Rivera Wants Four Years

hahaha, looks like rivera is smarter then the yankees thought. Hes no fool, hes knows he can get it too, if not from them then from someone else, good for him, i hope sucks them dry

That's sad. Steinbrenner has obviously went against his word about AROD, and hopefully he does with Rivera. He's a quality guy, whose started slow the last couple years but has rebounded by dominating the rest of the year. He's worth every cent that he asks for. Hopefully he goes to the Dodgers, cause I'm sick of watching him close us out most of the time.

So, hypothetically, he signs with the Dodgers. Now they have Broxton, Saito, and Rivera at the back end of the pen. Would they consider trading one of Broxton or Saito to sweeten a deal for someone like Miguel Cabrera?

"Huge miscalculation by Rivera. Absolutely no one is going to offer him 4 years at $15 million per."

He could take a bit less per year to get the guaranteed 4th year... something like 4/52 (13 per). That way he gets a higher guaranteed total right before he retires.

Well, he's not worth 15M a year, even at three years. This originally offer wasn't about paying the guy for future performance, it was about rewarding him for everything he's done over the years. Because of that, I don't think 4 Years, 45M is a bad offer. Don't increase the money, because as I said, you're not paying him 15M a year for his closing abilities, you're rewarding past effort and/or loyalty.

But you have to increase the money a little bit. Otherwise he's just playing the 4th year for free.

4 years 52 million is more than reasonable for Rivera, imo.

Agree that 4/52 is nice middle ground.

Rivera, unlike Posada, isn't coming off a career year. Once more he is coming off a typical year - which was amazing by just about any standard.

I don't understand the willingness to give a CATCHER 4 years and then tell Rivera to "F off!"

I'll never understand Yankee fans ...

so let me get this straight; Rivera is asking for more money per season than they just signed to retain their full-time all-star catcher, and more than what is on the table for the best SP they had on their team last year, should Pettitte decide to come back?

i never thought i'd turn on MO, but it's time to draw the line in the sand and go shopping.

Mo doesn't care about years - its his last contract so he wants the most $$ total - if some one offered him 4/50 he'd take it. Yanks should just throw in incentives that can be reached easily unless he gets hurt - say $2 mil if he gets more than 2 cy young votes each year. thats a quick $6million bring him close to the $52 he wants

"Hey meta...you know what significance 4 for 52 has? It's the same amount the Yankees gave Posada..."

Yes, I'm aware of that. I don't think either contract is a good idea. Paying guys that kind of money into their age 40 years is never wise; add to it that Posada is a catcher who's already havnig trouble getting down on the ball and is coming off a career year offensively, and his contract looks like terrible judgement.

Rivera will be 41 by the time his 4-year contract would be over, but that's not really what concerns me. What concerns me is that HE'S A CLOSER!! NO closer is worth that kind of money, at any age! there are tons of cheap closers who used to be starters or middle relievers: Papelbon was brought up as a starter, and now he's giong to be a cheap closer for the Red Sox for four more years. Carlos frickin' Marmol, anyone? There are closing options out there for the Yankees that are 1/10 the cost and at least a decade younger! Sign one of THEM for four years!

"but it would have been awesome to have the red sox sign mariano and put papelbon back in the rotation. "

No it wouldn't. That would have been stupid. The Red Sox have one of the top 3 or 3 closers in baseball in Papelbon, and he's theirs cheap for 4 more years. Papelbon has been better than Rivera over the last two seasons, and he's a decade younger than Rivera. And more importantly, they DON'T NEED Papbelbon as a starter! They already have so much starting pitching they're thinking of going to a 6-man rotation!

As if there has never been a good closer at 41??

Of any closer uv ever seen, can u honestly say that Rivera won't be effective at 41? or even 43 for that matter?

How is it that every prospect on this site is the next willie mays, but the proven best closer that ever lived will fall to the floor, after showing plenty of evidence that the stuff is still there????

u dorks try so hard to be "brilliant", that u miss the simple truth.

Papelbon is not going to be a starter. To become a starter, he would have to go down to the minor leagues for at least half a season to rebuild stamina, and reinvent himself. The big reason he is the closer, besides the Sox's need for one last offseason, is because he wouldn't have been able to handle a starting role. Did you know his velocity dove below 90mph past the 4th inning of his spring training starts? Add in the fact that he would not be able to throw high-90s as a starter, and it's likely he'd be ineffective as well. He's going to stay a closer until he blows his shoulder out again.

This is retarded.

The Posada contract was bad enough, but this takes the cake.

This is the dumbest I've ever seen the NY front office act (yes including the Pavano, Randy, Brown messes).

Instead of letting 3 old or overpaid type A FA leave and commit to youth and sound management, they're crippling the Yankees.

Posada: 2/30 + mutual option for 3rd with a buyout would've been best. Take it or leave it.

Rivera: 3/36 + perpetual mutual option at ~6 million (ala Wakefield). Take it or leave it.

ARod: I wouldn't bring him back, at all, but if I had to - 5/140. 6/170 IF he waives his automatic no trade clause for 6 teams in the MLB (3 chosen by the Yankees).

Would any of them agree? Probably not (especially ARod). What's the worst that happens? The Yanks get league average production from C and 3B (and score 850 runs instead of 950) while plugging in Wood or Joba at closer.

And they save 60 million a year.

I hate to beat a dead horse from prior posts, but this is the Yankees' doing. There is probably not another team out there that would pay $60M over 4 years, but the Yankees have set a precedent this offseason by throwing ludicrous longterm deals at 30-somethings.

Part of it is the four years to Posada. Part of it is the air of desperation in a team that had earlier said it was "definitive" that if A-Rod opted out, they wouldn't talk to him. Their first mistake was offering 3/$45M to Rivera from the start. The Yankees don't know what it means to start low and meet in the middle, and I think it's largely a function of the reactionary way in which Steinbrenner managed his purse strings over the last decade.

Steinbrenner: I won't go a cent over $45M.
Rivera: That sounds fair.
Steinbrenner: Listen, I won't take no for an answer... $55M.
Rivera: Um... Great!
Steinbrenner: You drive a hard bargain... $75M plus incentives.

@everyone:

Rivera hasn't dropped off yet. His last 3 years have been very good and he's got the same stuff as ever.

BUT the velocity has to drop sometime right? He can't throw 94-96 forever... can he?

Hoffman's effective because of his sick changeup. He can throw 85 MPH fastball and still close.

Rivera needs velocity on that cutter.

15 per for a guy who only comes in when the team is in the lead in the 8th or 9th is REDICULOUS!

The bat you can get for 15 per would be FAR more worth it...

@Zito4CyYoung:

Screw the bat. The only thing the Yankees should've done is get an ace this winter. Whether its Johan, Haren or Peavy.

That's it. Posada and Rivera should've been brought back only if the dollars made sense and ARod was too expensive from the get go.

Cashman's lost it.

Hank Steinbrenner is a frickin clown by the way. Way to inherit your father's image without actually doing anything

2 deals - Posada and Rivera.

In Posada you have a 36 year old catcher coming off the best year of his career. Is it a trend or a fluke. Statistical analysis will tell you fluke. If you want to see what happens to good hitting catchers check out the numbers on Bench and Piazza. This will be a horrid deal in 2 years.

Rivera is coming off another solid year. ERA was a little higher but his peripheral stats are still near the top of elite closers. Unlike catchers, we have ample evidence of pitchers playing well in their late 30's early 40's. There is nothing to indicate that Rivera will breakdown.

Unfortunately, the A-Rod negotiations are already coming back to roost. You think Mo will take anything Cashman or ownership say at face value. They can't threaten Mo because Mo knows they will give in. What other options do they have. Cordero? He will cost almost as much and has much less of a track record. Joba? Even more question marks plus ownerships comments that they want him to start.

The Yankees have shot themselves in the foot. They need Mo.

Now, there is NO way Mo is "worth" 4/52 to any other team. Just like no other team was going to pay Posada that or A-Rod 10/280. Again, it's the Yankees bidding against themselves.

Rivera wants 4 years! Is he an idiot! Go to the Dodgers, good ridens! He's offered starter $ and would be not only the highest paid Reliever in the game but the 5th highest paid pitcher in baseball. I hope the Yankees dont waste any more time or $ on Rivera. His time with the Yankees should be at its end (or so I hope). It would be in the Yankees best interest to sign Cordero. He had a way better year, is younger, and is way cheaper. Have fun with the Dodgers Rivera...or wherever you land...for $8 million a year

Maybe on this site but have you read the articles today in the pop media. Everyone seems to be jumping on the Arod crawled back and boras bashing bandwagon. Practically no one is saying the obvious. So out of a lethal combination of boredom and love of yankees bashing I choose to rub it in.

In this case it was the idea that someone believes the yankees are so great at strong arming that rivera is going to crawl back to them and take on one of those "paycuts" Arod did.

unloyal, idiotic yankee fans.

you guys are willing to take arod at 28 million a year for ten years (0 championships...so far)

but you are willing to let MO go cause you dont want to give him that extra 15 million, 4th year. A guy who has brought you 4 championships!

Morons.

I find it hard to believe that after so many loyal and dedicated years that Mariano is only now deciding to throw a hissy fit over his perceived value. We get it Mo, you're upset because the Yankees didn't negotiate prior to the season. However, if they negotiated with you all of the other pending free agents would be pissed and expect the same treatment.

45 million over three years is far more than any other team will offer you and the only reason I see the Yankees offering that much is out of respect to you for your past service. You'd be the highest paid closer in the game going into your forties.

Come on Mo, stop trying to play the victim and sign your deal. If not, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

The Cubs should trade Hill, Marshall, Cedeno and one of Patterson/Murton/Fuld for ARod after he signs with the Yankees. That way they'd have some pitching, a replacement for Melky on off days and someone to play shortstop.