With all the Hot Stove talk over who would look best added to the Yankee and Met lineups and pitching staffs, let’s get down to the brass tacks over how much they may afford to spend going into 2010. Today, let’s consider the Yankees.
The first question is: what comes off and on the books for spring 2010.
The second question is: how to deal with payroll year over year – simply, you can either grow it, shrink it, or leave it flat.
The third question is: what needs to be addressed on the roster?
The last question is: who is out there available that fits the combined profile of roster needs and budget restriction?
Before the Winter Meetings, the Yankees announced very specific plans to get lighter and tighter in 2010, the goal being to bounce out of their World Series win into a cleaner balance sheet. The target as presented by the reporter as $186M, but assumes Cashman’s “-$15M” quote was interpreted correctly, which it may not have been – so let’s consider something first.
I believe that the $201M figure for 2009 may be a tiny bit misleading as it does not seem to take into account the $6M in performance bonuses that Andy Pettitte was awarded, by virtue of his contracted performance bonuses, for staying healthy and pitching 200+ innings through the postseason. So, the corrected baseline for this discussion is $207M with the 2010 target (2009 minus $15M) now at $192M. (Andy will net just $250k more for his 2010 contract versus 2009, although, this year, 100% of the money is 100% guaranteed and 100% unbound from his 2010 performance).
Let’s sum up what comes off the books, and I won’t count the minor league or league minimum contracts so this analysis isn’t THAT precise (feel free to follow along):
Johnny Damon -$13M…Hideki Matsui -$13M…Xavier Nady -$6.5M…CW Wang -$5M…Jason Giambi -$5M (yep)…Jose Molina -$2M…Brian Bruney -$1.25M…that’s a total of -$45.75M off the books.
What grows bigger on the books, as far as salary increases and new contracts?
CC Sabathia +$9M…Grand +$5.5M…Igawa +$4M (yep)…Cano +$3M…Swisher +$1.5M…Jeter +$1M…Marte +$.25M…Pettitte +$.25M (see above)…I’ll assume Mitre and Gaudin would be flat, too…so that’s a total of +$24.5M back on the books.
The net net is -$21.25M in savings so far over last year, so, Cashman appears, when I factor in the $15M in budgeted payroll reduction, to have another $6.25M left to play with for 2010.
So, the first two questions are answered. The next two questions…I leave to you! What do the Yanks need? Who is available for around $6.25M?
I dont think i have any problem with that list, its based on “on paper”. I think if Joba and Hughes both pitch up to their potential the Yankees could ultimately be the best. Plus I expect the Yankees to add another starter and start Hughes in the pen.
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Sal NICE drop on Vinny C…he’s a bloody beast on the skins.
As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with Rosenthal in this column. We talked about them finding the right mix to get it done this year and then they go and blow it up. One year and $5.5 doesn’t preclude them from bringing Damon back and doing it on the cheap. They already threw their flexibility argument out the window in signing Johnson. The only thing he does is play first base. Nothing for him to do but DH. Damon has actually boxed himself into a cheap corner with all of his demands and that bodes well for the Yankees. Maybe he gets a 2 year deal elsewhere but the time is right to offer him one a la Bobby Abreu last year. That frees up left field for Crawford next year. Signing Nick Johnson has actually made Damon more affordable.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/LIVE-Rosenthal-Damon-Yankees-121709
When did the Yankees become the 1997 and 2003 Marlins? Win the World Series and dismantle the team? Why trade Swisher? If Jennings is writing about it, people must be talking about it. Swisher, Damon and Matsui; 1/3 of your starting championship team. That’s a bit much.
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/12/19/trade-nick-swisher-convince-me/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LohudYankees+%28The+LoHud+Yankees+Blog%29
Lev doesn’t TB hold a club option on Crawford for 2010? If they exercise the option they presumably must sign him to an extension, trade him, or let him walk in 2011 no?
4th starter?
Honestly Swisher for Lowe doesn’t sound like that bad a deal.
They picked up their 2010 option on him Supe.
They could sign him to an extension or trade him but Crawford might be looking at his only chance of a nice payday. He knows the Yankees are out there showing no inclination to go after Holliday or Bay. Why? Unless Tampa plans on ponying up some money, I think Crawford would want to talk with the Yankees first after 2010.
4th Starter J? Do you mean they still have to go out and get a fourth starter and trade Swisher for one?
I don’t know why they are so quick to dismantle a team that won the WS. It took them 8 years to find the right mix of 25 guys why are they messing with it?
I don’t know why they would pay Lowe $45 mill over the next 3 years when they had no interest in him as a FA last year. On top of that, they made Pettitte scratch and claw for his $11 mill last year and are going to give up a guy who stepped up big time for them to get Lowe and his $45 mill contract taking him to 40 years old.
Lev I think Crawford’s pending 2011 FA may play into trading Swisher prior to the 2010 season. In 2011 they could transition Melky to RF full time, Granderson in CF, Crawford in LF. That would be a pretty nice OF no?
rosie thinks they need a 4th starter, not me. I say they have a 4th starter right now thats gonna win 15 games.
Then they are down 81 HR 1/3 from last year and 254 rbi. If you get Crawford next off season, then I would think about moving Swisher in the last year of his deal. Otherwise you have jettisoned Damon and Swisher in 2010 waiting for Crawford in 2011.
even sans Godzilla & Damon, (& potentially Swisher) you would agree NYY still possess MLB’s top lineup. Remember you’re adding potentially 30+ HRs w/ Grandy in the fold, add you should get some decent pop out of the 2 hole w/ Nick Johnson.
Down Damon, Matsui and Swisher, I would not say they have MLB’s best lineup.
Well we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point Lev. Plus remember you’ll get A Rod from the beginning of the season as opposed to one month into the campaign.
JD Drew takes a beating on this site daily and is more durable (that’s scary), hits for more power, drives in more runs and has almost as high an obp as Johnson. How can Drew be so average but Johnson is going to replace Damon or Matsui in the lineup?
Down Swisher? Where’d he go? What’d I miss?
Swisher hasn’t gone anywhere yet Nat but Jennings must be hearing some trade Swisher chatter because he defended keeping him on LoHud today -
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2009/12/19/trade-nick-swisher-convince-me/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LohudYankees+%28The+LoHud+Yankees+Blog%29
I’ll say this about Drew … he has yet to drive in 70 in 3 season with the BlowSox. And in 11 seasons, he’s topped 73 RBIs twice. That’s Melky’s neighborhood, who bats ninth. I’d say that’s very underwhelming for a player of his cost, and I’m sure it’s one of the main reasons why Tito now bats him 8th.
Look at Nick Johnson’s numbers and tell me how many times he has driven in 70 or how many times he has hit 20 HR’s. I’ll accept and agree with your premise that Drew isn’t worth the money and that he has given them average production. But when the Yankees sign a less durable “JD Drew” let’s not make it out to be some giant acquisition for them. He doesn’t make them better.
Come to think of it, there was chatter at Feinsand’s blog yesterday about Swisher for Lowe. I said Yanks would do it in a heartbeat but the Braves would not. Then I thought about it later, and remembered Lowe’s contract length and had second thoughts.
That said, I hope he hits .290 with an obp of .405 in the 110 games he plays. Don’t expect him to score from first on too many Tex doubles though.
I think Johnson’s a good pick up. I think he’ll fit in well in the lineup. Jeter/Johnson/Tex/Al is a pretty formidable 1 through 4 IMO.
Don’t get me wrong on Lowe. He takes the ball every fifth day and won 15 games for the Braves. On the downside though was his era and the fact that everyone was worried about the back end of that contract. Well, the back end of the contract is right around the corner.
Supe- I’m not saying that he is a terrible pickup. I just don’t think that he is as good a pickup as the Yankee spin machine is making him out to be. He’s a cheaper JD Drew. Drew has been an above average MLB hitter and that’s what Johnson is. He’s also as slow as the day is long which is a problem in the 2 hole.
Not a big Johnson guy here, and frankly, I don’t know what having a Nationals retread batting second in Yankee Stadium for the World Champion Yankees will do for their chances to repeat. If it isn’t a juke on Cashman’s part than it’s a tepid move at best. Nick Johnson is a backup at best and is a big hole at two, IMO.
I don’t care what his OBP is.
NEW THREAD!!!
Clearly Nick Johnson’s not the 2nd coming of Lou Gehrig. Also JD Drew was the 5th overall pick in 1998’s amateur draft…he’s a guy who’s clearly not lived up to his promise. But I personally would not compare Johnson w/ Drew. I just think @ first blush NJ in the 2 hole looks like a good fit, & I think he’ll produce if he can stay healthy. And I’m not too concerned w/ his lack of speed. Hey if he doesn’t score from 1st on Tex’s double, he’ll score the front end of A Rod’s 2 run single.
Who knows something about these “i-pod” “mp-3″ players? I am getting ready to buy one for the kid and dont know about how much it costs to buy the songs and what type of device I need to look at.
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