Yankees Rumors

Poll: Jorge Posada’s Future

By Mike Axisa | October 8, 2011 at 8:50am CDT

The Yankees season came to an end on Thursday night, and along with it may have come the end of Jorge Posada’s career. Posada’s four-year, $52.4MM contract expires after the season, and so far the only team he’s ever played for has shown little interest in re-signing him.

Although he hit a career worst .235/.315/.398 with 14 homers in 2011, Posada was the team’s best hitter in the postseason, when he picked up six hits and four walks in the five games against the Tigers (.429/.570/571). He was in the lineup all five games because Detroit used four right-handed starters, and the switch-hitter actually handled righties very well this year (.269/.348/.466). It was lefties that gave him trouble (.092/.169/.108).

Despite seeing his playing time dwindle throughout the summer, Posada said in August that he wants to keep playing beyond this year. The Yankees used him almost exclusively at DH this summer, in part because his defensive skills behind the plate have eroded, but also because of long-term concerns about head injuries. Posada did appear in 14 games at first base in 2011 (eleven starts).

As always, the free agent market is flooded with one-dimensional DH types. Posada’s pedigree is on par with anyone’s, but teams have been shying away from overpaying for name value in recent years. His market may not be as robust as he may like, and may even be non-existent.

Yankees Notes: Montero, Cashman, A-Rod, Sabathia

By Mark Polishuk | October 7, 2011 at 9:54pm CDT

You knew there would be a lot of Yankee news the day after the Bronx Bombers were eliminated from the postseason. Ben Nicholson-Smith already gave us one batch of items out of New York today, and now here are a few more tidbits as the Yanks look ahead to next year…

Jesus Montero may once again be trade bait this winter, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. A group of scouts tells Harper that such pitchers as James Shields, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill, Mat Latos or Matt Cain could potentially be obtained in a deal featuring Montero. Harper also says "the early indications are the Yanks won't go to extremes to sign" C.J. Wilson as a free agent.
Brian Cashman says that starting pitching is "always, always, always" the club's offseason focus and this year will be no different, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. Cashman noted, however, that he doesn't expect next year's roster to be drastically different from the 2011 edition.
With Alex Rodriguez's weak postseason numbers fresh in everyone's mind, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post and Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal both express worry about the six years and $143MM remaining on A-Rod's contract.
Locking up C.C. Sabathia for more years and more millions could turn the ace into a Rodriguez-esque albatross on the Yankee payroll, warns Johnette Howard of ESPN New York.
Which of New York's two big free agents is a safer signing: Sabathia or Mets shortstop Jose Reyes? Ken Plutnicki of the New York Times asks the question.

Eric Chavez “Leaning Heavily Towards Retirement”

By Mark Polishuk | October 7, 2011 at 5:17pm CDT

Veteran third baseman Eric Chavez is considering retirement, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Chavez, 33, is "leaning heavily towards" hanging up his cleats after 14 Major League seasons.

Chavez considered retirement in 2010 following three injury-plagued years and multiple surgeries on his back and shoulder, but signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason and ended up as a valuable bench piece for the AL East champions. Chavez hit .263/.320/.356 in 175 plate appearances, all but 23 of which were against right-handed pitching. He also made 33 starts at third base filling in for the injured Alex Rodriguez and showed some of the form (a +9.5 UZR/150) that earned him six straight Gold Gloves for the A's between 2001-06.

Should this be the end for Chavez, he will retire with a career line of .267/.342/.474, 232 home runs and career earnings of approximately $75.63MM.

Yankees Notes: Sabathia, Posada, Cashman

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 7, 2011 at 3:36pm CDT

The Yankees won 97 regular season games and two more in the playoffs, but their quest for a 28th World Championship fell short in the Bronx last night, as the Tigers beat them 3-2. Here are some links as the Yankees look ahead to another offseason…

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times says retaining C.C. Sabathia is the most pressing task of the Yankees' offseason. If they let him slip away, the Red Sox could have interest, as Kepner points out.
Jon Heyman of SI.com points out that the Yankees' biggest offseason need is once again starting pitching and runs through a number of other issues facing the Bronx Bombers this winter.
Sabathia can opt out of the four years remaining on his seven-year, $161MM contract after the season and the left-hander says he can't wrap his head around the decision yet, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. However, Sabathia repeated that he loves it in New York.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post suspects that the Yankees will wait, instead of extending Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson this offseason. Both players are eligible for free agency after 2013 (assuming New York exercises Cano's two options).
Alex Rodriguez told Sherman that the Yankees' season was a "major failure" though they finished with the best record in the American League. Rodriguez says he has a lot to prove and is looking forward to the challenge of "coming back with a vengeance."
As Mike Vorkunov of the Star-Ledger explains, Jorge Posada may have played his final game in Yankee pinstripes and the catcher turned DH is emotional about the possibility.
Brian Cashman reiterated that he wants to return to the Yankees, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. The GM's contract expires after the season, but the Yankees want him back, so a new deal appears likely.

AL East Links: Damon, MacPhail, Granderson

By Tim Dierkes | October 5, 2011 at 1:07pm CDT

Four of the AL East's teams are in offseason mode, while the Yankees prepare for the deciding ALDS game five against the Tigers tomorrow. Non-Red Sox links from the division:

B.J. Upton and Johnny Damon hope to return to the Rays next year, they told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. Damon has a say as a free agent, while Upton is under the Rays' control as an arbitration eligible player.
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun is starting to think Andy MacPhail could return as the Orioles' president in 2012.
The Yankees' metrics have Curtis Granderson as an above-average defensive outfielder, GM Brian Cashman told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Andrew Stoeten took a look at the Blue Jays' infield over at Drunk Jays Fans.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Sizemore, Sabathia, Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | October 4, 2011 at 9:41pm CDT

On this date ten years ago, 42-year-old Tim Raines and his son, 22-year-old Tim Raines Jr., played outfield for the Orioles, becoming the second father-son duo to play in the same outfield (the Griffeys were the first). Here are some recent updates from around MLB…

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has not yet decided on his future role with Baltimore, according to MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. It’s expected that MacPhail will step down and that the Orioles will find a replacement.
The Indians announced that Grady Sizemore underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Indians say they expect the 29-year-old to be ready for spring training 2012, but it’s hard to be overly optimistic - Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that it’s Sizemore’s fifth surgery in three years. GM Chris Antonetti told Hoynes that he isn’t going to speculate on Sizemore’s $9MM option for 2012.
FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron doesn’t deny that some batters have advantages over some pitchers, but he doesn’t endorse relying on past batter/pitcher confrontations to predict future outcomes.
Dave Waldstein of the New York Times explains that there's a small chance C.C. Sabathia threw his last pitch for the Yankees last night, since the left-hander can opt out of his contract after the season. When MLBTR readers voted earlier today, they were divided on Sabathia's offseason earning power.
Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told Jim Caple of ESPN.com that he's frustrated that winning hasn't led to improved attendance in Tampa Bay. The Rays' attendance figures dropped by 15% this year and Sternberg says it's "untenable as a model going forward."

Poll: How Much Will C.C. Sabathia Get?

By Tim Dierkes | October 4, 2011 at 1:33pm CDT

The prevailing opinion is that Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia will opt out of the remaining four years and $92MM remaining on his contract, since he could easily get more money or years. Bill Madden of the New York Daily News wonders if this will result in the Yankees making another Alex Rodriguez-like overpay, committing at least $125MM over five years in total.

On the high end, though, Sabathia could attempt to top the guarantee he received three years ago: $161MM over seven years. Since that offseason, Sabathia has added three 230+ inning seasons to his resume, never posting an ERA over 3.37 in a season. He's still only 31 years old. Last winter Cliff Lee was 32 upon signing a five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies. At the time, we heard that Lee turned down offers guaranteeing $148MM over seven years from the Yankees and $138MM over six years (including heavy deferrals) from the Rangers.

There's more money in the game than there was three years ago, and Sabathia's resume is at least as strong as Lee's was. Sabathia won't be able to match the 2.13 postseason ERA Lee carried into that offseason, but with a 3.47 mark in ten Yankees postseason starts C.C. hasn't been bad. Sabathia's postseason work outside of '09 has been subpar, but I'm not sure that will affect the free agent bidding. I see Sabathia's ceiling as Lee's $24MM salary over another seven-year term, which would be a new record for a pitcher at $168MM. As with Lee, that seventh year will probably be a sticking point for all involved teams. Let's hear what you think about the total dollars in today's poll.

Quick Hits: Pettitte, Granderson, Alomar Jr.

By Dan Mennella | October 1, 2011 at 10:13pm CDT

Some late-night linkage for your reading pleasure as the Phillies and Rangers celebrate victories, and the Yankees appear poised to join them …

Former Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte is enjoying retirement is highly unlikely to return to pitching, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. "I feel the desire [to play] is gone," Pettitte said. "I am retired. I would never say never, but God would literally have to give me desire again… I’m really doing good. I just had a good peace about [retiring]."
Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News has an in-depth look at the three-way trade between the Yankees, Tigers and Diamondbacks following the 2009 season. There are some interesting insights within the piece regarding the relationships between the general managers, Brian Cashman, Dave Dombrowski and Josh Byrnes, and how they met face-to-face to complete the deal.
The White Sox will likely consider Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. for their managerial vacancy, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. We learned earlier today that Rays bench coach Dave Martinez is among the South Siders' primary targets.

White Sox Targeting Dave Martinez For Manager

By Luke Adams 2 | October 1, 2011 at 3:37pm CDT

The White Sox acquired one Martinez (Osvaldo) this week as compensation when the Marlins hired manager Ozzie Guillen. Now they're eyeing another one to replace Ozzie on the bench. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez is at the top of Chicago's managerial wish list.

The White Sox also like Yankees bench coach Tony Pena for the job, Rosenthal continues. However, Martinez is the team's number one choice at the moment. Martinez's Rays and Pena's Yankees are both still alive in the playoffs, so the Sox wouldn't be able to approach either coach yet.

Rosenthal hears from another source that Terry Francona's availability hasn't affected Chicago's search, and that the Sox remain focused on their original list of candidates. For more of today's rumors on Francona and the Red Sox, click here.

How The AL Playoff Starters Were Acquired

By Luke Adams 2 | October 1, 2011 at 2:02pm CDT

As important as it is during the regular season, starting pitching becomes even more crucial in the postseason. Rotations are trimmed to three or four pitchers, and – particularly in a short series, when an ace can start twice in five games – the team with the starting pitching advantage is often the favorite.

Between unpredictable weather conditions and the possibility of three-game sweeps, there's no guarantee these are the 16 starters we'll see in the ALDS. However, at the moment, they're the guys penciled in to attempt to win at least one playoff game this week. So let's take a look at how the four American League postseason qualifiers assembled their October rotations.

Rays

Matt Moore: Selected in the 2007 draft (8th round).
James Shields: Selected in the 2000 draft (16th round).
David Price: Selected in the 2007 draft (1st round, 1st overall).
Jeremy Hellickson: Selected in the 2005 draft (4th round).

Not only are the Rays the only AL playoff team with four homegrown pitchers expected to start – no other club has more than two. Of the four Rays starters, only Price was a first round selection, a testament to the team's ability to make the most of its mid-round picks.

Rangers

C.J. Wilson: Selected in the 2001 draft (6th round).
Derek Holland: Selected in the 2006 draft (25th round).
Colby Lewis: Signed for two years, $5MM in January 2010.
Matt Harrison: Acquired from the Braves in July 2007.

The Rangers may have assembled the most unlikely rotation of the four AL contenders. As recently as 2009, Wilson was a setup man and Lewis was pitching in Japan. Meanwhile, Holland was a 25th-round pick and Harrison was often the forgotten man in the Mark Teixeira trade that also sent Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Texas.

Yankees

C.C. Sabathia: Signed for seven years, $161MM in December 2008.
Ivan Nova: Signed as amateur free agent in 2004.
Freddy Garcia: Signed a minor league deal in January 2011.
A.J. Burnett: Signed for five years, $82.5MM in December 2008.

After last night's postponement, it appears the Yankees will have to scrap their plan for a three-man ALDS rotation, meaning that one December 2008 signing (Sabathia) may log significant innings in Game 3 only, while their other '08 signing (Burnett) could be pressed into a Game 4 start.

Tigers

Justin Verlander: Selected in the 2004 draft (1st round, 2nd overall).
Doug Fister: Acquired from the Mariners in July 2011.
Max Scherzer: Acquired from the Diamondbacks in December 2009.
Rick Porcello: Selected in the 2007 draft (1st overall, 27nd overall).

The Scherzer trade could have a tremendous impact on the 2011 postseason. All three teams involved in the deal qualified for the playoffs and will be relying heavily on players they acquired, including Curtis Granderson for the Yankees and Ian Kennedy for the D'Backs. As for the 2011 trade that most affects the postseason, the Tigers are hoping it's their July acquisition of Fister, who posted a 1.79 ERA after coming to Detroit.

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