From Pete Abraham (LoHud):
Wang had a $5 million contract this season and is eligible for arbitration. There is virtually no chance the Yankees will offer him arbitration before the December deadline. That would leave Wang a free agent.
“I would like to stay in New York,” he said. “But I don’t know what will happen.”
One possibility is that the Yankees could offer Wang a minor-league contract. Or another team could sign him to a major-league deal and hope that he returns to form.
“That’s something we won’t even think about until November,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “Those are issues for another day.”
Chien-Ming Wang is in a tough situation—one that, I think, was made worse by the Yankees’ handling of last year’s injury and Wang’s subsequent “recovery.” The team did not provide Wang with the correct rehabilitation program following his lisfranc injury and then, when he struggled in 2009, they sent him to the minors, rushed him back, and used him in an irregular manner. He has been the victim of their poorly constructed regimen and, for that reason, I don’t think he should be discarded so quickly after being the team’s de facto ace from 2006 up until his injury in 2008.
I’d like to see the team offer him arbitration, although that seems unlikely given his status. Wang could, as Abraham stated, accept a minor-league deal in order to stay with the team, but given the manner in which he has been treated, why would he want to return? Whether it’s not signing him to a multi-year deal (which wasn’t a bad decision, just one that can be seen as unappreciative) or “lowballing” him during arbitration, the added insult of his injury-riddled 2009 could be the last straw for a guy who has the stuff to win 18-20 ball games a year.
In 2010, maybe we’ll see Chien-Ming Wang in the second half of the season. However, I’m sad to say that it could very well be with another team, as I’m sure many pitching starved organizations will be willing to take a chance on a guy who can keep the ball down with the best of him (when he’s right). I do hope, though, that the Yankees choose to keep him around. As the saying goes, you can never have too much pitching.
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40 Responses to Wang's pinstriped future in doubt?
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TIQ IQ
Why is the type so small, is that my computer or the actual size? Just making sure…
I always thought Wang was a perfect fit for the Colorado Rockies and I think they would jump to give him a 1 or 2 year deal because when he is right he doesn’t give up many HRs and in Colorado if he can keep HRs off the board the Rockies will put them on the board.
As far as Wang with the Yankees I don’t see him ever throwing another pitch for the Yankees I think for one the team has moved on and has planned the future with out him and two it would be really hard to offer arbitration to someone who has to have shoulder surgery, for all the advances in elbow surgery shoulders are still a mystery and has ended guys careers, Mark Prior is a guy who has had several shoulder surgeries he never really recovered from. If he wanted to take a minor league deal that might be an idea but if I were him and I was confident I was healthy I would go somewhere else, he could be a number two on a lot of teams but not he may never be more than a 3 or 4 with the Yankees depending on Andy Pettitte next year and Chamberlain’s development he could end up being a 5 starter and that is if Hughes stays in the pen or Wang is replacing one of the other guys.
I think it’s my fault. The text from the PA article was hard to cleanup and it affected the rest of my writing (I think). I agree, though, he seems like a good fit for both the Rockies and the Rangers, in particular.
Rangers I didn’t think of but he could really stabilize that rotation with him second to Millwood and Holland third and Feldman four and Feliz fith, could be dangerous.
I agree, Chris. There are a lot of teams that could use him down the stretch. To not sign him would be a bad move.
If he is healthy though… if he is throwing 91 they can have him because he will be giving up HRs left and right!
We should offer him a two year deal like we did with Jon Lieber.
Not worth it, he may never be the same with the injury… Why buy the Pizza before you see the toppings?
Truthfully if he wanted to he could wait until he was fully healed and rehabbed and wait to half way through the season to sign with a contender and if we have rotation problems then sign him.
I like that idea…2 yr deal. Lieber actually pitched pretty good for the team, especially in the postseason.
You can never have enough pitching, and I still think CMW could pitch well after his injury issues are resolved. If not as a starter, then as a reliever. He was darn good coming out of the pen and he’d give us another weapon/luxury down there.
I just don’t see why the Yankees don’t want to keep him around. Sure, they’re trying to lower their payroll next year, and it’s somewhat of a gamble, but do you really give up on a homegrown piece like that? I hope not.
Why not, whats the point of keeping him? Wang is not a dominate starter he is decent sinker ball pitcher who wins 19 games with a 4 ERA because of the offense behind him…. George Kontos, Ivan Nova and Zach Mcallister could all fill the role of sinker ball starter with great ground ball ratios and at this point they are as much a risk as prospects as Wang with a shoulder injury, I just don’t see the reward to the risk. People get caught up with “home grown” who cares, Wang isn’t a staple of Yankee championships he was the best pitcher on three years of Yankees teams that had old veterans and noob young guys he wasn’t an ace and he isn’t an ace he is a good pitcher with a huge injury concern, you can fill that role with anyone. If you really want an injured pitcher go out and sign Ben Sheets at the end of the season, he loves CC and CC is close with him Sheets is actually a good pitcher when not hurt and has had way more time to rehab and make sure his arm is fine. I also still stand by signing Rich Harden in the off season as a 5th starter maybe even instead of Andy if you want move Hughes to the rotation… The guy is 28 has some injury concerns but he strikes out guys and has a good fastball and can get ground balls, he walks a few to many guys but as a 5th starter he would be the best 5th starter in the AL, he has great stuff and has pitched great in the AL for most of his career and he is less of a risk than Wang with a much higher reward for a similar in age pitcher who isn’t 30 and has room to grow.
Wang is much better than decent. His ERA over the time that he was in the AL East was one of the best for all starters, because pitching in the AL East inflates ERA’s. Kontos, Nova, and even McCallister are probably never going to be as good as WAng was. I think I would like to bet on Wang, a guy we know can pitch in this division, over two guys with chronic injuries like Harden and Sheets.
Wang has had chronic injuries in whole career which is why I compared him to Sheets and Harden do you not know of his injury history? That is one of the reasons it took him so long to make it up to the bigs and one of the largest reasons that he stopped using the slider as much as he had before because he kept hurting his arm… You are right none of those guys will ever be Wang and I didn’t say they would did I? I said they can fill the role of sinker baller, they will never be what Wang was but on that same token there is a likely hood if not a certainty that Wang will never be the same ever again, he will be an average sinker baller forever now. I don’t ever think he will throw the hard sinker again he will throw the 90-92 sinker that he had this year when he was healthy because of the shoulder surgery there is no way he comes back with the same velocity or movement and that is what made him good. Not enough reward for the risk when you only need a 5 starter or if Hughes goes to the rotation you only need a 6th just in case starter you can find that with in the organization you don’t need a player who might get injured aain or never fully recover.
That’s fair, Wang does have a pretty bad history as well (although Harden’s is clearly the worst of three, but he is also probably the best pitcher of three as well). I guess I just like the guy who has been in the AL East over the other guys.
Believe me if I knew for a fact the old Wang was in there and was coming out at some point wouldn’t even be a disagreement but I just don’t know at this point if he can be that starter or if he can he even stay healthy. I also agree Harden is the one with ace stuff but the biggest concerns, because of that I think he would take a one or two year deal with incentives to be on a winner and not the Cubs or A’s.
I trust Wang, an injured Wang at that, over any unproven guys like Nova or McCallister. If those guys could so easily fulfill the hole left by Wang, they would have done so this year rather than having the Yankees scrounge with Gaudin and Mitre. Wang isn’t an ace, but as a 3-4 starter for the Yankees that’s an incredible piece to keep around.
The homegrown idea isn’t as important as other things, but, because you’ve invested millions of dollars into developing this pitcher, why not keep him around if its financially feasible? You know him and he knows you. You know how to get the best out of him. It’s good business to keep those relationships going (especially if Wang regains his health and rebounds—he could be signed to a below market team because he likes the Yanks).
I am all for them signing Harden, though. I hope they do, actually.
I don;t think that is fair to say Mcallister got hurt for one and was in double A most of the season and Ivan Nova started the year in A ball and worked all the way up to triple A so he couldn’t have started in the bigs but next year he might be able too so I don’t think that’s fair.
If he signs a minor league deal for hardly any money at all with incentives or whatever i’m fine with it but if he gets a roster spot and a rotation spot and a 2-4 year deal I hate the idea… so I guess depends on how it goes down.
Harden’s stuff in a rotation already loaded with talent is perfect… he has no pressure to be an ace, he is a cog on a possible world series winner but a for sure playoff team and he can really strike guys out which is important in the AL East for most pitchers because you gotta miss those big bats or you will give up big flies.
I assume that Hughes is on an even tighter inning limit than Joba next year so I imagine at some point we need a 6th starter so I imagine the rotation would look like this.
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Andy Pettitte
Joba Chamberlain
Phil Hughes/Rich Harden
The playoffs are even more interesting
Game 1 CC
game 2 AJ
game 3 Andy
game 4 Joba/Harden/Hughes
whichever two don’t start go to the pen with electric stuff where you already have Ace and Mo….
He wants to stay in NY and I guess will take a lower monetary deal – even the minor league deal.
Remember in July/August when the Red Sox had “too much pitching?” There is no such thing as too much depth.
Remember what the Yankees staff looked like in April: CC, AJ, Wang, Pettitte, Joba.
Now it is CC, Pettitte, AJ, Joba, Guadin, Mitre (yes 6 starters)
Don’t forget to throw in Hughes and Kennedy where in the minors. The Yankees started the year with 7 deep in the rotation – only 4 made it through the year (so far).
Sign Wang like the Lieber deal..great idea…and it won’t cost too much.
All of this hinges on the HOPE that Wang will not only recover but be the same pitcher… that is the only place I disagree, if he is 07/08 Wang then sure but if he is injured Wang or 91 MPH Wang I don’t want him it’s not worth it.
“a guy who has the stuff to win 18-20 ball games a year” — alas, the verb tense is wrong. He HAD the stuff. Shoulder injuries can pose difficult recovery problems; they’re more problematic than Tommy John surgery. At this point, it is impossible to predict what he’ll be able to do. He was a pitcher with a unique ability to thrive with one plus pitch, and much of that depended on velocity. I do not see the Yankees investing much in the likelihood he can rebound.
Risk out ways the small reward I agree.
This is a very easy situation to deal with. Incentive laden minor league contract. If he gets more guaranteed money elsewhere, you let him go. But I seriously doubt he will. His numbers were frighteningly bad last year, they’re the kind of numbers you could get from a middling prospect from any organization. So a few mil for an MLB deal and the roster spot that goes with it will be tough for a GM that doesn’t know him to justify.
No team has more resources than the Yanks or know his injury history better. As a GM, if the Yanks were offering less than I was, that would give me pause. It’s similar to all the GMs that signed Atlanta Brave pitchers over the years, most of them figured out after the fact that the Braves knew when to cut bait.
I think the Yanks attempt to bring him back, the question will be whether we have a rotation spot for him and if its a good situation for him. If a minor league deal with us isn’t good enough, I let him go. Aceves, Mitre, IPK or Z-Mac can be our 6th starter next year.
I don’t know how a guy who was an ace is going to accept being a minor league player again on that same team with no rotation spot open to take… He would basically become Kei Igawa number two if he never comes back to full form, just another useless arm in triple A where he would probably still do well like Kei does.
Wang will not be ready for the start of next year. The Yankees don’t need him for 2011. The dark horse young stud who imo could not only be ready but who could burst onto the seen is D J Mitchell.
DJ would have to wait for a while because right now our rotation full considering what Pettitte does and if the Yankees are interested in a cheaper insurance policy like Harden.
I am talking 2011 and DJ will be in the mix count on it. He is that good and could easily be dominating AAA by the second half of next year.
Mitchell will start next year in single A. The odds that he is in AAA are pretty slim. He just isn’t that kind of prospect.
Moshe sorry but you are way wrong on this. DJ Mitchell most definitely will start next season in Trenton! 100+ innings in Tampa with an under 3 ERA means AA for sure!
I guess it is possible. Even so, saying that he will dominate AAA in the second half is still pretty bold. Most prospects take at least a year at AA.
Yeah the jump in talent from A ball to double A ball is probably the biggest jump you make until you go from triple A to the bigs. Not to mention he put those numbers up in low A and hasn’t gotten a chance at Charleston I think Mo is right he will start in Charleston and make it up to double A by the all star break hopefully then stay there all year.
This statement right here shows how wrong you are dude. I am talking about DJ Mitchell who has thrown over 100 innings for the Tampa Yankees of the FSL or high A ball and not the Mitchell who was just drafted this year. Maybe you need to look first next time. DJ Mitchell was drafted in 2008. Is it so hard for you guys to believe if he starts the season in AA next and matches the numbers he put up in Tampa that he couldn’t be pitching well in AAA to end next year? Did I say something the couldn’t happen?
All I can say is one of my brother’s best friends is a minor league scout. I asked him which Yankee pitcher he scouted and liked best. Mitchell was his choice.
I’m not digging you but that statement means absolutley nothing… I know Shawn Meriman and he said he actually did choke that hoe and is just trying to get out of trouble but he told me not to tell anyone so shhhh. Basically the same thing, it’s the E net so I can’t believe you…
Dude I don’t give a darn what you believe! I believe my brother’s friend and even though I would love to pick his brain more when I see him I usually just ask a question or two. He liked Mitchell a lot so take it for what it’s worth or not but I don’t need to read your stupidity!
Your response gives me all the information I need…. An over reaction and anger for being called out… I didn’t say you were lying I just said it’s the E net so I can’t believe you, if you hadn’t just posted like you were 12 in response I might have at least considered it reputable but now It’s not worth a grain of salt.
Anyone think his 07 performance in the ALDS has anything to do with the Yankees seemingly lack of interest in him?
I doubt that has anything to do with it, he was fine in a couple playoff games in the past, one game inparticular he dominated the Indians or someone I forget but no ball got hit into the air for most of the game.
No one was rooting more for Wang to bounce back this season than I was, and I think the disgraceful way the Yanks handled his injury and rehab may be the most underreported story of this season (thankfully, its being ignored because the press is being blinded by wins). I would not blame Wang one bit for walking away. However, if the Yanks really want him, it has to be on a minor league deal, but they can soften that nominal insult with a larger salary than other teams. So long as he stays off the 40 man, he won’t count towards the lux tax, right? And if he is put into the bigs,it’ll likely be because the Yanks feel he has returned to form, in which case they’ll be more than willing to take the financial hit.
Why pay him more than another team would to be on the minor league roster? You want to pay him more than a major league contract for a minor league starter who may never see the bigs… No thanks just get Rich Harden it’s easier and less expensive with just as much if not less risk.
LMAO at you! Whatever! Ha Ha the jokes on me for sharing about Mitchell who if you look at the numbers pitched very and will be in AA based on them.
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