I love that I'm now supposed to feel sorry for the poor widdle New York Yankees on the basis of their financials.
Let's have a bake sale for this vulnerable, forlorn franchise. I nominate Billy Beane to run it.
The twitterverse says Youklilis has signed on the dotted line and crossed over. Will Joba Chamberlain become the first pitcher to intentionally bean his third baseman on an attempted pickoff throw?
Demented and sad, but social, right?
I love that I'm now supposed to feel sorry for the poor widdle New York Yankees on the basis of their financials.
Let's have a bake sale for this vulnerable, forlorn franchise. I nominate Billy Beane to run it.
A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
---Roger Ebert
Some questions cannot be answered
Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
---Roger Ebert
Some questions cannot be answered
Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
Just to be clear, I as not asking for sympathy for the Yankee fans ... just trying to make clear that it's a new era (at least for he time being).
The Yankees did sign Youkilis -- but as projected, it was a one-year deal. Almost everything they've done this off-season has been one year -- one year deals for Pettite and Rivera too. It's quite clear that they are serious about avoiding the payroll tax in 2014.
Reportedly close to a deal for Ichiro Suzuki -- he enjoyed his six weeks in New York and wants to play there for another year.
Also rumblings that the Yankees want to deal Granderson -- low average, but good power and good RBI numbers. Still a good (not great) defender in center.
They may just hang onto Granderson because he's in the final year of his contract and they'll get a sandwich pick for him in the draft like they will for Swish and Soriano. My feeling is they'll get under the cap for 2014 then back to their spending ways because the clock will have been reset. There was a post earlier about the potential loss in YES revenue with all this belt tightening going on. He was spot on if it continues but all it takes is one free spending year to get the frenzy in full force again.
As a Mets fan (although a router generally for all NY teams), I certainly have no sympathy for the Yanks. However, it does seem ridiculous to me in the name of "equity" for some owners to reap the revenue-sharing benefits whilst lowballing aggregate payroll...thus dropping such payments directly to the bottom line. They've discussed (not sure how seriously) a floor on payroll. That just seems to make sense to me...
The NY Post reported this morning on the Ichiro "deal." I still don't know, however, how they can go into 2013 without a ML catcher. And...there are rumblings in the NY papers about Cano leaving after his contract concludes...Interesting year(s) for Yankee fans.
We'll just bottom fish in Queens for a while. At least until some of the contracts come off the books after this year (notably Santana).
There is some disqualification of revenue sharing based on market size in the latest cba. In 2013, the top 15 teams by market size (with the exception that Oakland is exempt until they get a new stadium), will forfeit 25% of what they would otherwise get in revenue sharing. That % increases to 50% in 2014, 75% in 2015 and 100% in 2016. So it doesn't address the payroll issue you raise, but it does penalize teams for squandering the benefit of existing in a large market. That money is rebated to the net payers of revenue sharing, provided such payers are under the luxury tax threshold (and it varies by how many years they've been under the threshold). This had led some to speculate that the Yankees may try to limit payroll not just in 2014, but for the entire 2014 - 2016 period. This rebate of revenue sharing would not be as significant as re-setting the luxury tax clock by being under in just 2014, but a million here, a million there, soon enough it's real enough money for the Steinbrenner boys to care about.
Demented and sad, but social, right?
A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
---Roger Ebert
Some questions cannot be answered
Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
Since being 4th in runs scored, forking over Croesus' treasure to get Pujols, and having super-duper stud Trout for a looong time before FA kicks in isn't enough, the Angels have reportedly signed Josh Hamilton for $125MM over 5 years.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/s...ls-source-says
Demented and sad, but social, right?
I can think of no better place for a person like Josh Hamilton, who is prone to excess and things that -- well -- enhance your enjoyment of the moment, than LA. He is certainly going to thrive in that city.
I am mostly kidding -- but this is a dude who is fragile. I would thing a smaller market with slightly less expectations might have made more sense for him.
-Jason "Wish him well and hope he doesn't get caught up in the cycle of drug/alcohol abuse again" Evans
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
Here is a good summary of the Yankees' top prospects. Despite the top four being position players, I think the key for the Yankees in terms of their future is their pitching prospects. They appear to be set for next season with Sabathia, Pettitte, Kuroda, Hughes and Nova (and Phelps ready to step in). But they also have some intriguing pitching prospects who have been described as potential "top of rotation" guys - including Pineda, Banuelos, Bentances, and Campos (also part of the Pineda deal). Unfortunately there are serious physical questions for all of them. If some or all of them can prove they are major league caliber starters, the Yankees will be able to build around pitching or trade some or all of them for younger bats. If not, I think their only option for staying competitive will be to spend more money than they appear to be willing to during this off season.
Singler is IRON
I STILL GOT IT! -- Ryan Kelly, March 2, 2013
The problem for the Yankees is that there are physical issues for so many key guys.
It starts with their best starter (Sabathia) and their Hall of Fame reliever (Rivera). It continues with their best young arm -- Pineda -- and continues with their second best young arm -- Nova. And, as you note, there are physical issues for their best minor league pitching prospects.
Now, I'm sure some -- maybe even most -- of these guys will be okay, but will all od them?
Plus, there are plenty of position players trying to come back from injury -- Jeter says he'll be ready for opening day, but he's still wearing a boot. Teixera ended the season hurt. Gardner was just coming back from injury. Cervilli had a problem. And that list is obviously headed by A-Roid, who will at best miss half the season.
The Yankees still have a lot of talent, but right now, it's a physically fragile franchise ... I guess that's a function of having so many aging stars.
I am very disappointed that Josh Hamilton went west instead of east. Ever since his home run derby performance in the old Yankee Stadium, I have drooled over seeing him roam CF for the Yankees. Bad year for budget constraints by Hank Steinbrenner.
Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!
Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
9F 9F 9F
https://ecogreen.greentechaffiliate.com
A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
---Roger Ebert
Some questions cannot be answered
Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
"Went west?" He was west already. Plus, there are teams in the west who know how to play against him since they've seen him so much. I know the A's respect Hamilton, but he's a normal opponent. Nothing will really change for them when Josh changes uniforms. Batting order? The A's pitching staff generally laughs at such issues. They just pitch. Pujols? Hamilton? Pick your poison. And they will--happily and probably successfully. Never any guarantees, but...
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
See as we have talked about it so much, here is a just-released report on payrolls and teams paying the luxury tax. The Yankees will pay almost $19 mil in luxury tax this year, the only team in baseball paying a tax. The Phillies, Boston, and the Angels all managed to just barely stay under the tax threshold.
-Jason "the Dodgers and Angels are both going to bust through the lux tax barrier next season... like it wasn't even there" Evans
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?