Yankee deadline rumors

[Palodios]

Wait, are they seriously trying to cut payroll, or was that just a rumor?

[Rdsxmbnt]

Pretty sure that's just Jacko trying to justify the Yankees losing out on Lee AND Haren. We all know the Yankees are giving Lee 24 mil a year this offseason

[Yaz Sideburn]

there are two possibilities here. either the yankees didn't want to give up the talent necessary to acquire dan haren or they're cutting/stabalizing payroll. if it's the latter, it's going to be a very interesting offseason with derek jeter and mariano rivera both becoming free agents. those are two guys who haven't taken a paycut their entire professional career

[Palodios]

Jeff Passan wrote an article on yahoo that talked about how the Yankees didn't pull the trigger on Haren in order to save money for Lee, who they heavily preferred.

 

Jeter will always be a Yankee. And Rivera is the only thing keeping that bullpen together, so I doubt he leaves either.

[Yaz Sideburn]

i doubt they'll leave either, but i don't expect them to give the yankees team friendly contracts which would make it difficult to spend $25 million a year on a starter if they're going to stabilize or reduce payroll. they need to replace two starters that will leave for free agency so they may have to settle for #2 or #3 starters

[yankees228]

Jason Stark said the Yankees have dangled Jesus Montero for Soria. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Brian Cashman is clueless.

[Palodios]

Why? Soria is a pretty solid closer, significantly improves their bullpen this year, and gives them the option to move on from Rivera and save tons of money-- realisitically 10 million a year. They will also be getting younger-- moving from a 41 year old closer to a 25 year old one. They would have traded Montero for Lee, but this will give them the financial wiggle room to get him at the end of the season, and make sure they keep him too.

[yankees228]

Why? Soria is a pretty solid closer' date=' significantly improves their bullpen this year, and gives them the option to move on from Rivera and save tons of money-- realisitically 10 million a year. They will also be getting younger-- moving from a 41 year old closer to a 25 year old one. They would have traded Montero for Lee, but this will give them the financial wiggle room to get him at the end of the season, and make sure they [i']keep[/i] him too.

 

Rivera is coming back next year, Soria or no Soria.

 

I think it's insane to trade away a bat like Montero's, a cost controlled player who's arbitration clock hasn't even begun to tick yet, for a 70 inning a year reliever.

[Palodios]

Rivera is coming back next year, Soria or no Soria.

 

I think it's insane to trade away a bat like Montero's, a cost controlled player who's arbitration clock hasn't even begun to tick yet, for a 70 inning a year reliever.

 

I know all signs point to Rivera being an elite closer for ten more years... but he will not last forever, and Soria will be under control until 2014. Montero may be close to a sure thing, but 10 million a year goes a long way-- Let me put it into perspective, its the difference between Holliday and Nick Johnson last offseason. Is it worth betting that kind of a difference on a prospect?

[yankees228]

I know all signs point to Rivera being an elite closer for ten more years... but he will not last forever' date=' and Soria will be under control until 2014. Montero may be close to a sure thing, but 10 million a year goes a long way-- Let me put it into perspective, its the difference between Holliday and Nick Johnson last offseason. Is it worth betting that kind of a difference on a prospect?[/quote']

 

But it's only a help to the payroll if Rivera leaves. I'm not saying what the Yankees should or shouldn't do, but Rivera is coming back, probably on a similar 3/45 contract.

[Palodios]

The one thing the Yankees seriously need right now is bullpen help. If trading Montero gets them to the World Series, would it be worth it?

[Will617]

I think I heard the Yankees basically assumed they could get Lee when he becomes a free agent, and didn't want 4 years of Haren creating a glut in the rotation. Basically, Cashman still wants Burnett and Vazquez to be vindicated as good moves.

[yankees228]

The one thing the Yankees seriously need right now is bullpen help. If trading Montero gets them to the World Series' date=' would it be worth it?[/quote']

 

I disagree, I think they're in need of another starting pitcher if they want to get to the World Series. The bullpen is going to get a couple boasts when Marte comes back, and when Phil Hughes goes to the bullpen. The starting rotation is a huge concern after Sabathia, and they failed to address that issue.

[Yaz Sideburn]

is the bullpen really going to be better off with hughes? if his issue is that he's tiring right now, he's not going to be able to dial it up to full effort any better in october than he is right now

[yankees228]

is the bullpen really going to be better off with hughes? if his issue is that he's tiring right now' date=' he's not going to be able to dial it up to full effort any better in october than he is right now[/quote']

 

There are no guarantees, but it can only help. Couple additional points...

 

A: We have no idea if he is tiring now.

B: If he is tiring, it may very well just be a dead arm period, and nothing lasting.

 

Of course it's possible that he won't find his fastball for the rest of the year, but there's certainly a decent possibility that he'll improve the bullpen.

[jacksonianmarch]

Control of a 97mph fastball is a lot less crucial than control of a 93mph fastball. He'll do fine in the pen

[Rdsxmbnt]

Control of a 97mph fastball is a lot less crucial than control of a 93mph fastball. He'll do fine in the pen

 

Phil Hughes does not throw 97, maybe he could touch that on a pitch or two in the bullpen

[jacksonianmarch]

that's what I meant. He hit it a few times last yr

[Yaz Sideburn]

and how exactly will he be dialing it up to 97 if he's fatigued? people assumed that joba would seamlessly transition back to the bullpen and be dominant again and look how that turned out

[Yaz Sideburn]

the yankees made a "big proposal" for soria, possibly including montero but the royals weren't interested. not that it matters, because the yankees are one of the teams on soria's no-trade list anyways. that should put a rest to soria to the yankees rumors

[26 to 6]

Phil Hughes does not throw 97' date=' maybe he could touch that on a pitch or two in the bullpen[/quote']

Not as a starter, absolutely not. But in the pen I expect him to consistently be up there in that range, as was the case last year.

[Yaz Sideburn]

Not as a starter' date=' absolutely not. But in the pen I expect him to consistently be up there in that range, as was the case last year.[/quote']

 

it takes a while for a pitcher's velocity to increase in the bullpen even when they're fresh. it took almost a month or so for joba after he was put in the bullpen in spring training. so when exactly are they going to put hughes in the bullpen so that he has enough time to throw 97 (assuming he's even capable after a full season as a starter)

[jacksonianmarch]

Hughes was up there when he got to the pen last yr, and he came right from the rotation in AAA

[Yaz Sideburn]

yeah, after 19 innings in triple a. it's quite different to do that after 150 innings at the major league level. and just because he did it once, doesn't mean he'll do it again. just look at how much trouble joba had attempting the switch this year. it's not good for young pitcher's arms to move them in and out of the bullpen every year

[Divinity]

the yankees made a "big proposal" for soria' date=' possibly including montero but the royals weren't interested. not that it matters, because the yankees are one of the teams on soria's no-trade list anyways. that should put a rest to soria to the yankees rumors[/quote']

 

The fact the Yankees are on Soria's no-trade list should not be read to mean he would decline a trade to New York. It likely gives Soria some leverage if a deal were struck

 

Similar to Vazquez who has a no trade to AL west or NL west teams because of geography. Soria prefers Texas teams or the South

[jacksonianmarch]

yeah' date=' after 19 innings in triple a. it's quite different to do that after 150 innings at the major league level. and just because he did it once, doesn't mean he'll do it again. just look at how much trouble joba had attempting the switch this year. it's not good for young pitcher's arms to move them in and out of the bullpen every year[/quote']

 

Joba is a horrible example. After coming back from a shoulder injury, he never showed the kind of velocity he came up with.

[WhiskeyBreath]

The fact the Yankees are on Soria's no-trade list should not be read to mean he would decline a trade to New York. It likely gives Soria some leverage if a deal were struck

 

Similar to Vazquez who has a no trade to AL west or NL west teams because of geography. Soria prefers Texas teams or the South

 

Putting the NYY on his no trade list tells me he doesn't want to be a set-up man because there is no way in hell he closes in NY.

[Divinity]

Its fine if he doesn't, Papelbon has been pretty vocal about his desire to test the free agent market and is pretty adamant about being paid like a top-notch closer should, something I’m not sure the Red Sox are prepared to accommodate

[jacksonianmarch]

Putting the NYY on his no trade list tells me he doesn't want to be a set-up man because there is no way in hell he closes in NY.

 

He'd close eventually. It might be another 3 yrs the way Mo is throwing

[26 to 6]

Putting the NYY on his no trade list tells me he doesn't want to be a set-up man because there is no way in hell he closes in NY.

I think he'll pitch the 6th inning in New York if we paid him enough. To me when I read that the Yanks were on his no-trade list I just thought that gave him leverage in salary negotiations in upcoming years as he is still under team control. I don't think the Yanks would have even made an offer beyond the preliminary discussions if they felt that Soria had no desire to pitch here based on his no-trade clause.

 

But hey, I could be wrong. It doesn't look like either team is active on the Soria front right now, so I'm not expecting us to strike a deal in the least, although I haven't put it outside the realm of possibility.