Yankees Not Discussing Mark Teahen

Yanks aren't gonna move cano to 3b for a few months.

They're only interested because they watched him yesterday against the USA in the WBC.

The Yankees should at the least inquire about Martin Prado of the Braves.

"One Royals official stated that they were hoping the Yankees would sign Mark Grudzielanek, which would give Kansas City a sandwich pick in the 2009 draft. Doing this would require moving Robinson Cano to third base, however."

No, this would require Grudz agreeing to play 3B.

Casanova Wong: love the name! And you'd be surprised what a gritty vet like Grudz would be willing to do for chance at a title.

I'd try to get Blake Dewitt for the Yanks.

I'm sure he'd passable at least. It's better than giving up anything for a stop-gap, because that's all Teahen would be for the Yanks. Unless they plan on playing him LF next year.

Tell you what - Yanks sign Grudz giving us a sandwich pick and we'll throw in Teahen and a bucket of balls.

Otis26: That works for me!

Teahan has a horrible obp rate but I like the fact that he's young (27) and under control for 2 more years. The fact that he can play the OF bodes well because it gives us another option, in addition to Swisher, to compete for a full time spot after the 09 season. They would have to put up better numbers but they along with the winner of the Melky/Gardner battle would be good starting points for consideration in the winter of 2009-2010. And if we decide to go after a bigger name next year then we can flip Swish or Teahan for prospects seeing as how they're both relatively young and inexpensive.

really alan horne? i thought not too long ago yankees viewed very on that kid having closer stuff but maybe his injury risk lowered his ceiling

All I'm hearing is these sports writers and ESPN writers saying that A-Rod is out until early May. Thats the max rehab. I did the math and 6 weeks from tomorrow the day of the surgery is only 2 weeks into the season. So who knows, he could miss 4-5 weeks of the season or he could only miss 2-3. Whichever it is its a lot better than the All Star break. If the other players like Posada and Matsui along with everyone else stays healthy and our pitching can pitch like they can we will be fine.

Tim, the early may is if everything goes right and he can make every rehab on time. hips are very tough because of the type of joint it is. dont expect him to be out only 6 weeks.

'I'd try to get Blake Dewitt for the Yanks.'

In one word, no. the dodgers arent trading him right now. he is the 2b of the future. IF the trade him, like i said before, it would be in a package for an ace, not straight up. thats why you never see a top prospect or even a good one, straight up for another prospect.

Here is how I see it, in my humble opinion. Teahen may be an extra piece for the royals from outsider's views, but the people in Kansas City love him, and the Royals admin know how much upside the man has, and how much he will help this club this year. They won't be dumb. It may not take Phil Hughes to get him, but it might. It would definitely be something close, as the Royals know how good that rotation is and that the Yanks can afford to deal a young arm. I believe (as Moore has said in the past) that the royals would have to be overwhelmed with an offer to move him, and they would only do so if it bettered the organization. And moving Teahen for a low level prospect or two when he still has TWO relatively cheap years left would be *DUMB*. This isn't the Allard Baird era when people could rob the royals blind. No way this comes to fruition unless the yankees become ever so desperate.

Posted by: clrm8d | March 08, 2009 at 03:24 PM

Teahen's owed something like 3.5 million, thats quite alot for KC, especially if hes going to be sitting on the bench.

I dont think it would take much since the Royals payroll is at $75 million and they want to be at $70. Maybe a guy like Giese or Aceves.

Yeah Teahan probably would not require a top prospect but he certainly wouldn't be a salary dump either.

Yanks would be stupid to give up a top 10 prospect for a player unless that player figures to serve a long-term purpose beyond being a sub for Arod. To some extent I think Cashman had regrets over the Nady-Tabata deal and I think he would be reluctant to make a similar deal unless Arod was going to be out for the whole year.

KC has a glut of OF'ers already and most are vastly superior to cabrera, Crisp, Guillen, Dejesus and Teahan is at least as good a prospect as Cabrera, so no reason to consider swapping one with power that has performed, for one in Cabrera that has not.

KC can trade or release John Buck/Miguel Olivo whom they are overloaded with at backup catcher and save the salary and keep Teahan even, both Olivo and Buck are slated to make between 2.1 and 2.9M in 2009, so don't think the Royals are under any pressure to give Teahan away, unless someone is prepared to offer something they really need, or want.

?You say they can release a player but that doesn't...

There is a legit market for both Olivo and Buck YFS78, releasing them I should not have written perhaps and both of their contracts even if they did are not guaranteed and only a portion of it would have to be absorbed if they were even released before the end of ST.
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You are completely incorrect on both. Buck and the Royals avoided arbitratio and agreed on a 1 year deal for 2.9 mil. Olivio had a 09 club option picked up for 2.7 mil. Both players are guaranteed their salaries. The instance where a team can release a player and only pay a prorated portion prior to the end of ST pertains to a team whose player went to arbitration, had their case heard and ruled on by the arbiter.

Didn't Grudz play 3B in the All Star game a couple of years ago?

With both Damon AND Matsui's contracts coming off the books this off-season, Teahen almost assuredly wouldn't be a stop-gap if they went after him. Especially because there's only 2 (maybe 3) Left Fielders in next year's FA class that the Yankees would go after: Holliday, Carl Crawford, and Jason Bay.

Holliday will be looking at 9-figures from somebody, and the Yankees have been cutting payroll (as much as it looks like they haven't).

Crawford has a $10mm club option with a $1.25mm buyout. The Rays may decide that $10mm is cheap enough to keep him (and the owner has been talking about raising payroll after the WS).

Jason Bay may still get an extension from the Red Sox.

I think Teahen's combination of age and price make him a pretty attractive option at LF for the Yankees. If I were Cashman and could get that deal done for an Alan Horne-type prospect, I would do it in a heartbeat.

This deal won't happen. The Royals see Teahen as an everyday player, even if he is in a utility role. He can play RF/LF/1B all adequately and is actually a good RF. He is above average at 3B his natural position. He runs surprising well, is very smart, and has been durable. Granted he hasn't had that breakout yet, but he is primed for it.

Good. The Royals shouldn't give Teahen away and the Yanks shouldn't be trading even one good prospect for what is estimated to be a 1 month stopgap.

YanksFanSince1978 wrote: "You are completely incorrect on both. Buck and the Royals avoided arbitratio and agreed on a 1 year deal for 2.9 mil. Olivio had a 09 club option picked up for 2.7 mil. Both players are guaranteed their salaries. The instance where a team can release a player and only pay a prorated portion prior to the end of ST pertains to a team whose player went to arbitration, had their case heard and ruled on by the arbiter."

Actually you are incorrect. Neither Buck nor Teahen have guaranteed salaries for 2009. While it can go both ways, most arbitration year contracts offered by a team are non-guaranteed and it doesn't require going to an arbitrator. Olivo's contract is guaranteed for 2009.
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A player whogoes to arbitration with his team and has his case DECIDED upon by an arbiter CAN still have his contract terminated prior to ST and only receive the prorated portion.

However, a player who chooses to go to arbitration but reaches an agreement with his team AND AVOIDS having his case heard by the arbiter has a GUARANTEED contract for whatever the two parties have settled on. The two parties have settled on a guaranteed deal.

If Melky Cabrera doesn't win the starting job this year, regardless of what happens, his contract for 09 is guaranteed and the Yanks have to pay it. However, they are not obligated to pay him after 2010 and could do so simply releasing him and he is considered non-tendered for whatever years he would've ben under Yankee control.

Andy Marte would be a good little prospect to have in the minors to see if he could rebound but seeing as how no one touched him off of waivers anything more than a fringe prospect would be overpaying. Plus he would still have to compete for the spot. He would not be given the job automatically. His .211/.265/.337 line in 531 at bats has won him nothing. I wouldn't even go as far to say he's better than any in house option we have.

That is an interesting idea regarding Marte, he has already been outrighted bCleveland off the 40 man roster hasn't he? That means he cleared waivers and nobody wanted him, but does make one wonder if the Yankees now may have taken a look at him for the remainder of ST before either keeping him, or them placing him, or trying to sneak him to AAA on waivers themselves to AAA and losing him themselves since he is/was out of ML options.

I wouldn't shut the door on a Teahan type going to NY before ST is over, either a utility type that can play numerous IF/OF positions, or some top name player that may surprise us. I really hope it's not Danny Uggla, that would gut the marlins.

YanksFanSince78 -

You clearly do not understand the difference between guaranteed and non-guaranteed contracts. It does NOT have to go to an arbitrator for a club to offer a non-guaranteed contract.
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I never said that was the case. Buck and the Royals were headed to arbitration but BEFORE the case went to be heard they agreed on a 1 year deal for 09. The Royals absolutely could've non-tendered Buck a contract and he would've been released (same as what the Royals did for Emil Brown last year) but they choose not to. If Buck's case went in front of an arbitor and he won the case then his contract would've been NON-guaranteed because effectively, regardless if you're a arb eligible player w/ or w/o 6 year you are going into arbitration W/O a contract for the next season. The fact that you SIGN a contract prior to the hearing guarantees you a deal for that year.

YanksFan - you still don't get it. MOST pre-arb and arb year contracts are non-guaranteed. Sometimes the club will add a guaranteed provision to get the player to sign to a lesser amount or for some other reason. There is usually not much incentive for clubs to hand out guaranteed contracts during arbitration years so they are generally pretty rare. For instance (besides Buck and Teahen with the Royals), Papelbon and Lopez both avoided arbitration with the Red Sox, but both of their contract were specifically reported at non-guaranteed. Duchscherer signed a contract with the A's to avoid arbitration, but it is reported to be a guaranteed contract. Dave Bush signed with the Brewers to avoid arbitration and his is a weird one, it is non-guaranteed but it has a clause in it that if any of the other arb-eligible players got a guaranteed deal with the Brewers, than his automatically becomes a guaranteed deal. Reed Johnson avoided arbitration with the Jays last year and was later cut during ST and only recieved 1/6 of his non-guaranteed contract:
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Baseball/article/349919

There are plenty of other examples. I am not saying a club can cut a player whenever they want, a non-guaranteed contract only lasts up until April 1 this year. After that, if the player is still with the club his contract is guaranteed and the club is responsible for 100% of the contract if they choose to release him.

Very interesting stuff chupanibre, I was unaware of that. Thanks for informing!

"Teahen for Kennedy is fair. Teahen is just reaching his prime years and can play 5 different positions. Kennedy has been a bust in the majors so far and may never realize his potential".

Think about what you're saying dude. Teahen is 27 years old...hit.255/.313 with 15 hr's and 131 K'S!! He's not a base-stealer and an average defender at best. He hit only .231 w/RISP and a hideous .179 w/RISP w/2 outs. Also went 0-10 in Fenway....but he's "just reaching his prime"?? lol

Kennedy just turned 24...dominated every step along the way in the minors in 07', was rushed to the show and went 1-0 1.90 for the Yanks. So in 08' they thought he was ready despite only one TOTAL year combined in A,AA,AAA and the Yankees. He wasn't ready yet (few would be!) and had a set back posting an 8.10 in 9 starts. Then he got sent back down and dominated again. A 23 year old top prospect that had his first taste of failure EVER is not a "bust who may never realize his potential". Hughes went through the same thing...so did Buckholtz for the Sox. Greinke had a 3.97 his rookie year....and then had a 5.80 his second year. Is he a bust too? Hochevar had a 2.13 in his forst taste...then a 5.51 this year. He sucks too I guess.

Get a clue dude...a role- playing K machine like Teahen
for a top pitching prospect isn't happening.

revive85 - I'll have to disagree again on a few points.

One, the MEDIA mentioned Teahen because the ROYALS stated they wanted to get to 70 mill on the payroll...Cashman is not said to have any interest in him whatsoever.

There is NO given that the Yankees will be ANY games back. They have the best starting pitching in MLB and a line-up of Damon, Jeter, Tex, Matsui, Posada, Cano, Nady, Ransom and Gardner is STILL potent...especially with 5 studs on the hill. They won't NEED to score 8 runs a game to win...Rasner, Ponson, Pavano etc aren't starting here anymore.

Cano came up as a 3B...they shifted him to 2B. They could put him back to 3B and sign Grudz or Durham...problem solved...above line-up even better!

If they wanna trade and give up something of value (like Kennedy), it will be for Beltre, Blalock or Mora...not Mark Teahen. Teahen is far from the only option available.

Lastly, Melky is still only 24 years old...he's a switch-hitter with some speed...a great defender with a cannon who has already led the AL in outfield assists. He was also rushed. There isn't a 24 year old alive who has fully reached his potential...he could easily be a .275 14 75 20sb guy with a solid glove. That's hardly "scrub" material. That being said, I personally am not a fan of the guy, but he does have skills and it's too early to make a call on him.

Kenny - Please tell me you're joking. If not, I'm going to have to insist that Cartman kills you once and for all.

eahen is a nice fit. or put
in wright. just kidding. seriously i pick teahen or simply chipper jones. jones could join them for cano and
swisher should do the trick. a- rod could play short and derek could play second base.

Posted by: Kenny | March 09, 2009 at 04:38 PM

Chipper Jones will never be a Yankee and that is just wishful thinking. Even if it did happen Cano and Swisher aint getting it done. It would cost you Joba plus a top level prospect at the least.