Yankees Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Opening Day Payrolls

By Cork Gaines | April 10, 2009 at 12:59pm CDT

On this date 33 years ago, Andy Messersmith signed a three-year, $1M contract with the Atlanta Braves after being granted free agency by an arbitrator in the Seitz Decision. This move was historic in that the ruling effectively nullified baseball's reserve clause, seven years after Curt Flood first challenged the clause. This led to the inclusion of free agency after six years of service in the next collective bargaining agreement, a rule still in place today. Since then, payrolls have skyrocketed. Let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

The Biz of Baseball takes a closer look at opening day payroll, the highest paid players in baseball and which teams have the highest average player salaries.
Astros Country breaks down the Astros' 2009 payroll.
Bleed Cubbie Blue has details on the Cubs' payroll.
Rays Index breaks down the Rays' opening day payroll.
YanksBlog tries resolve different reports of the Yankees opening day payroll.
Purple Row takes a look at service time and options remaining on the Rockies' roster, among other things.
Baseball Analysts takes a look at payroll efficiency for the last three years.
On a side note, The Sports Banter put together a list of the best off-season moves, and the worst.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here and followed on Twitter.

Cashman Convinced Hal On Teixeira

By Tim Dierkes | April 10, 2009 at 9:17am CDT

Kat O'Brien of Newsday writes today about the Yankees' pursuit of Mark Teixeira. In talking to Brian Cashman, O'Brien learned that the GM's persistence finally led to the go-ahead from Hal Steinbrenner; for much of the offseason, Tex wasn't an option. At the time of Cashman's December meeting with Teixeira and Scott Boras, the Yankees were not expecting to sign the slugger. According to Cashman:

"When I met with him, I was doing it more to get leverage on CC. We weren't playing possum on purpose. We were actually out of it."

Cashman was able to convince Hal with this pitch regarding the Red Sox:

"I know you're not interested, but they're going to get this guy. He's going to fall in their lap, and he's so perfect for us."

Athletics Claim Dan Giese

By Tim Dierkes | April 8, 2009 at 2:16pm CDT

Peter Abraham of The Journal News passes along a release from the A's: they've claimed pitcher Dan Giese off waivers from the Yankees. The A's designated pitcher Chris Schroder for assignment to make room.

Giese, 32 in May, posted a 3.53 ERA in 43.3 innings with the Yanks last year. He also spent 59 innings at Triple A, tallying a 1.98 ERA. In his career Giese has also bounced around with the Red Sox, Padres, Phillies, and Giants organizations.

Yankees Set Roster, Choose Pena Over Berroa

By Nat Boyle | April 5, 2009 at 11:50am CDT

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports the Yankees have set their 25-man roster by choosing to go with infielder Ramiro Pena over Angel Berroa. Dan Giese was designated for assignment to make room. Hoch writes,

"Despite having not played above Double-A Trenton, Pena opened eyes in camp when Derek Jeter left the club for the World Baseball Classic, showcasing a slick glove and a developing bat. Pena batted .277 (18-for-65) with two doubles, a triple and seven RBIs in 30 Spring Training games for New York."

Pena's mother cried when given the news, writes Peter Abraham.

Odds & Ends: Fogg, Payrolls, Padres, Nady

By Tim Dierkes | April 3, 2009 at 8:35pm CDT

Links for Friday…

Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the Orioles have "mild interest" in Josh Fogg. If Fogg can't find an appealing job elsewhere he'll report to Triple A Colorado Springs for the Rockies.
Via the Twitter feed of John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer…the Reds have talked about Geoff Jenkins and Frank Catalanotto but nothing is close.
Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker has a Sports Hochi report saying recently released pitcher Ken Kadokura is reaching out to the Cardinals and Orioles.
Ryan Shealy cleared waivers and was sent to Triple A, clearing up the Royals' first base/DH logjam.
The website FINalternatives.com says Rangers owner Tom Hicks defaulted on more than $500MM in loans.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post looks at the payrolls for the Mets and Yankees.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says Hal Steinbrenner "told close friends he plans on hiring Lou Piniella as a consultant when his managerial contract with the Cubs runs out after the 2010 season."
According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres GM Kevin Towers said he still might add another starting pitcher.
Albert Chen of Sports Illustrated writes about the advanced defensive metrics that are becoming prevalent in the game.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes about the ethics of service time manipulation.
SI.com's Jon Heyman noted yesterday that "The Giants like Xavier Nady and wouldn't mind bringing the University of California product home at some point."

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Sheffield, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees

By Cork Gaines | April 3, 2009 at 9:42am CDT

On this date 43 years ago, Tom Seaver signed with the Mets for a $50K signing bonus. Seaver originally agreed to a deal with the Braves, but the contract was voided due to Seaver's status as an amateur at USC. After being ruled ineligible at USC, and the Braves were forbidden from signing Seaver, any team willing to match the original $50K signing bonus were included in a lottery for the rights to the future hall-of-famer. The Phillies, Indians and Mets literally had their names placed in a cap and the Mets were selected. The regular season is only days away and inevitably a former Mets pitcher will throw a no-hitter. Let's see what is being written in the Blogosphere…

The Detroit Tigers Weblog reflects on the release of Gary Sheffield.
The Rays Party takes a look at what the Rays can expect to receive in return for either Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel.
Simon on Sports chronicles a lecture given by Donald Fehr to an MBA class.
The Blue Jay Hunter interviewed our very own Tim Dierkes.
Sox and Pinstripes concludes their look at which team (Yankees or Red Sox) is more homegrown. Personally I vote for the Rays, but I might be biased.
More Hardball looks back at the #1 picks from the last 10 years.
Fire Brand of the American League wonders why the Red Sox did not pull the trigger and trade for Miguel Montero or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Jorge Says No! has updated their all-released team.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

Rosenthal On Sheffield, Repko, McPherson

By Tim Dierkes | April 3, 2009 at 8:15am CDT

A look at Ken Rosenthal's column from yesterday afternoon…

The Marlins chose Ross Gload over Frank Catalanotto, but are still considering signing Cat for the minimum now that he's been released.
The Braves are not interested in bringing back Gary Sheffield. Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets (as well as the Phillies and Reds) have an eye on Sheffield.
Sheffield is apparently the only right-handed hitter on the Phillies' radar. Rosenthal learned that the Rockies' asking price for Jeff Baker is high.
The Braves almost made a deal for Dodgers outfielder Jason Repko, but backed off recently.
The Yankees will pass on Dallas McPherson, but the Giants may consider him.
The Yanks don't seem desperate to move Melky Cabrera. They've received multiple calls on him but Rosenthal says "the team will only move him for the right price."

Odds & Ends: McPherson, Izzy, Hammel

By | April 1, 2009 at 9:31pm CDT

Happy April Fools, or something. Here are your Wednesday night links…

Mike Axisa over at River Ave. Blues believes the Yankees should take a long look at former top prospect Dallas McPherson.
Sam A. Miller of the Orange County Register presents some best-case scenario projections for the 2009 Angels.
Jason Isringhausen is going to stick it out with the Rays. He'll be placed on the disabled list to start the season, but could be pitching for Tampa by mid-May.
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discusses some of the Rays' offseason moves with RaysProspects.com. He also touches on Jason Hammel's trade value.
Pirates president Frank Coonelly hosted a chat with fans at MLB.com on Wednesday.
Mariners Rule 5 pick Jose Lugo, a reliever, has been returned to the Twins.
Another Rule 5 pick, catcher James Skelton, has been waived by the Diamondbacks.
If you missed it, take a look at Tim's Tuesday chat.
Join the fun! Add MLBTR to your Twitter following tonight. And hey, while you're at it, why not check out your (attention craving) friend Drew Silva as well?

Marlins Acquire Hayden Penn For Robert Andino

By Tim Dierkes | April 1, 2009 at 4:21pm CDT

4:21pm: Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has Larry Beinfest's thoughts on the Marlins' acquisitions today. Berardino also says Dallas McPherson "might wind up with the Yankees."

11:54am: Interesting swap today: the Marlins acquired pitcher Hayden Penn from the Orioles for shortstop Robert Andino. Both players are out of options.

Penn, 24, wasn't able to crack the Orioles' weak rotation. Perhaps he can recover the promise he had back in '05 and '06 with a fresh start.

Andino, 25 later this month, hit .287/.356/.497 in his second attempt at Triple A. He was blocked by Hanley Ramirez in Florida, but he plays strong defense and may be able to chip away at Cesar Izturis' playing time in Baltimore. Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun says it looks like Chris Gomez will be released now. Schmuck also has Andy MacPhail's explanation of the deal.

Offseason In Review: New York Yankees

By Tim Dierkes | March 31, 2009 at 4:43pm CDT

Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Yankees. Here's what we wrote about them on October 13th.

Additions: Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Nick Swisher, Damaso Marte (re-signed), Jason Johnson, Sergio Mitre, Brett Tomko, Kevin Cash, Angel Berroa, Todd Linden, John Rodriguez. Midseason: Xavier Nady.

Subtractions: Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Bobby Abreu, Kyle Farnsworth, Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson, Wilson Betemit, Ivan Rodriguez, Chad Moeller. Midseason: Morgan Ensberg, LaTroy Hawkins, Ross Ohlendorf

Back in October I wrote, "If the Yankees somehow sign Sabathia, Teixeira, and another starter, they'll be looking fantastic for 2009." Well, they did that and then some. Let's see what the spending spree will get them.

Last year's offense was unimpressive – 7th in the AL with 4.87 runs per game. The new lineup, even with A-Rod projected to miss a quarter of the season and play at less than 100%, projects at 5.41 runs per game using CHONE and the lineup analysis tool. That level of offense would've ranked second in the AL last year. And that projection doesn't include Swisher, who projects to outhit Nady.

Last year's rotation posted a 4.58 ERA in 898.3 innings, with only Pettitte and Mussina making more than 20 starts. They won't be giving starts to guys like Rasner and Ponson in 2009. This year's group: Sabathia, Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes, projects at a 3.90 ERA in 862 innings. And Wang figures to top the projected 133 innings.

The '08 bullpen had a 3.79 ERA in 543.3 innings. This year's group has more Marte, Bruney, and Coke and no Farnsworth, Hawkins, Ohlendorf, or Chamberlain. CHONE says it will shake out to a cumulative 3.71 ERA for the '09 pen. At the least, the bullpen shouldn't be worse.

The Yankees were the second-to-worst defensive team in the AL last year according to The Fielding Bible II. They could gain 40 runs on defense by employing Teixeira and Nady over Giambi and Abreu.

All of these offseason in review pieces have skewed toward the optimistic side. I guess I am just a glass-half-full kind of guy. If you agree with what I wrote above and peg the Yanks for 870 runs scored and 640 allowed, that's a 105 win team. That's extreme, but it would not surprise me to see this team win 100 games.

Bottom line: In a dream offseason for Yankees fans, Brian Cashman improved the offense, rotation, and first base defense drastically by signing three top free agents and more.

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