Enough is never enough.
According to George King in today’s New York Post:
According to several baseball officials, the YankeesNew York Yankees remain in the Mark Teixeira hunt. But the same connected voices insist if the Yankees don’t land the switch-hitting first baseman, they will turn their money toward controversial slugger Manny Ramirez.
“If they can’t get Teixeira, they are right there on Manny,” an official with knowledge of the Yankees’ plan said yesterday.
…Only fools count out the Yankees when it comes to free agents.
Adam Dunn!
I'd take Dunn over Manny, but pleasepleaseplease Tex!
Manny for four years would be excessive. I think he'll be trouble sooner or later. If they could do a two year deal, I'd be fine with it. Maybe a third year option ... Texeira would be great but I think I would start to feel like that fat cat pictured by that point.
If Manny would accept a 2 or 3 year deal I would probably rather have him than Teixeira. Manny was second in wRC and wRAA as well as third in wOBA. But he's pretty old so IDK if I would want to give him a 4 or 5 year contract.
Dunn and A-Rod are a lock for 80-taters (at least, maybe more if A-Rod aligns his chakras)..say NO to Manny please, we have enough no-field/all-hit types
The AJ signing is to Cilff as the Manny signing would be to me. Bollocks. Just retire and go away.
[6] I'd be up fpr my local Yakult Swallows giving him a one-year 30million deal..he'd hit .420 here with 75 HRs..
[5] Dunn is as bad, if not worse than Manny in the outfield. Because I'd imagine that both would see most if their ABs as a DH, I don't think defense factors into the equation. Manny is still a much better hitter than Dunn, so the best argument for the latter is youth, clubhouse impact and the salary commitment.
The thing I like about Manny is that along with his power, you don't get a ton of Ks. If you added, Cameron and Dunn, you'd have two guys who'd be a lock for 160 strikeouts along with Swisher, who is a 140 K guy. It's not a big concern, but if all else is equal, I'd rather have more modest K totals, if only because it allows you to take advantage of teams with poor defenses.
Tex would be AMAZING in Pinstripes.
[8] Dunn is cheaper, younger and boiled-potato bland..with the short-porch he's a LOCK for 40-45hrs..Manny obviously one of the greatest of all time, but at that price??
[10] I am going to go out on a limb and predict that no matter where he plays, Dunn will hit exactly 40 HRs, just as he did in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. If anything, Dunn has been amazingly consistent.
Quite frankly, I am surpised that interest in Dunn as been so lukewarm. I can see preferring Manny or Tex, but absent those two, he is the best hitter available and would be an asset to any team, especially one that could hide his glove at DH.
Here's a random thought...the Mariners just lost a very steady left handed bat in Ibanez and might be looking to replace that hole. I wonder if the Yankees could entice them in Matsui? I really like Matsui, and he can be valuable when healthy, but it might make sense for the Yankees to ditch the salary. Then, you could commit the DH slot to a Manny/Dunn type, or, sign Tex and use RF, LF and DH for Swisher, Damon and Nady.
From the Mariners standpoint, they get someone who could replace Ibanez' bat (both gloves are probably equally bad), but with only a one-year commitment. They also get the added benefit of another Japanese player, which would be attractive in their market. I am sure the combo of Matsui and Ichiro in the same outfield would be a tremendous marketing coup.
The only question is what would the Yankees get back, or, whether salary relief would be enough.
[12] Unquestionably, the media here would spontaneously combust if Matsui headed to the Mariners..contract and marketing-wise it makes sense, but I would imagine some tension between the two star-Japanese players..from what I hear they get on well enough but there may be lingering tension due to Matsui not joining the WBC 3 years ago...besides, I get enough awful M's games on tv here already, don't want them on every day!
[11] mysterious indeed why Dunn is still out there..can he play 1B well enough to let Matsui/Damon handle DH duties?
Here's an interesting take on Dunn
http://tinyurl.com/68ottv
"Since he’s not as good a hitter as Manny but has similar struggles in the field, he ranks as a league average player (+2 wins compared to replacement level). You can bet he’ll get paid more than the $10 million or so he’s worth, though."
As for Matsui, I don't think the M's will take him; they're in a different mode, and since Bavasi isn't there, it is unlikely that they'd trade for him.
[12] I'm a huge Matsui fan - possibly because he was the only guy signed to the team in the '00s that had true Yankee character - but I'd be amenable to a trade. The Mariners seem more palatable because of the Japanese angle, but I still doubt he'd go for it. I mean, there's more basis there than anywhere else perhaps, but it's still not much. Yankee pride vs Japanese pride or Yankee pride vs marketing opportunity pride?
Anyway I understand that Ichiro is a weirdo/jerk.
[14] Ichiro is a bad MOFO..I think being stuck in Seattle with an awful team for the last few years has worn him down. The guy is good every year for 200 hits, speed and great D.
Dayn Perry on Texeira:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8882430/Teixeira-or-CC?-This-one-is-easy-to-call
"...And if his 2008 season is any guide, he's going to be one of the 15 most valuable players in the game over the next half decade."
Tex!
Prediction: Matsui (here, Seatlle, or anywhere) will have a massive bounce back year. He will stay healthy, and rake. 20 HRs, 100+ RBI, high OPS, AND his OPS with RISP will be outsized. Just a prediction.
T-E-I-X TEX TEX TEX!!!!!