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Yanks backing away from Cameron for ‘baseball’ reasons

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Perhaps Brian Cashman listened to Joe this morning. As per Tyler Kepner, the Yankees appear to be putting the potential Mike Cameron trade on hold for “baseball reasons.”

Kepner reports:

In talking to some people involved today, I get the feeling the Yankees are backing away from a potential Melky Cabrera-for-Mike Cameron trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, at least for now. There’s a deal the teams could make, and while I’m not sure of the particulars, at this point the Yankees’ main question is baseball-related, not financial.

We know they do not value Cameron at $10 million, which is why they wanted the Brewers to include some money — or take on Kei Igawa — to make the deal happen. Now that a fair deal seems to be in place, the question is whether it makes baseball sense…

Cameron turns 36 next month. Teams that win tend to have players in their primes, not in decline. In Game 4 of the World Series this season, neither lineup included any player born before 1975. The Yankees have four starters already in Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.

There’s really no reason for the Yanks to acquire Cameron right now. They have bigger fish to fry, and while most reporters seem skeptical that the Yanks are going to be heavily involved with Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez, they’re not competing with anyone for Cameron. They can, in other words, afford to wait.

In the end, if Cameron doesn’t end up as the Yanks’ $10 million center fielder next season, no one will be too disappointed. While he brings a known quantity to the table and represents an upgrade over Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner, he’s not necessarily worth it right now. As Ed Price put it, give it a few weeks, and we’ll see where Cameron is then.

Three pre-Christmas offensive story lines

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With the Winter Meetings behind us, baseball has a few weeks of activity before everyone settles in for some family time around Christmas and New Year’s. While the Yanks have seemingly wrapped up some of their shopping, I don’t think the team is done yet. With that mind, what’s on tap for the next few weeks?

1. Mark Teixeira — Outside of Manuel Aristides Ramirez, no hitter will make a bigger impact on his new team next year than Mark Teixeira. He’s a premier player with a legitimate Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, and now that he’s shown he can hit outside of Texas, he’s due for a big pay day. Since mid-November, Teixeira has hoped for a pre-Christmas resolution to his free agency, and now it seems as though the Yanks are emerging as prime contenders for his services. No matter the outcome, you can bet that Scott Boras will call the Yanks one last time before Teixeira signs on the dotted line.

2. Manny Ramirez — Right behind Tex is Manny. He is arguably one of the top five right-handed hitters of all time, and his presence in any lineup improves the guys in front of and behind him. He comes with significant personality issues and poor defense, but that hasn’t stopped his teams from winning two of the last five World Series. His teams have made the playoffs in five of the last six years as well. Manny will come with a higher salary but fewer years than Mark Teixeira. He doesn’t come with the stellar defense either, but Hanks wants him.

3. Mike Cameron — Joe wants Brian Cashman to wait on the Cameron trade, and I agree. Cameron should be something of a last recourse to improve the team’s center field option. While better than Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner, Cameron isn’t enough of an offensive threat to justify acquiring him over Teixeira or Manny. If the team lands one of the other two bats, they can afford to try out Brett Gardner in center and revisit a Cameron trade later on, if need be.

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So what’s my take? I think Teixeira signs before Christmas; I think Manny doesn’t; and I think the Cameron deal ends up being more smoke and mirrors than anything else. The Yanks still have some money to play with, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tex or Manny land in the Bronx. The team, after all, could use another bat to go with their new-found pitching, and if the Steinbrenners and Cashman are going all in for 2009 as their pitching expenditures seem to suggest, then signing Mark or Manny is just the next logical step.

Afternoon updates: Winding down the meetings

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As I study for my contracts final and Joe and Mike get ready to come back to rainy New York, the winter meetings are officially winding down. While it’s unlikely that any major deals will get done before the GMs make it back home tonight, we’ve got rumors galore to share.

  • Forget Nick Punto. MLB Trade Rumors notes that the Twins have resigned Punto to a two-year, $8.5-million deal with an option for 2011. Punto has a career OPS+ of 74 and is going to make $4 million a year. I’m in the wrong line of work.
  • Tyler Kepner sums up the Cameron stituation. The Yanks and Brewers are haggling over money and extra players. Kepner notes that perhaps Kei Igawa could be shipped off to Milwaukee. He’d be the perfect replacement for CC Sabathia. Not.
  • Dan Graziano says the Cameron deal might not happen because the Yankees hurt the Brewers’ feelings. By asking for money a day after giving CC Sabathia the largest pitching contract ever, the Yanks have supposedly insulted the Brewers. Somewhere, the world’s smallest violin player is playing for Doug Melvin.

RoboKen: Cameron deals hits a roadblock

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Don’t buy your Cameron jerseys quite yet. The deal may have hit a roadblock. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers want another player, and the Yanks want the Brewers to pick up some salary. Neither team is budging on this issue quite yet, but if the two sides want to get it done, they will. The idea that Melky is somehow enough compensation for Mike Cameron and salary is objectively preposterous.

Yanks, Brewers hammering out deal for Cameron

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According to conflicting reports, the Yankees and Brewers have either agreed or are very close to agreeing on a trade that would send Melky Cabrera to the Brewers and Mike Cameron and his $10 million contract to the Yanks. Bill Hall may or may not be involved. More in a minute.

Update By Joe (10:32 a.m. EST): Dan Graziano says that the Yankees could include a pitching prospect, though it won’t be Ian Kennedy. The Haudricourt piece says that both teams are willing to explore Bill Hall, whom we do not like. The Brewers aren’t just going to give him away, though, and I don’t think he’s worth surrendering anything of value. If you want another utility guy, sign Nick Punto.

Joel Sherman says that the pitching prospect will depend on how much of Cameron’s $10 million salary Milwaukee is willing to absorb.

Yanks targeting more of Sabathia’s friends

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Remember when Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for president, and “I like Ike” was the campaign slogan du jour? Well, me neither, but the Yanks seem to like Mike. According to the ever-popular Dan Graziano, the Yanks will attempt to reel in Mike Cameron from the Brewers to fill a perceived center field void. The Brewers recently picked up Cameron’s $10 million option, and the center fielder — much like Nick Swisher — is one of CC Sabathia’s close friends. Still, an outfield of Xavier Nady, Mike Cameron and Johnny Damon doesn’t scream success to me.