After that, here are the top free agents for whom Hal will finish runner-up in the auctions:
Trea Turner, SS, 28, Dodgers (currently $21 million.)
Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox, 1B, 35, White Sox ($18 million)
J.D. Martinez, DH, 34, Redsocks ($22 million)
Mitch Haniger, OF, 31, Mariners OF ($7 million)
Clayton Kershaw, P, 34, Dodgers ($17 million)
Dansby Swanson, SS, 28, Braves (arbitration)
Michael Brantley, OF, 34, Astros ($16 million)
Nathan Eovaldi, P, 32, Redsocks $16 million)Aroldis Chapman, P, 34, Yankees ($16 million)Edwin Dias, P, 28, Mets ($10 million)
Also, several star players have the option of declaring for free agency this winter. That list includes:
Jacob deGrom, P, 34, Mets ($27.5 million)
Carlos Correa, SS, 28, Twins ($35 million)
Nolan Arenado, 3B, 31, Cardinals ($35 million)
Carlos Correa, SS, 28, Twins ($35 million)
Nolan Arenado, 3B, 31, Cardinals ($35 million)
Xander Bogaerts, SS, 30, Redsocks ($20 million)
Trevor Bauer, P, 31, Dodgers ($32 million)
Trevor Bauer, P, 31, Dodgers ($32 million)
Carlos Rodon, P, 29, Giants ($22 million)
Anthony Rizzo, 1B, 33, Yankees ($16 million)
Chris Sale, P, 33, Redsocks ($27.5 million)
Charlie Blackmon, OF, 36, Rockies ($15 million)
Eric Hosmer, 1B, 33, Padres ($13 million)
Chris Sale, P, 33, Redsocks ($27.5 million)
Charlie Blackmon, OF, 36, Rockies ($15 million)
Eric Hosmer, 1B, 33, Padres ($13 million)
Gonna be a long, dark winter.
Arenado re-upped with the Cards last night.
ReplyDeleteSwanson, Turner, or Correa might be worth it, but of course the Yanks won't because of our 3, can't-miss SS prospects. Abreu we should have tried to sign out of Cuba, 8 years ago.
Supposedly, Diaz is asking for the moon. And SNY was reporting that Rizzo will probably opt out, but the Yanks will give him whatever he wants because he had such a great 2022.
I like Rizzo, but .224/.817, at age 32, now gets you a big raise? Oy.
Hal should take the Citizen Kane approach. See what stars are available from our most pointed opposition, overpay them to jump ship, then sit back and watch.
ReplyDeleteOf course, he'd be watching Boone make lousy decisions and not communicating well with players, which means we'd probably still lose. But what the hell. It worked for Kane.
Duque:
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could create a list of the stiffs Genius Cashman might bring in.
All you have to do is scan the ILs and free agents over 35. That's Cashman's hunting ground.
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ReplyDeleteTrea Turner. Not the world's greatest shortstop but he hits for average, good power, steals bases. Move him to second (he has played there), Peraza at SS, Stopgap as a stopgap for Volpe at third. Benentendi/Cabrera, Bader, Judge in the outfield. If they re-sign Benentendi Cabrera plays wherever they need him. Give Donaldson away with a prospect or two (someone like Sweeney), trade Torres to get back a couple prospects(someone like Sweeney). LeMahieu at first if no Rizzo. Play the young guys and give them time to develop.
Hal spends money on Turner, Rodon, hopefully Judge, and maybe Benentendi. Saves money on Chapman, Britton, Taillon, Castro, Torres, Gonzalez, maybe Stopgap if they keep Rizzo, Rizzo if they don't, and German, probably others.
Dead wood is Hicks and Stanton, both of whom we're unfortunately stuck with, likely through the duration of my lifetime.
Yankees get younger, faster, more athletic, maybe better defensively. Definitely more fun to watch.
Boone's job is safe, Boy Wonder's job will be safe very soon, Hal saves maybe 70 million (don't forget he was paying Gallo this year) so he can pay Rodon, Turner, and Benentendi out of that, and the only big payout will be Judge, which is as much a business decision as it is a baseball decision.
If they run back the same bullshit team next year as this year and don't get off to another unsustainable hot start they'll be in the "wild card hunt" by the end anyway so why not shake some shit up. Like other teams do.
History repeats itself with the Yanks. Anyone who's not a pitcher and who is 35+ has a very high chance of being signed. Charlie Blackmon and Jose Abreu you may as well pick their Yanks uniform number right now.
ReplyDeleteAND if it's a former Red Sox star who's under 35, then we'll sign him to a long overpay contract ala Jacoby Ellsbury. We'll surely sign Xander Bogaerts to replace Judge for nearly the same amount of money but for a couple less years and we will be told it will be a wonderful thing when we all know it won't.
I'd be very surprised if we don't end up with at least one of these three players. Charlie Blackmon probably has the best chance as he's the worst of the three. He has the Yanks with such a hard on right now as he's exactly the type of trash heap former star player that they normally bed with.
Jose Abreu actually wouldn't be bad, but he'll change and suddenly forget how to play and we will be lucky to get 2 WAR a year from him for his $23 million a year, 4-5 year contract. But then again, we may give Rizzo a similar deal only to get the same results. Either one will probably be a Yank for the next few years.
I rather see the Yanks on a 7 year loosing streak than to sign Xander Bogaerts, that's how much I hate him, but seven or perhaps even eight years is about how long we'll end up signing him for rather than to give Judge his 10-12 years. Judge will surely post-Yankees-Cano up good enough numbers to make us regret not signing him while Bogaerts will probably end up in the twilight zone after a couple years making us wonder if he is even alive anymore as no one has actually seen the guy for years while because he's mysteriously so injured to the point where he cannot even show his face in public anymore.
History repeats itself and I am still wanting to see a complete sell off to become like the Braves or Astros. We really do need to tank for at least 5 years. Assuming the Yanks can somehow learn to actually draft well and then to properly enhance their minor league players. They are currently not competent enough to do either in all honesty. The Yanks needs to fire everyone behind the scenes and start hiring whoever it was that made these other former crappy teams so good today. If not that, then go full Dodgers and pay for quality. Sadly they are happy enough with how they've been doing things for way too long now and I don't see them changing any thanks to how 2022 turned out.
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Agreed on Benentendi. Good hitter, decent enough fielder when healthy. But if Judge goes there's a big hole in the OF. Bader, Cabrera, and who? Hicks? God I hope not. They'll say Stanton is taking reps in RF but you know and I know and the American people know the Man Of Wood won't play more than 20 games in the field. Even 20 is a stretch. So they already have a leg up on Benentendi and who else is there? Because somebody has to play out there. Let's pretend Judge is a lock to stay.
Go Jints.
ReplyDeleteThat's all I can root for. Not because I'm a Giants fan, because a lot of my friends are. Baseball is dead to me.
Take the cannoli.
Turnerplease
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