From Chad Jennings:
“I am definitely not in a position right now where I feel like I’m ready to do anything,” he said. “The next step isn’t ready to happen now, based on my conversations. There shouldn’t be another shoe to drop immediately.”
Cashman has options, and he has little need for urgency. He has to act, obviously, but the past four days have surely eased any need for desperation. Yesterday, Cashman acknowledged having talked to John Lackey’s agent. Today, he acknowledged talking about Ben Sheets. He’s met with the agents for Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. He’s been engaged with multiple trade talks. As soon as something makes sense, he’ll be ready to move.
“Patience can benefit you, (or) it might not,” Cashman said. “You can wait something out and see if it falls in your lap, but by doing that you risk losing something that you want. It’s a little riskier for us to play that game. If we really want something and it fits in our criteria at some point, waiting it out to see if it gets cheaper, I’m not sure that’s the way we go about it.”
As Jennings notes, the number of options still available to fill the Yankees’ remaining holes allow Cashman to be patient and allow the market to develop a bit. Regarding LF/DH, there are options such as Damon, Matsui, Holliday, Johnson, Delgado, Dye, Thome, and Cust, and I am sure that I am missing a number of names. As Cashman stated earlier this week, (from Davidoff):
“You can turn left, you can turn right, you can look up and down, and you’ve got a DH sitting right there begging for a job.”
In terms of pitching, Sheets, Lackey, Escobar, Duchsherer, Bedard, Garland, and Marquis are available. The Yankees can now afford to wait it out and dictate terms to some of these free agents. So buckle in, because the offseason is just beginning.
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19 Responses to Cashman: Next Step Not Imminent
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TIQ IQ
There’s certainly a lot going on and there are a lot of directions that the Yankees could go in.
But, in the background, I think that the fate of the 2010 World series may be playing out. This is the low key, understated, almost hidden battle for Halladay between the Yanks and Phillies.
I think both teams want him, are wanting the price tag to drop, and the winner may be the team to win the next World Series.
Some points,
(1)-Hallady doesn’t really want to go the Angels or Cubs. The Red Sox don’t want to give up the young players required to get him. Roy’s first choice puportedly is the Phillies, and second is the Yankees.The Jays would prefer trading him to the Phillies and not the Yanks.
(2)-All indications point to this being resolved before spring training.
(3)-I think Cashman is listening closely,not really wanting to give up what it will take, and the Phillies are quietly, but intensely trying to get it done.
(4)-If the Phillies get Halladay, (and assuming they have to give up either Hamels or Happ to do this), the Yankees only possible counter to compete against this powerful Phillies team in next yr’s series (that I heard talked about) is signing Lachey.
Even so, with Lee and Halliday, and the stong Phillies lineup figuring out their 2009 hitting woes, the Phillies could zip thru the Yankees in 5 or 6 games.
Summation–Cashman must be sweating this one out. Will he bite the bullet to give up what it would take to get Halladay?
I, for one, am watching, sitting on pins and needles.
It’s way too soon to say that the Yanks would lose to the Phils in 5 or 6, even if they did get Roy Halladay. Among other things to consider are:
-what (if any) contribution Polanco makes at 3B over Feliz;
-how Philly addresses what was a spotty bullpen at the end of last year;
-if Victorino and/or Ibanez both have as good a 2010 as they did a 2009;
-is Rollins able to bounce back from his sub-par 2009;
-Halladay/Lee and who else in the rotation?
I’m not saying the Phillies wouldn’t be presumptive favorites to come out of the NL if they end up with Halladay but they’re not a lock to win anything.
I agree with you. You are right on every point. In my post, I jumped far ahead and assumed a lot.
The Phillies must address their horrendous closer situation, etc. But, if they made their play for Halladay and got him, I would assume that they would follow up on addressing all the smaller holes. Charlie Manuel talked about this right after he lost. He said he would get better players, address their weaknesses and be back next year to play Round II.
And being a lifelong Yankee fan, I don’t want to downplay how stong this Yankee team is, and it certainly wouldn’t be any slam dunk for the Phillies, with Lee and Halladay, against this strong array of Yankee talent, and how Cashman would further improve it. But, players get hurt, some guys decline, some improve, etc. The 2010 Series is far away, but the Yanks and Phillies will certainly be on most peoples’ list to meet for a rematch. These are 2 strong teams.
One of the key issues in my mind is what would prevent the Yankees from getting #28? Near, or at the top of that list, would be the Phillies getting Halliday for mostly prospects, like they did with Lee.
I think Halladay will be traded this winter. At this point I see the Yankees and Phillies as the two top landing places. I can see however this turns out to potentially have an effect on #28.
I remember 2001 with Johnson and Schilling, and 1963 with Koufax Drysdale, etc. Even 1957 with Spahn and Burdette comes to mind.
So, I just think this is a big swing issue for us. It is going on, but being kept very quiet.I don’t know how it will turn out, but it is extremely fascinating to me to see it play out. Don’t you agree?
I hear ya and pretty much agree.
One more thing to consider: I cannot remember the last time the Phillies spent money on premium free agents. As it is, I’m not 100% sure they’ll sign Cliff Lee after this year and I imagine that trading all those prospects for him *AND* Halladay would leave their farm system so barren that they’d have to suck it up and pay one or the other (but probably not both). For that reason, I almost wonder if all the Halladay-to-Philly talk isn’t realistic. Would they really trade 8-9 premium prospets for two aces and then keep only one? Would they commit to monster contracts for both? I doubt it.
MJ,
That’s a good point. But I think the Phillies are kicking themselves over the 2009 Series about not getting another good pitcher at last yr’s deadline. I think most of Philadelphia feels that they were one good starter, and a good closer short of a World Championship. The had a chance to really get Halladay AND Lee last year, if they really wanted to. They didn’t give up their best chips in the Lee deal–(if you can understand how the heck they were able to do that).
I think some people are still kicking themselves over not getting Halladay then, and are determined not going to make that mistake again.
Their window of opportunity for World Championships will be closing in a couple of years, when their core players reach FA, and they will not be able to afford them all.
I think some want to use up the minor league chips to insure a short run that will be the pride of Philadelphia sports history for years to come.
On the other hand,if they decide not to do this, maybe the price will drop, and the Yanks can get Halladay cheap. I also think they may let Lee walk, if they get halladay.
Frankly, if the Phillies want to trade Kyle Drabek, Domonic Brown and whoever else they have left in their system in order to trade for — and extend — Roy Halladay, I’m just fine with that if it means that Cliff Lee becomes a free agent. I’d rather the Yanks have the younger, left-handed Lee than the older (but fantastic) Halladay.
I think Thome was the last big FA splash for the Phillies.
I’d much rather go with both Chamberlain and Hughes in the rotation than waste time and money with Garland and/or Marquis. That rubbish belongs in the NL only.
Agreed. Just trying to put all the options out there, but I would not touch either guy. Even if you dont go with Hughes or Joba, I’d prefer giving Aceves a shot to them.
I hear ya, gotta list the options just to be comprehensive.
Ditto on Aceves…I’d take another flier on him before I spend even $5M or $6M to bring in one of the Garland/Marquis pupu platter.
Also, don’t forget Gaudin. Assuming the Yanks keep him around, he’s just as viable a #5 starter as either of the aforementioned turds in the punchbowl.
I really didn’t follow what Duchsherer did last year as I pretty much watch Yankee baseball and realiaze that takes up enough of my time. For those of you who follow the whole league more closely what is your take on Duchsherer? Did he end the season hurt? Out of all the options his numbers look pretty good. I think we sign him or Sheets and leave Montero, Hughes, Joba as our future. To not blow up our payroll flexibility has to be a little important – no?
As far as hititng goes I’d like to see us bring back both Johnny (10/11mil) and Matsui (6/7mil) and trade Melk for a bullpen arm. Nick Johnson would have to be plan B for the 2 hole if JD&Boras are being unreasonable. That leaves LF to be played by Melky, Nady, or I’d love to see us trade for Shin-soo-chu or Nick Markakis but I’m sure that would be an impossible task for the Cash-man to get done. Still a lot to shake out I guess.
I like Duchsherer because he has been an All-Star as a starter and reliever, meaning he provides plenty of flexibility. That said, he is injury prone and was hurt of last year, and he has depression issues.
Thanks. Did he finish off the season pitcheing ok though? I think that is what we really should concern ourselves with. It is tough to try to pick a pitcher who ended a season with arm/shoulder problems because they might not be healed. That is why I was against Sheets last off season.
It would be nice to have the money for Lackey but obviously the cost is gonig to be way too high by the looks of it. Other than that though the good arms that would do well in out stadium are risky due to injury history.
Moshe,
Those remarks by Cashman that you listed from Chad Jennings,—when I read them my first thought was that he was talking about the Halladay situation. Should he wait for the price to drop, or pay a higher price to get him, and just about guarantee the 28th in 2010. Or is he risking that the Phillies GM would just keep working it and consumate the deal. This was so obvious to me that it shouted. Yet, getting Halladay wasn’t mentioned below as an option, as a Yankee starter. Am I the only one hearing the undertones about Halladay in a lot of Cashman’s remarks?
I’ll be honest, I think the Yanks are following the Halladay situation but I think the Johan Santana trade negotiations should be a reminder that, generally speaking, Cashman doesn’t want to trade high-cieling assets for one year of a free-agent-to-be.
Why trade the farm (and who knows what else) for Halladay when in a year’s time Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett and others will be available for only cash?
I think that he is wrestling with these issues now.
If they trade for him, they would certainly sign him for multiple years, and Cashman would have to get a budget increase like they did last yr for Tex.
I’m just picking up a lot of clues in his remarks that they (Yankee organization) are debating this, lusting for him, and watching closely.
One report yesterday was that the Jays are very disappointed in the offers that they have received so far, so maybe his price will come down.
But a reported offer from the Phillies certainly wasn’t a low ball one. It listed Happ or Hamels, plus Brown, plus another high rated lower level guy. I could see the Jays accepting this,maybe with a little sweetening, and it doesn’t even include Drabek.
We’ll see how this turns out.
I think that Cash should keep listening till the room gets very hot then make a sort of “temporary offer” for Halladay to drive up the price, but I am more for signing Sheets. Sign him to a $10.5 deal with some incentives that reach $12 with 1 year with club option. If Sheets can return to his form before the injury, then we have another co-ace and there would be no need for Halladay. As regarding to hitting, now that we have Granderson it makes more sense to me to bring back Matsui and not Damon because we already have our outfield set with Melky in RF, Granderson in CF, and Swisher in RF with Gardner backing up Melky and Granderson. We should also resign Hinske to back up RF (if he is a FA). Adding Damon would be useless and cost more money than Matsui, Matsui would be cheaper, whereas adding Matsui, he would be our World Series MVP DH!
If Carlos Delgado could prove he was healthy and play for a 1 year deal at around 4-6 million and Hideki Matsui was no longer in play it might not be a bad idea to see if he could hit well enough to be at least a half time DH. He could DH against RHP (his numbers against LHP was really good as well before the injury so he can face lefties as well) and he would need some rest days so he allows you plenty of times to get him rest and rotate others in at DH and his nice powerful left handed swing in Yankee stadium would be a nice match. Carlos had 38 HRs in 2008 and before he got injured in 2009 he had a .393 OBP if he still has that power and can prove he is healthy enough to swing the bat he could prove to be a really good piece to the puzzle this year.