Let's hope so. Realistically, yeah, he's pretty much gone. They declined to offer him arbitration, and he's a free agent. The Yanks seem to be pretty well stocked in the OF department, too. Peace out, Bobby. Take your declining skill set and shitty, wall-fearing defense somewhere else.
My Projections SP: CC Sabathia SP: AJ Burnett SP: Chien-Ming Wang SP: Joba Chamberlain SP: BP: Mariano Rivera BP: Damaso Marte BP: Brian Bruney BP: Edwar Ramirez BP: Jose Veras BP: Phil Coke BP: Humberto Sanchez/David Robertson/Mark Melancon C: Jorge Posada 1B: Nick Swisher 2B: Robinson Cano 3B: Alex Rodriguez SS: Derek Jeter LF: Johnny Damon CF: Brett Gardner RF: Xavier Nady DH: Hideki Matsui BN: Jose Molina BN: Cody Ransom BN: Melky Cabrera BN: Juan Miranda .......... 1) Johnny Damon 2) Derek Jeter 3) Alex Rodriguez 4) Hideki Matsui 5) Xavier Nady 6) Jorge Posada 7) Robinson Cano 8) Nick Swisher 9) Brett Gardner
Subpar? No. Not what the Yanks are used to seeing? Yes. If you assume that Matsui puts up typical numbers for him, that Posada is league average, and that Cano bounces back at least somewhat, it should be a very good, (albeit not prolific) offense. If they add Cameron to replace Gardner, as expected, it should be even better. And I would think any deficiencies in the lineup will be more than offset by the rotation. ETA: I haven't run any numbers on it, but just off the top of my head, I'd say the Yanks are already 4-5 wins better than last year, conservatively.
Overspending does hinder making other moves down the line. When you give players huge contracts for more years than they should get, their contracts become immovable. I realize the Yankees have huge money to spend, but at some point you can't hold as much dead wood as they run the risk of accumulating if these contracts go wrong. I guess the real source of my doubt about the moves isn't the money, it's the players. Despite what his Win-Loss would suggest, Burnett is coming off a year where he had a higher era (and era+) higher, WHIP, and more walks than in years prior. His injury potential is overstated but still pretty real and he is going to be getting old for a relatively soon. Sabathia weighs 600 pounds and has thrown 6528.2 innings over the last 3 seasons. Both of these contracts have the large potential to go astray, and in this economy I think we could be headed for a regression in player salary. If they go wrong the Yankees will be stuck with two albatross contacts, and even they financial limits at some point.
About Peavy from Rotoworld Agent Barry Axelrod still hasn't ruled out the possibility of Jake Peavy accepting a trade to an American League team. "Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League. If Jake's ever going to accept anything to the American League –- and I don't want this to be taken wrong –- I can safely say that it's going to be the Yankees or Red Sox or maybe the Angels. Those teams are going to be in contention and are going to spend money. If there were circumstances where he would be asked to go to the AL, kicking and screaming, those are the three places." That doesn't exactly sound optimistic. A team would be foolish to give up big-time prospects and commit $80 million to Peavy to bring him into a situation that he's lukewarm at best about.
I'd say we're more than 4-5. CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett making most of Rasner and Ponson's starts? If we're looking at something like 1. Damon 2. Jeter 3. Swisher 4. ARod 5. Matsui 6. Nady 7. Posada 8. Cano 9. Cameron We're looking at a deep lineup that can hurt you anywhere in the lineup hopefully. You can win with that offense. ARod is clearly the only star, but hopefully guys like Cano and Swisher can step up.
Seriously guys... 161 million for a guy who is probably not gonna give you the same production 3 years down the line...? And friggin' A.J. Burnett?!? Just because he killed the Yanks and the Sox doesn't make him the second coming of Jesus! He is frail and should be a major concern for the Yanks. Better pray all of your young pitchers get over their sophomore slump and can be ready to pitch decently at any time this year...
Did 2008 change the Yankees' standards? Or is it still World Series title or bust for us? Would Girardi leading us into game 6 of the ALCS be good enough?
I think Wang will be fine, it's the 1st injury the guy has had really in his career and he doesn't appear to have gotten a case of Taiwanese Arm. What I'm saying is no arm issues that have bothered Hung Chih Kuo and Chin Hui Tsao among others. Maybe it has to do with the fact that unlike the very few Taiwanese guys that have pitched in the majors he isn't a flamethrower. Tsao I know was in the high 90's and could hit triple digits and Kuo who has had 2 Tommy John Surgery's is near triple digits as well. I would however worry about Burnett and Matsui staying healthy. You take Abreu off the team and now Matsui needs to play nearly everyday although with him only DHing it certainly increases the chances. Any chance the Yanks make a run at Pat Burrell as his days in Philly are done?
But you're missing the point about how they're staggered now. The Yankee payroll has a chance of DECREASING going into next year. They are receiving contributions from cost-controlled players. Two things here: 1. I'm not huge on the Burnett signing, but his performance is better than his ERA and WHIP suggest. His FIP was 3.52 last year. And, surprisingly, the attrition rate for pitchers isn't nearly as bad as I would have expected during the ages that Burnett will be under contract with the Yanks. Weight doesn't tend to be a significant factor until later years, and how are you measuring the innings? Is it cumulative? Were the pitchers in the 70's all freaks of nature? How could CC have such a dominant 2008 considering how overworked he was in 2007? Sure they do. They're just not really that close to approaching those limits yet.
There are a couple of incorrect facts here. 1. Wang has had shoulder surgery. It was while he was in the minors. He has seen a full recovery (obviously). 2. Wang is probably the most invisible flamethrower in the game. His fastball used to sit in the high 90's (up to 97-98) before the surgery, and he'll still dial it up to 95-96 when he throws a four-seamer. Most of the time, though, he'll throw his 92-94 two-seamer. Abreu being off the team doesn't change anything from Matsui's point of view. He was never a bench/platoon player. I'm not worried about Matsui staying healthy. His injuries have been odd ones. The broken wrist is what started it in 2006. In 2007 it was the left knee. Last year, it was the right knee. There haven't been any recurring injuries yet, so I would imagine he has a pretty good chance of staying healthy this year.
As if the yankees didn't already have the worst defensive team in the league why not sign manny at that point, their fielding is equivalent and Manny is a better hitter
I do...I don't think they are done there yet. Which brings me to this thought. The only Teixiera offer you don't here details on is Boston's. That's because I doubt they have made one. They know Boras as well as we do and they know as soon as they made one Boras would leak it. If Boston or NY plans to make an offer for him it won't happen until the last possible second after Boras has made the "last call".
