Comments on: 2012 Top 111 Free Agents: Nos. 20-1

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 23:26:13 +0000

Upton still has one more year of arbitration left. He’d certainly be a very intriguing free agent, given his youth and tantalizing upside.

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:17:59 +0000

spudchukar, my friend. If I may just address your comment to Church. As I seem to recall you also had doubts about the Yankees being able to keep pace once the started on the road trips. Well we all saw they did pretty decently on their west coast trip and did very well on their most recent road trip to Chicago and Cincinnati. Fans continue to underestimate the Yankees and that is never a good idea. One more comment if you will allow me. Sure the Yankees could use some help. But some of that help is just around the corner when players like Hughes, Colon, Chavez, etc… get off the DL. Take my word for it if you don’t think the Red Sox are holding their collective breaths a little you are mistaken. Their starting rotation right now is in shambles. How would you like to have Wakefield and Aceves as 2 of your starters. Also, Lester has looked nothing like he did last year and the same thing applies to Buchholz. Then they have the dynamic duo catching combined they don’t equal on even decent catcher. Now take a look at there supposedly “uber” bullpen that Theo was assembling this past spring. Wheeler and Jenks for all practical purposes have been busts and certainly can’t be relied upon. Bard isn’t very consistent and Papelbon some days he looks great and some days he looks terrible. So tell me again, Boston doesn’t have issues that need to be addressed. In my opinion and it’s just that my opinion every team that’s in contention has issues the need to be addressed and if they aren’t are potential roadblocks to them going deep into the playoffs.

One side note. You are correct the Yankees schedule does get tougher, but the good thing is that when August and September comes around the Yankees will be much more at full strength and fresher then they are now. That too is just my opinion.

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:04:52 +0000

spudchukar, my friend. I’m not at all sure the Mets will hold on to Beltran for the entire season. In fact I seriously doubt they will. If I’m correct and the Mets want to trade him before the trade deadline and they are not willing to eat a good portion of his salary I think they can expect very little in return in the way of prospect. No team including the Yankees are going to make a trade for him this season absorb his huge salary and part with even a quality prospect. Now if they want to eat a substantial portion of his salary and move him by the trade deadline that’s a different story then I think a decent prospect is something I think they can expect. That’s just my opinion.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:42:51 +0000

He is a DH, ready to happen, and in Baltimore his HR output wouldn’t suffer.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:41:16 +0000

To UYF, mi amigo, I do not recall ever doubting the Yanks ability to acquire players by FA. I have played the AKA DA when it comes to trades. That was all I meant, and I thought you were referring to our last conversation about Bedard, but it is all clear to me now that I understand your interest was in Bedard via FA. I agree about Beltran, but my guess is that he will be graded as a Type A, FA so the Yanks will probably have to do better than a first-round pick.

To Church… the DL situation would sure give me pause. Without a major move, I just don’t see how the Yanks can keep up with the Red Sox. You can make the case for Wild Card, but Tampa Bay refuses to go away. Remember their August schedule is absolutely brutal, and while the Rays’ isn’t much easier, they are younger, and have youngsters who are more MLB ready than New York’s. I marvel at the Yankee play to date, and while you are certainly correct to point to their current record, maintaining a .589 winning percentage without help in the second half seems more hopeful than realistic.

By: hittfamily

hittfamily — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:19:26 +0000

I kept waiting to see BJ Upton on the list, but never saw him. He is signed through 2011, which makes him a free agent at the end of the year. I suspect he will get anywhere from 7-10 mil per year on a 3 or 4 year deal, which would put him in the top 20. I am not an expert on this, so I would love to hear others opinions, but a 26 year old center fielder who will hit 20 hr’s and steal 40 bases is pretty valuable.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:01:22 +0000

It is a tough call, but if the Yanks want to be serious players in 2011, somebody treasured will have to go.

They have the second best record in the AL, 3rd in MLB even though two of their five starting pitchers are on the DL, and two of their top four relievers are on the DL. What more needs to happen for them to be “serious players”?

And if I were Seattle I’d trade Bedard while his value is high before his arm falls off.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:58:25 +0000

For that reason ONLY, I said if he opts out, he’s not doing it for the reason the clause was added. So, who guarantees that the Yankees overpay……TWICE.

How have they overpaid him already? Breakdown:
Year – Salary – WAR – +/-
’09 – $14M – 6.3 – +$15M
’10 – $23M – 5.1 – -$2.4M

So in two years, he’s been worth almost $13M more than his contract has paid, and they are overpaying him?

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:34:28 +0000

spudchukar, my friend. I think your reply is in the wrong blog. This blog is about possible 2012 FA. Not additions to rosters for the 2011 season. I just want to make sure we are on the same page. Also, about Bedard the conversation the other day was the same thing, if he’s available via FA. I’m not sure I understand why you keep wanting to insert 2011 possible trades into to this list of possible 2012 FA.
I’ll make this general concession then maybe we can move on. Of course if a team wants to get someone of value they in all likelihood have to be willing to give up something of value. The only caveat for example to that would be in my opinion someone say like Beltran of the Mets. If the Mets want to move him with his salary they can’t expect to get much in return IF the acquiring team is to pick up most if not all of his inflated salary. Now can we move on, my friend.

By: buckybadger

buckybadger — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:33:30 +0000

I know Pujols is the better player and the bigger name but is he really a better FA than the younger Fielder. I would sign Fielder for less and probably get the same amount of production out of him. If Fielder wanted any chance at the HOF he would stay put. He will hit 50-100 more HRs at Miller Park than he would in a lot of other parks.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:10:12 +0000

When it comes to Free Agency, nothing and no one is out of the Yankee’s reach. I just disagree on trade possibilities. Why Seattle would want to trade Bedard, at this time is beyond me, but for argument sake let us say they would. Who would the Yanks trade in return. Sanchez would probably get it done, as would either Banuelos or Betances. But no one else seems to be valuable to the Mariners. It is a tough call, but if the Yanks want to be serious players in 2011, somebody treasured will have to go.

By: Richard In Big D

Richard In Big D — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:03:32 +0000

Wilson getting $80 mil for 5 years is a far cry from a couple of years ago, when the Rangers had their closer carousel going full tilt (is he a closer? a setup man? a 7th inning guy?). Based on CJ’s public persona, and the relationship he seems to have with Nolan Ryan, I’m thinking a hometown discount can be had, if needed…

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:49:35 +0000

Would the Steinbrenners make CJ cut his hair? Hippie!

If the Yankees did sign him, they would have a rotation of CC, AJ, CJ, maybe they could claim JC Romero, sign RA Dickey and accumulate an all-initial pitching staff!

By: tinker61

tinker61 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:27:33 +0000

I never ONCE said the reason for the clause was in writing. I also read that Cashman gave the clause to close the deal just in case Sabathia or his wife was unhappy in New York. That reason was given in every single publication that wrote about the Sabathia signing. For that reason ONLY, I said if he opts out, he’s not doing it for the reason the clause was added. So, who guarantees that the Yankees overpay……TWICE.

By: indyralph

indyralph — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:09:09 +0000

“I don’t think it will get him $300 million, but $220 million-$240 million for eight years would be suitable.”

I think the last three words might need to be “should be expected.” This Cardinals’ fan would love nothing more than for that to happen and then have Pujols put up the 5-7 WAR per year from ages 33 to 40 to make it reasonably “suitable”. But that seems like pretty absurd expectations for the player and also factors in some degree of salary inflation. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that my team will likely overpay to keep one of its greatest players ever, or somebody else will overpay to drag him away.

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:59:19 +0000

I want to preface this comment by saying to spudchukar (AKA: Devil’s Advocate) that my comment is based purely on the premise of Matthew’s blog and potential FA.
I would love to see C.J. Wilson in Yankee Pinstripes. Having said that I think the chances realistically are less than 50/50. I do think the Ranges will put on the all court press to sign him before FA. I think will will ultimately come down if CJ Wilson has enjoyed his time in Arlington and if the Ranger make him a good faith offer. So we will have to see.

About CC and the possibility of him opting-out. I think ultimately he will. I also think ultimately the Yankees will offer him 1 additional year and take on and extra $1M to the remaining years. Making his “new” contract 5 years running through 2016 for $125M +/-.

Those are just my opinions.

By: bigyankeemike

bigyankeemike — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:50:24 +0000

There is NO way the contract that Sabathia signed mentions any reason for him wanting to opt out, only that he HAS the option to opt out. Should this happen, there would be no grounds that the Yankees would have to deem CC in violation of his contract.

Having said that, if I’m CC, I’d opt out. The Yankees will overpay to keep him. It’s what they do.

By: tinker61

tinker61 — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:36:48 +0000

Good article all around. However there are two schools for thought on the CC Sabathia situation. First, He was given that Opt Out clause in case he or his wife wanted out to go back home to he west coast. Second, CC has not been a dominate this season as in the past. I think he has to look at his options in the light of the reason for the Opt Out clause. If he in fact opts out for more money, that goes beyond what the clause was meant for. Plus, He less than the dominate pitcher this season that he has been in the past. The Yankees have some stud minor league pitchers waiting in the wings. Plus. CJ Wilson would be another Yankees option for less money. The Yankees just might tell Sabathia that he’s violated his terms of agreement according to why the clause was allowed since he an his wife have made no secret of how much they both love the area, so find a home.