From Jim Ingraham:
This much we know for sure: Sizemore has signed his last contract with the Indians. There is no reason to believe when Sizemore becomes a free agent after the 2012 season he won’t leave whatever team he is with and sign a monstrous contract with one of the big-market teams.
The Yankees, who will need a new center fielder by then, are one team that comes to mind.
The only question regarding the Sizemore era in Cleveland is how much longer it will last.
With the Indians looking primed to be a losing club for the duration of Sizemore’s contract, it might make sense for the Yankees to attempt and blow them away with a deal now. Sizemore struggled with ineffectiveness and injury in 2009, but is one of the league’s best and most unique talents when healthy, and is likely the best all around CF’er in the sport. While the cost would be hefty, it would allow the Yankees to stay away from handing out contracts to players such as Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.
The Yankees could resign one of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon to DH, and have Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner share LF. That would make for a great defensive outfield, and the club would not miss a beat offensively with Sizemore’s stick in the lineup. Of course, as with any move, the question is the cost. Any deal would almost certainly start with Phil Hughes, Austin Jackson, Zach McCallister, and Austin Romine, and might require some more arms to fill out the package. While I am loathe to give up prospects like those, Sizemore is an exceptional talent who would fit seamlessly into the pantheon of great Yankee center fielders. It is a tough call. Would you pursue it?
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30 Responses to Should The Yankees Pursue Grady Sizemore?
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TIQ IQ
Grady Sizemore is having a down 2009 because of his elbow injury. But make no mistake about it, Sizemore is one of the best players in all of MLB. He is young, talented, and even reminds me of a young Derek Jeter. His lefty bat in Yankee Stadium would be deadly! Oh and he is a gold glove centerfield.
I’d happily give a package of Melancon, Melky, Austin Jackson, and Romine. I’m not sure if that package would get it done… but I’d add Zach McAllister (possible 2009 AA pitcher of the year) if Cleveland insisted. I believe Shapiro is a genius GM, but he didn’t get much for Cliff Lee, so maybe the Yanks could snag Grady and keep one of those guys listed above.
I would say there is no way at all that you get him without giving up one of Joba, Hughes, or Montero.
And I wouldn’t give up any of those guys in a deal for a CFer when we have 3 of them ready to go.
Why would the Yamnkees need a center fielder by then? Gardner/Melky/Austin Jackson one of the three will develop the bat necessary to be an evetyday CF and they all have defense.
I’m not certain that any of those three will be an above average player.
I see Austin as a really good player in this league, I know most disagree with me but I see him starting out as a glove in CF and with in a few years I think he is going to develop 20-25 HR power with .300 average ability and the speed to steal 30+ bases. I am not willing to give up on him like everyone else wants too, the kid has only been playing baseball full time since the Yankees drafted him and his bat is finally coming around in a contact fashion and he has already shown flashes of power and as we all know that is always the last thing to develop. I see Austin as the kind of kid who will thrive in New York around Jeter and those guys and be a much better pro player than he ever was as a minor league player.
Why trade for him? we’ve already shown we can win 100 games w/o him. we have to keep the young arms, while still believing Ajax can develop into a Granderson type player.
I guess because I am down on Jackson. The Yankees of 2009 can win without him. In 2010, you probably lose one of Matsui or Damon, and Jeter, A-Rod, and Posada get a year older. The offense is fairly old, and adding a talent like Sizemore would really stave off that aging process. I dont mind losing anyone in the package I suggested except Hughes, who makes this a very tough decision. I’m not sure what I would do.
Hughes? Hughes? Hughes who will never be a good starter Hughes? I wouldn’t trade Joba but I would let Hughes go in a new york second for the right deal, but that deal is for Felix Hernandez not useless Grady Sizemore…. We don’t need him, you could add Matt Holliday not giving up any prospects and add just as much bat as Sizemore gives with less injury concerns.
Why would you say that you’re not “giving up” on Austin Jackson yet are so quick to give up on Phil Hughes. What is the difference there? You say that we can see “flashes of power” with A-Jax when, in reality, he has not shown any power this year. Hasn’t Phil Hughes shown “flashes of brilliance?” He has done a lot more than Austin Jackson has at the major league level. I’d be very hesitant to give up Hughes, but would let A-Jax go in a heartbeat, along with anyone else (except for Montero and maybe Joba) for Grady Sizemore.
I have seen Jackson hit and swing the bat so yes I have seen his power stroke and like what I see, if you don’t, you don’t! Yes I give up on Hughes as a starter at the level that the league and you seem to think he is at… everyone right now because he is in the pen thinks he can be an ace or a number 2 pitcher but mostly and ace and no way in hell is he anymore than a 4 or 5 starter with that fastball and ability as a starter ok but nothing brilliant. We have seen a lot more from Hughes as a reliever than as a starter and what we have seen as a starter was always erased by an even worse play or an even worse game. I just don’t think Phil has the mental make up to be a great starter, he doesn’t know who to limit damage, when he gets the bases loaded and in in trouble they usually all score, Joba has done a great Joba for the most part in limiting damage and mentally focusing and locking down when things get tough when Phil is in trouble he looks for a place to hide. So yes I would trade Hughes right now in a minute for quite a number of players because other teams see him as an ace again so lets take advantage of it!
To say that Joba has done “a great Joba” is laughable. Maybe he locks down later on, but that’s what, after he has given up 3 runs in the first inning? With regard to Hughes, thinking someone doesn’t have the mental makeup to be a starter after seeing them pitch 34 awful innings in 2008 is also highly questionable, especially when they have been utterly dominant in every minor-league level. There’s a reason teams see him as a potential ace, of course.
I meant to say, “great job.” I quoted you verbatim by accident.
If we are trading for a CFer why not trade for BJ Upton? You could get him for less than Sizemore, he’s younger, has just as good a glove if not better and has the ability to develop into the best CF in baseball if Long could work on his bat. You could probably get him for Austin Jackson, Zach Mcallister and another pitching prospect maybe two but the Rays won’t sign him long term, he is wasting a spot on there roster and cheap, young and controllable pitching is what they are after.
You mean the guy who doesn’t care enough to hustle for a fly ball?
You mean the guy who had an ankle injury and was taken out of the game afterwards because of how bad it was hurting…. Do you even pay attention to the facts or do they get in the way of your absence of logic?
It must be nice to make sweepinh accusations on somebody like they aren’t trying when you don’t even know that person. Me I don’t claim to read minds and I also don’t claim to know more than the person actually doing what your talking about… the guy was injured and shouldn’t have even been on the field, heck he has been injured since the beginning of the season and has still played wonderful baseball defensively all year! I’m sure you are right though it wasn’t because his ankle was killing him, he is just lazy… Who is winning the world series since you know everything?
“it would allow the Yankees to stay away from handing out contracts to players such as Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. ”
That is the part that makes me laugh… so instead of handing out a contract to Holliday you would rather take on the contract of Grady Sizemore while at the exact same time giving up Jesus Montero or Joba or Hughes and a boat load of secondary prospects for a CFer when we already have 3 of them that can play the position. Your logic fails! It’s just money to get Holliday or Figgins but it’s money already owed and our entire future as well. I would also say that getting Sizmore isn’t staving off getting older as you put it because we would have to give up youth to get him and we already have one of the youngest CFs in baseball with Melky and Gardner and Jackson…. It isn’t like Bernie Williams is in CF or Mike Cameron.
Sizemore for Austin Jackson, Zach McCallister, Melancon, Melky but, Austin Romine is pushing it a bit.
Romines’ bat is slowly improving along with his good defense, I am not so sure of letting him go in that trade. I might ad, what is the use of having all the catchers if not to trade one or two?
Yeah why have all those catchers unless you trade one or two… Unless the one or two you trade end up being the only one of the 4 or 5 that actually make it to the bigs as a catcher. Why trade a future starting CFer, a future starting pitcher, a good bull pen piece for the future, a good 4th outfielder and a future starting catcher for an injured CFer we don’t need….
It doesn’t make sense, we just stopped trading all our prospects and the first thing you guys want to do is trade everyone single one of them for Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez and Grady Sizemore and only Felix is even worth trading for.
The biggest thing to me is the fact that I really don’t think that Grady Sizemore will be better than every single one of those guys combined… what if one becomes an all star, one is a very good starter and all the others make it to the show and do at least somewhat good the trade was a waste. If Romine, Jackson and Mcallister don’t make it it was a good trade but I would rather keep Romine and Mcallister and Jackson because I don’t belive Montero is going to stay at C he is just to big and eventually the Yankees will just admit he is a DH on our team and get his bat up and since Romine is the closest catcher we have to the bigs it’s important to keep him until we see what Sanchez and the other guys can actually do because they are all young. Mcallister has a chance to be a very good number 3 pitcher and he is a ground ball pitcher which can be really handy in Yankee stadium and I really believe in the ability of Austin Jackson. I know all prospects don’t pan out but I like those 3 and really see all 3 of them becoming no less than really good role players on a good team and I think Austin has a chance to be something special.
Besides if you really want to trade for a young outfield bat trade for the other Upton… That is right there is no way Justin Upton will sign a long term deal with the Dbacks ever! So just offer them Hughes as the start of the package and build it up… he wouldn’t cost much more than Sizemore and I would actually let Jackson, Romine, Hughes, Mcallister and another player go for Justin, he is young, strong, fast and extremely talented.
Why in the world would the Diamondbacks trade Justin Upton? Why would they even entertain that idea? Who cares if he’s not signing a long-term deal with them. He’s locked up for at least another 4 years. Why not get all you can from him for another few years and then trade him, if that.
That kid is walking away, they are an orginization only getting worse considering Webb may not ever be the same and Upton has the most value right now because he is young and locked up for 4 years, if they wait they wouldn’t get near as much for him and either way they aren’t selling tickets and either way they aren’t competing it makes sense to get what you can and right onow you could rob the bank for him.
I would be willing to include Ajax and even Romine if there were no other good prospects. Otherwise I’d definitely want them to hold on to Romine.
I’d rather try to do this deal after 2010 season. That way they can try to get a big free agent outfielder on your terms, if you fail they can still go with older vets as stopgaps. Maybe Ian Kennedy could gain some value by then also.
Why would the indians take Jackson and Romine with no other talent in the deal? Two maybes who are both over a half a year (Jackson) and a year and a half or more (Romine) from being in the bigs for a CFer with speed and power who is the only face left on the Indians team since they traded CC and Victor and Fausto is sucking the big one.
I don’t understand all the hate on Austin Jackson the guy has a lot of tools and is still developing both physically as a young man and mentally as a ball player and he is only going to get better from here, and when I watch his pure swing he has a lot more power in that bat then most of you give him credit for. He actually does remind me a lot of another Curtis Granderson and Curtis didn’t hit a whole bunch of home runs at first but his power was always in the swing and now you are seeing it develop, I see no reason that Austin won’t be the same.
I think A-Jax will become a fine player, but just because people are quick to trade him for Grady Sizemore doesn’t mean that they think poorly of him. In fact, if you’re offering A-Jax, that’s a testament to Sizemore’s abilities and Jackson’s potential. You can’t trade shit and get a diamond. You have to give up the best to get the best and A-Jax is the best (that we have to offer in the OF). I would like to see what he can do in Triple-A next year before deciding his future, though. I believe he can be more of a power threat, although we haven’t seen that in 2009.
I was referring mostly to the fact Mo really sees him as nothing special and not even a starting CFer for us from what I have seen him say and a lot of others I have heard say he is a waste of time which I don’t believe. Yeah it would show the Indians think highly of him but the Yankees trading him in a package for a CFer would prove they have no faith in him at all and hope the Indians want him, however since they didn’t trade him for Washburn it looks like he has value in the organization. I believe the reason the power didn’t show this year was because the hitting coaches had him basically just go inside out and swing for a very jeterian swing to get his basic singles hitting skills right. I believe next year you will see more power from the start unlike this year where he hit mostly singles with a great average and was then somewhat tuned loose to swing with power later on in the season when the average had built up. It will be interesting to see what he can do in spring training and how long they will leave him in spring training before sending him to Scranton.
Cashman has shown a willingness to deal when it means buying low, as with Swisher. That would apply here. On the other hand, he has refused to trade top young talent, insisting that it is uneconomical and in the long run less viable as a business model than developing talent and signing free agents as needed. If Cleveland thinks it is selling Sizemore at his best, there will be a mismatch here, and no deal will happen. The Yankees will nto open a hole in their starting rotation to make an upgrade in a position where they already have average/solid players (CF).
I agree. Why not wait 2 years, and see what Gardner and Cabrera can do, how AJax develops, whether Heathcott can hit in the pros. If none of these options pan out, sign Sizemore as a FA.
I never said Joba did a great job as a starter or anything did I? I said he did a good job in holding back the killer inning he allows you to stay in the game even when he is giving up runs because he doesn’t have a whole lot of 6 run innings and stuff like that.
I said he has done a great Joba in limiting damage when he gets in bad situations it has nothing to do with the whole game or anything else… When he got bases loaded against the Red Sox with 1 out only one run scored and he finished the inning and that is what I talk about when I say limit damage. Hughes as a starter got the bases loaded against the Orioles and broke down do badly he didn’t he back up home plate.
Also I am not judging him on 34 innings I am judging him on 106.2 innings he pitched before this year and all the innings he pitched as a starter this year, so I would think over 120 innings of work is enough to judge someones mental make up.
No people see him as an ace because of what he has done in the pen and none of the ESPN crowd has even gone back to watch him as a starter and every just sees the Hughes throwing 96 in the set up role and doesn’t remember how utterly helpless he looked at times as a starter.
Why does it bother you so badly I don’t like Hughes? Are you his brother or something are you Chris Hughes? 4.46 a 6.62 and over 6 ERA this year as a starter this year he has never shown a grasp on the concept of being a starter and going through a line up more than once. He looks at home in the bull pen like he never did in the rotation he actually has some swagger in the 8th inning and shows some confidence, as a starter all he ever showed was being scared and lost on the bump.
I am not writing him off but I am not drooling all over him and forgetting what he is like you… You want to put him in the package of an ace and he isn’t and will never be that… he will be a 91-92 MPH straight fastball with an under developed change, a still developing cutter and knuckle curve. Guess what he isn’t AJ Burnett and he never will be, he doesn’t have the same electric stuff, he doesn’t have as good a curve and he will never be that type of starter like you think he will be.