jacksonianmarch

WTF? This doesnt make much sense. This sounds like an order from above.

I agree with a lot of what you said, except the Young part. Young is "Jeterian" at short and will likely be a 3b or a 2b before long.

Its difficult to say how hard this kid throws. Some people say he tops out at 97, but it seemed like the more his courting progressed, the lower his fastball was projected at. The most recent one from ESPN said that he topped out in the low 90s and by the end of this yr he was hitting high 80s. Regardless, we'll find out soon enough. I'll tell you this much, I would have loved to have him.

there isnt much similarity between them at all

You say that you are looking for a dangerous 30HR hitter and in the same breath talk about how Jason Bay is not that. Hmm. Bay hit 31 HR this past yr and has surpassed 30 in 3 of the last 4 yrs. He's your "dangerous 30HR hitter."

So, I have heard a lot of s*** about our GM being terrible, useless and s*****. So its time for our resident experts to step up and point out what they would do this offseason to improve the team. Now this doesnt come without a caveat. Its obvious that Hal has placed a budget on Cashman. THIS IS NOT HIS DOING. Hence, I am going to place an arbitrary budget on this post. The Yankees cannot exceed their 2008 payroll. Hence, 85 million dollars came off the payroll. Swisher and Marte eat up 11 of that pot. So, you have 74 million for this upcoming season to throw around. And...go. First Targets #1. CC Sabathia- he has to be our #1 target and we should go above and beyond to get him. The only concern is that he may have no interest in coming to NY. Right now, a 6 yr, 23.3mil AAV contract is in his lap. The LA times is reporting today that the Angels just entered the bidding and may be offering a Johan type deal. If that is the case, I'd be willing to offer 25 mil a season for 7 yrs, something that I dont think anyone will touch. If that is not enough, then we will need to let him go. Max offer: 7yrs 175 mil with 8th yr vesting option for 25-30mil #2. AJ Burnett- not as much of an absolute need, but a fine pitcher nonetheless. He is more of a risk and his offer should portray the risk that this player harbors. I would not go 5 yrs guaranteed. But I'd be willing to offer the highest AAV and offer a vesting option for yr 5 at bigger money. If he refuses that, then he'll get less money if he performs. Max offer: 4yrs 65mil with 5th yr vesting option for 18 mil #3 Andy Pettitte- he'd be our cheapest and the one that would require the least commitment. That being said, he is not an ace like the 2 above and would have a questionmark about his health and about his stuff since he fell off a cliff at the end of the yr. I'd take him back on a 1-2 yr deal, but not at 16 mil. I'd offer 10 and settle with 12. Max offer 2 yrs 24 mil Assuming all three of those guys sign, we'll use up 53 of the 74 mil. That is if ALL 3 sign the MAX offers. Which I find to be very unlikely. And if all 3 do not sign, I would have to create the contingency plans before I move on to the offense. But 3 pitchers need to be signed IMO. Contingency plan #1= Derek Lowe- quite a contingency plan, the guy asking for a 5 yr 85 mil contract. I dont think anyone will go that high. But even at his worst, he's a #4 pitcher who will give you 200IP. There is a lot of value in that. I'd be willing to offer a similar package that Burnett got, except shorten it by one yr. I'd start out the bidding at 3 yrs 40 mil with a vesting option for yr 4 at 15 mil. Max offer: 4yrs 65mil Lets say we cannot nab 3 of the above 4 pitchers, well then it gets Dicey. I thought Dempster would have been a nice change of pace, but he's off the mark. Then you end up running into the ??? class of Perez and Sheets. Contingency plan #2= Ben Sheets- he is the ultimate in contingency plans. He's oft injured, but when he throws he is dynamite. Kinda like Burnett, except Sheets is injured more often and doesnt have a history in the AL. I would also be willing to offer him a Burnett Package at max. But I think Sheets might be willing to take a shorter package loaded with incentives so he can hit the market and get a better deal than get locked into a 4-5 yr deal at less than his healthy worth. So, this plan would have 2 offers. A 1 yr 10 mil contract with incentives that could take it to 20 mil in 2009. A 2 yr offer at 20 mil total with incentives that could take it to 35 million. Or a flat out 4 yr offer at 60 million dollars. That would be my max offer. Max offer: 4 yrs 60 mil Contingency plan #3= Oliver Perez- if we are reaching this point of desperation, we might just be better off building the rotation from within. Perez is a lefty power arm who can be Koufax or Dalkowski depending on the day. His market is a total enigma. When he's on, he's worth Sabathia money since he's younger and in better shape. When he's off, he isnt even worth the roster spot. But the kid did step up in big spots in a big market and did pitch very well in his only post season appearances. Hence, he will end up getting some significant coin from someone willing to take a big chance. Hopefully that isnt us. But if it is? I'd start the bidding in the 3 yrs 30 mil range and be willing to take it to a Dempster deal at 4yrs 52 mil. Max offer 4yrs 52 mil After these guys, there's the hope and a prayer pile. Curt Schilling not much interest here, I dont think he even comes to NY Koji Uehara I'd be inclined to take a look at the very least. He's a low 90s kind of guy, but a small frame and 33 yrs old right now is not a good combo. Jason Jennings arm issues derailed his seasons the past 2 yrs. He'd be a minor league deal kind of guy with big incentives if he made the 25 man. Paul Byrd not a bad contingency plan here. He'd probably accept a 1-2 yr deal and would be a nice stopgap. He's a #5 at most, but he gives innings and doesnt totally embarrass himself. John Smoltz if only he was healthy. Smoltz might be willing to start anew in NY with an incentive laden deal. He had his surgery much earlier than Schilling and should be at the best he'll be come ST. If he isnt throwing low 90s come ST, then I'd cut him loose. Brad Penny I'd have a good amount of interest here if it wasnt for his lack of work ethic and his significant shoulder and elbow issues. I think offering him a contract would work out well for us, but he might be looking for a longer term deal. Mark Prior hope and a prayer MiLB deal? Pedro Martinez I hope we dont go this route John Garland- why is he last on the list? Cause I do NOT want him. He's gonna get a deal in the 12-14 mil range and I dont want any part of him. His WHIPs, ERA's, and BAAs are rising and he played in the AL West this past yr, home to some seriously anemic offenses. So that's the rotation. I assume we'll spend 50-60 mil a yr on the rotation this offseason. Now to the offense. #1 Mark Teixeira- this one is obvious, but if we ink 3 top flight starters, we wont have the room under the budget to sign Tex. I expect Tex to get a 7 yr deal in the 22-25 mil range. So at this time, if we sign CC, Burnett, and Pettitte, Tex is not a possibility. Now, lets say CC slips away from us, that frees up nearly 10 mil a season when you go with contingency plan #1 instead of CC. That means Teixeira comes into play. It would also mean there would be some jockeying to be done. It would either be a deal of Matsui or Damon, and I think Damon would return more, so he'd be the one to go. And I would go all out for Tex if he was moved. Start in the 7 yr 160-170mil range and be willing to go Max offer 8yrs 200 mil on him. #2 Manny Ramirez- this one is a bit more difficult to conjure up because there would be some moving parts involved and we'd also have to worry about him quitting on us and about father time finally catching up to him. I would offer a max contract of 3 yrs to Manny with a vesting option for yr 4. AAV of 20-22 million dollars at the most. After these 2, I dont think we'd see a big improvement in our team. Adam Dunn maybe, but Swisher and Dunn are very similar and I dont think getting Dunn at the expense of Damon would make this team any better. I like Orlando Hudson, but right now, Cano has slimmed down and is finally taking his game seriously. If he comes back to his post April level of production, then he's much better than O-Dog. Abreu's ship has sailed IMO. So has Giambi's. In terms of Arbitration You gotta offer Bobby Abreu arbitration. If he accepts, then you can have a quality merry go round in the OF while having 3 OFers leave via FA next yr and a solid contingency should someone get hurt. If he doesnt, you get 2 draft picks in the top 40. Not too bad. You also have to offer Pudge arbitration. He's a bit more tricky, though. He's a type B FA, just like Vizcaino was. He'd return one pick. But at the same time, arbitration contracts are not guaranteed. You can get out of them by cutting the player prior to opening day for a fraction of the cost. So, you offer Pudge arb and tell him the truth. If you accept, there is a very good chance we cut you or keep you as a backup. The only chance you have of keeping a full time job is if Jorge comes back and is totally unable to play catcher. That would net us 3 picks in the top 40-50. Throw in the 2 we have from last yr and then kiss the ones from this yr goodbye and you have 5 total picks in the top 40-50. If we choose the best talent available and offer big contracts up front, then we could not only stock our big league team, but continue the theme of restocking the minors as well. So there it is. I want CC, Burnett and Pettitte on the pitching side and if we could move Damon or Matsui, would love to have Manny. If CC doesnt sign, then Tex is a must. All of these moves are made under the premise that we have 75 or so mil to play with if you continue to assume we'll stay in the 210 mil range. We dont have to be. But I think we'll end up there anyway

It isnt just the yankee PR machine Gom. Whelan is a true talent who throws very hard and is very difficult to hit. The problem is, he walks 6 batter per 9 in a good yr. If someone is willing to throw a 25 man roster spot to a project, then so be it. Cox is a guy with middle relief stuff who has steadily dropped down the depth chart in our bullpen. He's more of a sure bet and I think he is the only one taken IMO. I could see a team like the mets take a gamble on him.

we made the right decisions though. We protected the guys with the highest value. Garcia and Dunn are two high end players and although they have had their issues, they are both worth more than Cox.

we left some solid talent unprotected. If Michael Gardner could get picked last yr, then Cox and Whelan will likely be gone. I have a feeling Cox could stick as a middle reliever somewhere. Whelan is much more of a project

Billy Volek also had 2 straight 400 yd games. How's he doin?

It is a dumb idea. His worth is down right now and dealing him now when he could return to his ridiculous level of production is not a Theo move.

cardiac seizures?

It doesnt happen. CC has a chance to make market history here. He's got pressure from everywhere to take this offer. But he doesnt have to accept it right now. He can take his time and see if the yankees are willing to up the offer. I am sure they would be.

Sabathia will give more innings and likely have a lower WHIP and a higher K rate. That being said, if he comes here and wins 20 games and throws over 200IP, I think I'd be jumping for joy. But it isnt just about replacing Moose. Remember, we should have Wang coming back at 100% from his freak foot injury. You put CC and Wang together and you have two guys who consistently get into the 7th inning on a regular basis. Big relief to our solid pen, it allows them to be even better with less strain. If you re-up Pettitte, then you probably get something similar to last yr in that respect. So a healthy Wang and Sabathia is a massive improvement over how our team finished last yr. Then if you nab Burnett, you get a guy who's history has shown he'll start 25 games at least per yr. That surpasses the starts by Ponson and Rasner. And Joba finishing out the rotation, well, we saw how absolutely dominant he could be in the rotation. Thats one hell of a top 5.

I am not saying its a terrible trade. I think the sox got a guy who could be a dominant reliever. I just thought on a pure value level, that they got the short end of the stick.

Good for the Moose. Taking the high road instead of chasing the coin. I think he will get a lot of HOF votes and should eventually go in. There has to be a place for guys who were good to great for a long time. 18 yr career, 11 times he won 15 or more games, 11 times had an ERA under 4 during the steroid era, 2800K, 270 wins, 3.63 career ERA. Those numbers in this day and age should get him into the hall.

Here's the issue that needs to be addressed with Masterson. It seemed like the last few starts, he was getting figured out. 18IP 18H 10ER 11BB 11K. They picked a time that was not only strategic for the team, but one that was strategic for the player. Lefties started figuring him out. Without a decent changeup, he's a reliever, and a matchup reliever at that. He showed he can give you innings. He showed he can get you groundballs, but he also showed you he can be wild and he can give up the gopherball. He's young, he's inexperienced and as a starter, he's unfinished. If his changeup doesnt make strides this ST, he should not be a starter on the big league club. Its that simple. And making a plan for him to be a starter when his arsenal is incomplete is a great way to end up like the 08 yankees. If Masterson is to jump in value, he needs to spend some time in ST or in AAA honing the changeup. If he doesnt master it, then he's gonna be a righty relief specialist.

I see a lot of you guys think this is a good deal for the sox. I dont think you should. Ramirez is a guy who has very solid stuff and could be a good addition to the pen, but is he worth a Coco Crisp. Coco significantly increased his worth to the sox this past yr. He became a very reliable CFer with a fantastic glove and was good at the dish. I figured his post season #s would have translated into a bit more worth. Instead he gets dealt for a reliever who didnt throw many high leverage innings (Nunes and Soria were 8th and 9th inning pitchers) and who has a questionable past in terms of control and ability to stay healthy. While I think Ramirez is a solid addition, I wonder if this truly was the best the sox could have done. I would have thought that a cost controlled switch hitting gold glove caliber CFer would have garnered more than a reliever with good stuff and one solid yr under his belt. I could have sworn Coco would have been in a deal for a catcher.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spswisher1119,0,3430088.story You had to know this was gonna happen. The rumblings since prior to the FA period were saying that the sox would make a run at Burnett. I think the Post article flushed em out. Signing Burnett and keeping wakefield in the rotation would seemingly close out the rotation. One thing it would guarantee is that Buchholz and Bowden stay in AAA as starters, building up innings, while Masterson likely would stay in the pen (or be traded). And with beckett and wake being FA's after 2009, it might be a good way to build up innings and confidence prior to giving them a full fledged spot in the rotation

Good to see you picking up the torch Crespo. He's a hypocrite.

when was the last time an MVP had a sub .870 OPS and a sub .500SLG? I know Ichiro was one. Thats the last non pitcher with both of the above since 1976, when Thurman Munson won the MVP with a .769OPS and a .432SLG. IMO, this was a poor choice. They got swept up in the dirt doggedness and missed a dirt dog on his own team who was more deserving.

Youkilis deserved it more. He played 2 positions at a solid level and was a dominant offensive force, greater than Pedroia

Again, sounds like the idiot got a hold of the keyboard. He just made the biggest offer to a pitcher EVER. If CC doesnt take it, it isnt that he wasnt trying. Cashman is doing EXACTLY what you want this offseason. He got a budget from Hank and is throwing gobs and gobs of money at the best pitching available. If he is the highest bidder by 40 mil and the player decides not to take it, how is that his fault. And right now, he's about 5 days post making one of the best trades in terms of value that will occur this offseason. You are just a moron who cannot throw your bias away.

yeah, wrong word. I admit it.