Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Over at ESPN, Buster Olney confirms the Daily News report from earlier today that Alex Rodriguez is in fact talking directly to the Yankees, sans Scott Boras, about staying in New York. Here's the story.
One of the reasons Beckett was good and reliable and fresh in October -- taking the role of a No. 1 starter, carrying his team through three straight series and winning a world championship for the second time in five years -- is because he didn't have to do what Sabathia did in the regular season. And the award is based solely on the regular season.
Sabathia threw 40 more innings, faced 143 more batters and threw 478 more pitches than Beckett. He picked up the slack with Jake Westbrook disabled, and Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers back in Buffalo, and deserves top 10 MVP votes for getting the Indians to a tie with the Red Sox for best record in baseball. But all those innings, batters and pitches showed in October. Velocity is never an indicator of wear or injury -- command is. And the man with the 5.24 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio was clearly gassed trying to deal with the hitting approach of Boston's hitters.
His bias is really becoming way too apparent in his writing.
Don't stop believin, Hold on to the feelin', Streetlight people:
"He reached out to us through a third party," Steinbrenner said in a telephone interview. "He has expressed a desire to stay a Yankee. He's even willing to make certain sacrifices to do so."
http://tinyurl.com/32zuzz
Now we just need for Mo to accept the 3 year/$5 mil (it's a damn fine offer Mo) and have Andy come back.
Obviously this never could happen, but it would make things so much easier.
I wonder if it would really work though.
10 "Hey Ned, we know you guys were sad that you didn't sign A-Rod. So, how about we give you A-Rod, and in return, you give us four of Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Andy LaRoche, James Loney, and Matt Kemp. You know, the deal the Marlins wanted for Cabrera.
I know A-Rod is older than Miguel, but he's in far better shape, he can actually play 3B - or even SS! - and he and Joe are likethis."
;)
"You're joking, right? You can't be serious. Sixty-one percent of you who responded to our Page 2 poll on Tuesday wouldn't want baseball's best player on your favorite team? You'd be disappointed if your team signed a (soon-to-be) three-time MVP and Gold Glove winner who can play third base or shortstop? You don't want a player who could become the all-time home run king? If that's really true, I have another poll question for you:
You don't want the modern-day offensive equivalent of Babe Ruth on your team? Seriously? Do you feel this way because your drug problem is that severe, or because the American educational system is that bad? Or do you simply listen to too much sports talk radio?"
Look, I'm no A-Rod apologist. He's a diva, and a bigger phony than most team owners. But you know what? That doesn't matter. Did Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth get along? Was Ted Williams considered a "winner"? Did every teammate like Reggie Jackson? Does Manny Ramirez even know what team he plays for?
HA!
But I still want that level of talent on his team.
Someone wake me when Alex has a signed, sealed and delivered contract.
I dare not start to hope again...
Or if the Yanks had gotten pre-decline phase Manny. The dude hits, and that helps the team win. The rest is irrelevant.
This is why signing Bonds to DH 110 games and play LF 25 games (and pinch hit the rest of the time!) would be a fantastic thing, whatever you think of the man as a human being.
In the first place, I'm one of those fans who cheers for the front of the jersey, not the back, so I don't really care about the personal character of the person inhabiting the jersey. But I realize that there are many fans who don't feel like me and don't want a (for example) a Sheffield, a Bonds, or an A-Rod on their favorite team. So, for the sake of those who do care about such things, I say A-Rod's gotta fire Boras if he wants full forgiveness in the Bronx.
He won't get forgiveness from Peter Gammons, of course. To him, the timing of Boras' announcement was like Randy Moss' "mooning" at Lambeau was for Joe Buck...
Michael Weiner, general counsel for the Players Association, told Newsday's Ken Davidoff, "the union has been assured that the Yankees will respect Alex's decision to designate Scott Boras as his representative."
One other thing about this whole drama though - no matter what happens, the Yanks, should not completely alienate Boras no matter what some people think of him, as not only does he have other clients that the Yanks may need/want (perhaps a Texeria), but he is scooping up so many draftees, that the Yanks don't need him f'ing up our drafts the next few years as it is so clear that it is imperative to develop and keep good young players.
The agent works for the player, even if there are some agents and players who forget this.
Alex Rodriguez is closing in on a $280 million deal to remain with the Yankees, just weeks after his relationship with the team seemed to be severed.
"Alex has reached out to us through a third party," Steinbrenner said today. "It kind of looks like he wants to stay."
Steinbrenner hinted that Rodriguez might make concessions on his salary to make up for the lost Rangers subsidy.
"It looks like he's willing to make certain sacrifices to stay a Yankee," Steinbrenner said.
#27 anybody?
A. Lowell on the market lowered A-Rod's leverage vis-a-vis the Yanks, forcing A-Rod back to the Yanks.
B. A-Rod/Boras totally misplayed their hand, opted out, and found no suitors, forcing A-Rod back to the Yanks.
C. This is all a ploy to lure the Yanks into talks, which A-Rod/Boras hope will spark the bidding war they expected.
D. None of the above.
I'm not worried about alienating Boras, anyway. Boras will always do what he thinks will make the most money for his guys -- spiting the Yankees for screwing with him just isn't in his m.o.
I think the likelihood A and B are limited by the fact that so little time has passed that the true market for a-rod has not really developed yet
which of course makes C all the more likely, but there is actually a non-zero chance that the following is true
D. a-rod actually wants to retire a yankee
I hope its B. I fear its C.
But if it is a bidding war fake, the Yanks will know soon. They will want a deal done fast to make sure its not that. If Boras and A-Rod stall, that's a bad sign.
Of course, if there's an article in the LA Times in the next two days that says "Angels prepared to offer A-Rod 10 years, $300M" we (and the Yanks) will also know it was just a ploy.
"Many possible suitors, from the Tigers to the Marlins to the Giants, have either stated flatly that they were not in the A-Rod Sweepstakes, or that it is highly unlikely that they would be."
Um... why do supposedly self-respecting journalists continue to report that the Florida Marlins are a "possible suitor" for Alex Rodriguez? Is it the fact that the Marlins are actively shopping the only two players on their roster that make more than $2M per season? Or perhaps it's because signing A-Rod would increase the Marlins' payroll by 150 percent? This keeps bothering me, and it seems only because Larry Beinfest, when asked after the World Series about A-Rod, said, with a smirk, "we're not ruling it out."
It makes me think most of journalism is just a bunch of groupthink.
You know what I heard? A source close to the Kansas City Royals, speaking under anonymity, confirmed that the Royals "had not ruled out" signing Barry Bonds. Now go report that everywhere, sheep!
A) ... for a raise, which is a bargain compared with the $35mill/year for ten years that no one offered.
B) ... for a raise, which is a bargain compared with the $35mill/year for ten years that no one offered.
C) ... because no one offered anything remotely close to what they wanted.
Unfortunately, I think the Yankees are getting played here unless they get A-Rod for less than $25 million / season
Whoever was worried about this being a boring off-season shouldn't have fretted - we are almost to Thanksgiving.
Sorry if this was posted and I missed it - it is a little late, but for OYF and the other big Bonds' backers - the Yanks may have some competition.
http://tinyurl.com/2ytp4s
Damn.
$275M < $280M < $289M. Sure, when its numbers that big, its not a huge difference, but its still less. What am I missing here?
But seriously, if the Dodgers don't end up with ARod, I do hope he ends up back in NY. I like the idea of him circumventing Borat, er, Borass, er Boras, too, though I don't completely trust it. Seems like a calculated PR move but maybe I'm just cynical.
As a Yankees fan, I'd love to see the Yanks end up with the Dodgers' trove of prospects. (What fan of their team wouldn't?) But as a baseball fan, I think it'd be great if the Dodgers kept them all and played them all, and reaped the rewards. It would be a(nother) perfect lesson on how drafting and developing is far better than investing in free agents.
I am more interested in the Mo situation. If the Yanks were forced into rebuild/transition mode next season, then the Yankees might have been more willing to let him walk. But now, IF A-Rod is back, then suddenly Torregate is a distant memory. The big guns are back in place (A-Rod and Posada), and the team looks very much the competitor next season. In this context, Mo's 60 INN might make the difference between WC and WS (or at least that might be the perception). And if so, then does the team concede to his salary demands?
Question: Would another team offer Mo more then 3/$45
(and is Mo not getting a little greedy?)
And besides, I don't see any team offering Mo 3 years/$45M - or more.
56 Its not my money, so I say, why not pay Mo $50M/3 years? He made $1,431,125 total over 1996-1998; I think we can all agree he was vastly underpaid then. Why not overpay now?
What does that mean? They are offering him the highest paid closer contract by something like 50% and he's being fussy. I'm not so sure Mo is the saint we think he is. As for new city, new manager, etc...paging Dr. Torre...
"Why not overpay now?"
Nope, sorry, it does't work that way. He's been the highest paid closer in the league since 2001. One could even argue he's been overpaid in those years, given the marginal value of the closer role and the team's failure in the post season (where Mo's legend has really been made).
Look, on a certain level I could care less how much they pay player. But if we are having a discussion that is rooted in baseball rationale--value for dollar, value for performance, etc--I can't even justify 3 @ 45, let alone 3 @ 50.
I know, that overall based on reports, the offer is still less. But it's still the highest AAS for any player and far and away the highest AAS for a non-Yankee. Is A-Rod really worth that much? Judging by the salaries handed out since the first massive contract, no player has been worth close to it. People can say that to the Yankees, he is worth it I guess. But I'm not buying it as a noble departure from being greedy and holding the team over the coals.
Anyway, whatever they pay, it closes a huge hole and makes the Yankees a dangerous offensive team, with potentially great young pitching. It's not like I'm fuming mad, and I'm not going to stop being a fan or anything, but this is all kinda ... icky.
Hell, even ARod is 'taking less' to be a Yankee. Jetes is making $21m/yr. Maybe he should chip in.
Tell Matsui he will get 300 ABs as a DH only. Then offer to send him to be with Papa Torre in LA. Sign Bonds for 1 year... just to hear the Sox piss and moan all year long, and read Gammon's dribble. They we drink heavily during all games and party like hell.
*though there is a lot of truth to what you both say
64 I think you keep Matsui even if you sign Bonds. Never hurts to have insurance in case Damon/Giambi/Bonds/Melky get hurt. Besides, IIRC, Matsui tends to hit lefties reasonably well, whereas Damon and Giambi don't.
63 All true, but I guess it doesn't bother me too much. Especially with Giambi, Pavano, and Moose all coming off the books after 2008, and many of the kid pitchers not due for huge raises until after 2010.
The value of the original $289 mil was heavily front loaded (and partially paid by Texas). At say inflation of 3% (anything over being Arod's problem - the contract is a Yankee inflation hedge - isn't that nice), 30 million today is worth 40.32 million in ten years.
Instead, the value of the current offer as reported is heavily back-loaded. The $30 million salary to be paid in 2017 is worth only 22.25 in current dollars. So it's possible that in his last year he'll be getting close to what Jeter gets now in present value.
At the same time the total value of the contract might look like a big number like 275, but it will be worth (and cost the yankees) a lot less than 27 million a year.
We're all really glad to have ARod back, yes?
Time to start printing WS tickets.
Wonder what the Sox will do. MCab? They will need to make a big move.
How about this: he declared free agency to see what his options were. He decided NY was his best option, for whatever combination of reasons. Or is that just not Machiavellian enough?
I do think that this is probably a done deal, that he wouldn't have made the announcement - and the Yankees wouldn't have confirmed it - unless the deal was pretty well set.
However, I don't think they can simply cut Boras out of the negotiations. "...no Club may negotiate or attempt to negotiate and individual salary and/or Special Covenants to be included in a Uniform Player's Contract with any Player Agent(s) other than such Player Agent(s)." I think direct negotiations with Rodriguez would constitute him serving as his own agent, and would be a violation of the CBA.
But perhaps he won't sue as long as he gets his cut.
Also, how does re-sign Alex mean that the Yankees are going to the World Series? Does he pitch?
There will be a long line of prognosticators (Peter Abraham, for one) that should be lining up at the crow trough in the coming days.
There's no way Boras could sue. He has no standing, there are no damages.
Cashman isn't stupid, you know.
Mo is coming back, so this is now the 2007 post July team minus Pettitte.
In Cash I trust.
74 One of Boras's employees was in one the chat.
: )
Now, if Giambi can come back and have a full season at the level of his worst previous full season during the Yankees years (all of which are post steroid) that would be huge. (.939 OPS)
I have always disliked Alex, and I always will, even though it's hard to dislike one of the greatest players in the history of the game (especially when he plays on your team).
That's just not true. As OYF points out 77 , the roster post-July last year was impressive--far better than the mess at the beginning of the season. The rotation almost has to be improved with healthy Hughes and a full season of Joba replacing Igawa, et al.
Translation: I called every other team, including KC. No other team in MLB would even speak to me. I hate New York, but I have to play somewhere if I'm going to accumulate my personal stats. And hey, they are still willing to pay me twice as much as anyone else. My personal sperm bank, Cynthia, is excited that her parasite family will get another house from me when I sign this new deal.
Sorry Gang, I don't know who's for Arod to return, but I still don't want him back. I say take it on the chin and build young and heavy on the pitching. I have moved from being an Arod defender (before game 4 of the WS) to being in the boat where people boo the shit out of him.
When he opted out, I just thought about all the Arod, Inc., stuff -- having Cal teach him to shake hands, wearing the suit late at night in his hotel room, the stupid quotes, the stripper, etc., etc. -- and part of me really though, "Phew, thank God that drama's fucking over."
http://tinyurl.com/yweqnp
I agree with monkeypants. If we "just got back to where we were" on July 4th, well, that's an extremely good spot to be in. The Yankees outplayed everybody else by a mile starting then.
The interesting question will be this: does the climb of our younger players outpace the decline of our older players?
False dichotomy. By resigning A-Rod, they actually increase the chances that they build a young (and cheap) pitching staff, since they won't be compelled to trade those assets for position players.
I don't like this off season not because what's being done but really, the way it's getting done.
And, before you tell me that getting Johan is a non-sequitur if they get Arod (because what do Arod and Johan have to do with one another), I agree with you BUT there's still an overall payroll issue that the Yanks are going OVER $200 million and will continue to buy players that they don't need.
An unnamed 'friend' of A-Rod's:
"It's a relief for Alex to know that the Yankees still want him, and now that he knows that, he's going to work something out. Whatever they have to do to work it out, they're going to do it. He was willing to eat crow, and he did."
By not having to deal anoyone for a 3B plate-threat like MCab, we've done nothing but committed $ (assuming the arod deal gets done of course). That leaves us in excellent position both in terms of our youngsters - all in tact, and/or to make a move on Santana.
Put it this way - what's more likely to have happened: MCab and Santana to the Yanks via trades (or more accurately sign and trades) OR ARod and Santana to the Yanks via a fat contract for ARod and a sign and trade for Santana?
I don't think it can rationally be argued - given everything about the Yanks penchant for spending and Cashman's recent style - that MCab and Santana are more likely than AROd and Santana.
On another note - do we know for sure the sequence of events? Was it in the NY Daily News first, THEN ARod's site in reaction? And even then, might ARod's side have been the source of the leak? I can paint scenarios where both sides gain by having this leaked before the deal is done...
But for some precedent if Arod did somewhow get rid of Boras - From the New Yorker piece on Boras - Boras and Sheff's dispute:
"Sheffield and Boras are now entangled in a union grievance over the commission on a contract that Sheffield believes Boras had nothing to do with."
It all depends on what the maximum payroll is. Despite the reputation for bottomless pockets, even the Yankees have a limit to what they can spend. And after years of payroll increae, Cashman levelled off spending the last couple of years, and even cut payroll a bit. My gut insticnt tells me that A-Rod + Posada + (maybe Mo) = no more major FA/payroll acquisitions.
100 No more major FA acquisitions... this year? I can agree with that. They'll make the big splash(es) next year when a bunch of stud pitchers hit the FA market.
The Yankees win games on the field, not off of it.
OldYanksFan is right though, 51 . Not having to deal any of the youngsters is good news, but without Andy Pettitte, the Yankees will be needing a lot of bullpen innings. That's where the focus should be the remainder of the post-season. I think we have a good middle of the bullpen with youngsters like Edwar and The Dorf, and with Mo back (please, Mo, drop the shenanigans and come back), the weakness is in the setup man.
Scott Linebrink and Kerry Wood seem to me to be the top names, although Linebrink is a Class A free agent.
Convince Andy Pettitte to return: pending
Re-sign Jorge Posada: done
Re-sign Mariano Rivera: In the bag!
Find an upgrade over Wilson Betemit at third base: Done! And with Style! And we keep ALL the kids!
Assemble a bullpen: Coming soon
Fill out the bench: Andy, Shelly, Molina, Betemit, Sardinha? Gardner? PTBNL?
* Replace Pettitte: Coming soon
First Post of Today:
"I've heard mention of Mike Lamb as a platoon partner as well. Any thoughts?"
WHAT A FREAKIN' DAY! HA!
How is that eating the $21M he screwed the Yankees out of by opting out? The original extension would have worked out to about $240M/8yrs. Minus the $21M from Texas and prorated to 10 years, the deal should be no more than $273M.
If the deal exceeds $280M, I am no longer completely thrilled at this development.
I have seen the $275 everywhere else so far though.
And if anyone is interested and believes this story, we have Modell's to thank for the reunion.
http://tinyurl.com/369jkx
(it's a sign, meaning that Rivera will be back too)
Meanwhile, if the Yankees sign A-Rod to a contract potentially worth over $300M, they, like Tom Hicks seven years ago, are only bidding against themselves. Clearly, there weren't any teams willing to offer that kind money, much less the $350M Boras wanted. There is no kind of hometown discount going on here if A-Rod doesn't eat the $21M.
Make no mistake, I am thrilled to have A-Rod as a Yankee for the next decade. Even when he's a DH and slugging homer #800, he will be a bargain in 2016, when players like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder and guys who we don't even know yet are making $35M a year. But on principles, anyone painting this as a win for the Yankees over evil Boras are sorely mistaken if he signs for more than $27.5M a year.
Eric Gagne?
Unless you meant his personality.
From THT, web-based PITCHf/x data. Damn. I wanted to be productive over the next month or so. Oh well. I'll be over in the corner, charting Jesus Colome's fastball and the foul tips given up by Mike Bacsik.
Cashman knows what he is doing.
There are a lot of expensive seats to fill in the new stadium. ARod will hopefully pay for himself.
As a number of GMs have said, it's not big contracts for great players that hurt, but big contracts for mediocre players. If we lived through Pavano and that ilk, my guess is we will survive and even thrive on ARod.
Steinbrenner bought the Yankees for $12m.
Its not time to cry broke yet.
Can't say I'm sad the guy is back. I'm willing to forgive and forget. Hell, I'm not really sure what it is I have to forgive him for anyway.
I also like what 119 mentioned about staying in the MCab derby anyway - we either get him and will score 1000 runs/year for the next 10 years, or at the very least will drive up the price paid by whomever lands him.
I still would rather actually do a deal for Santana than MCab (assuming we get arod) but still - this is intriguing.
That's 10 players, 6 young'uns, that should be with us for the next 3 years. This is a really balanced nucleus. By then, Maybe Miranda, Tabata and Montero and a bunch of other possible kids. Next year, another $31m+ comes off the payroll.
I'm excited. Few Teams get to hold onto favorite players the way we do. There are 3 HOFers in that group, maybe more. We still have more to do, but considering Torregate and all that has gone down, we're in really good shape.
So 104 implies ARod signed - is that official, or just an assumption based on the buzz today?
mike lowell for 4x15?!?!?
jesus christ, no!
if true, it's like the FO got high off the fumes of the a-rod development and got the free-agent munchies
We are going to Rock in 08!
Well, as I say, wake me when the ink's dry.
I hate the idea of losing the 1st round pick, but that's the only thing that gives me pause.
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