1) I wasn’t being selective. Other than unknown increases due to arbitration and marginal increases to pre-arbitration players, the only other increase is $250K to Jose Molina. If figure that will all roughly balance out with the other money coming off the books (Farnsworth, Hawkins, I. Rodriguez, etc.).

2) Even if I was being selective, that would only mean that even my figure was too high, and that they’re freeing up even less money.

Giambi: $21 – $5 buyout = $16
Abreu: $16
Mussina: $11
Pettitte: $16
Pavano: $11 – $1.95 buyout = $9.05
A-Rod: ($4) (from $27 plus $2 of singing bonus, thus $29, to $32 plus $1 of signing bonus, thus $33)
Cano: ($3) (from $3 to $6)

I didn’t worry about Farnworth, Pudge, Marte (pre-resigning) coming off the books because I figured they’d be somewhat balanced by a big arbitration reward for Nady (another good reason to trade high on him). Also Wang, Bruney, and Melky are arb-eligible.

Giambi $21
Abreu $16
Mussina $11
Pettitte $16
Pavano $11

That’s $75 million right there, and it doesn’t include the fractional salary of Pudge Rodriguez ($13 million overall in 2008). Whether you assume they’re liable for 1/3 of that (~4 mil) given he played for 1/3 of the regular season with them or you simply sub in the full-season value of Kyle Farnsworth’s contract ($5.5 mil) which came off the books when he went the other way, you get to around $80 million.

That does not give the front office carte blanche completely disregard a player’s history because he’s the latest shiny object to come across their desk. A huge, huge reason we’re in this position is the Yankee front office has ignored player histories, health or otherwise.

On Manny… I hate (HATE) the dude and don’t want him…. however, if the FO wants him…..
… You have to think Manny would prefer the AL. He is concerned about his numbers, and if he has to play the field, he will break down some over the next 4 years, and his batting will suffer.
… Manny turned down 3/$60 in the NL. It’s KNOWN he wants to be a Yankee. We do NOT need to outbid for Manny, just match a bid. Offer him 3/$63, with a performance based option for year 4.

Besides which, a good glove/bat can go bad fast over the course of a long contract – see Todd Helton. Considering that 1Bs aren’t the best athletes to begin with (hence being at 1B), it’s absurd to think they’ll justify a long contract especially a ridiculously expensive one.

I think Sabathia is more important to building the next winner than Tex in this regard (sorry Shaun), but I don’t discount the idea that Tex would anchor an otherwise suspect defense up the middle and provide stability in the lineup, even if it’s not prodigious.

1) The Giambi and Helton contracts. Both have shown that you simply don’t throw long-term high dollars at 1B’s approaching 30 years old.

2) The Yanks already having three high-priced players (Jeter, Posada, A-Rod) who will need to spend time at 1B during the 6-8 year length of a Teixeira deal.

After being tied into Giambi, limiting payroll and roster flexibility, for the last three to four years, why should they do the same again? I shudder to think about Teixeira in 2011 and locked up for another three or four years. He seems alot like Helton to me – a very good peak but with a precipitous fall.

On Manny, I can’t see who else, besides the Yanks and Dodgers, are in. The Sox aren’t. The Angels already have too many DHs. Perhaps the Mets? Would he really take more money to play for a non-contender? If the numbers are accurate, the Yanks can outbid the Dodgers and get Manny on a decent short-term contract (3/75 million). That move would give them long-term flexibility, fill the RF gap (at least for 80 games at Yankee Stadium), balance the lineup, and help cover for the sensitive 3B. In 2010 and 2011 they’d have insurance for the loss of Matsui and Damon and he could be the DH almost exclusively. It’s a no-brainer acquisition for me, and much more so than signing Tex for 6-8 years.

There is simply no way the Yanks can field a highly competative team for much under $200m until the Farm is cooking in high gear… although the recession may help a bit.

I wonder if Pettitte (or Moose) would come back on a cheap deal, say $8M, and if they structure CC and Tex right, they could fit both in and . . .

I know they want CC, but if the choice is CC or Tex, I hope they choose Tex.

More promising is that, for right now, they only have about $122M in payroll commitments for 2010. That’s not without some holes to fill (LF and DH), but certainly doable.

As much as the Sox want to win, they accept it if they don’t. Fans are disappointed, but not devastated…. entitled…. the way Yankee fans are. I am prepared for 2 more years of rebuilding. I want a competative team, but I want a smartly build team looking towards the future.

On Lohud and other blogs, there are fans DEMANDING to win. Litterally demanding. They feel that we are NEW YORK… and have TONS of money… ergo, we should win. And anything else is truly unacceptable.

If we could buy championships, we would have a lot more rings. We have proved over the last 8 years, that while money is a big help, it takes a lot more. Getting AJ (Im assuming along with CC) is an obvious move to try and put us over the top. Maybe. If he’s not injured. It’s a gamble. Probably a bad one, that means we don’t get better resources down the road.

But Mattpatt….. you are the first one here to show utter disgust each time the Yankees lose. You seem to be unable to enjoy anything but a winning team.

Frankly, if the FO announced the TRUTH, that we are behind other teams because we ignored development of our farm, and that we would spend a few years trying to win, but focusing MORE on development, we would be better off.

But would fans accept that? Would you?
With the economy the way it is, salary dumps at the end of 2009, and the 2010 FAs may be much more cost effective. Tex and CC are getting crazy money and contract terms. It’s really a roll of the dice.

How would you feel if the Yankees got NOBODY, except in Swisher-like deals, where we obviously get more value then we give. Just play the kids for 2 years. Finish 3rd or 4th and get 2 more years of decent picks, don’t lose any picks to FA signings, continue to expand our international signings, and then make the big push in 2011, when AJAx and Montero and other talent is MLB ready, and we have quality pitchers at all levels, and ready to produce 1 or 2 players every year.

Would you be OK with that?
Because that’s how you rebuild.

hoops: WTF is going on with the Marbury situation? And is the first time in his career that Starbury is doing the right thing?? I can’t believe they won’t play him…

[13] I’m inclined to believe what Cliff quoted in saying that AJ may not even want to come here. Let’s take the matter into our own hands in making that a definite no, shall we? He may be a little gun-shy after seeing what happened to his fellow ex-Marlin and DL-mate…

“The Nats need pitching, why don’t you go bother them?”