The Yankees are likely to bid for Masahiro Tanaka, if he's made available to them. But GM Brian Cashman suggests that the Yankees could also simply go with what they have in the back of their rotation, Jorge Castillo of the Star-Ledger reports. "We’re focusing solely on what’s available in the marketplace," says Cashman. "And also recognizing and restating that we might not get everything answered with an exclamation point or the comfort level that we’d prefer."
After C.C. Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova, the next group of names on the depth chart include Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Manny Banuelos, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno. Given that Kuroda will be 39 in February and that Sabathia had a down season in 2013, it would be somewhat surprising if the Yankees headed into the season with their current collection of talent. Unlike much of the rest of the free-agent market, the starting pitching market remains relatively fertile ground, with Ervin Santana, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bronson Arroyo still available.
Right and Bubba Crosby in center too……….
“We don’t have the money to sign both CC and Teixeira”.
I really doubt they are done, but no reason really for him to publically state that he will bid full force on Jimenez if he misses out on Tanaka. He is trying to build a team, not be the Yankees spokesperson.
Why wouldn’t they sign Matt Garza? He won’t cost them a draft pick, he doesn’t have to be an ace on that team, and he will give them consistent, quality innings. He’s a good fit for the Yankees.
Because the 2014/15 Free Agent Class includes names like Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester, Jamie Shields, Justin Masterson, Max Scherzer and Jake Peavy. Now, not all of those guys are going to make it to free agency but one or two of them might and a case can be made that they are a better use of limited resources (yes, even for the mighty Yankees, money is a limited resource) for the 2015, ’16 and ’17 than Matt Garza. Lose the present (2014), win the future, (’15-’17).
honestly the only one that I think won’t be a free agent is Kershaw.
I could see the Red Sox locking up Lester. If not, given that Lester, unlike the others on the list other than Kershaw of course, is a lefty, he would be my top target. But I think the Red Sox will have the cash and the talent poking through the top of the system to show him that they intend to compete for seasons to come. Unfortunately, for the Yankees.
I agree in thinking the Red Sox lock up Lester, I think the Tigers extend Scherzer as well.
The whole idea of moving Fielder and Fister was to free up funds for a Scherzer extension. But for the past 3 weeks the talks been that Detroit won’t have the funds for the extension, and they are looking to trade.
Just doesn’t make any sense to me giving up Fister for a bag of nuts (literally), and then sending Scherzer packing. I know taking on Kinslers contract they save “a tiny” bit of money (not much though). They did improve their IF defense on that move, but they also lost a LOT of HR power too. I’m just questioning Detroits moves this offseason and scratching my head. I’m a Seattle fan and Seattle got shafted in the Fister trade, but now Detroit I feel has gotten shafted in the Fister trade this offseason.
There is a lot of competition for free agents with all the new TV money it just depends on how much you want to over pay for a player.
They didn’t literally trade Fister for a bag of nuts. They got a player. Last time I checked, that player wasn’t actually a bag of nuts. English is fun!
Kershaw and Lester seem to be locks to stay but you never know!
You would think the Red Sox would offer an extension now especially since he had a couple down years. If he bounces back or improves this season, he’s going to want Hammels or Cliff Lee money.
The only downside for Lester is that he had down years while being young, that and that pitching is impossible to predict.
The problem with signing free agent ace pitchers is that the shelf life for a starting pitcher being dominant varies a lot. Most of the time they are never worth the money spent. I would think that after next year both Lester and Scherzer only have one or 2 good years left in them.
If the Yankees do exercise restraint in this year’s free agent pitching market, Kershaw would be foolish to sign an extension before free agency next year.
Kershaw has been funny with his reactions to signing!
I’d much rather have Jimenez over Masterson his left/right and home/road splits are still very large, I wouldn’t want him in Yankee Stadium. Peavy too based on recent production and age.
Dont forget Bailey and Cueto as well
I believe Cueto has a team option that is in the neighborhood of $10M though, and it would be hard to imagine the Reds deciding to to exercise that option so he is almost guaranteed not to be a FA until after 2015.
Yeah I think that may be right on the $10 MM with an $800K buyout so most likely Cueto stays in Cincy
You are right on the money, and there are some good infielders next year with Cabrera, Ramirez, Escobar, Lowrie, and Headley.
The only one who is really a sure thing on that list is Hanley Ramirez. Cabrera is wildly inconsistent enough for Cleveland to shop him in trade talks; Escobar, is he anything special with the bat and didn’t he write something offensive in his eye black one time? Something like that would blow up in the New York media; Headley, one really good year. Let’s see him do it again.
And on top of that, Brendan Ryan signed for 2 years with an option, I think. I think Jeter’s impending retirement probably had something to do with that.
Liriano as well.
Nice story in 2013–can he do it again?
Depends how the Arod situation turns out
Only problem with that is the time the Arod situation is determined any quality SP will be off the market this second we find out about the Tanaka posting in the next 2-4 days.
After the Yanks go under 189 next year they can spend as much as they want without it being taxed. Everything is reset! This means the sky is the limit in 2015.
No, they would have to stay under 189 this year which is not going to happen so Hal as said they will stay under next year and you already have them signing Hanley Ramerez and Max Scherzer. Not happening. Realistically, I think they should revisit Gardner for Homer Bailey and see what it will take to get Chase Headly coming off a bad year. AROD is history as a Yankee. Get Tanaka if the posting situation but beware of the “Fat Toad”.
if they do that it would be a big mistake, i mean the yankees already had problems with there Rotation last year, and they lost chamberlain , Phil Hughes and Andy. so the need to pick atleast someone like Matt Garza or Ubaldo Jimenez, are just get both,
1 CC sabathia,
2, hiroki kuroda
3, Matt Garza
4, Ubaldo Jimenez
5, michael pineda
now that would be a really good pitching Rotation.
Hughes and Chamberlin are addition by subtraction
No Ivan Nova? lol what.
for me if the yankees want a shot at the would series, they can’t trust both pineda and nova to take them there, at the moment, both can take turns 5th in the Rotation this year
I agree they need a surer thing at number 3. A yovani gallardo trade could work if the yankees eat some of weeks contract. I doubt they enter the year with this rotation. AT least 1 or 2 colon type signings will also occur.
i don’t think there a chance that the yankees would be interested in trading for yovani gallardo, there looking for free agents.
It all depends on how the Brewers view their team, if they are in a rebuilding mode they might trade Gallardo he didn’t pitch that well last year.
I think the Yankees and Brewers would have a hard time coming to terms on the value of Gallardo in prospects. I’ve looked at his numbers, he’s good but he is not Cliff Lee-good. The problem is, I think that’s the price the Brewers would ask for and the Yankees just don’t have it.
I’m thinking the Yanks could get Gallardo for Murphy, Nunez, and Warren.
Brewers have a lot of question marks in their rotation; Gallardo is a rare sure thing. I could see them asking for (at least) Phelps and Warren. I mean, if I were them, I’d ask for Nova but I doubt the Yankees would do that.
Gallardo bad hammy and only 28. Don’t think he is a sure thing.
It will all depend on the A-Rod suspension, that will give them another 25 million plus to spend. Otherwise this pretty much the team for next year. I think their in house options are capable.
the part that made the least sense to me was including pineda over nova.. pineda hasnt pitched since his rookie year
The Yanks need some good things to happen with their pitching similar to what happened to the Sox last year. At this time last year nobody expected what they got out of Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Dourbrant, or Urehea.
I wouldn’t be too uncomfortable with Sabathia Kuroda Nova Arroyo Pineda.
yes i l like Arroyo he’s also a good fit for the yankees, and Banuelos is just coming off injury, and surgery so i would think it would be best if the yankees hold off on him this season.
My thinking is that Banuelos will start in AAA and could come up in the summer if he performs well
You’re asking a lot of a 22 year old who was last seen in September pitching simulated games in Tampa.
Hey this is my dream, when I wake up I’ll use logic.
2015 Yankee rotation- Scherzer – CC- Shields- Nova- Pineda with Baneulos as the long man. SS- Cabrera, Escobar, or Lowrie and Hanley Ramirez at 3rd. Line-up Ellisbury, Ramirez, Beltran, Tex, McCann, Zorbrist A-Rod Lowrie, Austin, Heathcott, or Williams.
First $400M payroll in history!
The difference between the Yanks and other teams is their mentality is to win.
Scherzer and Shields can easily get north of $20M a year and I bet Ramirez won’t be too far behind if he has a strong year. A-Rod will be guaranteed back on the Yankee Payroll, and for all we know they could end up signing another expensive player this year. The Yankees are rich, but not even they can afford THAT payroll.
Yanks will have a lot of money coming off the books, plus they make a lot of money. I think they clear over 300 million every year, maybe 400 million.
Yep, AROD will be paid even though he will be gone unless the entire 211 game suspension holds up…..211-162=59…..so a possible but unlikely $11 mil or so of AROD salary relief in 2015. Still, Scherzer and Hanley Ramirez? Tigers saving up to sign Scherzer and LA has plenty of money to keep Hanley. Other teams want to win as well.
i agree he to young and he coming off surgery , there no need to rush him, i have no doubt that Banuelos will be a really good pitcher but the yankees need to take there time with him
Which is probably best he hasn’t pitched in two years and needs to increase his workload slowly and watch his innings.
That’s probably asking a lot from a guy who hasn’t really been that good since A+ ball. He has 58 poor AAA innings total and he’s going to be on some serious pitch/innings counts after surgery.
I wouldn’t plug Manny in until 2015!
I think Arroyo is a really bad fit for an AL team, he has the highest ERA in interleague play history in like 170 innings so it’s not small sample size. He’d give you innings but they’d be high 4 ERAs.
Would much rather Garza. He pitches well in the AL east and is more durable
animal_strength nailed it.
A) Nova will be part of the rotation to start the year. Hell, he was their best starting pitcher down the stretch last year with the exception of maybe Pettitte, who was emptying the tank in the full knowledge that he wouldn’t be back.
B) The Yankees aren’t signing 2 of them. First, because there will be plenty of other teams courting them after Tanaka either stays in Japan or signs with someone and second, because that would put them past the luxury tax threshold even if they are lucky enough to have A-Rod’s suspension hold up.
C) We don’t know if Michael Pineda is ever going to throw another major league pitch and since he has options remaining, there’s no reason NOT to leave him down in AAA for at least the start of the season to rebuild arm strength.
D) With the offense they now have, they probably don’t need a starting five of that caliber.
When you start with:
Nova
Sabathia
Kuroda
one of Tanaka/Garza/Jimenez
You can afford to get by with a David Phelps, Vidal Nuno or Adam Warren in the #5 role.
On C. I think there’s no reason not to start him in the major league rotation from the start of the year if he shows up in shape and healthy in ST. He’s done learning in the minors and if he’s competing for a spot in ST he’ll be able to throw normal amount of pitches per game. He’ll be shut down before seasons end anyway based on innings, get them in at the major league level.
Wow … whatever.
If they don’t land Tanaka, and all the other SPs go quick after the Tanaka posting news…they are all going to go off the market way before the Arod situation is resolved.
From what I’ve read they will only spend on Tanaka, if he doesn’t post and A-Rod is suspended for the year they will have money to get some more mid level pitching. The top 3 are out!
well, there is a chance they spend…if arod only gets 50 games, they’ll be over the limit and then they would look pretty stupid being a only couple million over, holding back signings (like cano) just to not accomplish it anyway. Look for them to spend a lil bit more too if it comes to that.
The luxury tax is in some ways irrelevant when it comes to Robinson Cano–matching a $240 over 10 year offer was a bad deal any way you slice it. The team doesn’t need another A-Rod like albatross contract.
Pineda only has 2 pitches to throw, and I’ve seen A LOT of Pineda being a Seattle Fan. I wouldn’t count on him being part of a ‘real good’ pitching rotation … let alone very good at this stage. He really needs to go to AAA to get a 3rd pitch figured out, plus to get back in the swing of things.
I personally wouldn’t count on Pineda even being a decent #5 this year. Those are just my thoughts anyways.
They need an ace who will give them 4-6 WAR, and the only one who might do that is Tanaka, and even he is not a sure thing. Tanaka would be cheaper than Garza and Jiminez combined, if he gets posted
Pineda is coming off Tommy John Surgery & barely pitch much this season.. I think what NYY is going to end up doing is open competion between the guys that are listed & see who wants to win the job..
Jimenez and Arroyo are the only two I would take of the four. Jimenez has the potential to be really good, and Arroyo is less of a risk, The other two would cost a ton and they would be horrible, in my opinion.
Not crazy about thought of Arroyo’s 88 mph “fastball” in Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Camden Yards.
I’d say he has quite a decent career having pitched in Fenway and the Great American Smallpark. I don’t think small ballparks are an issue for him.
That was quite a few years ago in Fenway. Fenway is actually not a bad park for RHP’ers since it suppresses HR, especially against LHB’ers, unless you are facing the Red Sox lineup. Yankee stadium he would see a lot of LHB’ers and LHB’ers love that park, and he won’t be getting the pitcher every 9 batters
Arroyo is largely an innings eater anyway, you hope he can keep you in the games against the better teams and beat up on the worse teams. He is just less of an investment than the other free agents.
I always get nervous when the selling points start with, “He gives you innings”. You know what “gives you innings” means? It means he’ll give up a really crooked number in the first 2 innings but manages to hang around until the 5th or 6th to somewhat save the bullpen. Give me a guy who gives me wins–I’ll find a way to make up the innings.
There’s a reason arroyos the cheapest option
It would likely mean a multi-year deal, especially after Colon got a 2 year deal. Arroyo would probably want 3 years and that’s just too much for a 36 year old (even if he was the “cheapest”)
Bartolo’s deal is essentially for one year right now, i’m almost 90% positive that if he has a good year he will be traded in the winter because Harvey’s came back in 15, and the Mets would then have a trade piece so they can find another part that they need. In my opinion that’s why they went for two years.
Even if and when Harvey comes back, it doesn’t necessarily mean Colon needs to go. Who knows, Colon could break down with an injury long before that and retire or another one of the Mets’ starters could go down with an injury or the apes could break out of the actual Bronx Zoo and become the new rulers of Flushing. Granted, some of those are more likely than others.
He can give innings in the NL, not the Al East, he will be destroyed there
Don’t forget Rogers stadium. The entire AL East has parks that are a hitters dream except the Trop, and no pitchers for an automatic out.
Jiminez has had 2 good months in 3 years, the final 2 months of his contract year. Arroyo would be pitching batting practice in the AL East, especially in that park.
They should have resigned Hughes if they were not going to do anything, and Joba too. Train wreck waiting to happen. They improved the offense, although losing Cano hurts the middle of the order, but will not have the pitching to support it. Old guys like Jeter, Beltran and Soriano and injury prone guys like Ellsbury, Gardner and McCann are unlike to escape the season without at least 1 if not 2 getting hurt, and they have no depth above replacement level.
They need Tanaka, Benoit and Drew, but its TBD if they will spend some of their enormous revenues coming from a stadium built by taxpayers dollars to compete
Nothing would have justified bringing back Hughes and Joba. Hughes is the worst kind of pitcher for Yankee Stadium (Santana is the same kind) and Joba is a head case. It’s best for the Yankees and best for them if they just move on.
They could, but we all know they won’t.
The Yankees don’t need a starter, they need another outfielder
lol stop joking.
too bad skip signed already he pitched well for us in LA
nah, they need a DH type
And he absolutely, positively must be at least 35 years old.
Hey, you know what’s even older than the average age of the Yankees roster? These jokes.
I do not buy this for one single second.
They are deep in a mire of of Pigs pen if they don’t add to their rotation. that’s not looking good in 2014, especially if CC has another bad year
Go In-House “Really”?!!! Ouch! CC has another year like 2013, and really with only a 39 year old Kuroda as your ‘sure’ thing … I would be scared half to death if Yanks go with their in-house options as SPs and not sign anyone else. That’s not good at all. I would put money on a 2nd year in a row of the Yankees watching October baseball instead of playing in October.
That’s not good news for Yankee fans if they truly don’t land another SP or two.
In Cashman we trust.
No we don’t
Sad to say Cashman isn’t the problem!!!!
His last name is just to funny being the Yankee$ GM trying to outspend everybody every year in a quest to buy the title. And yet he is a HUGE failure as GM, I cant beleive he still has a job. He has spent almost 3 BILLION dollars trying to buy titles and only has one to show for that gross over spending. Poor job in most peoples eyes.
He’s also led a franchise that had won the most regular season games , division titles, playoff appearances, playoff wins, World Series appearances and WS wins. Sure Gene Michael gets most of the credit for but it doesn’t mean Cashman didn’t make good moves either (Clemens trade, Justice trade, El Duque signing, A-Rod Trade, etc.) I’m not saying he’s the greatest. He’s made several bad moves too. Actually Many. But there are worse GMs than Cashman
Yes but how many titles have been won by teams whose foundation wasn’t built by Stick? Just one, and it’s becoming clearer that it was a fluke. Besides the Core Four, there was just one impact player on that team that came up under Cashman’s tenure. The rest of that team consisted of guys they regret signing now, but are stuck with for several more years.
Cashman’s been on the job for 15 years, hasn’t developed a strong farm system, has produced only one star at the major league level. That’s a decade-and-a-half with the biggest budget in the entire game and he is out of excuses.
Do we judge it all based on World Series wins though? Many call Beane the best GM in the game but he has less WS wins than Cashman, RAJ , and KW
How can you judge 1 team/GMs success by World Series won but not the other?
What do you judge (or how do you grade) a GM? They all have the same job for the most part
Cashman isn’t fully at fault with the bad signings. Many years the Steinbrenners gave him little to no control. He even threatened to leave a few years ago.
Yankee fans should make other plans for their 2014 summer entertainment. Right now they look to be an 82-85 Win team,
I’m not crazy about the Yankees’ strategy over the last decade or so, and I think they did overpay for Ellsbury, but I think they’re better than 82-85 wins with this club, assuming they don’t trade Nova and Gardner.
I’m guessing they’ll be in the 85-90 bracket but that still won’t be enough to win the AL East. Maybe a Wild Card spot.
Pretty much agree with you, but how does 90 wins not qualify a team for a wild card spot, even in the American League?
That’s why World Series titles aren’t handed out in December. Didn’t Red Sox fans learn that a few years ago when every media outlet was anointing them the “greatest team evah”?
This would never happen but I wouldn’t mind trading for Price. I’m not really enamoured with any of the prospects we have.
And Tampa Bay is? You just refuted your statement. Tampa Bay knows what they’re doing. Yanks don’t have the pieces to trade for Price.
not entirely true, i’m sure a package of Gary Sanchez, Nova or any SP in the system, and one of their 1st rd picks (they had 3) last year would be enough to get talks going, maybe even one of mason williams, slade headcott, tyler austin or brett gardner too….though yanks would never do this…
Gardner would be an up-grade over David Dejesus for them. An outfield of Gardner, Jennings and Myers would cover a ton of ground. If I were the Yankees, I’d be okay with giving up Gardner, Nova, Sanchez, a Willliams/Austin/Heathcott and maybe one other piece. Not Jagielo or Clarkin.
He didn’t refute it; he started off by saying “This would never happen”. It’s just wishful thinking.
What? Where did I suggest that? I’m not one to obsess over prospects like most fans are so I wouldn’t be opposed to moving them.
The thing is, Rays aren’t enamored with Yanks’ prospects either. They could get a much, much better package from teams OUT of the AL East.
If the Yanks wanted Price, not only would they have to build a ridiculously strong package around prospects they don’t have, they’d also have to pay a premium in order for the Rays to trade their ace inside their division.
How do you know that? Are you inside the organization? Of course the premium has to be paid to trade Price inside the division but don’t make sound as if Yankees don’t have a farm system to trade from, they do.
I don’t need to be inside the organization to know that Rays can get much better prospects from other teams, outside the AL East, than what the Yanks can offer.
TB will be looking for ML-ready prospects a la Shields trade. What do the Yanks have to offer in that regard? The only noteworthy prospect in a trade for Price that is close to ML-ready is Sanchez. Heathcott has a number of questions still to answer. The vast majority of the better prospects in the system are in A-ball and below. That’s been the Yanks’ problem for a long time…the best prospects are in the lower levels. It’s the same thing right now.
Before you dismiss me as a Yankee hater, I’m actually a huge Yankee fan. I’m just at terms with the fact that the Yankees farm right now is weak, especially in the upper-levels. They really need to clean house in both the scouting and player development departments.
Sure the Yanks have a farm to trade from, but not for a guy like Price. Sorry, just don’t see it.
Wow the first honest Yankee fan ive seen on here that doesn’t over value their pathetic farm system…and the first that actually admits it.
Both Garza and Arroyo would be nice additions, the others would be disastrous. Arroyo is an innings eater, and his work out mentor from Cincy is now the Yanks Strength coach. Garza is also dependable innings eater and on the cheap especially, your 4 and 5 starters have to be just that, innings eaters. You just can’t have a guy that requires 4 or 5 innings of your bullpen every start.
Arroyo would be a high paid innings eater with a 5.00 ERA, do you want that. He will be exposed in the AL just like every other run of the mill NL pitcher.
He’s NEVER had a 5 era in any season, ALWAYS made 30 or more starts, and throws 200 innings. We don’t have anyone like that except CC or Kuroda. If we can score runs, all we need is a guy to get us to the 8th. Right this moment, Arroyo would be our #3, and he’s done OK in AL before.
Arroyo would be a no. 4, behind Nova, CC and Kuroda.
Based on Nova’s July, August and September, That would be correct. Based on their careers, no. Nova was terrible all through 2012 saved only by the fact they scored tons of runs for him and his 5 ERA. Look, I don’t think Arroyo is Sandy Koufax, he’s just better than a lot of what we have now. Of the slop that is left out there, he and Garza are all that’s worth talking about. Arroyo hasn’t been on the DL for a long time and that alone is a selling point his agent will use no matter where he goes.
I like the thinking of the Yanks on this one, stay under 189 million this year, and go after the rest of the free agents needed next year. The Yanks are already a playoff contender with the players they have signed. Next year’s free agent class of Kershaw, Scherzer, Lester, Gallardo, Bailey, Anderson, De La Rosa, Masterson, and Sheilds is much better than this year even if some of these players sign with their teams. In the infield there are players like Cabrera, Escobar, Lowrie, Rimirez at SS, and Headley at 3rd base. Adding 2 of those pitchers and a SS and 3rd basemen would complete the overhaul of the Yanks in 2 seasons. Cashman has done a great job so far.
How has Cashman done a great job with this team? I think you’re forgetting that A-Rod is a part of the team eventually. He won’t be suspended forever.
2014 has better infield options, but then the rest of the team is older which doesn’t bode well for Beltran. Spend, spend, spend, is what the Phillies did. Previous Yankees team used free agency to add to their strong core. What you’re suggesting is to use free agency to win championships without pretty much any help from homegrown talent.
Not overpaying Cano 10 years already means hes done a great job. He got a great catcher in McCann and a RF, the position that basically was void all last year.
Why do you care about Hal Steinbrenner’s bank account?
The re-signing of A-Rod was the Steinbrenners. Not Cashman. He didn’t want A-Rod back and truthfully you can’t blame him.
Can you pat him on the back for most of their megadeals then?
Already criticized him of them in a post before
That’s fair.
Cashman has done a good job in his tenure. I just don’t deem his particularly praise worthy since he hasn’t drafted particularly well and his big FA signings are more the product of his team’s name recognition and large payroll.
Do you really think Cashman has done a good job in his tenure? As a Red Sox fan, I’m glad the Yankees front office in general has been pretty mediocre for the last decade. They’ve flexed their financial muscles to get the guys they needed most of the time, but it really hasn’t been elegant at all, and they’ve completely dropped the ball on player development. If they were even a little more efficient in their use of resources, they’d be a far more impressive team. Cashman also doesn’t get a free pass from me on the bad signings. If he were better at his job, he would have convinced his bosses not to do stupid things like signing A-Rod forever. My $0.02, anyways.
If doing everything besides winning a WS is mediocre, then yes I’d say he’s been mediocre. Other than that, as I wrote above, no team has more regular season wins, division titles or playoff wins than the Yankees. It’s the short series’ in October where they fall up short. I don’t think you can fault Cashman for the Yankees not winning it all in October despite being there every year the past decade except 2 (and every year since 1993 except 2, though he didn’t become GM until 98)
You’d be right…if the Yankees’ front office operated in a salary vacuum. But, they don’t. From 2004-2013, they’ve spent an average of $62M more in annual salary than their closest rival. Put another way, the Red Sox have never had a yearly payroll as high as any of the Yankees payrolls for the last ten years. Even if the Yanks somehow “scrimp” and get down to $189M for 2014, they’ll still have a payroll higher than any Sox salary ever. With that kind of advantage, they’d have to be idiots to not win the division most years. I think most GMs in baseball (and a lot of other front office types) could have done as well or better with those advantages. I feel like that makes Cashman pretty darn mediocre. Heck, some GMs would have accomplished the same stuff AND arrived at the end of the ten-year run with a younger team and better prospects than what they’ve got now.
You’d be right…if the Yankees’ front office operated in a salary vacuum. But, they don’t. From 2004-2013, they’ve spent an average of $62M more in annual salary than their closest rival. Put another way, the Red Sox have never had a yearly payroll as high as any of the Yankees payrolls for the last ten years. Even if the Yanks somehow “scrimp” and get down to $189M for 2014, they’ll still have a payroll higher than any Sox salary ever. With that kind of advantage, they’d have to be idiots to not win the division most years. I think most GMs in baseball (and a lot of other front office types) could have done as well or better with those advantages. I feel like that makes Cashman pretty darn mediocre. Heck, some GMs would have accomplished the same stuff AND arrived at the end of the ten-year run with a younger team and better prospects than what they’ve got now.
Agreed. Wasn’t the only offer Ellsbury got for $80MM? Another case of Cashman bidding against himself and overpaying and overcommitting and digging the team into another hole. Cashman has been on the job for 15 years and hasn’t developed a strong core in that time.
Try 9/$190 from the M’s!
No, $80 million is the rumor to what the Red Sox offered. And as dougmash pointed out, the Mariners offered more than the Yankees did, but he didn’t want to go there.
Cashman wanted to let A-Rod leave before the 2008 season. Hal Steinbrenner stepped in and resigned A-Rod. The A-Rod trade was an incredibly successful move and had Cashman had the say on letting him walk that in hindsight would have also been the right move.
So does Cashman get credit for 2009 A-Rod or not if he wanted to let him leave?
If you want to try to boil a ten year deal down to a 15 game span…then no, he would not get credit for the playoff run A-Rod made in 2009
It’s not boiling it down, it’s the idea that Cashman is not to blame for the bad deals but should be praised for the good ones. Big money deals always go above the head of the GM.
If he’s suspended for all (or 150 games) of 2013, he may cut a deal with the Yankees where he walks away but gets paid his money little by little, a la Bobby Bonilla with the Mets.
I doubt it. A-Rod wants to be back even if he’s not wanted. He has quite a large ego.
A-Rod has long demonstrated that he’s not going to “walk away.” Huge ego + lots of money = many happy lawyers.
From what I have read the Yanks will only go over 189 for Tanaka not any of the other pitchers.
Maybe if they didn’t waste their money on unneeded outfielders they could sign more than One of these guys
They signed two very good offensive players who play OF on a team that really needs some offense and one will DH a lot probably….Not like they gave 2/15 to Marlon Byrd or whatever that crazy signing was.
Maybe a John Danks & Gordon Beckham for a package that includes Sanchez & lesser prospects or a bullpen arm. The Sox DO need a young catcher….
I can see the Yanks signing a second tier pitcher or two like Baker, Hammel, Slowey, or Maholm, or Oswalt. Oswalt could be this year’s Colon or Garcia.
Oswalt is basically 4th tier at this point.
in the AL West maybe.
Put Roy Oswalt in the Al East and we should the record for highest ERA by a starter broken by a mile. Oswalt was good but at this point he can’t even pitch in the NL never mind AL East.
The Yankee$ are in trouble with their rotation.Not many good options out there that can handle the AL East.
Id sign one starter for a year year deal , but I think the fertile ground starters want multi year deals..the 2014 starting class all look good but Im certain half of them will resign extensions with their current team..Im sure Peavy, Shields and Masterson will be available though. They need to focus on their bullpen..Its pitching that wins games, we dont need a bullpen full of rookies do we ?
At least get Matt Garza.
CC
Kuroda
Garza
Nova
Pineda/Phelps
Forget about the Yankees hooking up with Arroyo. Arroyo’s a home run allowing machine and with the short right field porch in Yankees Stadium he would be a disaster.
Shouldn’t the Yankees give Pineda at least one year to try and regain some of his value before going out and spending on a big name? I personally don’t see this team as 1 Matt Garza or Jimenez away from a WS. Not to say that they couldn’t win one in 2014, I just don’t think any of the names outside of Tanaka could make such an impact as to say they were the x-factor. Pineda is still young and just because Montero has turned into nothing doesn’t mean he will do the same thing.
You can never have too much pitching and while I’d love to see Pineda come back with a big year, it’s not something you can count on.
The SP market is bad but its not Phelps/Banuelos bad
Ya right. It’ll be Tanaka or Ubaldo or possibly even both.
This has to be part of a strategy before swooping in and grabbing someone off the market. If the Yankees do stay in house on the pitching end, it’s very likely they miss the playoffs again.
Smart strategy by Cashman. Agents typically go to NY to get an overpay, I think Cashman knows he needs an upgrade, but doesn’t want to pay a ridiculous price to get anyone left out there. He isn’t going to go in house. If Sabathia doesn’t bounce back, and Kuroda starts showing his age at all, this rotation becomes one of the worst in baseball. They need someone else, but Cashman understandably doesn’t want to pay Yankee prices for Jimenez, Garza, or anyone not named Tanaka.
The Yanks could find some pitching like they did a few years ago with Colon and Garcia. Roy Olswalt comes to mind, along with Hammel and Maholm. I would rather they add a quality relief pitcher with the A-Rod money if he is suspended along with trading Ichiro.
Are you kidding me? They’ll never make it into the playoffs with that rotation. Unless CC can turn it around he is at best a #2 starter. He doesn’t seem to have the knockout stuff that he had in years past.
what is the general feeling regarding Pineda in Yankees Nation?
Ehhh….disappointing, because we had such high hopes for him but all the Yankees had to give up was Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi so it’s not a huge loss.