River Avenue Blues

Scott Boras chimes in on Cano’s free agency

by 251 Comments

(REUTERS/Adam Hunger)

Robinson Cano’s impending free agency — after next season once his no-brainer $15M option is exercised — is the most significant roster issue facing the Yankees in the kinda sorta immediate future by no small margin. He’s indisputably their best player and one of the very best in baseball, a homegrown superstar with roots in the Tri-State Area and legitimate marquee value. At 29 years old, Robbie’s an indispensable piece of the puzzle.

Brian Cashman has already indicated a willingness to break the team’s somewhat outdated “don’t re-sign a player until their current deal expires” policy to extend Cano this offseason. They’ve already done it once to sign him to a long-term deal and if they’re going to do it again, this is the guy to do it with. Robinson hired Scott Boras before last season and players don’t do that so close to free agency unless they’re looking for the biggest and best deal possible. This has contract bloodbath potential.

Joel Sherman spoke to Boras about Cano’s impending free agency as well as the team’s plan to get under the luxury tax threshold by 2014, a rather significant consideration in this whole mess. I’m going to block-quote the important stuff…

“I had a meeting with Hal [Steinbrenner] and Randy [Levine, Yankees president] at the owners meetings [in May], and I certainly did not get any indication from them that there will be any dramatic changes in how the Yankees do business,” Boras said by phone.

And Boras did not sound like he would have much sympathy for the Yankees trying to go frugal. He cited Yankees “revenues triple most major league teams.” But, mainly, he invoked the “George Steinbrenner legacy” of building the brand, a TV network and revenues by enlisting and keeping stars — no matter the cost.

[snip]

Of course, Boras will shoot higher. He would not tell me how much, but he did say this: “When you go to sign great players and you know you are going to get six or years more of greatness, you have to spend by paying more years. You may pay over 10 years for the privilege of having the great seven. That is how it goes with big franchises and acquisitions. And the Yankees under George were one of the first teams to do that.”

Sherman also hears from “a friend (of Cano’s)” that Robinson felt underpaid on his current contract, a four-year, $30M deal that will ultimately pay him $59M across six years thanks to the two club options tacked on the end. Hiring Boras was basically his way to rectify that, to get every last penny when he hits free agency. Cano is open to signing with the Yankees long-term after this season though, saying: “Why not hear what they have to say … I am always open to hearing anything. If it works for both sides, that is great. But I have to hear an offer.”

Barring some kind of devastating injury or drastic decline in performance over the next 14 months, Cano is poised to obliterate every second base contract record, specifically Ian Kinsler’s $15M annual salary and Chase Utley’s $85M total package. Heck, he might double Utley’s contract value on the open market. Last season I suggested a six-year, $120M-ish contract (covering 2012-2017 and his age 29-34 seasons) could work for both sides but that ship seems to have sailed. Boras is hinting at ten-year contracts like he does for every elite free agent, meaning he probably has his sights set on something like Matt Kemp’s eight-year, $160M deal with the Dodgers.

I’m firmly in the “let Cano walk” camp if the contract demands remain exorbitant, which they surely will given Boras’ track record. Middle infielders tend to age poorly into their early-to-mid-30s and Robbie’s offensive value is based on his ability to make contact. When that starts to go, it can go in a hurry. Ask Ichiro Suzuki. If the Yankees are serious about being smarter and more efficient with their spending — the 2014 payroll plan suggests they are — then at some point they have to stop signing players to monster contracts through their decline years. The Cardinals are doing just fine without Albert Pujols and the Rays don’t miss Carl Crawford. The Yankees will survive if they part ways with Cano next offseason.

Yanks come back against Red Sox, lose anyway

by 160 Comments


Source: FanGraphs

Well that was unfortunate. The Yankees battled back from a big-ish deficit against the Red Sox on Saturday night but where unable to squeeze out the win after going into the ninth inning tied. Bah, whatever. Let’s recap…

  • Two Outs: CC Sabathia allowed six runs in six innings but the worst part is that five of the six runs scored with two outs. He left way too many pitches middle-middle in the three-run first, including the pitch Will Middlebrooks hit for a two-out, two-run double. The three-run fifth inning rally started with a dinky little two-out ground ball single from Pedro Ciriaco and ended with a hanging curveball that Adrian Gonzalez hit for a three-run dinger. Sabathia was fantastic in every other inning but that doesn’t really matter. He hasn’t had a even a decent start against the Red Sox since 2010. Might be time to tinker with the game plan, no?
  • When In Doubt, Bunt!: The Yankees were down 6-1 in the fifth but the first four batters of the inning reached base, including a two-run homer by Jayson Nix. With men on first and second with no outs, Chris Stewart — who homered in the third — bunted the men over. Derek Jeter drove in one run with a ground ball and that’s all they got. You play for one run and you get one run, so mission accomplished. Swing the damn bat in the fifth (!!!) inning.
  • Tie Game: The best part wasn’t Mark Teixeira’s game-tying two-run homer off Vicente Padilla, it’s that he pimped it. The ball was very clearly gone off the bat and he walked out of the box, a good five or six steps. Teixeira never does that. Even better, after the game he said he just didn’t want to waste energy in case the ball went foul. Too bad they lost, that homer had Best Moment of the Year potential.
  • Flopped: At the end of the day, the Yankees lost because Curtis Granderson is a poor defensive center fielder who got turned around on a fly ball/line drive (fliner?) from Ciriaco with a man on first and one out in the ninth, allowing it to fall in for a three-base error. Rafael Soriano didn’t help matters by walking Jacoby Ellsbury, one of the game’s best base-stealers, with one out in a tie game. Dustin Pedroia drove in the insurance run with a sacrifice fly but the damage was already done, Granderson has to catch that ball. If he does, the game is completely different.
  • Leftovers: David Phelps bridged the gap between Sabathia and Soriano and looked pretty awesome, striking out three in two scoreless … the Yankees only had six hits, including the homers by Stewart, Nix, and Teixeira … Granderson very narrowly missed two homers in the same at-bat against Padilla, but both hooked just foul … Ichiro Suzuki singled during that fifth inning at-bat and has exactly one hit in all five games with New York … Nick Swisher pinch-hit in the ninth, his first appearance since suffering the mild hip flexor strain back in Oakland.

MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs the nerd score, and ESPN the updated standings. The Orioles lost to the Athletics, so the lead in the division remains nine games. The Red Sox crawled to within eleven. The Yankees will look to take the rubber game behind Hiroki Kuroda on Sunday, the ESPN Night Game. Felix Doubront will be on the mound for Boston.

Mesa has big day as Trenton wins two

by 11 Comments

Double-A Trenton Game One (4-3 win over Harrisburg in seven innings) the opposing starter was a rehabbing Chien-Ming Wang, who played for the Thunder in parts of 2003 and 2004
CF Melky Mesa: 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI — welcomed CMW back to Trenton by leading off the game with a homer
SS Addison Maruszak, DH Luke Murton, C J.R. Murphy & RF Rob Segedin: all 1-3 — Murton and Murphy both doubled and drove in a run … Segedin hit a solo homer off Wang
3B David Adams: 0-3, 1 K — played 13 games at the hot corner with Low-A Charleston back in 2009, but his is his first since
RF Zoilo Almonte: 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
1B Kevin Mahoney: 0-3
2B Walt Ibarra: 1-2
LHP Vidal Nuno: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 4/6 GB/FB — 55 of 88 pitches were strikes (63%) … guess he isn’t going to take D.J. Mitchell’s spot in the Triple-A rotation
RHP Kelvin Perez: 1 IP, zeroes, 2/1 GB/FB — nine of 14 pitches were strikes

[Read more…]

Game 100: Triple Digits

by 686 Comments

(Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

The 100th game of the season is always a little depressing, only because seeing that third digit drives home the point that the season is much closer to the end than the start. The Yankees have a nice big nine-game lead in the AL East, their largest division lead at the 100-game mark since the 1998 team was 15 games up. That team was quite good. Here’s the lineup…

SS Derek Jeter
CF Curtis Granderson
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Cano
LF Andruw Jones
3B Jayson Nix
DH Russell Martin
RF Ichiro Suzuki
C  Chris Stewart

LHP CC Sabathia

Today’s game starts a little after 4pm ET and can be seen on FOX, but the weather in the city is pretty crummy and we may be in for a delay. Enjoy, whenever they play.

Nick Swisher Update: Swisher (hip) is fine but Joe Girardi is giving him the obligatory “one extra day” to guard against a setback, though he may use him to pinch-hit. Might as well play it safe given the standings.

Update: Yep, we’re in a rain delay. No word on a start time yet, but based on what’s happening outside my window, don’t expect baseball anytime soon.

Update Part Two: They’re saying the game will begin at 6:05pm ET, so hooray for that.

Scouting The Trade Market: Jeff Baker

by 50 Comments

(Brian Kersey/Getty Images)

The trade deadline is just three days away, and Alex Rodriguez’s broken hand has given the Yankees a clear need for help at third base. Marco Scutaro, Ryan Roberts, and Omar Infante have all been dealt already and apparently Ty Wigginton is off limits since Placido Polanco is hurt. The infield pickin’s are slim, but not barren.

Once again we’re going to turn our attention to a non-contender for potential help, this time the Chicago Cubs. They’re looking to move significant pieces like Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, and Alfonso Soriano, but the best fit for the Yankees may be complementary player Jeff Baker. The 31-year-old utility man is have a solid season (105 wRC+) as the team’s right-handed bat off the bench, but when you’re as deep into a rebuild as the Cubbies, no player is untouchable. Let’s see if he’s a fit for the Yankees….

The Pros

  • Baker can hit a little, with a 108 wRC+ against lefties and a 101 wRC+ against righties this season. Since the start of 2010, he’s tagged lefties to the tune of a 129 wRC+ with a .186 ISO and a measly 14.1% strikeout rate.
  • He’s versatile, having spent lots of time at first, second, third, and in right field during his career. Second base doesn’t happen too often these days, but Baker can play there in a pinch.
  • A rental player scheduled to become a free agent after the season, Baker is making $1.375M this season. That’s roughly $525k the rest of the way. He also has a minor league option remaining, though at his service time level he can refuse the assignment so it doesn’t really matter.

The Cons

  • Baker’s a strict platoon guy. He has nice numbers against righties this year, but since the start of 2010 it’s just a 23 wRC+ with a 34.2% strikeout rate. The breaking ball away gives him fits.
  • Despite all that versatility, Baker is a considered a below average defender at every position he plays by the various defensive metrics. Much like Wigginton, he’s a first baseman who plays other positions because his manager tells him to.
  • Baker hasn’t been the most durable player in the world — he visited the DL twice with groin strains last year and missed more than two months with a hand issue in 2009. He’s been healthy this year though.

The Yankees aren’t necessarily looking at an upgrade over Eric Chavez or Jayson Nix, at this point they’re seeking an upgrade over Ramiro Pena as the extra infielder. That might be Brandon Laird or Eduardo Nunez, but Baker also makes some sense as a lefty masher who can fake multiple positions. Adding marginal wins means very little to New York at this point given their nine-game lead in the division, but the goal really isn’t to improve the team’s chances of winning. It’s to keep Chavez healthy and limit his exposure — so he can be a pinch-hitting weapon in the postseason — while still having a competent player at the hot corner.

Scutaro was traded just last night for an okay infield prospect, and that gives us some kind of reference point for a trade package. The Cubs insist on pitching in any move though, so perhaps a second or third tier arm like Mikey O’Brien or Shane Greene gets it done. If it doesn’t, then acquiring Baker probably isn’t worth the effort. He’s a nice role player for platoon situations but nothing more.

Martin & Granderson slam Red Sox in opener

by 100 Comments


Source: FanGraphs

Two hours and 41 minutes for a Yankees-Red Sox game? What kind of madness is this?! Hey, I’m not complaining though. That was a crisp and thorough win by New York, their sixth in seven games against Boston this season. Let’s recap…

  • No GIDP: The Yankees have scored 17 first inning runs in their last five games against the Red Sox, and all three first inning runs in this game came after Dustin Pedroia and Mike Aviles botched a would-be double play grounder from Mark Teixeira. They simply took their time and Tex beat it out. Curtis Granderson scored on the play and Raul Ibanez hit a two-run homer as the next batter. That’s the difference between a first place team and last place team right there, the last place team botched the routine-ish play and the first place team took advantage.
  • Philty Phil: Three runs in seven innings is so much better than three runs in five innings. I was clamoring for Joe Girardi to lift Phil Hughes after allowing three solo homers in the first five innings — he’s now allowed a league-worst 25 dingers — but the skipper stuck with his young right-hander and was rewarded with two more perfect innings. The solo homers stink, but that’s nothing new for Phil. He allowed just three other baserunners — a walk, a ground ball single, and a ground-rule double — and struck out five.
  • Tack-On: The Red Sox stayed in the game thanks to all those solo homers early, but the Yankees began to pull away with Russell Martin’s two-run homer in the fourth. That one had a good sound, Russ hasn’t hit a ball that hard in weeks. The score remained 6-3 from the fourth through the eighth, when Granderson blew things open with a grand slam off Embedded Yankee Mark Melancon. They didn’t even switch to the high camera to follow the flight of the ball on YES, the center field camera just stayed on Melancon and showed his reaction. Pretty funny.
  • Leftovers: Ichiro Suzuki only had one hit in his Yankee Stadium debut, but he hit two other balls right on screws for outs … Derek Jeter (single and walk), Granderson (triple shy of the cycle), and Robinson Cano (two singles) all had multiple hits while Teixeira and Eric Chavez were the only starters without knocks … David Robertson (one single) and Cody Eppley (two singles) threw scoreless frames following Hughes … this was only the fifth time this year the Yankees scored 10+ runs, and three of the five have come against Boston.

MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs the advanced stats, and ESPN the updated standings. The Orioles are getting got wrecked by those powerhouse Athletics, so the lead in the division will be is back up to nine games soon enough. Lefties CC Sabathia and Jon Lester square off in game two of the series on Saturday afternoon.

Romine picks up three hits in Tampa loss

by 38 Comments

After taking some ground balls at the hot corner yesterday, 2B David Adams is lined up to play third in tomorrow’s game. What that means as far as him potentially coming up to help fill-in while Alex Rodriguez is on the DL, I don’t know. Speculate at your own risk.

Eight games is too much for a full recap, so tonight you get bullet points…

  • Triple-A Empire State (win): DH Brandon Laird let everyone know that he wants that big league third base job with a pair of homers, continuing his recent stretch of awesomeness. C Frankie Cervelli left the game in the first inning after a player at the plate — he was the runner, not the catcher. RHP Adam Warren struck out six and walked one while allowing three runs in six innings.
  • Double-A Trenton Game One (loss): DH Jose Pirela, 3B Addison Maruszak, RF Zoilo Almonte, and 2B Kevin Mahoney all doubled on the offensive side. RHP Mikey O’Brien allowed three runs in two innings in the original game, which was started Wednesday and completed tonight. RHP Dellin Betances started the continuation and struck out seven in seven innings, including one Immaculate Inning. He allowed four runs (three earned) and walked three, which isn’t awful.
  • Double-A Trenton Game Two (win): SS Addison Maruszak and 2B Kevin Mahoney did all the damage with did all the offensive damage with a two-run homer each. Mahoney also tripled and 1B Luke Murton singled twice. RHP Ryan Pope threw three scoreless innings in the spot start.
  • High-A Tampa (loss): DH Austin Romine had three singles while RF Tyler Austin had a single and a triple. Neither C Gary Sanchez nor LF Ramon Flores had a hit, plus OF Slade Heathcott and OF Mason Williams didn’t play. Williams is banged up after making a diving catch the other day. LHP Jeremy Bleich allowed three runs (one earned) in two innings in his latest rehab appearance.
  • Low-A Charleston (loss): CF Ben Gamel went hitless, but they did get doubles from SS Cito Culver, 1B Tyson Blaser, and C Francisco Arcia. 3B Dante Bichette Jr. singled while RF Rob Refsnyder drew a pair of walks. LHP Matt Bashore allowed a pair of runs in six innings.
  • Short Season Game One (loss): CF Ravel Santana returned from his sore ankle to hit a double, so that’s good. C Peter O’Brien and 3B Matt Duran also doubled while SS Claudio Custodio had a pair of singles and a stolen base. LHP Evan Rutckyj walked four and struck out three while allowing four runs in five innings.
  • Short Season Game Two was cancelled and will not be made up. I guess the weather was bad.
  • Rookie GCL Yankees (win): CF Abe Almonte went hitless in two at-bats and played three innings in the field in his first rehab game. SS Austin Aune continued his hot hitting with a triple, a walk, and a stolen base while LF Ericson Leonora clubbed his second homer in three games. 3B Miguel Andujar singled and doubled. LHP Caleb Frare highlighted the pitching staff with three scoreless innings in relief.