Off-Season Blather

[ps11yat14]

First off.  I am a life long Red Sox fan.  Second of all I do not care how much a team spends on payroll.  It is the owners right to spend whatever he wants.  But I read about how much the Yanks spend vs the Sox and it seems that Yankee fans are always trying to make the Sox out as equally as bad as the Yanks when it comes to spending.  I heard this today while driving to work.  This year, the Yanks have to pay MLB 26.69 million in luxury tax for 2009 for exceeding the 162 million cap in 2009.  The Yanks Payroll was 226.2 million.  They are the only team that must pay a tax this year. 

The Yankees have been billed $174 million of the tax's $190 million total since 2003. The only other teams to pay have been Boston ($13.9 million for 2004-7), Detroit ($1.3 million for 2008) and the Los Angeles Angels ($927,059 for 2004).

I just thought the numbers were amazing.  I would not have believed that it was so much of a differance. 

Bill

 

[Sam56]

"NY Yankees coaches, Sergio Mitre and the Hall of Fame election

By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger
January 06, 2010, 2:20PM

Associated PressSergio Mitre avoided arbitration, agreeing on Wednesday to an $850,000 contract.NEW YORK -- Just a few housekeeping items on this Wednesday afternoon, just in case you have yet to see them....

- Pitcher Sergio Mitre signed a one-year deal with the Yankees, according to his agent, Paul Cobbe. Mitre avoids arbitration by agreeing to the one-year, $850,000 contract, which Cobbe said includes performance incentives.

-- The entire Yankees coaching staff will return for the 2010 season. The team made the news official on Wednesday. It comes as no surprise. From the release:

Dave Eiland, 43, will enter his third season as Yankees pitching coach and eighth year coaching in the Yankees organization.

Mike Harkey, 43, will begin his third season as Yankees bullpen coach.

Mick Kelleher, 62, will return for his second year as the Yankees’ first base and fifth year as a coach or instructor in the Yankees organization.

Kevin Long, 43, will return for his fourth season as Yankees hitting coach and seventh year in the Yankees organization.

Tony Pena, 52, will return for his fifth season on the Yankees Major League coaching staff and second as bench coach.

Rob Thomson, 46, will enter his 21st season in the Yankees organization and his second as third base coach.

- Also, the Yankees retained manager Dave Miley and the entire coaching staff at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Meanwhile, manager Torre Tyson and pitching coach Jeff Ware will return to Class-A Charleston.

- And finally, congrats to Andre Dawson for making the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Earlier this season, when I was writing a story about Hideki Matsui, I asked Yankees manager Joe Girardi if he could remember somebody who performed at as high a level as Matsui while battling knee issues. Without hesitation, Girardi named his former teammate, Dawson.

- Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar just missed the cut. (Honesty, I think Alomar was wronged here, but I'm not surprised)."

[Sam56]

"Johnny Damon Has Pondered Retiring

1/20/2010 12:14 PM ET By Tom Fornelli

It seems that reality is finally starting to set in for Johnny Damon. The Yankees won the World Series over two months ago, and we're a month away from the beginning of spring training, and Johnny is still sitting at home waiting for somebody to offer him a contract. He had told Yankees general manager Brian Cashman that unless he was prepared to make Damon a $13 million offer for 2010, don't even bother making the call.

Well, it seems that other general managers got the message too, and none of them are picking up the phone.

So Damon's options are limited, and when the Giants announced they had signed Bengie Molina on Monday, it took away one of them. That leaves the Braves and Yankees as Damon's most likely landing places, provided he eases up on his salary demand. His only other option is retirement, and apparently he's kicked that idea around in his head. Option 2, practically unthinkable after the World Series, would be retirement. A friend of Damon's recently said, "Johnny is completely in the family mode right now" and has considered that option. It's still hard to believe that, in the wake of a 24-home run campaign in 2009, and hitting .364 against the Phillies in the Series, Damon actually would quit.

Give him credit for not panicking. In a text message to the New York Times on Tuesday, Damon wrote: "I'm sure things will work out somewhere." Chances are, however, he never thought he'd be in this kind of predicament so late in the off-season. It's hard to blame a man for trying to get as much money as possible, but at this point it's time for Damon to swallow his pride and realize that while he's been a very productive player throughout his career, he's just not worth the type of money he wants to anyone. I really don't think the Yankees would have a problem bringing Damon back to play left field next season if he came back at a pretty nice discount.

So the question Damon has to start asking himself now is not "How much can I get" but rather "How badly do I want to play?" I mean, a couple million dollars and a chance at another World Series title isn't exactly a horrible way to spend a summer."

[Gmo11]

Yanks are playing Damon and more specifically Scott Boras like Eric Clapton plays a guitar.  Nobody in their right mind would offer Damon that kind of money at his age.  He has one option if he wants to play this year and thats the Yankees but ONLY at their price, not his.  If not he can sit and watch the Yanks try to defend their title without him.

[retrojint]

Damon is this off-season's Bobby Abreu.  36 year-old corner outfielders are not getting multi-year mega-deals.   Jason Bay and Matt Holiday are younger.  They got the money this off-season.  As for Johnny, the Yankees are talking about 1 year at 2M if today's Post is to be believed.  Wow, just a couple of years ago that kind of money was being offered to Louie Sojo. 

[Sam56]

"Agent: If needed, NY Yankees' Curtis Granderson 'more than fine' with position switch.

By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger
January 29, 2010, 1:36PM

NEW YORK -- The Yankees have been speaking with newly acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson about his willingness and ability to make the switch to left field. A move would clear the way for Brett Gardner to play center field, where his defensive skills would potentially enhance his value to the Yankees.

"We think he's one of the best defensive center fielders in the game," Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said.

Granderson's agent, Matt Brown, said via e-mail on Friday that his client is willing to do whatever the Yankees ask. In recent days, the Yankees have left open the possibility that they may ask Granderson to move from a position where he has been an All-Star.

"He's more than fine with it," Brown said.

Appearing on the YES Network's Yankee Hot Stove show on Thursday night, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Granderson will enter spring training in center field, but that the team would be willing to see how the situation evolves.

"We feel we have two center fielders in our outfield situation," Cashman said.

Gardner beat out Melky Cabrera for the starting center field job last spring training, lost it after a poor start at the plate, then missed some time to injury. Still, for both his speed on the bases and his range on defense, Gardner drew raves.

Various reports published this offseason have said that Gardner has drawn interest from several teams, including Reds, Padres, White Sox, Royals and Cubs."

[retrojint]

Gardner is by far the better defensive centerfielder.  However, I doubt they're going to want to move Granderson back and forth between left and center if Gardner gets less than full- time action, which I would guess is the case.  Meanwhile the Johnny Damon fiasco continues.  Mike Lupica wants to blame the Yankees.  As usual the fault lies with Boras the Impaler, who priced Damon at a ridiculous 24 million over two years.  I hate what happened.  But it happened, as Yogi might say.

[Sam56]

As stupid as some teams are, no one is going to pay Damon 24 million over two years at his age.

I would have loved to have kept him for another season or two, but since Boras is an a-hole, I didn't think it would work out.

This is definately NOT Cashman's fault imo.

[retrojint]

Looks like Boras is trying to convince the Tigers that they can win the World Series with Johnny, Sam.  Seriously, he would make their team a lot better for a couple of seasons.  And hitting before Cabrera, now a happy, recovering person who vowed to the fans of the Tigers to handle his drinking problem, would be a very potent offensive duo.  Still Leyland has never had problems going with young players in his managing career.  Be interesting to see if this happens. 

[Sam56]

Time appears to be getting shorter for a really large contract for Johnny.

Me, I would have continued to take the Yankee's millions and have done my best for a third WS ring.

[Sam56]

"Trades, not free agent spending, key to NY Yankees' active offseason
By Marc Carig/The Star-Ledger

February 14, 2010, 6:00AM

On a December night, in a hotel suite high above the frozen streets of Indianapolis, the retooling of the Yankees was in full swing.
 
A bank of laptops sat opened on a dining room table, their operators so focused they hardly looked up from their screens. A large white board rested on an easel, its contents  hidden from outsiders’ eyes with a strategically placed bedsheet. A BlackBerry buzzed, its vibration drawing only a passing glance from its owner.

It was just another of the thousands of text messages, perhaps even one that helped shape the future of the franchise, sent to the phone of general manager Brian Cashman. Already consumed with the task of defending a title, the sleep-deprived Yankees GM allowed his mind to wander.

“It’s easier . . . for people to text you an offer that’s a little bit more difficult to convey verbally,”
Cashman said with a laugh, amused by the ease in which outlandish trade offers can be made. “I know I’ve used it in that way, too.”

But since that night at the winter meetings two months ago, Cashman’s moves have been no laughing matter, at least not to those who wish to knock off the world champions.

Cashman revamped the Yankees roster, making it younger than the one that claimed title No. 27. But with pitchers and catchers set to report to Tampa on Wednesday for the start of spring training, the Yankees will begin the process of answering the most important question: Will all of those hours, dollars and text messages add up to the successful pursuit of championship No. 28?

In the past, Cashman has been known to use the phrase “big-game hunters,” an apt description for the Yankees’ place atop the free-agent food chain. The best evidence came during the haul following the 2008 season, when the Yanks went on a $423.5 million spending spree to acquire A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.

But with the Yankees entering this offseason on a self-imposed budget of roughly $200 million, and a free-agent market mostly devoid of top-level talent, or “big game,” the Yankees made their most significant moves with trades.

“We knew the free-agent market was weak compared to last year’s, as well as compared to next year’s, on paper,” Cashman said last week. “We had to gauge how strong the trade market was, and gauge the ability and willingness to match up.”

It turns out that process started quickly.

Cashman’s work in preparation for 2010 began, by chance, before the 2009 season was over. Once the Yankees set their World Series roster, Cashman spent the next three days calling rival general managers to get a feel for possible trades.

One of his first conversations was with Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski. One of the names brought up was Curtis Granderson.

By the winter meetings, the 28-year-old All-Star center fielder was a Yankee, part of a three-team blockbuster trade in which the Yankees parted ways with two high-profile homegrown talents, pitcher Ian Kennedy and outfielder Austin Jackson. The trade gave the Yankees a younger replacement for free agent Johnny Damon, whose time with the Yankees ended with a contract squabble, and seemed to set the tone for the rest of the offseason.

The Yankees allowed World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to sign a free-agent deal with the Angels, signing Nick Johnson in his place. Though he has had injury issues during his career, Johnson is a younger replacement for Matsui at DH.

Johnson’s signing also spelled the end for Damon’s run in the Bronx, perhaps the Yankees’ biggest misfire of the offseason.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t get Johnny Damon back, but we made a very strong offer,” said Cashman, who had a two-year, $14 million offer rebuffed in December. “We had intent and interest, but it took them awhile to come around.”

The Yankees also addressed perhaps their top priority entering the offseason, improving their pitching depth.

Because of Chien-Ming Wang’s struggles and Joba Chamberlain’s inconsistency, the team found itself leaning on just three starting pitchers throughout the postseason, a clear sign of the need for another reliable arm.

In response, the Yankees re-signed left-hander Andy Pettitte and traded for former Yankee Javier Vazquez. Earlier in the offseason, Cashman called the Vazquez trade perhaps the most important move of the winter.

With Vazquez joining Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte in the rotation, only one spot remains, which likely will be decided between Phil Hughes and Chamberlain.

But even if they falter, the Yankees could fill the slot with Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves or Sergio Mitre.

Regardless of which direction the Yankees go, they have choices to fill out the rotation, a major goal entering the offseason.

Said Cashman: “I’m comfortable with how we did.”

[Sam56]

"NEW YORK -- The Yankees' somewhat unsettled outfield situation will generate plenty of debate. But make no mistake: the offensive core of the Yankees resides not in the outfield, but with the infield.

Few teams in baseball get as much pop from as many non-traditional sources as the Yankees. And little is expected to change in 2010.

In looking at the infielders, catchers and designated hitter expected to make the 25-man roster, I used CHONE, one of several stat-based projection systems in common use. I used CHONE because it also projects a player's WAR* (wins above replacement), a tidy statistic that attempts to capture overall production. For comparison, I've included the number from last season.

Generally, a WAR above 6 is ridiculously good. A 4-6 rating is the mark a very good player while between 1-3 is a useful player. Anything below 1, and the player is "replacement level," the type that can be easily replaced by plucking any minimum salary player out of Triple-A.

Cody Ransom, by definition, was a replacement-level player.

All statistics -- old-school and new-school alike -- are imperfect. Though I find many of the newer stats are less imperfect. I find value in WAR (which can be found on player pages at FanGraphs) because of its ability to give us a snapshot of a player's production.

The "slash stats" used below are batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage.

SS Derek Jeter
Age: 35
2010 projection: .302/.373/.434, 14 HRs, 70 RBIs, 3.4 WAR (7.4 in '09)
Notes: Jeter's perceived improvement on defense, a topic of discussion last season because of his jump in Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), helped raise his overall value. His projection calls for a dropoff, which is somewhat expected because after an oustanding '09 season. Even with that drop, Jeter is going from "absurdly good" to "very good." Hitting atop the lineup seemed to make Jeter more active on bases. He stole 30 bags last season though his CHONE for 2010 has him down for 16. Still, not bad. While talk of his contract status will surely crop up -- he's a free agent after this season -- it would take an earth-shattering event for Jeter to end up in another uniform. With the 3,000 hit milestone out there, and the potential fan firestorm that would follow if he were to leave, it's hard to image Jeter as anything but a Yankee for life.

3B Alex Rodriguez
Age: 34
2010 projection: .282/.383/.548, 34 HRs, 106 RBIs, 5.0 WAR (4.4 in '09)
Notes: Rodriguez showed his smarts as a player during his return from hip surgery. Though he suffered at points when his body wore down, Rodriguez compensated somewhat by showing more patience at the plate. His 15 percent walk rate was a career high. His projection calls for more typical walk levels (12.2 percent) in 2010, though his power production should rise simply by being in the lineup more. Again, he should be a major force in what could be the most potent lineup in baseball. The further removed he was from his hip surgery, Rodriguez showed a little more mobility at third base and on the bases. It will be important to see whether that steady progress continues this season.

1B Mark Teixeira
Age: 29
2010 projection: .287/.375/.543, 31 HRs, 104 RBIs, 5.1 WAR (5.1 in '09)
Notes: Despite his awful start, the switch-hitting Teixeira bounced back to tie for the American League lead with 39 homers. He's got a chance to find himself in that range once again. Having Rodriguez hitting behind him from Day 1 should help. Also keep in mind that Teixeira battled through a wrist injury early in the season that may have hindered him more than he let on. Teixeira's UZR of -3.7 was baffling last season considering how he shined at first base. Of course, more and more, UZR is being used with larger sample sizes (last three seasons vs. single season). Viewing Teixeira in that way, he has a 2.5 UZR over his last three seasons, making him an above average defensive first baseman.

2B Robinson Cano
Age: 27
2010 projection: .305/.337/.469, 20 HRs, 85 RBIs, 4.2 WAR (4.4 in '09)
Notes: Cano is a classic example of how the Yankees lineup is bolstered by getting tons of offensive production from a non-traditional source. While his brutal .207 average with runners in scoring position seemed to draw so much attention, Cano was busy putting together a bounce-back year. His .320 average led all major league second basemen and his WAR ranked sixth. His defense wasn't Gold Gove caliber, as manager Joe Girardi overzealously suggested late last season, but it wasn't bad. Cano is entering his prime and his production should, at the very least, remain steady. The next step for Cano will be figuring out how to improve upon his production with men on base.

DH/1B Nick Johnson
Age: 31
2010 projection: .266/.391/.418, 13 HRs, 61 RBIs, 2.2 WAR (2.4 in '09)
Notes: So many numbers can be used to measure a player's contribution. But with Johnson, the most important statistic is the first one, games played. He stayed healthy enough to play 133 games with the Nationals and Marlins, bolster their lineups with on-base abilities that fit nicely with the Yankees' lineup as well. Though he is a good defensive first baseman, he will likely be used almost exclusively at DH, which the Yankees hope will lower Johnson's injury risk. His projection calls for a drop in on-base percentage (an ungodly .426 in 2010), but a rise in his slugging percentage (.434). He could fit well as Johnny Damon's replacement in the two-hole. How the left-hander takes to Yankee Stadium's forgiving right field porch will play a factor in his production.

UTL Ramiro Pena
Age: 24
2010 projection: .248/.305/.345, 3 HRs, 28 RBIs, 0.8 WAR (0.6 in '09)
Notes: Pena did well for himself last season, hitting .287 in 115 at-bats in 69 appearances. His value lies in his versatility. He appeared at second base, shortstop and third base. When he was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre late last season, he also worked on playing the outfield. With Johnson's defensive abilities limited to first base, and with the likelihood that the Yankees will carry two outfielders, a versatile bench player will be crucial for the Yankees. Pena could fit well in the role, and his experience last season will help. But he should face competition from Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Russo and Reegie Corona in spring training.

C Jorge Posada
Age: 38
2010 projection: .262/.349/.453, 16 HRs, 65 RBIs, 2.8 WAR (4.0 in '09)
Notes: Posada's value should remain high because of his production levels as a catcher, even though his projection calls for a drop-off from last season. Of course, there's the annual question: How long will Posada's body hold up behind the plate, where his defensive abilities have diminished? The Yankees did a good job last season of working some of the team's veterans into the lineup as the DH, essentially giving them a half-day off. Posada, who was the DH nine times last season, could benefit from those breathers.

C Francisco Cervelli
Age: 23
2010 projection: .257/.311/.376 4 HRs, 26 RBIs, 0.5 WAR (0.3 in '09)
Notes: Cervelli, a .273 hitter in his minor-league career, hit .298 in 42 appearances for the Yankees last season. Such a number is unsustainable and his projection says as much. But that's not to downplay Cervelli's value. He showed a solid set of defensive skills behind the plate and he worked well with the pitching staff. In essence, Cervelli is a serviceable backup catcher, nothing more, nothing less. This is Cervelli's job to lose.

[Sam56]

"Pitcher Chan Ho Park agreed to a one-year deal, $1.2 million deal with the Yankees early Monday morning, according to a report from Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

Park, 36, had been a starter for most of his major league career. But the veteran emerged as a key contributor in a relief role, helping the Phillies capture a second-straight National League pennant.

Park went 3-3 with a 4.45 ERA in 45 appearances, with all but seven coming in relief."

Could be a valuable relief pitcher for us.

[Gmo11]

I hope you're joking Sam cause this move made absolutely no sense to me.  Park has made his career on stinking.  He's like Gil Heredia.  Everytime he comes out to the mound his team is automatically in a position to lose.  Now I know he had a fairly decent season last year by his own miserable standards, but that was again in AAAA baseball.  He's in the big leagues now.  He is going to stink.  I have absolutely no doubts about this.  He's just not a very good pitcher.  I'd love to be wrong about this, but I truly  feel that Park will be released or in the minors by May 1st.

[Sam56]

"At his press conference in Korea, Park said he was leaning toward the Cubs until recently, as they were willing to let him battle for a rotation spot.  The Yankees' "history and championship contention" won out.  Joel Sherman of the New York Times says Yankees GM Brian Cashman lobbied ownership to expand the payroll for Park, but now Chad Gaudin or Sergio Mitre could be traded.

Park, 36, posted a 2.52 ERA, 9.4 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9 in 50 relief innings for the Phillies last year.  The Type B free agent was not offered arbitration by the Phils, but they did reportedly make a $3.25MM proposal."

Gmo - the deal might have made no sense to you (we all deserve our own opinions), but somehow I trust our GM's opinion more. Seems like he did pretty good last year with the team!