The Sommer Frieze

ESPN’s Jayson Stark talks about the arbitration class. I wonder if one reason a lot of top-notch free agents are still available (and their price dropping) could be the prices some players may be getting in arbitration?

The Poor Side of Town?

You have to wonder if Johnny Rivers is singing the Poor Side of Town about the Mets. Yes, they got K-Rod and Putz to shore up the bullpen, but they haven’t done anything else. No Lowe. Ollie Perez still out there for anyone; same with Pedro. Manny and Abreu are out there, and they need an OF.

I think Omar may be hibernating.

Meanwhile, will Citi Field (Bankruptcy Field?) be what they think it’ll be, which is a bandbox like CBP in Philly?

Interesting. John Garland turned down a D-backs offer.

2006 WS MVP David Eckstein signed with the Padres. The Mighty Mite played in 94 games in 2008 for Toronto and Arizona and hit a combined .265-2-27 (OPS+ 84). He turns 34 next Tuesday. Career .284, OPS+ 88.

MLBTR states that So Taguchi signed a minor league deal with the Cubs.

Interesting news from MLBTR:

As MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick points out, any team that signs Jones to the major league minimum will pay only $400k and the Dodgers will pay the rest of the $21MM he’s owed. We know the Braves are reluctant to bring Jones back unless he signs a minor league contract.

This makes me wonder…there are guys who can play CF in Melky and Gardner (not to mention Damon and Swisher) but only $400K? Chump change for the Yanks. 32, 10x Gold Glove winner, cheaper than Cameron, younger than Cameron, shoot, just two years ago (2006) went .262-41-129 (ops+ 126).

You have to wonder….Posada, Teix, Cano, Jeter, Alex, Damon, Andruw? Swisher or Nady with Matsui? Is there anything left in Andruw? Like Garcia (and it’s now said that Garcia is talking to four teams, inc. the Yanks….and the strongest rumor is back to the White Sox) it could be worth a shot….a cheap (for the Yanks) shot.

Then again, the Mets need OF help, too.

The biggest question is whether he can get back to where he was. Say, his 162 ga. average of .259-33-100. OPS+ 111. Gold Glove defense. If so, …. forget a 36 year old Cameron.

It never hurts to look. Nothing there? Cut him in spring training….and for the price….

…and here is an example of something similiar to that. From Bryan Hoch at Bombers Beat:

John Smoltz told Dan Patrick that he chose the Red Sox over other interested clubs, one of which was the Yankees. Smoltz also selected Boston over the Dodgers in leaving Atlanta after a long and illustrious career there.

This is interesting in that Cashman had said that the Yankees would round out their rotation from within, but were willing to at least make a run at Smoltz, who secured a guaranteed deal worth $5.5 million from the Red Sox. Once again, this is further evidence the light may no longer be on for Andy Pettitte, who was offered $10 million on a one-year basis in November.

If the season opened today, the Yankees would choose their fifth starter from the group of Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Ian Kennedy and Jason Johnson.

Could you imagine Smoltz as the #5? I agree with Hoch….it sure does look like the good ship Pettitte has passed. Looking at Garcia? Looking at Smoltz? Hmmmmmm…….