WasWatching.com Water Cooler Talk 1/8/09
Posted by Steve L. on January 8th, 2009 · Comments (17)
Feel free to use this post as a place for you to comment on anything Yankees-related (or within reach of tagging the bag of being Yankees-related on a decent slide) today. It could be a casual conversation offering, or, something you saw in the news, or something very detailed that you want to share that’s within the territory of Yankeeland.
Or, comment on something that someone else has posted here in the comments…
Have fun. Play nice. And, remember, keep it Yankees-focused.
signing John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli? what, do the Saux think they can just go and buy another World Series?
heh.
Dont forget Brad Penny too. 3 Injury prone free agent signings? Sign away Boston, sign away! LOL
hey, steve- just wanted to let you know as a fellow prison breaker, i just got around to watching the episodes from my DVR starting this past week.
last episode i watched last night was the actual break in, where michael is face-to-face with scylla, and the company is hot on the trail down to the room to stop him.
and we couldnt believe they canned bellick!
great stuff. cant wait to finish up the last 4 or 5 episodes or so.
WRT Smoltz & Penny, I wouldn’t laugh. They’re decent low-risk pickups.
I like the moves, especially the Smoltz one.
What do yall think of the Baldelli signing?
If Baldelli truly regains the ability to play regularly with treatment for his “new” diagnosis, I think its an excellent pickup. And I’m pretty sure Theo wouldn’t commit to Baldelli as a fourth outfielder if he hadn’t gotten medical records and new reports that confirm that the new diagnosis is correct and that the likelihood of recovery is strong. But if it turns out to be wrong, the Sox will end up overpaying for someone else when Drew takes his summer vacation.
In the meantime, I gotta applaud the idea of Baldelli hitting for Ellsbury or Drew whenever Sabathia takes the mound against the Sox.
As for Smoltz, I am surprised that they went for the *other* low risk/high reward pitcher on the market. Obviously his upside is higher than Penny’s but just what are the odds that he comes back fully and his effective, and stays healthy the rest of the way? And is there an agreement on roles? Obviously he doesn’t take over for Papelbon but at this point, isn’t Smoltz coming because he figures there’s a shot at a ring? If his arm can handle short appearances, why not be part of a lockdown bullpen? Still, I am sure Smoltz plans to start.
What disturbs me about this move is the speculation that it means they can “afford” to trade away a young pitcher for a catcher. For one thing, at best, Smoltz won’t be ready til sometime in May, June being more likely. So there is no additional depth to make a trade right now. And I hate the idea of paying what Texas is asking, even for Teagarden. These guys are equivalent – good young pitchers with upside and good young catchers with upside. One for one I say. Otherwise, forget it. Bring ‘Tek back on one year, see what happens with Bard and go forward in 2010. Or go with a decent veteran that doesn’t cost (two) arms and legs.
Baldelli, Penny, and Smoltz…what a motley crew! But honestly they spent very little money and they are low risk/high reward type of players. Though there is a dark side.
Baldelli: I hope that he regains his footing and that he really can be the player he can be. He supposedly has a more treatable disorder than previously thought so he can probably be an eefective 4th outfielder OR a replacement for the overrated Ellsbury. I wish him the best of success BUT I’d like to see how the season pans out for him healthwise.
Smoltz? This is where I kept on harping about how Boston needed to get some relief for the relief corps. Yes, it will be hard for an NL pitcher to try to get to know the AL hitters and that is worrisome. BUT Smoltzy used as part of the relief corps makes a ton of sense. He can still be an effective starter but I would want to maximize his talents/value in the pen. If an injury occured, then I would think about putting him in the starting location. Otherwise, the Red Sox have improved their team once again in their weakest( they had a decent pen last year)area.
Penny? I didn’t like this one. Penny couldn’t make it happen in the NL and had his ERA balloon to epic proportions. another NL pitcher pitched well for them initially as well so anything can happen. However, Theo and Co have depth in the minors leagues in terms of pitching and also had Smoltzy, so that’s not such a terrible move.
Do they need Varitek’s meek production? AS bad as their Captain has been, he still handles a pitching staff very well. But in this case, Boston is in the driver’s seat. Varitek still expects to get Posada money. Jay-Jay and Scotty Boras keep dreaming. Theo and Lucchino will nickel and dime him and Varitek might not have any choice.
In essence, the New Evil Empire has done an OK job with these signings with their well reknown thrift. Baldelli was a decent signing for a nice player when healthy, Smolzty was a great signing if they use him as a super set up guy, and Penny looks iffy But they have backups for him all the same. A nice, inexpensive job by Theo and Co, I just wish Cash Man could also brag about spending so little to improve his team
Turn Two, you finally caught up to Prison Break. Yeah, that twist that happens at the end of the season 4 break is crazy. The show just out “24s” 24 doesn’t it? I must say that I am excited to see what happens to the Breakers at the end of the series, especially Sucre!
“I just wish Cash Man could also brag about spending so little to improve his team”
It’s impossible for Cashman to get any credit, for anything. Everybody rips the Cashman and the Yanks for having no farm system, yet they rip him when he wants to keep Hughes and Kennedy instead of trade them and a record contract for Santana. He buys low on a quality, versatile, affordable player like Swisher and all we hear is, “Swisher? Why didn’t he just go sign Teixiera?!?”
He either doesn’t spend enough, or spends too much. He either ruins the farm system, or doesn’t develop it enough. Cashman has spent little to improve the Yankees on some occasions but the Cashman haters will never let themselves admit it.
“Yeah, that twist that happens at the end of the season 4 break is crazy.”
dont say any more! like i said, ive got i think 4 episodes to go from this season, so i’ll prob get them done between tonight and tomorrow.
i jumped on to Prison Break when it first started, and its been for me a top 3 show on TV since… and really the only weekly show i have to watch or that i follow consistently.
Yank Crank, here is the major difference ‘tween the Yanks and Red Sox: the Sox have young talent that can fill holes right now, whereas the Yanks don’t. Cash man to fill his holes spent close to half a billion dollars! The last time I checked 425 mill is not a little amount of money, right? Even so, are the Yanks better offensively than last year. I would say no so far. Even with the addition of Teix, they still have an older Posada, Godzilla and Johnny Damon on the team. The Red Sox , on the other hand, had a playoff caliber team and added inexpensive pieces here and there to make their team even better. Theo and Co wisely made adjustments to their pen (the Coco trade and the Smoltzy signing, if he’s used that way)Cash Man’s budget is so much higher and can get more premiere players based on that obscene budgets and pay for draft picks as well. That is why Cash Man is crucified, add to the fact that they haven’t won in 8 years adds insult to injury.
Turn Two, I conciously stopped right there with a tantilizing non- teaser, teaser! You know how this show is like a rollercoaster ride. Always expect the unexpected……..
“Yank Crank, here is the major difference ‘tween the Yanks and Red Sox: the Sox have young talent that can fill holes right now, whereas the Yanks don’t. Cash man to fill his holes spent close to half a billion dollars! The last time I checked 425 mill is not a little amount of money, right?”
You’re right butchie, but some people seem to forget the spending the Sox did after their 2006 failure to make the postseason. The Sox committed a hair under $300 million to JD Drew, David Ortiz, Josh Beckett, Julio Lugo, Dice-K (including posting fee), Wakefield and Okajima. Let me repeat that figure, $300 million. Do you think Red Sox fans crucified Epstein for spending over a quarter of a billion dollars on “filling holes” with money because he didn’t have the minor league talent instead? No, they didn’t, and they had a championship to Epstein for the next season.
We as Yankee fans should not kill Cashman or be ashamed of our team because we spend money. Ever since free agency we’ve spent the most money and won the most championships, can’t we take something from that? No, spending wildly doesn’t guarantee anything but if done wisely it can help. It’s an advantage we have and we continue to use it…good for us. So let next year be a source of whether to criticize or thank Cashman for his spending. The Sox fans didn’t hate on Epstein after he spent that much after 2006, so neither should we.
“Cash Man’s budget is so much higher and can get more premiere players based on that obscene budgets and pay for draft picks as well. That is why Cash Man is crucified, add to the fact that they haven’t won in 8 years adds insult to injury.”
Agreed, the fact that us Yankee fans were spoiled with 4 WS championships in 6 years has really given us a perspective that if Cash’s moves don’t result in a championship than he’s a failure as a GM. He also has, seemingly, an unlimited budget sometimes so we assume that should automatically result in championships. Is it fair to him? No, not really, but with the payroll and big moves over the years, criticism will come with the job no matter what.
Any thoughts on signing Jim Edmonds to play center for one year?
Trade Nady and keep Swisher to play right. Jim Edmonds in center with Swisher and Melky backing him up and Damon in left. Matsui would be the DH.
This would also give the team flexibility if/when Austin Jackson is ready.
lardin, why waste millions on an aging, declining Edmonds when we have a younger, cost-controlled Gardner who the Yanks want to give a chance to prove what kind of player he can be? If Gardner flops, it costs them next to nothing. If he succeeds, it’s great for the Yanks.
You’re right butchie, but some people seem to forget the spending the Sox did after their 2006 failure to make the postseason. The Sox committed a hair under $300 million to JD Drew, David Ortiz, Josh Beckett, Julio Lugo, Dice-K (including posting fee), Wakefield and Okajima. Let me repeat that figure, $300 million. Do you think Red Sox fans crucified Epstein for spending over a quarter of a billion dollars on “filling holes” with money because he didn’t have the minor league talent instead? No, they didn’t, and they had a championship to Epstein for the next season. Quote from Crank
Crank, Theo spent even more money like getting Dice-K and Okajima the next year but guys like Ortiz, Beckett and Wakey were already on the squad. Those two signings (especially Dice-K) were a reaction to them coming in third so that happened after the 2006 season.They also spent 300 mill on how many players when the Yanks paid close to 450 mill for three on a down market? How can you compare them resigning their own players and getting a gaggle of people with that money as well to the obscene amount Cash man gave to only 23 players. Theo as usual made some very good adjustments based on 2006′s failures.People in New england were not happy that Toromto came in second and that Manny quit on them, trust me. BUT they won it all the next year and that is what makes Boston look better. They are very careful about what they spend and how wisely they spend it, whereas the Yankees don’t mind giving an often injured headcase like Burnit over 80 mill for 5 years!
And the issue with regards to the minor league holes and whatnot, recently the Red Sox have a whole gagle of kids contributing, where are the Yankee equivalents? You can’t use the Tampa Bay rationale THAT the Sox came in last and kept the best draft picks. What Theo and company has done is draft smartly and it is evident on their team. The 2006 Sox and 2008 Yanks are apples and oranges in terms of what made them flop. The Yanks had no heavy hitters in the minors to replace the weak offense in 2008 and not even pitching ‘coz Ponson had to be brought back! cash Man put a bandage on this sinking ship for years and it caught up last year.
Ah, so it’s okay that Theo spends money in reaction to the Red Sox finishing 3rd and missing the playoffs but it isn’t for “Cash Man” to spend money in reaction to the Yanks finishing 3rd and missing the playoffs.
Makes sense.
The Yanks had no heavy hitters in the minors to replace the weak offense in 2008 and not even pitching ‘coz Ponson had to be brought back
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How many catchers can approximate Posada’s production? How many shortstops can approximate Jeter’s production?
Cano had 3 years in the bigs that showed he could hit. That’s the reason the Yanks stuck with him.
No one saw how bad Melky would be.
As for the pitching, Ponson was brought back because Wang got hurt. Kennedy got hurt. Hughes got hurt. A couple of other guys on the farm got hurt. And as posted elsewhere, the Yanks have plenty of minor league pitching depth.