Regardless of how the C.C. Sabathia negotiations go, the Yankees will probably need to add another starting pitcher via free agency. Ivan Nova and A.J. Burnett are solid, but the Yankees have a lot of question marks beyond them. I wouldn’t be too comfortable with more than one farm system audition spot going into the season. The Yankees need some insurance to eat innings.
Bringing back Freddy Garcia is one option. I think the Yankees would be smart to offer him arbitration, and would be OK with one year of Freddy at $6 million or so next season. If he accepts, they could use him as insurance, and at the same time I think he would be easily trade-able. Bartolo Colon is similar, although I think we might be more comfortable with Freddy. Worst case scenario, they get a draft pick out of it (if Freddy remains a Type B, we’re not sure yet).
That’s great, but I think the Yankees should aim a little higher and put a bid in for Mark Buehrle. He’s likely a Type B free agent who wouldn’t cost the Yankees a draft pick. Buehrle had a solid 2011, but not enough to price himself out of what the Yankees can spend on a #3 starter. He’s a consistent innings eater who will keep the Yankees in games, but old enough hopefully to not cost too much. Think about a late-career Andy Pettitte.
I’ll put a number to it: I’d offer Buerhle something like 3 years, $34 million to come to the Yankees. I really don’t know what the market is like for his services, although I did see a rumor somewhere that he’s looking for a 2-year deal. I think that the Yankees can outmatch the dollars on any 2-year deal from anyone in the majors without it being a bad deal.
He’s not *that* much more expensive than Freddy Garcia, and worlds better. Buerhle is insurance against potential busts from the farm system, Phil Hughes continuing to frustrate, Ivan Nova’s injury getting worse, etc. He’s about as safe a bet as a 33 year old pitcher gets.
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25 Responses to Consider Mark Buehrle
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TIQ IQ
Wouldn’t you think he would be going to St. Louis? I’ve read in the past that he was interested in going to the Cardinals as it is where he is from and spends his offseasons.
Money talks, so we’ll see.
Like it did with Cliff Lee?
Except that Lee didn’t really take less money.
Yes he did. Baseball contracts are all guaranteed, so contracts are viewed by teams and agents in terms of total dollars. He accepted 120 mil from the Phils and turned down 146 from the Yanks.
He accepted 5/132.5 from the Phillies worst case scenario or 6/147.5 best case scenario. He got a better deal from the Phillies. The Yankees offer was 7/146.
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/search?q=Cliff+Lee
Team options don’t count, just the buyout. 120 mil is guaranteed by the Phils. That’s how it is viewed in the industry. Yanks say their 7th year was guaranteed, so its a far better offer.
Yeah, I could be wrong but I’ve always been under the impression Beuhrle would have to be convinced to come here. I’ve also never heard any Yankee officials mention his name as Plan C, D or F. So this looks like a marriage that neither side has much interest in.
Ej, come on. A.J. Burnett as “solid” defies the reality of A.J’s career with the Yankees these past 2 years. He’s anything but solid. The only thing solid is that the Yankees owe him $33M over the next 2 years.
“Ivan Nova and A.J. Burnett are solid”
Oh yeah?
Apparently we both had the same reaction to the piece.
Seems like most of us had the same reaction. If by “solid”, he meant we know AJ will probably suck and, at the least, frustrate us, then yeah, I agree. Not sure I agree with any other definition of “solid” for AJ.
If you would consider 3/34 for Buerhle, what about considering Roy Oswalt if his option isn’t picked up? Dollars should be very close and Oswalt would appear to have the potential to add more to the team provided he his back issues are behind him.
Oh Yeah!!!
Not gonna happen, not sure why we keep talking about it.
Buehrle has been pretty clear that he wants to 1) play for CHW, 2) play for STL or some other NL team (easier competition) or 3) retire. That’s not a pitcher who is trying to squeeze every last dollar from the market.
It’s like Greinke to NYY in a trade, or Fielder to DH. Not gonna happen. Pointless to talk about it.
If you want to look at an innings-eating mid-rotation starter for $10 million, look no further than a 1-year deal for Hiroki Kuroda.
The same Kuroda who wouldn’t accept a trade to any team on the east coast for less than a half a season? Why is he all of a sudden going to be in for a full year away from the West coast?
Well, if that info is correct (and I have no reason to believe it’s not), then you can scratch him off the list.
I do however know that the Yanks have been interested in him for a while, and he might be convinced to delay retirement for a year to chase a ring. Buehrle has done everything he wanted, including win the big one, so he can go where he wants.
All reports were that the Yankees were one of many teams interested in trading for Kuroda at the deadline. However he informed the Dodgers that he was not interested in waiving his no trade clause to play for any East Coast team, and eventually told them he wasn’t interested in waiving his no trade at all.
If he leaves it will be to sign with another West Coast club. Though I wouldn’t surprised if he re-signed with the Dodgers, since he apparently loves it there.
Absolutely. Buehrle is a left-handed starter with a perfect game and a no-hitter in the bank.
SIGN HIM!!!
What does a perfect game or no hitter have to do with anything? Hideo Nomo threw 2 no hitters as well, yet most of his career was average at best.
After the first sentence it was all downhill. 3 year deal? No thank you. 2 at the most, and I wouldn’t even like that. My opinion is that the Yankees have plenty of mid and back of the rotation starters. Assuming they resign CC they have a rotation that looks like this:
1. CC
2.
3.
4. Ivan Nova
5. Phil Hughes
5. AJ Burnett
Adam Warren, David Phelps and Hector Noesi waiting to fill in if (when?) one of these guys is ineffective or injured. DJ Mitchell or Andrew Brackman in the long relief role.
Unless your signing a guy who can be slotted into the 2 or 3 slot, your just wasting a roster spot. Say they get Buerhle on your 3 year deal. Well now thats 5 out of 5 rotation spots that are locked up and cannot be added to without another corresponding move. I would actually rather EJax, although he comes with the same problem. Thing is, EJax has been getting better the last 3 years. Buerhle has not, and a move to the AL East will not help him fight father time. EJax gives you what Buerhle does, except upside and they are both Type B’s.
I like Edwin but we may want to wait and see what he’s asking for. He may well be looking for a 4-5 year deal, or much larger money than we are willing to give on a 3 year contract.
If he wants a 5 year deal he can get it somewhere else. I don’t care about the amount of money he would want on a 3 year deal, obviously within reason, but that is what I would sign him up for. 3 years only although he is very far from my preference as to what the Yankees do this offseason. I want EJax over Buehrle but thats not saying much. I would rather see the guys we can get on a 1 year deal than sign EJax or Buehrle to a 4 or 5 year deal.
I think it would be a mistake to think that just because that worked out this year, we should try it again next season. The 1 year options are going to be a lot of mediocre to garbage inning guys, and seeing as we already have a boatload of 4-5 guys we need to focus on top of the rotation pieces. After Darvish, Wilson, and Edwin I think we need to look in the trade market to get anything worth while. This years free agent class is really bad, and the starting pitching market falls into the terrible area really quick.
If everything else fails, and we end up with a hole, then bring in 1 or 2 minor league contract guys to spring training to fight with the kids.
I dont expect it to work at all really. I just dont want the Yankees to think that after Wilson and Darvish there are any real answers in this years FA class. No need to commit any years to guys who will represent a marginal increase over what we have. Although the more I think about it, the more the Yankees really do need to add another pitcher outside of CC this offseason. Unless you have faith in Nova and his inability to miss bats, Hughes and his ability to be effective or healthy, or Burnett and his ummm “electric stuff!”
We may be forgetting that buehrle has been more than a serviceable pitcher in his career. He has posted 11 consecutive seasons exceeding 200 IP, he has been consistent and is 32 years old. I trust that more than I trust Freddy or Colon to bottle the lightning for another season. Does he not want to be in New York badly enough to turn down, let’s say, 10 percent above market value? Whatever it may take, I bet it’s cheaper than Darvish and more reliable for the next year or two. A late career Pettitte was enough to keep the rotation respectable and I think the comparison is apt. I just hope both sides are amenable because this is the one deal that I was really excited about. Is anybody else looking forward to watching Kevin Brown pitch at Old Timers’ Day? You know that guy was hosed on his first ballot…