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WFAN, Jon Heyman and others are reporting that Jason Bay has an agreement with the Mets.  4-years, $66mm.  It is easy to question what Bay and his agent were thinking, but they clearly overplayed their hand and now Bay is in a large baseball park when he could have returned to Fenway for a reported 4-years, $60mm.

Hind sight is 20x20, I mean he couldn't have known he'd be down to 1 suitor, but he must be kicking himself.

Regardless of how he is feeling, Bay was one of two legit sluggers on the market and now his signing (presumed) leaves only Matt Holliday available, just the way Scott Boras wanted it all along.

What this also does, is leaves some financial flexibility for moves later in the season for the Red Sox.  But it also means the Red Sox offense is a step below where it was in 2009.  Something they will have to address at some point in 2010.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Brian Cashman has said repeatedly this offseason that the free agent market wasn't as impressive as the one last season or the one next offseason.  Translating that into English, he is telling Yankees' fans that he is going to spend aggressively next offseason and with $65 million or so coming off the payroll, you can expect him to follow through on that.

But, what exactly is he going to spend it on?  Joe Mauer would certainly be a potential target, but it seems like he will stay in Minnesota and the Yankees' farm system is swimming with catching prospects (Baseball America says they have the most talent of any system at that position)  That doesn't mean any of their prospects will even approach Mauer, but it is not a position of dire need. 

Keep going around the infield.  First is covered for the next seven years.  Second is covered until 2011 at least with options for 2012 and 2013.  Now, Shortstop is probably going to be a need, unless Nunez develops into a ML-caliber player, but the Yankees will certainly bring Jeter back in 2011 and there are no other shortstops of note in the free agent class next year (Phillies exercised the option on Rollins last week and Reyes will almost certainly have his option exercised by the Mets)  Third is covered for the next eight years.

In the outfield you have Granderson under contract though at least 2012 (2013 option) and Swisher through 2011 (2012 option) Gardner is under team control for awhile, but if you wanted to spend on a free agent you could conceivably grab either Carl Crawford or Jason Werth.  

Other than that, it really comes down to pitching.  Cliff Lee could be a target as could Josh Beckett. But that's really it.  The potential top-line free agent market for the Yankees next offseason is probably Mauer, Crawford, Werth, Lee and Beckett. 

Looking in the crystal ball, I would almost bet that the Yankees make a very strong bid for Cliff Lee.  He is a lefty and with Andy Pettitte probably gone after 2010, he would make sense.  I think Beckett is a fallback.  If Mauer is there, the Yankees probably make a big run at him, but beyond that I don't know.  Crawford is a nice player, but he is a speed player and despite all the hype, the fact remains that he posted a 113 OPS+ last year.  Valuable to be sure, but not a guy I would give $16 million a year to as he enters his 30's.  Jason Werth has better OPS numbers, but he will be 32 in 2011, is that a guy you want to give five years to?

All of this is a roundabout way of wondering if the Yankees are making a mistake by passing on Holliday right now?  When the Yankees jumped in on Teixeira they did so because his youth, offense and defense were a rare combination that could not be matched in upcoming free agent markets.  I wonder if the same holds true for Holliday?  Who else is out there right now who can hit, field, run a little bit and is still not 30? Now, I would never give him eight years, but what if the Yankees offered him five years and $90 million?  It might get him to sign and then you have a great right-handed bat and a good defensive outfielder to boot.  I want to be clear, I am in no way suggesting that the Yankees need to sign Holliday, but if they are saving their money for next year are they putting themselves in a position where they will spend it on an inferior player? 

It's certainly not a move the Yankees have to make, but with no clear options in the minors, I wonder if they at least check out the price on Holliday.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees have completed the "heavy lifting" portion of their offseason and now have the final pieces of their roster to construct.  We know 10 pitchers who will be on the team next year (CC, AJ, Andy, Javier, Mo, Joba, Hughes, Aceves, Marte, Robertson)  We know the two catchers (Posada+Cervelli) and five infielders (Teixeira, Johnson, Cano, Jeter and A-Rod) What we don't know is the outfield beyond the trio of Gardner, Granderson and Swisher.

Assume the Yankees go with 12 pitchers, I wish they wouldn't, but it is a safe assumption.  That leaves you with three more spots to fill and if Brian Cashman is to be believed, very little money to do so. (For the record, I believe him and would bet against any big player coming through the door at this point)

Figure that one of the spots goes to one of the utility guys on the 40-man.  Ramiro Pena is probably the favorite, but Kevin Russo could certainly take it.  Corona and Nunez will probably start out the year in Scranton. 

That leaves two more spots and they both will almost certainly go to outfielders.  The Yankees have only four outfielders on the roster and while I think they will give Jamie Hoffmann a chance to win a job out of camp, they need someone else who can play the outfield on the roster and that person will almost definitely come from outside the organization.  

You hear names like Xavier Nady and Reed Johnson.  Both players would make a lot of sense, but I don't think the Yankees are going to act quickly.  Brian Cashman has shown that once he sets a price in his mind, he isn't going to budge.  I think that means Nady and Johnson come on board if they meet whatever the price the Yankees have in mind is, but chances are they don't.  It really wouldn't shock me to see Eric Hinske or Jerry Hairston back in pinstripes either.  Whatever the answer, I wouldn't expect this situation to be resolved anytime soon.

One last note, with the addition of Nick Johnson, the Yankees have effectively ended any hope for Juan Miranda to crack the roster.  While Miranda's age is in question, his bat is not- the guy can hit.  Stashing him in AAA for another year seems like a foolish waste of a resource and the Yankees would be smart to shop him around, perhaps he can bring a more useful piece back, like an outfielder.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Red Sox have already had an active off-season leading most to believe they are done shopping.  But now WEEI's Rob Bradford is reporting that the Red Sox are having internal discussions as to whether or not they can make another offer to Bay, thus boosting their line-up and saving Bay from certain embarassment and torture should he become a New York Met.

Bradford suggests that an offer would be in line with their previous 4-year, $60mm deal they offered earlier in 2009 and again at the outset of free agency.

My guess here, assuming these reports are true, is that Red Sox management feels Bay would be crazy to not accept a 4/60 offer...or even a 4/56 offer for that matter.  They'll let him save face and take the 4/60 and be done with it.  It is rumored that Bay has only 1 suitor right now in the Mets and really doesn't want to play there.  Bay and his agent have overplayed their hand and would do anything short of beg for another crack at negotiations with the Red Sox.

Now if this does happen, there will be an outfield logjam what with newly signed Mike Cameron on-board.  In addition, it turns out Mike Lowell is still on the Red Sox too.  I'm not sure how this will play out, but if Lowell still ends up getting dealt (his surgery will have him ready by spring training and he could still be dealt to Texas or another team at that point), then Bay could be valuable in case David Ortiz doesn't pan out in 2010.  In addition, he can hold a semi platoon with Ellsbury (with Cameron moving to CF), Ortiz and Drew (with Bay playing left and Cameron moving to RF).

Between injuries to Drew, tough match-ups to Ellsbury, Ortiz and Drew and regular days off for all of to the outfield and Ortiz, he will easily find enough at bats.  In fact, it is silly to think Bay would have to struggle for at bats, in fact it will be Cameron, Ellsbury and Ortiz that will struggle to get at bats in favor of Bay.

I'm getting ahead of myself here, but I love the idea of this as Bay would significantly upgrade the offense and seeing as we know he can play in Boston, likes it here, and seeing as Bay doesn't want to play in New York, it all makes sense.

Lastly, with Lackey and Bay on board, Ellsbury and/or Buchholz, as we've mentioned, become even more available for a mid-season run at an offensive upgrade at 1st or 3rd, that is unless you like the idea of 600 PAs from Casey Kotchman this year.  Let's watch this play out.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Interesting tweet from Ken Davidoff saying that Damon came back to the Yankees and asked for two-years/$11 million per.  He said in an earlier tweet that the Yankees offered two-years/$14 million- a number which Damon rejected.

I am pretty surprised that it came down to a total of $6 million.  That's a pretty small figure and shows you that the Yankees really were ready to move on unless Damon met their terms.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBacks (0)

I am kicking myself a bit this morning for not paying closer attention to what Brian Cashman said at the beginning of the offseason.  It was a very telling quote that I used as a post title- "We have to get younger" 

Well along those lines Brian Cashman has done exactly that.  Gone is the 36-year old left fielder and in his place is the 28 year-old  centerfielder.  Gone is the 35 year-old DH and in his place is the 31-year old DH.  In addition, they swapped out $26 million in salary for (reportedly) $11 million in 2010.   And, from reading the papers this morning, especially the Daily News, it's pretty clear that the Yankees just felt Matsui's knees were a ticking time bomb.  If that is what the Yankees' medical people felt, it's tough to argue with them.  After all, they have been treating those knees the past few years, so I assume they know what they are talking about.  In light of all that, I can't blame Cashman for turning away from Matsui.  

The thing I wonder is if these moves mean that we will see Xavier Nady return to New York.  I simply don't believe that the Yankees would start Melky in left and Nady would probably only cost a few million plus incentives and you would only have to sign him for one year.  That would enable him to reestablish his value and leave the Yankees in place to bid aggressively in the 2011 free agent market.

If you project out the roster right now, you can see 9 pitchers who are locks (CC, AJ, Andy, Joba, Hughes, Rivera, Robertson, Marte, Aceves) A bunch who could fill the final few spots (Gaudin, Mitre, Dunn, Alibie, Ramirez, Melancon) Some good choices in that group, but plenty of room for another arm from outside the organization.

You have two catchers (Posada and Cervelli) Six infielders (Teixeria, Cano, Jeter, A-Rod, Johnson and one of the Pena/Russo/Corona group) and four outfielders (Granderson, Swisher, Cabrera, Gardner. 

That leaves four spots, at least another outfielder and two more pitchers.  The names I listed are in the running, but the Yankees are still shopping.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The New York Post is reporting that the Yankees are "close" to signing Nick Johnson with a deal that could be announced Friday. 

ESPN is reporting a similar thing, but they note that "a single call from the outfielder (Damon) could change everything."

In other words, it sounds like we are in the final standoff between Damon and the Yankees.  Unless Damon blinks and lowers his reported demands (three years and $13 million per) The Yankees are going to sign Nick Johnson. So, let's take a closer look at Johnson.

The Good: Amazing patience, average 4.36 pitches per plate appearance and got on base at a .426 clip.  He fits right into the Yankees' lineup from that standpoint and makes it even more of a grind for opposing pitchers.  

The Bad: Fragile doesn't even begin to describe him.  He played 147 games in 2006, missed all of 2007 and only got into 38 games in 2008.  Last year he played in 133 games, the second-highest figure of his career.  In addition, he is a firstbaseman by trade, something the Yankees have no real use for and he is a statue on the bases.  The Bill James Handbook keeps some great baserunning stats and consider Johnson.  

In 2009, he went from 1st-to-3rd 14 times in 40 chances (35%)  Second-to-home 9 of 23 (39%) First-to-Home 1 of 9 (18%).  In addition, he grounded into a double play 15 times out of 114 chances (13%)

Now compare those numbers to Matsui, a guy we saw lumbering around the bases in 2009.   Matsui was 6 for 22 (27%) 8 for 15 (53%) and 4 for 7 (57%) and he only hit into a double play 4 of 96 (4%) of the time. 

Yes, you have to take into account things like ballparks, third base coaches, outfield and game compositions, but at least ont he surface, it looks like Matsui might be faster and that is a scary possibility.

The Unknown:   What happened to Johnson's power?  In 2006 he hit 23 home runs.  In 2009 he hit 8.  His doubles also fell from 46 to 24.  All this happened with him hitting almost the same percentage of line drives (23% to 22%) yet his BABIP rose to .338 from .320.  Will the new place reinflate that power?  Your guess is as good as mine.

This all comes down to the contract for me.  If the Yankees passed on Matsui at $6.5 million and turned around and gave the same deal to Johnson, I think they made a mistake.  If Johnson comes in lower than that with a lot of incentives then it's a deal I can live with.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

In today's Daily News, Jorge Posada voices his hopes that the Yankees will add another starter so that either Joba or Hughes can pitch 2010 in the bullpen. 

I think that he is absolutely right and I am almost positive that the Yankees will do this based on what happened in 2009.  What do I mean?  I mean the 2009 Joba Rules and the fiasco they created.  You remember all the fun, but the net result is the Yankees won a World Series and they got Joba 160 innings of work.  Now, they can safely deploy him for around 200 innings in 2010, hopefully putting an end to all the insanity (Note, we can fight about Joba's best role more next season.  Let's just agree for now that after all they went through in 2009, the Yankees are definitely going to try and use him as a starter in 2010.  If he stinks in that role, that's a different story.)

Now, consider Phil Hughes a minute.  Hughes is younger than Joba and last year was the first year since 2006, that he actually threw more innings than the previous season.  (2006- 146, 2007-109, 2008- 70, 2009 back up to 105)  Based on those numbers, I don't see how the Yankees open the season with Hughes in the rotation because they probably want to keep his innings down to 140 maximum.  I think in an ideal world, the Yankees put Hughes into the bullpen, but let him thrown more innings there than he did in 2009.  Maybe they have him do the 7th and 8th a lot, maybe they think about switching him to the rotation midway through the season, but I don't see him starting there. 

That makes it a perfect fit for the Yankees to offer a one-year deal, loaded with incentives, to someone like Ben Sheets.  If Sheets is really expecting $12 million, you obviously look elsewhere, but there are plenty of choices on the market- right now.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees are "talking" about Nick Johnson.  I am not sure what "talking" means, but it must at the very least mean that they are considering offering him a contract.

To me that makes little sense.  The Yankees just said good-bye to Hideki Matsui because he couldn't play a position and they worried about his health.  Johnson can play first, which is of little help to the Yankees and he is very brittle.  

Now, if Johnson wants to come to New York and play 80-100 games at DH for a few million bucks, that's different, but I wouldn't pay him anywhere near what Matsui got and I wouldn't guarantee him the role of full-time DH.  The Yankees are looking to increase roster flexibility.  The best way to do that is sign someone who can play the outfield and DH.  You know, like Johnny Damon for example...

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

In very quick fashion, the Red Sox have become a different team, especially when it comes to team defense and pitching.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Ken Rosenthal is again at it along with ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, both are reporting that the Red Sox are looking to sign Mike Cameron to be their left fielder. If true, we can say goodbye to Jason Bay (and Matt Holliday for that matter).

The Red Sox aren't kidding when they say they want to become better defensively. Cameron played CF last year, and has a grand total of 9.2 IP in left in his career, but Boston must be thinking the transition will be easy. The other thought might be to move Jacoby Ellsbury to LF as Cameron was a far better defensive option in CF than was Ellsbury in 2009 according to UZR/150.

No word on the dollars involved, but the reports suggest it will be a 2-year deal.  Cameron hit .250/.342/.452/.795 in 2009 almost exactly in line with his career averages.  He has decent pop, but has always been known for his defense with 3 gold gloves under his belt.  He'll be 37, so that might be the main reason they move him to LF.

Cameron hits lefties better than he does righties (.859 OPS vs. .765).  Conversely, Jeremy Hermida hits righties better than he does lefties (.792 OPS vs. .697), so we might be seeing a platoon here.  Hermida's defense isn't great however, so maybe LF is Cameron's job full-time with Hermida the 4th OF.

While I wish we were talking about Jason Bay right now, I don't mind this move.  Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe wrote an interesting piece the other day stressing that wins and losses are all about run differential and that it doesn't matter how you created run differential.  It is common sense, but it is also easy for that basic principle to get lost in the shuffle.  You can either score more runs, or allowed fewer runs (or both heaven forbid).  The Red Sox have clearly chosed the latter.

Now, I still expect a move for a hitter as Clay Buchholz just became far more available than he was yesterday.  The obvious candidate I'd like to see would be Adrian Gonzalez with Kevin Youkilis moving to 3b.  If they can pull that off, I think we'd be looking at keeping the runs scored about the same as 2009 but improving the runs allowed.

So Lackey and Cameron all in one day.  Lackey will cost them a draft pick but Cameron was not offered arbitration, so no draft picks are due.

The AP is now reporting that the Red Sox have reached tentative deals for Lackey and Cameron, both pending physicals.  Ken Rosenthal is reporting it is in the vicinity of 2-years, $15.5mm for Cameron.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

It's official Hideki Matsui is headed to Anaheim.  It's a one-year deal for $6.5 million. 

Matsui was a wonderful Yankee, never causing problems and playing every day before he broke his wrist and then his knees started to give out.  It's those knees that made signing him too risky a move for the Yankees.  The fact is that the Yankees didn't play him in the field once in 2009 and he still had to have his knees drained at least twice during the season by my count.  New York can't afford to keep the DH spot locked down with one guy in 2010 and while I am sure Matsui will thrive out West, they are taking a big risk if they put him in the outfield.  

None of that diminishes the loss I am sure most of you join me in feeling tonight.  Watching Matsui was a joy and I will miss seeing that statue stance in the left side of the box and knowing if it was a big spot that he would deliver.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

It sounds like John Lackey is headed to Boston while Roy Halladay is headed to Philly with Cliff Lee going to Seattle. 

I think the resolution of the Halladay situation is a good one for the Yankees.  This moves him out of the division and into the NL.  That's perfect from a New York standpoint.

I would have liked to have seen Lackey come to New York, but I also understand why the Yankees didn't want to give another pitcher a five-year deal (Lackey is reportedly getting five years and $85 million)  He gives the Red Sox some protection if Beckett leaves in 2011 and a very nice 1-2-3 of Beckett, Lester and Lackey next season.  But where I think it will hurt the Yankees the most is with what it makes the Angels do now.

Think about the Angels for a second.  They are losing their ace.  They are watching Halladay, a pitcher they tried to get head to Philly and worst of all, Cliff Lee is going to Seattle where he will join former Angel Chone Figgins.  Clearly, the Angles need to make some noise and it sounds like part of that is going to be Matsui headed out there.

Now Matsui, was not the priority for the Yankees because I don't care what anyone says, playing him in the outfield is a bad idea.  But, he gave New York options if Damon signed elsewhere.  The Yankees could have turned to Matsui and given him the DH role in 2010, keeping the lineup deep and dangerous.  Now, if you lose Damon you probably don't have that fallback.  The Yankees still have plenty of options, but it would be worth their while to start forcing the issue with Damon and Boras.  They need to get Plan B going if Damon is not going to return.

One final note, this trade strikes me as off from the Phillies standpoint.  Halladay is a wonderful pitcher, but is he that much better than Lee?  Lee is slightly younger, cheaper and proved he could pitch when it counts in the 2009 playoffs.  Halladay for all he has done, has never really even pitched in a pennant race.  With both players free agents after 2010, why not just keep the guy you have?  It will make more sense if Philly got prospects included or something like that, but on the surface I am scratching my head.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that former Angels pitcher John Lackey took a physical today with the Boston Red Sox, "an indication that he is close to an agreement with the team, according to a major-league source."

Rosenthal said the deal will look somewhat like the deal AJ Burnett signed with the Yankees last year.

At first glance, this could mean many things.  First, they have lost their minds and clearly thing Lackey is a great pitcher (if the money/terms are true) and furthermore, it might be a prelude to yet a larger deal.

Consider a starting rotation of:  Lester, Beckett, Matsuzaka, Buchholz and Wakefield, unless Wakefield is not progressing quickly enough from off-season surgery, or the Red Sox are pioneering a 6-man rotation, it could mean a deal is in the works to trade Buchholz for an offensive upgrade.

After not hearing about Adrian Gonzalez for a while, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentioned that Boston and San Diego have discussed a deal for Gonzalez, but couldn't agree on players.  The mention of talks was encouraging to me as I hadn't heard any of trade talk between the 2 teams.

More to come...

Like Ken Rosenthal did, I should note that Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse broke this story.  Price is the same guy I said I hadn't heard of before and therefore assumed was a slacker...YankeesRedSox.com management disciplined me.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11:07pm here in NYC and we still don't know who the Yankees are non-tendering.  They have 53 minutes to decide and I will update this post when the news comes down. 

(And for those of you who don't get the title, please use google and then ITunes- he is well worth it.)

UPDATE: Chien-Ming Wang has been non-tendered. All the other Yankees will be back.  And, in other news Gomes is a free agent and Navarro has agreed to a new deal with the Rays. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Tomorrow night is the deadline for tendering players a contract for 2010.  For the Yankees, it's a 99.9% certainty that it will mean the end (for now) of Chien-Ming Wang's career in pinstripes.  And while I don't think they would non-tender him, you have to at least consider the possibility that Chad Gaudin could get cut because he made $2 million last year and you have to offer a tendered player at least 70% of his previous deal. 

Much more interesting will be the list of players across baseball who get non-tendered.  The Red Sox famously profited from this when David Ortiz was cut by the Twins. Though, I think the Twins should be given a pass in light of what we have learned about Mr. Ortiz's activities. 

There are two guys that interest me for the Yankees, Dioneer Navarro and Jonny Gomes.  Navarro was of course originally a Yankees' prospect before he became part of the Randy Johnson trade.  He made $2.1 million last year and he had an awful season with the bat- .218/.261/.322.- or Jose Molina numbers.  But, part of that is based on a .231 BABIP.  In 2008 when his BABIP was .318 he put up a line of .295/.349/.407.  Considering that Posada is 38 and Cervelli is really unproven, signing Navarro to a deal may not be the worst move in the world.  Plus, he is still only 25, so he still has the potential to improve. 

Gomes had some good years in Tampa and he put up some nice numbers for the Reds last year.  He has always hit lefties well and that continued in 2009 with a .914 OPS against them.  He can play either left or right and just turned 29.  He might be a better bet to provide righty power/platoon potential off the bench than Hoffmann for a low price. 

So, keep an eye out tomorrow as the names start showing up, the Yankees could do some bargain shopping based on who gets the axe. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees used their Rule 5 pick to select Jamie Hoffmann from the Dodgers.  Hoffmann is a 25-year old righty outfielder who can play center and right.  He got a cup of coffee in the majors last year, 22 AB's, but didn't do much.  However, at AAA he has hit .285/.362/.449 and he has some speed.  

This is exactly the type of player the Yankees should have taken.  At best, he becomes a solid outfielder off the bench who can play some defense and steal a base.  Plus, he gives you a righty option if you want to sit Granderson against a lefty.  At worst, you offer him back to the Dodgers and move on. 

In the draft, the Yankees lost two players, Zach Kroenke to Arizona and Kanekoa Texeira to the Mariners.  Kroenke had some nice numbers in AAA this year, but he is 25 and the Yankees value Mike Dunn more than him in the lefty reliever department.  Texeira, who came over in the Swisher trade, had a 2.84 ERA in AA, but has never pitched above that level.  It will be interesting to see if he can stick in the majors for an entire season. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

UPDATE:  The Red Sox acquired Boof Bonsor today according to MLBTradeRumors.com.  He had been designated for assignment earlier this week.  Bonsor is a strikeout pitcher, but is coming off major arm surgery and is hardly a lock to make it back to the major leagues.  I wouldn't expect much of him in 2010 at the major league level.

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Nothing happened on day 3 of the Winter Meetings for Boston, but overnight, the rumors on a Mike Lowell deal started to really heat up.  As of now, there are reports that a deal is in place pending league approval.

Texas Rangers get - Mike Lowell (3b) and $8-9mm to offset salary

Boston Red Sox get - Max Ramirez (c/1b)

Assuming this does go down, that means the Red Sox are in the market for a corner infielder.  Of course Casey Kotchman could handle first base, but I can't imagine Boston feels good about his offensive potential.

My guess is we're going to see Nick Johnson in a Red Sox uni with Kevin Youkilis moving to 3rd base full time or Adrian Beltre at 3rd with Youkilis staying at 1st.

To be frank, I'm not excited about either of these options.  I would be thrilled with Johnson if I thought he had any chance of staying healthy, as when he does, he grinds pitchers down and gets on base at an amazing clip.  He played in 133 games last year,

38 in 2008

0 in 2007

147 in 2006 (career high)

131 in 2005,

73 in 2004

96 in 2003

When he plays, he is a near lock to get on base at .400, a trait cherished by Theo Epstein  and his defense is good, but I don't know why any team would expect him to play a full season.  Kind of like JD Drew with less power...just what all Boston fans want.

Adrian Beltre is an excellent defensive third baseman, but shows a decided lack of plate discipline (career .325 obp) and has only had 1 really good year back in 2004.  Perhaps Boston knows something about his hit chart and Fenway would be a good home for him.  Looking at his career at Fenway, I don't see anything special with his hit chart at Fenway.

In fairness, Seattle, Beltre's former home, is a place power hitters can go to die.  I guess I have seen his production (stats not first hand) and it doesn't excite me and most worrisome is he is coming off a horrendous season, in his walk year no less.  It just doesn't add up.

As for Max Ramirez, he had been an offensive star in the minors for Texas, but something happened in 2009.  This reminds me of my comments on George Kottaras, another catcher who was humming along in the minors, but then hit a wall offensively.

Ramirez's career minor league numbers:  .299/.398/.486 in 2146 plate appearances, that includes 334 PAs in 2009 at a .230/318/.334.  Ugly.  Couple that with the fact he is on his 3rd organization and will be 25, after having been drafted in 2004 as a 19 year old.  Why has it taken him so long to make it?  There has to be other concerns.  He did have wrist issues in 2009, but to get some many PAs and still post those numbers is awful.  Consider this though, Ramirez is Veneluazan as is Victor Martinez (and Marco Scutaro).  Perhaps this is shaping up to be a mentoring thing.

So this move clears the way for a new infielder for Boston and now we just have to wait and see if it actually happens.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Thanks to the Brian Bruney trade the Yankees have the first pick in the Rule 5 draft today. It gives them plenty of options, but there is an important catch, the player they select has to stay on the major league roster the entire season.  

That makes it impractical for the Yankees to pick a Class A or even AA player because what are the real chances they would stick?  One player to keep an eye on is Chad Tracy who might be worth a risk. Tracy hit .279/.333/.488 in AA last year and can play first, left and catch in a pinch.  It may be asking too much for him to make the jump to the majors, but it might be worth the risk.  Tracy would give Girardi some flexibility with his ability to catch in an emergency situation and at 24 he could still develop into a decent hitter. 

Otherwise, the Yankees might be better off trading the pick.  Plenty of bad teams could use it and that way they get real value for it.  One approach I hope they avoid is taking one of their own players.  The Yankees have several quality players that are exposed, but why not let another team take the risk of drafting them and keeping them in the majors all season long?  Remember, if the other team doesn't, they have to offer them back to the Yankees.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

So we know that Granderson is coming to New York and Pettitte is coming back.  Where do the Yankees go from here?  It seems reasonable to assume that at most they have one more "big" move left.  By big I mean Damon, Matsui, Doc or Lackey and that's it.  It's one of those four, I don't think they are suddenly going to try and sign Jason Bay. 

Start with the lineup.  Right now, you have two question marks- who is playing left and who is the DH.  I would assume Melky is in left and the Yankees will rotate the DH spot among the older guys. 

Go to the rotation.  You know the 1-2-3, but who makes up 4 and 5?  I assume Joba is one of those and the last guy is a mystery.   There are a lot of "could be's".  Could be Aceves, could be Gaudin, could be Hughes, could be me...you get the idea.

Which hole do you fill?  If I am picking, I sign Lackey.

I love Doc, but Doc is going to cost Joba and Montero plus more.  That's too steep a price to pay with Lackey available.  Signing Lackey gives you an amazing rotation and as cliche as it sounds, pitching wins championships.  You also have Joba as your fifth starter, a perfect opportunity for him to pitch every fifth day and prove he can do it.  And, Hughes is your setup guy, which gives you a great bullpen. 

Yes, you leave some holes in the lineup.  Melky (the 2009 version) or Gardner are not adequate left fielders, but they can certainly play defense out there and they are young enough that you can gamble on them growing.  Add a player like a Reed Johnson for low money or bring Eric Hinske back and you have some options in the corner.  Will you score as many runs in 2010 as you did in 2009?  Absolutely not, but I bet that when you consider the runs you allowed in 2010 versus 2009, you net out ahead.  The Yankees had a net of +162 in 2009, that should have equated to 95 wins.  I think under this plan that number grows and they should win more than 95 games.  That means a playoff spot to me and with a rotation of CC, AJ, Lackey and Andy in the playoffs, that's what you need, they can take it from there. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees and Pettitte have reached a deal for $11.75 million in 2010.  It's not a shock, but it's a solid move, the Yankees now have the same three pitchers who started every game in the playoffs back for next year. 

But, there is still work to be done.  The Yankees need to come up with another pitcher.  I assume Joba will be ready to go to 200 innings next year, but I think he needs to earn the job out of spring training.  Hughes is going to be unable to pitch a lot of innings next year, so he can't be counted on.  Gaudin is a thought, but his control is a big question mark. 

They can certainly cobble together the back of the rotation with those players and some others, but it would make a lot of sense to get someone in from outside the organization to solidify the rotation. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Not much of anything happened for Boston yesterday.  Certainly they continued their due diligence on many players and perhaps advanced talks on trades and/or free agent signings, but from the fans perspective, nothing happened.

One thing did happen and that was the Yankees traded for a center fielder.  The Red Sox (i.e. Theo Epstein) have publicly said they do not make moves based on what the Yankees are doing, but everyone knows that while that might be their goal, they always have an eye on what the Yankees are doing.

The Red Sox have a glaring hole in left field and even if they do re-sign Jason Bay, or sign Matt Holliday, that just leaves them at status quo.  Yes Marco Scutaro is an upgrade offensively at shortstop, but there is no way he replicates his 2009 offensive performance and his defense is a step down from Alex Gonzalez's, so he is an improvement overall, but probably not as great as some might think.

Back to Bay/Holliday, the Red Sox can't sit around and be content with status quo.  With David Ortiz another year older and coming off a disappointing season and Mike Lowell not getting healthier or rangier, this team could be worse offensively.

Now the Winter Meetings aren't the only time deals can be made, but the fan in me wants something done now, if not sooner.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The big knock on Granderson is that he can't hit lefties and he certainly was miserable against them last year, putting up a .484 OPS against them.  But, in 2008 he hit .259/.310/.429 against them, nothing amazing, but certainly respectable enough for everyday play and an indication that he has the ability to hit them. 

In this way he is very much like Paul O'Neil.  O'Neil came to New York with a reputation of being useless against LHP.  In 1992, the year before he arrived, O'Neil put up a .565 OPS against LHP.  But, in 1990 he had hit .261/.312/.408 against them and once he got to New York he rediscovered how to hit LHP.  He was never as good against them as he was against righties, but he got the job done.  Maybe Granderson can follow in that path and the Yankees should give him every chance to do so before going to a straight platoon. 

The Yankees do have an option of using Melky against tough lefties.  The thing is, before 2009, Melky was useless against LHP, but he suddenly hit them (.763 OPS)  in 2009.  Is that a trend you can count on?

I'm not sure and it's another reason why I wish the Yankees had kept Shelley Duncan around.  Duncan absolutely killed lefties and the Yankees could have played him in right with Swisher in center against lefties if they felt Granderson couldn't handle it.  But, that door is probably closed, so Melky it is right now, but the Yankees should keep exploring their options. UPDATE- Tyler Kepner of the Times has an excellent candidate- Reed Johnson.  He hit .323/.400/.500 against RHP in 2009 and .313/.378/.463 in his career.  Made $3 million last year with the Cubs.

************

On to the Damon negotiations, I don't think this deal changes the Yankees plans with Damon.   Melky Cabrera had a better 2009, but .274/.336/.416 isn't enough to play everyday.  With Austin Jackson gone, the Yankees do not have an heir apparent for left in AAA so I think they would be willing to go to two years with Damon.  I am not sure if they would have done that with Jackson in the wings, but I bet they would do two-years/$20 million now.

I think it also increases the chances that Xavier Nady could return.  If Damon goes elsewhere, the Yankees may turn to Nady to plug leftfield.  That wouldn't shock me at all.  It also wouldn't shock me to see both Damon and Nady return, if Nady takes low money on a one-year deal.

What I do think this deal does do is close the door on Hideki Matsui.  Matsui cannot be trusted to play leftfield and with Granderson in the fold, the Yankees don't need to panic to keep their lefty power.  This deal really signals the Yankees are serious about getting younger and better in the outfield and Matsui doesn't help them in either of those departments. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees got Curtis Granderson who is a very good centerfielder and a very powerful lefty bat.  He is also only 28 years old and will be under team control through 2013 at reasonable money ($5.5 in 2010, $8.25 in 2011, $10 in 2012 and an option worth $13 in 2013)  Granderson had a bad, for him 2009, hitting .249/.327/.453 that is still a lot better than the AL average at center and if he comes close to his 2008 numbers- .280/.365/.494- the Yankees would be thrilled. He is also considered one of the best character guys in baseball.

By adding Granderson the Yankees just gave themselves a ton of options.  They can play hardball with Damon and let him walk, shifting Granderson to left and going with Melky/Gardner in center like 2009.  They can bring Damon back and put Granderson in center, giving them some chips to trade in Gardner or Melky. 

Everyone will focus on the loss of Austin Jackson and while Jackson is a tough player to give up let's stop and think about him.  Does anyone think he would have turned into a better player than Granderson?  I don't think so and when you consider that it makes sense to include him in the deal.  Yes, you lose a young player, but the guy you get back is still young enough that it makes sense to swap Jackson for him.

The guy who won't get as much press, but might be the bigger loss is Ian Kennedy.  Kennedy has a lot of detractors, myself included at times, but I still believe he will develop into a competent starter.  By that I mean someone who can step in and pitch 200 innnings with around a 4 ERA.  That's not what you want at the top of the rotation, but it is nice to have in the middle.  

The last guy is Phil Coke and I don't really mind giving him up.  It's nice the Yankees still have Dunn because he certainly has the potential to equal Coke's numbers and he is four years younger. 

The more I think about this trade, the more I like it.  Yes, it hurts to give up the prospects, but the Yankees gave them up for the right type of player- a young player with a proven track record in the bigs.  That is a departure from previous years when the Yankees would give up the few prospects they had for older guys.  Brian Cashman said at the outset of the offseason "we have to get younger".  The Yankees just did and they also got better in 2010.  If they bring back Damon or Matui and you could bring either one back with Granderson in the fold, think about that lineup.  That will keep some opposing pitchers up late at night. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Heyman and Sherman are both tweeting that the Granderson deal is back on.  Buster Olney puts the odds at 30% of a deal getting done while Sherman says the talks have "momentum".

Interestingly, the player who seems to be out of the deal from the Yankees side is Michael Dunn.   Dunn certainly has potential as a lefty out of the pen, but I would still rather keep Kennedy.  Now some rumors have Edwin Jackson coming to the Yankees.  It sounds like a lot of talk is going on, we shall see.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The first day of the winter meetings yielded some minor league depth signings and a potential major league bullpen arm.

In signing Scott Atchison, they get a reliever who pitched in Japan for the past 2 seasons.  Just prior to his departure to Japan in 2007, the Red Sox had hoped to sign him, showing that he never fell off their radar.  Atchison looks to be a fringe player based on his State-side performances, but he did do very well in Japan in 2009.

Also signed were old friend Kason Gabbard and new friend Fabio Castro.  This is probably Gabbard's last chance to stick around in pro baseball, let alone hoping for a major league job, he had a horrible, injury plagued 2009 and is looking to rebound (9.60 ERA in 40.1 IP for 3 teams in the minors).

Castro's signing is for AAA emergency starter depth, no more.

The biggest news Red Sox fans are waiting for of course is whether or not Jason Bay comes back in 2010 and if not, who will replace him.  Matt Holliday is an option and of there seems to be no shortage of trade rumors flying around, although nothing too hot/concrete as it pertains to the Red Sox.

My take is that the Red Sox have to sign Bay or Holliday and upgrade another roster spot (starter or bat, with bat being my preference) to make this team top-tier in 2010.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Hot rumor around MLB appears to be the Yankees-D'Backs and Tigers working on a three-way trade. 

The key part for the Yankees is that they give up Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy and Michael Dunn in order to get Curtis Granderson.  The Yankees would also receive a prospect or two back from Arizona.  

I'm not inclined to pay that big a price for Granderson because while he can certainly hit for power, he is essentially a platoon player.  (.614 OPS vs. LHP in his career)  I would give up Jackson, Coke and Dunn, but I would need something good coming from Arizona to agree to throw Kennedy into that deal.   I think Kennedy could be a very solid #4 starter next year and I wouldn't give him up easily.  And while I like Austin Jackson, I still have doubts that he can hit for any power.  In that case, I choose to keep the starting pitcher over the potential bat.

UPDATE: Jon Heyman tweets that the Yankees spent most of the day trying to get Granderson while Joel Sherman says the talks are dead for now because the other teams were asking for too many prospects from the Yankees.  

UPDATE: 40 minutes into Sportscenter and they haven't mentioned baseball once.  30 minutes on the Packers-Ravens and now other NFL and College FB news.

UPDATE: Heyman confirms the players and says the Yankees have said No.  Olney says two teams have said no, but doesn't identify them.  He thinks the trade will not be resurrected.  Sherman says the Yankees have clearly targeted Granderson and may also be using this as a message to Johnny Damon.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Brad Penny racked up a 5.61 ERA in the AL this year and a 2.59 ERA in the NL.  Now the Cardinals have apparently given him $7.5 million to come pitch in the NL.  Are the Cardinals insane or do they know something about Penny and the NL?

Looking at the stats, one would think they are insane.  Penny suffered from a bit of bad luck in Boston, racking up a .327 BABIP, but that was completely reversed in San Francisco where it dropped to an amazingly low .206.  When you combine that with his strikeout rate actually decreasing from the AL to the NL, this is not a very good signing for the Cards.   It's also another important warning to AL GM's- beware pitchers from the NL. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Joel Sherman is tweeting that the Yankees have sent Brian Bruney to the Nationals for the infamous PTBNL. 

At this point you have to think that anything they got was a plus because I don't think they would have tendered him a contract since it probably would have cost them about $2 million. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The Post is reporting that Andy Pettitte rejected a one-year/$10 million offer from the Yankees.  But, ESPN is reporting he will pitch in 2010 and it is a matter of "working out a deal with the Yankees."

That's a pretty good offer he rejected, but I think the Yankees would go a bit higher,  He made about $10.5 million last year with the incentives, so I could see the Yankees going up to $12 million.  We shall see.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

The Baseball Winter Meetings start tomorrow and they should be a lot of activity.  The problem is a lot of it might not occur for the Yankees.  Other than Andy Pettitte, there really doesn't seem to be any player the Yankees have targeted as a "must have".  Sure, they would like Damon back and yes they will certainly ask how much Lackey is going to cost, but the fact is they will probably bide their time.

There is one area we may see some movement occur and that is a trade involving minor leaguers.  With the 40-man roster almost full and the Rule 5 draft on Thursday, I could see Cashman trying to trade a couple of his Rule 5 eligible players for some non-eligible ones.  

Whatever happens, I will be blogging frequently about rumors and (hopefully) real news.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

According to Buster Olney, the Yankees are cutting their payroll.  No real shock there, but more surprising is the number they are aiming for- $185 million.  So, let's do some math.

According to Cot's, the Yankees started off 2006 with a payroll of $206 million.  (All figures in millions)   Free agents Matsui ($13)+Damon($13)+Nady($6.25)+Molina($2.125)+Pettitte($5.5)=about $40 million off the payroll.  Let's also assume they non-tender Wang and you are now at a payroll of $161 million.

But, we have some raises to consider.  Sabathia's salary goes up ($9).  Cano's salary goes up ($3) Swisher's salary goes up ($1.5), Jeter's salary goes up ($1) and Marte's ($0.25).  That's a total of about $15 million which brings the payroll to about $176 million, or $9 million short of the rumored goal.  Add in arbitration for players like Cabrera (probably at least another $1 million more) and it's going to be hard to squeeze under $185 million while signing any free agents- Pettitte, Damon, Matsui, etc.. 

Personally, I think the Yankees are going to be higher than $185 million, based on these numbers, but I think the trend is pretty clear- downward.  No, I don't think they will relinquish their spot at the top of the payroll charts, but I think the gap between them and the other teams will shrink dramatically in the coming years.  Proof of that will come next winter when Jeter and Rivera become free agents. 

Some more confirmation of a shrinking payroll, but no hard numbers.  

UPDATE: Some hard numbers here from mlb.com.  They have last year's payroll at $201 (technically it was if you don't count the $5 million they paid to Giambi to decline his option) and they say the Yankees need to take $15 million off that.  That would put them at $186 for next year, right where Olney said. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

It rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Someone named Ed Price, of Fanhouse.com (???) has been Twittering (Tweeting...or has Tweeted...Twittered...whatever) that the Red Sox and Marco Scutaro have agreed on a 2-year deal.  ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and Gordon Edes are reporting that Scutaro worked out for the Red Sox and are closing in on a 2-year deal.

So if we believe what we read, the Red Sox have solved their shortstop vacancy.  Is Scutaro a premier fit?  In a word, no.  He is coming off a career year at an old age, but can play an average shortstop and seems to have decent control of the strike zone.  That said, I fully expect the Red Sox to give Jed Lowrie as much opportunity as possible to win the job.

Scutaro's 2009 employer was said to have been considering moving him to the outfield had he accepted arbitration.  That doesn't speak volumes of their confidence in him as a defender, but perhaps it was just a rumor floated to force Scutaro out the door.  His leaving will garner the Jays the Red Sox first round pick and a supplemental pick in the 2010 amateur draft.

So with shortstop most likely filled, the Red Sox now need to sign a left fielder (or trade for one).  I still think this offense needs some additional giddy-up.  More to come I suspect.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reports are circulating that Billy Wagner has agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Braves pending a physical.  Assuming he passed the physical, the Red Sox will get draft pick compensation for losing Wagner as they offered him arbitration yesterday.

I'm not sure why we get so interested in draft pick compensation.  Given how the current system works, you might be able to draft 1st round talent in the 10th round if a player is considered a "tough signing."  Obviously if there is an undisputed top pick, it is nice to have top picks in the draft, but it seems fairly easy to work around not having those top picks.

The Red Sox also offered Jason Bay arbitration yesterday.

Now that teams have a working knowledge of which free agents will and will not cost a draft pick, we should start to see more deals over the coming days heading into the Winter Meetings.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Joel Sherman tweets that the Yankees will not offer arbitration to anyone.  I think the decision not to offer it to Damon it fascinating. 

By offering arbitration to Damon the Yankees would have secured two draft picks if he had left New York.  Think that isn't important?  When the Yankees offered arbitration to Tom Gordon and he went to Philadelphia, they got two picks.  Those picks became Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy.  But, Damon could have accepted and then he probably would have gotten around $15 million in arbitration.   However, it would only be a one-year deal.  Furthermore, offering Damon arbitration would probably have made other teams more reluctant to sign him because they wouldn't want to forfeit a top draft pick. 

Reading the Yankees' tea leaves is always hard, but this leads me to two conclusions.  One- the Yankees would prefer to bring back Matsui, bum knees and all over Damon and two- the Yankees are exploring the left field trade market/ free agent market.  I have a feeling we will be waiting awhile to find out, but I think Mr. Damon will have a new address (In Queens perhaps?) next year.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)