Twelve years ago today, the Expos sent Christian Parker to the Yankees as the player to be named later in the Hideki Irabu trade. The two teams made the deal a few months earlier, with prospects Jake Westbrook and Ted Lilly going to New York. Parker eventually flamed out, but both Westbrook and Lilly went on to have long and productive careers, just not in pinstripes. Here's the latest from the Bronx…
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post says the Andy Pettitte signing was a move from the vintage George Steinbrenner playbook, a "sensationalistic lightning bolt" signing.
- "You play for the Yankees, nothing surprises you," said Freddy Garcia to reporters (including Marc Carig of The Star Ledger) when asked about the Pettitte signing this morning (Twitter link). Garcia is a candidate to be traded once the left-hander is in game shape.
- Sherman checked with Jorge Posada following the Pettitte signing, and confirmed that the team's long-time backstop is staying retired (Twitter link).
- “We’ve been trying to sign him for the last few years,” said GM Brian Cashman to Jack Curry of The YES Network about Dewayne Wise. The team sees him as a valuable reserve outfielder with above average defense. Wise joined the club on a minor league contract this offseason.
- Alex Rodriguez told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that he'd like to own a baseball team one day (Twitter link). According to the game's bylaws, A-Rod will have to wait until he's no longer under contract with one of the 30 clubs to do so.
- MLBPA head Michael Weiner told Carig that he expects the Yankees to remain under the $189MM luxury tax threshold in 2014 and 2015 (Twitter links). That will qualify them for rebates in 2016, and Weiner then expects them to raise payroll.
As a Yankees fan I would expect the same as Michael Weiner about the Yankees payroll going forward.
I wonder if Pettitte would have said he’d come back in December when Cash was kicking the tires, if the Yankees would have still traded for Pineda and/or signed Kuroda.
I’m thrilled to have Pettitte back as he’s a known commodity and you know what to expect when he’s game ready, but a very small part of me is a little upset that he left the Yankees last year when they really needed him. I mean, I get it about the whole Clemens deal and it being a distraction, but an illogical part of me is a little peeved.
Sabathia, Kuroda, Pettitte gives the Yankees three inning eaters with Nova being a pretty good chance of becoming one as well. Not too shabby compared to last year!
I think that the Monetro/Pineda trade would have still gone down. I think Kuroda would not have been signed, however. Montero/Pineda was about the future, about 2014’s budget and beyond, while Kuroda/Pettitte are about right now.
will major league baseball ever allow a known steroid user to buy one of the teams? can they say “integrity of the game” with straight face if they did?
Baseball has had owners far more crooked than a PED user. Given MLB’s complete disregard for DUIs, I doubt they’ll care as long as they get money.
see: george steinbrenner/watergate
See: Jim Crane/ War Profiteering
The only thing one won’t understand is. How are PEDs still more accepted than betting on your own team.
Because no matter what he says, he most likely wasn’t just betting on his own team. Gambling by those involved in the game opens doors that are far more destructive to the integrity of the game than PEDs could ever hope to be.
I think that leaves out a crucial aspect of Rose’s mentality: His competitive desire.
Yeah, because ARod and The Boss aren’t competitive beyond any hope of reform. Big Stein’s been dead for nearly two years, and he’s still more competitive than half the owners in the league.
The thing I don’t understand is, do the Yankees really think adding a 39 yr old, one year without play, Andy Pettitte is going to help them win a world series or something?
Though I hate cliches, I believe the old adage is “you can never have too much pitching.”
I don’t think they signed him with the intention that he was going to win them a world series its just never a bad thing to have to much starting pitching.
I think they’re treating him like a prospect. His upside is (very) big if he pitches near his 2010 level. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t cost anything. If he’s usual Andy, he can certainly out pitch Garcia, and possibly Hughes as well.
Alex Rodriguez wanting to own a club? Has he been watching Major League II?
Love him or hate him, every writer admits he’s among the smartest “baseball guys” in the player’s union. He knows the game. When he lets himself be drawn into critiquing other players/managers, it shows. And he LOVES the game. Of course he wants to own a team.
Look at Arod living the ultimate American dream!
“Garcia is a candidate to be traded once the left-hander is in game shape.”
i’m going to assume that Garcia didn’t leave a good impression during Spring Training huh?
Its not so much that, not at all. Freddy looked exactly like he did last year ( which was pretty good).
Its just that he’s the lowest man on the totem pole, and has been all spring. Everyone in Yankee Universe is assuming that the competition for the 5th spot has been fixed in Hughes’ favor from the start, so Garcia was always the odd man out anyway. That is now doubly true is AP proves himself effective.