Johnny Damon wants more than the Yanks are willing to offer…
News at eleven.
Meanwhile, dig this Hideki Matsui appreciation from Sweeny “Eisenhower” Murti:
Matsui’s English was limited. He used a translator (the very able Rogelio “Roger” Kahlon) for all seven of his years as a Yankee. Still, Matsui was comfortable enough to have brief, cordial conversations (“Hi, Hideki…how are you? Fine, Sweeny…how are you?) That’s more than I get from some players who speak perfect English.
And even though it wasn’t always easy to break through the language barrier, Matsui had as fine a sense of humor as anyone. I recall the day in 2004 when I asked his opinion of the rookie-hazing costumes. At that moment, Ruben Sierra walked by both of us wearing one of his typically loud suits complete with fedora, which prompted Matsui to turn to me and ask, “Is he rookie?” As I started to howl with laughter Matsui followed up with, “Every day he’s rookie!”
A Daemonic Laugh, perhaps?
Hey... is it time for a serious "Should we get Holliday" banter?
The current rumor is that the Cards did NOT offer 8 years, and are still at 5. Should Brian 'Stealth' Cashman swoop in with a 'good for 24 hrs' offer of 5/$85m offer? 6/$98m?
By the by, Lackey was signed for 5/$82.5m... same as AJ.
Also, Cliff Lee will be a FA next year. Should that effect of 'buying stategy' this year?
I know Cliff is bully on the Yanks signing Holliday, and so is Will Leitch.
The only way I'm for signing Holliday is if the Sox would get him otherwise.
How about if the Sawx get AGon? That's what Rosenthal is saying (via MLBTR) - maybe for Ellsbury and Bucholtz. In that case, I like [2], offer 5/85 and see what happens.
[3] Holliday would be a nice addition, but he is far from the necessity that Tex was last year. Quite frankly, I would be very happy if the Yankees just signed someone like Vlad.
[5] The rumor is that they aren't even close and it would take a monstrous package. Of course they could have acquired a player better than Gonzalez without giving up any propsects had they just signed Teixeira. I am glad the Yankees did.
[6] You said, 'monsterous package.'
[7] Heh heh.
[6] Yeah and if they make the trade, keep Cameron in CF and sign Holliday or Bay for LF? That line up starts to look pretty juicy.
There isn't a lot of chatter out there right now about what the Yankees are going to do. We seem to pick up some smatterings on the net about what they won't do (more than 2 years for Damon, not interested in Holliday etc.). But its pretty quiet. This feels eerily similar to the stealth Tex strike last year. "G. Montgomery Burns Ca$hman" may well be sitting by the fire place rubbing his hands and contemplating mayhem in happy silence as we prep our own pathetic yule logs.
There may not be much more coming from the Yankees this year beyond what appears to be the obvious but that former kid with the choirboy looks sure has made his bones as one tough-assed GM. You never seem to know what he's thinking and he just doesn't really seem worried about anything the other guys do or are about to do. He's a good guy to have on your side of the table.
There is no way Cashman is going into the 2010 season with Melky in LF and ????? at DH. He's going to sign someone. There is an article on MLB.com about FAs, and CAshman is quoted as saying there is a lot to choose from at DH.
He'll sign a bat sooner or later, whether they settle on the right deal with Damon or go the one-year route with Vlad or Nick the Stick or Delgado or whomever.
On this I am certain.
I am still suspicious that Melky/Gardy are going to be packaged in some deal, albeit not necessarily a blockbuster.
I really hope Cashman holds the line on Damon. We got a contract year performance last year and there is no doubt that 2 years is all the market will bear. Johnny should be grateful for what he can get. If it were me, I'd be willing to start the season with Melky and Gardy while I shopped the former.
I'd shop Gardner wayyyyyy before Melky.
[8] Yes...if the Red Sox add two big bats, they will have a formiddable lineup, but then again, I think you could say that about most teams.
[10] I think Gardner will be dealt. If there is a market for Pierre, there should be one for him as well. KC inquired about him, so that's a possible destination.
[12] No question. Garnder is Ellsbury without power :)
If we get Holliday at $18m, we don't really need a DH (Melky in RF, Swisher at DH -or- Po, ARod, Jeter, NL games at DH w/Swisher in RF).
#1) So Holliday + inhouse = $18m/yr -vs-
#2) A JD type and a Thome type = $12-15m/yr
And if we get a 1 year answer for LF (like JD), what about next year?
Do we get a LFer in 2011 who is a BETTER bang-for-the-buck then Holliday?
According to (Fangraphs) WAR< over the last 3 years, Holliday has been worth $29m/yr!!!!! Even if you discount this by 20% for the Coors effect (which is generous), he is a STEAL at $17-18m/yr… ESPECIALLY for a PS bound team.
Fangraphs has Holliday with a career 6.9 URZ/150!
Over his career (as a RHB), he has actually hit better against RHP!!!
Holliday is NOT a pull hitter. Over his career, he hits considerably more flyballs to RF then LF (think about that with YSIII RF!)
At a 5 year deal, we get him for age years 30-34.
We can even dump Melky and save $3+m/yr and use Gardner and Hoffman as a #4/#5 OFer
With Swisher at SH and Holliday/Grandy/MelkyGardnerHoffman in the OF, when is the last year we have had better OF defense?
Youz might know, if general, I am against more expensive/longterm contracts.... but this one is too good to pass up. This team is one SP away from a Fourpeat,
[12][13] You guys are higher on Melky, and lower on Gardy, than I am in. But ultimately, it's six-to-one, half-dozen-to-the-other for me. One of them will get dealt, I'm pretty sure. If someone is calling about Gardner, then by all means, Cashman, answer the phone!
[15]
During the heyday of "Star Trek: Voyager", and the accompanying publicity over Jeri Ryan's "Seven of Nine" character (and form-fitting outfit), I kidded that my Borg designation would be "Six of One, half a dozen of the other" :-)
[14] I'm starting to get the impression you really, really want to sign Matt Holliday. Am I right or am I right? Or am I right?
[12] "I’d shop Gardner wayyyyyy before Melky"
--------------------------------------------------------------
But you agree that Brett is much faster then Melky?
And that Brett is much better on Defense?
And that over the next 3 years, Brett will be $6+m cheaper then Melky?
And Brett has a better career wOBA (.319 v .316)?
And Brett has a better career wRC+ (94 v 91)?
And Brett has a better career WPA (1.14 v -2.97)?
And Brett has a better career EqA (.251 v .248 )?
And Melky has had 3 years to show his stuff while Brett has had very little consistant playing time?
So... not to be rude, but aside from 'your eyes' and the ole anal pull, what is it about Melky that makes him better then Brett?
[17]
One wonders if Holliday's subpar performance in Oakland (and very good performance in St. Loo) might be due in part to the line-ups around him in each circumstance (beyond the differences in the ballparks)
[13] Re: two bats - of course you're right, but I don't find it at ALL far fetched in this instance, do you?
For now, count me in the Holliday for 5 years is better than JD for 2 years camp, especially since we traded AJax.
[17] The $$$/term scare me a bit, but is he a great fit, a really, really, REALLY good fit, or just a really excellent fit?
And based on what has transpired with this years FAs, and the Red Sox moves.... doesn't everything seem to point to Holliday?
(not to mention all the excellent 'Eveil Empire' quotes we can look forward to)
[19] 2 words. Small sample size.
[16] to me, Jeri Ryan will always be the woman who in some weird backdoor kinda way is responsible for Barack Obama being in the White House right now
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/22/ryan.divorce/
[18] Gradner has such a small sample size that most of those stats are not meaningful. Melky, on the other hand, had on absolutely awful season that weighs down his career numbers.
The bottom line for me is Melky has a lot more talent and his younger. Gardner is just scrappy.
maybe we should just let our pitchers hit all year so that they're ready for interleague and world series play.
[19] He really wasn't subpar. His line of .286/.378/.454 aint bad for Oakland.
[20] I do think it is far fetched because Boston has shown no desire to spend to that level.
[26] Wait a minute, if Gardner's stats are meaningless, then they can be used neither to praise or condemn him. So, how can we even begin to conclude that Melky has "a lot more talent"? Surely not from their nearly identical MiL stats.
They are both pretty marginal. It's just that Melky has had more time to prove it.
[27] was for [24]. Same William, different post!
[27] I am not condemning him on his numbers. I am condemning him because most of the time it looks to me as if he has never learned to swing a bat. Melky has a lot more talent because he strikes the ball with authority, I don't fall out of my chair.
[29] Well, I think that says more about you than Melky or Gardy. So he doesn't pass your eye test. If that's what it comes down to, then just say so.
By my eyes, Melky is hacktastic, gives up ABs, and his HR "power" is more often than not the product of a few extra wall scrapers here and there.
They are both marginal ML OFs at best, regardless of which has more talent (i.e., which looks better to William)...that would seem to be a pretty fair assessment, no?
[30]
At least during 2009, Melky's HRs were not wall-scrapers for the most part ...
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=2009_4857&type=hitter
"Everyday he's rookie!"
Ha hah a ha ha ha ah !!!!!
Oh, I'll miss him.
[16] Heh heh heh heh! Very nice, Diane.
[26] I disagree. AGon is cheap, both relatively and absolutely, for a couple years. Shedding Ellsbury and Bucholz provides some modest savings now, and a lot over the next several years. With Poopie almost certainly on the way out after 2010, and a choice as to whether or not to pursue an extension with Beckett, I could *easily* see Theo springing a stealth grab of Holliday (or even Bay). The net-net over the next say 5 years does not take the Sawx payroll to another level.
[30] You make it seem like I am disguising my opinion about Gardner. I've been very outspoken about my low opinion of his abilities.
And no, I do not agree that Melky is destined to be a marginal major league outfielder. I still think he can blossom into a much better player.
[34] AGon is not cheap if it will cost them their entire farm. I don't see why you think Hoyer would settle on Buccholz and Ellsbury. Not only do I think he will want more, but I also don't think he'd be that interested in guys on the verge of arbitration eligibility.
Boston has been middle of the pack in terms of payroll as a % of revenue and see no reason why they would change now.
[18] I agree that Gardner is faster. I don't know how much faster, but he's faster, sure. Much better in the OF? Hell no.
Why would you put "your eyes" in quotes? If you don't think there's any value in actually watching a player play, then we're not on the same page in the first place.
[36] I didn't say that it would only cost Bucholz and Ellsbury. I highlighted them in this example b/c dealing them will provide cost savings to the RS over the coming years.
And if my rough back of the envelope is even somewhat accurate, signing Holliday would not meaningfully move the RS payroll as a % of revenues over the next 5 years.
And here we go...via MLBTR:
"11:36am: Interesting tweet from ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. - he has a source close to Gonzalez who believes the player will be traded to Boston within the next ten days."
Oh, and for anyone who believes that former employees are only that - i.e. former - see: the Boston Celtics, and the people behind the recent trade that put them over the top...
from BP.COM'S John Perrotto:
Free-agent outfielder Jason Bay is conflicted between signing with the Mets for more money or with the Mariners so he can play in his adopted hometown.
===================
Dear Jason .... the Ms are much closer to the playoffs in 2010 than the Mets will be in 2010-11 ... give up a few bucks and play in your adopted hometown.
[41] Not at all surprised that the Mets have backed themselves into this corner. They are simply not a desired destination after the last 2.5 years of absolute misery and front office skullduggery. So yeah - now they have to overpay...
why would the mets prefer bay to holliday? mlbtr cites heyman as saying they focused on him because they thought he would sign sooner. that seems like idiotic reasoning to me.
[41] I'm a closet Met fan, and I have to say i agree. I'd rather see a likable player go to the Mariners at this point. The Mets seem disorganized at best, and hamstrung by some kind of second-best, underdog, ya just gotta believe ethos at worst.
At least the Mariners are the only game in town. And they seem to have a plan that's based on more than just hope.
[44]
and .... if your flyballs are going to be swallowed up in a ballpark, I know I'd prefer them to be swallowed up in Safeco, rather than Yosemite . . I mean ... Citi Field.
[43] "that seems like idiotic reasoning to me."
My thoughts exactly. Without knowing much about what really happens behind the scenes, Minaya seems like he's just way over his head. Maybe with the Expos he was able to do some stuff because he was working on a shoe-strong budget and his charm and luck paid off.
But when you're the Mets, play in a huge market, and have one of the highest budgets... Maybe it just takes a different type of GM.
I see this in the corporate world where I work. The nicest guy, the one who rallies the troops, who gets the company off the ground... he's not necessarily the one you want running things after you're established.
The only thing I think re: the Mets reasoning is that if they care about public perception, they are getting POUNDED in the press, am radio, etc. Fans are HOWLING at the moment. Should that drive process or decision making? Course not. But based on the apparent disfunction we all seem to perceive, somehow it wouldn't surprise me. And that's sad...
[47]
and their current roster isn't built for their new ballpark ... oops!
[47] that's true, but i would think they could handle the media and fan impatience for a little while in order to get the better player. meanwhile, they don't seem in any hurry to sign a pitcher or two, which i would consider a much higher priority.
[49]
Given their track record with FA pitcher signings (resigning Oliver Perez the most recent example) ....
is it possible for our payroll to be lower than boston's in 2010? theirs is supposedly around $170. i know a lot of you don't care about this, but i think it would be nice to be 2nd highest for a year.
I saw that 170mm number too for Boston, but I think we're already slightly over that right? Like 175 before Damon or anyone else? Or have I not been keeping track?
Interesting read here on the RS payroll:
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/alex-speier/2009/12/15/breaking-bank-look-red-sox-payroll-2010
All in, it wouldn't remotely surprise me if Theo built a package around Ellsbury and Bucholz + MiLers for AGon, which would ever so slightly put them over the 170mm lux tax threshold.
I admit the 170mm number makes them much less likely than I thought to sneak Holliday. However, if the steam is still coming out of ownerships ears over us winning the WS this year, somehow I wouldn't be surprised if they signed Holliday too.
In all likelihood the next CBA will continue to raise the lux tax threshold, no? So the penalty for doing this gets lower over time...