Nick Swisher hits free agency this coming offseason and Curtis Granderson’s contract expires following the 2013 season, so the Yankees face questions about the composition of their outfield at the same time that they're aiming to lower payroll below the $189MM luxury tax threshold. Joel Sherman discusses what he calls a looming outfield deficiency in his latest column at the New York Post. The highlights:
- There is “pretty much zero possibility” the Yankees will retain Swisher if they are serious about lowering payroll below $189MM by 2014, Sherman writes. Swisher has “done a hell of a job” in New York, GM Brian Cashman told Sherman.
- The Yankees’ best outfield prospects still need minor league seasoning. Immediate solutions are “not coming from within,” Cashman said.
- Sherman suggests the Yankees don’t want to reunite with Melky Cabrera, the former Yankee outfielder who’s now enjoying success in San Francisco as he approaches free agency.
- Cashman said the Yankees are not looking to address future outfield issues at the upcoming trade deadline, however. “You would like to have security and a comfort level. But we are not going to find that now, so why worry about it?”
- The Yankees offered Ben Sheets a minor league contract after watching him throw, Sherman reports. The Mets didn’t have interest in Sheets, who signed with the Braves.
I’ll tell you who they’ll probably sign after Granderson bolts.
Jacoby Ellsbury. Yes he’s hurt but he’ll probably rebound next year and if he matches his 2011 production in 2013 (and he comes back in 2012 and produces) he’ll be able to make the case to make Carl Crawford’s albatross of a contract–7yrs, $142MM–the starting point of negotiations. (Having Scott Boras as his agent helps there)
As a Red Sox fan, the fact that Ellsbury will very likely don pinstripes really makes me hate Theo Epstein for lusting after Crawford.
In response to likely comments that Ellsbury is “soft” I will preemptively say that in 2010 he got run over by a human tank (Beltre) and in 2012 a guy landed on his shoulder at second base.
Won’t happen.
I just looked at my sons baseball card and found the Adrian Beltre one, he’s
5-11 220. That is more like a tank that was crushed in a car dump.
He was 240 lbs when he hit .334 with 48 HRs back in ’04 with the Dodgers
(compared to 220 lbs and .240 with 23 HRs in ’03)
yankees wont sign ellsburry.
I think you are missing the point about not being able to resign the players they have now – because of the new restrictions in the CBA. So how would they sign Ellsbury at 150 million?
They will sign Marlon Byrd.
Ok, the “50 games suspended” Byrd??
I don’t think they sign ellsbury especially if it will take a crawford contract to get him. He had one year of power and didn’t show it any other year (kinda like mauer) and he has been injured alot in his time with the sox. They would be better off keeping granderson.
The injuries were both freak accidents really. I mean if Adrian Beltre kicked you in the ribs I bet they would shatter too. and Sean Rodriguez landed on his shoulder when he was sliding into second. Freak accident.
OK so let’s say he doesn’t go to the Yankees. The fact that the Carl Crawford deal which is like an anvil crushing the Red Sox backs will prevent them from signing the superior player (Ellsbury) really makes me hate Theo Epstein. Yes he won two World Series as GM of the Sox but after 2008 his track record went down hill. Trades for Bay…let’s him walk. Trades for Victor Martinez…let’s him walk.
Free Agent signings: Drew, Dice-K (via posting system), Lackey, re-upping Beckett early, Cameron, Jenks, Crawford, not to mention Lugo & Rent-A-Wreck.
Letting Alex Gonzalez walk (twice!)
He made his best moves (trading Nomar, picking Ortiz up off the scrap heap) early on. Then he left the Sox in smoking ruin.
You’re seriously whining about letting Bay and Martinez walk? Bay has been awful since leaving the Sox (not to mention it was replacing Manny) and Martinez was a long term answer at first or DH, not catcher.
Drew was actually good for the Sox when you consider the alternative was to let WMP be a regular and Drew was one of the best defensive right fielders during the first 4 years of his contract. And Alex Gonzalez… really?
Get. Over. It.
hey man no need to be rude. It’s true though! They gave up Masterson, who has been a good pitcher for the Indians, in exchange for Martinez.
All things considered that trade looks bad because the Sox seriously could have used Masterson in 2011 (I mean Kyle Weiland…REALLY?!
I know hindsight is 20-20 but at the time that they let V-Mart walk, the Adrian Gonzalez trade hadn’t been made, and Youkilis was coming off an injury, meaning they could have made V-Mart their Firstbasemen and possibly chased Gonzalez on the free market. Again, hindsight.
As for Bay, he was awful with the Mets at least partially b/c of the size of Citi Field compared to PNC Park (Pittsburgh) and Fenway Park (Boston).
Alex Gonzalez was a tremendous defensive shortstop. He wasn’t a star, but he was better defensively then Rent-a-wreck or Julio worthess. They acquired him. Twice. and then let him walk. Twice. They clearly liked his defense if they went out of their way to get him back in 2009, but then after the season decided “eh”. Fine. I’m over it, but if you compare his defense to Scutaro’s he is the better defender IMHO.
J.D. Drew…my biggest issue with him is that contract. He was a good defensive right fielder but he was overpaid for his production (i.e. home runs and RBI totals). He took his walks which helped his OBP (good so he was a paitent hitter) but his batting average was average at best for someone described as a “great pure hitter”. His power numbers never impressed me. I’m thankful to him for that Grand Slam in the 2007 ALCS, but I count that as a horrible contract.
Not to mention that by picking out those few to insult me for mentioning you forgot to include counter points to Lugo, Renteria, Daisuke, Jenks, Crawford, Lackey, re-upping Beckett early, et all. Crawford it might be “too early” but if you consider Carl Crawford will directly prevent them from retaining the services of Ellsbury, a superior player, that contract looks horrible.
you know who else they have instead of v-mart?
henry owens, a 19 y/o with a 13.04 K/9
jackie bradley, now a top 3 prospect in their system who walks (16%) more than he strikes out (14%) and is hitting .346/.458/.498 for the year
have a bad feeling that Swisher’s going to be playing RF for the Dodgers next year.
Why is that a bad thing? Swisher is a better hitter than anyone in the Dodgers lineup but their 2 main OFers. He’s also not that bad defensively. And a matter of fact, while he doesn’t have a lot of expeirence there, Ethier is a better defensive LFer than he is in RF. So there’s a possibilty Ethier gets moved to LF if Swisher came. Don’t also leave out that Swisher can also play 1B, but I don’t know if the Dodgers, assumign they got him, would put him there to be their full time 1B
because a third solid OF isn’t their biggest concern right now, considering they have the worst corner infielders in baseball and a starting pitching staff that has completely overperformed this season.
because if they do sign a big name OF, I’d rather they go all out and try and get Hamilton or take a risk on somebody like Upton or Ellsbury who may be willing to take on a smaller/shorter contract to prove themselves.
because i’m not convinced that Swisher’s power will stay the same when he’s spending 100+ games at Dodger Stadium, Petco, and Phone Bill Park.
because he currently operates under the pressure of “best power hitter that’s not named A-Rod, Texiera, Ibanez, Cano, or Granderson” and that’s a bit different than being “best power hitter that’s not matt kemp.”
I could keep going. He’s a great guy, fun to watch, but I see him flopping as a Dodger.
As I said, Swisher also plays 1B. Nothing to brag about defensively but neither is James Loney who’s bat is well below average.
And there is absolutely NO chance Ellsbury gets a smaller contract than Swisher. BJ Upton, maybe.
No his power will not stay the same but I’m sure his OPS can still be above the .800 mark. He actually has a better career OPS Away than at Home.
Swisher is a guy who easily helps out the Dodgers And he would not be costly either.
I think Cashman is overlooking an option in the outfield that can really help the Yankees. His name is Ronnier Mustelier. He’s a 27 year old outfielder who has hit at every level this season and is currently hitting .300 with 7 homeruns 34 rbi and a 1.010 OPS in AAA. He’s primarily listed as a second baseman, but he’s had experience in the Outfield. The Yankees are in need of a Shane Spencer, Kevin Maas like call up from within. It would be foolish to say that Mustelier could provide that type of instant production, but it is not outlandish to believe he is an upgrade offensively over Jayson Nix. If Mustelier were called up to take over Nix’s spot on the bench, he would be a guy from within that adds the depth and security that Cashman is looking for.
It cracks me up how the Yankees keep talking about shrinking their payroll
Is Cashman going to start clipping coupons?
Lmao
Yanks should let swish walk and concentrate on granderson. Swisher has been good but granderson is the premier player.
will also be that much more expensive.
If Gardner comes back healthy he can fill the CF position, then you can put power on the corners. That would only be if they are serious about cutting payroll.
because curtis is going to get paaaaaaaaaidddd
That along with Cano’s contract or extension will be more expensive, although do keep in mind after 2014, Soriano’s contract is done, Rivera’s contract is done assuming he gets a 1 year deall, Jeter’s contract is over but if he takes the 4th year option (actually I should say When, not if), his contract goes down to I think $8 mil. And A-Rod’s contract, thank the Lord, decreases every year here on out. Also, AJ Burnett’s contract is officially done with.
Yes curtis will get paid but even tho yanks say they slash payroll that doesnt lead me to believe they wont resign granderson no matter the cost. Gardner is fine but hes not in same league.
It’s definitely a possibilty to get it under $189 mil, but there’s no way they can sign Granderson, Cano and another big star and get it under $189 mil
Depends on what’s included in the $189 mil. If ~$10 mil for benefits, potential $6 mil bonus for ARod and Jeter’s $8 mil for 2014 are counted, the AAV for 4 players (ARod, CC, Tex, Jeter) come to exactly $100 mil…
I believe the benefits/bonuses are not counted towards a team’s payroll. There was a Jayson Stark article about that. If that’s true, CC ($23 mil) + A-Rod ($25 mil) + Tex ($22.5 mil) + Jeter ($8 mil) in 2014 would be $78.5 million
Swisher is a great player than can give you superstar (at times) production at “common card” price. I wish the White Sox would have kept him and got rid of Ozzie and his circus instead. I wonder who will sign him and if he will get a huge contract. Seems like a team like the Mets would do alright by getting him if he doesnt get a lot. Any other suggestions?
Curtis Granderson is from Chicago, I would absolutely love it if the White Sox signed him to play CF, moved De Aza to LF and Viciedo to 3B. Won’t happen because he’s gonna command a HUGE contract and will most likely stay with the Yankees, but I can dream.
All I know is that wherever Swish ends up he’ll play hard and have a blast doing it. It’s unfortunate Ozzie drove him out of town.
I feel like Viciedo at 3B would be somewhat scary. If he could do it, that’d be great, but considering they didn’t even want to put him there for interleague, I don’t see that happening.
I was wondering what was up with that during interleague haha
Take Upton and Young from Arizona…. please…
I wouldnt mind Upton, but i highly doubt arizona gives him up concidering he under contract for 2 o 3 more years. but he is a guy id say give Mason Williams up for. but not chris young lol.
Swisher is gonna get some good dough when he hits the market. Im expecting a three yr plus deal for the guy
Swisher will be gone at the end of the year, Grandy will be resigned unless they can land Hamels. Cashman will have to pick and choose his spots from now on to stay under the 189 million cap. He will try to back load whoever he signs to a long deal to mirror the other big contracts. If Nova and Hughes continue to improve it will help him make these tough decisions. I like Swisher in LA with the Dodgers next year. They are going to spend some money to upgrade.
The Yankees can absolutley land Hamels and they have the resources too aswell. However I don’t know if signing Hamels outweighs resining Granderson.I guess it does because pitching wins games and outside of the homers Granderson has not done much else this year.
Sabathia
Hamels
Nova
Kuroda
Hughes/Garcia(assuming he stays in the bronx)
any Yankee fan would be okay with that.They should add a few other bullpen guys though to back up Rivera(next year if he plays again which he says he will),Robertson,Wade and Soriano.
I would not be okay with that. Instead of Kuroda, save the 10m and bring up a pitching prospect. Also, break up the lefties.
While it is true the Yankees best OF prospects are in low minors one guy who intrigues me as a year/ two year stop gap is Ronnier Mustier. He is a 27 year old Cuban in AAA who has an .896 OPS in 505 career minor league plate appearances. I hope the Yankees call him up some point this year. Hopefully the guy isn’t a AAAA player.
Johathan, with the way Wise has been playing lately there was no room for him. He might get a shot next year.
Right now the Yankees outfield is stuffed and when Gardner gets back it will be even more stuffed then it is now.The Yankees currently have Ibanez,Swisher,Granderson,(Gardner pending return),Jones and Wise.Trust me there is no room for him.Next year seems more fitting
I don’t mean right away I mean if people get hurt. Or during September.
Don’t forget Dickerson.
at the end Swisher will be a Yankee in 2013…period
Only if he takes a paycut.
I never thought I’d see the day when the Yankees are cost conscious. How much is the luxury tax hit they would be dealt if they don’t get below the $189 threshold?
The Yanks only need to be under the cap of 189 for 2014, after that they will increase their spending. It’s only makes sense.
50%.
Swisher or Quentin are two big bats that would fit great in ATL.
Curtis is coming back to the Tigers, where he belongs……just imagine an outfield of, Berry, Granderson and Jackson………..nothing hit in the air will hit the ground.
Im going to be honest here and blunt the Yankees do not know how much they will lose if they do not sign Granderson.He is arguably the best outfielder they have had in this decade outside Bernie Willams
I agree with you Sean, the Grandy man is playing great again, and is a perfect fit for the Yanks. I would only think of letting him go if I could land Hamels.
Yanks need to trade for Carlos Beltran from the Cards this offseason. Cards have Craig ready to play RF and 1st baseman Matt Adams tearing up AAA ball. Beltran would have only one year left on his contract for $13 million. He has a NTC but may be willing to waive it to play for the Yanks.
I just cannot believe everyone seems content to let Swisher walk. He is one of the best Clutch hitters on the Yankees. Game on the line. Who do U want up there with winning run on third base and 2 outs? A-Rod, Tex, Martin, Gardener, Cano or Swisher? Except for Cano, all those guys build up great stats in games the Yanks are way ahead or way behind. None of those names being tossed about give the Yanks the quality under pressure of Swisher. It would be totally stupid to let him leave. He is the closest player we have had to Paul O’Neil.