The Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles could use rotation upgrades and the Rays could use a first baseman and/or designated hitter. Here’s the latest on the American League East as the 2012 portion of the offseason continues and Spring Training draws a little closer…
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times explains that Cole Hamels and Matt Cain could make more sense for the Yankees next offseason than Edwin Jackson or C.J. Wilson would have this winter. The Yankees have shown uncharacteristic restraint so far this offseason, but Cain and Hamels are set to hit free agency after 2012 if they don’t sign extensions first.
- The Yankees would offer Hiroki Kuroda a one-year deal, but they say he’s too expensive at the moment, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Kuroda would prefer to sign with a West Coast team, but the Red Sox have maintained interest in him, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. So far, the right-hander’s asking price hasn’t dropped.
- The Red Sox had interest in free agent left-hander Aaron Laffey before he signed with the Blue Jays over the weekend, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
Cain and Hamels would both be over 100 million, way more than wilson or jackson. But they are both better.
Weird to see the Yankees exercising financial restraint. They almost make it sound like spending on Wilson this winter would have precluded a run at Hamels.
I’m also surprised that they won’t sign Kuroda simply because ‘he cost too much’. On a 1-year deal just give him the 12-13 mil he wants and be done with it. Mere pocket change to the fat wallets up there.
I think the Yanks would prefer to have some cheaper options in play to offset who they might sign in 2013.
If you’re over the lux limit then you’re not signing that guy for “X” salary, you are signing him for “X” salary plus 40% or whatever it is.
If the Yanks were able to unload AJ’s contract on someone (Mission Impossible) then I could see them going after CJ possibly, but that obviously didn’t happen.
The other possibility is that they’re being completely honest, and didn’t like CJ Wilson at the kind of price he was commanding on the open market. I certainly didn’t, nor would I like Jackson, Oswalt, or Kuroda at the prices they’re commanding on the open market right now. Nor would I particularly like Cole Hamels — especially after getting to watch him up-close in a pressure-handling situation called the ’09 World Series, and announcing to the press afterward that he just couldn’t wait for the series to be over. A lot of these fellas, with no disrespect intended, seem to be benefiting from an “AJ Burnett effect”: The best pitcher on the open market, and a great pitcher, are seldom the same thing.
I *love* Matt Cain, but surely the Giants aren’t stupid enough to let him make it all the way to free agency.
That leaves internal candidates and scrap-heap reclamations, both of which the Yankees are in better-than-average position to convert into a solid pitching staff once again this year, and even more-so into next. Someone in here said, about this time last year, “If the Yankees’ 2010 starting rotation includes Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, I’ll like the chances for the rest of the division,” and we all know how that worked out.
Let the Yanks start the season with CC-Nova-Hughes-Garcia-Burnett, and either move at the deadline or bring up one of the young arms, if need-be. It’ll be just fine.
i hate that the yankees are being smart so far this offseason.
I wonder if they’ll still feel smart if their starting rotation begins to stink it up.
Considering that actually happened in 2008 and they didn’t make a significant move, I think we can expect the same for 2012.
They didn’t make a significant move last offseason either (Soriano but he didn’t help much and he was out about half the season) , and they had the best record in the AL.
We heard that last year, and it was arguably the 2nd best rotation in the division.
Well well well….Blue Jays beat out Red Sox on Aaron Laffey. This should stop Boston from feeling so smug about stealing Jesse Carlson from Toronto.
Yankees-Kuroda is going to happen.
After reading about that free agent flirting (Yankees waiting for price to come down, Kuroda wants to stay out west) this one seems likely.
I just have a bad feeling they’re going to take themselves out of next years FA by signing Jackson this year. It seems like the Soriano situation, and I think management is going to tell cash to get him.
I think it’s the opposite. I think management is telling Cashman to trim payroll under that magical $190 million mark with the new CBA terms. Yankees will stay low key until next offseason since a major need (Cain or Hamels) is available (and Cashman has a track record of waiting for the key in FA rather than pursuing a luxury) and a lot of money comes off the payroll by the end of 2013.
Jeter (will retire likely and someone like Nunez or on the cheap could probably replace him) Soriano (easily replaceable), Burnett (can be replaced by a thumb tack), Rivera (can be replaced by Robertson and will likely retire), and Swisher (can be replaced by a couple of minor league options or consider it a wash in FA or he might be resigned if he has a good postseason.)
That’s, at best, about 70 million just in those players, at worst, about 60 million. The only major player due for a big raise will be Cano, so even with signing a guy like Hamels, the Yankees should have about 30 million they can trim. That will put them, at the highest, around 185 million, give them a 2nd ace, replace Swisher (possibly with himself) and they shouldn’t really miss a beat with the on field product.