The Mariners are no longer pursuing Marlon Byrd, sources tell Jayson Stark of ESPN (Twitter link), but the Yankees do have some interest in the Phillies outfielder. However, the Yankees, like other teams, are wary of Byrd’s $8MM vesting option for the 2016 season.
Byrd has been connected to many clubs, but the easily attainable vesting option for what would be his age-37 season has been problematic, as has a four-team no-trade clause. The Mariners and Royals — two teams who have had interest in Byrd — are both on the list, and Byrd has reportedly requested that either team guarantee his option in order to facilitate a trade.
The Yankees have been aggressive in acquiring veteran players such as Brandon McCarthy and Chase Headley, so their interest in Byrd isn’t surprising. Yankees right fielders have batted just .238/.281/.368 this season, while Byrd has slashed .270/.318/.477. He’s earning $8MM this year and next, in addition to the aforementioned vesting option.
please RAJ trade him. Hopefully we can get a half decent prospect. Time to get rid of these contracts. Start with Byrd… and then trade Papelbon/Lee/Utley/Bastardo
I don’t mind M’s backing out of this. Heard that they want 2 top 10 or 15 prospects. 2.5 years of 36 year old isn’t worth it
As stated above, I think it had a lot more to do with Byrd requesting that the Mariners guarantee his option in order to facilitate a trade. I doubt PHI asking price was ever that high for Byrd.
If Philly wants that for Byrd, I’d walk away too.
Yeah 2.5 years when he is 36 is a risk and especially at 8 million. Then you add in losing top prospects, no thanks.
As someone mentioned above, it will be easy for whoever acquires him to keep that option from vesting. Just keep him under 550 PAs.
He’s stipulating that the option be guaranteed. That’s regardless of plate appearances.
Not for teams, like the Mariners, who are on his no trade list. He’ll try and leverage a guarantee of vesting in order to waive the no trade.
A 3-4 WAR player making the money of a 1.5 WAR player should be netting 2 top 15 (organizational) prospects (especially locked up for 2.5 years). I get the sticking point of the guaranteed vesting option for a 36 year old (although, personally feel it’s a little silly).
How about Viciedo and Danks to Yanks?
Viciedo yes. Danks is terrible so no.
Byrd is the Phillies most moveable asset, I expect him to be traded at some point
And Lee will be traded off Waivers in August most likley. Hamels, Utley, and Rollins stay for now.
Seems like this would be Soriano 2.0. If it wasn’t for that vesting option I would love Byrd as would anyone.
It’s a 600 PA next year or 550 PA next year + 1100 PA this year and next year for it to vest. If he’s not playing well, you don’t play him everyday (I don’t think it would be unreasonable to have an $8 M AAV guy sitting on your bench for a couple games a month).
The Yankees getting even older.priceless!!!! They are not making the playoff regardless. They struggle to beat then Rangers.lol
Blind squirrels find nuts. If not for a blown 9th inning in last night’s game, the Astros would have swept the A’s.
Byrd + $$ for Peter O’Brien (since I’m sure Aaron Judge is asking too much) ??
Not sure what to think about O’Brien. He has good power, but hasnt showed much else yet. better than nothing I suppose though. 60 + homeruns after 3 years in the minors is promising though.
that power is so tempting to take a chance on though…. another year in the minors, then takes Howard’s job… it’s a push at worst.
I’d like Byrd. That vesting option is rough, but Byrd’s having a pretty good year. 20 HRs this year already.
Leads the league in OPS too I believe.
I don’t want to play for these 4 teams but if you trade me to them I want to play for them for another year. That’s what I am getting from this.
It’s actually I don’t want to play for Toronto and Tampa (because of the turf). KC and Seattle were thrown in there pretty much on a whim (probably by his agent). And he wants the guaranteed contract if he’s going to have to waive his NTC – it’s pretty standard in baseball.
Byrd would be the Yankees best hitter. Look at the numbers.
He would, sadly…
Brett Gardner begs to differ.
Alfonso soriano all over again
Byrd and Lee plus 10 million in Cash for a couple prospects not named Servino.?
I think the Phillies would rather wait for Lee to re-establish his health and move him in August or the offseason then to just sell low now.
Could be but even if Lee pitches well I don’t see a big return with his contract. Just moving his money is a coupe. It gives them money to sign Cuban Rusney Castillo who they worked out today.
I think at this point, they will move him as a salary dump and maybe get one decent prospect back if he starts playing better.
I could see the Yankees trying to get Lee know while it could cost as little less Iin prospects.
For the millionth time…the Phillies do not need to dump salary. They’re looking to move money with players to buy prospects.
But they should be dumping salary so they can rebuild. They have several terrible contracts!
No, it’s not. The Phillies have plenty of money – they need prospects, not salary relief. And since the Phillies are willing to eat money to improve their return on a healthy Lee (which we presume for the basis of trading him), he absolutely carries value for a team for 2-3 years. Castillo has nothing to do with Cliff Lee.
If they want prospects they need to move Hamels. He could fetch Taveras, Miller and another mid level prospect from the cards. Rube just refuses to lower his demands.
We have no idea who wants what – so we all need to stop acting like we do. But a healthy Cliff Lee (which has yet to be established) with money retained will bring back prospects in August or in the winter. Selling low now makes absolutely no sense for a team that doesn’t need to shed payroll.
I agree but its a risk either way. He might continue to pitch badly too.
At which point his value doesn’t diminish appreciably from what it is now, but there’s less money on the deal meaning you have to eat less to move him.
There’s no reason to sell Lee at the lowest value of his career if the team isn’t hurting for money (which it apparently isn’t).
Would rather try my luck with a Zolio Almonte and Ichiro platoon.
I’ve been a Mariners fan long enough to know that Jack Z will acquire nobody of any significance. Then we will hear him all off season justify why he should keep his job because the Mariners “almost” made the playoffs.
Yankees offense is not good with or without Byrd.
they scored 12 runs last night
They played the rangers. Lol.
and? they just got teixeira back and have headley now. everyone is starting to hit even before they played the rangers
They hit in one game against horrible pitching.
one game? they scored several runs their past few series, the offense isn’t nearly as anemic as it once was (or as you would like it to be)
List who they played since the break.
Reds Blue Jays Rangers
Exactly. Reds are bad. Jays are good and they lost the series. Texas is the worst team in mlb. This isn’t a good team.
They lost to the Jays because of pitching, not because of the offense.
Exactly. Because they are not as good as the jays.
They also lost a series to the astros, i guess that means they aren’t as good as the astros. Not to mention they’ve beaten the Jays this year..
Yankees looking at Cubs OF’s, but the Yanks lack minor league talent for any trade to happen with Theo..
you act like the yankees have 0 prospects
Majority of the top Yankees prospects, could not get in the top 25 top Cubs prospect list.
So? And a lot of their prospects could make the Cubs top 25, top 10? maybe not. But let’s not act like they have no prospects at all
Cashman still regrets trading Corey Black.
The Yankees have a lot of other Corey Blacks in the system
Out of all the yankees non-top 10 prospects Black was easily one of their best.
Plus it would take 9 or 10 top 100 prospects to get Nate Scheirholtz, benafacio or coglan… No way the yankees could afford that with their farm.
Nate “.554 OPS” Schierholtz?
You are correct. The Cubs have been bad for so long they should have the best farm system.
Let me guess, RAJ wants Severino, Judge, and Sanchez for Byrd?
That’s just the posting fee…..
Bad idea, Yankees. Soon the entire team is going to be qualified for the early bird special. Think younger, more athletic.
It will be a sad September day if Jeter does not get to play in October one more time.
The poor guy has only 5 rings and been in the playoffs like 17 times I’m his career. How will he live with himself. Mlb should just let the Yankees in the playoffs since its jerera last year.
A Yankees post season makes $$$$$$ for the tv network.
Or would you rather watch the Orioles & Blue Jays !
Why do I care how much money mlb makes?
Jeter’s had a great run. He will cope with not making the playoffs. Actually, MLB planned on having a “pre-need” HOF ceremony for Ortiz. Cursing included.
Byrd (and $8M for his entire option) for Judge and Clarkin/Banuelos.
Not a chance.
How about Judge and reliever Mark Montgomery?
Mehh, wouldn’t be terrible. I’d still wouldn’t do it. The more I look at Byrd’s other numbers, the more worrisome I become. His BB% is a very low 5.8% and his K% is a very high 28.3%.
Mehh, wouldn’t be terrible. I’d still wouldn’t do it. The more I look at Byrd’s other numbers, the more worrisome I become. His BB% is a very low 5.8% and his K% is a very high 28.3%.
The Yankee fans may overvalue their prospects (like every fan base does) but I have learned now that Philly fans overvalue their active roster. Phillies fans probably feel they can get Buxton for Howard.
I’m pretty sure no Phillies fan would say that. Even Howard’s biggest supporters. I love Piece, and I’d be happy if we could get back a top 20 (organizational) prospect for him – while taking on most of the salary.
The fact is, the guys on our roster are proven performers. They may not be what they once were, but they are still actual MLB players who have (and for the most part, still are) gotten (getting) the job done. The prospects that everyone is so scared to give up (not just Yankees fans) are not. They are the whimsical hope that they will all turn out just fine. Even when people see their prospects fail time and time again, they convince themselves *This one is different*. And most of the time…they aren’t.
Sarcasm meter broken? I thought it was fairly obviously my latter part was sarcasm
Last statement was definitely sarcasm, but the first wasn’t and isn’t true. If you read what most Phillies fans say on these boards, you’d see they are frustrated we haven’t traded any players yet. They are willing to move on from the active roster and realize that outside of Hamels (or a healthy Lee with some cash kicked in) they won’t be getting any top prospects back. If anyone is overvaluing the active roster it is the GM, not the fans.
I’m aware of the frustration but the asking price at times is more than ridiculous. Obviously the fault is on RAJ for waiting so long.
I assumed the last part wasn’t really serious (but you never know on here). I’ve had a Yankee fan say “Yankees will take on Hamels’ full contract, and give the Phillies somebody like Mason Williams and Tyler Austin – and they should be happy to get that much.” I just went into depth on what I would be happy to get back for Howard to show that is pretty much what most fans are thinking.
I stand by the rest of my comment though. Nightengale just wrote a great piece basically expanding on what I said.
I’m pretty sure no Phillies fan would say that. Even Howard’s biggest supporters. I love Piece, and I’d be happy if we could get back a top 20 (organizational) prospect for him – while taking on most of the salary.
The fact is, the guys on our roster are proven performers. They may not be what they once were, but they are still actual MLB players who have (and for the most part, still are) gotten (getting) the job done. The prospects that everyone is so scared to give up (not just Yankees fans) are not. They are the whimsical hope that they will all turn out just fine. Even when people see their prospects fail time and time again, they convince themselves *This one is different*. And most of the time…they aren’t.
With Byrd no longer interested of going to the Mariners, other alternatives are going after Shane Victorino/Johnny Gomes & Lackey/Lester of the Red Sox or Ian Kennedy & Seth Smith of the Padres, and/or Bartolo & Granderson of the Mets. Hopefully, DJ Peterson, Mike Zunino, and Taijuan Walker will not be involved in the trade. Nick Franklin/Brad Miller, Paxton, Guerrero, Morrison/Smoak, and PTBNL would be an ideal trade for either of the two teams mentioned. What other players would Rangers GM Daniels, Mets Alderson, or Cherrington of the Red Sox will be asking besides the players mentioned?
I don’t see why any AL team that isn’t locked into a different DH would be all that concerned about paying $8M for an additional year of Byrd. Edgar Martinez drove in 145 runs, his career-best, when he was 37, and 116 when he was 38. But the Phillies are said to be asking the moon for every tradeable player on their roster. If they want to be that way, to heck with ’em. They can take their old players into the next season and keep paying them.
Actually, the Phillies are really only asking the moon on Hamels (a 30 year old, top 15 pitcher in MLB, locked in to a contract for 4 more years). That’s the one thing Amaro has done right this deadline.
550 PA isn’t that easily attainable. If he’s not performing all that well in 2015, you start platooning him a little and he doesn’t sniff it. If he is still performing well, then that option doesn’t look so bad anyway.
It also vests with 1100 PA between 2014-’15. He’s on pace for 673 PA this year and that makes the option quite easily attainable with 100 or so starts next year. But like you said, $8M isn’t that bad if he’s performing well. It’s also not that bad if the Phillies cover a portion of it as part of the trade agreement.
I understand the 1,100 between ’14 and ’15, but the way I read it is that he still needs 550 minimum in ’15, plus the 1100 between both years. Otherwise he needs 600 in ’15 to not also need the 1100.
If that’s the case, I’m not sure what teams not on his NTC are so concerned about. It’s not easy for a 38/39 year old to reach 550 PA, let alone 600. 550 is roughly 130 starts at an average of 4.25 PA per game, 141 starts for 600 PA. If he doesn’t play well next year, there’s not much to worry about.
Or DFA Roberts.