Cliff Lee and Cody Ross lead Jon Heyman’s list of players who have stepped up this postseason. Lee’s performance will only help his free agent stock and Heyman guesses the bidding for the left-hander will start at $120MM and go up from there. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, which you can find in full at SI.com:
- The Yankees plan to bring Joe Girardi back and give him a raise. Team executives like Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
- The Braves have expressed interest in Eduardo Nunez, a shortstop prospect in the Yankees system.
- Sandy Alderson, a candidate for the Mets GM job, is team owner Fred Wilpon's first choice. Heyman and Joel Sherman reported earlier in the week that Alderson is the favorite for the position.
- The Rangers like Adrian Beltre, but don’t have room for him since they have Michael Young at third base.
Maybe the Yankees manage to trade Nunez for Melky Cabrera to get him back…
#BadJokes
no need, the braves just released melky this week !
riiiiiiight…. forgot about that. shame on me!
Got my vote on that one.
I bet Jeff Wilpon does not want Sandy Alderson at the helm.
Yeah…because Sandy won’t allow him to put on a GM suit whenever he feels like it.
It occurs to me that if Fred is a guy who just can’t bring himself to say no to his son, or reign him in (even when he’d really like to), hiring Alderson may also be his strategic solution to that.
exactly.
its hilarious hearing jeff/fred cross over themselves when they speak. one
minute fred says that in 30 years of being an owner, they have never meddled
in day-to-day activities, that every GM has always had full autonomy. then a
reporter asked jeff…if Omar Minaya ever asked to release Castillo or
Perez, would you have agreed to it ? Fred answers for Jeff…We would have
to review that decision internally between me, myself, jeff, saul and I. ”
so basically, even if omar wanted to release castillo/perez and replace them
with low cost minor leaguers. he would still have to get their “permission”
to do so. ….and thats full autonomy lol
I noticed that too! So much for the 2010 “We’re the Good Guys” media tour featuring the ‘hit’ single “How Ya like Me Now?” :-p
Inside every new Fred & Jeff show is the old one fighting to get out.
i wish i could’ve been a journalist at that press conference. that very obvious hypocritical statement would’ve been highlighted. I also would’ve asked them, if they had full autonomy why did Billy Wagner go to the Wilpons and ask to not have his option picked up. why did wally backman call jeff wilpon for a job…and not Omar Minaya.
I agree. I’ve been skeptical about Alderson accepting the position because I cannot see Jeff Wilpon giving up significant authority to Alderson in order to make the needed moves.It’s every owner’s right to have the final say, but the Wilpons have had too much say in the daily running of the club.Say what you will about Minaya, but it was plain to see that his hands were tied this past season. Will Wilpon give Alderson the freedom to do what he thinks is best on all matters or not? Will Alderson accept the job with conditions or not?
since taking total control of the team in 2002, they have been through 3
GM’s ( an average of 2.5 years per ). attendance has declined for 2 straight
years. they have an impatient fickle fan base. play next to the most storied
franchise in the universe. play in the same division as the best team in the
NL ( who just dramatically improved their staff for the next 2-3 years ) and
have a solid offensive base. the braves are on the comeup, the nats and
marlins are really trying. they have 130 mil committed to next season, they
need a new manager, new hitting instructor, and assorted parts.
i have a feeling the 2011 will have 85% of the roster from 2010. I also
think Wally Backman could’ve probably squeezed 10-12 more wins out of this
club.
Add to that the fact that the Phils & Braves are just stacked on the minor league levels — for what looks like for years to come (hat tip to fan who sent me that great link), — and the Marlins traditionally develop great prospects despite their narrow budget. Yeah…we got t-r-o-u-b-l-e-s.
I agree with just about everything you say except Backman. Wally is an in your face type of manager, something that works with kids but I’m not so sure that’s going to work with the veteran prima donna’s that the Mets have currently. He’s won in the minors, but again the low minors that deal mostly with youngsters.I really think he’ll be the manager this coming season because the Wilpons want that fan favorite, that has the ties to their winning glories of the past. But I’m not certain he has the experience or the skills sets for the bigs right now.
honestly i think the stuff about wally’s temper is a lil overblown. interviews with past players like dan uggla and also the players on this team have shown that it isnt anywhere as bad as it seems. its not like he is the 2nd coming of Billy Martin.i know his defensive knowledge, base-running knowledge are up to par. he seems like a pretty good strategist. I just want to know how good he is with managing a pen.
“You can’t yell at the team thirty times a season. I’ve had maybe three times this season when I’ve sat the team down and said my piece,” explained Backman. “You have to know when to pick your times.”
After losing in the playoffs…
“I take losing personal,” he reminded reporters. “I hate losing. I’m proud of my players, but they have to learn from this loss. They have to learn how to better prepare themselves for each play. Maybe losing this game will ultimately be a good thing for them if it teaches them how to better prepare to win, and it helps them to reach their goal – to make the big leagues.
“I told them to remember how they feel after losing tonight so that they never have to feel that way again.”
If the Mets had ANYONE remotely close to that in 2005-2008, I think the outcome may have been different ( no disrepect to Willie )
Now, seriously: Michael Young is the ultimate team player. Has switched from 2nd to SS to 3rd base. Let’s say the Texas do get a chance to sign Beltre… they have an opening at 1st base since Mark Teixeira left, and I don’t think Mitch Moreland is the future for them. Anyone think Young would accept a move to 1st? Anyone think he could play that position? I do… just sayin’
lol is all im sayin’…why do you think Moreland is not the future? He is young and promising and will only get better.
I don’t know if I am the only one, but I totally disagree with you.
ok, ok. Maybe it’s my “win now” mentality and maybe this Moreland kid has something in him that I haven’t seen… but TODAY a lineup with Young and Beltre is much better than one with Young and Moreland. Don’t think one can disagree with that.
Like I said: the whole thing is speculation, as there is no evidence that Young would aproove a move to 1st. Plus, I don’t think he ever played first base. But, who knows…
Young doesn’t need to approve any move, he’s owed 48m, he moves to 1B or doesn’t get paid.
where does he bat in the lineup? gonna pay him a ton of money and bat him 7th?
I see your logic, and the Rangers will have money to spend. But most, if not all of it will probably go towards locking up Cliff Lee, Josh Hamilton, Nellie Cruz and CJ Wilson if there’s money left over. In light of that, and seeing how the Rangers lineup isn’t starving for impact hitters, I think they’ll stick w/ Moreland at first.
Personally, I love the guy anyway. He slumped a little down the stretch, but he’s proven to be a much more disciplined hitter than Smoak or Davis were. He’s done everything the team has asked of him and more so far, and I think he has the potential to at least be a league average first baseman on both sides of the ball. Kind of like Lyle Overbay, except younger, cheaper and w/ a cooler name. And that’s exactly what the Rangers need
Well he played below-average defense at 2B, SS, and 3B, so why not give 1B a try 😉
Someones not a Michael Young fan.
I actually love his swing, but what’s wrong with pointing out that he’s never had any range?
im not saying the guy is great defensively, but his Gold Glove probably says he is above “below-average”
Then god damn hire Sandy then. Fred, put the smack down on your son.
Fred?…”smack down”…JEFF?? You really gotta lay off the drugs dude…ain’t gonna happen! :p
Seriously, I hear you about the hire…I wish they’d cut it out with the media hype & antics and just get on with it, but that would be so sensible the Wilpons would never dream of it!
Nunez + Brackman for Minor?
No thanks. I’m really missing what makes Nunez so valued. I know that outside prospect lists aren’t the end all of talent evaluation, but I can’t seem to find Nunez on any top 20 Yankee prospect lists.
I thought he was on all their top-20 lists.
In fairness to Nunez, he was on the Yankee top-10 list back in 2006, although I guess that spoke more towards the weakness of the system beyond Phil Hughes at that point.
He’s not some great blue-chip prospect. He’s never going to be an all-star. He doesn’t even have great defense. But he can hit a little, and has good speed, and plays an adequate shortstop. Given the state of the position in the league, I can see why he would be valuable to other teams.
I’m not one to propose trades, but I like Nunez a lot. But will trade him and Joba for Heyward. Is that reasonable or what?
No i don’t think so…
Stick to the not proposing trades thing.
Is this a serious trade ‘offer’?
@ Zack23, @theyankeefanatic
Now you see why I don’t propose trades.
And the whole Yankees farm system.
You just offered Nunez and Brackman for Atlanta’s very own Baby Jesus? Shame on you. You could offer Montero and two others and I doubt they would give him up. He looks like he can be a good//great player and isn’t he from Georgia as well?
It was Nunez and Joba, but your point is well taken
The Braves would have to throw in Hanson
i hope they don’t trade Eduardo Nunez…unless they are going to package him with a pitcher(s) and get better ss for the future…and not keep Jeter there for more than one more season…
now Eduardo Nunez and Curtis Granderson…for Hanley Ramirez makes more sense…the Yankees might need to throw in a good propect pitcher with that…
Marlins would laugh, then hang up.
What if they threw in a Yankee key-chain?
That and a 5 buckets of balls.
Driving Range Balls or Prov1s?
the sad part…is that yankee fans are really serious about proposals like this.
Hey, two is more than 1! Marlins would be stupid to say no to such a deal!
You want to discuss sadness? The Marlins have ended up taking a bucket of balls for almost every player who gets expensive. I’m not saying they wouldn’t want more, but their biggest complaint about taking Granderson and Nunez for Ramirez would be Granderson’s salary.
And yes, I know that Ramirez was one of the balls in a previous bucket they got for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Prospects work out, prospects fail, but the Marlins give away every good player they develop.
C’mon now. I think he was joking. He doesn’t speak for the majority.
Let’s face it…The Marlins do make trades pretty often so the Yankees have to have a few players they would trade him for…and if Granderson did not get injured it’s possible his stats top Hanely this year…
depends on the quality of the picture put in the package…Hanely has become known as a guy…who doesn’t like losing and when things are not going well he doesn’t hustle…Dan Ugla and others have said it…his numbers down this year and he has shown deminishing power and he is not stealing bases like he use to…so i think a trade like this is doable…but like i said it depends on the pitcher in the trade…no one thought the Yankees could get Swisher for what they got him for…i accept i don’t know alot about trades but the Yankees have some talented pitching that the Marlins might like…
Nunez is a decent major league ready shortstop prospect but from what I can tell he isn’t the special talent the Yanks would want to replace Jeter. He could probably hit around .300 in the bigs but his ability to take a walk isn’t very good and he hasn’t shown much power. The Yanks must really see something in him to think so highly of him and with the Braves sniffing around too I may just be missing something.
“But New York may see him as an heir apparent to Derek Jeter (in a year or two, anyway),” -Heyman
I have a hard time thinking a guy who will be 24 next year with a full year in AAA and some MLB time will still be around when Jeter retires.
You are correct. At 24 he needs to start playing in the majors.
I see Nunez as a nice trade piece if the right opportunity comes along. If no one is interested, he might get warehoused in AAA in case of a season ending injury to Jeter.
If that happens, he’ll be ruined by the time he’s given the opportunity to move up to the next level.
i am a Yankee fan and i love what Jeter has done…but for the life of me i don’t know what everybody’s fasanation with him is at this stage of his career…if the Yankees can use an assortment of players in a fair trade to get Stephen Drew or Hanley Ramirez…then why not do it…they keep very few prospects and they can Package Nunez with other player/prospects and maybe send some cash and get one of these players…what is it about Jeter that makes everybody want to keep him in pin stripes now…He’ll be 37 in june 2011…it’s just not a sound baseball move…
Intangibles. People love Jeter’s intangibles. You can’t put a price on intangibles…
That’s pretty much as I see it. That was the reasoning for my short lived trade proposal. I found it strange that Atlanta, who has talent in their system would inquire about Nunez, and thought maybe they see something others don’t?
The scouting of Nunez is due to the fact we have no gap-filler between alex gonzalez and mycal jones, who is the heir apparent if his glove develops. That is if they move Simmons to the mound and Lipka to CF. Nor do we have much positional prospects after Freeman. Every top prospect is a P and the position players aren’t showing much.
The Braves are usually good at spotting talent when they see it so I would trust their word.
But why would Girardi take a raise from the yanks when the Mets are so interested in him. It makes no sense. (Sarcasm)
Hey people- stop with the Nunez for elite player trade proposals.
heyman kills me only 6/120 for lee? i am pretty sure that if Lee beats the yanks in game 7, if it gets that far, that they will paying him more than CC i think 6/160 is looking good just because of what he has done in the post season.
Lee won’t beat the Yanks in game 7. Lewis will get er down tonight!!
Wow…I think it’s “get ‘er done”. If you’re going to speak hick talk then at least do it right. And there will be a game 7. And as for Lee. He isn’t going to get $26 + mil per which is what 6/160 avgerages out too
Before you say what the Yanks will pay for him, what will the marketplace dictate. CC was signed the year after the Yanks failed to make the playoffs for the first time in years. So they payed about 20-25% more than any other suitor.
Whether the Yanks make it to the series or not, they have a good team right now, and other options. I can’t see them paying more than 10-15% more than another team, unless that team is a direct threat to blocking a World Series appearance.
So here’s the deal: figure out what others will pay Lee and that tells you what the Yanks might give up. Whom do you see as the players and what money do you think they’ll offer?
CC was also 4 years younger as a FA.
It will go something like this.
Cashman: “Hey Darek it’s Cash. How are you”.
Darek: “Hey dude it was great seeing you down in orlando”.
Cashman: ” Yeah those GM meetings were boring but O-towns got the best strip clubs right”?
Darek: “Yes indeed. Thanks for the hook up too”.
Cashman: “So dude like I said. I’ve already signed two of your client into the fold (AJ and Dustin) and we’d love to add Cliff to the team as well. We all love the guy and we all know how great he would look in pinstripes”.
Darek: “Yeah Cliff is well aware. Btw, Dustin is interested in coming back too”.
Cashman: “Great, great. That kid has heart. So like I said in Orlando. We are ready to offer Cliff a 5 year $100 mil contract. We know it’s early and you have to take other calls…
Darek: “Absolutely”.
Cashman: “..but we want Cliff badly and would love a chance to talk before you accept anyone’s offer. So please shop around but make sure you give us a call once teams have made their best offers and let’s see if we can make this happen”.
Darek: “Absolutely. I think AJ mentioned something about Thansgiving dinner at his house so Cliff and I will be in NY around then”.
Cashman: “Yeah CC mentioned something about that to me. So let’s do this. Call me the day before you come into town and let’s hang out. CC, Reggie, AJ and I will show Cliff around town. It’ll be cool”.
Darek: “That sounds great. Hey if CC is coming over to AJ’s for Thanksgiving dinner I better tell AJ to have his wife cook an extra Turkey”.
Cashman: “Haha.. yes the big man does like his Turkey”.
(laughing in the background).
Darek: “Haha..I’ve got you on speaker. That’s Cliff laughing in the background. he said you’re crazy. Hey Cash…”.
Cashman: “I’m here”.
Darek: “Cliff says you should bring your check book to dinner”.
Cashman ” Haha….never leave home w/ out it ‘bro. See you soon”.
Darek: “Haha…ok”.
Click…
TEHERAN!!(just pullin your leg, braves fans.)
But what would they have to offer tho?
Nunez is sort of an interesting prospect. I doubt he will hit .300 in the majors but I think he can be a solid .275/.340 SS w/ speed and a decent glove. Nothing spectacular but good for an mlb SS until something better comes along. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really serve much of a purpose for the Yanks other than being a better option over Ramiro Pena with the bat. However, I don’t see the benefit of trading him if for no other reason than allowing him to get some PT time elsewhere.
I say the Yanks trade Nunez and try to get the best return possible. Yeah he’s not an elite SS prospect but he’s an above average player at the position. I do think he’s a .300 hitter with the ability to hit 10-15 HRS. If Atlanta’s asking for him I say we ship him over there for someone like Nate Mclouth. Maybe K-Long can restore him to his 2008 form. Nunez deserves a chance to prove himself as a regular and I don’t see the Yanks starting him as much as he should. This offseason should be interesting.
McLouth would be an expensive and unneeded 4th of.
that’s never stopped the Yankees before
no no no people you all got it wrong. we’re going to trade tim hudson for nunez. hudson is gonna suck in ny like vazquez, nunez is also going to suck for us and get released like melky. come one seriously wren? why nunez?