would you care to share the dozens? I can think of two before Joba and Ian, Ervin Santana and some guy on the Twins who's name I can't remember
Rivera has apparently decided to accept the Yankees offer. I guess he was bitten by the sanity bug. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7460538 "The Yankees would likely have to give up Wang and Hughes plus Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano to entice the Twins, and it may still not be enough. They have no intentions of moving Chamberlain." That writer is smoking dope if he thinks that is going to happen.
He may not make a decision until the end of December is the latest I heard. That decision will be to return or retire. I think he has a pretty sick child which is playing into this a lot.
Pettitte is not coming back in my opinion. just a hunch....nothing as solid as murrels "inside information" regarding the Lowell contract....hahahahha
His numbers were down but he lost alot of 1 run ballgames because the Twins couldn't hit worth a shit. This is a much different team when Mauer is not in the lineup.
I have a feeling you're right. Given he said he couldn't believe how healthy he felt at the end of the season, and the fact that it's already been a couple weeks since he opted out, I think he's decided it's time to call it a career. -------------------- Now as for Santana, the more I hear, the less I want him. Sorry, I understand that guys like Hughes, Chamberlain, and Kennedy are "unproven", but come on. Wang, Hughes, and either Cano or Cabrera? And that still might not be enough? GTFOH. A bona fide Cy Young candidate, a guy who threw a no-hitter in one of his first starts in the majors, and an All-Star 2B? If the Yankees pull a trade like that, it will ruin everything they've done so far. I like Santana, but no frigging way.
Ugh, I hate to give up Hughes. He's got a helluva lot of upside. But you're right, your deal is the absolute maximum I would pay for him. And I'd still rather just wait for either the trade deadline, where he'll be cheaper, or next offseason, where the Twins will probably lose him to FA.
He's not going to be cheaper at the deadline because then teams who think that he can give them a shot at the pennant are going to overpay for him. If the Yankees want him badly enough, a package with Huges and Chamberlain is probably what it would take to get him. I wouldn't take anything less than that if I were the Twins GM.
the most they are going to get is cabrera, hughes, and some minor league players im sorry but thats enough for a team that is not going to get 2 better players that have major league exp. and has succeeded not to mention very young also, they know they have no money for santana and wont get better players than what we can offer right now. if we give up joba i will be pissed, he is a yankee and should stay a yankee he looks a little bit like babe ruth. its a sign.
Like I said before. It's not up to the Twins where he goes, it's up to Santana much the same as it was with Randy Johnson. He will let them know and they will have to make the best deal they can. I'm amazed at all this columnists who think they can say what it will take. They love to forget he has a full no trade clause. He has all the leverage and do you really think he would go anywhere before what he knew the Yankees were willing to pay? I read yesterday that the Twins made him a new offer last week for 19.5 million a year and it is expected he won't even consider it so that gives you some idea of what kind of money he is looking for.
Well Hughes has already proven he can throw a regular schedule of 7+ innings at the MLB level, so I can sort of agree with you. The thing is, if Joba is as good a starter as he was a reliever, he's going to be a top-5 pitcher in the league for years. I wouldn't sacrifice either of them, nor Wang (who is still a Cy Young candidate-level pitcher) nor Cano. It's doubtful that the Twins would take any package of minor leaguers, so I say the best bet is hope the Twins don't find a legit buyer, and see if we can just outright offer him the money to come here in 2009. As I've said, I know our young pitchers are unproven talents, but so were Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera at one point. I'll take my chances with Joba and Phil.
As I'm sure everyone knows by now, Rivera accepted the Yankees 3 year offer tonight. http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10483964 So now it's just Pettitte and I think he will return for one more year. Remember this is the team that was easily the best in baseball from May 29th on, after everyone got healthy. No reason to think they can't be again next year even if they don't do a thing the rest of the winter.
It was the best team in baseball between May 29th and September 30th. Just saying. :up: We still need a pen overhaul even if Andy returns. Otherwise, we're in pretty damn good shape. This is the first time in a very long time that I've been excited for spring training while football season was still going.
At least we can expect that for the first time in 3 years they will leave spring training in shape and ready to play from April 1st on. That is one of the better things Girardi brings. They will have a better #1 pitcher this year when the playoffs come around. Not sure whether it will be Chamberlain, Hughes or someone else but Wang won't be the guy by then. I'de be thrilled if Cabrera ends up with the Dodgers. Any NL team will do. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7466954
Interesting stats on how clutch Arod actually was during the regular season. His time in the post season will come. "What might be more surprising is that A-Rod's numbers were even more impressive than they appear at first glance, because of one area for which he's traditionally had a poor reputation: his performance in the clutch. Rodriguez hit .333, with 98 RBIs and a 1.138 OPS with runners in scoring position. He hit .357 in "close and late" situations. He hit .500 with a 1.286 slugging percentage in 14 plate appearances with the bases loaded. At he hit .362 in September, as the Yankees climbed back to reclaim their spot in the postseason." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/11/19/bp.al.mvp/index.html Those numbers are really hard to comprehend. He will be obsessed to do even better next year. He was when he signed the Texas contract, he felt he had to prove he was worth it. All he did that year was hit .318 with 52HRs, 201 hits and 135 RBIs.
You know someone is going to rip that post apart at some point. I have a strong feeling ARod is going to finally get over that hump 11 months from now. BTW: I don't feel like posting the article, but I was reading yet another ARod one on ESPN.com yesterday. In, it was reported that Cashman admitted offering ARod a trade after the 2006 season, after Alex had been batted 8th in the lineup. Alex turned down the trade opportunity. I really think the whole reason the Steinbrenners took such a hardline stance, and forced ARod to come back himself is because they truly believed he had betrayed them. When Alex came back like a man and told them he truly wants to be a Yankee, that was all they needed to hear.
