2014 Yanx - The Crumble Continues ???

[Frayed Knot]

Based on the idea that lengthy--both in time and in pages--posts should eventually be put out to pasture, I�m starting up a new thread to follow the exploits of the 2014 MFYs while allowing the old one to drift into the sunset just as the team it followed did.
But I�m going to use one of Vic�s posts from late in that thread as a bridge to this one, specifically the part where he said: "... and they just keep getting older and more expensive"

And onto that comes Joel Sherman�s column in today NYPost where he adds the delightful observation that, �The Yankees have accomplished the near impossible � they had the oldest player in the majors (Mariano Rivera) and the oldest starter (Andy Pettitte) retire and yet somehow have gotten older this off-season."

He goes on to point out that Teixeira, at age 34, will be MLB�s 3rd oldest starting 1st baseman this year, just months behind Adam LaRoche & Ryan Howard (both are also 34).

At 2B, probable starter Brian Roberts (36) will be the 3rd oldest at that spot, behind only Marco Scutaro (38) and Mark Ellis (assuming he starts for the Cards over rookie Kolten �Pick-off� Wong) who is just months older than Roberts.

At SS -- Derek Jet-uh, Numbuh Two -- 40 at mid-season, will be the oldest starting SS by some 4-1/2 years (Jimmy Rollins)

At 3B things get a bit dicey. If ARod manages to play he�ll be the oldest by a gap of three years over Aramis Ramirez. If not they�ll go to Kelly Johnson who�ll be the baby of the indield despite being 32 and the 4th oldest starting 3B in baseball.

In the OF things are looking much brighter. Assuming that the recently signed (Angels) Raul Ibanez is there to DH and put his glove in moth-balls, then Four of the oldest Six OFs are currently on the Yanqui roster: Ichiro (40 - oldest in MLB), Soriano (38 - 3rd), Beltran (37 - 4th), Vernon Wells (35 - 6th) [non-Yanx Toriiiii Hunter and Ryan Ludwick are the missing two]
It's possible that they'll trade either Ichiro or Wells before the season starts. Of course it's also possible that they'll deal Brett Gardner (31 during the upcoming season ... not as young as you thought, eh?) and become even older.

Among starters, Hiroki Kurada with be 3rd oldest (Colon & Dickey) and Sabathia 7th
And while age usually doesn�t matter a whole lot with relieving specialists, it should be noted that the major pen move for the Yanx this winter has been to swap out their 29 y/o LOOGY (Boone Logan) for a 37 y/o LOOGY (Matt Thorton).

[Guest Trachsel My Tears]

The crumble definitely continues. The Yankees have given almost no thought to what happens when the core gets old, and guess what? The core got old. Very, very old. Who could have seen that coming?

Well, me.

And you. And you, of course, and certainly you.

It's sort of astonishing, isn't it, how obvious this major catastrophe was and is, and how little they've done to try to prevent the collapse before it happened.

I plan to watch a lot of Yankees baseball this season, just to see them lose game after game after game. Or maybe just catching the 9th inning a lot would suffice. No Sandman. A decrepit Jeter. An aging Teixera. Pettitte gone. Cano gone. A creaky Ichiro.

This will be great!

[Frayed Knot]

Well, what they're doing this year is a 'Go-For-It' season with all these elderly signings even as there was a school of thought that between the Pettitte & Rivera retirements, the ARod & Jeter situations, plus Cano leaving that they'd retrench and at least go partially into re-build mode and actually make good on that threat to get under the lux-tax threshold.

And there's still the possibility of this Hail-Mary strategy all working out for them, at least in the short run, as the additions of McCann, Ellsbury & Beltran mixed in with the (probable) returns of Teixeira and Jeter shouldn't be totally dismissed out of hand. But this could just as easily all go south on them in one big hurry and end in a spectacular fireball (and wouldn't THAT be fun to watch).

No doubt that the last-minute changes over posting rules for Japanese imports threw them for a loop too as I think they were counting on blowing everyone else out of the water (posting fees don't count against the salary cap) and gaining unchallenged rights to this Tanaka guy. Now the rules aren't as lucrative for the current employers and suddenly his team isn't so anxious to post him nor can one team lock him in exclusively to just one club with which to negotiate.

[Fman99]

Trachsel My Tears wrote: The crumble definitely continues. The Yankees have given almost no thought to what happens when the core gets old, and guess what? The core got old. Very, very old. Who could have seen that coming? Well, me. And you. And you, of course, and certainly you. It's sort of astonishing, isn't it, how obvious this major catastrophe was and is, and how little they've done to try to prevent the collapse before it happened. I plan to watch a lot of Yankees baseball this season, just to see them lose game after game after game. Or maybe just catching the 9th inning a lot would suffice. No Sandman. A decrepit Jeter. An aging Teixera. Pettitte gone. Cano gone. A creaky Ichiro. This will be great!

Wow, a new member and a MFY hater to boot! Welcome a-Bordick!

I hope for a very crumbly 2014. Like, Grandma's oatmeal cookies type crumbling.

[Ceetar]

This season isn't about competing for the Yankees, it's about a Derek Jeter farewell tour.

[Frayed Knot]

Vernon Wells designated for assignment by the Yanx in order to clear roster space.
Wells, 35, is due a $21 million salary in 2014 although the largest share of that is being paid by the Angels.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Vernon Wells designated for assignment by the Yanx in order to clear roster space. Wells, 35, is due a $21 million salary in 2014 although the largest share of that is being paid by the Angels.

I hope this is just housekeeping and not a sign of impending Tanaka.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think one has anything to do with the other. It probably signals that they're not trading Brett Gardner as much as anything.
Either way, the Yanx just dropped a 35 y/o and the average age of their OF just got older as Wells was the 2nd youngest guy they had out there.

[Ceetar]

Blue Jays must still be paying him some too right? I saw someone mention that if he gets picked up he'll be getting paid by 4 teams.

[Edgy MD]

I'm kind of hoping that their load up on soon-to-expire medications DOES work for them, in the short run, at least a little. Because then they'll almost certainly double down and add Barry Zito and Jonathan Broxton and Brad Penny and Dontrelle Willis and some other guys who had a nice 2005. They'll almost have no choice.

You'll be watching a Yankee game in mid-June, half paying attention, the team'll be six out, and Al Leiter will be talking about that big series coming up with Minnesota, seeing it as a big chance to make up some ground against the hot division leaders, when all of a sudden, in the sixth inning, you'll be saying, "Holy crap, where did Juan Pierre come from?"

[Ceetar]

Dontrelle Willis just signed elsewhere actually.

The Yanks sign youngling Matt Thornton, 37, a declining LOOGY to a 2/$7 million deal it looks like.

[Edgy MD]

Ceetar wrote: Dontrelle Willis just signed elsewhere actually.

Like that will stop the Yankees.

[Vic Sage]

current Yankee lineup:

CF - Ellsbury (30/$22m)
SS - Jeter (40/$12m) / Ryan (32/$2m)
RF - Beltran (37/$15m) / Ichiro (40/$6.5m)
1b - Texiera (34/$22.5m)
3b - A-Rod (38/$25m) / Nunez (27/~$1m)
[if A-Rod suspended, they may re-sign Mark Reynolds (30/~$5m)?]
C - McCann (30/$17m) / Cervelli (28/~$1m)
DH - Soriano (38/$5m)
LF - Gardner (32/~$5m)
2b - Roberts (36/$2m) / Johnson (32/$3m)

SP - Sabathia (33/$22m)
SP - Kuroda (39/$16M)
SP - Nova (27/~$2m)
SP - [Pineda] (25/~$1m)
SP - [Phelps] (27/~$.5m)?

RP - Robertson (29/~$5m)
RP - Thornton (37/$3.5m)
RP - Kelley (30/~$2m)
RP - Eppley (28/~$1m)
RP/SP -[Huff] (29/~$1m)
RP - Warren (26/~)? / Claiborne (26/~)?

This puts them on the hook for over $190m, even with the release of Wells. Assuming A-Rod gets suspended, they'll save $25m (putting them around $165m), but they'll still need a 3bman (assume Reyolds at $5m), and they still need a #3 starter and a decent setup man. Otherwise they're giving too many ABs to Nunez (or Johnson), and too many IP to Nova and Pineda, and are way too thin in the pen. So with Reynolds they'll be at $170m, and they can go cheap on a final reliever if they want to go all out on Tanaka. I think they will. And if they can get him for under $19m/yr or so, they'll likely stay under their $189M target budget.

[Frayed Knot]

The ARod situation should be resolved within the next week.
Of course then the lawsuits will start flying so "resolved" will kind of be a fluid term.

[Edgy MD]

I question whether a team getting off the hook is healthy for anti-PED enforcement.

[Ceetar]

Seems unlikely A-Rod walks with NO suspension, but even 50 games would save them $8 million.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Blue Jays must still be paying him some too right? I saw someone mention that if he gets picked up he'll be getting paid by 4 teams.

Original deal was signed just over 7 years ago with Toronto in December of '06. But the deal didn't take effect until 2008 and totaled 7 years for $126 million
- 3 years later (Jan '11) he was dealt to Anaheim with $86 million remaining, but the Jays paid just $5 mil in that transaction so Toronto's share is certainly in the rear view at this point.
- when dealt to the Yanks in March of '13 the Angels included a total of $28.1 of the remaining $42 million, most of which was paid to cover the 2014 period so, by cutting him, the Yanx are 'only' on the hook for $2.4 mil this year as compared to the $11.5 they paid for his services in 2013

So if Wells signs with another team for this season his 2014 salary would be getting paid by three different teams while four teams would have covered various portions of the lifespan of the seven-year deal
Blue Jays ~ (3 seasons) $45 million
Angels ~ (2 seasons) $67.1
Yanx ~ (1 season) $13.9
Team X (2014) -- probably minimum wage or something close to it


Seems doubtful that he'd be able to snag a starting job although yaneverknow.
If not he wouldn't be a bad guy to take a flyer on as a bench/PH. He's pretty slow these days but can still play either 1B or a corner OF spot when needed with a minimum of casualties expected.

[smg58]

Edgy MD wrote: I'm kind of hoping that their load up on soon-to-expire medications DOES work for them, in the short run, at least a little. Because then they'll almost certainly double down and add Barry Zito and Jonathan Broxton and Brad Penny and Dontrelle Willis and some other guys who had a nice 2005. They'll almost have no choice. You'll be watching a Yankee game in mid-June, half paying attention, the team'll be six out, and Al Leiter will be talking about that big series coming up with Minnesota, seeing it as a big chance to make up some ground against the hot division leaders, when all of a sudden, in the sixth inning, you'll be saying, "Holy crap, where did Juan Pierre come from?"

You'll be watching a Yankee game in mid-June, half paying attention, the team'll be six out, and Al Leiter will be pitching.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: Team X (2014) -- probably minimum wage or something close to it Seems doubtful that he'd be able to snag a starting job although yaneverknow. If not he wouldn't be a bad guy to take a flyer on as a bench/PH. He's pretty slow these days but can still play either 1B or a corner OF spot when needed with a minimum of casualties expected.

Yes, once the waiting time for his DFA clears (48 hours?) any team can sign him for as little as the major league minimum. And the other contracts in force must pick up the remainder of their obligations to him. But I'm thinking there will be enough GMs who think he may have something left in his tank that the bidding will go higher than that. Not much. maybe, but higher. If the price stays reasonable, I think he's worth a look-see. If they cut him, the other contracts in force kick back in.

Later

[G-Fafif]

[youtube:2z4lxma1]estoaDYf_Vc[/youtube:2z4lxma1]

Creeps.

[Edgy MD]

Still think that falling beam was sabotage.

[ashie62]

Brian Roberts is added the the 40 man... Roberts at 2B Kelly Johnson 3B...

Mets have the MFY's beat at these two spots...

[Farmer Ted]

Yankified. Yup.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Fuck Tanaka anyway. 7/155

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Fuck Tanaka anyway. 7/155

Plus $20 to the Japanese team. The Yankees are like a kid who see a shiny toy and must have it. Sure, sometimes it's a good toy, but they better hope that toy doesn't yield a lot of ground balls, particularly to the left side.

[MFS62]

I hope Tanaka means "Clone of Irabu".

Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: I hope Tanaka means "Clone of Irabu". Later

I think it means "past a diving Jeter"

He's an average K groundball pitcher and the Yankees infield is laughable. (Not that yielding fly balls in that place is a good idea)

I could easily see a FIP of 3.2 with an ERA of 4.6. Actually Jon Niese is a similar type pitcher.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/looking-for-comps-for-masahiro-tanaka/ is a pretty good article about what type of pitcher Tanaka is/could be.

[Frayed Knot]

I reckon this shoots the ol' 'get under the lux tax cap' thing all to hell, huh?
Under the old posting rules they probably could have gotten away with maybe $125 mil total instead of $175 - and maybe only $75 mil of it would have been subject to the total for cap purposes instead of $155


I think the clincher to the deal came when the Yanx promised to throw in Hidecki Matsui's leftover porn-tape collection.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I was just googlin' fat-pussy-toad seeing Irabu's name. I
didn't realize (or I've forgotten) that he committed suicide
at age 42. Phwamo.

�He was a world-class pitcher,� said former Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who managed Irabu in Japan in 1995. �When Nolan Ryan saw him, he said he had never seen anything like it. There were just some days when he was as good a pitcher as I had ever seen. A fabulous arm.�

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

As a fan of new, exciting, athletic achievements, I was really hoping to root for the guy to be good.