Here’s my guess
RF-Swisher
CF-Gardner
LF-Holliday
4th OF-Melky
I’ll guess they let Nady, Damon and Matsui walk, they take the money they save (over 30 mil) and sign Holliday. I’ll also assume that A-Jax still isn’t quite ready yet and Gardner has a good enough year to stick around. I’d love to figure out a way to get Jeter into LF, but that’s another pipe dream of mine that no one on the Yanks seems to be considering yet.
I also feel pretty confident that most of this will be wrong.
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TIQ IQ
I dont see them going after Holliday after the amount of money they invested this offseason. I also think he is going to want a lot more than he is worth. I would guess they would either go after Bay if Boston lets him go, Manny, or a veteran stop gap type (Damon, Dye). Also, who would play short if Jeter moved to left?
Holliday could give them some elite production at a corner OF spot. Given the age at some positions that could be much needed as those players decline. They can certainly afford it, Damon and Matsui make 13 mil each, and Nady got 6.55 in arb. Holiday won’t cost 32.55 per, probably around 18-20. They still save 12-14 mil off this year’s payroll.
Plus, the Yanks usually like to put something under the holiday tree for next year’s ticket sales, he makes sense to generate some excitement.
I dont know that Holliday is a name known to the casual fan- i bet that it is not. And the Yankees are not going to invest just because contracts expire- they will only do so if it makes baseball sense. Holliday will be 30 and will want a 6-7 year deal at 18-20 per, and he is not worth it.
Amen!
I think there is a good chance that Swisher and Gardner make the outfield in 2010. I highly doubt Holiday is a Yankee. The Yankees should not be looking for another long term contract. I hope they trade pitching for a bat instead. Joey Votto might make a good right fielder. The Yankees need a left handed power hitting outfielder.
Girardi loves Swisher, he’s a guy who gets his uniform dirty, is very upbeat in the clubhouse and Stick thinks his swing will play well in Yankee stadium.
But I’m from Missouri on Swisher. I want him to show me first before I hand him a job. In (hopefully) the post steroid era, when I see a guy coming off a down year I don’t know what to believe anymore.
If we could get Votto… I doubt it though.
I wrote a post a year or so ago, asking the Yankees to trade Hughes or a package that included Ian Kennedy for Joey Votto. No way the Reds do a trade like that now — not when the 2008 season saw their young duo of Volquez and Cueto emerge and it was the season where Votto proved he could be a valuable first baseman (he has speed, too). I wouldn’t be surprised to see them trade with the Nationals.
When I thought of Hughes for votto, it was to fill the void at first.
I get the feeling that Manny could be a Yankee next season. At least I like the chances of them getting him over Holliday. Mostly because it would take a much longer commitment as far as years go to get Holliday.
Also I think/hope that the Yankees could bring in Austin Jackson next year. I would like to see him platoon in center with Brett Gardner until he is ready to take over full time. My 2010 outfield would look like this:
LF: Xavier Nady
CF: Gardner/Jackson
RF: Nick Swisher
If they could get Manny on a one-year deal then I would like him to be my DH, but I would hold a hard line on the fact that it needed to be a one-year deal.
A 1 year deal will be fine, we’ll just add a bunch of TEAM options to make sure he’s happy.
I would love Holiday– that is assuming he can handle the AL-pitchers well in Oakland, which I think he can. If Gardner isn’t the MLB quality player we think he is, I wouldn’t mind getting a guy like Rick Ankiel on a one or two year deal. He’ll hit 25 HRs and play great defense and have you seen this guys arm?
Yeah, Ankiel would be a nice stopgap. Also, I just looked at Holliday’s numbers, and his defense is apparently excellent. That might sway me a bit in his direction.
Yeah, I like the idea we get to see Holliday in the AL before committing a big deal to him. That makes him a safer bet than Ankiel, plus should answer any ‘Coors Field’ questions.
Ankiel is not a stopgap. He is a free agent and will want a multi year deal for good money. The Yankees need to target a young player who will be team controllable for at least 3 seasons going forward.
Ankiel will be a 30 year old former steroid user with health issues. In this climate, he may take a two year deal at good money.
Also, its one good year we’re talking about with Ankiel. In the NL. The league might very well adjust back to whatever adjustments he made last year and all of a sudden he’s no longer productive. Happens all the time. I wouldn’t commit to a long term deal with him.
I see Brett-CF, Swisher-RF and agree with Scott I on picking up a one/two year replacement (maybe a FA)…NO long term contracts, PLEASE!
Manny is a non-starter and Nady (Boris) will want a 4/7 year contract…no to both.
Hey Old Ranger, nice to see you around here! I’m “Artist formerly known as ‘The’ Steve” over at RAB. Moshe was nice enough to invite me to post over here, and I’ve been doing it the past few days.
I thought that was you. You are a lot better over here away from…! Oh, hell, good for you! You write a bit differently over here, very nice. All of you guys are very talented. I like this blog. I ain’t got no learnings! So, have fun and enjoy!
Steve…
I see you are still on the Holliday band wagon, so be it. I have been trying for over a year to get people to look at Brett Gradner as our CF for the next 5/6 years…or until someone can beat him out (A-Jax, maybe, not sure yet). As long as he can put up good numbers (not great) leave him out there. If Jackson comes up…let him play LF, he has played all the OF spots…not so with Brett.
Besides, most “experts” say in Yankee stadium you need two CF types…one for CF and the other for LF…hence, Johnny is better in LF then Swish/Nady.
Now I am on another player, Cervelli…I like the things I have seen from him and of course the scouting reports. Most of the scouts seem to be denegrading him (I can’t remember EJs’ rating but, it was good). The thing I like is as a hitter he will not embarrass himself, he won’t hit a lot of HRs either. OK, here is my thing with him; he is about as good as Molina while being a better hitter…ergo, next year, let Molina walk or trade him, move Cervelli up as a stop gap until Romine and Montero are ready.
This is all off topic, I apologize and won’t do it again…got carried away.
It is ok- this blog is not big enough for me to complain about off topic stuff. In regard to EJ rankings, there is a link to them at the top of your page. I think that if Cervelli has a solid year in the minors, he will be handed a chance to win the backup job in ST 2010.
I don’t think the Yankees will invest in Matt Holliday — not anymore, not after signing Mark Teixeira. I’d like to see an OF of Nick Swisher, Jason Bay and Brett Gardner. It would be one of the most patient OF’s in baseball.
Oh, and Manny at DH would work (Manny and Jason Bay?).
I doubt the sawx let Bay walk. We’ve been hearing rumbling about an extension in the works. But I’d love to see Manny on a 1 yr deal as DH in 2010.
If the team some how got Manny AND Holliday I could see Jeter in left but then again they’d have to spend some dough/prospects on a SS that’s BETTER than Jeter. Even with the decline there aren’t a whole lot of SS that we can really EXPECT (not project) to be better over the next 2-3 yrs.
The other option is to pick up a young 3B right now and transition Arod (ha!) back to SS next season but that sounds completely retarded. Jeter doesn’t go to left until Lassiter/Angelini prove they have potential or Joba/Hughes win 20 then get traded in a package for Hanley.
So many variables w/ this question.
1) How does Holliday perform in the A.L. away from the friendly confines of Coors?
2) Does BG hit enough to be a ML regular?
3) Does Swisher have a bounce back year
I like Holliday, though, if his numbers translate to the AL? He’s a big, fast, strong, toolsy kind of guy who is a pretty good fielder to boot. An OF of Holliday, BG and Ajax can really go get it. BTW, he had 28 sb last year compared to 2 cs. He’s not a one dimensional guy by any means. He can help your team in many ways.
How about this a wild card Jesus Montero has a big year and is moved to left field-I know is sounds crazy but its just a thought-otherwise I hope Gardner keeps playing as he is and they sign Manny for a one year deal play hin right field which is better suited for him
They are not moving him until they are forced to. There is just no way, as he is much more valuable as a catcher.
Not crazy – but Montero is several years away, and would have to play RF, esp in Yankee Stadium b/c of his lack of speed. He has the arm to play RF – it’s not crazy, but Cash said recently, that they have no doubt that he’ll be a major league catcher.