Comments on: The Yankees are checking in on Josh Hamilton

By: jjpileggi

jjpileggi — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:10:53 +0000

A signing of Hamilton probably means Cano and Granderson HAVE to be traded to keep under next year’s payroll limit. Hamilton in center, Ichiro in right, Gardner in left. Who plays second? Who plays third? Tough times for Cashman. No one who is a Yankee fan has patience for a “rebuild” year (if you call that line-up and payroll a “rebuild”), but Hal wants to avoid the luxury tax.

John Pileggi

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:25:31 +0000

Hamilton’s agency also represents catching prospect Austin Romine. It’s easy to imagine a conversation whose primary purpose was to discuss Romine’s back injury and the Yankees’ plans for him for 2013, ending with:
Moye: Any thoughts about Josh?
Cashman: Not really interested.

And then:
Moye: I’ve been talking to Cashman about Josh.
Mystery GM: Really?

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:11:58 +0000

And what does Scott Boras have to do with this?

By: basedrum777

basedrum777 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:50:50 +0000

This is actually kinda funny… not sure why the thumbs down…

By: Ari Collins

Ari Collins — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:39:04 +0000

Player options count towards the AAV. But! You could do it with TEAM options and a handshake agreement that they’d be picked up.

I don’t think anyone would try to exploit that loophole, because it would be obvious what they’re doing and the MLBPA and the commissioner would get involved. But it’s theoretically possible and a neat loophole.

By: angrycorgi

angrycorgi — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:13:17 +0000

Yeah, I wsn’t saying it to discredit Josh, just stating that I thought ALL of this is already public knowledge. Not sure what background check really needs to be done.

By: fanofevilempire

fanofevilempire — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:38:45 +0000

Scott Boras went to a Halloween party……………………..
as a rival GM……………………….

1 YEAR-20-25 MILLION

By: randygnyc

randygnyc — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:31:21 +0000

Kevin, I think UFY meant something like giving him a 1 year deal for 50 million and 2 option years (team held) for 10 million each. That would mean that 2014 there would be only 10 million towards the 189 million number the Yankees are trying to get under.

By: mybrunoblog

mybrunoblog — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:20:45 +0000

“A rival gm” ?? Great source. Sound like somebody just throwing up some flack to try and muddy up the waters. We all know there is little to no chance the Yankees sign Hamilton.

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:06:08 +0000

Eh, I didn’t really care about the Yankees anyway…just added them in because this was a post about them and I didn’t want to hear people complain that I brought only the Phillies into it

By: sdelmonte

sdelmonte — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:59:54 +0000

In all fairness to Levine, Soriano was a great pick up in the end.

But sooner or later, Cashman will sit through one too many deals he doesn’t like and see his fortunes elsewhere.

By: foreverbuddha

foreverbuddha — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:56:54 +0000

Babe Ruth love to drink a lot and look what he did on the field.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:48:39 +0000

Because the Yankees are more worried about the luxury tax than the actual payouts. Five years, $100 million would deliver a $20 million/year tally to the tax bill, regardless of whether or not the payout is $20M/$20M/$20M/$20M/$20M or $10M/$10M/$10M/$10M/$60M.

By: angrycorgi

angrycorgi — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:44:27 +0000

90% I mean…lol

By: angrycorgi

angrycorgi — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:44:08 +0000

A background check?? WTF background do you need? The guy is who he appears to be…a slugger that used to be on drugs and alcohol and struggles with sobriety on a daily basis. He’s got a book…maybe the steinbrenners can get it on tape and listen to it today and save some $$$ on “background checks” to find information that 9% of the US already knows.

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:00:46 +0000

How’s this for being creative to sign him and still stay under the tax threshold in 2014. Sign him for big money for 2013 on a guaranteed 1 year deal. Then have a series of 1 year player options with 2014 and 2015 being relative small then they go up big time for say 2016 and 2017. Each option year is only counted towards the luxury tax team payroll I believe. Effectively he still gets the total and the years he might be seeking all he has to do is exercise the options every year. Plus the fact Granderson’s payroll will be coming off the books after 2013 also.

By: number42is1

number42is1 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:55:54 +0000

Cannot be unseen

By: uyf1950

uyf1950 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:53:54 +0000

A “rival” GM knows what the Yankees are doing behind the scenes, that’s laughable.

By: tashkalucy

tashkalucy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:38:45 +0000

No where else to put it, so have to put it here……

The Cleveland Indians crack ownership, front office and PR head wish you all a happy holiday!

http://www.mejuba.com/albums/NotMarkShapiro/134008/5151377/1

By: tigertigerwoodsyall

tigertigerwoodsyall — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:16:35 +0000

I’m starting to think that they’ve been waiting for trade offers (grandy) before giving it a serious look. Maybe they’ve found a way to trade him and get young and cheap players in return…freeing up the money it will take to land him. Who knows…but if Hamilton goes to the mariners, he’s wasting the next 3 playing years. With his body, these could be his best years (if he hasn’t already had them).

By: redsoxchamp11

redsoxchamp11 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:14:51 +0000

I would love to see a full work up in this guy. That would be a best seller. Didn’t I hear or read someone was making a movie about him?

By: ryanrockzzz

ryanrockzzz — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:11:26 +0000

Totally agree. Revere was a great move for the top of the order, but the Phillies can’t be satisfied adding a guy who has no power to the lineup. If the going rate is a 3yr deal….that would be perfect for any club with Hamilton. Chances are he will have a solid year this year and next, with maybe only the third year of that deal being risky.

That being said, the Phillies haven’t been linked with Hamilton at all, so unless they are pulling a Cliff Lee here, It seems he’s waiting on Texas first befor heading out to Seattle.

By: xmatt0926x

xmatt0926x — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:11:04 +0000

If the numbers they were talking about yesterday for Hamilton( 3 years at $25 million) were real then more teams should be checking in on Hamilton, including the Phillies and Red Sox. 4 years at $25 million per seems like a pretty reasonable gamble even with Hamilton’s issues.

By: number42is1

number42is1 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:03:04 +0000

checking in = thinkg about signing
or
checking in = his sober buddy
cause honestly either one is possible

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:51:41 +0000

They probably see how small the contract offer(3 years….between $60 and $75 million??) appears to be for him from the Mariners and figured they could beat that with something in the range of 5 years and $100 million back-loaded. I am hoping Ruben also is checking into Hamilton, who would balance out Ben Revere’s lack of power. If I’m the Phillies(and the Yankees), I don’t see why you can’t add a couple years and back-load the bigger years to when the big contracts are done…something like $15, $15, $20, $25, $25. Hamilton gets a couple more years of security. Unless he thinks he will get more than $15/year when this contract with the Mariners is through.

By: gt929

gt929 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:49:07 +0000

Background check? Ha. For some reason that makes me lol.