Yanks get Mo's successor

Sign Rafael Soriano for three years, $35 mill

 

Holy shit.

Everything I read said it wouldn't happen.

BTW, the Rays will be terrible next year -- and I couldn't be happier.

 

If this was a straight signing, at that price, and their top 2 picks, that's way too much. the only good part is that hopefully this means that they realize that Joba is a better option the Mitre in the rotation.

 

Anybody want to tell us again about how finances don't hurt the Rays?

 

They get a couple picks out of this, don't they? I imagine they'll do what they have been doing the past couple years, since ditching their old GM - make good draft picks and seasonable decisions on contracts, and compete.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'll always favor the more-capitalist, "spend whatever you want" nature of baseball vs. the forced parity and cap maneuvering of the NFL and NBA. If Premiere League owners are quite willing to lose tons of money simply for prestige in Europe, why are fans so worried about millionaires and billionaires like Tom Hicks losing their shirts when it comes to baseball FA? I've always been surprised how anti-player and inadvertently pro-owner many fans are.

 

Fact: New acquisition Kyle Farnsworth accounts for 10 percent of the payroll at the moment.

 

Joba sucked during his time as a starter. Yankees will make him and Robertson the 7th inning guys, with Feliciano thrown in as the lefty guy.

 

This is a terrible deal — Soriano has the ability to opt out after the first season. Why give up a first-round pick in what is supposed to be a stocked draft for potentially one year of a setup man?

 

ESPN.com had the Yankees suggesting the opt-out clauses, so that Soriano would have a chance to feel comfortable. They'll want to see if he has the makeup not only to be a closer in New York, but also to be the closer that ends up replacing Rivera.

 

I'm in favor of teams earning their success rather than buying it. Expecting owners to lose massive amounts of money year after year just is not realistic. Just because Premiere League owners are stupid enough to do it doesn't mean MLB's owners have to.

 

Three picks in first round, nine before the start of the second.

The nine becomes 11 if Grant Balfour signs with a team in the bottom half of the first round, and 10 if he leaves.

 

I really wish the White Sox would have gone after him. This should turn out well for the Yanks.