In a text message to George A. King III of the New York Post, David Robertson says things are “quiet on the front” in terms of a multiyear contract with the Yankees or receiving a qualifying offer from the team. The Yankees are expected to extend the QO to Robertson and the closer is very likely to reject it given the interest in his services. At least six clubs are interested in Robertson this winter, a league source tells Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
Here’s more from around the AL East…
- The Yankees have begun talks with Chase Headley, CBSSports.com’ Jon Heyman reports. New York has exclusive negotiating rights with Headley until 11pm CT tonight, though it would be quite surprising to see a deal reached before Headley has had a chance to test the thin free agent market.
- Blue Jays southpaw J.A. Happ is “generating lots of interest” in trades, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports. Happ enjoyed a solid 2014 season and had his $6.7MM option for 2015 exercised by the Jays on Friday. With the newly-acquired Marco Estrada now in the rotation mix, Happ could be expendable.
- Earlier today, Sportsnet.ca’s Jeff Blair reported that the Blue Jays have had internal discussions about Russell Martin. In that same item, Blair notes that Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos might look to act quickly this offseason rather than wait for deals to develop. The latter strategy left the Jays largely empty-handed last winter. Toronto has already dealt Adam Lind to Milwaukee, a trade that Blair feels doesn’t make much sense for the Jays unless a follow-up move is forthcoming.
- The Orioles don’t seem to have interest in trading or non-tendering Chris Davis, MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski reports, though the first baseman will have much to atone for in Baltimore following his disappointing 2014 season.
- Though the Orioles currently have six legitimate rotation candidates on the roster, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko expects the club to add pitching depth by signing at least one veteran to a minor league deal.
- Jay Alou, Yasmany Tomas’ agent, tweeted that his client worked out at the Red Sox academy in the Dominican Republic over the weekend. While the Sox have had some interest in Tomas in the past, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford hears that the workout was arranged “partly out of convenience, with Tomas needing a place in the area to continue his preparation.” It would be a surprise to see Boston sign Tomas given that the Sox already have an outfield surplus.
- The Red Sox are in need of a top left-hander for the bullpen, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes. Bringing back Andrew Miller would be the best option, though he’ll be heavily courted by several teams and the Sox may not be able to win a bidding war.
- Silverman thinks the Red Sox and Burke Badenhop could quickly come to terms on a new contract. The righty reliever posted a 2.29 ERA in 70 2/3 IP with Boston in 2014.
Robertson has stated a couple of times that the Yankees are not talking to him enough. This sounds like Cano all over again. I hate to say it, but I am worried that the Yankees don’t seem to understand that you have to make these players feel a little special, because, well they *are.*
With Cano it was less about a lack a dialog and more about him considering NYY’s seven-year, $170 million offer as a sign of disrespect
I don’t know if he considered it disrespectful or rather recognized it wasn’t his highest earning potential. 70 MM and (I think) less taxes are not insignificant.
Cano’s exact quote when asked about NYY’s offer: “I didn’t feel respect,” Cano said “I didn’t get respect from them [the Yankees].”
I wish somebody would disrespect me with 170 million dollars.
My understanding was that the break off in the talks with Cano and the “disrespect” comment was less about the offer itself and more about the way the negotiating happened. And the way the Robertson sounds is pretty much the same way.
When you’ve got Dellin Betances in the fold and an exhorbitant amount of money tied up already, David Robertson is hardly a can’t-miss signing for the Yankees. If Robertson’s representatives are truly aiming for Papelbon money, then the Yankees by all means should offer him a QO, let him see how the market reacts to losing a draft pick for a 60-70 IP pitcher, and go from there.
I hope Robertson accepts the QO and sticks New York with a 22.95MM reliever next year (15.3MM QO plus 7.65MM in luxury tax penalties)
This right here is why I would never offer him a qualifying offer. That is an insane amount of money to pay for a closer. Particularly when you already have Betances. They could sign a 7th inning guy for AAV between 4-5 million a year and still have a great bullpen next season. There is a reason why most clubs regret big money closer deals.
Question is will that 7th/8th inning guy be as good as Betances in that role and will Betances be that as good as D-Rob in the closer role? If I run the Yankees I look at my payroll comittments and I bite the bullet for 3 years (until Tex, CC, and A-Rod come off) going for that playoff revenue. If that means paying 22 million for one year of an elite closer I do it.
Agreed. Rivera was not worth $15 million is his day, but perhaps Robertson could be with inflation and in a changing market for premium relievers. I don’t think Robertson is quite worth $15.3 million, especially with only one season as a proven closer under his belt.
However, $15.3 million for a year is not so exorbitant for Robertson: it’s worth extending him the qualifying offer. If he takes it, great; the Yankees have a top-notch closer on a pricey one-year deal. If Robertson blows up, then the Yankees can be thankful it was just for one year. If he walks, then the Yankees are guaranteed a draft pick.
The Yankees would be foolish to not at least extend a QO to one of the game’s best — if not consistently proven — closers. If they don’t extend the QO, then the Yankees (as far as opportunity cost is concerned) could be losing more than Robertson.
No one will be as good as Betances, but they can still be good enough in a 7th inning role so that not much is lost. That will save them almost 16 million dollars that could be employed wiser to other areas of need. You will never get 22.95 million dollars worth of value out of your closer. There is little point in paying him that much.
Or they could sign Miller for 10 million and not miss a beat, which would save them 6 million.
Keep in mind Miller has really only had 1 very good season where Robertson has had 3-4 very good seasons in a row.
In a baseball sense looking at WAR D-Rob isn’t worth the 22 million no closer could be. However, if keeping him gets the team 2-4 extra close game wins and pushes them into the playoffs then for the Yankees business he is worth 22 million.
Yankees have the largest budget in baseball and they aren’t getting below the luxury tax for 2-3 years. If they are smart they will offer 1-3 year deals with higher AAV, bite the bullet on luxury tax now, get the increased revenues from a winning playoff team, and look to retool in 2-3 years.
Theres nothing “special” about Robertson. And theres nothing special about giving him a multiyr big money contract. Especially not a reliever, and especially not with Betances in that same pen ready to do the job. The biggest moment Robertson had as a closer was saving Jeters last home game. The only game where you could equate to a playoff type big game atmosphere all year, with the stadium rocking, and he preceeds to give up 2 bombs! To me, that showed his true mental as a closer. He was shook by the moment. Let him walk!
That has to be the smallest sample size I have ever seen an argument based on.
I could give you a lot more as his era and number of decisions for a closer attests, especially the last month and a half. A save in Minnesota in May with 10,000 people, isnt the same as trying to get a save in a “big” game in september against a quality team at home with 44,000 cheering. “Closers” dont get many sample sizes, but his september appearances were enough for me.
He appeared in 13 games in September and had two bad outings. Yippee!
Was “shook up by the moment” last year in the playoffs, when he had 61/3 IP/3H/1ER/0BB/7K? His career WHIP is 1.21, in September it is 1.18 and in the post season it is 1.17. The Yankees had a pythag record of 77-85 last year, a major reason they overachieved was the performance of their pen which was incredible on the back end with Robertson and Betances. They can indeed slide Betances into the closer’s role and not miss a beat, in fact he’s better than Robertson. But that 7th and 8th inning when they would feature Betances in those multi-inning, dominating efforts? Wave goodbye to that. There’s nobody out there that can come close to him in that role. They need Robertson back in a big way.
Not to mention…it is better for a team when their best reliever is not the closer.
Andrew Miller, Lindgren from the farm, Severino and Banuelos are options later in the summer. Novas coming back to the pen first. There are plenty of options. Those numbers you put up are fine, but you do not have to put big money and years into a closer not named Mariano Rivera, and Robertson is no Rivera even though his QO would be more then what Rivera made in any 1 year, which is blasphemous in itself.
There is no question that Robertson is an elite reliever. The only question is whether or not to re-sign him or hand over the ninth inning to Betances. Has Betances shown that he can do a better or equal job? In my view, not yet. The most valuable lesson to be learned from the Royals’ postseason success is that having three good relievers is better than having one.
I didnt learn anything from KC. Yankees have been there won that. KC, no. Dont jump on the medias flavor of the month, and think we have to mold a team around a WC team that got hot at the right time. Hes a reliever!! How can a reliever be elite if hes not even the best reliever on his own team? Soriano, Johnson, Paplebon, Soria, etc, were called “elite” at one time also, and they did it for more then 1 year. That got them big money, more pressure, and the lost of “elite” status. Relievers are a dime a dozen, sox used 2 closers before they relied on Koji, and that was because of injuries. DONT SPEND BIG YEARS N BIG MONEY ON ROBERTSON! Cant save games youre losing 2-1, or 3-2 anyway. Offense has to be priority.
I really don’t understand why Happ, a 31 year old back of the rotation starter with only one year of team control remaining, is “generating lots of interest” in trades
Because there are a lot of teams that could use pitching.
Yes but Happ is a back if the rotation arm, has never been able to pitch more than 166 inning in a season and has only one year of team control remaining. Also he is signed to a market value deal, unless the Jay want to give him away as a salary dump I don’t see the appeal.
Happ’s coming off his best year since 2009…at $6.7 mill he’s a pretty cheap option for someone looking for a backend starter, and is a lefty. He’s a better option than a Dan Haren who’s making $10 mill. I think the Jays could get a viable bullpen piece for him. With Redmond and now Estrada, there is no room for 3 swingmen in the bullpen (if he was to end up there as well).
Not really a pretty cheap option. There really isn’t a ton of excess value in that contract. He is a 32 year old 4.30 era/150 innings type guy. Sure he is passable, but there honestly isn’t much any team should give up to acquire that. Those are the types of pitchers that there are so many of on the market. And Jays would want prospects, and you take on $7MM?
Just go get Capuano.
I don’t think the Jays would ask for prospects for Happ, they want pieces to make the team better now. I already stated you could probably get a viable arm in the pen for him.
And he’s a cheap(er) option when you got backend guys like Haren (as mentioned) or Charlie Morton (someone who popped in my head) making more money. You certainly could sign Cap, but I think coming off of this year, Happ is statistically more valuable. But nonetheless, I would be content getting his money off the books and grabbing a situational arm for the pen.
His 2014 season was valued at $7.3 mill so you’re getting him for his worth.
Because he’s a lefty, only 31, costing under $7MM, and had a decent season last year.
Possibility of trading Happ and another piece (like Estrada) to the Angels for Howie Kendrick? Kendrick is on the block and LAA needs another starter
I guess my response to that is – Do you even want Howie Kendrick?
As a Jays fan, yes! Blue Jays need an everyday second basemen and is a productive hitter
Your honestly rejecting Happ and Estrada for Kendrick???
Well while we’re throwing out random hypothetical trade scenarios, why don’t they just trade Happ for Trout? Would you take that trade?
I’m not saying I wouldn’t take that trade, I’m saying why would you pursue Kendrick in the first place as your solution for the position?
I think they would need send something actually good along. Happ and Estrada are like #5 starters, and Happ isn’t exactly cheap. That offer would get you no where close to getting Kendrick.
He is like an absolute #5 starter, not exactly someone I would jump to pay $7MM for.
I understand why the Yankees are interested in re-signing Headley. He’s gonna be relatively cheap and dependable. For a guy who gives you about 14 HR’s, 65 RBI’s a year with great defense going into his age 31 campaign, I see the Yankees offering him 4 years/$45MM w/ a $5MM buyout on a $15MM option.
If that is the offer, it is easy to go to the FA market… He will top that easily.
Agreed. Especially since he wont have a QO attached I can see Headley landing a 4/60 deal.
I thought that the Blue Jays’s offseason strategy was to claim most every player on waivers with a pulse. 😉