Thursday, December 10, 2009

I Hate The Deal!

Look I know it is a few days old now and you guys have already debated it, but I wanted to comment for the record now that I back in front of a PC that doesn't have this site firewalled:

I hate the Curtis Granderson deal!!!

Acquiring someone who's "career year" is an avg. less than .250 is not a good move - especially when to get him you gave up valued bullpenner Phil Coke, and a future All-Star in Austin Jackson. (Ian Kennedy - I guess I'm Ok with).

Simply put the Yanks gave up too much to get a younger version of Nick Swisher.

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Bruney traded to the Nats for anonymous player. I liked Bruney, wanted to see how well he bounced back this season. Getting sent to the Nats in truly like getting sent to AAA, just with better pay.

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Pettitte re-ups for $11mm - he deserved it.

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Misc. The Post's coverage of the Tiger Woods situation has re-affirmed in my mind that it is the greatest paper in the history of the world.


*** For some reason, after a systems "upgrade" at work - blogspot is now firewalled and I cannot access so my ability to comment during the day has been blocked. . . . not sure the justification on why they feel the need to block firm employees from spending their time commenting on non-work oriented activities like sports blogs. . . .. oh wait.


What can you do. See you guys around.

92

9 comments:

old professor said...

Mid regarding the trade for Granderson - there are a lot of ifs involved: if he cuts down his strikeouts, if he steals more bases, if he refines his defense. I don't like the deal in that the Yankees gave up a real bluechip five tool player in Jackson. He has the same speed, places good defense, has a great arm and could have hit 249 just like Granderson.

As for Coke, two things: first you might remember when the Yankees traded for Nady and Marte, Coke was in the original deal. The Pirates rejected Coke and got Karstens instead (who has been outrighted to AAA). Secondly, while he has a good arm and is young, he gave up some very long homeruns to lefthanded hitters. He will do much better in Detroit because that park will hold a lot of flyballs.

I feel bad about the Yankees tradiing Kennedy. They apparently have tired of his cocky attitude and failure to adjust to correct mistakes. You have to feel good for him because he is already penciled into their starting line-up.

I believe with the addition of Granderson, someone is going to hit the bricks. Listening to Cashman the other night on MLB, he indicated Granderson will play center and if the team signs Damon, Melky becomes the forth outfielder or plays right. If they don't sign Damon, Melky goes to left. Gardner was never mentioned in any of the conversations. He may be the odd man out. Too bad, he has a great attitude and hustles after everything. I believe he is better defensively than Granderson and may be just as fast.

Bruney being traded freed up money to give to Pettitte. Bruney was scheduled to make $1.25-1.50 million this season. The original offer to Pettitte was ten million. Bruney's trade gave them the extra cash.

Crash said...

First I don't want to hear the Yankees moved a $1MM player to free up cash...that's ridiculous.

I do agree that someone in the OF is being traded before spring training. As soon as word leaked about Granderson, multiple teams called about Melky and Gardner. Last year teams were calling about Swisher, so none of them are out of play.

Additionally the Yankees will be taking Jaime Hoffman with Rule 5 pick acquired from the Nats. Hoffman is an OF from the Dodgers organization, and by rule they have to carry him on the roster or send him back to LA. He's only 24, has a .283 avg in the minors, some speed, a little power. Stat wise he kind of compares similarly to Melky (.285, 10HR, 70 RBI, 10SB).

I really think the Yankees will be bidding against themselves for Damon. By the way he was quoted by one of the NY papers as saying his defense is pretty good. The hot new hot stat to look at for defense is called UVR. Damon was near the bottom in this category for all OF. For what it's worth, Bay is actually the worst LF in the game by this stat, Crawford is the best LF.

Nady is not off the Yankees radar by the way.

Mike Cameron is still out there. For all the talk about trading for him a little while ago, I would have thought the Yankees would jump on him kind of early. Apparently not, Yankees have shown some interest but noting progressing that I've heard.

Crash said...

Yankees have begun negotiating with Damon. The Yankees would like quick decisions so they can move on if necessary.

We've been talking about oft-injured pitchers that could help clubs on the cheap...Rich Harden blew that out of the water signing for $7.5MM. Sheets apparently is looking for big bucks too. What about John Smoltz or Mark Mulder. I'm starting to see those 2 names pop up a little bit more now. Phillies are interested in Smoltz for their bullpen, Mulder has a couple of teams interested as well.

Yankees have lost 2 players in the Rule 5 draft. They lost Zack Kroenke a pitcher who bounced between AA and AAA. And Kanekoa Texeira, who was part of the Swisher trade. He is a pitcher that hasn't made it beyond AA yet.

old professor said...

Crash, if (and it is a big if) the Yankees gave Cashman a strict budget to adhere to, (lower the payroll from 2009) than getting rid of Bruney freed up cash to cement the contract with Pettitte. There would be no other reason to trade Bruney for a rule 5 draft pick. Bruney still has good stuff. If some team can ever straighten out his head they will have a real gem. And under the regulations of Rule 5, the Yankees will have to carry the individual they pick on the major league roster or return him to his original team.

For the Yankees to lose Kroenke is really too bad. He was young showed a lot of promise and had above average stuff. The other guy would never have made the big club.

The Yankees could actually sign Nady and use him as the DH. Coming off a second Tommy John surgery does not bode well for an outfielder.

Speaking of DH's, Matsui is apparently working out to try and get back into a shape that would allow him to play the outfield. If he can only play DH that greatly limits who is out there for him. All National League clubs would be off the radar and most of the American League clubs already have solid designated hitters.

By the way, there are rumors the Rangers are trying to move Josh Hamilton. (Imagine him batting in Yankee Stadium).

Crash said...

Hamilton would self-destruct in NYC.

Nady would not be slotted in as a DH he would be in the OF.

Matsui has had interest from the Angels, A's, and Mariners.

Crash said...

The Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Yankees were again at the forefront. They started the meetings off by trading Bruney, the land a CF in a big trade, and re-sign Pettitte.

If I had to grade the Yankees performance at the meetings I would say a B. I'm downgrading them because they didn't land the one thing I thought for sure they would...Halladay. One of the guys on Hot Stove threw out the possible trade of Melky, Joba, and Montero for Halladay...I'd do that in a second, but that doesn't come anywhere near the offers the Angles and Phillies are supposedly offering. I do like the way Cashman is approaching the Damon negotiations.

I just saw that Cashman isn't worried about signing a DH because Juan Miranda could DH next season.

Some other teams that really did well at the Meetings: Tigers, Rangers, Mariners, Braves, Orioles, & Astros. In most cases I like the players obtained but would questions some of the money that was shelled out...$7.5MM for Harden, $15MM for Brandon Lyon???

Which teams failed miserably, this one is easy the Cubs & Mets. The Cubs came in with one thing to do dump Milton Bradley. They couldn't find a taker even when they were willing to pay the majority of the contract. And why would anyone want to take that mess. The Mets were so quiet no one notice they were there until they were leaving when they made 2 crap offers to Molina and Bay. The Bay offer is pure smoke screen and they have no intent on signing him. As the guys on Hot Stove put it, it's just to appease the fans to say see we're trying.

Middle Relief said...

ON Halladay - I had heard that the Rays through around a couple of major offers to get him - apparently it didn't go anywhere though.

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Tiger takes a break from golf.

Middle Relief said...

The Yanks have to make a decision on Wang by midnight Saturday or he becomes a free agent

Crash said...

Just read a note from Wang's agent that the Yankees will not tender a contract to Wang and he will become a free agent...however, he also said the Yankees are still interested and plan on offering a contract to him when he becomes a free agent.

I think this is a good move by the Yankees. Wang made $5MM last year. No way he makes that this year, unless he has it built in as incentives. If they can save a couple million now do it. Remember a couple years ago Wang played hard ball by not agreeing to a contract extension (when Cano signed his) and opted for arbitration. And he planned on testing the market when he hit free agency to drive the price up on the Yankees. Well here's his chance to test the market. I think he'll end up with the Yankees again. He will come back mid-May/June and be a force the second half of the year.

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