Monday, October 29, 2007

The Rest of the Story . . .

The A-Rod opt out story will be more beaten to death than the "Is Torre Fired" news cycle.

Here's what I believe to be true:

#1 - The Mets will not be in the A-Rod albatross race. Omar Minaya was quoted as saying that A-Rods' agent actions, and by extension A-Rod himself, was the height of narc ism that as a fan of baseball makes him sick to his stomach. Either a shrewd negotiating tactic or a realization he's got no shot whatsoever.

#2 - Wade Boggs, Scott Brosius, and Aaron Boone never put up A-Rod numbers during their tenure with the Yanks; Yet they all managed to do something A-Rod never did: help the team win postseason games. Boggs working a key walk with the bases loaded. Brosius a World Series MVP, and likely would have been another one in '01 had they won. Boone with his walk-off to stab the hearts of Boston fans everywhere. What has A-Rod done by comparison for the Yanks in the playoffs? Simply put, as has been said by everyone here time and time again, you are not a Yankee until you do it in October.

#3 - A-Rod never intended to stay a Yankee given the refusal to meet face to face prior to a decision being made.

#4 - This will prove to be a good thing as it has further freed up resources to make a better team.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Point #4 is the key, Mid. It will in fact free up a boat-load of money, but will they spend it wisely? To be honest, I'm not sure who is making the baseball decisions. It looks like they went with Cashman's choice for manager, which I guess is a good thing (although Levine was supposedly on the Girardi bandwagon pretty early in the process too). But even if Cashman has some autonomy, he doesn't exactly have an amazing track record for bringing in free-agents.

Now consider this with an open mind.....Bonds...One year...$15 mil....60 homeruns into the short porch.

57 said...

Scooter, you really dissapoint me with your last comment. If Bonds will hit 60 into the short porch, he still needs to play in, at least, 81 games on the road and several in the playoffs... Bonds is another one who has post season nightmares to wake up from!

54 homeruns did not help you at clean-up this year; what is to say that 60 will help you next year?

Middle Relief said...

In addition to Bonds being on the market, I think it is also important to note that Tori Hunter filed for free agency as well.

I hate Bonds, but if signed, I'd be more curious than anything else to see how he could handle it.

Maybe they sign Hunter, package up Cabrera and a pitcher and send him south to Florida for another Cabrera?

Middle Relief said...

One other note - Torre on Lederman quasi denying the Dodger thing. This morning, the first headline I am hearing is that Torre and Mattingly to the Dodgers is a done deal.

Anonymous said...

Torre will be with the Dodgers, Mattingly will be his bench coach, and he is taking the hitting coach (Long) with him as well.

Scooter Bonds has no shot at signing with the Yankees...we already have 2 or 3 DH's (all left hand hitters) why do we need another? The only way they sign Bonds is if they trade Giambi(by eating over half his salary) and one of thier OF's (hopefully Damon)...

Plus all you hear about is how bad he is in a club house. We just got rid of one selfish player with A-Rod, you want to bring in the biggest(both litterally and figuratively) self-centered player in all of baseball? Doesn't make sense.

Yankees don't need 50 HRs they need to get back to the team concept. How many 50 HRs player did the Sox have this year..0. How many 40 HR players did they have...0, How many 30 HR guys...1. Ortiz had 35 HRs, the next highest was 21. Yankees needed the power bcz their pitching sucked. Get quality starters you don't need to have a 50 HR guy. You get guys that come together as a team and you don't need 50 HRs from one guy.

Anonymous said...

yeah but, chicks dig the long ball

Anonymous said...

Posada, Rivera, Mientkiewicz, and Vizcaino all officially file for free agency.

Anonymous said...

Crash, you make a compelling argument as to why the Yankees don't need a 50 HR guy. But "anon" makes even a better argument as to why they do...the chicks do indeed dig the long ball.

Good for Torre, I hope he accepts the Dodger job. It will give me someone to root for in the National League, and I could see them breaking the Mets hearts int he NLCS next year.

57 said...

nothing can break the hearts of Mets fans more than what happened this year.

Hunter will be a Met. Beltran to Left.

old professor said...

For the Yankees to send Cabrera to Florida for Cabrera would be an indication they truly don't believe Melky can play every day. In addition, they would be picking up a good bat that had some real quirks with his defense.

Don't be surprised to see the Yankees to throw a lot of cash at Mike Lowell. The only other scenario would be Boss George stepping up and throwing a lot and I mean a lot of money at A-Rod (don't believe this will happen).

The Yankees had their first meeting with Rivera and his agent today. Some progress made. They will have to show at least three years and $15 million per year to bring him back. Letting go of A-Rod does free up a lot of cash.

Anonymous said...

Lowell has said he will only go to the Marlins (he's Cuban) or the Red Sox.

I've done some research, Cabrera is talented but a bad apple - not a fit for the pinstripes.

A-Rod is gone and not coming back

Anonymous said...

Mid, you need to change 'Jeter's favorite website' on your home page.

Anonymous said...

It'll be a link to Pettitte's page before the end of the week.

Anonymous said...

Prof, I disagree. If they trade Melky its because they think they can sign a center fielder that will bring them better offensive production without losing anything defensively. Think Hunter or Rowand. Plus I'm not sure if any of you realize what a great hitter Miguel Cabrerra is. The kid is 24 years old and he is a monster at the plate. Sure he may turn out to be a first baseman or a DH, but he can rake...and I think Girardi can get him in line. He has never been on a contender..it may motivate him to get in shape.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of Hunter in pinstripes.

Cabrera (the one in Florida) appears to have issues with his weight, and work ethic issues as well.

David Wright said he would move to 2nd in a second if it meant the Mets could have A-Rod.

57 said...

I don't understand why Yankee fans think they are going to get Hunter... he will be a Met and Beltran will move to left or right. It is pretty much in the bag... the Mets have A LOT to make up for in order to sell out Citi field for the foreseeable future...they will be spending money to make money.

The new Minneapolis is called Queens.

Anonymous said...

I have a very good source saying the Dodgers have been in contact with Rivera and have scheduled a meeting, shortly after Torre's announced.

Anonymous said...

If I were Grady Little I would pretty much feel like a piece of garbage.

Girardi seemed pretty fake in his press conference. I don't see his personality jiving with the new brass. Is a three year contract enough time for him to make an impact? I thought they were going to have 'patience'... I don't think 3 years is patience especially when you're going to be losing as much talent as you're going to lose:

A-Rod
Rivera
Posada
Giambi
Melky

and you wont get Santana and/or Tori as they'll both be in the blue and Orange.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why they would be losing Melky or Giambi unless they trade them.

One thing that isn't being mentioned at all is the reduction of team salary. The Yankees started last year at about $185M. Losing A-Rods salary, possibly Pettitte, Posada, Rivera, Abreau, and the other couple of free agents would put them at (approximately) a very pedestrian $115M. If they could somehow trade Giambi, they would be very close to $100M. If they however exercise Abreu's option, and Pettitte, Rivera, and Posada all stay...they're back to about $170M (that's $15M for Abreau, $13 for Pettitte and Posada, and anywhere from $12-15M for Rivera.

I know it will never happen but I would love to see the team salary between $100-$120. It would shut a lot of people up for at least one year. Let Boston and LA be the top spenders and the reason for economic downfall in MLB.

Anonymous said...

Yea Crash that sounds about right...$100-$120 Mil.

Apparently you want Sean Henn as your fourth starter; Karstens as your closer; Kevin Thomson in right field; and Andy Phillips as your DH.

Sounds like a great plan, pal.

old professor said...

Crash, the Yankees need to trade Giambi. He has not produced the last two seasons. He has spent a great deal of time on the DL during the last two years and it was evident that even Joe Torre lost some faith in him during the playoffs.

Andy Pettitte showed a lot of class during a TV interview the other night. He indicated while he has not made up his mind about pitching next year, he also stated that if he pitched it would only be for the Yankees. "The Yankees invested a lot of money and confidence in me, what would it say if I walked away to play with another team." He also made it clear the change in managers would not be a factor in his decision. (Let's remember, during Pettitte's first run with the Yankees he preferred Girardi as his catcher over Posada).

Cashman has made it clear he wants to re-sign all of the Yankee free agents (possibly with the exception of Clemens). I can't see them exercising the $13 Million option on Abreu.

57, you are blowing smoke - Hunter has expressed his desire to stay in the American League. Unless the Muts change addresses (Mexico City is looking for a team) don't expect him in Queens.

Anonymous said...

Assuming no Pettitte, probably pitching situation:

Starting: Wang, Kennedy, Hughes, Chamberlain, Mussina

Mid Relief: Karstens, Rassner

Bridge: Farnsworth, Sanchez, Olendorf

Closing: Mo Rivera

old professor said...

Mid,

You sound like a broken record because you are back on the Karstens/Rasner bandwagon again. Since turning to pro ball, Rasner has not put in one healthy season. When a pitching starved team like the Nationals released him, you have know he is one fragile individual. While I don't believe in Bruney, Girardi might be able to help him become a better pitcher.

I also find it amusing that you spent a good part of the 2007 Season attacking Farnsworth and wanting him gone (except for his push in September) now you have him as the bridge to Mariano. You have been hanging out with 57 too much.

You also are predicating your thoughts that Humberto Sanchez will recover from Tommy John surgery. It takes about 18 months to have full recovery. He had the surgery in April. Don't expect to see him back in uniform until July and then only at the minor league level. There are some in the organization who still are hoping J.Brent Cox can put his career back on track. Though he is also recovering from surgery - to the shoulder not elbow.

old professor said...

News is beginning to leak that the Dodgers have put together a three-year deal for Torre to be their new manager. The estimates on the package range from a total of $12 million to $14.5 million. If my math is correct, that works out to be about $4 million to about $4.8 million a year. Torre turned down the Yankees $5 million plus three million in incentives and is now willing to take less from the Dodgers. Right, and he felt insulted. It would appear the real truth is he didn't want to come back to manage the Yankees. Suspicion would have me believe he was talking with LA before the Yankees made their offer.

The Rangers are also looking at the possiblity of hiring Mattingly as their batting coach. They have not been able to workout the terms of a new agreement with their current hitting coach.

Scooter, the Yankees might hope they can sign a centerfielder, but hope and reality are to different things. I always hope that Mid. will someday become less narrowminded. Reality?????.

They should sign a centerfielder before they trade Melky.

57 said...

It was the long term deal.. Yankees were not about to offer a long term deal, and that is what Torre wanted and deserved.

The Mets/A-Rod rumblings are beginning to cover the air-waves more and more as the days go by.... just remember, you heard it here first.

I'll give you Carlos Beltran for Melky, Giambi and Hughes.

Anonymous said...

Prof, only YOU could make me agree with 57. What part of "$5 million guaranteed compared to $14.5 million guaranteed" don't you understand?

About A-Rod, I initially thought that there was no way he would want to play for the Mets....being that they are and always will be the second team in New York...but come to think of it, his intestinal fortitude is probably better geared for being #2 than #1 anyway...So maybe A-Rod to the Mets has some merit.

57, you have a deal as long as you let us substitute Farnsworth for Hughes....oh wait...Mid has Farnsworth as our "bridge" next year...deal's off!

57 said...

If Farns is your bridge next year, then I would not want to be below that bridge....

2008 Mets Lineup:

Reyes
Hunter
Beltran
A-Rod
Wright
Jason Bay
Posada
Gomez

P:

Santana
Glavine
Pedro
Maine
Joe Smith

57 said...

I stand corrected. This JUST in and official:

THe Mets have picked up their $7.5 Million Dollar option on Moises Alou and re-signed Damion Easley to a one year $950,000 contract.

WHAT??????

Now im pissed.... use that money ESLEWHERE!!!!!

Anonymous said...

57 the only way you get Santana is by trading Reyes. You won't have both.

Scooter $120M is still very high. I think it would be third highest in baseball behind the Sox and Mets. In case you have missed the pattern recently teams can win with a small payroll. The guys you mention in the spots you mention are not what I would want, but you're not far off with the concept. Players from your farm are cheap. So when you have a rotation that has Wang, Chamberlain, Hughes, and possibly Kennedy. That's cost effective. Mussina makes more than them combined.

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