Comments on: Park Factor

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:10:44 +0000

Too bad it can’t be B.J. Upton. The Rays may seem to be developing some issues with him, but he’s too talented to let go for easy. He’d certainly clear up the issue of where Granderson would be playing. Fantasy talk I guess. (I almost said Justin, I know that would kill this thread for years to come.)

By: Hugh Mulcahy

Hugh Mulcahy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:10:37 +0000

[7] Good piece on Park. This is a hell of a signing for the Yanks. Park was the most consistently effective member of the Phillies’ pen last year and I (Phillies fan) was sorry to see him go. There were murmurs that he begged off pitching due to aches and pains that didn’t amount to injury but, in teh pen, he had great velocity and movement.

[5] I far prefer Park to Contreras. So did the Phillies. Park turned down more than $3M to return to Philly this year, banking on a starters job. The Yankees got a guy who was left standing when the music stopped and, they got him for a comparative song.

By: Cliff Corcoran

Cliff Corcoran — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:51:01 +0000

I do think a lot of things are pointing toward Carl Crawford, but he’s going to be overvalued on the free agent market. My guess is whatever deal he signs will be a bad one for his new team.

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:12:47 +0000

[3] I’m thinking these moves are aimed at positioning themselves to make big runs at better options next season. Waiting for a year for 4+ years of Crawford in their eyes might be a better option than 2+ years of Johnny Damon when they only need one or 4+ years of Jason Bay (who they didn’t want) or even 8+ years of Matt Holliday who might kill their budget short (Jeter + Mo) and long term (C.C. + prevailing premiere SP and/or slugger). When it comes right down to it, it’s not how much you spend, but how you spend it, and the depth they have now can likely propel them back into the Series or make changes with minimal disruption to the season and long term goals.

The main thing that went ary was not being able to sign Matsui back; I think they had every intention to, but slept on another team’s interest in him. Too bad; I don’t think he would have matched his production from this past season, but he would make the lineup look scarier than Nick Johnson does right now.

By: Sliced Bread

Sliced Bread — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:52:31 +0000

for slightly less than CHP’s $1.2 mill, I would have preferred Park’s replacement in Philly, Contreras. Jose’s slightly riskier than CHP as he has less bullpen experience, but he looked good in relief last year, and he’s tough.
CHP missed several games last summer because he was complaining of headaches. I’m not sure what the cause was, but seems he wasn’t someone the Phils could always rely on. He’s not a bullpen horse, he’s a piece, veteran insurance. Nothing wrong with that.

[0] excellent analysis, but I don’t think CHP can or will knock Robertson down a rung. I’m hoping Robertson’s on his way to becoming a Jeff Nelson type of horse.

By: ms october

ms october — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:06:01 +0000

i must admit, when i read the headline it didn’t even occur to me that this post would be on chp. thought it would either be cliff analyzing nys or alex talking about something that was sort of park related.

anyway, super post cliff.
his strikeout rate as a reliever last year is a good sign and promising.
do you really think we are fortunate enough to be rid of the unlucky meat tray?
i also think having him on the roster with the hair rules that the yankees have thus depriving the world of that hideous beard is worth a roster spot.

[1] i hope so too shaun re: hughes (or joba) as a multi-inning guy – i would even settle for a hughes as mo in 96.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:02:38 +0000

[0] I don’t generally have a problem with signings like these, except…

This is the off-season of the great Yankee budget, which has led to several wallet-friendly moves aimed at supplying bench and organizational depth. But perhaps instead of frittering away 1.2 million on Park and 1.1 million on Winn and 850,000 to Lucky and 2.95 million on Gaudin, etc., the team could have tried to scrape together enough money for a more attractive LF or LF platoon option.

It’s a small complaint, to be sure.

By: a.O

a.O — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:35:08 +0000

Yep, this was another great move by Cashman.

I know there is a lot of debate about whether the AL’s best offense will be better than last year, but the rotation and the bullpen certainly are in better shape.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:34:27 +0000

This is why the Banter is so great. In the morning we get a long piece on Faulkner, Scorsese, and failure-as-success. In the afternoon we get a long piece on Chan Ho Park, where he comes from and how (well) he fits on the Yanks.

[0] Cliff, do you really think the loser of the Joba/Hughes battle (my money is on Hughes) is going to be locked into the 8th inning role? Or, more particularly, do you think that that will be a one inning only role?

If Hughes is pitching just one inning at a time (again) this year, I think the odds of him ever becoming a starter are low. My hope is that a combination of Park/Marte/Robertson would take on the “one inning” duties, leaving Hughes to do multi-inning stints.

Though I suppose Girardi could use Hughes in a “Mo in ’96″ role, where he pitches the 7th and 8th innings, making him the “8th inning guy” and giving him enough innings so he can start next year.