Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Representatives from all 30 teams are gathering in
Previewing storylines is always fun as the meetings get under way. The Yankees’ pursuit of Johan Santana will not only dominate the local coverage, it will be the hot-button issue from the mouths of Karl Ravech, Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, Tim Kurkjian, Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark and anyone else who claims to be an expert. The difficulty, as always, will be separating truth from rumor, as access to numerous sources provides an exponential increase for baseball gossip mongers.
I saw this first-hand when I covered the 2003 Meetings in
How do the meetings work?
Reporters from thousands of outlets set up camp in the large conference/ballrooms at the designated hotel location. Team reps hole themselves up in their rooms and arrange meetings, phone calls, etc., away from the snoops. Reporters, if/when they stay in the conference room, are working the phones trying to get angles into what’s happening on the floors above. A lot of events happen on the fly. Cash might say to a reporter that he’s willing to talk to reporters at
The bulk of the action occurs in the lobby. That’s where you can scope the area and if you’re quick, catch a quick one-on-one interview and perhaps scrounge up some information that no one else has, and get it posted first. Many team reps will try to hide themselves within the throng of reporters, interns and prospective job applicants to discuss team business amid the chaos.
A fair amount of reporters interview each other, too. In some cases, writers from other markets are the “sources familiar with the situation.”
One of the coolest and most educational elements of the Meetings is the manager conferences. Reporters get to speak with all 30 managers on an individual basis at times designated by MLB. Without having access to a Yankee rep, interviews with Bobby Cox and Jim Tracy enabled me to craft stories on Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown and Paul Quantrill, who were entering their first seasons in
The Meetings are also a key spot for college grads looking for jobs in baseball. Many will have interviews already set up before arriving, but those who don’t hang in the lobby and work the room.
More than anything, the Winter Meetings are a social gathering mixed with a business element. Four years ago, two major free agent signings were announced -- Miguel Tejada to the Orioles and Keith Foulke to the Red Sox – the Yankees issued a press release finalizing the Kevin Brown acquisition for Jeff Weaver, Brandon Weeden and Yhency Brazoban, and it was an opportunity for new managers like Lee Mazzilli to introduce themselves to the writers in a different setting. Those announcements seemed to be a break in the three-day schmoozefest.
Perhaps this week, the Yankees will engineer a blockbuster trade that will make the schmoozing worthwhile.
I wouldn't be surprised if the number of deals is down this year simply because people can't find each other in the monstrosity that is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
http://tinyurl.com/2fdkr8
I really don't think this Santana deal is happening.
http://tinyurl.com/2dbatk
...or not...
odds are he'll revert back to the same ol' same ol', but there is a small chance he'll get his act together and rake.
"There is a growing sense around the various lobbies and atriums of the Opryland Hotel and Resort that Johan Santana may not be going to either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox."
Hurrah!
until it takes a cigarette break and talks to any reporter who will listen.
but I hope the lobbies and atriums are correct.
i haven't stopped refreshing browsers since i came into work today.
You too, huh?
i am dying a little with each passing minute.
will i be rooting for hughes when he pitches in the bronx this summer? (well, i'll root for the kid regardless, but will i want his team to win?)
will i be subjected to the crush of press here in boston if they "win" the santana sweepstakes?
i can't take it any more... i just can't take the waiting... the endless waiting...
I mean, after his fathers statement, I thought he was cooked. I gave him 0% chance of coming back.
But here he is.
Just when we really needed him.
Was it a sense of duty and obligation to his teammates that made this decision?
Well it ain't my money, but according to Pete:
"I have their 2008 payroll at $200.6 million. That assumes Cano and Wang would receive $4 million each. That $200.6 million figure accounts for only 16 players.
If they retain Vizcaino for $3 million and sign the other eight players for around the minimum, the Yankees are looking at a $207 million payroll. Could they really add $20 million (at least) for Santana? That would involve increasing the payoll by nearly $50 million from last season."
Yikes!
Just when we really needed him.
Was it a sense of duty and obligation to his teammates that made this decision?"*
i can't pretend to know what it was, i'm just glad he'll be back for the last go around at the stadium. a great start to the day.
the rest of the day, however, has been absolute torture.
(i came down with a cold or the flu today, too, so my take on this is likely colored by that as well.)
And to think we haven't even started on the bullpen!
I assume the 4 pitchers above (or 3 at least) are replaced from the farm. I don't know if AJax or Tabata is ready for 2009, maybe 2010. So maybe the only thing we will really need to get after this year is 1 BP guy, a RF'er (Matsui?) and an impact 1Bman?
And maybe when the Santana deal dies down we can address something really important, like our BP. As is, even Santana can't get us to the WS with our current BP, unless Joba is there for one year.
The feeling by many baseball insiders is that the Twins will indeed trade Santana. But even with the deadline supposedly set, the Twins don't appear to be feeling the pressure.
http://tinyurl.com/3dzmbz
Add in arbitration raises for Cano and Wang (say another $3M each), arbitration for Melky (+$2.5M), arbitration for Betemit (+$2M?), and that $78M is down to $60M.
The Yanks could get a RF and a RP from within (say Jackson out of position until Tabata is ready, and J Brent Cox), but the big bat for 1B/DH is going to have to be a free agent. That cuts the money down more . . . as would keeping Abreu and/or Pettitte for another year.
http://theuniverseas.com/baseball/conrate.html
According to this, Santana's changeup induced the second-least contact in all of baseball in 2007, behind A.J. Burnett's curveball. And Santana's changeup led the majors in percent swung-and-missed. Pretty crazy stuff (not only how filthy Santana is, but also that anyone has access to this data).
Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, Sean Henn, Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner. There's Farns, Rivera & Igawa. Steven Jackson, Mark Melancon, J.B. Cox and Humberto Sanchez. TJ Beam too.
There's a potential swingman in Kennedy.
There's also those in other organizations who will be nontendered...
There's plenty of time to build a bullpen.
Brian Bruney, Chris Britton, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, Sean Henn, Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner. There's Farns, Rivera & Igawa. Steven Jackson, Mark Melancon, J.B. Cox and Humberto Sanchez. TJ Beam too.
There's a potential swingman in Kennedy.
There's also those in other organizations who will be nontendered...
There's plenty of time to build a bullpen.
Still, despite the fact that 39 of the 57 fastballs generated contact, Hughes did not give up a single hit on the fastballs that were tracked. I'm certain that was luck and small sample size, but still pretty cool.
If said 1Bman is on for a few years, our entire INF is signed through 2011.
After 2009, JD and Mats are off the books for $27m. If AJax and Tabata are real, we have 1 OF position to fill. We will probably always go for a stud SP or RP if one come available, but it looks like we could maintain our pitching staff from the farm for a while.
However, even with all that money coming off the books, it looks like a payroll of $180m+/- plus Santana (if we get him).
Actually, AJax, Tabata and Miranda are looking pretty important. By then, hopefully Montero proves he is the real deal.
"In the last five years, the Twins have received an average of $20 million a year in revenue sharing, but their payroll has not increased proportionately. The aggregate increase in those five years has been $16 million."
Do I take this as in the last 5 years the Twins have received $100m and only raised payroll by $16? That is not revenue sharing, but theft.
It's hard to believe Bud Selig can do nothing about this. Maybe those monies have gone elsewhere into the system, but something still smells rotten in Denmark to me.
In fact the Lohud poster (that yankz alerted us to) that suggested Bill Murray should go to the meetings should have suggested he go in place of Steve Phillips.
41 don't give hank any ideas.
42 44 for both money and roster considerations it would help a lot of miranda pans out
BA listed Steven Jackson and Brett Smith as players likely be to grabbed via Rule 5 this week.
FWIW, Eric Duncan wasn't on their list.
Seems a little extreme, they could have easily waited until after the Rule V draft to announce the deal, and then could outright one of the other kids in order to keep Phillips. Two ideas: either the Yankees are done with Phillips- too bad, he never got a real chance... or Molina's agent was grumbling about other potential offers.
51 You're right, and Betemit is probably a better option for 1B LIDR anyway.
I do think that if Hughes doesn't show major improvement over 2007, fairly or otherwise, New York is going to be really hard on him.
Does anyone else get the feeling that the closer we get to midnight, the more likely the Twins reject the offer? Or that they think Hank is bluffing?
" listen.. yanks won with oneill's, giradi's hayes, williams
the team now is all big name stiffs..
and johan is a class act..
something the yanks should be desperate for.."
Joe "Giradi" apparently made Charlie Hayes his biatch. He owned him.
A lot of things went about as poorly as they could for a guy that was hyped as the next Roger Clemens.
The injuries didn't help matters. The so-so pitching when he was healthy was somewhat disappointing.
But more importantly, I think Chamberlain and Kennedy hitting the ground running is going to be held against Hughes if he struggles again next year and they do well again.
SAVE PHIL HUGHES!
67 i see what you're saying. i dread ever witnessing that though. ugh.
my battery is dying...
hurry, ca$hman! hurry!
As expected, Brian Cashman didn't have much to say.
He essentially refused to acknowledge the presence of Johan Santana on the face of the earth. He refused comment on Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez or Mariano Rivera.
He did say that if Melky Cabrera were traded, Johnny Damon can play center and Hideki Matsui left. The Yankees have not talked to any free-agent CFs.
Get this: He loves Kyle Farnsworth and can't imagine trading him. Cashman claimed, "a lot of clubs are calling for him." Farnsworth, he said, would be the set-up man.
We asked him in assorted ways whether Hank Steinbrenner has usurped his power and Cashman talked around it. He never came right out and said no.
There are indications that the Yankees will meet with the Twins tonight and if a deal is going to get done, this is the time. But keep in mind that they made a big display of walking away from the Randy Johnson talks in 2004 only to trade for him a few weeks later.
Audio to come from Cashman.
this is killing me.
Brian Cashman must be killed. I'm sorry its come to this, but I see no other options.
i'm not putting much value in the "deadline"
[Cashman] loves Kyle Farnsworth and can't imagine trading him. Cashman claimed, "a lot of clubs are calling for him." Farnsworth, he said, would be the set-up man.
Steinbrenner...
Foot...
Mouth...
Anybody smell trouble?
fwiw, keith law is saying that in addition to joba obviously being untouchable, that ipk; austin jackson; jose tabata; and alan horne are also supposedly off limits.
he also said that since there seems to be a shift in teams willing to aquire players who have only played in short season or rookie leagues, there is a chance that jesus montero (a catcher who he thinks will be moved but is already showing strong signs at the plate) could be in yankees trade offers
Well... there's no additonal news today, so the ESPN headline?:
"Red Sox don't have deadline for Santana talks"
Is that News, or WHAT!
I just hate the pressure this puts on Hughes if the deal falls through. Then again, we've been told repeatedly that he has the makeup to get through it all, so either way, I'm anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Could they hold off announcing free agent signings until after the Rule 5 draft, so they could use the roster spots to protect their prospects?
Of course, they'd have to pass them through waivers eventually, but maybe they'd have a better chance after the Rule 5 draft? That's the impression I got after that incident with the Pirates a few years ago.
The Phillips move probably signals the end of his days in the organization; I can't see him accepting a minor league contract if he's not dealt/claimed. I always thought he would hit more, given his minor league numbers. I think that if he's going to stick with someone, he needs to show a team that he can really play second base, third base, maybe even the outfield. Otherwise, he just doesn't hit enough to stay in the majors.
If Cashman said, "Signing Farnsworth was a mistake. He's a bad pitcher. Does anyone want him" he would be in a terrible position.
Trade him. Eat the contract. If you get anything of value, good. If not, so be it. Its addition by subtraction. I'd rather pay him to hurt some other team than pay him to hurt our team.
Chyll Will, I know you're with me, but who else! The line must be drawn he-ah!
Amazing finish. When the Patriots don't dominate, they manage to poison the opposition and induce them to implode. What a meltdown by the Ravens.
But these past two weeks, they've sure looked beatable.
Washington Post reports the Yankees traded Tyler Clippard to the Nats for Jonathon Albaladejo (a RH reliever)
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 11:09pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown talked to a Boston official who believes the Yankees are "very close" to completing a Santana trade. However a source of mine just indicated that the meeting ended in a standoff because the Twins continue to demand Ian Kennedy in the deal.
Dear lord. Soooo....either the deal is almost done, or its totally off. Please, I want to go to bed. Just hang on to Hughes, please, please, please.
http://tinyurl.com/2waqc3
"A source with knowledge of the situation said the Nationals traded reliever Jonathan Albaladejo to the New York Yankees in exchange for right-hander Tyler Clippard, pending physical examinations of both players. The 22-year-old, who went 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA filling in for the Yankees this year, has a 3.52 ERA over five minor league seasons. He should immediately be a contender for Washington's rotation. Bowden did not return messages seeking comment on the deal."
According to baseball officials who were aware of the talks, the Twins again asked the Yankees on Monday night for pitcher Ian Kennedy -- a pitcher the Yankees have insisted for several days that they wouldn't trade -- as the third player in their proposed deal. The Yankees apparently turned down that proposal immediately.
Meanwhile, officials from other clubs said some Yankees baseball personnel at the meetings have continued to agonize over the inclusion of Hughes in their offer, out of fear Hughes could come back to haunt them for years. So clearly, the decision to include Hughes in the first place was far from unanimous.
Cashman admitted there's a fear that players he might trade could win Cy Young Awards for another team. "I'm definitely fully vested in a lot of the young talent. You get attached to it," Cashman said, according to the AP.
1-1, 14.3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 12 K
In 536 minor league innings spanning 7 seasons, Albaladejo had 438 strikeout and 103 walks, only surrendering 19 homers. Last year between AA and AAA he threw 60 innings with 56 strikeouts and 22 walks, and a 2.97 ERA (he was better at AAA than AA).
John Sickels ranked him the 15th best Nationals prospect in 2007 with a C+ grade (same as Clippard's grade, fwiw). He was originally part of the Pirates system but was let go as a six-year minor league free agent in 2004, after a subpar season which saw his fastball drop to the high-80s. He seems to have bounced back with good results in the high minors in 2007. I don't know what he offers over Ross Ohlendorf, but it was clear that Clippard wasn't going to get a shot with the Yanks going forward.
Also, Jonathan Albaladejo's middle name:
Santana.
Shortly before midnight, a Yankees official told AP that no deal was imminent and New York thought Minnesota would hold onto Santana for now. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the Yankees didn't make any public statements.
The Twins also continued to talk with the Red Sox. But despite Boston's decision to include center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, there was no indication those two teams were getting any closer to a deal, either.
He's a big (6-5, 250) guy who made his debut in September and had a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 innings. Albaladejo is 25.
I called the Yankees to try and confirm this and have yet to receive an answer.
UPDATE, 12:50 p.m.: Pending physicals, a done deal. Seems like a good move for the Yankees. Clippard had fallen off their radar.
(He ain't pretty)
Instead, Clippard got knocked around in MLB before he was ready and got batted all the way to AA, in the meantime being surpassed on the prospect charts by Kennedy, Horne, Marquez, and Betances.
He seems like he has the stuff, if he gets his head on straight he can put together a nice career in the weaker league, in a division of mostly pitchers-parks. Good luck, TyClip!
I don't know, am I the only one who thought they could get more than another huge righty for the pen?
I know the friend too, and he wants to be a City Manager, and told me once "I want a city with a sewer system, so I can re-name it... THE JETS."
126 Luckily, my advisor is in a conference in Tazmania right now, so who cares if I don't show up until lunch...
Latest tidbit is that the Tigers may offer a package including Andrew Miller to the A's for Dan Haren. If that's true, it's probably over for the Yanks on that front unless they include Hughes. Miller's a stud, as much as it hurts me to say that about a damn tarheel.
*read: hate
I'd hope for a meteor.
Yeah, good one.
"HA! Well, why don't you just take Jeter and A-Rod too! And we'll even pay for all of their salaries!"
And then the Twins go "DEAL!" and run out of the room.
After being told Kennedy was off the board, the Twins apparently proposed expanding the trade into a 4-for-1 swap, with players they considered to be lesser prospects than Kennedy. But the Yankees quickly rejected that pitch, too.
So while Yankees officials had told other clubs they might be willing to extend their Monday deadline if they were "really close," there was no evidence they were building momentum toward getting this much-ballyhooed trade done.
In fact, if anything, the momentum seemed to be going in the opposite direction.
Officials from other clubs said several of the Yankees' baseball personnel at the meetings had begun openly questioning whether they even wanted to make this trade if the Twins said yes.
"The more this goes on," said one AL executive, "the less they want to do it."
Earlier Monday, the Yankees made it clear they didn't want the talks to linger.
Ok, on that note I'm going to bed. No more cranberries for me.
Either that, or they're holding hands huddled around a TV.
"Brian (Cashman) was giving them one more shot, and we'll see what happens, " Steinbrenner said. "It doesn't look good to me."
Steinbrenner later added: "We'll sleep on it. Whatever it is, we'll discuss it one final time. But I'm beginning to think they just don't want to trade him.""
Hang in there Hughes!
"if I were w/ Cash & Hank I'd jump over that table a KO Smith for that [Horne and Jackson] stupid suggestion"
Hank: Ka-pow!
Smith clutches his eye. His voice wavers as he squeaks, "Ok- we'll take Melky and the Attorney General- just don't hit me again!"
While it looked like things between the Yankees and Twins might be breaking down tonight, that might have left the door open for the Red Sox to slip in and grab Johan Santana. "
Gulp.
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