Not to make a corny association, but I was cruising around MLB.COM and stumbled across the following press release: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050722&content_id=1140625&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
"The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball today announced that minor league player Deivi Mendez, under contract to the New York Yankees, has been suspended for 30 games, effective today, for violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program."
If Giambi's really returned to the thrilling days of yore, i.e., his MVP season, then I think you hang onto him because he'd be a very valuable full-time DH going forward. And, even if you could find a trade partner, you'd end up paying the majority of his contract anyway.
I agree with JohnnyC. And I don't know if the Yanks are ever a team to trade someone when they are doing well. Sounds more like the Royals or some other smaller market team.
On another note, I just wanted to add that this is by far the strangest Yankees team since I started to follow them in 95/96. Can't tell if it just the normal path for ageing teams, or just evidence of their split management. But even when they do well, there is a tremendous weight that seems to press on them. "I know, i know, and I've told Dotty to lose some weight...."
Despite Giambi's newfound (re-found?) power, I can think of about $80M reasons as to why other teams won't be lining up to acquire his services. And I don't see the Yankees eating enough of his contract to trade him, only to watch him perform well at a much reduced rate for another club. Thus, it's a moo point. You know, like a cow's opinion. It's moo.
That the Yankees would have to pick up a porton of Giambi's contract in order to be able to trade him does not diminish him. Even A-Rod's contract had to be subsidized for the Yankees to assume it. The same would be true if the Yankees ever wanted to trade Jeter, and it would be true of any other player who signed their contract under the terms of the old CBA.
Afterall, no one wanted Manny's contract when he was put on waivers.
As a general principle, because I view baseball as the business that it is, I would trade any player if it improved the team I root for. Sentiment cannot be permitted to override that.
I assume he has a trade clause as he signed during the time when all Yankee pick-ups were granted trade clauses. Am I wrong? If he has the clause, I'm imagining it would be next to impossible to trade him now. He's no longer a pariah in New York, most fans basically cheer him now, and Don Mattingly is his ersatz father. I don't think he'd approve any trade except maybe back to Oakland.
I'm not against the idea of trading him but the pitching market seems thin. I'm at a loss for who they could trade him for that would make it worthwhile.
The only situation where he could even possibly be traded, and make sense for both parties, is if, after this year, we get Todd Helton from the Rockies in exchange, and pay 20% of Giambi's contract. And I dont think the Rockies would make that trade, but one can dream.
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"The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball today announced that minor league player Deivi Mendez, under contract to the New York Yankees, has been suspended for 30 games, effective today, for violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program."
On another note, I just wanted to add that this is by far the strangest Yankees team since I started to follow them in 95/96. Can't tell if it just the normal path for ageing teams, or just evidence of their split management. But even when they do well, there is a tremendous weight that seems to press on them. "I know, i know, and I've told Dotty to lose some weight...."
Afterall, no one wanted Manny's contract when he was put on waivers.
As a general principle, because I view baseball as the business that it is, I would trade any player if it improved the team I root for. Sentiment cannot be permitted to override that.
I'm not against the idea of trading him but the pitching market seems thin. I'm at a loss for who they could trade him for that would make it worthwhile.
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.