Hank Steinbrenner opens his mouth regarding the Yanks keeping their options open regarding Manny Ramirez. Even says he likes Manny. Just what they need. I’ve harped on (relentlessly and repeatedly, ad nauseum) the fact that they have six guys 33 and over locked into $106.1 M for 2009. Now Manny, who’ll be 37 next May and who wants a $100M/4 year deal? If the Yanks do sign him (God forbid), predict the day he tanks for the first time. The arguments over his “hairstyle.” Predict the day when he doesn’t bust it down the line and it’s a DP even though Jeter went in hard at second to try to break it up. Predict the day Girardi snaps.
As I’ve written, there already is ONE prima donna righty hitting slugger/drama queen on this team (now linked to Madonna). Granted he and Manny are great talents. But how about getting ballplayers who make headlines the right way—by getting game winning hits—instead of headlines by tanking it, not hustling, messing around, etc. Ballplayers, not celebrities. Make sports news, not news for the gossip columns. Hmm, this could apply to a certain SS as well? Or someone who only wants to catch? Too much individualism, not enough TEAM?
Get back to what you are paid for. Your PRIMARY job. Playing baseball.
Hopefully this “we will look at” lasts as long as the “we will look at” that Hank said regarding Barry Bonds last July.
And Hank? No troublemakers, and just shut up. Please. No Manny.
I like reading the small print (under a magnifying glass) of different transactions. The ones often gone unnoticed. A little surprised that Boston exercised their option on Tim Wakefield. I guess they figure he can always eat innings with the knuckler. He’s 42 and coming off a 10-11, 4.13 year (ERA+ 112). 181 IP. You never know what you’ll get from a knuckleball pitcher.
Options exercised:
Carlos Delgado of the Mets. Rod Barajas, Blue Jays. Jon Rauch, AZ. StL agrees with Jason LaRue on a new contract.
Options declined:
Alan Embree, A’s. Henry Blanco, Cubs. Craig Counsell, Brewers. Jason Michaels, Pirates.
Filing are six more Mets: Pedro (the fork is stuck in him), Tony Armas Jr., Moises Alou (still can hit, but three straight years of injuries, 42), Ramon Martinez and Ricardo Rincon.
From Bryan Hoch: The Yankees added left-hander Wilkins De La Rosa and right-hander Eric Hacker to the 40-man roster on Friday. The 23-year-old De La Rosa was 9-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 32 games (11 starts) between Class A Charleston and Class A Tampa. Hacker, 25, a 23rd-round pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, was 9-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 26 starts with Tampa and Double-A Trenton.
No PSU today, so I’m catching up on things I need to catch up on. Will try to catch Texas-Texas Tech this evening.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Jeff // Nov 1, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I am not at all surprised the Botox exercised a $4M option on Wakefield. The option year is for the same salary he as had the previous 2 years under a contract where he took a paycut. He is a 15 year veteran, with ties to both championship clubs. He a classy guy and was a favorite of mine when he was with the Buccos back when we had a team. It is a bit of a surprise he never ended up in the National League. In the minors, he was a first baseman. He hit .163 in the only full season he got to hit. Clearly, that would not sustain a position player, but goofing around with the K-Ball saved his baseball career. As you say, he starts 30+ games a year and pitches 180+ innings a year. To me, every knuckle-baller is entertaining to watch. Good for Tim.
2 Jeff // Nov 1, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Trade ideas - How about Matsui to SF for Noah Lowry.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=5779.
3 Mike Sommer // Nov 1, 2008 at 9:07 pm
The stats are from 2007. Lowry missed all of 2008, so you would be taking a chance on him. Another Giant mentioned in a Matsui deal would be Matt Cain. Cain’s record the last two years is deceiving. Nice ERAs, no support. And only 24.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cainma01.shtml
4 Jeff // Nov 1, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Mea Culpa. You would think I could spot these details. I was looking, per your instruction, for a back of the line-up pitcher for a no win team, with a good ERA.
Lowry is listed as a #5 pitcher. Little wonder. He has been diagnosed with a very unusual injury for a baseball player, called exertional compartment syndrome. The Giants have not been able to find another pitcher who has had the same surgery, and their prognosis is more of a guess.
SF clearly needs a left fielder. The left coast would be a good place for Matsui, who I love to watch hit, but plays a position (OF/DH) which is overstocked for the Bombers in the big picture.
Actually, it may have been Cain that first prompted my thought of Matsui to SF. I remembered you saying look at the ERA, not the win/loss, for a crappy team. The thought occurred weeks ago, but it wasn’t until you asked this week for ideas that I went noodling into depth charts etc. I must have confused my tiny little brain, because I thought the guy I was looking at had a negative win/loss. Cain IS the much better target.
5 Jeff // Nov 1, 2008 at 10:24 pm
From your link, Cain compares, age-wise with:
Moe Drabowsky (977)
Mike Witt (959)
Tom Gordon (958)
Jim Kaat (953)
John Smoltz (953)
among others. Hmm.
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