The Yankees will decline Damaso Marte's option, as expected. Here are some more notes on the club's pitching staff…
- C.C. Sabathia's investment in the Yankees is not "in the same universe" as Derek Jeter's, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. The Yankees are hesitant to tie themselves up with long-term deals, but there should be common ground for the Yankees and their ace. Sherman proposes a number of deals that could work for both sides, including a five-year, $125MM contract with a vesting option for a sixth year.
- Though the Rangers would have interest if Sabathia hits the open market, Sherman explains that they aren't likely to be among his most aggressive suitors.
- The Yankees don't seem inclined to add three years to Sabathia's contract to keep him in New York, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Sabathia has four years and $92MM remaining on his current deal and he will likely opt out after the World Series. Sabathia's weight gives the Yankees some concern about another seven-year deal.
- The Yankees are beginning their scouting meetings today, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Front office members will discuss possible acquisitions and provide GM Brian Cashman with the information he needs to create his offseason plan.
- Marchand notes that free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda is a possible fit for the Yankees. Though Kuroda appears to prefer the Dodgers if he continues playing in MLB, the Yankees have had interest in him before.
- Rafael Soriano will not opt out of the two years and $25MM remaining on his contract, though there's nothing official yet, according to Marchand.
- Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains that Yu Darvish makes sense for the Yankees because they can use their most abundant resource (money) to add a potential star who fits their offseason needs. Bidding on Darvish wouldn't require the Yankees to surrender a draft pick and wouldn't prevent them from bidding on free agent pitchers such as C.J. Wilson.
- Ivan Nova remains an SFX client, after switching to Legacy Sports for two days, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). As MLBTR's Agency Database shows, Mariano Rivera, Francisco Cervelli and Eduardo Nunez are also SFX clients.
aw, new york media.
it’s back to Japan or stay with the Dodgers for Kuroda
strong japanese presence if the yankees sign kuroda and darvish
Yankees lose either way
Darvish please.
I can’t wait to see the Yankees in a couple of years when they have all of these bloated contracts and old players.
What’s the diff? They can afford to sell those contracts for pennies on the dollar and sign a bunch of new, bloated contracts.
And how about having a very productive farm with more to come?
Farm teams don’t win championships!!
Neither did the Yankees this year.
They’ll still be better than your team
Im pretty sure that his team is the Rangers….
…so in that case, they did all their sucking in advance. Ranger fans have nothing to gloat about until they get a ring on their finger.
Didn’t someone first say this back in 1976?
And what happened in the 80’s and early 90’s? lots of really bad teams. As a Yankee fan I’m very worried about the aging “super”stars. But mostly Mr. July Alex Rodriguez.
I didn’t know the Yankees of the 90’s early 90’s were bad because of bloated contracts?Learn something new everyday.
No, but they were bad because they kept signing aging super stars.
Yankees live on forever baby, get that through your skull.
Just the kind of intelligent, esoteric talk I expect from Yankee fans.
Hate to break to you, but I’m not the only fan that cheers for their team when they are getting slandered by opposing fans.
Yank have had plenty of “bloated” contracts over the last 10 years and it didn’t stop them from being successful. Don’t kid yourself…not winning a WS doesn’t = not being good enough to win a WS. They just chocked a few years.
The Yankees can forget about Kuroda. If he decides to stay in MLB, it’s not going to be with an East Coast team, and probably not any team but the Dodgers. They can throw a ton of dough at Darvish, and they probably will.
What!? Are you calling CC fat?
In other news, I’m really excited to see how the whole Darvish scenario plays out. I’m pumped up to see him here in the states, and it certainly appears as if there are more than enough suitors aside from the usual suspects to make the bidding very interesting
No love for Canada? The Jays, for whatever it’s worth, are already being pegged as frontrunners.
Which to me, means AA isn’t even interested… Real G’s move in silence
I’m still rooting for the Jays to get Darvish. They’re a team on the cusp of really competing, and getting a good, strong, young top of the rotation guy is exactly what they need.
Kuroda and CC aren’t going anywhere, although CC’s new contract should really give the Yankees a yearly weight-based opt out clause.
Seriously just laughed at the yearly weight-based opt out clause.
Hopefully the recognition that it’s foolish to add three years and lots of dollars to CC’s contract extends beyond Cashman, and the Steinbrenners have learned not to listen to Levine who again and again negotiates like he’s either drunk or receiving a commission from the player or his agent.
One $25-30 million per year contract for a player through age 42 is enough — even for the Yankees.
Pursuing Darvish and C.J. Wilson (at the right price, of course, and for the right number of years) makes a lot more sense.
Darvish is going to cost you a hundred million before you even know if he can pitch in the majors.C.J. Wilson is said to be asking for more than a Hundred million.So instead of giving C.C. Sabathia 25-30 million year, a guy who has given the yanks no less than 19 wins per season and 200 plus innings, you are willing to throw more than 200 million in total for two guy who could easily be the second comings of Daisuke Matsuzaka and A.J. Burnett.Seems logical
Daisuke gave the Red Sox just as many rings as CC so far, just saying.
November 15, 2011 (6:52 PM): New York Yankees > Nippon Ham Fighters
“Our bid for Yu Darvish’s rights will be $30,000,000 USD.”
November 15, 2011 (7:26 PM): Nippon Ham Fighters > New York Yankees
“Bid received.”
November 16, 2011 (12:04 PM): MLBTradeRumors
“Breaking News! The bids for the rights of Japanese wunderkind Yu Darvish are in. The team who won exclusive negotiation privileges for the pitcher’s services are the Toronto Blue Jays. Sources say that the winning bid by Alex Anthopoulos was exactly $30,000,001 USD which beat the second highest bid by the New York Yankees by one dollar. Nobody knows if Alex Anthopoulos somehow new this amount, or if it was a wild shot in the dark, but what we can agree on is that once again, the Silent Assassin has struck.”
November 16, 2011 (12:05 PM): MLBTradeRumors
“Breaking News! Only 48 seconds after it was announced that the Blue Jays had won the bidding for Japanese phenom Yu Darvish’s negotiation rights, sources are saying that they have already come to terms on a deal. The contract of $29,999,999 will be paid over six years. Many sources had predicted Darvish to cost between 100M to 160M and AA was somehow able to both purchase the player’s rights and lock him up for only 60M.”
You just wasted like 10 minutes of your life writing that…
You know it’s gonna happen 🙂
I’m sure Darvish is thrilled to follow in the footsteps of Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa straight to immortality in Monument Park
I hope not. I don’t even want to think about how I’d add his name to the Yankees’ Japanese pitching mess that is Hidekei Igabu.
Yudeki Igavish.
I don’t expect darvish to be great or good even face it the only success a team has gotten out of an Asian player is ichiro Suzuki Kurt suzuki hiroki kuroda hideki matsui an sin soo choo and other than ichiro none are great
hideo nomo
and kurt suzuki is American.
Kurt Suzuki is American
Choo is Korean.
Korea is part of Asia.
Only if you know geography it is
Matsui was borderline great his 1st three years. The injuries hurt him the last 4 but he was still a very good hitter. .292/.370/.482 .852 OPS
You apologize a lot for being absent. Maybe you can just not come back and spare us your apologies and “analysis.”
I can’t believe I didn’t stop reading after the Garza bit.
You sure are a baseball whiz……
…Yeah, not so good geography
The Yanks lucked out this past year with the signing of Garcia and Colon, but this won’t be the case this year. I see the Yanks signing at least one#2 starting pitcher either through free agcency or trade.
Go away.
The only pitcher to log more than 2300 IP in last decade. Guess who? CC. The only pitcher to throw more than 180 IP since 2001. Guess who? CC. I honestly don’t believe any of this crap about Yankees being concerned about his weight and all. They will make sure to keep him even if it takes a seven year deal.
Ideal scenario for Nationals, however, is that Yankees actually buy into weight argument, are outbid this off-season, and CC is on board with winning for a new team idea.
oops sorry, Buehrle and Livan are also part of this group.
And you don’t see anything wrong with that group as a basis for why C.C. should be paid?
I did not mention their age. Livan is already 35+, sure to retire soon.
Buehrle, no idea what he is doing but pretty much same age as CC, but not the same pitcher. Even Roy H. has not pitched as many innings as CC.
The point I was trying to make is he is one of select few that qualifies as workhorse and continues to pitch dominant games. He should be paid what he demands. Yes, what he demands is overpay, which Yankees very much obliged to the first time. I don’t see why they wouldn’t the second time. Needs are still the same and options are limited.
I agree that the Yankees need to keep C.C. at all costs, especially considering their financial power. I just don’t think it’s sound reasoning to pay him because he’s alone in a class with Livan and Buehrle in regards to innings pitched.
But, I ran the numbers and your incorrect in your evaluation. You’re counting C.C.’s entire career, which has been 11 years, not 10 and if you add in Halladay’s 2001 season, he sits exactly at 2300 IP, which means that C.C. has averaged roughly 6 more innings pitched per season that Halladay over the last 11 years, which equals a trivial difference.
I think the point I am making is not clear. CC belongs to a rare company of pitchers who can accumulate innings and at a very good ERA. Only Halladay is comparable to him. I just think his weight issues are being talked about more than it deserves.
Your point (that C.C. is a phenomenal pitcher and should be paid) is loud and clear. Your reasoning for why you think that makes little sense to me.
Note: I also believe C.C. is phenomenal, just for different reasons other than he’s in a special group with Buehrle and Livan.
Cc’s opt out clause was given to him in case he or his fam, didn’t like NYC.. Not so he can gain more years and money…if I were the yanks, I let him walk…
He’s a good pitcher, but few teams can afford that contract in his late years …
Nationals surprised everyone last season by overpaying Werth. Yes, it has not worked out yet but there is time before passing judgment on that contract.
I wouldn’t mind if they surprised everyone yet again by getting CC in the fold. However, getting Zimmerman under contract is also a priority. Not sure how they can possibly manage two big contracts.
Oh and I don’t see Yankees walking away from CC with all their pitching issues.
Its not about walking away, its the principle..
his opt out clause was given to him in good faith because of his skepticism about playing in nyc..
So if he doesn’t want to be in nyc, then by all means.. but if he likes nyc, then play out the contract, don’t hold them by the balls to give you more money..
Good Faith? You naive little child.Do you really believe all the intelligent people in the Yankees organization didn’t think about the possibility of CC opting out when they put that clause in his contract.Only a bunch of buffoons would put a opt out clause in an employees contract out of “good faith”.The Yankees are run by some smart businessmen, they didn’t give CC an opt out on some ridiculous notion of good faith.They gave CC that option because they were willing to do anything in their power to sign a player who was hesitant about coming to new york.Nothing more nothing less.If he opt out and they don’t resign him, then that their choice.But not resigning CC will not be about principle,but business.Which it was all about from the start.
“The Yankees are hesitant to tie themselves up with long-term deals”
I laughed.
“Rafael Soriano will not opt out of the two years and $25MM remaining on his contract,
though there’s nothing official yet, according to Marchand.”
I’m shocked that no one commented on this news breaking story! That’s about as news worthy as Vernon Wells not opting out of his contract. I think that I need a colonic after reading that…
Exactly, still waiting on the news to see if Manny Ramirez voids the remaining amount owed to him by the Dodgers and Red Sox.
Kuroda has so much loyalty to the Dodgers considering the team is bankrupt, giving LA a negative vibe and he had literally no run support(which rattles alot of pitchers) Remember his little unlucky streak? It was so hard to watch him pitch
While I’d love to see the Tigers move on Darvish, I can’t realistically see them doing so. Not with Turner and Oliver in the wings and Ilitch saying he was trying to add bats.
I love how all the Yankee haters are already comparing Darvish to Irabu and Igawa especially when we are yet to even get him. Why don’t you make that same comparison to all the elite MLB hitters he schooled in the Baseball Classic.