Running Baseball Hot Stove Thread

Oh, I love the Hot Stove.

-As a Yankee fan, I'm hoping they don't sign Crawford or Lee - both will be bad contracts half way through the deal at best. The only thing that might make me change my mind is if Sabathia is stupid enough to opt out, and the Yankees are smart enough to not resign him.

- Who says no to a Burnett for Ollie Perez deal (no money changing hands)? Cashman should be on the phone to Alderson today. (Perez's contract is over after this year).

 

Do you really think they don't have the cash to sign Lee, then spend more on somebody else later? I'm not sure I would go after both, either, but they do need another arm. Those bad years at the end of the contract are part of the price to pay to win now.

 

Their payroll has limits (ask Johnny Damon). Bad contracts handcuff all teams, some less than others. Burnett is hurting them now, A-rod will soon, and if they don't play their cards right with Jeter, so will his (I'd offer him 2 years - 40 million or 3 years - 50 million & let him choose between them praying he chooses the former, but able to say you offered a 3 year deal).

Also, early in the dynasty they always - every year - integrated one rookie into the lineup, hitting him 9th, and kept the #5 SP spot for a rookie. They should certainly do that with a pitcher - they have enough good arms in AA & AAA to let them compete for a spot, and I would give Joba every chance to win the #4 spot. And Montero should be given the chance to become the part time DH / backup C job.

 

I know I've had this argument here before, but I still don't believe that losing Damon was about payroll limits. It was about playing hardball with Damon and Boras. They thought they could squeeze him and get him to take a one-year deal and they were wrong and it did hurt the team.

Giving Jeter big money, especially at the expense of adding Lee or Crawford, would be a huge mistake. He is not a $20-million-a-year player any more. The only justification for giving him that kind of money is if their payroll is more flexible than you believe. Otherwise, it's just dumb.

It's one thing to integrate young guys if they are ready. It is quite another to try to force it and then end up scrambling for pitching later.

I will be very surprised if the Yankees are not in the bidding for Lee.

 

If the Yankees don't offer Jeter 4 years/$80 mill Captain Fantastic will be insulted and the idiot fans who think he's the best shortstop in baseball will be screaming.

The final year of Posada's contract is an albatross. He simply can't catch anymore yet still believes he should be a fulltime catcher. Plus, he think Girardi is still getting even for the fact the he took Girardi's job all those years ago.

Montero by all accounts is not a major-league catcher and might never be, When I hear Stick Michael say the catcher of the future is Austin Romine, who played a AA Trenton this year, I believe him.

I still believe Lee is staying in Texas.

 

So let the fans scream. Any fan who thinks the Yankees are better off spending that money on Jeter than on either Lee or Crawford is an idiot.

This is assuming they really can't sign all three, which I'm not sure I am willing to buy. Actually, that does bring to mind one reason to sign Jeter if they can get him to take a shorter deal. They can use him to justify not spending on Lee or Crawford and save some money long term.

If they really are that close to the limit on their spending, it's time to ignore the fans and make a decision based on winning. Otherwise, what is the point of spending $200 million-plus?

 

They said they wouldn't go over 200M & they didn't, I'm taking them at their word - thought that leaves them room with some big salaries coming off (Vaszquez). With Jeter, they have to be careful not to publicly disrespect him - when your a Yankee fan, you have to realize that business decisions will sometimes impact on the field decisions - that's why they originally got Matsui, even though we had no idea (and I don't think they knew either) how good he would be. The key to the Jeter contract is to keep it short.

The reason not to sign Lee or Crawford is because you would have to commit to them at big money far longer than they will be worth it - that's why the Halladay contract was such a steal for the Phillies. The money I'm worried with them are not the years while you're still paying Jeter, but the years when you have to replace him.

I agree, but they never allow themselves to see if any of the kids are ready anymore. I think Montero and some of the pitchers are. There was no need for Vaszquez, Park, Mitre, Gaudin Winn etc. on this year's team. Melancon & Allbeledejo etc. would have been better bets from day 1.

I also think they WILL go after Lee, I just think it's a mistake. with one exceptional season, he's been not great in the regular season, and is about to be overpaid for a 31 year old starter. Again, if you can get him for 3 years, even at 75M, I'd do it but no longer. That's why the Yankees should be popping champagne if Sabathia opts out.

 

With Posada, it's only 1 more year - they got lucky he's lasted this long. I agree that Romine is more likely to be the long term solution, but this year you have Posada, and by all accounts ROmine is not ready yet, whereas Montero's bat seems to be, so best case scenario, the following year Romine is starting with Montero playing 110-120 games at DH & 35-40 as backup C, and you don't have to waste a roster spot on the Molinas / Cervellis of the world.

 

http://content.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2010

Actually, they did go over $200 million, though not by a lot. Sorry, I'm still not buying what they say about limits. But if it is true, they should be squeezing Jeter every bit as tightly as they squeezed Damon this past offseason. And then be honest with the fans. Put it like this: "Do you want to kiss a fading player's ass or do you want to win? We want to win."

 

For the most part you're right. The Knicks & Rangers buried their teams with golden watch contracts to Ewing & Messier. Jeter, at this point in his career is not exactly the same (he might actually have some game in him for a year or two), and as long as the deal is short, there's no reason to end ugly with the face of this era. They did the smart thing with Torre & Bernie, but Jeter is different. He will still make them money on jerseys into retirement. It's in no one's interest for him to have a Washington Wizards limp to the end of his career with another team, and frankly , they don't have a better option - which is an indictment of the management who should have been planning for this. He's still good enough that it's not fair to expect him to retire, or even to sign a 1 year contract (which would be ideal, though they've gotten lucky with Pettite & Rivera). I'd say 2 years at bigger money than he deserves is the way to go.

 

Jeter already has said he expects to play -- and play shortstop - until he's 40. Do the math. That's four years. He won't take less than $20 mill a year.
He is the face of the Yankees for the rest of his life. They have to pay him.
And the delusional fans believe they can't win without Jeter, the greatest player who ever lived. The Yankees will not play hardball or try to lowball Jeter. He gets 4 years/$80 mill, maybe even this week, before he ever files for free agency.

He know he has the Yankees by the balls and, being the great leader he is, he is about to squeeze them.

 

In other words, now we will find out how smart the Yankees really are. If Jeter really is going to demand four years, $80 million, the smart thing to do would be to move on, go find a serviceable shortstop in free agency.

Or just bump up the payroll to $220-$240 million.