Comments on: Yankees, Cashman land Sabathia

By: David

David — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 02:37:52 +0000

I have mixed feelings about the deal. I’m not too thrilled for right now because I think him and a healthy Wang could dominate. But then I think five years down the road when he’s 500 pounds and can’t pitch 10 games. Burnett sounds the same way. The Yankees are setting themselves up for failures like Pavano all over again. Will they ever learn?

By: SamR

SamR — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:45:08 +0000

Yet again the Yankees take the biggest risk in the hopes of reaping the biggest reward. Hasn’t worked out so well for them the last few years. We’ll see now. It definently makes the AL East a bit tougher. But it was already gonna be insane. So it doesn’t change much. If we do manage to get to the playoffs. The Yanks still don’t scare me much, even with Sabathia.
Teix is still an interesting gamble. I still don’t think it’s a must (and I am slightly suspicious that we are only in it to make sure the Yanks don’t get him as well) and would not be surprised at all if he goes out to LA. Pitching and catching are still the priorities in my mind. But we’ll see.
At least we’ve got one thing to thank the Yanks for. Breaking the league-wide free agency stalling and jump starting the Winter Meetings. Outta be interesting now.

By: gerry

gerry — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:56:05 +0000

5 to Burnett? If I were a Yankee fan I would be ticked off at paying to tear down Babe’s house and then watching the next generation of Steinbrenners throw nearly $40M per year at two pitchers with questionable durability . . . for 5 and 7 year.
B., I am very comfortable with the status quo. Why would anyone think Papi, Mike, JD, Jed and Josh Becket won’t come back healthy. Injury followed by rehab followed by recovery is the norm, not the exception. Our SP, RP, Lineup, Bench, and depth are already scary.
a. If not Teix, we will get pop for the lineup from somewhere.
b. For our purposes, I would put Sheets or Penny on a one or two year, as they work their ways back into a long term deal, Against AJ or CC, the difference is minimal. On the other hand, Masterson/ Buchholz would do an equivalent job.
c. Theo will resolve the catching situation.
CC and AJ make the Yankees much stronger, but still not strong enough to beat the Rays.

By: Evan

Evan — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:19:42 +0000

Yankees just guaranteed five years to AJ Burnett.
Please, please be true.

By: B

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:28:54 +0000

Question on the Yankees
If they manage to also sign Lowe and Burnett, who’s the odd man out in their rotation?
Sabathia
Burnett
Wang
Lowe
Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes
Have they lost confidence in Hughes? Or do they plan to make him their #5 starter and put Joba back in the bullpen as a shut down set-up man to Rivera?
That’s not putting a band-aide on their pitching staff. That’s a massive tourniquet!
Anybody still comfortable with hoping Papi and Lowell can return to their 07′ form? Anybody still comfortable with the status quo?

By: B

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:53:51 +0000

………..WILD SPECULATION FOLLOWS…………
Just read Texas is asking Detroit about Sheffield. Could they be looking to swap Young, who the Tigers might like at 3B BECAUSE MAYBE…
Texas is in such desparate need of pitching and they like Bucholtz so much that the Sox have agreed to do Bucholtz for Salty if they’ll take a discounted Lugo in the deal???
Just getting crazy with the cheez whiz on this one.

By: Evan

Evan — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:56:19 +0000

So they replaced Mussina. Now they gotta replace Pettite.

By: LorfTVP

LorfTVP — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:51:49 +0000

“Posted by Peter Gammons
John Smoltz wants to come back for another season. He is throwing and thinks he will be ready early next season. The Red Sox have been given his medicals and videos. The feeling is that Boston might be a good fit.”

By: JaredK

JaredK — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:41:17 +0000

I’d love to see Smoltz join the Sox but I think it is a little posturing to get as good a deal as possible out of the Braves. Nobody is likely to give him 12/13 mil given his questionable health (torn labrums aren’t the death sentence they once were but he is 43) and even a team like the Braves can probably finagle 8-10 mil to get him signed if he appears healthy.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-smoltz
He mentions here not knowing whether he would return as a starter or a closer and his strong preference to pitch for Atlanta. He also mentions he is not worried about a contract until he proves to himself he can pitch (very un-schill like of him).

By: Sean O

Sean O — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:37:34 +0000

Well, the difference is, the Yankees already had a perfectly fine stadium in the Bronx. But, if we’re not the ones blowing up innocent brown people, who else is gonna do it?