2K24: New York Yankees

[revo]

The questions are--

1. Is Seattle serious, or are they just trying to get the Yankees to overspend and to break their word on how high they'd go?
2. Is Jay-Z serious about possibly having his client sign with far-off, uncool Seattle, or is he just trying to replenish his badly played hand with the Yankees?
3. Is Cano seriously considering this, or is he just going through the motions, possibly to save face for his agent?
4. Would the increased pay from the Mariners make up for losing the endorsement deals he'd supposedly get if he stayed in NY?
5. Is this a Hail Mary desperation play by Jack Z, trying to save his job?

Don't forget the benefit of not having to pay NY and NYC income taxes if he signs with Seattle.

Personally, I think #5 is true on Seattle's part, and that Cano and Jay-Z are going through the motions to try to get the Yankees to increase their offer. But that's a cynical view, and I'm really trying to avoid that line of thinking.

1. Is Seattle serious, or are they just trying to get the Yankees to overspend and to break their word on how high they'd go?
Why would the Mariners care how much the Yankees spend?

2. Is Jay-Z serious about possibly having his client sign with far-off, uncool Seattle, or is he just trying to replenish his badly played hand with the Yankees?
How has Jay-Z played a bad hand here? Cano is going to sign the richest contract of the off-season and be set up for life.

3. Is Cano seriously considering this, or is he just going through the motions, possibly to save face for his agent?
See answer above.

4. Would the increased pay from the Mariners make up for losing the endorsement deals he'd supposedly get if he stayed in NY?
He's had two endorsement deals in his entire Yankee career, one of which came earlier this year.

5. Is this a Hail Mary desperation play by Jack Z, trying to save his job?
Probably.

[mike9289]

I think the Yanks won't be too disappointed if Cano left. They would take him back at their 175 bid but if he gets more elsewhere, so be it. Then what's plan B? Could it be to sign Choo to play LF and bat 1,2 with Ellsbury? Then trade Gardner. The Reds need a leadoff hitter and CF to replace Choo and they happen to have a 2B with a contract that's killing their ability to make any moves. So how about Gardner for Phillips but the Reds need to give up another asset for the Yanks to deal the cheap Gardner. So I'm thinking Gardner and a prospect or two for the bad Phillip's contract and Homer Bailey. Am I way off or is this realistic?

[Judge Jude]

The BB writers are saying Cano was headed Seattle way at 9 for $225M, then Jay-Z at last minute demanded 10 for 252. Mariners broke off talks, but reports just now say they are back on.

Cano will go to whomever offers the most dough - that's most athletes' idea of "winning."

[Don Quixote]

I think the Yanks won't be too disappointed if Cano left. They would take him back at their 175 bid but if he gets more elsewhere, so be it. Then what's plan B? Could it be to sign Choo to play LF and bat 1,2 with Ellsbury? Then trade Gardner. The Reds need a leadoff hitter and CF to replace Choo and they happen to have a 2B with a contract that's killing their ability to make any moves. So how about Gardner for Phillips but the Reds need to give up another asset for the Yanks to deal the cheap Gardner. So I'm thinking Gardner and a prospect or two for the bad Phillip's contract and Homer Bailey. Am I way off or is this realistic?

No one contract is "killing" the Reds financially, but the cumulative effect of the Votto, Bruce, and Phillips deals is restricting them somewhat, or at least that's what they're hinting. Your proposed deal wouldn't fly with the Reds IMO; I think they'd deal Bailey for Gardner, but not Bailey and Phillips, and that deal wouldn't fly with the Yankees. Phillips and Leake, maybe.

I think a more likely scenario, if Cano goes to Seattle (very doubtful), is that the Yankees sign Infante and let him and Johnson duke it out for the 2B job.

Meanwhile, the idea of Soriano playing RF is either potentially tragic or amusing, depending on your viewpoint.

[mike9289]

Anyway you slice it, whether Choo is in left or Gardner is in left, Soriano is the DH. Right field will probably be a platoon of Ichiro and Wells.

[Don Quixote]

But--If Soriano is the full-time DH, what do they do with Jeter, Teixeira, et al when they're too ouchy to play the field, which may be at least 50% of the time?

Yankee fans, was Soriano that bad in LF when he came over from the Cubs? My offhand observation of him last year (only with Chicago) was that his defense there was a major improvement over previous years, to average. I know that left field in Yankee Stadium is cavernous, but it would seem like a misuse of Choo (should they sign him) to stick him in LF with his terrific arm.

[mike9289]

Tex's backup at 1st would be Wells. So against a lefty, Tex could DH with Soriano playing the OF. That takes care of resting Tex. As for Jeter; I don't see too much upside using him as the DH. He could get more full days off with Ryan filling in at SS.

[BuckyBuckner]

Guess maybe now the Yankees will be below the $189 threshold after all.

I don't see them trading Gardner, even if they sign Choo. I feel like Cruz would actually be a better fit? They could use the power from Cruz and he'd be a lot cheaper. There is nothing that says you need to sign all free agents to seven year deals.

I also see them signing Infante instead of trading for Phillips.

[mike9289]

In the space of 2 hours the Yanks lost Cano and then Grandy signs with the cross town Mets. I think its a lock that they sign Choo and if that fails all of a sudden they will decide to go a 3rd year for Beltran.

[BuckyBuckner]

In the space of 2 hours the Yanks lost Cano and then Grandy signs with the cross town Mets. I think its a lock that they sign Choo and if that fails all of a sudden they will decide to go a 3rd year for Beltran.

I don't think losing Granderson is something they are upset about. Certainly not on the level of Cano. Though I agree Choo is very much on their radar now.

With only $2.4M owed to him by the Yanks I assume Wells will not be wearing pinstripes if that happens.

[mike9289]

Guess maybe now the Yankees will be below the $189 threshold after all.

I don't see them trading Gardner, even if they sign Choo. I feel like Cruz would actually be a better fit? They could use the power from Cruz and he'd be a lot cheaper. There is nothing that says you need to sign all free agents to seven year deals.

I also see them signing Infante instead of trading for Phillips.

Wouldn't mind Cruz or Choo or even Beltran. Choo though does make it easier to trade Gardner because he can bat at the top like the Yanks were planning with the Ellsbury/Gardner combo. Plus Choo could spell Ellsbury in CF should there be an injury. But if the Yanks sign another OF and don't trade Gardner, Ichiro becomes a 4th OF at over 10 million.

[BuckyBuckner]

Wouldn't mind Cruz or Choo or even Beltran. Choo though does make it easier to trade Gardner because he can bat at the top like the Yanks were planning with the Ellsbury/Gardner combo. Plus Choo could spell Ellsbury in CF should there be an injury. But if the Yanks sign another OF and don't trade Gardner, Ichiro becomes a 4th OF at over 10 million.

Ichiro makes $6.5M. Not cheap but not $10M. Unless they can get a good young pitcher (better than Leake) for Gardner I don't want to trade him.

[mike9289]

I don't think losing Granderson is something they are upset about. Certainly not on the level of Cano. Though I agree Choo is very much on their radar now.

With only $2.4M owed to him by the Yanks I assume Wells will not be wearing pinstripes if that happens.

Ichiro is the problem not Wells. 2.4 million is not bad for a backup 1B to let Tex DH a few games. Ichiro will be getting paid a fortune to back up Ellsbury Gardner and Choo. That's a top notch defensive trio. No sense DH any of those 3 to play Ichiro. Now if we could get somebody to take Ichiro off our hands that would be great.

[BuckyBuckner]

Ichiro is the problem not Wells. 2.4 million is not bad for a backup 1B to let Tex DH a few games. Ichiro will be getting paid a fortune to back up Ellsbury Gardner and Choo. That's a top notch defensive trio. No sense DH any of those 3 to play Ichiro. Now if we could get somebody to take Ichiro off our hands that would be great.

That would be great but I don't see anyone taking Ichiro. Maybe Seattle with their new found money.

[Bob Kohm]

I would be shocked to see Wells in pinstripes come April-- he's a clear cut situation-- no value to the bat, none to the glove, not a big hit to the wallet to cut him loose. With Kuroda back, that makes the current rotation Sabathia, Kuroda, & Nova-- you figure they have to go balls to the wall for Tanaka now if he's even posted, then you have a bunch of decent options for #5 in Pineda, Warren, Nuno, etc. Not great but livable with Tanaka in the fold.

Right now everything I've seen in the Yankee blogs (and Mike Axisa at RAB is pretty dead on most of the time), Soriano is the RF at the moment with Wells going away and Ichiro likely another cut or fourth OF. They need some more offense, obviously, so going hard for Choo makes sense. Trade Gardner? I can see it-- having Ellsbury & Gardner in two OF spots on a power-short team seems a bit excessive-- but I don;t think they'll be going out of their way to do that.

The infield will be interesting-- I hope they let the Reds stew under that stupid Phillips contract and avoid that pitfall. Infante makes some sense with Johnson as super sub or in a 3B platoon.