When Javier Vazquez's deal with the Marlins becomes official, the Yankees will have earned a sandwich pick in next year's draft in exchange for losing the right-hander. Here are a few other items of interest out of the Bronx….
- Brian Cashman flew to Maryland this week to meet with A.J. Burnett, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider required). While it's not the first time Cashman has met with one of his veteran players during the offseason, the visit was more noteworthy because of Burnett's disappointing 2010 campaign. The Yanks' GM "made it clear" to the 33-year-old that the team still believes in him going forward.
- Former Yankee Tino Martinez tells George A. King III of the New York Post that he's bothered by the way Derek Jeter is being perceived this offseason: "It's making it seem like he is greedy. He is not being greedy. He is going through a baseball negotiation like everybody else. It's made him look like he doesn't know what's happening in the real world, and he is not like that."
- Within the same piece, King says the Yomiuri Giants sent the Yankees $1.2MM for Jonathan Albaladejo, who finalized a one-year deal with the Japanese club yesterday.
- Chad Jennings of the Journal News considers some potential landing spots for Jeter and shortstop alternatives for the Yankees in the unlikely event that the two sides can't reach an agreement.
Sorry, Tino. Jeter is being greedy. This whole silly soap opera is an argument about whether Jeter will be paid merely 2X market value (the $15MM/year Yankee offer) or 3X market value (Jeter’s hilarious demands of $20MM+/year). I’m not a Yankee fan (obviously), but I give Cashman some credit here.
I give Cashman credit as well, but since Tino Martinez has always been one of my favorite players, what Tino says is what I will believe.
Tino, I love you and all, but please no more commentary, you just don’t have the voice =(
Lol, yeah he is awful at announcing.
I wonder if Tino’s bank acct got a little “donation” the day before those comments??
Tino actually works for the Yanks so it’s odd he would say anything against the front office.
Tino actually works for the Yanks so it’s odd he would say anything against the front office.
I agree. It’s admirable for Tino to stick up for a former teammate, but Jeter is what his contract expectations say he is – greedy and out of touch with reality.
Tino could also say Jeter is not like the type of person who would blow off a legendary PA announcer’s funeral services, but he did therefore he is.
Why do the Yankees overpay for every player? Burnett? Yikes.
all teams do, look at the red sox, they just spent a bunch of money on bad players, it’s part of the game
Doesn’t have to be.
Yeah but when you’re getting guys on the open market and you’re known as the team with the most money it’s hard to get guys at below market value. You can argue that they paid CC fair market value since he signed his deal 1 year after Santana signed his and he basically earns the exact same avg as Johan.
Yeah but when you’re getting guys on the open market and you’re known as the team with the most money it’s hard to get guys at below market value. You can argue that they paid CC fair market value since he signed his deal 1 year after Santana signed his and he basically earns the exact same avg as Johan.
the prefect example is buck signing with florida for 18 mill.
Tino, you’re one of my favorite players I’ve ever seen, but Jeter is NOT worth $24 million a year!! Sorry! At his age, he should be kindly obliged that the Yankees still want him for 4-5 more years and willing to pay him $15 million.
Hate to say it, but the Yankees don’t need this when they’re trying to sign Cliff Lee for basically the same deal.
Luke! Post the Phil Rogers column Luke! Sheesh.
Oh Tino, with all due respect, Derek and Casey are dining out with Mary Poppins and Snow White. Seems like Alice might crash the party, too. If it will help you guys break the log-jam and get this business over with, perhaps the BoSox can offer Derek 3 years at $17MM each. Derek has to promise not to accept it, but just hold it up in front of Hank. Then you can make you’re 4 year, $80MM deal, have that make up love session, and everyone gets to be sane and talk happy talk again.
Honestly, though. Shouldn’t the Yanks be offering him some time and money that is not as a player, but doing something else within the organization? This guy is the Joe DiMaggio of his day. There’s no doubt that the Steinbrenners will want him on the payroll for the rest of his life. As their dad would say, “its time to get creative.”
Tino also doesnt know whats happening in the real world. If Chipper Jones was a FA this year, and he was asking for an increase over (or equivalent of) his 2010 $14mm salary, even the Braves would tell him he was out of his mind. Yes, Chipper has meant a lot to the Braves, and he even restructured his contract for them so they could free up money years back. Its just crazy to think Jeter is serious about his self assessed value.
The fact that Cashman flew to Maryland is interesting. I wonder if they talk about some possible moves or a trade and if AJ would consider it. I have to imagine if Cashman is flying solo, and going to his home, that at some point the question of whether AJ is happy in NY or not, could come up. I just find it odd to go there otherwise. I still believe AJ has some value in this now practically depleted pitching market. Can’t think of many other #3’s (and if improved, a #2) available. I’ll stand behind believing he would be a dominant pitcher for a few NL teams. The $16.5 per over 3 years is a lot, but it’s not Zambrano bad. Maybe the Yanks package up AJ, Joba (who would offset or soak up 20 or 25% of AJs contract, and if necessary a lesser prospect to make something like this work. In this order; Brewers, Nationals, Orioles (they do make a lot of sense since it seems they are having a hard time signing free agents which they’ve shown they are willing to do, he lives there full time and the money is ready to be spent), with the Astros and Seattle as possible matches.
AJ has the same agent as Cliff Lee. Maybe that has something to do with it? Or maybe he just wanted to make sure that things were cool and show that AJ is still viewed as an integral part of the team. I doubt that he would try and do anything that would hurt AJ’s feelings prior to Cliff Lee making a decision.
Perhaps. You make a good point.
Again, it is Casey Close that is doing much of the work with the absurd numbers being thrown about, not Derek Jeter himself.
But by now people just want to find a reason to hate the Yankees moreso than usual, so I guess repeating it like a broken record isn’t doing anything good.
I don’t think one person I have read is hating on the Yankees on this issue. They all think that The Yankees are being more than fair and treating their Captain with respect. They are offering more years and money than his performance warrants.
99% of the people are saying that Jeter is being the selfish one, not the team. Unless you equate Jeter with the Yankees which is silly. He is one player, not the team. I am not a Yankees fan but I am totally on their side.
Yankees got $1.2MM from the Yomauri Giants for Albaledejo, thta’s what they need to pay Jeter
I’m really not sure why Cashman would fly out to see AJ, but all I can hope for is they trade him away for something. Considering the amount of arms they have in the farm, if they could sign Lee and deal AJ this offseason or next offseason, they could have a solid young rotation that would be around for years to come.
2011
CC
Lee
Hughes
AJ
Pettite
2012
CC
Lee
Hughes
and have Bentances/Nova/Banuelos/Joba battle for the 4 and 5 spots.
Think you have Pettitte and Hughes mixed up in that rotation order.