Last night, MLBTR posted some stuff courtesy of Maric Carig. I’ll offer my commentary:
The Yankees were aware that Jonathan Sanchez was on the trade block, but Cashman said the team did not have discussions about acquiring him. The Giants traded Sanchez to the Royals for former Yankee earlier this week.
I always had a soft spot for Sanchez, but the fact that the Yankees didn’t go out and grab him isn’t upsetting or surprising. That walk rate is scary and his GB% isn’t high enough for me to be comfortable with him making an NLW-to-ALE transition.
Clubs have already inquired about the Yankees’ young catchers, such as Jesus Montero, , and . “I’ve had a lot of teams express ‘Hey, if you’re ever going to do something there, mark us down,’ that type of things,” said Cashman.
This is great no matter what. What do I mean no matter what? Well, if it’s true, it means that teams are interested in some of the Yankees’ young players and maybe the Yankees can turn them into something more helpful. I’m very much in the ‘Don’t Trade Montero’ camp, but if the right deal comes along, you do it. As for Romine, I’ve said for a while that I’d be willing to trade him; and if the Yankees can get anything of value out of Cervelli, they should do it ASAP. If this isn’t entirely accurate, it’s still a good thing because Cashman is definitely stirring the pot with this comment. Maybe there aren’t that many teams interested, but now it seems like there are, which could lead to more interest. Good job, Cash.
Cashman said it’s too early to know if the best pitching options are available via trade or free agency. “I haven’t talked to every team and I haven’t talked to every agent yet,” said the GM. “And I certainly haven’t had any agent tell me what they want financially. So, no one’s made any demands to me, no one’s made me an offer, so I don’t know what these current free agents are looking for yet in terms of years and dollars.”
I’ll leave this one up to you guys, but offer something first. I’d say that the best pitchers to fit the Yankees’ needs are probably trade options, but the lower-end free agent guys and Yu Darvish are up there, too. What do you guys think? Are the best pitching options for the Yankees on the free agent market or trade market?
Cashman has not had any talks with or yet, and he doesn’t know if either will continue playing or retire. Posada told Carig that he’s undecided about playing in 2012, but he’s resigned to the fact that it would not be with the Yankees. He believes he can still serve as a backup catcher and DH, and he told Newsday’s Erik Boland that he’s been contacted by five or six teams ( ).
There was a lot of talk about this last night on Twitter. It’ll be sad to see Jorge gone or in another uniform, but selfishly, I hope he retires. There are probably teams that he’s a fit for. Any A.L. team that needs a cheap, stopgap DH would be a good landing place for Posada if he doesn’t retire. It’s a long shot, but I hope Jorge gets into the HOF.
The Yankees have the flexibility to stretch the budget, if needed. “There’s no set number where you can’t exceed it that obviously exists in other environments,” said Cashman.
This last bit matches up with what I said a few weeks ago when I discussed the 2012 payroll. This shows me that if the Yankees don’t go nuts over the Hot Stove season, they’ll be able to flex their financial muscles in season to bolster the roster; that’s always comforting.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
Matt, the idea of Yu Darvish is growing on me more and more. Although I do agree with you about the best fit for the Yankees for pitchers looks like it should be via trade options for example: Danks, Gio (both lefties) and although probably even more unlikely Matt Cain. At least that’s my potential/possible “wish” list. I guess we all will just have to wait and see.
“Are the best pitching options for the Yankees on the free agent market or trade market?”
Great question. My view is trading for pitching is generally a bad idea. Teams that trade pitchers generaly know something the acquiring teams don’t. This could explain Cashman’s very poor record in trading for pitching( Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Humberto Sanchez are examples). And not go paranoid, but I do think lots of GMs enjoy the idea of burning the Yankss.
Obviously, Cash could defy history and make a good deal for pitching — but I’d rather keep our top prospects and go with free agents.
I really don’t see how you can make such a blanket statment. Especially when so many future hall of famers have been traded for good results. Pedro Martinez was acquired in trade, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Grienke last year, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Roy Halladay, Tim Hudson, Dan Haren, the list goes on and on of pitchers who were traded and helped teams win. Sure a lot of trades for pitchers didn’t work out, but that’s because a lot of trades don’t work out.
I think if the Yankees do make a big splash this offseason it will be in trade. I think there is a chance we win the bidding for Darvish, but outside of that I don’t think the Yankees have any interest in signing any pitcher to a more than 1 year deal.
I would prefer to stick with trading for Gio or Bumgarner, but there are other good options out there.
I don’t see how Jorge can be a starting anything, for anyone, anymore. He’s a platoon DH at best at this point, and I wouldn’t sign him for one million and one year at this point. He needs to do himself a favor and retire. I honestly don’t see him getting anything better than a minor league deal with an invite to ST, and I can’t imagine a more embarressing moment for Jorge than having to choose between being cut and starting the season in the minors.
I’m really glad we stayed away from Sanchez. I think it’s a good deal for KC because I don’t think Melky ever comes close to a year like this again, and they sold very high on him. Sanchez has a lot of strikeout ability, but it’s more deception than stuff. He can shut a lineup down on almost any given night, but honestly he has had one good season in his career. I think he would be a nightmare in the AL East with the Yankees.
However, only one (Clemens, who cost us David Wells in return) of the pitchers you mention were acquired by the Yankees, who face unique problems in making trades. Teams generally sense their deperation and willingness to overpay in youbng talent for immediate results. Cash has done a good job in deflating those expectations. Still, for all his efforts what major Yankee pitching acquisitions have come thru trade?
David Cone was a good one — but that was over 15 years ago.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to get good pitching in a deal. But historic precedent suggests long odds.
These are two different things then. Your original statement I disagree with was “My view is trading for pitching is generally a bad idea.” this is just simply not true. The Yankees haven’t always made great trades for starters, but I don’t consider that a “historic precedent”.
The Red Sox should generally always be in the same position as the Yankees yet they traded for Pedro, Schilling, and Beckett just off of this list alone. It can be done, it just has to be done with patience. Something the Yankees haven’t operated with until recently. I don’t think you can compare the Yankees, and their trades, of the past with this regime. The one where Cashman has almost full control, and G. Steinbrenner isn’t involved. The Swisher and Granderson deals may not have been for starters, but these deals more accurately reflect what Cashman can do than trades before this period.
Cashman has an almost unbroken record of bad trades for pitchers.
Yes, in some cases he was pushed by George. But you can’t blame George for Javy 2.0. And Cash must shoulder at least some blame for earlier deals for Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Sanchez, Ed Yarnall– the list goes on an on. Best move may have been landing Ted Lilly. But then he dumped him for over-valued Weaver. Best moves for pitching have –despite some disappointments– been with free agent signings.
And I’m curious who exactly you’d be willing to give for Gio Gonzalez or Baumgartner. Ask for these guys and you immediately give the opposing GM huge bagaining leverage.
Could you press “reply” so we don’t keep starting new windows of messages. Just helps keep the flow for me.
I don’t shoulder all the blame on Cashman on many of the old moves the org. Made. The front office was simply too split, and the focus and control wasn’t where it needed to be. I personally don’t think the Yankees FO pre 2005 have very much at all in common with the current FO.
You’ve brought up Humberto Sanchez twice, yet I don’t get why. When Sheffield was traded he was pretty much a dump job. He was injured, unhappy, and his position had been replaced already. The Yankees were happy with any return they could get, and there was no way he could be on the team the following year. Sanchez had been a decent prospect at one time, but by the time he made it to the Yankees those days were mostly gone. I don’t know one person that expected much out of that trade, Or out of him.
Javier Vazquez was a terrible trade I’ll give you that. I was against it from the start because of a 3 or 4 year steady decline in fastball velocity. But to be fair he was coming off a year in which he got Cy Young votes, and had an incredible year. He also had never been on the DL and had an incredible streak of 200 inning seasons. Almost no one was criticizing the trade here at the time, outside a small minority. Hindsight is 20/20.
Dealing with trade hypotheticals is always tricky since we don’t know who wants what, or values what. I wouldn’t trade Montero for Gio, though I know some who would trade him 1-1 for Gio. I would personally try and work a 3 team deal of some kind in which we trade Banuelos to a team with an offensive piece the A’s want. In return we get Gio, the A’s get the offensive piece from the 3rd team and some throw in’s from both teams. The third team also likely gets some throw in’s from both teams. This would be a deal in the mold of the Granderson trade from two years ago. Swapping a prospect with the same potential upside as the player the Yankees are receiving. Though I think Banuelos is much more like Gio than Jackson ever was, or will be Grandy. It would be harder to do a 2 team deal with the A’s since we don’t have great offensive prospect depth. Maybe something like Betances, Sanchez, and Laird or Heathcott gets it done.
Bumgarner is much longer shot. The A’s actually need to trade Gio in the next two years because of the raises he is set to receive, and his value is highest right now because of team control. Bumgarner is cheap, and has like 4 years of team control left. So the Giants don’t have to trade him anytime soon. Once again we aren’t a great fit because the Giants need offense, but something like Gardner, Betances, Sanchez and Nunez might work. I’m not sure I would want to part with Sanchez and Gardner, but who really knows without being able to discuss it with Saeben.