Michael Jordan’s presence at Derek Jeter‘s home celebration made the day extra special for the Yankees legend, writes Marty Noble of MLB.com. Derek Jeter Day would have been an extraordinary event without MJ, of course, but No. 23’s appearance served as the most powerful exclamation point available. Here’s today’s look at the AL East..
- Even though the Red Sox traded him away, Andrew Miller would be open to a Boston return, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. “I certainly have relationships with a lot of people here,” he said. “I loved my time here. There’s no secret to that. My wife and I loved it here. It’s a great place to play, the way you get treated by the organization. It’s a great place to live. It’s a hard situation to leave. “If I could script it, I’d say, certainly, I’d love to be back.” In 65 games between the Red Sox and Orioles this season, Miller has pitched to a 2.09 ERA with 14.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.
- The Yankees have a decision to make with closer David Robertson with his one-year, $5.215MM deal expiring at season’s end, writes Brendan Kuty of the Star-Ledger. The most likely scenario, he says, would be for the Yanks to extend him a one-year, ~$15MM qualifying offer. While that’s a lot of money to give to a reliever, it would buy the Yankees time before making a long-term commitment. Kuty sees an extension as less likely and says there’s no chance of the Bombers letting him walk for nothing.
- Steve Pearce, who has bounced around baseball quite a bit, may have finally found a home with the Orioles, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Pearce has had his ups and downs in 2014, but he now finds himself as a regular at first base for a first-place team.
Derek Jeter’s final home game?!?!?
Only in my dreams are the next three weeks devoid of Derek Jeter hype
I don’t understand why these things bother people so much.
The All-Star game is where it all jumped the shark, in my opinion.
The YES Network has been unwatchable all year, but the All Star game was pretty ridiculous.
I sent a text to my friend from New York at the time asking why everyone was focusing so much on the 60th-best player in the All-Star game.
Spot on – and what a shame too! The ASG by itself was exciting but almost every single play, at bat or break in the action had to be punctuated with some sanctimonious comment about Jeter. It was kind of like “Never mind what I think of Jeter, what do you think of Jeter?” I got so sick of it all I turned off the sound, but even that didn’t help. Finally I just gave up entirely. The constant hype completely ruined it for me.
Least he was gone by the 4th
Ha ha, true. Unfortunately all the talk about him was not (and persisted to the very end, from everything I heard later).
Oh, and you watch…once he retires, then it’ll be all about “What the great Jeter is doing with his retirement” for as far and long as the media can beat it to death.
Y’all worry too much about Jeter. i’m a Yankee fan, and like just about every other yankee fan, we know jeter’s hung on too long. But we have to watch the honors all the time. I would have thought that the fans of the other teams would have had something else to distract them?
Well, speaking mostly for myself, implicit in the point I am making is that a lot of the other baseball-related things I might otherwise be focused on seem to be co-opted by the excessive fixation on Jeter. There is no disrespect intended towards you (or any Yanks fan, for that matter) and it may not please you personally, but as a person outside the Yanks’ fan base, I find the whole phenomenon suffocating and there doesn’t seem to be a way to escape it and still enjoy the sport the way I did in the past. I never had to hit the “mute” or flip the channel as often as I do these days and I am not happy about it.
I should also say that for me, the larger issue I am concerned about is that this whole “farewell tour” thing is taking on a life of its own and becoming a precedent for the future that may become entrenched. I think it detracts from the sport and obviously I am not the only person to think so.
I am a Yankees fan and I have found the whole farewell tour thing pretty disgusting. Mariano Rivera deserved everything he got, because he was still at the top of his game when he retired, but Jeter had no business playing this season. I won’t miss him and I look forward to anybody else playing shortstop next season, even if it is Brendan Ryan.
If I’m correct Jeter once had a contract with Jordan’s clothing line. RE2PECT
Miller said exactly what he was supposde to say. It sounds great but he’ll end up wherever the money is. Same as Jon Lester.
Why is he supposed to say that? I would say “I play for the Orioles right now and my focus is on winning a championship” would be the “what he’s supposed to say” comment.
I would’ve said something similar. Something like “I enjoyed my time with Boston but right now, I’m focused on trying to help Baltimore win the World Series. I’ll deal with free agency after the season is over.”
Roberston will get offered a QO, that would be risky though for the Yankees if he accepts but then again if Robertson has a down year or an average year it won’t be good for next season so he may seek a multi year deal for security. I’d say the Yankees should offer him the same contract they did for Soriano with the opt out causes maybe around the same AAV which was 12 or 13 million I think.
Absolutely no way he declines if offered.
I agree with that. Robertson takes the QO, sustains his performance, and signs a multiyear in 2016 (or the Yankees extend him). It’s a very tough choice for the Yankees to extend. He’s very good. But he’s not worth that kind of money.
With luxury tax, Robertson costs 22.5m,.. No way he’s getting an offer. Look around the league and the past terrible contracts signed with 30+ yr old closers… Johnson, Balfour… And those were only 11m and 7.5m respectively…
If that’s the case he’d be right back at free agency. Do you think Robertson will accept or be worth or even qualify for QO for the foreseeable future let alone his career. His agent might influence him to take a multi year if not this offseason then next. Once Kimbrel gets a non arbitration salary, that might set the market for Robertson.
He’s back at FA 15 million dollars richer. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t put up similar numbers next year. He’s not going to get a big payday with draft pick compensation attached.
Kimbrel agreed to an extension, so that’s not going to happen.
He’s got a solid arm, but unless you’re Mo, you can’t really guarantee that a relief pitcher won’t have a down year. He could also get injured. If someone offers him a 2 year deal with an AAV around 11-13mil he should take it. He could have a great year and no one may offer a contract for his worth in 2016.
If he has compensation attached, there’s no guarantee he even gets a contract. He has to pass up the 15 million before a 2 year deal is on the table.
He’ll be the first one to accept a QO. The Yankees would be crazy to offer it though. That would be the largest single season offer to a closer in history. He’s good, but not that good.
The Yankees can afford to pay Robertson that, though. And “highest single season” anything regarding salary doesn’t really matter. Salaries will continue to rise as baseball’s revenue explodes. It’s only the largest single season offer for a closer until it isn’t. Jim Johnson got 10 MM for this season, and Papelbon, Wagner, Rivera (multiple times) Soriano (twice), K-Rod, Francisco Cordero, and others have received multiple years at 10+ MM per year in the past, and Kimbrel just signed an extension for 42 MM just last year. One-year deals are low-risk inherently and the Yankees have the money to spend, soooo?
The problem with that philosophy, which the Yankees have recently discovered, is you need to add 50% more money to each of the salaries they give out going forward because they are above the luxury tax. 16 millionish wouldn’t bankrupt them, but do you honestly think they would be willing to pay Robertson 16 million and then pay MLB 8 million more for the privilege? And don’t for a second think that every free agent contract the Yankees sign in the future won’t be with that consideration in mind. That would be like paying your closer 24 million for a single season which is at least twice what he is worth.
Yes, I do think the Yankees would pay the 8 MM. They consciously chose to blow past the luxury tax this past offseason, and have salary coming off the books. They absorbed salary midseason, and have Ichiro and Jeter coming off the books, plus Robertson himself who is already under contract for ~ 6 MM this year.
Papelbon got $12.5MM over 4 and that was several years ago now. Closers come and go, even if they get less aav they better taking long term deals.
They are better taking LTD’s if they can get them. But after the Papelbon deal blew up in the Phillies faces, it’s doubtful that many years will be available to Robertson. Closers are a very volatile commodity, and baseball seems to be catching on. I’d take 16 for one year if my AAV was closer to 10 or 12. You’d only have to sign a single year at 4 or 6 the following season to match the forseeable two year contract for 20 or 24. It would be a risk worth taking.
Hasn’t he played exactly how someone should reasonably have expected him to perform?
The real question is has he been worth 12 million dollars a year? Reasonable expectations have nothing to do with it. He’ll be worth 6 to 9 per year for the life of that contract. His performance has been fine, and well within what could be expected of him. It’s the contract itself that was flawed.
Teams value things different. Many teams value a top closer way more than the 1-2 WAR they are often providing. I think the reasonable expectations are important. Philly obviously thought that paying that much money was worth it. Probably not, but it’s not like they didn’t get what they signed up for. They got exactly what they were expecting going in.
And the Phillies of course are the organization which all other teams should strive to be like. They probably expected more, or they should never have signed the contract. Papelbon was a better pitcher with the Red Sox than he has been with the Phillies. They make bad decisions. There is no way another closer even sniffs a contract like that this offseason or the foreseeable future. It’s bad business in both length and dollars. Even an elite closer wouldn’t get more than 3 years 30 in this market.
the Papelbon deal only blew up in the Phillies faces if you think about what a pain he is and place that in connection with a team that is presently losing. His performance is fine–it’s just that there’s no context for excellence in Phillies situation right now.
I could see the Dodgers, Detroit and the Angels offering Robertson multi year deals
For his actual value, I can see him getting (if teams are even offering three years) 3 years 30 million. You don’t see him taking the QO at 16 million and then taking his chances on finding a two year deal at better than 14? Because if he had a descent season he could do better than 2 years 14 million in 2016. They’d be crazy to make the offer because he would have to be crazy not to take it.
I think Robertson could do much better then 3/30. If we’re talking 3 years I’d say 35-40 min.
He’d never earn that money. He’s been worth between 7-10 per season for the last three years. And it’s not like he’s heading into his prime. He may get it from some team, but only a desperate one that has no idea what closers are worth. And if it’s available in 2015, why wouldn’t it be there one year later after taking the QO? There is a reason QO’s aren’t extended to closers. Because that’s too much money to pay a closer.
The guy pitches in Yankee Stadium at least half his games. We saw how Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy’s numbers have improved since leaving, teams would pay alot more then 7-10 million, look at what Soriano go from the Nats and no one would have thought they would be in the market for him. Roberston’s career K rate is nasty.
Highly doubtful that any of those teams would be in the bidding. All have expensive bullpens.
You think the Dodgers care if they have an expensive bullpen?
They’re not going to give up a draft pick to sign a closer they don’t need.
That’s IF the Yankees give him a QO, they might go with Betances for the closer role.
This whole thread, one that you started, is operating under the pretense that he will.
I also said later in that paragraph they should offer him a contract. I can’t foretell the future but me saying the Yankees will give him the QO is my opinion.
I think they’ll offer him the QO as well. Which he’ll then take, because he isn’t going to have any suitors besides the Yankees with draft pick compensation attached to him.
If I were Cashman I wouldn’t offer the QO, but I’d offer him 2/26-27, I doubt anyone would top that. But with the numbers he has especially considering that he pitches in Yankee Stadium teams will realize his numbers will improve alot once he leaves even with slight regression. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are some great recent examples.
So are the Yankees benching Jeter for the remainder of the home games?
The link to the article by Marty Noble isn’t working.
Gotta pluck out that “.m”
I don’t care if Andrew Miller goes off and becomes an Alfalfa and Brussel Sprout farmer! If he helps to a World Series or wins us one! He can do whatever he wants!
Whoa, did not realize Miller’s k/9 was that high.
Marty Noble gets excited too easily. Michael Jordan? Soooooooooo what?
I’d like to see Miller back with a chance as Boston’s closer
If the Yankees are eliminated from the postseason, they should trade David Robertson and Alex Rodriguez to the Phillies for Ryan Howard and Jonathan Papelbon.
To paraphrase Daffy Duck in “Duck! Rabbit! Duck!”
“Not again!”
So you’re saying that even if the Yankees were willing to take both Howard’s and Papelbon’s contracts and give the Phillies a negotiating window with Robertson, that’s still not worth taking a chance on A-Rod?
No team will take Arod. Non. Why in the world would the yankees want Howard? They already have tex. Why would the Phillys want Robertson? His contract is up in 3 weeks. If he’s traded that means no qualifying offer which means there is NO WAY that he will sign before testing the market. Arod needs to be able to DH. Howard is a home town guy so some fans I’m sure still like him. Who wants a 40 year old third baseman with hip injures, ped background, just missed a whole season, has had more controversies then any other current player ( PED, Opt out,knocking the ball out of arroyos glove, yelling “I got it”etc,etc). Arod will also get 6 million for the next milestone which is only 6 home runs.
Why in the world would the Yankees want Howard? I think you answered that question with your first statement. I would prefer to have him over A-Rod and I was hoping that my willingness to take on Papelbon’s contract and give the Phillies an exclusive negotiating window with Robertson would make that deal happen.
If not, no biggie. I will suffer with A-Rod for the next three years if I have to, but the Yankees should make him do more than just learn first base. He should be willing to play the outfield as well and maybe even some second base and shortstop. If he blows out his hips again, no harm, no foul.
And why would Robertson want to make a new deal when he has nothing tagged to him?? Make arod learn 3 new positions? ?? Plus learn short again??? That’s absurd. No harm? Plenty of harm. No way the union would ever stand for that.
If the Yankees do not offer Robertson a QO, what does he most likely get? 3/30? 4/35? 5/40? Does he have any trade value this late in the season even with an exclusive negotiating window?
Unlike most of the ones the Buccos let get away, I am glad for Steve Pearce, if only because a bunch of other teams gave up on him too. He had a couple of hot runs as a Pirate, but either couldn’t stay healthy or couldn’t find a spot in the lineup. Good for him.
But that would bring the question as to why would the Phllies really want Robertson? I mean paplebon hasn’t worked out and they already have someone to replace him.