After a ridiculously busy Monday that saw the signing of the top pitcher on the market, a blockbuster 3-team deal, and the news that the Cardinals may offer Matt Holliday an 8-year deal, the hot stove is still burning. While Boston made some big acquisitions yesterday in the form of John Lackey and Mike Cameron (and might add another bat via free agency or trade), Brian Cashman is not sitting pat.
Ken Rosenthal, via twitter, is reporting that the Yankees are “very interested” in signing RHP Ben Sheets. Sheets, who missed the entire 2009 season after having surgery, is reportedly seeking as much as 12 million per year, a lot for a player who is coming off surgery, and has not pitched over 200 innings since 2004. The Yankees would likely hope to offer Sheets a similar contract to that of Rich Harden, another oft-injured righty who can pitch like a front of the rotation starter when healthy. Harden got a 6.5 million dollar deal with a mutual option for 11.5, for a total of 7.5 million guaranteed over 2 years. The Yankees will probably offer Sheets a 1 year deal with a base salary in the 6-8 million range, with incentives for starts, innings pitched, or some other measure of durability that could bring the value of the deal up to the 12 million dollar range that Sheets is demanding.
Sheets is an intriguing buy-low opportunity, and as a guy with great control and the ability to strke batters out (k:bb ratio of almost 4:1 for his career with a career 1.201 WHIP), he could be a nice addition to the Yankee rotation. If signed, Sheets would likely compete with Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain for the 4th and 5th spot in the rotation, though he may want a guaranteed spot in the rotation as part of the deal. If he insists on demanding more than a reasonable 1-year deal with incentives and a team option for a 2nd year, then it may be too expensive to justify the risk in signing a guy coming off elbow surgery. An additional risk that Sheets entails is that he has never pitched in the AL before, but he is certainly talented enough to succeed in the AL East. Sheets may not want to sign right away according to Rosenthal, so the Yankees may have to wait this one out.
Rosenthal also reports that the Yankees have contacted Jason Bay’s representatives, and may be interested in him. I can’t imagine Cashman will want to shell out the kind of money for Bay that he appears to be demanding (considering he turned down a 4-year 60+million offer from Boston), considering Bay’s horrendous defense. However, if Holliday signs with the Cardinals and Bay doesn’t have many suitors left, his price could drop, at which point Cashman and the Yankees might be willing to swoop in.
From what it sounds like, the Yankees are looking for at least another bat and likely a starter as well. Johnny Damon, who can DH and play left field, is probably still the Yankees’ top choice (though not for a 4-year deal that Boras has reportedly demanded). Other intriguing DH possibilities could include Nick Johnson, Jack Cust, and Carlos Delgado. Justin Duchscherer is another pitcher the Yankees may be interested, and he has had success both as a starter and a reliever. More updates will be posted when we hear them.
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24 Responses to Tuesday Yankees Hot Stove, interest in Sheets
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“An additional risk that Sheets entails is that he has never pitched in the AL before.” Although this is true, the AL East is not the offensive juggernaut it was when Ortiz and Manny were in their prime. At this moment, the Red sox line-up won’t scare anyone, and Toronto is no power house, either.
Not sure I agree with you. Check out the 2009 leaderboard for AL Runs Scored:
1. Yanks (915)
2. Anaheim (883)
3. Boston (872)
4. Minnesota (817)
5. Tampa (803)
6. Toronto (798)
7. Texas (784)
8. Cleveland (773)
9. Oakland (759)
10. Detroit (743)
11. Baltimore (741)
12. White Sox (724)
13. Kansas City (686)
14. Seattle (640)
Other than the Yanks, three of the other top six offenses in 2009 were in the AL East, and that was with Manny Ramirez in the NL West, Papi Ortiz in decline, and the miserable combined seasons of Alex Rios/Vernon Wells.
With Toronto narrowly missing the 800-run plateau, there was still no other division in baseball that even had two 800-run teams, let alone three (and almost four).
Point well taken, although the Red Sox seem weaker now without Bay. I don’t think Cameron gives them as much on offense. Tampa has a potent line-up, though.
Bay might be a better overall run producer than Cameron but you also have to factor that a full season of Victor Martinez is better than half a season of Varitek. The Sox are probably right around the same place as last year (Bay, Lowell, Varitek out / Martinez, Cameron and (possibly) Beltre in).
To those that talk about Jack Cust, Carlos Delgado and/or Jim Thome: please, please (I implore you) stop! Those guys, along with Jason Marquis for a potential #4/#5 spot in the rotation, are exactly what the Yanks *SHOULDN’T* be doing.
Not sure what your issue is with Delgado- if healthy, he’s just as good an option as Matsui was. Now, I have no idea if he’s healthy, but if the Yankees believe that he is, I have no issue with him at DH.
Maybe its just me but I’m a fan of Jim Thome too.
Thome’s done. Been done for a couple of years now.
Thome ??!!…REALLY ??
If the Yanks have to bring in a 37 year old, I’d rather it be Johnny Damon over Carlos Delgado. Give me a guy that has multi-dimensonal talents any day of the week.
Delgado WAR (2006-2009): 2.9, 1.5, 2.9, 0.8
Damon WAR (2006-2009): 2.8, 2.3, 3.6, 3.0
Damon’s younger, healthier and more consistent. He may not play great defense but at least he PLAYS defense. Unless we’re talking about vintage Edgar Martinez/David Ortiz — in other words, Cooperstown-worthy all-time DH’s — the Yanks should rid themselves of bad-body pure DH types that clog up roster flexibility.
If you’re talking DH, though, WAR is a silly stat to bring up. The only one that matters for DH is wOBA. I’m down with Cust on a small deal which would leave the Yanks payroll to add Sheets.
Fair enough, but Damon’s got him beat on that front too.
Cust seems to be getting worse every year. I’ll pass.
Oh, I strongly prefer Damon, and I have been suggesting they bring Damon back all along. I’m just saying that on a one year deal, if Damon is unavailable for some reason, Delgado would be a good fit. The guy can flat out hit when healthy.
Thome ??!!!…yeah let’s get a 39 year old, who isn’t the hitter he once was AND can’t play the field at all…Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen…Damon is the best option for #2 spot in the lineup, which gives us the best 1-2-3-4 in MLB
Sheets and/or Duchsherer ??!!…the second coming(s) of Carl “Amercian Idle” Pavano. GREAT…by All-Star break, Yankee fans will wish we had Halladay, but especially Lackey, who will win at least 15 or more games for Boston…Sheets or the Duke, won’t win 10. Maybe combined.
Cashman needs to act…NOW
I agree that I’m disappointed in how yesterday turned out for our rivals but when you say:
what are you referring to? Who’s out there that you feel we’re missing out on? By my estimation, there are no free agents out there that are attractive enough to rush into. There are some guys I could live with but no one that really screams “BUY ME NOW!”
Cashman has stated that he needs to get a starter…so far, NONE.
We have the same rotation top three (CC, AJ and Andy), while the Sox have improved their quality and depth….The Yanks are left with injured scraps to choose from: Sheets, The Duke, and Bedard. Will Cashman try to get the Cuban, Chapman ??….Maybe, but Cashman has NOT improved the rotation thus far, and what options are there ??…Any trades in mix right now ?? I don’t think so….That leaves free agents. Oh, I forgot to include Pineiro and Marquis….Lackey has shown he can succeed in the AL. He’s a gamer, as we saw in Game 5 of the ALCS. Now he will be a Red Sox, while we hope that ONE of the aforementioned free agents can stay healthy (re: Pavano), and won’t be afraid of pitching in the AL East.
BTW, what do YOU think Cashman should do ??
I think Cashman should’ve traded Montero for Halladay, especially now that Halladay took a below-market contract extension. But that’s neither here nor there…
For right now, I think Cashman should sign both Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer, hide Joba Chamberlain in AAA for half a season and have Phil Hughes, Al Aceves and Chad Gaudin as Plan B if/when someone in the rotation goes down (as they invariably always do).
As far as the holes in LF and DH are concerned, my preference would be to sign Johnny Damon if possible and sign Nick Johnson as the DH. If Damon is unwilling to sign, I’d target Randy Winn and stick him in RF where he plays a very adequate defensive and move Swisher to LF.
I agree with Nick Johnson as DH and backup 1B. You have to LOVE that .400+ lifetime OBP !!..would love to see him bat in the #5 spot behind A-Rod…I also agree that the Yanks should sign BOTH Sheets and The Duke..You cannot have enough pitching. We can all agree on that..Not sure you want to hide Joba in AAA (unless it’s to raise his innings to be a starter)…For a LF, I like David DeJesus. It shouldn’t cost us much in a trade, plus he’s solid defensively and gives you a above average bat. Essentially he’s Melky, only more consistent. He’s only 30, so he’s kinda young….Has anybody mentioned Mark DeRosa ??..You gotta love his versatility, although his asking price may be way too high.
He no longer needs to raise his innings limit, he’s ready to be fully deployed as a starter this year. My interest in hiding him in AAA for a bit is to have him refine certain parts of his game that were grossly lacking last year. He became a two-pitch pitcher last year, his pitch pattern was predictable and he lost his ability to locate pitches for called strikes. Time in AAA would do him a world of good, as it did Clay Buchholz last year.
I don’t think signing players with a history of injuries is prudent unless it’s a minor league deal keeping them off the 40 man. I’m also not in favor of signing declining players like Damon or Delgado.
Save the money, build from within.
He’s a locker room cancer and a team that still sings God Bless America every night isn’t the right landing spot for a foreign player who didn’t want to stand for the national anthem.
Since the argument is about who to sign as a DH, here are the Bill James projected wOBA for 2010 from FanGraphs, including Matsui who just signed with the Angels:
Vlad: .377
Nick Johnson: .375
Cust: .375
Thome: .375
Matsui: .366
Delgado: .366
Damon: .348
Dejesus: .337
Derosa: .328
Wild Card, Jesus Montero: No projection, but wOBA of .407 in AA last year and seems MLB ready (or will be after 6 weeks of AAA)
And for comparison’s sake,
Holliday: .396
Bay: .381
MELKY: .330
Also, for those who argue moving Posada to DH, his 2010 projected wOBA is .365.
I think there’s a decent chance Juan Miranda is the LH DH along with Posada which IMO is plenty there, assuming Melky doesn’t crap the bed, which might allow Gardner a chance with Granderson in LF.
I’m much more ocncerned with getting another pitcher to offset LAckey than i am worried aobut Damon or a DH.
Miranda looks like he has 20 HR power in YAnkee stadium and hits the ball hard very often.
After an adjustment period, I think the “veteran” Miranda would hit ML pitching very well.