Odds and Ends: Astros, Saito, Yankees

Burnett hasn't thrown a pitch for the yankees yet.

Mike Hampton's contract ended, though.

How is Carl Pavano left off that has to be way worse then Zito just for the mere fact Zito at least pitches!

schmidt...
what a bust.
i cant help but think what could have happened with him as an ace..

Chipotle you beat me to it. Burnett has not done one thing for the yankees and its already one of the worst contracts in baseball. Gotta love mainstream media

I don't see why the Marlins would go for Saito. If he didn't take $2.5 million plus incentives from the Dodgers, I doubt they can afford him.

Pavano and Hampton aren't under their big contracts anymore. If they were they'd be up there for sure.

Don't know how I feel about ranking AJ's contract so low before he's even thrown a pitch though.

Yankees over paying for Burnett is an understatement. I wrote tonight on my blog that I think the best place for Teixeira is Boston: http://www.ontheblack.com/2008/12/15/teixeira-should-go-to-boston/

shitI hit enter before hitting JK, My bad

I'd love to know who these "worthier names" are...

ok i gotta be the one to do this

"Rob Neyer thinks that the Yankees "pretty obviously overpaid" for A.J. Burnett"

YA THINK???!!!

there an lesson to learn from this. DONT SIGN MARLINS PITCHERS
DOlphins park is pitcher-friendly and stressful, When you put an pitcher spoiled to those quantity, into the microscope of NY and DET, they fizzled.
Example A: Pavano
Example B: Willis
Example C: Burnett
Example D: Todd Jones
Example E: Joe Borowoski
Example F: Armando Benetiza(I forget how to spell it)

Leave them alone, Buyer Beawared

BTW
These isn't saying Florida Pitchers are overrated, im saying they rarely(Beckett, maybe Penny) ever become good big market pitchers.

"Yankee hater rob neyer hates the Burnett signing... shocking...of course if his beloved Red Sox signed Burnett, it would be a great signing though" have a strong feeling once years went over 4 and salry over 13-14 million that Boston immediately lost all interest in him.

Why not call the signing bad? Isn't 5 years and 82.5 million for a guy who is hurt most of the time. look at his stats over the last 4 seasons and it tells it all, he cannot stay healthy long enough during a season to win more than 10 games but 2 times and has been right at .500 for 3 of those season. The guy has worlds of talent and great stuff, you bet, just cannot seem to stay healthy and Boston just does not give out big contracts to pitchers, much less 17.5 million to DL types and don't blame them one bit on this guy for dropping out, they should have never even gotten in on him IMO.

I'd rather take the risk and watch that money spent on a player who can contribute to a WS ring than watch that money go into the pockets of owners who don't contribute to anything.

The Yankees are about WINNING... at any cost. You spend money to make money. That is what America and capitalism is all about. People who criticize the Yankees for doing whatever it took to upgrade their pitching are just jealous that their own team doesn't have the balls to actually take risks and invest.

Sure, my ticket to games would probably be higher. I watch most of my games on TV anyway. However, I'd rather spend more for ticket with team that as a good chance to win and head to the postseason than spend a dime on a team like the Marlins. (even if I lived in Florida) I'd rather spend money to watch Burnett pitch than some AAA garbage or someone like Sidney Ponson.

I'd rather watch a team take risks with payroll than watch an owner fill his pockets with revenue sharing money and then blame the economy for the payroll budget.

Was the AJ signing riskey? Yes, no one is questioning this. ALL pitching contracts longer than a year are risky. But if that's what it takes (and it took this much to top the Braves) and if Burnett plays a major part to obtaining another WS ring in any of his 5 years, then it would have been worth it.

News Flash: God didn't just all of the sudden give the Yankees their payroll. They earned it with market growth through winning. Criticizing a Yankees' contract without even watching the first year of that contract is like criticizing Warren Buffet for investing in a risky stock.

Of course, if the deal does pan out, then it'll be "the Yankees are buying championships." Yeah, if the Yankees sucked they would get top draft picks and wouldn't need to go through free agency. It's amazing how people can criticize any team that tries to improve itself. In the end, their payroll is still reduced without having to give up prospects.

And some people just don't like the fact that the Yankees get to spend so much. It's their money, they get to do whatever they want with it. If you wanted to live in a world where everyone gets the same of everything then you're looking for a realm called Communism. You can just move to Cuba or North Korea for that. I'd bet you'll enjoy it there.

the willis contract should be on that list. 3 more years when not a pitch was thrown in detroit. DD screwed us on that one.

Andrew and strikethree get it. Thank you guys for the intelligent (and I mean that seriously) remarks. Need more people on here that put these baseball contracts in proper perspective. Neither poster had a slant towards their own, and at the same time did not negatively criticize others.

Frankly, I'll say it again, the Yankees have done nothing wrong this off season. They have made a trade that on paper is brilliant for swisher (although not a major player) mitre, marte, CC and AJ have all be solid signings. Pitchers are always a risky bet, but you could say Texeria at $200mm is just as much of a risk. He could be injured just as well, fielding a grounder, running the bases, you name it. Their payroll is still substantially lower than last year and frankly, lower than several teams at the moment. They have just have created a rotation for the next 3-6 years. CC, AJ, Wang, and then Joba, Hughes, and a host of many other talented prospects coming up.

They have made it alarming clear that they are not inappropriately overbidding on the likes of a Manny R and Mark T. If they can get either at market rate then great, but the Yankee's are doing nothing more than any other professional team. In fact, as the some other posters mentioned they are giving us, like always, quality entertainment. Personally I do not need first place every year, but the Yankee organization takes on that responsibility to perform.

Many people neglect to remember baseball (I'll tread lightly with this remark) is for the most part profitable because of the Yankee's. Like many have pointed out this past years WS ratings were down substantially. Huh. Go figure. The Yankee's are the top shelf of professional sports. I say this not only as a devote, long time Yankee fan, but someone who appreciates what 'MY' team does for me. If i'm paying to go to a game, I want to see some gamers. I'm not paying comparable prices to go see the Marlin's play or the Royals play. Tampa was the anomaly this past year. I suppose 10 years of last place, netting top draft picks, it was bound to happen. I do not think there will be an epic fall off, but rest assured they are not the first place team in the AL East this year. Baltimore has just as much opportunity as them. I think Texeria makes a lot of sense for them. Other's challenge that. We'll see.

i wonder what kind of contract boston is going to give big game beckett; had the same stats as AJ

"News Flash: God didn't just all of the sudden give the Yankees their payroll. They earned it with market growth through winning.

And some people just don't like the fact that the Yankees get to spend so much. It's their money, they get to do whatever they want with it. If you wanted to live in a world where everyone gets the same of everything then you're looking for a realm called Communism. You can just move to Cuba or North Korea for that. I'd bet you'll enjoy it there."

STRIKE THREE - You're right that it wasn't God that gave the Yankees their money, but you are wrong that it was "market growth through winning".

It is the richest cable TV contract and the geographic good fortune to be playing in the media center of the world that give the Yankees their edge.

I will also tip my hat to George Steinbrenner who was willing to spend whatever it takes to keep his team in the hunt - unlike some other owners.

But make no mistake about it, the Yankees financial advaantage is huge and has nothing to do with "market growth" or winning. The Yankees certainly have tradition working for them, but more than anything, they have the media market and the cable TV deal (along with a generous owner) that enable them to sign players to contracts that other teams simply cannot compete with.

If baseball ever comes to its senses and employs salary or broadcast media revenue sharing, the Yankees will still have the historic tradition and the media market but will lose their almost obscene edge in guaranteed revenues.