Comments on: Walking Around Cliff Lee

By: BobbyB

BobbyB — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:03:33 +0000

If Lee had been traded to the Yankees, not the Rangers, The Yankees, not the Rangers would have played in the World Series. Case closed.

By: OldYanksFan

OldYanksFan — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:15:55 +0000

“…. Derek, Mo, Jorge and Andy will be retired, which means what, $50 million off the books right there…”

Yes, but if the Yankees want to continue to ‘Win’, it means we need to replace their production for $50m. Also, CC and Teix are getting very ‘mature’ at this time, and ARod is getting ancient. We will have lost the best closer in the game, the best SS in the game and a solid #2 SP. It won’t be cheap to replace them.

The only real gain I see is Posada… assuming that Montero/Romine take over, that puts Po’s salary in our pocket. Maybe we can replace Andy inhouse also.

But it doesn’t really matter how you figure who coming up or who’s coming off. When you sign players to long, expensive contracts… knowing you will probably be getting limited production at at huge cost, it’s a liability. As you do this with more and more players, you begin to accrue liability.

I’m not saying we can’t overcome this, just that it’s something I know Cashman is considering. He has a tough job as he always has to weigh ‘Winning now’ while still preparing to Win in the future.

I’m glad I don’t have Cashman’s job. For all our money, I think Cashman’s job is MUCH more difficult then other GMs.

By: OldYanksFan

OldYanksFan — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:01:24 +0000

Rumor has it that Carl might get $15m/yr or so.
While Carl has a career OPS+ of 107, he has been very good the last 2 years, averaging a 125 OPS+.
Meanwhile, Swisher has a career OPS+ of 116 and an average of 126 his last 2 Yankee years.
Carl is faster and a much better defender, but I’m not sure he is that much better then Swisher. Whatever the upgrade, I don’t think it’s worth an extra $6m yr and yet another long/expensive contract for Carl.

We have Swisher for 2 more years at $9.6m. It’s not only a steal, but allows us to look around in 2013.

By: rbj

rbj — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:59:07 +0000

I’ve got no problem signing Cliff to a 5-7 year deal. By year 5 and beyond, Derek, Mo, Jorge and Andy will be retired, which means what, $50 million off the books right there, and I doubt Robbie & Jesus will eat all that up. It’ll be an aging CC & Cliff plus . . . we don’t know. Nova? Someone in 8th grade or 9th grade now?

So we get a good Lee for now, pay for it later when it is a maybe 1 or 2 overpayment 5 years down the road which can be made up for with other cheaper homegrown talent.

Surround aging CC & Lee with a good farm system.

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:02:45 +0000

[10] Crawford would be nice on the Mets..Reyes & Carl on the basepaths together..scary.

I don’t want to imagine Cano leaving NY…

By: Chyll Will

Chyll Will — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:05:35 +0000

[8] Still, our home grown commodities who become Jeter (Cano) or Andy or Mo will become verrry expensive when they hit their FA years. Unless Cano is so crazy about the Yanks that he never wants to go anywhere else (and so fearful of a career-zapping injury), he and his agent would be criminally insane or incompetent to sign a long term deal before he’s eligible to hit the market. So really they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Be empirical I say, and do. They alone can afford to make a mistake on Cliff Lee with all the hot pitching prospects they’ve got, riiiiight?

[9] I think they pursue first Crawford if they fail to land Lee, then Werth if they fail to land Crawford. Not that they absolutely need either one. I wondered if Sandyball would try to get one of them, but he’s got too many problems to sort out his first year. Bad timing all around for both NY teams, honestly.

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:47:40 +0000

[7] I too was Lee-ry until you mentioned Jon Garland…

But I want to see Carl Crawford in pinstripes. Crawford, Gardner & Ganderson in the OF, pitcher’s delight!

By: OldYanksFan

OldYanksFan — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 01:45:08 +0000

I think a lot boils down to this.
Can the Yankees have have a year or 2 where they try to win, but concern themselves more more the upcoming years? Not a rebuild and maybe not even a reload… but just a ‘we don’t always have to get the expensive shiny toy’…. we are smart and have other options.

I didn’t like 2008, but I lived through it. And had I known up front that it was a ‘lay back’ year, because we were looking down the road a bit, it wouldn’t have been that bad.

Having been a fan since ’65, I remembered the pure joy of seeing the Yankees FINALLY become a .500 team. It was years before I could even allow myself the think about actually winning.

And now, after 15 years of winning, I too am beginning to feel entitled. And I don’t like it.

So part of the reason I don’t want Lee is because as a fan, I’d really like to see more of our kids and really like to see us win when we aren’t the favorite. So with Lee, I have the internal battle of trying to be a smart GM and follow our path of Win Now! vs the fan in me that believes the game can still be fun even if we don’t buy the best guy out there.

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:37:13 +0000

There are reasons to be leery, but I’d be even more leery of the panic moves they make if they don’t get him.

Yay Jon Garland!

By: RIYank

RIYank — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:34:35 +0000

Yeah, sorry, I’m like monkeypants here. It’s not that you don’t have good points, Jon, it’s just that the things we all know we should worry about seem more worrisome to me than to you. For example, I am not at all convinced that spending the money on Lee won’t prevent the team from signing a star later. Hal said he wants to keep the payroll about the same. That doesn’t mean he will, but it does signal, whether truly or not, that there are going to be limits and trade-offs.

Meanwhile, Rob won the Silver Slugger to go with his Gold Glove. Louisville and Rawlings, silver and gold. I wouldn’t mind if they sat down with him and inked a seven year contract now.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:22:30 +0000

[2] I have a hard time getting up the energy to respond. By this point, we all know the terms of the debate. The Yankees have holes and question marks, especially in the starting staff. Lee is the best FA on the market. The Yankees will overpay in terms of years and money. No matter how good Lee has been some of the last three years, his injury past and late bloomer-ness raises real warning flags. The Yankees are buying high right now. Lee is already 31.

I too am extremely Lee-ry. I am also a bit warn out by all of the Lee-cturing, and have been since the trading deadline.

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:12:57 +0000

I said this about Randy Johnson before got him and after he left. Regardless of how this works out, its the right move to make.

The Yankees pitching staff wasn’t good enough this year, and now they’re a year older, injured, contemplating retirement or still AJ Burnett.They may or may not win the World Title next year with Cliff Lee, but I have no idea how they do without him.

By: inOhio

inOhio — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:53:42 +0000

No thanks. Yanks have too many holes with or without Lee. Would like to see some home grown talent for a change, and a concerted effort to develop from within. Overpaying for Lee seems less like a solution, and more like desperation.

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:51:28 +0000

I think such a long, thought-out piece deserves more responses. That said, I am still Lee-ry of this move.

By: PickNY

PickNY — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:55:42 +0000

Mr. DeRosa,

Your article was on POINT Jack! I’m sold, so count me in! Plus, it’s not my MONEY!

Go Yanks for another dynasty run!