From Ken Rosenthal, although Ed Price originally broke the story:
Free-agent right-hander John Lackey underwent a physical Monday with the Red Sox, an indication that he is close to an agreement with the team, according to a major-league source.
The deal is expected to be similar to the five-year, $82.5 million contract that the Yankees awarded free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett last winter.
If the Sox sign Lackey, then they would have the best rotation in baseball (led by Beckett, Lackey, Lester).
The signing could help the Yankees pursue a Roy Halladay or a Matt Holliday, though, as Boston is likely out of the bidding for those two players (unless they can acquire Halladay without giving him an extension). I’m sure many will sound the alarm and argue that the Yankees should now acquire Halladay, however, in my opinion, I don’t think he’s a necessary piece for the team.
Related posts:
crap, now the sox just got better if they indeed sign him. if the sox do acquire lackey, have they reached their spending limit to not sign j bay or matt now? I hope so. i dont think they needed another starter like lackey when they have clay, beckett and lester fronting their rotation. A back end starter they needed but not another front line guy.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
I think this move replaces the need to re-sign Beckett at the end of the year and instead of extending his contract they just sign Lackey and Lester be the Ace when Beckett leaves.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Fascinating decision by Boston. Does this mean that Lackey takes Buchholz’s place in the rotation and they trade him for the very affordable Adrian Gonzalez?
For a team that takes a very hard line on their own free agents, I’m surprised they value Lackey as much as it would appear they do unless this is part of another move coming down the pike.
Also, I wonder how signing Lackey will impact their negotiations with Josh Beckett next year.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Gives Boston a nice rotation that could be comparable, or even better than, that of the Yankees. I imagine this prevents them from going after a Bay or Holliday, leaving their lineup weakened unless they go after a bat via trade (which presumably would cost Buchholz+ if they are going after a top tier hitter).
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
I also imagine that Beckett is gone after this season, since he’s going to want more money than Lackey, and I can’t see Boston shelling out that kind of dough (35-40 million/year) for 2 starters.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Wow. Seems like a bit too large of a contract to me. I bet this takes them out of Jason Bay too, which means a weak outfield for Boston next year.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Lackey’s been every bit as good as Burnett, and actually marginally better. He’s also 1.5 years younger. It makes perfect sense to me that he’d sign for the exact same contract.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
BTB marginally disagrees, but I get the sentiment.
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/12/12/1197006/grudge-match-burnett-vs-lackey
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I saw that article. The thing that stuck out to me was the following quote:
“[T]hese pitchers are very similar. Should Lackey get more money than Burnett? No, I don’t think so.”
He’s not getting more than Burnett, he’s getting (reportedly) the same deal. For two pitchers that are pretty identical in all regards (except for WAR, where Lackey has a decent advantage), Lackey will be getting what seems to be the same contract. It makes perfect sense to me that he’d get this kind of money, even if I’m somewhat surprised that Boston ended up signing him.
If the Angels don’t trade for Halladay…I dunno…it’s hard to take the Angels seriously. They’re ridiculously conservative for a team that has a deep-pockets owner and in a major media market.
Separately…Matsui to Anaheim for 1Y/$6.5M. I’m disappointed that he’d leave the Yanks for something we could’ve (and probably should’ve) matched.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Oh, I agree, the contract makes sense. I was just adding that article to the conversation.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
EddieA Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
woah, what? Matsui is signing w the Angels?? Damit, the yanks are spending their time w greedy jd when they could have signed this guy already!
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
EJ Fagan Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
MJ: Burnett’s contract is also terribly inflated.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Sure, that might be true. But that’s now the top of the market for #2 caliber starters so Boston wasn’t wrong to match it for Lackey.
If anything, I’m amazed that Lackey and his agent priced him as only a #2 starter in a market with no other competition for his services. It’s actually somewhat refreshing to see someone so willing to dispense with the self-delusion…
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Well Lackey really is nothing more than a glorified number 2 starter so to try and sell him as an ace really wouldn’t work, the guy hasn’t hit 200 innings in 2 seasons and he really has never lead a team tot he WS or anything.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Chris H. Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
What about in 2002, when, as a rookie, he won the Angels Game 7 of the WS? Also, I think the injuries are way overstated. He has only dealt with a few minor arm issues, nothing overly significant.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
He didn’t lead them there… I believe my exact words were he has never lead a team to the world series…. I didn’t say he had never pitched in one.
(Quote)
Lackey WAR (2005-2009): 5.9, 6.0, 5.6, 2.0, 3.9
Burnett WAR (2005-2009): 5.1, 3.2, 2.6, 5.5, 3.1
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The real story here is that Hal Steinbrenner appears very serious about keeping a lid on spending. It isn’t that the Yankees have been outbid for talent; it’s that they have not been bidding at all. The Phillies appear close to acquiring Halladay, and my guess is that they’ll use him and Lee as a 1-2 staff to go after a title in 09 before letting one of them (my guess is Lee) walk after the season. The Yankees appear unwilling to compete with the Phillies for Halladay; if any team will, it’s the Angels. Increasingly it looks as though what we see now on the Yankees is what we’ll get in 2010. I don’t think that’s enough to win it all again. So I hope Hal has a very compelling financial reason for the course the team is pursuing.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Cashman is clearly not done, he has said as much. Assuming they bring in one more bat, they will be returning the same club from last year. I see no reason that they cannot repeat. Will it be harder if the Red Sox get appreciably better? Sure. But the Yankees going into 2010 with a team similar in construction club to the 2009 is not a mistake, nor is it indicative of a major lid on spending.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Agree completley, Moshe. The Yanks have three vacant spots on their 40-man roster and will definitely add another pitcher and another hitter into the fold. The 2009 Yanks didn’t just luck into the World Series last year. They dominated the entire field. It is incumbent upon other franchises to try to address their shortcomings vis-a-vis the Yanks and not for the Yanks to react to everyone else.
As I said above, if the Red Sox signed Lackey as part of a bigger picture move such as trading Clay Buchholz for a hitter they badly need, then, yes, the Yanks should be aware that Boston has improved. But if Boston just signed Lackey because they’d rather focus on run prevention instead of run creation, the Yanks should know that Boston would theoretically be replacing a 3.5 win player (Bay) with a similar player in Lackey.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I will take a pitcher over a hitter of the same value everyday! preventing runs is how you win championships scoring runs is how you win scoring titles just ask the Rangers they have a great offense every year and never make it to anywhere.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
EJ Fagan Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I still think that there’s a good chance that Holliday ends up a Yankee. How many top bidders are actually left?
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Totally agree. Seems like (but cant be certain) Boston is out, Angels are out/were never in, Mets prefer Bay.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
EJ Fagan Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The Mariners can probably be regarded as the favorite right now. But are they really going to shell out a 130+ million dollar contract?
I can’t see the Yankees passing on 6 / 100 or 7 /115 or something like that. Maybe they’ll even be able to pull off 7 / 100 or something.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
It’s certainly possible, especially if St. Louis can now just choose between the two LF’ers (Bay/Holliday) and simply pick the cheaper option.
That being said, it does begin to alarm me that the Yanks would be tied into so many years/dollars while most of their competitors will have greater flexibility.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
“Increasingly it looks as though what we see now on the Yankees is what we’ll get in 2010. I don’t think that’s enough to win it all again. So I hope Hal has a very compelling financial reason for the course the team is pursuing.”
That makes very little sense to me. The Yanks ended up running away w/ the division last year after spotting the Sox 8 games. If the Yanks show up for any of those early contests, they win the division by 12 games. For 2010, Granderson makes the Yanks significantly better defensively and more than replaced Damon’s power #s. Both Joba and Phil have another year under their belt so we could see big things from them. A-Rod will be available the whole season.
If the Sox use Clay to land Gonzo, then I’d be concerned but Lackey alone doesn’t make up 8 games in the standings. And there is talk of the Phils trading Lee for the pieces necessary to land Halladay. Talk about making a move just to make a move. And they’ll still don’t have a closer.
The Yanks did what they had to do and still have room on the roster. In addition, they’ll and have trade pieces for a mid season move if needed.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The Scout Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Your position presumes the same or better results across the roster, especially a successful transition to the starting role by Hughes and a better year from Chamberlain. As of now, the Yankees are down one solid bat, having added Granderson but lost Damon and Matsui. (Of course, the last part is not set yet.) I do not share your confidence in the young pitchers. At the same time, I do not doubt that the Yankees will put a formidable team on the field next year. I expect them to be one of two play-off teams from the AL East. But another front-line starter would help a great deal come October.
As to the financial imperatives driving Yankee decision making, the evidence is strong that they mean to stay within the budget parameters Cashman has discussed. Of course, they will still bring in a DH type and probably a starter coming back from injury, but these won’t be big ticket items.
There is an easy way to demonstrate whether budget considerations are driving the process. If the Yankees sign Matt Holiday, we’ll know that the talk of fiscal constraints was designed as a smokescreen or a device to resist demands from agents such as Boras. On the other hand, if the Yankees walk away from the off-season without any big-ticket acquisitions, then it becomes clear they meant what they said.
The big off-season losers thus far this year are the Angels. Without Lackey att he front of their rotation, they are far less imposing. They’ve lost Figgins to Seattle, too, and the Ms now have added Lee. The balance of power in the West seems to have shifted.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt O Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
“position presumes the same or better results across the roster, especially a successful transition to the starting role by Hughes”
Hughes doesn’t need to be a stud…just better than Mitre. And A-Rod’s bat in the lineup (including protection for Tex) is likely to lead to better results.
Also, I don’t think that not signing Holiday is just a $$ issue. I think its more of an age issue and not wanting to lock up yet another position (SS, 1st, 3rd, C) for a player into his late 30s. If Holiday announced tomorrow he was looking for a 2 year deal, I bet the Yanks would be all over him.
The M’s look great. Lee and the King are going to rule the west.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The Scout Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Holliday is in his prime; he turns 30 on January 15, 2010. A four-year deal will pay him only for the time he can be expected to be at his peak. Even if the contract extended an extra year, he would be performing at a high level.
This is not locking up another position with a player in his late 30s. By the time Holliday is 35, Posada will be retired, the Yankees will be celebrating Derek Jeter Day as he rides off into the sunset, and only A-Rod and Tex will be aging regulars. That is no worse than the situation the team faced in 2009 with Damon, Posada, and the half-crippled Matsui.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
It’s just December 14th. The Yanks have a little while to make some moves to fill in the holes. The Sox needed to move on some pretty important issues for them. Mariners, the same. The Yanks have a plan (don’t know what it “really” is) and plan to take it slow and easy. Yanks did not need Lackey or Halladay. Eventually, the Yanks need to stick with Joba/Phil or trade them. It would be great if one/both would develop into a good/great starter.
Yanks just won the World Series. They are not the ones chasing the crown this year.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
I really can’t understand wanting to add Holliday now… Before we had as good a rotation as anyone and a better offense so adding more offense was a luxury but we could afford it, now we need to add starting pitching and we need to do it with someone who can actually start in a playoff game not some who has 1 start in 2 years like Kelvim Escobar or JD from Oakland who is basically another Chad Gaudin. We need someone we can plug into the 2-4 spot in the rotation that we can trust to go into a playoff game because right now I don’t like how it stacks up.
If no one gets hurts we still have a major hole in the rotation compared to Boston.
Sabathia Vs Lester
Burnett Vs Beckett
Pettitte Vs Lackey
Joba/Hughes Vs Buchholz
They take the advantage in 3 of the 4 games and we saw last year that good pitching shuts down even the best offense in baseball.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt O Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Right on! There is only one FA who MIGHT help and he didn’t pitch last year and wants $11mln/yr. So if the Yanks need someone who could match up against Lackey or Buchholz, they need to make a trade.
A) Trade for Johnson, Felix, Jimenez, Gallardo, or Garza
B) Sign Sheets cheap
C) Joba and Phil finally come through
D) Hope the M’s knock the Sox off in round 1
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The Scout Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I agree on the pitching question, but that ship has sailed and we all need to move on. Holliday makes an already strong line-up even more imposing. Unfortunately, that approach also has its limits, as even great hitting teams often get shut down in the post-season.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Our great hitting team got shut down in the playoffs last year…!
Sure Sheets says he wants 12 million but no one is going to guarantee him that… In the end he will take a 7-8 million dollar deal with incentives up to 10-12 million and I would do that in a minute.
You can’t just say we didn’t get Lackey who we didn’t even need now lets focus 100% on offense, that just doesn’t work especially when Boston is going for a shutdown other lineups approach probably just because of our lineup.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The Scout Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Hey, I’m with you on a reasonable offer to Sheets! That is exactly the kind of offer I would make. But if you then add Holliday to the mix, any lingering regrets over Lackey and Halladay going elsewhere begin to fade.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Hey if we could add Sheets while at the same time signing Holliday we would have a far more dominating team than last years and we would be on a fast track to success in the AL East but I just don’t know if you can have both and still cut costs. I mean Holliday should cost between 17-20 million dollars per year and Sheets will be making somewhere between 7-12 million dollars… Can you really afford to add from 24-32 million to the payroll in the form of 2 players? I would think it would be much more affordable to sign Mike Cameron for LF and Sheets to start.
Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Tex, 1B
Arod, 3B
Holliday, LF
Posada, C
Cano, 2B
Swisher, DH
Melky, RF
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Andy Pettitte
Ben Sheets
Hughes/Joba
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
“Eventually, the Yanks need to stick with Joba/Phil or trade them. It would be great if one/both would develop into a good/great starter.”
- Quote of the thread. The Yankees will look to add another starter in the form of a pitcher coming off an injury for depth and protection (and presumably cheap $$), but bottom-line, the Yankees want to see what they have in Joba and Hughes. They will give them every chance this season to show what they can do. The Yankees feel one of these two can develop into an above average pitcher, and they will give them both a shot to see what they have (according to Cashman both are free of pitch counts this season, although we’ll see with Hughes).
The Yankees can ALWAYS make a move at the deadline if neither work out.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
We tried to make a deal at the deadline last year for a pitcher and guess what happened, we got stuck with Chad Gaudin as a spot starter and Sergio Mitre as the 5th starter because no one was willing to trade us a pitcher at a reasonable cost.
It would b a huge mistake going into this season relying on Joba or Hughes to make a playoff start and then if someone gets hurt relying on both to start in the playoffs and the only fall back plan is “well we’ll just cross that bridge when we come to it”… but the problem with that is if you don’t plan and then the bridge is blown up and you are stuck where you are.
So no I don’t think the Yankees can ALWAYS make a deal and besides we already have a hole in the bullpen with no setup man to speak of so if that becomes a problem bridging Mariano we are going to have to trade for a setup man anyway so now you have us in a situation where we are a couple days away from the trade deadline and we need a setup man and a starting pitcher who can start a playoff game, it ain’t going to happen!
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt F. Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
The right fit might not be available in an offseason, whereas there could be more options at the deadline when a team is more willing to move a player. For the record, I think Ben Sheets could be a fit, but my point is that there are options to acquiring a player that doesn’t necessarily have to happen before the season.
The Yankees weren’t pushing hard for a pitcher at the deadline last year as Cashman was set on his team (after spending 400M+ in the offseason, he was philosophically opposed to making another big splash). He really just wanted an innings-eater and got exactly that with (an effective might I add) Chad Gaudin.
My other point was piggybacking what Joe had said in that the Yankees have to see what they have in Joba and Phil, otherwise move them. This is the year I think the Yankees give those guys a full season with no restrictions. Of course these are the Yankees, and if a pitcher is made available that they can’t pass up, then all bets are off. But I don’t see that pitcher right now.
The plan is for the Yankees to give themselves options, which is to say they won’t necessarily break the bank (or farm system) for a #2, but rather sign a low cost high upside player or two that can compete with the back end of the rotation, spell an injury, or most optimistically catch lightning in a bottle and provide a reliable option come late season/postseason.
Joba has shown flashes, and with a little more stability with no Joba rules clouding his head, Joba has serious breakout potential. There aren’t too many available pitchers with the upside of a Joba, so worry about creating depth and competition and let it unfold.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I think if the Yankees go into the season without signing Sheets they are going to have problem… You can’t just go out and get a starter every time you want one in the middle of the season, what if there are a bunch of close races and everyone with starters we want are still in races of their own, we can’t just make them trade!
To rely on having to make a trade in mid season is fool hardy IMO… As is we could have to trade for a setup man mid season if we end up at the trade deadline needing both a setup man ad a starter we may end up with neither.
You don’t need to break the bank or the farm system for Sheets you jut have to make him realize that the only way he will get close to 12 million is on incentives which he will eventually have to realize or not pitch this season.
“Joba has shown flashes, and with a little more stability with no Joba rules clouding his head, Joba has serious breakout potential.”
You are forgetting one problem… The Joba rules weren’t what was making him throw 91 MPH he either can’t throw harder than that or he won’t and either way he isn’t going to change that next year just all of a sudden and without his velocity as a starter he isn’t a starter.
We saw with Joba in the pen during the playoffs that he just can’t throw as hard as he once could for whatever reason… Out of the pen he was throwing 93-95 with the occasional 96 thrown in but that wasn’t Joba out of the pen in 2007. To think the velocity won’t be a problem next year is hard to believe.
I mean what is the guy? Throwing 89-93 MPH in the rotation he isn’t a good starter but throwing 93-96 MPH out of the pen he isn;t dominate enough to be a future closer so where is his potential going to take him?
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt F. Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Joba was an above average pitcher last season until he hit his previous high in innings (7-2 3.58 97ks 50 BBs through 110 innings). All I’m saying is he has proven that he can be a solid starter, but we have to see it consistently and over the course of a full season. All I’m saying is see what he can do over a course of a full season without the Rules. See what you have. Doesn’t mean you can’t hedge your bet with other options, but the Yankees want to see if he is what they think he can be.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Joba had a very lucky ERA in comparison to his peripheral numbers and in fact I remember after his 3rd consecutive good start after the All Star break in Tampa where a couple of guys on MLB tonight talking about fantasy starters were talking about doing whatever you can to trade Joba while people think his value is high because his peripherals all say that his ERA is luck.
The guy had decent numbers aside from his ERA which really tipped the scales in favor of him being more average than anything…
At the end of the day though who cares about the numbers when you can clearly look and see he isn’t the same player he was ion 2007 and in 2008 before the injury as a starter or a reliever he isn’t the same and unless his velocity comes back and soon he will never be better than an average 4th starter or a middle reliever with bad location.
It makes a lot more sense to sign a guy like Sheets or god forbid Bedard and let him start in the 4th hole of the rotation and send Joba to Scranton to actually develop at the triple A level as he never had a chance to do.
Also don’t come back with the “Joba dominated the minors and doesn’t need to go back” theory because the major hole is that Joba didn’t dominate the minors! Joba dominated A ball and then suffered an expected numbers climb in double A but he still did well yet Joba never actually started in Scranton. He made 1 start for 2 or 3 innings and has a total of 8 innings in Triple A altogether. He could really use the chance to go down and develop his stuff and command for a half a season or a little less and then come back up after he has a chance to develop his control and secondary stuff and his pitch selection.
You can want Joba and Hughes to do well but if you plan for them to fail you will be in a place of power if they don’t…. If you plan for them to succeed and be dominate then you are screwed if they fail.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt F. Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I’m with you on bringing in a Sheet’s type (low cost, decent upside), in fact, I’ve stated that repeatedly. My stance is always build depth where you can. Where we differ is our assessment of Joba and that I think he should be given the opportunity to pitch on the big league level. Joba pitching in AAA really doesn’t help his development at this point. I agree he should have had more time there in previous seasons, but at this point in his development lower level hitters can’t challenge him like he needs.
As for his peripherals at midseason last year, they were exactly what you want for a 4th starter. Let’s not annoint Joba an ace yet (which is where a lot of people want to see his numbers at this point). With a full season without the back and forth of the Rules, his upside, as a fourth starter, is there.
(Quote)
I find all the people saying “we don’t need a pitcher because we won the world series with this pitching staff” kind of a joke!
Yeah we won the World Series last year with a 3 man rotation in the playoffs and we barley did it, now that the Phillies have added a better starter who can pitch on 3 days rest against CC in game 4 unlike Lee and replacing Feliz at 3B with Polanco they have upgraded at least enough to be on par with us. The Red Sox have a much better pitching staff than we do now and in the playoffs they would have an advantage in every game but game 1 which would be a real pitchers duel between CC and Lester.
Does anyone expect Andy and AJ to pitch 200+ innings again this year? Is anyone willing to guarantee it? Is anyone willing to guarantee that both AJ and Andy will be as good or better than they were last year now that each is a year older (33 and 37)? Is anyone completely sold on starting Hughes and/or Joba in the playoffs? We don’t even have a setup man right now!
I personally have doubts about all those things and to depend on them is just plain stupid! We don’t have to go break the bank and spend mad money because Halladay is a Philly and Lackey is a Red Sock, personally I never saw either one of them on the Yankees to begin with so it’s no big deal on that part but we have needed to add another starting pitcher since before either one of those teams upgraded and since now they did we really need a pitcher.
When everyone else around you gets better and you stay the same out of arrogance and cockiness you usually get whats coming to you and it’s usually not good! This is not a time to stand pat on what we have this is the time to upgrade. Our offense will be more than explosive with either the addition of a DH or a LF with a decent bat and good defense but we won’t be anywhere near as strong a team as we should be unless we add another starting pitcher.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
OldFan Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Oh, we need a strong starting pitcher more than another hitter, for sure.
Of course, both would be good, too.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
I think that with all these signings by Boston I think another way the Yankees can counter is by trading for King Felix if he didnt sign an extension already.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Yeah and the Yankees could also get better if they signed God to play LF but that won’t happen either!
We have to remain realistic and why in the hell would the Mariners trade for Cliff Lee to turn around and trade Felix Hernandez? They would be trading a 24 year old ace in order to re-sign a 31 year old Lee? Doesn’t make sense! They are trying to win, they aren’t a firesell team.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt O Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 11:40 am
The Ms could be a fire sell team if the wheels fall off in before the trade deadline. It’s not likely, but it is possible.
Trade Montero for Tommy Hanson. Problem solved.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
MJ Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The only guy on the M’s they could reasonably “fire sell” is Cliff Lee’s expiring contract. No one will take 3.5 years of Figgins’s contract or the $51M left on Ichiro’s deal. Everyone else they have is young and cost-controlled.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Matt O Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Exactly…Pick up Lee just like the Phils did. Boom! WS win.
I know, not likely to happen. But if it does….
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Comparable? Blows our rotation away if Dice K is back.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
Moshe Mandel Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Oh, please, relax. It will be better, but it wont blow it away. Dice-K is a 5 inning guy, and you just assume that the Yankee young guys wont develop at all. I’m very comfortable with a top 3 of Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte, even against Lester, Beckett, and Lackey. Dice-K vs. Joba and Buchholz v. Hughes leans towards Boston, but not demonstrably so. The pitching is close enough, and the Yankees could still add a depth arm.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
The other Chris H Reply:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
If The Yankees add Sheets the rotations are fairly even except theirs is top heavy.
Sabathia Vs Lester
Burnett Vs Beckett
Pettitte Vs Lackey
Sheets Vs Buchholz
Everyone of those games can either way and since we would have the better offense we should be able to overcome that rotation with out own.
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]
So if the Red Sox finalize the deal for Cameron are they then all but assured to go after Beltre? It would upgrade their 3rd and 1st base defense by having Youkilis at first and Beltre at 3rd and if you add Cameron to that they have really upgraded their D. They could trade for an Adrian Gonzalez but I really doubt they would trade Buchholz knowing they would have to re-sign Beckett to a bigger deal than they just gave Lackey.
Ellsbury, CF/LF
Pedroia, 2B
V-Mart, C
Youkilis, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Drew, RF
Beltre, 3B
Cameron, CF/LF
Scutaro, SS
Lester
Beckett
Lackey
Buchholz
Dice K
They end up with a better defense than they had last year that’s for sure but they are still going to get run on with Martinez and Varitek behind the plate and if they sign Beltre it all but takes away moving Vmart to 1B soon and therefor they aren’t going to get better behind the plate defensively anytime soon.
They have a good team but to me if you add Sheets to the 4th spot in the rotation and then you add an above average outfielder in either RF or LF or you add a qualified bat to DH then you have a better team than the Red Sox because you have a better team than last year.
Unfortunately we have a budget because the ideal move would be to sign Holliday and Sheets and call it an offseason.
Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Tex, 1B
Arod, 3B
Holliday, LF
Posada, C
Cano, 2B
Swisher, DH
Melky, RF
Sabathia
Burnett
Pettitte
Sheets
Hughes/Joba
Obviously if you are one of the ones complaining that Granderson has to take over in the 2 hole then you may want this lineup but I don’t think it’s more likely than the other.
Jeter, SS
Cano, 2B
Tex, 1B
Arod, 3B
Holliday, LF
Posada C
Granderson, CF
Swisher, DH
Melky, RF
(Quote)
[Reply To This Comment]