The Yankees are telling people they only have $1-2MM for their open designated hitter spot, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman feels that such a budget would take them out of the running for Carlos Pena and most likely Johnny Damon. According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, Yankees insiders said they haven't had time to fully consider DH options, having traded Jesus Montero so recently. Martino says the Yankees "won't spend lavishly" on a DH, especially with plenty of internal candidates for a potential timeshare.
No one would be surprised if the Yankees find a few million bucks in the couch cushions for someone like Pena. I can't see why Damon, another Scott Boras client, would merit much more than $2MM though.
Yankees and “limited funds” should never be in the same sentence.
The Yankees have a budget. It’s not “infinity,” although it may feel like that at times.
With luxury taxes, they’re paying 150% of what another team would pay for the same player. Unless the improvement is a serious one (e.g. Kuroda), it makes little/no sense.
like the red sox, the yankees are nowhere near their actual payroll ceiling. they are near their payroll target, which is an artificial goal designed to maximize profits
Please don’t sign Damon. I’d rather just let Jones DH.
IIf they really only had one or two million to spend, they wouldn’t even have dial Pena’s agent.
This is almost a slap in the face to every other club in baseball. What a shame, the Yankees are having a tough time finding more than a few million on top of their 200M payroll? I wish my team had that problem.
Next headline: Yankees sign Prince Fielder to DH, found $200M in the cushions.
It’s just not fair sometimes :(.
Lol, is all you ever have to talk about is the Yankees high payroll and then put the sad face?
Haha, I may do it a little too much, but if there’s anything that the NFL does right over MLB, its capping payroll. It allows for every team to compete on as virtually fair of a playing field as possible every year. It won’t ever change, but I guess thats how life goes.
NBA has a cap too, and that is, without question, a 6 team league- Boston, Miami, LA Lakers, Dallas, Chicago and San Antonio (7 if you want to include Orlando who will fall out once Howard is gone though). And more often than not, the AFC in the NFL is really only a 3 team league – Pats, Steelers and Colts. This is not a knock on the NFL, I love almost as much as I love baseball, but I think people go too far when they say the cap is what makes the NFL competitive.
This might sound silly and feel free to disagree, but I think it’s the short amount of games that make the NFL competitive and the more amount of teams in the playoffs (which I do like). Don’t forget every NFL game is 6.25% of the season. 2 games, let alone 1 game, is A Lot. 2 OT losses in a season is basically 20 extra inning losses in a baseball season. And it’s fairly obvious 1 player in the NFL, unlike baseball, can make a big difference between a good team and bad team (See Manning, Peyton). I don’t like the idea of a 2nd wild card team in the MLB, but if they made it a best of 3 instead of 1 game, I’d like it more.
I know a majority of people don’t follow hockey, and I know hockey fans hate their commish about as much as NBA and MLB fans hate theirs, but I think hockey is the most competitive sport, however that could be in part due to over half the teams in the playoffs.
The NFL is definitely the most well balanced sport, but I really don’t think a Cap is the main reason why. That’s just my opinion.
Replace the Colts with the Ravens 🙂
No I’ll just add the Ravens as #4 then lol.
I also feel like the NFL is one of the more balanced sports. To a point though, I feel like the cap does have an affect. I don’t believe there has always been a cap in the NFL (I could be completely wrong here), and there really hasn’t been any team that’s taken obvious advantage of that that I recall. It only takes one team to take advanatge of a nonexistent cap to make not having one a problem when it comes to having a competitive balance.
I also agree that the short amount of games makes the NFL more competitive, and that one great player can make or break a team. But, one player can also make or break a team in baseball to a certain extent. I hate to use my own team as an example, but I feel most comfertable making the argument with my team since I know it better personally that every other MLB team. If the Reds didn’t have Votto in 2010, there is no way that they would have ever had a chance to win the division. He was the only one that remotely stood out as a superstar, allowing them to go to the playoffs. Brandon Phillips would have been considered their best player, and he is good and all, but didn’t even remotely put up the same numbers as Votto.
A team having multiple superstars (Yankees, Red Sox, etc..) based on a higher payroll allows for them to be much more competitive every single year. The Rays have been very lucky in their scouting to allow them to be competitive the last 4 years or so with 1/4th the payroll, which i commend them for. Think if the Rays had a $85M payroll. It would allow them to pay their current team and add a superstar and at least another very good player. The Rays would hands down be considered the best team in baseball if payrolls were equal, because they are already getting playoff production at 1/4th the cost. Reading this paragraph back it didn’t quite come out as clear I had hoped it would, but I hope you can get the jist.
Cap was introduced in 1994 in the NFL I believe. Again I’m not saying a cap had 0 impact, I just said I do not think whatsoever it’s the main reason. If it was the main reason, it would work in the NBA as well, and clearly it does not work in the NBA.
“and there really hasn’t been any team that’s taken obious advantage of that that I recall.”
The Eagles did, and they went no where.
I wouldn’t call a team that has good scouting “lucky”. Otherwise everything in sports is about luck. Oh in case you don’t know in 2010 they had a $72 million payroll. It’s not $85 mil, but it’s close. And in 2008 when they made the playoffs the first time, I believe it was only $30 million.
Yeah, I didn’t mean for the lucky thing to come out the way it did. If the Rays made it to the playoffs on 30M, then think how much better they could have done on say that $72M payroll. That was kind of my point, but obviously didn’t come out very clearly.
Let’s also remember that the NFL has a league-wide television deal, where in MLB, each team is on their own. Thus why YES, NESN, and the Angels new deal gives them further advantage over smaller, less profitable markets.
That’s definitely true too. Obviously there’s no way for about 180 days, Fox, CBS, ESPN and whoever can be putting multiple baseball games on each day.
The Tampa Bay Rays find a way to compete year in and year out.
World Series Champions since 2000: Yankees, Diamondbacks, Angels, Marlins, Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals, Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees, Giants, Cardinals.
What more do you want?
Well it’s not solely about who wins championships, it’s also about who makes the postseason. However baseball has by far and away the fewest amount of teams in the playoffs (And I am not going to say it’s expanding to 10 unless they play a series). 8 out of 30 compared to the NFL which has 12 of 32.
I read an article last year which said if baseball’s top 6 teams record wise in each league made the playoffs each year, the only 3 teams that would not be a playoff team in the past 10 years would be the Orioles, Nationals and Pirates.
As it stands, 6 teams in baseball have a playoff drought of 10 or more years, only 1 in the NFL.
I think the NFL will always be better than baseball than barring something terrible in the NFL happens such as David Stern switching leagues with Roger Goodell lol
The smaller market teams generally have a smaller fan base and/or the owners spend their money elsewhere, even from luxury tax.
How is this a slap in the face? Grow up already. You complain about the $200 mil but don’t say a word about how the Yanks, Sox and other big market teams are single handily keeping some of the small markets teams alive by literally paying for their entire payroll and draft budgets. If I give a dog a bone, I don’t want to hear whether or not they like it. I would just as soon they simply say thank you and shut the heck up. Shout out to my man Brick Top for the inspiration.
but what does that have to do with the unfair competitive advantage they get from being able to spend as much as they want? sure the revenue sharing system allows small markets to gain money and compete but if there were a more balanced system that allowed all teams to compete for the same free agents, those teams might be able to generate their own revenue in the first place. As for the Yankees ‘giving a dog a bone’, it’s not like they pay the luxury tax out of the goodness of their hearts. They do it because they have to.
The Yankees cannot help that they are located in NYC. Tampa would take advantage of the NYC market if they could.
Still, money doesn’t always guarantee success (a.k.a. the Mets). You still need to run your organization in a semi-efficient manner.
And would you even want to compete for the same free agents? I am sure that Billy Beane is grateful that he wasn’t stuck with Jason Giambi’s contract. Many of the free agent players are heading towards their decline years by FA. When Longoria’s contract is up with Tampa, they will have enjoyed the majority of his prime years.
So if the issue is one teams ability to spend vs the other then it’s irrelevant whether or not it’s $140 or $200 mil.
The Angels hold an absolute advantage over the A’s.
The Phillies hold an absolute advantage over the Marlins.
The Dodgers (if they had the right ppl controling them) would absolutely have a major advantage over the Dbacks or Rockies.
The White Sox and Tigers over the Royals, the Cubs over the Cardinals, etc.
Within their own division, the difference between the Yanks vs the Sox, vs the Jays, vs the O’s is much smaller than the Jays ability vs the Rays, or the Angels vs the A’s or the Cubs vs the Pirates. Yanks aren’t doing anything criminal or against the rules when they spend to retain their players or attract new ones. So why should they be made to feel as if they are wrong. Yanks owe NOTHING to anyone other than their fans and stock holders.
IF/when they change the rules and institute a salary cap then what is there to gripe about to the Yanks?
Even if there were a salary cap, there would be a salary floor that, if done vs what the cap is, would be difficult for at least 3 or 4 teams to meet.
Haha at the Brick Top part. I’ll just kindly agree to disagree on some aspects and end it at that.
They love to wring their hands about having limited funds until they go out and sign another big ticket item. They should just stop talking about what they don’t have.
Did I miss a press conference where a Yanks exec went out of his way to say that or did a unnamed source simple answer a question posed to him by a reporter. Hating someone else for what they have won’t make your life better ‘bro. Of course the Yanks have the money but I assume even they set a budget that they want to stick to if possible.
Of course they are out of $$– Your paying decrepit old men 5 years past their prime 20 million a year – that makes no economical sense. And with $2 million you can easily get Damon with room to spare.
Except the fact the reporter just said he doubts Damon can’t get $2 mil or more elsewhere. In other words, Damon would have to want to return to NY bad enough that he’s willing to take less. History shows that’s not likely.
It sounds like Yankees are targeting Dan Johnson. If not Blue Jays can trade them David Cooper or Rays can trade Juan Miranda. Otherwise, Randy Ruiz might be available from Japan.
If Yankees can’t swing any of these deals, they might have to settle for Prince Fielder.
hmm… don’t see any pigs flying… as far as I know all the snowballs in hell have melted… in what universe do the Yankees have “limited funds”??? hopefully this is an indication of their downfall.
I’m assuming they will sign Damon to a 1-year deal worth $3-4mm, with a team option and $1mm buyout. That will then allow Jones to face lefties while Damon handles righties in the DH spot. Also, the option will allow the Yankees to defer the $1mm unti the end of the season.
The Yankees finally do something and spend $10 mil on one player, and all of a sudden the people who understood the 2014 luxury tax situation have reverted to their old ways of ‘Evil Empire will buy their way to another ring.’
Typical.
I want to say it’s amusing but it isn’t. In terms of new talent we’ve spent what? $15 mil this winter and Kuroda the majority of that?
Yanks should trade for Garrett Jones of the Pirates. The Pirates don’t seem to respect him and the Yankees could get a solid player who can play 1b and the corner outfield positions on the cheap (Probably for a 2nd tier or two 2nd tier prospects). On the flipside, it will fix the issue the Pirates are having with a glut of outfield prospects coming through the system (Marte, Grossman, Pressley). Even Jason Bay might be a good choice if the Yankees could get the Mets to take a bulk of his salary. Bay just doesn’t seem happy in a Mets uniform.
Thinking outside the box, couldn’t they invite Garrett Atkins, Thames or Troy Glaus to camp and see what happens? Would Posada even come back for one last year at 2mil?
As an endnote, is Jorge Vazquez still in the Yanks farm system? If they are considering Pena, shouldn’t they consider Jorge as well (he’ll probably yield the same results)?
As an endnote, is Jorge Vazquez still in the Yanks farm system?———
Yes. All he does is K and homer though…I’d rather give Jones regular reps.
Jones will DH vs lefties. My guess is they are looking for a lefty to be his complement in a DH situation. That’s why Pena, Damon and Matsui are being looked at. Vazquez is a righty I believe.
Where did you hear about Matsui? I only heard about Damon and Pena.
Matsui IS NOT being looked at. That is just your wishful thinking. Get over the reunion of has-beens.
You spoke too soon as did I.
I wonder if a Burnett for Bay deal might make some sense? Maybe finesse it a little with a prospect on each side to make it more appetizing.
Not a bad idea, but it sounds like the Yankees need to reduce payroll.
I’m not so sure the Mets can absorb the salary of Burnett. However, you could probably pull off a Burnett for Garrett Jones deal.
The Pirates were kicking the tires earlier in the off season on Burnett and may be able to take that on. Then you can platoon Garrett Jones and Andrew Jones at DH.
I wonder if they thought about other outcasts like Jay Gibbons or Ryan Shealy who are both minor league free agents.
Bay has 2 mill more on the books of his contract than Burnett does. Mets don’t have to worry about absorbing Burnett’s salary.
Yes, let’s chase one bad contract out of town with another. As bad as AJ is, he’s worth his contract more than Bay is.
PLEASSSSSSSE BRING JOHNNY DAMON BACK!!!! Tailor made swing for Yankee Stadium. Great energy.
After the Pineda trade, one thing that has been a bit lost is the “stealth” aspect of the deal. The Yankees (and M’s, in this case) kept the negotiations absolutely secret. No one had even a sniff. This latest “no money” act is just to keep us all off the scent. I expect we’ll be surprised again.
That’s how Cashman usually works. Prince Fielder to New York! I really don’t see them signing any big names. Maybe then sign Pena or Damon, but that’s probably as high as they’ll go on the payroll.
If we can’t get Johnny Damon, stick Rodriguez there and play Nunez at third.
Why? A-Rod was the best defensive third baseman in baseball last year (IIRC). Maybe the occasional off day to keep him a little more healthy, but a permanent DH?
He might have been, by your matrix, the best defensive 3B in baseball last year, but he only played 89 games in the field. The previous three years, his matrix were all in the negative, and in 2006, when he played 151 games at 3B at the age of thirty, he was positively negative, 24 errors and a 937 fielding pct.
ARod’s history shows that the more he plays in the field, the worse he gets. Plus, coming off hip and knee troubles that last year limited him to just 99 overall games, and turning 37 this July, you cannot say that he wouldn’t better serve the Yankees as the full time DH. Not to mention that between him and Jeter, the Yankees might have the worst defensive left side of the infield in the baseball.
The only good thing is that Pineda is a flyball pitcher, so he should be able to keep the ball away from ARod and Jeter. Of course, some of those flyballs just might be beyond the reach of Brett Gardner, too, if you know what I mean.
Because keeping his bat in the lineup is more important than on the DL. As for Figgins, you get a utility infielder who can also play short (another aging position) on the cheap. I think I was looking at Figgins as more of a replacement for Hairston.
Replacement for Hariston? He’s been gone for years. I assume you mean Chavez. I still don’t think they’d want (or anyone else would want) Figgins, even if he is there for free.
Sorry about that. I did mean Chavez. Figg was injured for a majority of last year and played through it. The guy could still field though. I’m wondering if you put him into a lineup with some protection, if he would produce like he used to with the Angels.
Because keeping his bat in the lineup is more important than on the DL. As for Figgins, you get a utility infielder who can also play short (another aging position) on the cheap. I think I was looking at Figgins as more of a replacement for Hairston.
You might have a point. The key players for the Yankees are starting to get older. Maybe make a trade for Figgins and play him at 3rd, then moving Rodriguez to DH (update: occasionally)? That is if the M’s are willing to absorb most of his salary.
Even the non-key players on the Yankees are getting older, too. Even the minor leaguers! Why would the Yankees want Figgins? He can’t hit at all.
And Figgins isn’t getting young or better.
Have you seen Nunez in the field? Even A-Rod coming back from injury last year fielded better than Nunez.
Spot starter in the field, OK. Starter, no.
That limit is self-imposed. The Yanks are showing uncharacteristic, albeit mild, fiscal restraint.
That limit is self-imposed. The Yanks are showing uncharacteristic, albeit mild, fiscal restraint.
Pena will want more money than the Rays and Yanks want to spend on a DH. He could also play first for the Rays, where he would be a part time DH for the Yanks. Damon could be had for less than 2 million, where Pena will cost more.
Pena will want more money than the Rays and Yanks want to spend on a DH. He could also play first for the Rays, where he would be a part time DH for the Yanks. Damon could be had for less than 2 million, where Pena will cost more.
If I’m the Yanks I would just rotate the DH with A-Rod, Tex, Jones, Jeter, and Nunez. Maybe Chavez.
Chavez is not on the team. If they get Chavez that means they would sign him and he’d probably be their last bat of the offseason.
That’s why I said maybe, Chavez can play third or first. Pena can only play first while Damon would only be a DH.
Chavez is not on the team. If they get Chavez that means they would sign him and he’d probably be their last bat of the offseason.
I think the fact the red sox and yankees are both talking about having payroll issues is “collusion-ish”. Some of these older veterans on the market (i.e. Damon/Oswalt/Matsui/etc.) are going to end up taking some very low-ball offers right around spring training.
Why is it “collusion-ish”? They are both up against the lux tax and know that they are paying an extra 50% for whoever they sign and this year, neither team had “major” needs outside of the Yanks and their pitching.
Half the FAs use the Yanks and Red Sox to drive their price tags up. Boo hoo for them if they can’t do it this year. The Yanks have 7 SPs. What do they have to do with Oswalt’s contract?? They hjave a full staff. Go sign elsewhere…
Exactly my thinking as well. First, we get people complaining about how much teams like the Yanks and Sox spend. And now when the Yanks and Sox are wanting to minimize the amount of luxury tax they pay and keep their spending somewhat under control, we have people complaining that they are being “collusion-ish”. Jeeez.
Nunez/Vazquez/Jones are all viable internal options. They may also trade rather than sign or, as someone noted above, wait for Damon to lower his salary demand. I wouldn’t worry too much about the Yankee DH.
Going back to the NFL v MLB payroll/competitive argument. Here’s a cool chart.
nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/07/03/magazine/03stats…
Basically if you’re not in the upper half in terms of payroll you have a hard time making the playoffs. If your in the lower 50% in terms on money spent, usually below 70-80mil you only have a 25% chance of making the playoffs.
The Rays prove that through scouting and making the right draft picks a small market team can contend. Not sure why there is still an argument about this.
Well again do take in the factor that only 8 teams make the playoffs in baseball. The more teams that make it, the harder your chances are to win the WS. Something we will not know unfortunately if indeed 10-12 teams make it.
Interesting chart nontheless
Bad teams usually don’t spend a lot of money. That is sort of misleading.
Going back to the NFL v MLB payroll/competitive argument. Here’s a cool chart.
nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/07/03/magazine/03stats…
Basically if you’re not in the upper half in terms of payroll you have a hard time making the playoffs. If your in the lower 50% in terms on money spent, usually below 70-80mil you only have a 25% chance of making the playoffs.
Trade for Giambi
You can get Alfonso Soriano (26 HR/88 RBI last year) for $2 million with the Cubs eating the rest.
I second that motion!
NO.
Alfonso Soriano already has his bags packed….
I am not going to lie. I always shake my head at the “It’s not fair because of the Yankees big budget” comments. Yankees have one of the smartest operations in baseball. Last weekend showed it.
If you want your team to beat the Yankees, your GM will have to outsmart them. In fact, Blue Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos, identified that as his biggest challenge. He sees outsmarting Yankees, Red Sox, “and Rays” in the baseball operations department as the key to winning. He is not as concerned about outspending them. He does recognize the advantage Boston and New York have in this area. But, he believes they win (along with Tampa) because they have a great baseball operations department.
All four teams have been careful this winter with how they spend money. Perhaps, Boston is paying a bit of a price for being too aggressive with their spending the previous two winters. But, overall, each baseball operation has been masterful in many ways when putting together a MLB roster.
And then…………….There’s the Orioles
I wouldn’t make the Orioles out to be awful or bad. They are simply mediocre. Their problem is mediocre looks absolutely awful when contrasted with the rest of the AL East.
baaaahahaha
Find great humor, every time I hear the Yankees have limited funds…. Oh, those Yankees, they crack me up… I’m sure they have $5 or 6 million hidden in a coffee jar somewhere for Carlos Pena…
Kyle Blanks would make for an interesting DH target for the Yankees. He gives the added value of being able to play the outfield or 1b. With him slimed down he’s not too much bigger then Dave Winfield, another 6’6″ athlete with Blanks getting a couple year head start on his NYY tour.
He’s only set to earn 500k while still having four years of control. Not sure if the Yankees have an exciting enough prospect to make it worth SD’s worthwhile. Yes Manny Banuelos pitching a few miles from Mexico is appealing to the Padres, but between SD’s other arms, including their own left-handed mexican pitching prospect, and the Yankees likely unwillingness to make that trade, don’t think that’s a fit. Guessing a prospect or two most non-yankee fans know much about, albeit each with upside.
I’d shed a tear when he hit’s 30 hr’s for the Yanks next year!
Vlad Guerrero
Vlad Guerrero
Could get Abreu from Angels and perhaps Trumbo for a pitcher/catcher prospect combo