Feliciano to get a two-year, $8 million deal from the Yankees as long as he is properly used - big key one out match up vs Lefty - I can live with this. Much like with Jenks...glad its 2 years.
Rafael Soriano‘s agent, Scott Boras, told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that the former Rays closer would be willing to serve as a setup man on the Yankees, saying “that door is open for a number of different reasons.” Here’s more from Boras on Soriano’s potential interest in setting up Mariano Rivera in New York: Who knows if Cashman is willing to give up 1st round pick for Type A, but could be great addition to Yanks pen short and long term (presuming arm/shoulder is stable) but may be priced outside of what Cashman views as proper return on investment. Leaning on it not coming together, but interesting idea for sure to add quality arm to pen.
on top of the Miami mess now this.....hahahah the Yanks are catching a beating this year... http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/andy_not_retired_p0TD9UO4iH6uUuO27kAfAN
Paper is limited importance right now - lets atleast wait till we break camp, etc. But while Sox have made solid strides this offseason to add to what was lacking, its simply the back and forth these two organizations have done for decades, right now, its just seems like a even year, odd year type of back and forth for these two heavyweights. Regardless, TB is weaker, TOR is not better, nor are O's.....so division is still a battle between Yanks and Sox as usual. And most importantly, Yanks are still top 4 wins squad in AL on paper. So really, aside from winning AL EAST they are right now a Wild Card team. Just get in is the rational mindset!
It's January 7th, the Yankees are still probably the 2nd or 3rd best team in the AL on paper. Sure a rotation of Nova and Mirte don't look good but does anyone believe the Yankees would head into the season with both of them in the rotation? There's a lot of time left in the offseason and the Yankees actually do have prospects to make a deal or two. Plus they have 3 months during the season as well to make a move. This.
this is where you are wrong, I rather them do nothing and get the snot kicked out of them, then get themselves into long awful panic move contracts of the past... having to do something as a reaction to another team, almost always results in failure...
I gave major props to Theo last year for not panicking with all the injuries last year and nearly pulling out a WC spot. Stick to the plan, and see what happens without making a move that hurts you for years (best move Theo made was not signing Beltre to long term deal). He has hit huge HRs this offseason to add to healthy returns from DL. Feel the same way about Cashman right now....he is holding ground, following best course; let it shake out. These are two top organizations for several reasons, but a huge part is two top GMs on sticking to plan and not panicking with bad business moves (I put Twins GM in this category as well - so its not a Financial resource thing only). Lets see if this holds true.
Exactly and that's why sports writers and 99% of fans would make terrible GMs because they would panic and make stupid moves just for the sake of making them.
I am not a Yankees fan but right now that pitching rotation is suspect and the lineup is aging other than Cano/Teix. I think as things stand now the Sox are 10 games better. Yankees can battle for the W/C but thats not a guaranty with Minny/Detroit battling them as well as Texas/Anaheim. Starters 3-5 are mediocre at best.
Not really concerned with who may or may not be competitve as WC contender at this point in time. Two dates matter for Cashman. End of Camp/Opening Day roster is #1; then and only then is Trade Deadline #2!. Way to early to view Yanks right now as sitting outside the top 4 clubs in AL.
I'm a Red Sox fan and I think saying the Sox or any other MLB team is 10 games better than the Yankees right now is a little overboard. But hey I hope you're right. But Minnesota, Detroit or LAA aren't better than the Yankees are right now.
Yankees are one CC injury away from medicority. Texas is better if Brandon Webb is healthy, but they may not have to be as all they need to do is win their division. Who outside of CC scares you on that pitching staff ~ starters not Rivera. And is the outfield of Granderson, Gardner and Swisher really scary?
Brandon Webb really? He hasn't been healthy in 2 years and when he threw for scouts he was sitting at 84 mph. Anyway Texas will probably win the division just by fielding 9 guys each game as neither Seattle, LAA or Oakland really improved that much. As far as the Yankees, Phil Hughes is still a pretty good pitcher and although AJ Burnett stunk last year he still has the stuff to be a good pitcher, I don't think he'll be as bad as he was last year, plus I still think they will get another pitcher. They're still a playoff team and I'd take them over anyone but Boston and probably Texas right now. And yeah the OF of Gardner, Granderson and Swisher made the playoffs last year and was the 2nd best team in the AL record wise.
He made you defend the Yanks....he says he isnt a Yankees fan, but he pulled it off! (we call them spies)
Haha I've been defending the Yankees for people for at least 6 months straight. I feel dirty, I need to take a shower.
Yanks, Soriano agree to three-year, $35M deal Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees have agreed to terms with free agent reliever Rafael Soriano on a three-year, $35 million deal. The deal is believed to be worth $35MM over three years, and will allow the player to opt out after either of the first two years. Tyler Kepner of The New York Times tweets that the Scott Boras client will make $11.5MM if he opts out after year one and $21.5MM if he opts out after year two. The contract is pending a physical and does not include a no-trade clause according to ESPN's Buster Olney. The 31-year-old Soriano was the top closer on the market, but he's going to have to serve as Mariano Rivera's setup man with the Yankees. He pitched to a 1.73 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and just 2.0 BB/9 in 62.1 innings last year, the second straight season he's avoided the disabled list. He's battled elbow trouble in the past, including Tommy John surgery back in 2004. Over the last four seasons, Soriano has struck out 9.8 batters per nine innings while walking 2.7 per nine. Although his home run rate has improved in recent years (0.7 HR/9 since 2008), he's an extreme fly ball pitcher (just 31% ground balls in his career). That could give him some problems in hitter friendly Yankee Stadium. At an $11.67MM average annual value, Soriano will be the fifth highest paid reliever in baseball, trailing only Rivera, Brad Lidge, Francisco Rodriguez, and Joe Nathan. Jonathan Papelbon's eventual 2011 salary could also factor into that equation soon enough. Solid 1-2 punch out of the pen. Not cheap, but not overly overpriced (for Closer in waiting - play) - surprised Cashman gave up the type A pick (31st overall this year), but was bound to happen. Hope for health and let the rest of the offseason moves fall into place.
I don't like this move by the Yankees. Way too much money, years and a draft pick to give to a set up man with injury history. Plus the whole closer in waiting is a bit misleading since Soriano has 3 opt out years (the Yankees are certainly in love with giving those out all of a sudden) and Rivera is signed for 2 years. So Soriano might only be the closer for 1 year (which he would be 33 years old) and at the time who knows which RPers will be available via FA. But it does give the Yankees a serious 8-9 inning advantage, of course can you trust Burnett, Nova and Mirte to have a lead when the bullpen is a factor? The big question is what does it mean for Joba Chamberlain? Will the Yankees consider starting him again and if not does he become trade bait and if so how much trade value does he actually have now? I could definitely see tons of teams taking a shot with him but the Yankees might get little to nothing in return.
I feel the same way in the big picture...but small picture I much likey-likey! (Long Term doesnt mean much for Yanks (or Sox, etc) they do what they have to do as quickly as necessary - I will take short term nearly everytime) I think Joba is worth more in the pen to us. Lets not jerk him around and lets see if last year was the fluke.....some stability of roles wouldnt hurt him. Check back come opening day!
Obviously teams like the Yankees and Sox can afford to sign someone like Soriano to that deal but it's still a bad deal. The deal itself is a no win deal for NY. Besides losing a 1st round pick, with the opt out clauses built in the Yankees are at the mercy of Soriano. If he has a great year in the next 2 years he can opt out, if he gets hurt he gets paid. The track record for RPers getting 3 year deals isn't good either, nor is Soriano's injury history. But don't you at least have to try Joba as a SP this offseason now? What's the down size risk? He stinks or doesn't have the endurance to pitch into the 6th inning so you move him back in the pen as the 6th or 7th inning guy. But the upside is he does well and Nova or Mirte won't be in the rotation. I think if I were Cashman I'd talk to Joba and see what he thinks and if he wants to try it out let him. You never know this opportunately might light a fire under him. Of course the Yankees have jerked this kid around so much the past 3 years who knows what he has left.
Joba is better served in the pen. I would like to at least for the first time ever give him two solid seasons in the same role. I really am not worried about our 4th and 5th SP options (honestly not at all). Joba is not part of that SP picture. I am confident how it will shake out come opening day. Joba in the 6th and 7th is better served then him as a #5 roll of the dice. We can find a #5 vs finding a corrected Joba as 6th-7th inning guy. Lets give him this season to step up as a Pen reliable guy....and bounce back from last season. Earn that role and I am confident how it fixes things come 6th and 7th.
A starting pitcher throwing 150 to 180 innings is more useful/important than a 7th inning reliever throwing 70 to 80 innings. If the Yankees didn't sign Soriano you might have a better arguement but now with Soriano aboard, Joba isn't as important in the pen, especially with David Robertson there.
Joba throwing his 100 pitches by the 4th inning hurts more than it helps. He will appear in more games as Pen guy. Thats more important than 30 starts of quick exits that would burn the pen far more. Let him stick to his 6th (sometimes) and 7th (mostly) inning over 5 starters as an innings eating role and get the ball to Soriano, who in turn gets it to Mo. I dont feel Cashman thinks its necessary to mess with that, and I dont either. Come opening day, I think the 5 SP will not kill us, and knowing we have a deep pen now (with Feliciano, Soriano and "Marte post AS break" return), with Joba, Soriano, and Rivera means more than playing around with Joba for 4th consecutive season.
And you think guys like Ivan Nova and Sergio Mirte would make it out of the 4th inning? And you're assuming that every start he will only go 4 innings. The Yankees babied the guy the past 4 years. Maybe if they finally took the training wheels off and told him if he earns the SP job they won't flip him back and forth and won't have the 'Joba Rules' so he could actually go out and pitch. I just think it's dumb the Yankees won't even consider it. Again it's not like if he doesn't win a SP job in ST he can't be effective in the pen for the rest of the year. There's no risk here. It's a win/win situation. If he physically can't do it anymore that's one thing but you won't know unless you try.
I am not sure who will win the 4th or 5th, or what trade may be worked out, etc. I do know, Nova and Mitre are not the only choices from the farm. Come opening day we can discuss Joba's role,....but I dont think he will sniff any speculation within the organization for return to SP during spring training. Media will play it up, but Cashman and Girardi will not even blink twice. If you want Joba to pin his ears back, tell him he crapped the bed last season, and he has this season to bulldog the 6th and 7th innings to earn his stripes back....take those training wheels off. Give him back to back seasons out of the pen to judge him. There is no risk with that. Its win/win! We dont need him as SP.
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6037544 some interesting thoughts from Cashman. 1) Joba Chamberlain will remain in the bullpen, Girardi and Cashman said. (for as long as he remains in Pinstripes) 2) Regarding Soriano signing: Cashman felt he needed to be honest with how he felt about the move because he had made it known to many members of the media that he didn't think it would be wise to pay so much for an eighth-inning guy. The Yankees have had bad experiences with multiyear deals for Steve Karsay and Kyle Farnsworth, among others. I love Cashmans approach, and its ok to be overruled as he tries to balance his 3 objectives. And its ok for the Bosses to say, they are ok with putting 1 in front of the other 2 from a given deal standpoint.
I actually think Cashman should have kept quiet on whether he was a fan of the move or not. It seems like Cashman is protecting himself in case the Soriano deal doesn't work out and wants to make sure it's on record he wasn't a part of the move. Of course I like to hold things close to the vest and I like my team being silent on all matters. I also think it not only makes Cashman look bad but the front office higher ups too. I thought Cashman had 100% control of the team decisions, or at least that lasted for a few years. I never think it's a good idea for front office people to overrule or make baseball on field decisions instead of the Baseball OPs people.
Sure he is.....but with the Steinbrenners it all part of the territory. He could have kept silent (probably should have), but him simply stating he is looking at all 3 facets as GM; and in essence he knows this makes 1 out of his 3 facets better while making his tasks harder in the other two, he simply is covering for when he needs more $$$ for the other two or why he is spending more in any of the 3 then expected or ordered (also if Soriano ops out after 1 or 2 years, etc). I think its just typical NY media interest and constantly prodding and not letting sleeping dogs rest, etc. Quiet is better, but next best thing is to say, no brainer 1 of the 3 facets is improved, but he was hoping to GM all 3 in his initial reasons for not favoring the move. He is definitely just covering things. So be it.
According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Yankees have agreed to terms with Andruw Jones on a one-year, $2 million contract.Jones could make another $1.2 million in performance-based incentives. The 33-year-old will be asked to serve as a fourth outfielder and occasional designated hitter for the Yanks this season. eh, could be worse, but if he hits Lefty's I can accept him as 4th OF (better than Thames) and pinch hitter role, etc. Positive is in a pinch he could back up all 3 OF spots.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Yankees have signed Freddy Garcia to a minor league contract. The Buffet line gets longer and longer!!
Now all the Yankees have to do is get a time machine to go back to 2003-2005ish and a rotation of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Bartolo Colon, Mark Prior and Freddy Garcia would be tops in the league. Seriously though I bet Garcia wins the 5th starter spot almost by default if he can stay healthy. He actually had 3 more quality starts than Phil Hughes did last year (of course he wasn't pitching in the AL East) but this actually wasn't a terrible signing by the Yankees.
Slow news day: The New York Yankees today acquired outfielder Justin Maxwell from the Washington Nationals in exchange for right-handed minor league pitcher Adam Olbrychowski. http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news...nt_id=16556228&vkey=pr_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
You spoke too soon, Michael Kay is reporting that Andy Pettitte is going to announce his retirement tomorrow.
Sad sad day in the history of the New York Yankees. Im going to miss Andy..... I hope he enjoys his retirement, his 13 yrs in pinstripes will be remembered fondly.
