Yankees Aiming Higher Than Crede

Yes please. I want Joba, Kennedy, and Cano for Rolen! Okay well maybe just Shelley Duncan. Who makes sense in a Rolen deal? It won't take much since rolen is so injury prone. Betemit for Rolen straight up???

He's been declining (but so have Rolen and Crede), but I think the Yankees should look to pursue Eric Chavez. I think he'd cost much.

Well, obviously rolen is not worth a blue chipper the likes of melky, phil, or joba, but i am sure the cards will start with ian kennedy, and to tell the truth, they may ask for betemit and kennedy in return. The cards do have question marks at three infield positions if rolen is traded (i think they could do better than kennedy at second), and while they already have brandon ryan, i think betemit would be a nice addition who could hit for a decent average and power in the NL if given consistient playing time, i am sure that the cards will want to seek more than kennedy and betemit, but that is not a bad place to start.

Scott Rolen? this is the guy the Yankees would want?
as someone who doesnt like the Yankees i say go ahead get Rolen. they might also want to keep Betemit so he can play 3B when Rolen is on the DL.
im sure the Yankees can do better than Rolen, but i say go get em.

I agree 100% bobo, Ensberg kills lefties and he is a decent defender, he could probably be had for a bucket of balls. At this point I almost want to get him as a bench bat if nothing else.

There's no way the Cardinals are going to get a blue chip for Rolen. My guess is that they would be glad to get his payroll off the books.

As a Yankees fan, I like the idea of getting Rolen better than any other idea being thrown around.

Oh god no...

Cabrera: Mortgage the future.

Lowell: 5/70 for a guy who had a below 800 OPS outside Fenway? In a park which doesn't favor righties? That makes perfect sense!

Beltre: Not if a blue-chipper is required.

Rolen: If they take Chase Wright in return :D. No way you trade Kennedy or even Clippard here.

Bobo:

Best idea yet. Sign Ensberg and platoon with Betemit. Yanks will have to write off next year anyway so why trade for anyone or sign big contracts?

You don't trade any of the blue chippers unless its for Santana.

This'll show who's in charge. If they sign Lowell or trade for Cabrera, its the brothers (idiots) in charge. If they take the smart route (trade smartly, keep the Kennedy/Hughes/Joba or sign a cheap platoon guy) then Cashman is running the show.

Would St. Louis do that?

That's almost 10 million in salary they'll take on. They'll save like 2 million by trading Rolen which isn't much.

I think eating his salary is the only option here for the Yanks. Rolen for a fringe prospect or two and call it a day.

People can advocate it because the Yanks have money coming out of their ears. Rolen makes the most sense for them...and they might even be able to work out a Betemit for Rolen straight up. Not that great of a prospect but STL gets rid of a whopping 36 mil on their books. Yanks get a GG 3rd basemen that will be one of the better all around players as long as he stays healthy. I know thats a big if...but it still makes the most sense. If not betemit, I think the Cards need to get an MLB ready position player, and probably one that fills a hole...like a betemit or a SS or something, which I don't believe they have, right?

They have Alberto Gonzalez - amazing defender and not a huge dropoff from Eckstein offensively (that's not saying much, of course).

I think the Yankees would be happy to trade him.

Still 3 years of a potentially useless Rolen is a huge risk. I still think the Cards have to take on some bad contracts.

bobo:

When I mean "write off the season" I mean that we're not winning the WS.

I think it's reasonable to assume that Kennedy/Joba/Hughes will be limited in innings and that any path to the WS will have to go through the Sox or Cleveland.

As of right now the Yankees a bit behind those two teams.

@Aduncaroo:

Also, the Yankees have a bunch of money but they don't like paying luxury taxes and losing money (the Yanks lost money despite having the most revenues). The money is better spent scouting and developing players than buying veterans.

Rolen is a GG 3B who hasn't been the same since that shoulder injury. I think the Cardinals can't expect much more than what the Yanks gave for Abreu AND Lidle. Probably a bit less.

Bobo:

How ready is Gonzalez? Not ready enough to move Jeter to 3B I assume...

I don't think that's too much - they're both reasonable.

I don't know if Gonzalez will ever be ready offensively, but he's certainly ready defensively. I think he'd hit .240 with no power, a non-disasterous OBP and a little speed. Combined with his defense and the fact that he makes the minimum, it gives him some value as a backup, and he might work as a starter for some teams.

I'd say he's basically Eckstein, minus 50 points of BA and OBP. At a tiny fraction of the cost, that's not awful.

But with that offense, I don't seem him starting in NY, at least not in a year where we lose ARod and possibly Posada.

melky and a few prospects will net a #2/#3 starter?

which prospects?

The Yanks have a wealth of young pitching other than Hughes/Joba and Kennedy than are projected 4s and 5s in a few years (Clippard/Wright/Horne). Melky is a solid defender in center and hit for above average in his first full season. The team could get a Garland or someone of similar value.

I never said anything like writing off the season. We absolutely have a chance.

I think on paper, even assuming Mo, Pettitte, and Posada come back, the Red Sox are better, and the Yankees are just as good as the Tigers, who are really the only other serious threat at the WC. We will contend, without a doubt.

And as we all know, once you get to the playoffs, it's all a crapshoot.

So of course we can win the world series.

I've read elsewhere the connection between trading Damon and then going after Hunter. This makes no sense. You trade Damon to get rid of a glut in LF. Melky is in CF. There's no place for Hunter. Only way we go after a CF is if Melky is traded in a blockbuster, which I cannot advocate.

So DRamos, who's the answer at 3B? What's wrong with the Ensberg platoon?

As a 10 & 5 player, Rolen has the right to veto any deal. Despite his recent rift with Tony La Russa (who likely won't be around until the end of Rolen's contract), I just don't see him approving a trade to the Yankees and their fans (remember, he hated playing in Philly). He's worshipped as a god in St. Louis, he's 3 hours from where he grew up as a Cardinals fan... it would almost have to take the Yankees exercising an option or restructuring his contract for even more $$ to get that trade to even go through.

Bobo, I would trade Melky in a blockbuster if it brought back pitching and sign Hunter to roam CF for the next four years. In theory you are replacing a good CF for pitching and paying for a CF; but the Yanks have a ton of money coming off the books next year and they can spend up to $175M per year if necessary.

As far as 3B goes, what has Betemit or Ensberg done to deserve the start at 3B?

I dont see miggy going to the yankees they are the worst match up from the marlins perspective

Now a cheap Rolen fits for NY perhaps

Adunc, I'm a Cards fan too but I haven't lived in St. Louis in a few years. Still, every time I've been back there to see games (~3 games a year) Rolen's gotten the loudest ovations outside of Pujols. The man has a lot more leash with the fans than he would anywhere else, especially New York. La Russa signed a 2-year deal, yes, but he could get fired - his ol' buddy Jocketty isn't around any longer. And I personally believe that Rolen and La Russa have a good enough working relationship to make Rolen want to stay despite whatever differences they have.

I wouldn't personally have a problem if the Cards could convince Rolen to leave and somebody else to take his entire salary while giving up a prospect or two, but I just don't see both of those happening. I think we're stuck with him.

DRamos, I'm just opposed to the whole "spend the most money", "sign the best guy available" attitude.

Isn't it great watching homegrown Yankees succeeding?

I mean, sure - we have enough money that we could just go sign everyone and trade all our prospects for Cabrera and Santana - but would that be fun to watch?

I would like Beltre and he is improving every year but Seattle would not trade him to the Yankees without getting one or two of our top four guys in return. (Hughes / Joba / Kennedy / Tabata)

I don't want Cabrera not because he isn't a great player but because the cost would be too steep. We would be forced to trade Melky and top prospects unless Cashman can pull a miracle.

Bobo, I enjoy watching a homegrown kid but if I could trade Melky along with Horne and Karstens for Santana (not likely), I will enjoy watching the Yankees win a game 1 in the playoffs for a change.