Joel Sherman has a new piece in his Hardball Blog where he discusses Mariano Rivera’s pending free agency with the Great One himself. Here’s what was said:
When I asked Rivera what he wanted, the great righty said, “During the season it is hard to focus on the contract. During the season, I have to do what is right by the team.”
When I asked if he would be amenable to doing what Andy Pettitte (another free-agent-to-be) does, and take one-year contracts and determine at the end of each season if he wants to continue to play, Rivera said, “Something like that would be fine.”
In the past, however, Rivera has been pretty rigid about wanting top-of-the-market money for multiple years.
I take that last sentence that Joel wrote more seriously than anything Mariano says at this point. I think he made it clear he didn’t really want to get into it, and was just being agreeable to move things along. Also, Mariano has a history of being very amenable during the season, and very difficult after. In Mariano’s last contract negotiation everything was smooth early in the process, but then things got very bumpy as the off season progressed. He filed for Free Agency (unlike Posada) even though he had no other suitors, and was clearly annoyed with the Yanks when they wouldn’t go for the extra year and $ he wanted. Brian Cashman has stated that Mo has never left a dime on the table in these negotiations, and once his agent gets in his ear his tune may quickly change. Further, Andy Pettitte often spoke last year about ‘what a horrible negotiator’ he was for making it clear he would only play for the Yanks, resulting in a low base/ incentive-laden deal for that season. But at age 40, he may not want to have the obligation of a multi-year deal, opting to take things one year at a time. At some point he will lose his effectiveness, and he’s not the type of pitcher who will want to go out there and embarrass himself. I’ll go 50-50 on this one, but again I have my doubts.
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6 Responses to Mariano says he'd accept 1 year deal
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TIQ IQ
“AJ Burnett has worked with Eiland before. He’s been in the majors for 12 years. He knows what he needs to do to be successful. ”
..and he had a similar slump with Eiland as his pitching coach last year. Remember that April-May slump from last year, and another bad stretch late in the season?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/gamelog?playerId=4153&year=2009
I do. This is who AJ is and always has been, and it’s why I always feel better if he’s a 3rd or 4th option come playoff time.
I don’t have very specific recollections of Rivera’s last contract negotiation, but I don’t think it’s probably too accurate to say that he had “no other suitors”. It makes it sound as if the Yankees were the only team interested. That aside, I don’t blame him, Pettitte, Jeter or anyone else for trying to get as much money and as many years guaranteed as possible. Not one bit.
Personally, I’d love to see the Yankees cut payroll.I wouldn’t bring Posada back after this contract, wouldn’t give Jeter more than 3 years and would like to see Andy go out on top too.
Mariano can probably do it a few more years but at soem point this era will have to end.
I’d rather see the DRAFT budget increased and would rather see the Yankees spend the money there rather than pay it to their competitors in the form of LUXURY tax.
WOuldn’t it be great if YAnkees signed an extra 5-6 unsignable HS and SOph players every year by going over slot for them?
Then when a Cano became 32-33 instead orf igving him 20 million and watchnig him get old, you offer him arbitration, he leaves you get 2 draft picks nad there’s 2-3 other Cano’s (maybe not quite as good obviously) waiting behind him that you also paid overslot to sign 4-5 years before that.
Ends up cheaper nad you don’t enrich your competitiors.
Player salaries go down and it would take 5-7 years before everyone would complain so much that you’d have to change the rules.
The problem with this is that you have known quantities in returning players. Draftees are completely unknown. You may get the next Jeter/Mo/Posada/Cano/Hughes, or you may get someone that never makes it to the bigs, despite all the hype.
I agree that I’d rather see Pettite/Mo/Jeter go out when they’re still on their game. However, I don’t see any of them falling off a cliff. Rather, a slow gradual decline. Posada has one more year after this one. Doubt he get’s resigned. If so, it’ll be clear to all that his role is that of DH. Pettite probably has another good year or 2 in him (2nd probably at about league average), but he’s going year-to-year anyway. I’d love to see Mo take those kinds of deals going forward. If the Yankees can get Jeter to take 3 years (perhaps with some option years), that too would be great. Just don’t expect the Yankees to focus exclusively on the draft as you propose. Much too risky. They’ll sign those that can produce and fill in with free agents as necessary in order to keep the team in playoff contention.
“Brian Cashman has stated that Mo has never left a dime on the table in these negotiations,”
If Cashman actually said that I sure don’t know what his motivation might have been. Looking for sympathy? Not gonna find much. That’s the point of negotion. How many dimes do you leave behind Brian? Ever conclude a deal and then tell the guy, ‘We should have paid more, you’re worth it, here is another million.’?
he takes 1 year at 15 mil…or if he wants to play more..2 years no lower than 13mil…thats my opinion..i think he plays 2 more.. so give him the money..the yanks are the only team at this stage of his baseball life that would give him that much, he knows that…give MO what ever he wants…it is only money..he is a big part of the yankee legacy and a class act.. we may never see a guy like him again.. he is a guy that makes you proud to be a yankee fan.. nobody can say anything bad about this guy. on or off the field…that is priceless along with another yankee hat going into the HOF…they should waive the five year waiting period for him..he should be able to step off the field and step into the HOF.. thanks MO