that is.
Ichiro is the one who said he was willing to wait, like, a week ago. If anything, Ichiro’s in impatient dude. It’s not like it’s mid-January or something. The offseason is still young.
Young like the poster. Or dumb. Man oh man I can’t stand the conversational style of writing these days. And the related inability to form coherent sentences.
“Cashman so eragant thinking everyone will eat for him”
This sentence is pure gold for comedic purposes, though.
So out of pure curiosity, I typed “eragant” into Wikipedia.
Naturally, there were no results. It asked me if I meant “reagan.” Just like that, not capitalized.
That must mean something, right?
Wow. The level of discourse has really taken a nosedive around here.
I view Ichiro as a last recourse; if something better doesn’t come along, fine, sign him. But I (and presumably Cashman) would prefer an upgrade.
I find it hard to believe that Ichiro will be the difference maker in the Yankees 2013 season.
I’m really trying to stay optimistic that Cashman really wants an upgrade in RF, and will make some sort of shocker trade but there’s a little doubt creeping into my mind now.
Looks more and more like $189MM is all that matters, whether the teams suffers or not.
I think he wants to put worse players on the field, personally.
There’s still a lot of room below $189.
We just need to roll out the welcome mat for those for whom this is clearly their first offseason ever.
Yes! If we absolutely need to make sure we lock another 40 year old player down then we have more problems than I thought.
The 2013 New York Yankees:
“Where every day is old timers day!”
I like Ichiro but if the Yanks don’t trade Gardner or Granderson there are too many lefthanders. Gardner and Ichiro are essentially the same players and the Yanks don’t need two of them. That said where are we going to get a right handed power bat to play right field and replace Swishers power numbers. Losing Swisher, Martin, and with Arod’s power decline I’m really worried about run production. Add to that Granderson leaves next year and Cano’s future is suspect with Boras as his agent. Cashman needs to pull off a big deal to get a G Stanton or a J Upton. Signing guys like Soriano or S Hairston just won’t get it done in the AL East. Oh yeah and we haven’t even discussed the future of SS. Cash has a ot of work to do.
A RH OF is about the easiest thing to find in MLB. Platoons will get it done in the AL East.
It’s time to turn off the 24/7 agentspeak news cycle. The only thing that matters is who is on this team come Opening Day.
Kill joy!
Totally just got one of those medals in Halo. I am willing to give you credit for that. Can you say “overkill” next?
Oh, you kids and your Halo.
…go away
That’s not very nice.
I remember when it was nice on this site’s comments section.
Actually……no, I don’t.
Historically, winning Yankee teams can field one one non-power-hitting outfielder, but not two. Still, I love Ichiro, especially if he stops swinging at balls above his shoulders and below his ankles.
He can talk to whoever he pleases but I’m sure no one is beating down the door for a soon to be 40 years old corner outfielder who’s has a wOBA of .281 and .300 the last 2 years. He does bring value with his glove and legs but I tend to lean towards the end of last season being more of a dead cat bounce than the narrative that he was bored in Seattle and became revitalized in NY.
If his name wasn’t “Ichiro”, no one would think twice about this news.
I like Ichiro and think he brings a different element to the team. A little more contact-oriented approach diversifies the lineup. We will still have enough power hitting.
I would like the Yanks to sign Mike Napoli, but not as a 130 game catcher. Basically, he would catch 3 out of 5 games in a rotation, with Austin Romine handling the other 2 pitchers. Napoli would catch 3, DH 1, sit 1. He gives you power (even if he’s not a high .avg guy) at the C position, and the DH spot is still open 4 out of 5 days for Alex and Derek.
Get a RH 4th OF and we are good to go.
SS Jeter
RF Ichiro
2B Cano
1B Tex
3B A-Rod
LF Granderson
C/DH Napoli
UIF Keppinger/Nunez / C Romine
CF Gardner
No to Naploi…need guys who can play positions when they dont DH
It is impossible to score unless you hit a HR in Cashmans mind so my bet is they sign an awful platoon pair for RF and bring aboard Mark Reynolds to give the lineup another 20-30 HR’s and another 150+ strikeouts……thats the ticket!
Yeah, that’s exactly what Cashman thinks.
Odd reaction from Ichiro’s agent Tony Attanasio. Can’t remember the last time an agent basically announced through the media that his client wanted to play for a team one week, only to tell the same team through the media the following week to go screw themselves.
As noted, it seems to be a negotiating tactic, probably driven by timing. With the Yankees having now taken care of their starting pitching, and Martin just signed with another team, Attanasio is probably trying to up the pressure on the Yankees as they head to the Winter meetings looking to fill holes, one of them a RFer. Make them think he might sign with another team to get them to commit to him now.
Don’t think it will work. In some ways, Martin signing with the Pirates may have made Ichiro’s return less likely as yet another righthanded bat has been removed from the lineup. If the team was concerned about having both Gardner and Ichiro in the same lineup, they’ll be more so now and may increase their focus on a power bat.
Trade cano heis not worth 180 million over 8 years. He will begin to decline in 3 years . Trade him to the braves for heywood. Trade granderson to Philly. For Dominic brown and a top prospect. Offer Josh Hamilton half the money cano wants for 4 rather than 8 years. You save 90 million to spend some on verlander in 2015
“Trade cano heis not worth 180 million over 8 years.”
Who is “heis’?
“Trade him to the braves for heywood.”
Of course. The Braves would much rather have a one year rental of Cano than three more years of Heywood.
“Trade granderson to Philly. For Dominic brown and a top prospect.”
Yep. Philly is going to give up Brown and a “top prospect” for a one year rental of Granderson.
Oh, and yeah sure. Detroit is going to let Verlander go. SMH.
Some of these posts seem right out of the 1980s How to build an 85 win team handbook. It was really popular with Clyde King and the Yankees front office.
So is Swisher definitely gone?