The Yankees have more wins than any American League team thanks to the second-best offense in baseball and solid pitching. Here's the latest from the Bronx…
- The Yankees will almost certainly extend a one-year qualifying offer to Nick Swisher after the season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Though the Yankees would love for Swisher to accept the offer, it’s more likely that the switch hitter will decline in search of a multiyear contract.
- Sherman wonders if the Yankees would consider keeping Swisher long-term. Though the Yankees are expected to retain Curtis Granderson and let Swisher leave as a free agent, they could change course and keep Swisher, who would likely be more affordable than Granderson.
- Agent Scott Boras acknowledged that contending teams won’t look to Derek Lowe as a starting pitcher this coming offseason. “Probably the only way, at this point of his career, to get on a good team this year and next year was as a reliever,” Boras told Sherman. The agent said his client should thrive in his new role. “Derek Lowe in the bullpen is a Lamborghini because he can do it all. He can pitch long, he can pitch in the seventh, eighth or ninth. This man is a Renaissance man.”
- Sherman wonders whether the Yankees will use David Phelps as trade bait, project him in the rotation, or rely on him as insurance for the rotation and the bullpen.
- Ichiro Suzuki is a prime-time player even if he’s in his decline phase, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. Davidoff suggests it’s unlikely Ichiro will re-sign with the Yankees this coming offseason.
Wouldn’t a really awesome LOOGY be a Lamborghini? Specifically designed to strike out lefties vs specially designed for aesthetics and speed? Lowe is closer to an SUV. He can fill in numerous roles (like carrying people or cargo or both) and wont break your bank (decent mileage compared to bigger Jeeps, Hummers, and Land Rovers) and you’ll be comfortable when using both,
Lowe was good for the braves for a season or so…He was the opening day starter in 2011…it bugs me the braves are still paying him a lot of money to not play for them this season..
I wonder if Scott Boras ever starts cracking up mid-sentence when he’s trying to sell things like this… “No, seriously… he’s totally a Lamborghini out there.”
*explosive fit of laughter*
*wipes a tear from his eye*
I like the role Phelps is in right now. He pretty much has replaced Aceves role with the Yanks, but done a better job. I still believe he can, and should be a #5 starter in the MLB. Wouldn’t mind if he enters next season competing for that #5 spot in the rotation.
Mo : Lambo :: Lowe : Kia Sephia
Am I the only one that google’d “Kia Sephia” ?
I have to say, if I was Brian Cashman, I would retain Swisher and see if I can trade Granderson. It’s been a rough year for Granderson at the plate. K after K after K, it’s getting old. If the Yankees want this “$189 million payroll” than they have to see that signing Cano and Granderson together is not possible; however, signing a Swisher and Cano is. The Yankees can plug Gardner in CF and have a platoon over in LF. This can be possible by using their pieces in the farm, and if that fails, they can re-sign Jones and another veteran defender.
That depends on if Brett Gardner – who is out of options – is healthy. As for Ichiro, the question is: how much of a pay cut is he willing to take? His salary is $17M for this year and he’s made nearly $130M in his time in the majors.
But I’m with you—re-sign Swisher and pick up Grandy’s option with the intent of trading him…so that you have money to re-sign Robinson Cano, as Cano is likely going to demand a minimum of 6 years and $115M as a free agent, and he’s a key part of the Yankee lineup and, unlike Granderson, has great plate discipline.
Cano does not have great discipline. He has good discipline. His ability to hit the ball and place the bat at certain places bails him out on swinging at questionable pitches. But without a doubt, better then Granderson at discipline
Granderson despite his all or nothing approach at the plate is very valuable to the Yankees both as a center fielder and someone with speed on the base paths who will score a lot of runs. Whereas Swisher brings unquestionable energy and excitement, Grranderson is eloquent and just an all around classy guy.
By all means, Swisher should remain a Yankee but he has yet to produce in the playoffs so a lot of things and tones can change if his hot streak now doesn’t show up when the Yankees need it most. Can’t say I won’t miss Swisher if he leaves, I absolutely will he is such a fan favorite and brings passion and life.
Aside from that…
Bringing back Hiroki Kuroda should be the Yankees first and primary offseason move. He is the epitome of a consistent and dependable number 2 starter. His ability to perform game after game is the complete opposite of American League AJ Burnett and its a big reason why the Yankees have weathered through their injuries.
The question on Kuroda – do you bring him back on a multi-year deal or go the arbitration route? Keep in mind that he turns 38 next year. Also, should Freddy Garcia be brought back on another one-year contract, give that Pettite should finally be hanging up the uniform for good?
The rotation next year would be: Sabathia, Kuroda, Hughes, Pineda, and Garcia or Nova.
I seriously doubt Pettite would retire after making his comeback and spending most of the year on the DL. He has shown he can still pitch. With Mo vowing to come back in 2013 I can almost guarantee that Pettite will be back too.
Sabathia-Pettite-Kuroda-Hughes-Nova-Pineda-Phelps and let them battle it out.
Boras calling Lowe a lamborgini lol
How is a Lamborghini the car you pick to talk about versatility?
$$
Derek Lowe is the Honda Civic.
Just throwing this out there. I think the Yankees and Indians can match up well for a Shin Soo Choo trade in the off season. He can replace Swish in RF as a cheaper option, and we can keep Granderson and Gardner in CF and LF.
What do the Yankees have in their farm system that the Indians would want? It’;s not a very highly rated system. I guess if they want to throw Tyler Austin and Ty Hensley at Cleveland they would listen, but both of them are a long way from the majors.
I think the Yanks can offer plenty to entice them. However, they shouldn’t. Choo is a very god player but he has 1 year left of arbitration and will probably get around $10 mil, will be a FA after 2013, is about the same age as Swisher and is a Scott Boras client. Wouldn’t make sense to trade top prospects for 1 year of Choo. He’s good but he’s not a game changer.
Nobody has yet been able to tell me what the Yankees have that the Indians would want. They’re not going to move Gary Sanchez and the rest of the upper reaches of their farm system is pretty barren. The Yankees best prospects are in A ball or lower.
And your point? The Yanks have 4 prospects listed as top 100 guys in Bans, Sanchez, Austin and Williams and several near mlb ready players who while they might not be listed as “top 100” prospects they are making some noise (David Phelps, Adam Warren, David Adams, Corbin Joseph, Zolio Almonte, Slade Heathcott, Jose Pirela, Brett Marshall, Mike Montgomery, etc).
Choo should NOT require multiple blue chip prospects and “we” have to get past relying solely on prospect lists to judge who is good and who isn’t.
Not comparing this bunch to any in the Tex trade between the Rangers/Braves but I don’t think any of those guys were ranked as top 100 prospects at the time of the trade. Neither was Arodys VIzcaino when the Yanks sent him to the Braves.
The Yankees farm system ranks 22nd out of 30 in MLB. All I’m saying is that there are many other teams that match up with the Indians better than the Yankees do. And at the time of the Texiera trade, Saltamacchia was ranked as the #36 best prospect by Baseball America, and Andrus was #65. They were the top two prospects in the Braves system.
You were correct on the rankings of Salty and Elvis. However, why do you harp on the teams ranking? Is that really important? Isn’t it more about what the Indians may want + what their trade partner would be willing to give up?
Yanks would be wrong to do it, but they have 3 top 50 mideason ranked prospects, another top 100 in Bans and several good prospects at AA or above who may not be “elite” but are mlb ready. All I’m trying to hammer home to you that guys like Phelps, Nova, Cano, Gardner and Robertson were NEVER top 100 ranked prospects and to say that the Yanks can’t match up would be wrong. Yanks have good track record of producing good, if not elite, mlb players and the Indians are enjoying one of them in Zach McAllister.
Also, Choo is a good player but I doubt he’s going to demand a team to empty out their farm system if they choose to make a run at him.
What about Beltran from the Cards for Rf in 2013? Last year of 2 year contract so leaves opening in 2014 for payroll. Cards might want LH Turley and take a gamble on Santana getting healthy.
Last time Derek Lowe was a top-notch reliever, Orel Hershiser, Gary Gaetti and Albert Belle were still active. Just sayin’