Going into the 2008-2009 free agency period, it was pretty clear that the Yankees were going to make a big splash on the free agent market. The club had missed the playoffs in 2008, and had a number of contracts coming off the books. With a large need at the top of the rotation, it was clear that the team would make a run at CC Sabathia and either Derek Lowe or AJ Burnett. After signing Sabathia and Burnett and trading for Nick Swisher, it seemed like the Yankees were basically done retooling. However, Brian Cashman looked at the upcoming free agent markets and decided that Mark Teixeira was too good to pass up, and the Yankees swooped in and nabbed him at the last moment. All three free agents were instrumental in the Yankees 27th championship, and their presence on the roster allowed the Yankees to bypass a weak free agent market in 2009-2010.
Now, as the calendar begins to inch towards the 2010-2011 free agency period, I am left wondering whether we may be in store for a repeat of 2008-2009. While the Yankees do not have many contracts coming off their ledger, they may look to next season’s free agent crop and realize that this year’s market may be the only opportunity to upgrade for the next few seasons. Outside of first basemen (Pujols, Gonzalez, Fielder), there are no elite players expected to be available next offseason.
While everybody expects the Yankees to go after Cliff Lee, most are not quite as certain that they will have interest in players such as Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford. Neither player will be cheap, and the upgrade relative to Brett Gardner or Nick Swisher is likely not large enough to justify the cost. However, Brian Cashman might take a look at his aging offense and come to the conclusion that these free agents might be the only solutions on the horizon. While it seems odd that one would upgrade an older offense by replacing some of its younger members, those are really the only positions at which the Yankees can upgrade, due to their older players being entrenched or more difficult to replace.
I do not think the Yankees will sign Crawford or Werth, and I would not be surprised if Brian Cashman pulls off a Swisher type trade that obviates the need to hand out more than one big free agent contract this offseason. Then again, I was shocked when they signed Teixeira. If the Yankees look at future free agent crops and find them wanting, they may choose to splurge on quality now rather than wait for something less expensive to develop down the road.
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7 Responses to Yanks To Splurge On Free Agents?
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TIQ IQ
I agree, I don’t see Werth or Crawford landing in New York. That being said, Brett Gardner’s second half performance was poor enough (.232/.363/.340 in 295 PA) that Cashman may yet bring in a corner outfielder to move Gardner back to 4th OF status.
Fancy seeing you here MJ, lol. Is it wrong that the main reason I want the Yanks to sign CC is to laugh in the faces of all 5 Rays fans that exist?
LOL, what are you doing here?
No, that’s a good enough reason to want to sign Craw. I go back and forth but I’m coming around to the idea that Crawford would be a great fit for the team.
Gardner is an exceptional 4th OF on a great team. But he would have a ton of value as a CF especially considering he’s so inexpensive for average mid market teams.
Crawford being 30 hurts. Speed players do not age well. How much better is he really than Gardner? And for the cost?
Werth is who they should look to. Especially since they need the right hand power. Doesn’t hurt that he is a winner.
Werth will be 32 next may and will be getting somewhere in the neighborhood of a Jason Bay type deal of 4-5 years I would pass on yet another old player who will require DH days and will be around until he is 37 or 38 years old.
Hopefully our RH power will come from Montero and we can always sign a Marcus Thames type to do the job and not have to worry about the long term burden of an old contract.
Leave Crawford and Werth be.
I’d like to see them put the money towards Lee and also some mid and late inning excellent relief. Like be piggish to building a knockout bullpen. A start would be trying to keep Wood and getting that good LF relief FA from Toronto. But Cashman can even do much more than this if he puts his mind to it, via trades, etc.
Cashman always builds his pen and bench from within to start the year and with midseason trades I doubt they go after much bullpen help via free agency outside trying to keep Wood.
I realy don’t think we need to do much outside of trying to sign Lee and retain some of the guys we got like Thames and Wood, we have an ALCS worthy team we just need a little bit to be over the top again and I think Montero WILL be the right handed bat we need by mid season. We don’t need an overhaul just a re-tooling.