Via Pete Caldera:
With the baseball winter meetings opening a week from today, the $140 million question continues to grip the game.
Could the CC Sabathia decision drag beyond the annual [Winter Meetings] off-season summit? “That question is really for the Sabathia family,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday.
Or, in other words, Cashman is saying “Don’t ask me. Go ask them.”
Doesn’t sound like something that someone would say if they were confident in getting the deal done, does it? At this point, if it’s not done by the end of this week, the Yankees should go into the Winter Meetings with the mindset that Sabathia is not going to sign with them – and proceed accordingly to address the three holes in their starting rotation. Or, in other words: Sign Andy Pettitte and then get two more starters albeit via free agency or trade.
At this point, I’d be happy with a rotation of Wang, Gil Meche, Pettitte, Jon Garland and Chamberlain – with Hughes and Aceves in the wings. Is that ideal? No, but, it’s better than going with Wang, Chamberlain and who knows, right? And, then, if someone like Sabathia or Derek Lowe is still around, and falls into your lap, then you sign them and have Chamberlain start the season in the pen (until one of the starters goes down). Make sense?
But, if you just sit, and wait, for CC to make up his mind, then you may miss out on some options – as someone else may grab them first.
22 Responses to “Cashman: Ball’s In CC’s Court”
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December 1st, 2008 at 10:16 am
What worthwhile free agent is going to sign before Sabathia? They’re all going to wait for him to set the market.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:16 am
At this point, I’d be happy with a rotation of Wang, Gil Meche, Pettitte, Jon Garland and Chamberlain.
Besides the fact that Gil Meche is on the Royals and still under contract, that rotation wouldn’t make the playoffs.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am
Ben – they would have to trade for Meche, obviously. Why are you so sure that this rotation would not make the playoffs?
I’m not saying for sure that it would – but, it’s better than Wang, Joba and ????
December 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am
~~What worthwhile free agent is going to sign before Sabathia?~~
Garland might, no?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am
~~What worthwhile free agent is going to sign before Sabathia?~~
Garland might, no?
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He asked about a worthwhile free agent
December 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am
Doesn’t sound like something that someone would say if they were confident in getting the deal done, does it?
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How so? What do you expect him to say? And who’s to say they don’t have alternatives if Sabathia doesn’t sign?
December 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
Steve, I understand the frustration you and a lot of Yankee fans feel with Sabathia not immediately declaring his love for all things Yankee and accepting our offer as quickly as possible, but once again, we need to relax. CC is going to set the market. No pitchers are going to sign before him, so if he passes on the Yankees we will be able to move on to plan B…the Lowes and Burnetts.
I only say you and a lot of Yankee fans need to calm down and not jump to conclusions because saying that you’ll be happy with a rotation that includes Gil Meche and Jon Garland is clearly a result of overreaction. I know you see the question marks after Wang and Joba, but saying we need to go out and trade prospects for Meche and throw millions at Batting Practice Garland instead of waiting for CC is a mistake. See what CC does and go from there.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:41 am
I need to correct my previous statement. Pitchers like Jeremy Affeld have signed before CC, but my point is, no pitcher worth having is going to sign before CC.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:49 am
I need to correct my previous statement. Pitchers like Jeremy Affeld have signed before CC, but my point is, no pitcher worth having is going to sign before CC.
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Agree, with the qualification that Affeldt is a reliever and hence his market isn’t directly determined by what Sabathia does.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:08 am
I’m concerned that Lowe and Burnett are going to disappoint whoever they sign with. They’ll be the next in a long line of overpaid/underperforming FA pitchers. (See: Pavano, K Brown, R Johnson, Zito, Hampton, etc)
What they really have going for them is that after CC, they are on the next level of quality in a market where a lot of money is chasing few options.
Maybe one or two pitchers on the next level down would be better? At least, less money would be tied up for fewer years if it doesn’t work out.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:59 am
I’m concerned that Lowe and Burnett are going to disappoint whoever they sign with.
Maybe one or two pitchers on the next level down would be better? At least, less money would be tied up for fewer years if it doesn’t work out.
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Burnett may disappoint due to his checkered medical history. I think Lowe would be fine if he ended up in the NL. I’m not sure an AL team will be thrilled with Lowe. Overall, I agree with your sentiment.
As far as pitchers on the next level down, like who? Jon Garland and Oliver Perez? No thanks. I’d rather miss the playoffs with the kids than miss them with those two stiffs.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
“As far as pitchers on the next level down, like who? Jon Garland and Oliver Perez? No thanks. I’d rather miss the playoffs with the kids than miss them with those two stiffs.”
MJ makes a very good point here. I know last year we saw too much of Ponson and we want that to never happen again. However, I still think it’s worth it to try and win with your kids that you have instead of committing to the Garlands out there. By Garlands I mean 4-5 starters who will command multi-year, multi-million dollar deals. You stay away from those because they are expensive, the pitching performance is not worth the money they would net and deals like that limit roster flexibility. I’d also much rather go down with Kennedy and Hughes than I would with Garland, Pavano, Oliver Perez or Washburne type pitchers.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
They’ll be the next in a long line of overpaid/underperforming FA pitchers. (See: Pavano, K Brown, R Johnson, Zito, Hampton, etc)
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IIRC Brown was under contract when the Yanks got him…and he had pitched well in the previous years (2002 aside)
December 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
They’ll be the next in a long line of overpaid/underperforming FA pitchers. (See: Pavano, K Brown, R Johnson, Zito, Hampton, etc)
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Randy Johnson wasn’t exactly a free agent either. The Yanks had to renegotiate his contract in order for him to come to NY but he was most certainly traded for and not simply signed.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
At this point, I’d be happy with a rotation of Wang, Gil Meche, Pettitte, Jon Garland and Chamberlain – with Hughes and Acevedo in the wings.
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Not sure I’d really go out and trade for a Gil Meche when I could just sign a Jon Garland. Are they that different? I’m not advocating signing Jon Garland and Meche’s contract would be better than what Garland’s might turn out to be. But I’m just not a believer in trading away assets when you can just use free agency.
Also, by Acevedo, I assume you mean Aceves? Or is there someone I’m forgetting?
December 1st, 2008 at 2:30 pm
it’s only december 1st, the winter meetings haven’t passed, and not one meaningful free agent has signed anywhere. we shouldn’t start talking about wang, chamberlain, and ?????? until at least one free agent signs somewhere, thus rendering it impossible for us to sign them. i agree the yankees shouldn’t be putting all of their eggs in the sabathia basket, but i would have said that the day after they made the offer, not just because time has gone by and he hasn’t accepted (all of what, 2 weeks?). one would hope the yankees are covering their basis regardless of the time that goes by on the sabathia offer, at least as long as it’s reasonable time (like right now).
December 1st, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I have a feeling, CC knows hes not going to, sign with us, and is trying to make us… look like fools, as well as cost us an opportunity at replacements. It’s just like someone, to stiff us – even in the wake of a $140 mil offer.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
How so? What do you expect him to say? And who’s to say they don’t have alternatives if Sabathia
doesn’t sign?
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Raf, it’s better not to say anything at all than to give any inclination of the state of our offer.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
//CC knows hes not going to, sign with us, and is trying to make us… look like fools, as well as cost us an opportunity at replacements.//
What, out of spite? Did Brian Cashman kick CC’s dog or something?
December 1st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I have a feeling, CC knows hes not going to, sign with us, and is trying to make us… look like fools, as well as cost us an opportunity at replacements. It’s just like someone, to stiff us – even in the wake of a $140 mil offer.
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CC has no reason to want to make the Yankees look like fools. He may or may not want to sign here but he’s certainly not going to be malicious about it. Why would he? What’s in it for him to do that? Not signing the contract and waiting around doesn’t represent malice, it represents letting the market develop more fully.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Because that’s the way it is. Baseball players disrespect the Yankees the way every NFL player respects the cheating Patriots organization.
On a different note, I am so tired of Cashman’s stinginess. I can understand long-term deal stinginess, but no arbitration because of money is once again Cashman pinching Steinbrenner’s money. Rather than wanting to win, he’d rather save.
This is the one offseason we should have an advantage. With the economy down and our new ballpark in the time of revenue sharing and teams keeping their free agents because of our money given to them, we should get who we can, but this is life in Cashmania!!
December 1st, 2008 at 10:03 pm
~~I assume you mean Aceves? ~~
Mea Culpa. Thanks. I fixed that.