The Yankees made an offer to free agent infielder Stephen Drew earlier in the off-season, believed to be for two or three years, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Nevertheless, the report indicates, the Yankees do not appear to be one of the four teams still pursuing the 30-year-old.
At the time of the offer, says Sherman, New York was making offers to multiple players while explaining that they would pull them back as necessary as things developed. Drew hoped at the time to land a bigger deal, and the club ultimately withdrew its offer at some point during its massive outlay on several prominent free agents.
Notably, Sherman's article does not indicate that the Yankees have current interest in Drew, but instead throws more cold water on the idea. (Other recent reports, of course, have said that the team does not intend to pursue him.) Sherman writes that principal owner Hal Steinbrenner called for a halt to spending after signing Masahiro Tanaka, and that the club is "not bending for Drew."
Without Drew, argues Sherman, the club will likely find a mid-season need for a player of his ilk, but will be hard-pressed to acquire one. Sherman presented that situation to Steinbrenner for comment, and his response seems to indicate that the team feels ready to move forward as presently constructed:
"No team is without concerns. We will address those concerns as we go, just as we did in several areas last year. … I am comfortable with our payroll as it stands now. … We have a very good club and we will continue to improve in areas that we see need it; not just in areas that need it on paper. We need to see what actually transpires in those areas and react."
Maybe they are just trying to get under 189 next season.
Doubt it. Yankees have no problem overpaying when they really want something or think is necessary. They just don’t want to overpay for Drew.
lol thats not even possible unless they pull a Miami/Boston and trade half the roster.
Doesn’t the $189m cutoff go up next year? Can anyone confirm this?
The threshold level for the luxury tax will be $189MM in 2014 (up from $178MM from 2011-2013) and will remain at $189MM through 2016
I’m going to take your word. Thank you
Got it from Wikipedia
Per a large website who’s name can’t get past comment filters and ends with “edia” 🙂
mlbtredia?
Not gonna lie, I would be interested to see a team trade 12 1/2 players.
They will have money coming off the books( Kuroda, Ichiro, Soriano, Jeter )
Gardner
Gardner isn’t making much now so I didn’t include him and Roberts
$5.6 million is a lot of money!
oops I forgot about arbitration
Not to NY.
$5.6 is not a lot of money. Not for MLB standards. Gardner provides almost triple of that value.
Value wasn’t in the discussion. Ria was talking about how much money was coming off the books
Presumably, A-Rod and his $21 million fee for 2015 will be back on the books. $21 million is hard to work around. That’s a big chunk of the payroll.
They would still be under 189 though I believe. They are at 192 right now and are projected to have a payroll of 147 heading into 2015, and that is including Arod.
Soriano $5 million (that’s what the Yankees are paying of his 2014 salary, the Cubs are picking up the other $13 million), Kuroda $16 million, Jeter $12 million, Ichiro $6.5 million. That’s $39.5 million. I’m sure the Yankees will spend more than that on one free agent starting pitcher. Right now, that could be Jon Lester, Jamie Shields, someone like that.
EDIT: Justin Masterson. If and when Masterson reaches free agency, the Yankees will bid big.
Soriano $5 million (that’s what the Yankees are paying of his 2014 salary, the Cubs are picking up the other $13 million), Kuroda $16 million, Jeter $12 million, Ichiro $6.5 million. That’s $39.5 million. I’m sure the Yankees will spend more than that on one free agent starting pitcher. Right now, that could be Jon Lester, Jamie Shields, someone like that.
EDIT: Justin Masterson. If and when Masterson reaches free agency, the Yankees will bid big.
Sounds like Drew done messed up more than once this offseason. I hope Oakland isn’t one of the teams interested in him.
I highly doubt it. Beane said he was done making any major moves, and their middle infield is already full with Lowrie, Sogard, Callapso. and Punto.
Until he signs somewhere else I’m just going to assume he’ll be in pinstripes. Just makes too much sense for them.
the yankees can always bring up one of their coveted minor leaguers.
Or get a better SS than Drew next year in the free agency.
I still don’t understand why the Yankees are concerned about the salary cap. It seems to me that until they replenish the upper levels of the farm system they need to spend more to make playoff runs. They should use their financial might to the fullest. Yes, they spent a ton on Ellsbury, Beltran, and Tanaka, but they’ve left holes all over the infield, bench, and pen. Drew may not be the answer, and there are many ways to improve a team, but this offseason feels more that they’ve kept their place up instead of improve it within the division.
Signing Drew with the opt-out he demands makes no sense. They give up the draft pick without being sure they have the shortstop for 2015. And if Drew is injured or sub-par, they are locked into another unproductive contract. They might has well go with Jeter/Ryan and let it ride, hoping to find something better or comparable next year.
I don’t disagree with this at all. However, I can’t help but think that after investing in Tanaka, Ellsbury, and Beltran that Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts in key positions – especially when it is unknown what Jeter will provide, couldn’t turn out to be a problem. I’d wouldn’t be so sure that a better option would appear mid-season as I’m not sure what trade bait the Yanks could use to land a player of Drew’s value or better. in other words, rolling the dice and waiting for next year seems to limit their options this year.
In the end I think he ends up back in Boston on a one-year $14m deal with an option.
I agree with that as well–they do have real issues in the infield, but if they absolutely have to have Drew (and start him at 3rd, out of position) then it has to be on a reasonable contract without an opt-out. They made this mistake with R. Soriano, and I think it’s one they don’t want to repeat.
He was overpaid at 9,5 and you want give him a 4.5 million raise???? Drew gets in 2 for 30 slumps evry other week it seems. I hope the Sox stay away even if he plays for free, the pick is worth more than his play.
That is what it will cost (the qualifying offer value), and Boston thinks highly of him. I don’t think you were watching the same Drew. He had a post all-star break OPS of .837. His .776 OPS overall was in the top third if not better for shortstops with over 400 at bats. Considering his .517 April OPS, which was post concussion, he had a very fine season.
This is not that hard to figure out, the Yankees just don’t want Drew, if they did he would have been signed by now. They just don’t see the value there and when you look at his numbers you see why. We are not speaking about a have to get player here folks. I will take my chances in a Hall of Famer in Derek to be decent enough for one last go around.
True. And if looking at just shortstop you would certainly wait for a shot at Hanley Ramirez or figuring out a way to pry another player loose in the off season. But I don’t think Jeter is really the issue. He will hit, and Ryan can close out the games defensively if need be. I think the issue is more about improving the depth at third base or second base
I don’t think Ramirez leaves LA. I could see JJ Hardy reaching free agency. He hit 25 home runs from the shortstop position last year.