Earlier today, it was reported that the Yankees will be monitoring the market for infielders in Spring Training but aren't looking to spend any significant cash in order to upgrade their infield. Here are some more items pertaining to New York's teams…
- Despite the Yankees' 85-77 record, GM Brian Cashman approached the winter as if his club had only achieved its Pythagorean record of 79-83. “Our team over-performed last year,” Cashman told reporters, including Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. “It’s a credit to everybody involved in that process. But the record didn’t reflect the talent. And so when you take a sledgehammer to the roster like we did this winter and spend the money we did, it’s more reflective of recognizing. Of not being fooled.”
the Bombers’ best insurance policythe Bombers’ best insurance policy - Stephen Drew is "the Bombers' best insurance policy" given the Yankees' thin infield situation, The Record's Bob Klapsich writes. While the Yankees are concerned about Drew's medicals and seemingly have no payroll space left, Klapisch notes that the club is already putting a lot of hope in an infield with major injury risks (i.e. Derek Jeter, Brian Roberts, Mark Teixeira). "Basically, we have to keep everyone from breaking down," a Yankees official tells Klapisch.
- According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, Mets GM Sandy Alderson acknowledged that his team appears to be a logical landing spot for Drew, but the team has made its own cost-benefit evaluation and acted accordingly to this point. Alderson opined the Drew and agent Scott Boras "are reviewing the situation and perhaps looking at a strategy that prolongs this situation into the regular season or even into June."
- Mets lefty Jon Niese was shut down due to a dead arm and is heading back to New York for an MRI, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo (on Twitter). Manager Terry Collins told reporters, including the Daily News' Kristie Ackert, that the MRI is a precaution at this time.
- In a video blog at ESPN.com, Jim Bowden addresses rumors surrounding Troy Tulowitzki and the Yankees, noting that the Rockies star won't be traded to New York to replace Jeter no matter how much talk of the possibility surfaces. Bowden says that Rockies president Dan O'Dowd has told him repeatedly that Tulo won't be traded.
- The Mets will scout Nick Franklin throughout Spring Training and pay special attention to his defense, a team source tells John Harper of the Daily News (Twitter link). The club likes Franklin's pop but isn't sure about his glove at short, the source said. Reports earlier this week connected the Mets to Franklin.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Huh, what rumors? C’mon…Tulo? With what prospects?
Exactly what I was going to say. The Yankees don’t have anything to trade with.
Tanaka and Ellsbury … and the Yanks cover 3/4 of the salaries.
Why would the Yankees trade Tanaka and Ellsbury?
For the same reasons the Rockies would trade Tulowitzki?
why is sarcasm so hard for people to see when typed on a sports forum???
seriously?
seriously?????
You think that Seamaholic suggesting that the Yankee’s trading Tanaka and Ellbury and covering 3/4 of their contracts was meant to be serious????
and that right there is your answer as to why it’s so hard for people to see sarcasm typed.
OK, touche !
Because I’m reading words not hearing a human voice, therefore I cannot detect sarcasm.
I think Tanaka can’t be traded until a certain point since he just signed. Can anyone confirm or am I wrong?
I think you’re right. But it doesn’t make sense to trade a star player and another with star-potential for a SS who has problems staying healthy. If the Yankees traded those two, they wouldn’t have anyone to take their places and would just be creating more holes.
Thats drafted I think… FA signing not sure… Think it might be 30 or 60 days…
Can’t trade Ells. Besides why would someone trade for a player they could’ve signed 2 months ago.
I can’t remember when the date is but basically any free agent a team signs basically gets an automatic no-trade clause until some point in mid-May. Basically it stops the sign-and-trade.
June 13th I believe.
Thank you.
Love the Yankees, no doubt. Tulo in a Yankees uni would be awesome, but sometimes you have to be at least somewhat realistic.
i accidently deleted my comment.
basically just said this is already the most annoying rumor out there and its only going to get worse.
only because the felix hernandez “rumors” haven’t been posted this week yet.
Felix rumor? Giancarlo to Seattle? Wow is this really going to happen? Get on Twitter.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard a Tulo to Yankees rumor. In the past there have actually been talks of Tulo to the Mets. Google it and you’ll see.
It’s been going on for the last week or so. Basically some writer decided to speculate the future yankee shortstop and sudden Tulo to the yanks became a “legitimate” rumor.
Where is Charlie O, Calvin Griffith and Bill Veeck when the Yankees need him? They could offer those guys a “cool” half a billion cash and Tulo would be in pinstripes.
Cash-n-carry..
Mets have a far better shot at Tulo than the Yanks do.. IMO
I don’t disagree.
Seen some folks on ESPN talk that Gary Sanchez straight up for Tulo. Talk about lopsided deals lol
Isn’t the first I’ve heard of it. Tulo to the Mets is new to me, though.
There was an article in the NY Daily News last September. Just Google Troy Tulowitzki Mets
No, I believe you. They’ve been looking for a SS for a while. Makes sense that they’d ask.
Gary sanchez dont u know. Jesus Montero’s famous replacement future superstar. Yanks giving McCann 5/90 tells you on Sanchez’s real value.
The guy has 23 games in AA. The Yankees had a desperate need for a catcher, Sanchez is probably still 2 years away from the majors.
I’d love to see a Mets’ trade proposal for him, though. Something like Wheeler/Plawecki/DeGrom/Puello or Lagares could really help the Rockies. Not sure what they’d do at short, though.
Every good GM should be scouting Nick Franklin. He’s just not going anywhere unless the return is legit. The M’s don’t have to move him.
Meh … loads of teams have guys like him. Good MiLB bat with a so-so major league debut (featuring a worrisome late season nose dive) below average defense and no versatility. If he was really a hot commodity he’d be long gone by now.
The nose dive followed his R knee swelling like a watermelon after fouling off a pitch in Cincinnati. The kid could barely walk and was playing again 3 days later. He couldn’t turn on the knee and pitchers started hammering him in on high fastballs. No, loads of teams don’t have bats like Franklin.
If he was meh, like you talk, yes he would have been gone by now. I’m not saying he’s going to stick at SS. I would love to see the M’s keep him and move him to the OF because he’s got a special bat.
Name a team, and it’s 50/50 or better I can name someone on their ML or AAA roster who is the equivalent player. At some point you have to stop going by minor league success or prospect ratings. A guy who can probably only play one position in the bigs (and that not well) better be an AWFULLY good hitter to be worth a significant return in a trade.
Did you watch Nick much last year or you just going by his stats?
Box Score scouting at its finest…
just for starters- 2nd base and SS would TWO positions. Many infielders have moved successfully to OF, that would THREE+
oh yeah? name 500 of them
huh????
sarcasm my friend. sarcasm.
I’ll say it again. It’s like people think that if a guy doesn’t come up and immediately produce that he is a bust. How is Franklin’s “worrisome late season nose dive” any more indicative of his talent going forward than his hot start?
That sounds so very logical. In the few times he has repeated a level he has improved each time.
I said it many places – The M’s should NOT TRADE him. It is going to be to hard to get good value for him. Nick Franklin’s value will only improve after being sent back to AAA to start the season.
Nothing wrong with having good depth. Like the Dodgers outfield. Who said Brad Miller will win short hands down? It will be a good battle. Would have loved to see miller and Franklin for a full season together.
Fans see a player blocked and want a trade just to make a move. Johnny Red Kerr said when u think like a fan u end up siting with them.
No one in Seattle wants Franklin traded for the sake of being traded. Zduriencik is playing him in ST as a SS to improve his trade value.
Me myselt? I want him moved to the OF. I love his bat and he’s got a rocket arm. Don’t listen to the stories about his arm being weak. He’s got a great arm. His issue is his 1)focus on D and 2) range at SS.
I’m glad that Bowden feels the need to contribute to the non-rumors with his non-rumors.
Is it true that if Drew waits until April 2nd, then he signs a one-year deal, the signing team can’t offer QO at end of season?
Not sure…. But has to wait until draft to lose the pick attached to him…. What some of these guys need to do is take the QO and call the teams bluff.. Unless the guy has a great year the team will likely not offer it again.. But if they do take it again… They are acting like 14.1 million is a joke.. I understand you want a multiple years but guys in their 30’s wanting 3 and 5 year deal at 15 million plus just arent gonna get them with a QO attached unless they are elite talent… Only a few of the elite talent guys were signed quick..
Agree, if Drew took the QO, he’d be making more than Tom Brady will this year. 14.1mil is plenty.
True, If a player is not on a team for the entire season, a qualifying offer may not be offered. A player just has to wait til the day after opening day to sign a contract and a QO can not be offered to that player.
Tulo to the Yankees at age 36 in his last year of his contract when he’s likely to become the youngest Yankee not named Tanaka!
First off to non-Yankee fans and non-NYers, as you all I’m sure are aware, NY is the media capital of the world. They will report any bit of nonsense you will ever hear. Even Derek Jeter who speaks to the media probably every day of his live, has said in the past “Wow, slow news day”. I cannot tell you how many new stories there are about NY sports, especially the Yankees, that come out multiple days of the week
Secondly, for the most part, it is the media that comes up with A LOT of these trade rumors, not the fans. So to say oh it’s the Yankee fans making this X, Y and Z trade. It is in large part due to some random reporter, radio show host, blogger, etc. coming up with the idea, whereas some of the fans for whatever reason decide to go along with it and come up with different or other proposals.
aren’t a lot of those guys also yankee fans?
Not necessarily. For instance, Wally Matthews who covers the Yankees constantly writes articles bashing them. This dates back for awhile. They’d go on a 5 game winning streak, then would lose a game, and then out comes a blog from him after the loss of how much trouble they are in after that loss.
If a sports team ever hired me to be a reported, I’d take that job probably too. Even if it was for a team I hated.
Even worse is that the media will come up with a lot of these trade rumors without ever talking to someone involved with baseball. They’ll decide that a move ‘makes sense’ for a ballclub and then couch it in a way to make it sound like there’s some organzational traction behind it. imo, it’s telling that a ton of major moves aren’t really reported by the media until they’ve happened or are imminent.
Plus there’s also the whole ‘anonymous source’ nonsense.
why cant the yankees sign drew
they can sign drew. but they are claiming at this point that any moves they make this offseason will not bring on a significant increase in financial cost. if drew is unwilling to take a significant discount it seems highly unlikely they will sign him.
I also still need help on the morales rumors too because i said the rangers would get him
What is Bowden speaking about, I know of no one talking about Tulowitzki in New York, Bowden really felt the need to dignify the idle chatter of some bored writer, talk about a non story. Thank goodness Spring games are underway.
The media must have ran out of Alex Rodriguez topics.
Almost to the point that Seattle’s best course is just sending Franklin to AAA to rake and play SS everyday. He’s going to hit and if he can even show he’s competent at short, his value skyrockets.
If New York doesn’t have the pieces to acquire Franklin obviously they don’t have the pieces to acquire Tulo.
Regardless of whether the Mets think he can play SS full-time, I’d still explore a deal for Franklin. Not like Murphy is that great of a second baseman or a real longterm solution there.
So you would trade a top pitching prospect that’s major league ready for a player who might not even stick at short? Murphy’s fine.
Pass.
Rafael Montero is a 23-year-old who has pitched only 16 games above Double A (albeit a spectacular 16-start run). Baseball America ranks Montero No. 68 among prospects, a ranking that typically produces more replacement-level (or below) players than productive major leaguers.
First, you have to give something to get something. Franklin is still 22, and the Mets have an extreme dearth of major-league ready middle infield prospects. They do, however, have young pitching depth. Besides, if you wanted to, you could eventually flip Murphy and recoup some of the prospect hit by giving up a Montero. Switch-hitting middle infielders with pop don’t grow on trees, anyway.
Don’t give me the most generic response ever. ” you have to give to get”. Duh.
I understand the appeal of a nick franklin, but he’s really not worth the price of montero, unless he can stick at short. Give the bats to wilmer he can give you comparable offense to franklin with probably the same defense. Rather keep my pitcher
Whatever, not going to convince you. Like Wilmer’s bat, but the guy isn’t a shortstop. Not even sure if he can play second. No speed whatsoever.
How about Nick Franklin for Tulo? Haha rumor bashing. I must be bored.
Seriously, Seattle should hold on to Franklin and wait till we have a new GM in the coming months and he can do something with this team. Would love to get Gregory Polanco from PITTS.
Why would the Yanks trade Tanaka? Wasn’t the opening bid just to talk to him like $15M?
thank you Jim Bowden. enough of that Tulo trade talk. Though by addressing the rumor itself, he justified it. so thank you and no thank you, Jim.
Yankees and Rangers match up pretty well, they have a bunch of extra infielders. or maybe the Reds or Cubs?
I could actually see the Yanks trading for Tulo way past his prime and overpriced lol…matches their M.O.
Hey Mets and any other team, You don’t think Franklin can stick at short? Fine, here is your solution – DON’T trade for him.
Thanks, M’s fan