The Yankees Hate Draft Picks
As unbelievable as it may seem, the Yankees played the budget-concerns card when explaining why they didn't offer arbitration to Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu and Ivan Rodriguez.
To be honest, this move has me baffled and more than a little bit angry. I can understand Pettitte, I suppose. I don't want him back at $16M, actually I don't want him back at all, but Abreu and Moose? Jesus, if those guys came back on one-year deals it would be a steal. Mussina especially, I mean, I was hoping they'd beg him to come back. Now, if he changes his mind he can sign with anyone and the Yanks won't get a thing. Why? What's the harm in offering him arbitration? As far as I was concerned, the only reason not to bring Abreu back was that it would take a three or maybe four-year deal and there's no way they wanted to commit to him that long. Someone is going to sign Abreu, and someone was always going to offer him a deal for at least two years. There is no risk in offering him arb. The only logic I can even begin to apply to this clusterfuck is that the Yanks know something I don't about how the floundering economy and how it's going to affect the free agent market. Although their $140M offer to Sabathia seems to indicate that salaries aren't going to drop that much. Did they think a guy like Abreu would get nervous and jump at the arb offer? This is a stupid, stupid move and the Yanks just made at least one team very happy. My predictions: Abreu to the Mets, maybe for 2 years, $30M, and Pettitte to the Dodgers for 1 year $12M. Latest Posts• Willie Green: Running In Place • Lou Williams: A Step Back • Trade Dalembert - For Whom? • Get It All Out... • One Foot Out The Door? • Radical Idea Number One • Sixers' Reactions • That's All She Wrote • Game 6: Sixers vs. Magic • Dealing With The Polish Hammer • Take Nothing For Granted • @GeorgeDiaz: Howard Suspended For Game 6SearchBlogs in The NetworkSixers BlogsPassion and Pride Sixers 4 Guidos Liberty Ballers Recliner GM PhillyArena Heard In The Cheap Seats | ||||||||||||||||
Maybe the Yankees do hate draft picks.
They seldom get decent prospects. And somehow they always sign young pitchers who already have or are going to have elbow or shoulder surgery.
The Cardinals did the same thing, though they didn't have quite the no-brainers the Yanks did. I guess they know more than we do, but it'd be nice to know exactly WHAT they know.
I think your prediction is spot on.
To address Raven's statement, the Yankees approach the first round of the draft in chasing high ceiling guys given their normal draft position (26-30) every year.
They drafted Andrew Brackman 2 years ago in the first round and he made his pro debut this year in the Hawaiian Winter League and was named the #2 prospect there. Control issues were there but are normal for someone coming off TJ, but he was sitting 92-95 consistently and his first pitch was 97. His curve was a hammer and given his size (6-10) if he can learn to repeat his delivery and stay healthy he's going to be a monster, literally. He's probably going to start in High-A with a strict innings cap but if he stays healthy and performs well he could be a 'Top 10 Prospect in the Minors' according Baseball America and Prospectus (he's in our team's top 3 based on potential alone).
"Seldom get decent prospects" is plain wrong. Three years ago we started focusing on the draft again and its already bared fruit, Joba Chamberlain anyone? Patience is something few Yankees fans have.
On a side note, I don't understanding not offering to Moose or Abreu either.. especially Moose. Seems like a matter of due diligence to me.
There seem to be a lot of 'expected' arbitration guys not getting offered...the cynic in many indicates some sort of unwritten collusion that causes all these lack of offers to depress the free agent market in general, thus making even the best free agents more affordable because there is a deeper pool that requires ONLY money and no compensation.
Or, it could be that hank and hal are dumber than people thought?
When I first saw the news I immediately thought collusion, but looking around the league it doesn't seem to be the case.
Buster Olney wrote today that he thinks Abreu is going to make something like $8M per year. That's insane to me. Also read that the Yanks offered Pettitte $10M.
If guys really are signing for that much below what the market held last year, then I guess the moves make some sort of sense, but I just don't see it happening. Not with a $140M offer on the table for Sabathia and the bidding wars that are going to start up for Teixeira, Furcal and maybe Manny.
These moves were an over-reaction to the financial crisis and/or just plain stupidity on the Yanks' part. I'm leaning toward the latter.
It's not Hank and Hal making decisions (to prior poster), its Cashman and I don't consider him stupid unless the Bros Steinbrenner are handcuffing him financially, which I find hard to believe because they want to win their father a title before he passes I'm sure.
And Brian, I don't think the offer to Sabathia says anything about the market. In times of financial crisis, the top market value items that are not replaceable (in baseball, players like Sabathia/Teixiera/Manny) will still receive their money. I think you're going to see a significant drop in mid-level contracts (like Pettitte and Abreu, or for non-age drop ones, middle relievers).
I'm still waiting before I call this totally stupid. But I will call not offering Moose arbitration totally stupid.
Didn't Mussina officially retire? Why offer him arbitration if he's retired? You offer him arbitration - he takes it and then you gotta pay him to sit on his arse.
As I understand it there's a clear split in who runs the yankees and cashman doesn't have the leeway he SHOULD have and is sometimes forced into worse moves than he would normally make - I would think the fact that 'not' trading for Johan didn't work out exactly as he hoped (yet) would make Cashmans control even more precarious when you bring in loud boisterous owners who seem intent on making a statement about who runs the yankees NOW and to put their foots in their mouths, sometimes at the same time.
We don't know for SURE who makes the decision, but if a GM wants to offer arbitration and the owner doesn't, who do you think wins?
Very good and credible point.
To your point, if Moose accepts arbitration, he's playing or he's not getting paid. It just offers protection so that he doesn't get cold feet in Spring and sign with a team like the Phillies without the Yankees being compensated. It's to cover our "arse" (Clemens left for Houston and we got nothing).
And I think Brian and I both agree that we like Abreu as well, especially given the market. I think $17.5M would be a lot but wouldn't be the WORST thing in the world.
I'd like to find a way to get Adam Dunn.
I'm primarily a phillies fan who lives with a red sox fan but find the yankees fascinating and do pay attention to them (and don't hate them for their 'spending' ways) but I gotta say that the whole split base running that franchise is sad...and hal and hank combined don't seem to have 1/10 the brain dad did. I think it's stupidity on the yanks part as well, but remember, i'm a phillies fan who LIKED abreu so i'm in the minority already and I think the phils not offering arbitration to burrell was a dumb ass thing to do as well
Agreed on Burrell. Would a one-year deal for him have been so bad for the Phils? They wouldn't have to fill that hole.
As for the Yankee braintrust, I think Hank is a complete idiot, and honestly I think everyone else in the organization thinks so as well. When he spouts off to the media it's basically pointless. Now Hal, I'm not so sure about. He's been quietly in charge so far and I'm not sure you can lay any baseball decision at his doorstep. The jury is out as far as I'm concerned, although my opinion of Cashman has dropped in the past year or so. Starting with the Girardi hire.
is it known for sure that Cashman wanted Giradi? I don't know the ins and outs of the machinations.
As for Burrell - the phillies are 'budget conscious' and will have to hand out a bunch of raises to guys including howard and victorino and hamels etc...so they probably think they can get burrell cheaper on a one year deal. Also, the phillies seems more 'fan sensitive' than any other team in baseball and the phillies fans (majority of them) have ridden pat for years, not only under appreciating his game but under appreciating his dedication to philadelphia, he refused to be traded at least twice to teams where the fans would have wlecomed him - choosing to stay in philadelphia and take the criticism - if he's gone - i'll miss him
plus i would trade ryan howard to the giants for matt cain and move pat to first :)
I think it's accepted that Girardi was Cashman's guy.
I think you would've complained if we got Donnie Baseball. Aside from not knowing how he'd perform, he went on leave for half the year.
He wouldn't have left his dream job to deal with his psycho ex-wife.
Agree with John.. if Burrell is gone from Philly,
I'll miss him. That's why I was hoping he'd go to my favorite AL team in the Yankees. :-)
Maybe this is a trend we're seeing with the both the Phils and the Yankees not offering arbitration. Both are among the richest teams in baseball, yet both are nickeling and diming on veteran players. It sucks that the dismal economy invades our baseball world, but I'll bet that's what we're seeing. This might be a case of even the richer teams waiting it out and hoping to sign players at a discount. (Attention KMart shoppers... Blue light special in Aisle 13 on Outfielders).
I do agree with the Yanks in letting Pettite walk. I don't think you want him back anyway at this point although how many people wanted Moose to retire before last year's magical season? Pitchers are quirky, unpredictable animals, aren't they?
Wouldn't it be really weird if somehow Moose was a Phillie and Moyer was a Yankee? It would be a case of the Phils and Yanks trading oldies but goodies. While this may be unlikely, I wouldn't be surprised to see Howard playing first base for the Yankees in 2011....