I wouldn't be so sure. If ARod continues his shitty streak at the plate, and the Cubs are in it late, I can see Sweet Lou make a push to grab his "son." It wouldn't be a bad idea for him either. Sure, ARod is a choke artist when the weather gets breezy, but he could help that team get into October, and possibly make a run at the Series. Yes, I know ARod would be worth a nice package if we traded him. That comment was more sarcastic than serious. As for the concerns he would walk on whatever club he was traded to, that's why I said the Cubs. He winds up there, he isn't leaving. He'll instantly be the crown prince in that castle. Why walk out when you've got your "daddy" coaching the team? BTW: 13 days until the real games start! Who do we play first, and where are we starting, home or away?
EXCEPT in the case of the CUBS. Before the trade was finalized, do you honestly believe Pinella would not make sure that the option situation was taken care of? This is his favorite player, and Lou is ARod's favorite coach. It's a match made in heaven for both of them.
The Yankees aren't going to trade their cleanup hitter at the trade deadline. He's still one of the best offensive players in baseball. The problem is, people don't look at his numbers objectively because of his salary and post-season struggles. But if you take out his .300/30/100 at the trade deadline, you're basically throwing away a shot at a championship. The only way you wouldn't be is if you got Zambrano and Ramirez back in the deal. And the Cubs wouldn't trade their best pitcher and second best offensive player in the middle of a pennant race. So basically, there is a less than 0% chance he's traded at the deadline. If he was going to go, it would have been during this off-season.
You make good points, but I'm still taking a wait-and-see attitude. Maybe it's just me, but the ARod that's been at the plate in camp looks eerily like the ARod that was confused in October. There's only so long that is going to be tolerated this year. I'm predicting that ARod will not end this season in pinstripes. Either that, or they'll be chanting MVP in Yankee Stadium in September. I'm feeling option A is the stronger possibility.
Since getting a better feel for an American baseball, Igawa has looked very good. He is striking out guys at a better rate than I would've expected. Abreu also making his spring debut tonight. 0-1 with a groundout to 1B.
He's hitting .324 this spring. If A-Rod is traded during the season, then Brian Cashman is either being offered the greatest deal in the history of professional sports, or he is incapable of running a franchise.
DAMN! Giambi is great at making scoops... to bad he can't field or throw well, or stay injury free while in the field
I'd STILL like to see Giambi playing first regularly. His offensive production boosts when he plays the field, enough that it makes up for his arm. And as he's shown tonight, when the ball is in his area, he gets to it. Hey 10P, are you falling back into the ARod trap? Looking at his raw numbers, and ignoring his total cluelessness at the plate. Come on man. I know you better than that. He may be making contact at a good clip, but when he doesn't, he looks totally lost. I'm just sick of watching that goofy look on his face like he's reviewing that last strike to figure out why he was nowhere near it.
Giambi isn't playing 1B because of his health. Not because of his defensive ability, or lack thereof. His body physically can't take playing 1B on an everyday basis. What trap? Talk about all his "unclutchness" you want, in the regular season, he produces at a level that is incredibly hard to replace. If he wasn't the highest paid player in baseball, and he wasn't seen as the most unlikeable character in baseball, his regular season value would be seen in a much better light. He's been horrible in the post-season... but before he can fail in the post-season, we actually have to get there. And losing his production in the regular season puts us at a major disadvantage at getting there. I know everyone's going to say "yeah... but he's so unclutch!". He still produces at a better rate than most of the players in baseball. There's no magical "clutchness" to that production that makes it more or less valuable. It's what it is, and it's a huge boost to this team. Replacing that regular season production is huge, and is something that would be basically impossible to do in the middle of the season. It really doesn't matter, though. I understand that A-Rod's regular season production will never be looked at objectively. Hell, last year was a "down year" for him, yet he was still more valuable to this team than nearly any other 3B could've been. But because of his salary and the way he presents himself, his .290-35-121 line is seen more like .250-15-70.
Giambi does have physical problems, and that is probably a large part of him moving to DH. I'd still like to see him play there 2 or 3 days a week though. He wants to play there regularly. In all honesty though, this one I'm leaving in Joe's hands to take make the best decision for the team. (I know, a shocker!) As for Alex, don't get me wrong. I still see his numbers for what they are. He's a significant offensive ballplayer, still one of the best in the game. But his mental baggage is killing him. It's not a lack of total success that gets me, it's the absolutely ugly failures. He looks totally dumbfounded when he Ks or grounds out softly to short. It's not going to get any better when he gets those Bronx cheers either. We know he's mentally fragile, and when those boos start up, I just can't see him fighting through. Don't get me wrong, I WANT him to be Seattle or Texas ARod. If he is, he's a one way ticket to the Canyon of Heroes. I hope he comes around. There is a lot of talk that this clubhouse is loose for the first time in years. I'm even i favor of Jeter finally making a stand and killing the media hype over their feud. Anything to get him fired up at this point. Without Sheff, there's a big hole in the heart of the order, and Alex needs to fill that hole. I just don't know if he can do it. Not that he lacks the talent, that's far from the truth. What's your honest opinion? Do you think he can do it? Can he get over his own demons and be the superstar we both know he CAN be? That's my issue with him. I know he CAN, my question is, WILL he?
He should've been traded for a monster package this off-season, before the option talk started up and scared everyone. He can't be traded in the middle of the season. The return won't be good enough to make up for the huge drop in production we'll experience for the last two months. Say what you want about him in the playoffs, but in the regular season he produces at a higher rate than most of baseball, and losing that mid-season would be a huge blow. It's why trading him during the season makes no sense, and isn't even an option. Even when he has an "off" year like last year, he's still one of the best players in baseball. Losing that could lead to a catastrophic last two months.
Pettitte has back spasms: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6592160 Joe doesn't seem too concerned. Who knows. All the worry was with his elbow... now if he has back issues, this could be a big problem.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Cashman: Yankees won't sweeten pot to retain A-Rod ESPN.com news services TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees don't intend to offer Alex Rodriguez a contract extension, leaving him the option of opting out of his deal after the season and becoming a free agent. Alex Rodriguez Rodriguez "Alex has a significant contract. The most significant in baseball history," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. "He has a decision to make. It's in his contract. It's a right he's earned." Rodriguez has four seasons left in the record $252 million, 10-year agreement he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. He is owed $27 million in each of the final three seasons -- with the Yankees responsible for $50.7 million and the Rangers owing $30.3 million, including $9 million in deferred money. Under the terms of the deal, Rodriguez can terminate it after this season. He also can stay for 2008 and have the right to opt out of the final two seasons if the Yankees don't boost his salary to $32 million annually for the final two years. "He's under contract; he can opt out of it if he wants," Cashman said in a telephone interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. "That's really his decision. It has nothing to do with us. There's nothing we can do about it. It's something he negotiated. If it becomes a distraction, it's because it's part of his deal. He controls that and no one else." "He can opt out of it if he wants. That's really his decision. It has nothing to do with us. There's nothing we can do about it." --Brian Cashman Cashman confirmed the decision first reported on Sports Illustrated's Web site that the team had no plans of sweetening Rodriguez's deal in an effort to keep him on the team. "It's the same thing with Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and all other guys," Cashman told the paper. "He's got a significant contract he's earned, and we hope he stays." Early last week, Rodriguez told reporters that he wanted "100 percent to stay in New York. Period." In an interview earlier last week on WFAN radio's Mike and the Mad Dog program, Rodriguez indicated the fans reaction this season could be a determining factor. "It's a do or die situation," he said on WFAN. "Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say, 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option. Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.' "You never want to feel that you're holding a team hostage," Rodriguez said. "I want to be in New York. This is the place I want to finish my career. That's it." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Sweeney Murti on WFAN said Wang injured his hamstring while running. Small did the same thing last year, and missed 5 weeks. Season over. :breakdance: Beat reporters are saying in their blogs that he's not being sent for any tests, they don't think it's too serious.
Figures. I hope he doesn't miss any time. I guess it's the same old story. I just hope he isn't taking strength conditioning advice from Carl.
^If true, I can easily deal with that...So Pettitte-Moose-Pavano-Igawa since most teams do 4-man rotations over the 1st few weeks...
