Levine: Yankees Plan To Keep Cano And Granderson
With the Yankees planning to get under the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, many have wondered if the club will be able to retain both Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson after their contracts expire following the 2013 season. Today, team president Randy Levine flatly stated that the team has a plan in place to retain both stars, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
General Manager Brian Cashman says that the club will not entertain going above the $189MM mark and the front office is committed to getting below that figure. While some wonder if the Yanks can even consider marquee free agents this winter such as Matt Cain or Cole Hamels, Cashman won't rule out making a play for a high-priced player on the open market.
Quick Hits: Cespedes, Red Sox, Phillies, Barmes
Congratulations to Justin Verlander, the 2011 American League MVP. Here are some links for Monday night, starting with a note on the contract status of one of Verlander’s former teammates…
- The value of the Yankees' 2013 option on Curtis Granderson increased from $13MM to $15MM thanks to the center fielder's top-five finish in the MVP voting.
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com hears Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes could obtain $45MM and suggests the 26-year-old will eventually sign for “quite a bit more” (Twitter link). One evaluator told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that Cespedes will sign for “way over [the] top” money (Twitter link). It appears that he’ll cost $35-50MM, if not more.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington confirmed Craig Shipley will no longer be the team’s VP of player personnel and international operations, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (on Twitter).
- Ryne Sandberg will return as the Phillies’ Triple-A manager in 2012, according to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.
- ESPN.com’s Keith Law doesn’t endorse the Pirates’ two-year, $10.5MM deal with Clint Barmes. Pittsburgh would have been better off picking up Ronny Cedeno’s $3MM option for 2012, Law argues.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America looks back at the 2005-07 drafts and shows that the Cardinals (24) and Padres (22) have developed the most Major Leaguers from those three drafts to this point.
Yankees Notes: Sabathia, Posada, Cashman
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 Notes: Robertson, Granderson, Aviles
A few items of note out of the AL East, where the Yankees lead the Red Sox by 2 1/2 games through Thursday's action …
- Yankees setup man David Robertson has pitched so well this season that Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders whether we're watching the development of Mariano Rivera's heir apparent as New York's closer. Rivera is under contract through next season.
- Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson is in the thick of MVP talks because of his stellar season, writes Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, but he's also an affable, charitable, humble and highly intelligent person. He's the Yankees' player rep for the MLBPA and is one of two league-wide reps along with Craig Counsell of the Brewers. Crasnick's piece is an excellent read.
- Not much was thought of it when the Red Sox acquired Mike Aviles from the Royals, but the utility infielder is preparing himself for what could be an important postseason role, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Aviles isn't a prototypical burner but is an efficient basestealer, according to Bradford, and could pinch-run in the postseason in a big spot — a la Dave Roberts in 2004.
16 Players Receive All-Star Bonuses
The All-Star Game is fun for fans, but for many players it means another payday. Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball has the list of 15 players receiving bonuses for making the game, led by Derek Jeter's $500K bonus. Carlos Beltran and Tim Lincecum both pulled in six figures as well ($100K each). Curtis Granderson will receive a $25K bonus, but the All-Star Game nod triggers a clause in his contract that increases his 2013 club option from $13MM to $13.5MM. There are more escalators that could raise the value of the option to $15MM.
Howie Kendrick was not listed by Brown but also received a $50K All-Star Game bonus, MLBTR has learned. Several pitchers will have to be replaced on the rosters because they're scheduled to pitch Sunday, which makes them ineligible for the game. That could mean even more bonus money gets handed out.
Yankees Notes: Russo, Prospects, Granderson
The classic musical Damn Yankees opened on Broadway on this day in 1955. Such noted Broadway stars as Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston and Stephen Douglass formed the original cast, with Douglass in the lead role as fan-turned-Washington Senators slugger Joe Hardy.
Unfortunately for supporters of both Washington's current team and the "Senators" (now the Twins), there is no word of either team signing an out-of-nowhere star prospect from Hannibal, MO. There is, however, some news about that darn team from the Bronx.
- The Yankees explored trading Kevin Russo during Spring Training, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Sherman notes that New York could take Russo off their 40-man roster to make room for Jorge Vazquez as a replacement for the injured Eric Chavez, though Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog believes Ramiro Pena will be called up instead.
- Slade Heathcott (29th overall) and J.R. Murphy (76th overall) were New York's top two picks in the 2009 amateur draft and are off to strong starts in low Class A ball, writes George King for Baseball America. Brian Cashman calls center fielder Heathcott "a five-tool guy," while Murphy "is going to hit for average with average power" while remaining at catcher.
- Curtis Granderson's early-season success and Austin Jackson's struggles have made the three-team deal involving the two center fielders look a lot better for the Yankees, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal. You still have to consider that deal an overall win for the Tigers — Max Scherzer, Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth have all contributed this season, and all three pitchers plus Jackson are under control for several more years.
Yankees Rumors: Upton, Lee, Soriano, Jeter
Joel Sherman of the New York Post dishes out the latest Yankees buzz in a series of articles…
- Sherman notes that Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has knowledge of the Yankees farm system after working for the team last year, which makes a Justin Upton match intriguing. However, Sherman feels that the Yankees would get involved most likely if Cliff Lee signs elsewhere and they look to trade an outfielder for a starter. Teams have inquired on Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, and Brett Gardner, notes Sherman.
- Executives Sherman spoke to continue to express the opinion that the Yankees will land Lee.
- The Yanks are also working hard to find a setup man, calling on about a dozen free agents including Pedro Feliciano. They've checked in on Rafael Soriano "as a fallback position in the incredibly small likelihood that Mariano Rivera does not re-sign." Sherman says to forget the idea of Soriano signing as Rivera's setup man and closer-in-waiting. Neither side is interested in that scenario.
- Sherman analyzes the Derek Jeter situation, which he feels could become "one of the most interesting games of contract chicken in history." The main sticking point seems to be the number of years.
Odds & Ends: Barajas, Piniella, Nats, Ramirez, Jackson
From the South Bay to the Valley, from the West Side to the East Side, everybody is very happy because Vin Scully will return in 2011. Let's check out some links from around the web..
- A member of the Mets watching Rod Barajas say goodbye to his teammates quipped "Can I go with him?", tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Ken Rosenthal pays tribute to Lou Piniella, and opines that Joe Girardi would be a perfect managerial replacement, though he has doubts that the Cubs could pry him away from New York.
- The Nationals have extended their affiliation with the Syracuse Chiefs for an additional two seasons, according to the team's official Twitter page.
- Josh Thole is excited about having the opportunity to start every day now that Rod Barajas has been claimed off waivers by the Dodgers, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Rays might be willing to take a chance on Manny Ramirez, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- With the way Austin Jackson is playing, it looks like the Tigers got the better end of the Curtis Granderson deal, writes Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger.
- Pittsburgh's signing of Mexican hurler Luis Heredia was years in the making, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer writes that the Indians weren't afraid to spend on the draft this year. Cleveland's top ten picks all signed for more than their recommended slot.
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) jokes that Buck Showalter has done too well with the Orioles as the club might now lose out on the first overall pick in the draft. Baltimore is now 44-80 while the Pirates are 40-83.
Odds & Ends: Lackey, Stanton, Blue Jays, Vazquez
Links for Monday, as Johnny Damon enjoys a little revenge against his former team…
- Mark Teixeira encouraged John Lackey to sign with the Yankees last winter, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- Marlins prospect Mike Stanton will likely remain in Double A until late May or early June, an MLB source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. That will prevent the young power hitter from gaining Super Two status and an extra year of arbitration. The team would consider promoting Stanton to the majors from Double A at that point if he continues hitting well. Stanton has 15 homers already.
- The Brewers signed shortstop Justin Parker, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). The 23-year-old has a .237/.334/.344 line in 584 plate appearances in the low minors of the D'Backs organization.
- In a recent radio hit with The Big Show, Peter Gammons noted that the Red Sox tried to acquire Javier Vazquez during the offseason. Talking to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Murray Chass learned that the Sox also had interest in Curtis Granderson.
- Kevin Gregg told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune he was open for anything regarding a return to the Cubs, but they said no.
- Switching to the future tense, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names ten players who could hit the trading block – including Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Paul Konerko, and Ted Lilly.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis ranks all draft prospects from the last 20 years, based on how they were perceived before their drafts.
Odds & Ends: Byrnes, Hu, Giants, Red Sox
Sunday night linkage..
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues (via Twitter) wonders if the recently released Eric Byrnes could be the Yankees' short-term replacement for the injured Curtis Granderson.
- Triple-A shortstop Chin-lung Hu may be promoted if Rafael Furcal lands on the DL, writes Evan Drellich of MLB.com. The Dodgers were reportedly shopping Hu in late March and one has to imagine that they're happy to still have him aboard.
- The Giants' patchwork job on offense may be enough for the club to make a serious run at the NL West title, says Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
- Two players in Boston's farm system who played together for quite a while will be reunited at the Triple-A level, writes Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal.