MJ wrote:

Steve Lombardi wrote:
What happens? In the new Yankee world? It’s easy, the $50 million they spend on B.C. means you get Chad Gaudin and not Cliff Lee when it comes time to pick up a pitcher when you need it.
That’s a patently false statement. As every Yankee hater likes to point out, the Yanks committed to $500M this past winter so to say that the Yanks couldn’t get in on Cliff Lee this past July is disingenuous. They didn’t try to get Lee because (1) they didn’t feel like they needed him and (2) they didn’t have the talent in the farm system to match Philly’s package.

Point Number 1 regarding Lee I get BUT Number 2? I know I criticize the Yankee farm system and its woefully inadequate archiect BUT Lee was the Philly’s plan B to Halladay. Quite frankly what Philly gave up for Lee wasn’t all that great. What they would have given up for Halladay would have been far more painful. The Yanks could have matched that package BUT they would have had to pay the Yankee trading tax:give up better prospects because you are the big bad Yankees AKA the Evil Empire.

Steve Lombardi wrote:

@ MJ: Re: Ichiro, it’s different with hitters and pitchers. Look at all the failed Japanese pitchers too. You can scout and project a hitter much easier than a pitcher. That’s why Cuban and Japanese pitchers are a suckers bet.

Of course it’s different with hitters and pitchers. But the point stands that just because Japanese hitters have flopped in the US (Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Kaz Matsui, So Taguchi, Tad Iguchi, etc.) doesn’t mean that trying to find the next Ichiro isn’t a worthwhile endeavor.

Steve Lombardi wrote:

What happens? In the new Yankee world? It’s easy, the $50 million they spend on B.C. means you get Chad Gaudin and not Cliff Lee when it comes time to pick up a pitcher when you need it.

That’s a patently false statement. As every Yankee hater likes to point out, the Yanks committed to $500M this past winter so to say that the Yanks couldn’t get in on Cliff Lee this past July is disingenuous. They didn’t try to get Lee because (1) they didn’t feel like they needed him and (2) they didn’t have the talent in the farm system to match Philly’s package.

Steve Lombardi wrote:

MJ wrote:

Exactly. Worse thing that happens is that he doesn’t pan out. Would the Yanks be much worse off for having tried and failed with this kid?
What happens? In the new Yankee world? It’s easy, the $50 million they spend on B.C. means you get Chad Gaudin and not Cliff Lee when it comes time to pick up a pitcher when you need it.

Wait, what?

One has nothing to do with the other.

Raf wrote:

And I still stand by my comments in the referenced threads.

me too.
Steve Lombardi wrote:

uque was a proven pitcher – with years and years of experience. B.C. is not. Besides the ratio of success against failures of Cuban pitchers is still way, way, heavy on the failure side – even with Duque.

I’m just agreeing with MJ that you can’t just say let’s not go after a guy cause he’s Cuban and a majority of other Cuban players have faltered. That’s like saying everyone from the Dominican is on steroids.

@ Steve Lombardi:
You mean “the ratio of success against failures of pitchers is still way, way, heavy on the failure side.”

MJ wrote:

Exactly. Worse thing that happens is that he doesn’t pan out. Would the Yanks be much worse off for having tried and failed with this kid?

What happens? In the new Yankee world? It’s easy, the $50 million they spend on B.C. means you get Chad Gaudin and not Cliff Lee when it comes time to pick up a pitcher when you need it.

@ MJ: Re: Ichiro, it’s different with hitters and pitchers. Look at all the failed Japanese pitchers too. You can scout and project a hitter much easier than a pitcher. That’s why Cuban and Japanese pitchers are a suckers bet.

@ Corey uque was a proven pitcher – with years and years of experience. B.C. is not. Besides the ratio of success against failures of Cuban pitchers is still way, way, heavy on the failure side – even with Duque.

@ Raf:
Exactly. Worse thing that happens is that he doesn’t pan out. Would the Yanks be much worse off for having tried and failed with this kid?