They would have taken him back on a one-year deal. He got more years/money elsewhere. Good luck to him. The Yankees are serious about getting under the luxury tax threshold for 2014... so they can blow right past it in 2015, I'm sure. As for Mo... I don't care if this is a stupid sentimental opinion, but he closes until he decides to leave on his terms. I wouldn't care if he wasn't his old self... hell, I wouldn't care if his ERA was in the triple digits and personally caused the Yankees to lose 95 games; he is the closer until he retires. I'm so glad he's coming back. I was planning on taking my sons down to Yankee Stadium last year so they could say they saw him pitch (at an age where they are old enough to remember it), but then the injury happened. I'm probably going to go to every weekend home game from the beginning of the year until they get to see him.
Yes I'm with you on this %100. Mo might not have the same magic he used to have this year but I'll be willing to bet he'll still be better than most other closers in the league. Having Soriano and Mo was an amazing luxury to have while it lasted but we just can't afford to have both. BUT don't forget we still have David Robertson. He has been huge for us and more than qualified to be the setup man and occasionally close games.
I think Mo will be his old self, one of the few Yankees I love watching play. The guy is as dominant as any player has ever been at his position. I was quite upset when he got hurt because he's always been a class act and he's just so good and has been for so long that no matter who you root you have to respect what he does.
Yankees also got a sandwich round draft pick. We now have the 27th, 31st (Swisher comp) and 32nd (Soriano comp) draft picks.
Because Hal Steinbrenner does not care about winning, he only cares about getting below that 189 million line to avoid the luxury tax. He doesn't care if it effects the on field product, man I miss George.
Soriano's overrated (got a little lucky last season) and his 2011 performance was more reflective of his abilities than 2012. Burden falls on Robertson to keep his walk rate down.