MLB Fastball 11.2.07: Early Changes For The Yankees
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 11.02.2007
The Hot Stove League has barely started, and already changes are coming across the league. The Yankees have experienced the greatest transition thus far, with one manager out and another already in, while their third baseman chose to opt out of the final three years of his deal. Check out Neil Borenstein’s thoughts on Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and Álex Rodríguez in the latest edition of MLB Fastball.
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports
Joe Girardi was officially introduced as Yankees manager on Thursday.
The Major League Baseball season concluded on Sunday with the Boston Red Sox winning their second World Series championship in four years. But it already seems as if that's old news (probably everywhere outside of Boston, that is), as the Hot Stove League is already heating up with several player and managerial moves.
The New York Yankees are specifically in transition, with four big name players potentially on the move and their manager of 12 years leaving (and accepting a new gig already.) The Yankees will be the team to watch this Hot Stove League since they have a severe amount of changes in store, and still the wealthiest wallet in the Majors to fill their holes.
Here is the big news out of New York this early into the 2007-2008 offseason:
Álex Rodríguez opts out of the final three years of his contract – It's difficult to say I didn't see this coming because it was pretty obvious. With Scott Boras as his agent, I really doubted Rodríguez has enough sense to not be brainwashed into looking for more money on the open market instead of remaining with the New York Yankees.
Boras originally decided the best time to reveal that his client was opting out of his contract with the Yankees was during Game 4 of the World Series. He later apologized for his poor timing, but I'm not yet dumb enough to think it was really sincere. When was the last time Boras was sorry for unnecessarily garnering attention?
According to Boras, Rodríguez chose this path of opting out because of the uncertain structure of the Yankees organization. He didn't know what would happen to the team's closer (Mariano Rivera), its catcher (Jorge Posada) and one of its top starting pitchers (Andy Pettitte.) He also didn't understand why Rodríguez was being treated differently than those three players.
"Why is it that Alex is the only Yankee who can't become a free agent?" Boras told the Associated Press Wednesday. "That question was not answered, and we think it's a question that's going to be asked for years to come."
Well, if Boras is looking for an answer, I can offer him one.
Rodríguez is different than other free agents like Rivera and Posada because A-Rod is not your traditional free agent. Unlike those free agents, Rodríguez chose to leave a deal he signed with three years remaining. I find that in itself a bit dishonorable. He's not the first player to do it, and is essentially following in the footsteps of J.D. Drew. But I believe that if you sign a contract, you play through it – plain and simple. It's hard for me to find good reason for A-Rod to leave his deal other than money, especially when he's already making $25.2 million per year.
At least Pettitte has the right idea. He told the New York Post on Thursday, "The New York Yankees committed an awful lot of money to me and put it in my hands, gave me a player option and trusted me with that option," Pettitte said. "It probably wouldn't be real honorable for me not to do anything other than shut it down or go back and play for the New York Yankees." That's respectable.
The Yankees have an especially good reason to not negotiate with Rodríguez because they have now lost the $21.3 million in support they would have received from the Texas Rangers had Rodríguez just played through his deal. Instead of receiving about $7.1 million per season over the next three years to help ease the financial hit of A-Rod's deal, New York would need to eat Rodríguez' entire salary – which would undoubtedly need to be at least $30 million per season.
I guess to Boras, that's chump change. After all, I'm sure he's making at least that from his 10 percent every year from all of his clients. But even for the Yankees, as general manager Brian Cashman noted, that's a lot of money.
"We were very sincere and honest and direct with Scott Boras. … It's a lot of money, to any franchise, even the New York Yankees," Cashman said to the Associated Press on Tuesday. "It was just a representation of simple economics: $30 million is nothing to sneeze at."
Without the aid of the money coming in from Texas, $30 million is even more money. And if Rodríguez really wanted to be a Yankee, he would not have opted out of the contract and tried to work out an extension with New York that probably could have seen him make $150 million over five years past the final three years of his original contract. Starting with the first year of the extension, New York would need to pay him $30 million a year without funding from Texas. But at least the next three years would come with that help and the Yankees would have that commitment from A-Rod that they simply didn't get when he opted out of his deal even before the end of the World Series.
Rodríguez' departure should be viewed as a welcomed one. There's little doubt that one of the best players in baseball today is A-Rod, and that he will one day be the man at the top of many all-time lists (including home runs.) Despite his tremendous statistics, however, he just simply cannot aid a team to a World Series championship. He didn't do it in Seattle. He didn't do it in Texas. And even when he had more than enough tools around him in New York, he could help the team get past the first round.
I know there are plenty of people who want to defend Rodríguez and say his poor postseason play is not the only reason the Yankees didn't advance for the past three seasons. That's absolutely true. He's not the only player who under performed. However, the underachievement of other players does not discredit the notion that Rodríguez didn't show. He's getting paid $25.2 million a season because he's supposed to be the best player in baseball. And when the Yankees needed him the most, in the playoffs, he didn't come up with anything. Sure, he's not the only one. But he was a big part; perhaps the biggest part, of the problem. Granted, he was probably the biggest reason the Yankees made the playoffs this year. Unfortunately, that does not and cannot erase the overall disappointment Rodríguez has been since coming over to New York.
Now, he moves onto a new part of his career. He will join a new team at some point this offseason, and it will probably be the one willing to not only give him big money, but an eight-to-10 year deal, as well. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the leading candidates for A-Rod's services. Joe Torre's hiring by the Dodgers on Thursday might give them an advantage. The San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, New York Mets and, yes, probably even the Boston Red Sox are in the mix for Rodríguez. My guess is he goes to the Dodgers, but it's really all up in the air right now.
The Yankees are now searching for his replacement. I wouldn't be completely against them using Wilson Betemit as an everyday third baseman. But I doubt New York would be satisfied with that. There is a possibility the Yankees and Marlins could make a deal with Miguel Cabrera coming to New York for Melky Cabrera (and probably some other pieces, as well.) That would be nice but probably unlikely. If I had to guess right now, I'd say that pending Boston lets him walk, Mike Lowell will play the hot corner for the Yankees starting next season. But that's pretty much in Boston's hands right now.
Joe Torre new Dodgers manager; Joe Girardi officially new Yankees skipper – It didn't take Joe Torre long to find a new job. On Thursday, he was hired on a three-year, $13 million deal by the Los Angeles Dodgers to replace Grady Little as the team's manager. So much for $5 million being an insult, huh?
Torre, who joined the team he "hated" as a kid, brought along several of his coaches from his days with the Yankees with him. Don Mattingly, Larry Bowa and Leo Mazzilli are expected to be a part of Torre's coaching staff. Mattingly, who will be the team's hitting coach, is likely being groomed as the next manager of the Dodgers under Torre, who is 67 years old and could probably retire as soon as the end of his current deal.
Meanwhile, the Yankees officially announced that Joe Girardi will step in as the next manager of the Bronx Bombers, a position Mattingly coveted so highly. Girardi, who will make $7.8 million over three years, will wear the No. 27 as a reminder to the Yankees that having 26 World Series titles will no longer be acceptable, with the last championship coming in 2000.
Out of the candidates interviewed by the Yankees, Girardi was probably the best choice. Mattingly simply doesn't have the managing experience Girardi and Tony Pena do. Girardi managed to turn what should have been a disaster in Florida with the Marlins in 2005 into a rather successful ball club. Plus, he knows the Yankees organization inside and out and knows how to relate the players much more than the other two candidates. There's a lot of pressure facing Girardi – something he did not see with the Marlins. But I think he's up to the challenge with this team in transition.
With the Dodgers, Torre faces similar expectations. I don't think the Dodgers are as strict on that World Series or nothing deal faced in New York. But Los Angeles does expect to win. And there is a lot of media pressure as well in LA. So Torre will still be in the spotlight quite a bit even though he'll be wearing Dodger blue.
I have to admit that my respect for Torre has dwindled since he left the Yankees. I am completely appreciative of what he did during his tenure with New York. His career in the Bronx was incredible.
But the way he left the Yankees still doesn't sit well with me. I would have been satisfied had he said he was sick of being scrutinized and having his job on the line almost every season. But he left because the Yankees wanted him to prove he still had the ability to make a success out of the Yankees without paying him $8 million up front. Torre felt insulted to still need to prove himself, choosing rather to rest on his laurels, and left. Sure, he was jerked around. But to be insulted for having to earn his money is an insult to me. This is especially after being so insulted with a $5 million deal with incentives, he accepts a deal with the Dodgers for $4.3 million a season over three years.
So while Torre's early success in New York will never be forgotten, in my eyes, his tenure is tainted by the way he left. He wanted to be given a deal based on what he did for the first five years he was with the Yankees, not the last seven. That's not acceptable.
Feedback …
I'm a Phillies phan for almost 45 years. Subject column featured the lines "I guess everything that makes Manuel one of the worst managers…." and "Manuel can help screw everything up with his lack of managerial genius".
First- I am manager neutral. I couldn't possibly care less who manages the Phillies. I want a manager that progressed from the Little Leagues to the Bigs while "paying" dues.
If a manager was such an important cog in a baseball organization, why are they poorly paid in comparison to the players? La Russa team won the 2006 WS. La Russa 2007 salary is $2.8 million. That's less than Tigers cast-off Mike Maroth ($2,950,000). His 2007 ERA total is 6.79. His Cards ERA alone is 11.08. Joel Piniero (who the hell is he) is making 4 mil this year. He sports a lifetime ERA of 4.48. Finally, there's Kip Wells. He also pulls-in 4 mil. His ERA for the last two years alone is over 5.00
Dallas Green was credited with bringing the a WS to Philadelphia in 1980. His managerial career with other ball clubs never exceeded a .500 record.
Leyland was the manager of record for the 1997 WS winning Marlins. The owner severed ties with the most expensive players before the 1998.season. Leyland ‘s 1998 Marlins were dead last.
La Russa was the manager of the WS winning Cardinals in 2006. His team finished with 83 victories. That is the least amount of victories for a WS winning team. He was just as shocked as anyone. Who would have thought that the Tigers would not win the WS? The Tigers committed crucial errors throughout the series. Leyland exercised bad judgment during the first game of the WS when he pitched to Pujols with a man on second and first base open. Pujols hit a two-run homer and an eventual win for the Cards. The last game he decided NOT to pitch the dominant Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers. The Tigers lost the WS. Frankly, I don't fault Leyland for the Tigers loss; it WAS THE PLAYERS that cost them the WS not Leyland. If the Tigers would have won the WS - It's not to the credit of Leyland ....again...it WAS THE PLAYERS!
In early August, The Phillies were playing the Cubs. The Phillies were batting in the top of the fifth with two men on base, two outs, and a count of 1-0. At bat, was a left-handed batter sporting a batting average of .137. That batter was pitcher Jamie Moyer. Piniella replaced the left-handed starting pitcher Rich Hill with another left-handed Scott Eyre. Why?? Visiting Cubs broadcast announcer Bob Brenly, stated that's not the first time Piniella made that move.
Francona did poorly in Phila., because of inferior players. Many predicted he'd do better in Boston and lo and behold he did/does. Piniella did well in Seattle ...bad in Tampa Bay . Green...great in Phila...a failure with the Mets.
Can ya pinpoint where Manuel initiated a move/non-move and loss resulted? What would a "good" manager do? Who's in their respective dugouts? What are the head to head percentages? Who is the team's next opponent?
People complained that Manuel pulled his pitchers too early. Research reveals that the Phillies were tied with the Giants at THIRD place in complete games. Not bad. I'd say that complaint is not valid.
The Phillies won the NL east because of or despite Manuel. Managers win/lose games because of or despite of their input. Players win/lose games NOT the manager!
- Philip
Actually, Philip, the Phillies had five complete games over the course of the season, which tied them for seventh in MLB with five other teams, according to MLB.com stats. The Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners had more closed games than the Phillies. So, that's not exactly disastrous, but I'd check your stats before you try so strongly to disregard an argument.
Also, if you want a point on where Manuel severely messed up, it was by not preparing the Phillies to actually play in the playoffs. Besides the fact that the Phillies making the playoffs had more to do with the New York Mets completely crapping out than the Phillies earning it, Philadelphia was not even remotely ready to play postseason baseball. And getting the motivation and direction to be prepared to play playoff baseball is actually the responsibility of the manager. They were so caught up in making the playoffs that they forgot they actually had to play games once in them. And, as a result, the Colorado Rockies swept them.
Now, I'm not saying I completely disagree with you. I do think more of the onus needs to be placed on players for poor performance than a manager since there isn't much strategy for a manager to worry about in the sport of baseball. But a manager can win/lose a game based on some moves he makes with pitchers/batters/fielders over the course of those contests. And Manuel has done very little to earn the extension he received and I believe has done more to hurt the team than help it.
And you can't compare money players make to the money managers make – they are on different pay scales. It doesn't matter how much money Tony La Russa makes compared to Mike Maroth. In most sports, players will make more money than managers/coaches. That's just how the business works. It has nothing to do with talent in the respective positions.
Send all comments, questions, and suggestions to br7qbsteelers@yahoo.com.
