(The following is being syndicated from The Captain’s Blog).
With C.J. Wilson in Anaheim and Yu Darvish reportedly headed north of the border or deep in the heart of Texas, the Yankees’ offseason pursuit of pitching has so far come up short. Unlike last year, however, when the team’s courtship of Cliff Lee was rebuffed, it doesn’t seem as if the Yankees had much interest in Wilson or Darvish, not to mention the many starters rumored to be available on the trade market. For some Yankees’ fans, this level of inactivity has been the cause of great frustration, leading to speculation that the team’s free spending ways may be a thing of the past.
Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman appear to be on the same page about being more prudent in player acquisitions.
Hal Steinbrenner’s unwillingness to open up the checkbook and Brian Cashman’s reticence to part with prospects seem to contradict the team’s “win the World Series or bust” mantra. After all, it’s hard to argue that Darvish, Wilson, Gio Gonzalez, etc. wouldn’t represent a major upgrade in the Yankees rotation, which, after CC Sabathia, consists of major question marks. Even though rolling the dice with such a rotation worked out well last year (assuming, like me, you consider a 97 win season to be a success), doing so again would constitute a major risk, especially in a league getting stronger by the minute.
The Yankees’ mandate is to win the World Series, but that isn’t a short-term proposition. Although fans, and some within the organization, rarely think too far ahead, it’s important to remember the team’s real mission statement is to win the World Series every year (or at least try), not just this year. That’s why Cashman’s cautious approach isn’t a betrayal of the team’s lofty standards. As the Yankees’ GM has repeatedly stated, no deal is better than a bad deal, which basically means the long-term competitiveness of the franchise is more important than an incremental, short-term gain.
Unless the Yankees believe an acquisition will improve the team both immediately and over the long haul, it really doesn’t make sense to go all-in, whether in terms of money or prospects. Considering the tenets of the new CBA, not to mention everyday fiscal sanity, it has become more difficult for the Yankees to erase their mistakes by writing a check. As a result, significant moves need to fit into the larger picture. In other words, future acquisitions need to be more like Sabathia and less like A.J. Burnett.
Has the Yankees’ focus this offseason been clouded by the pending free agency of Cole Hamels?
So, does that mean the Yankees are in a rebuilding mode, relatively speaking of course? Yes…and no (and, maybe, more like remodeling). On the one hand, the team still has a roster capable of competing for a ring, but at the same time, its chances of making the postseason (at least advancing beyond the new wild card round) seem more in doubt than at any time in recent memory. Meanwhile, juxtaposed against that uncertainty is the specter of a pitcher like Cole Hamels becoming a free agent (or the Mariners being more willing to trade Felix Hernandez) after this season, which, like it or not, has to be a part of the decision making process. Robbing Peter to pay Paul hasn’t been a philosophy employed much by the Yankees, but if that is the new reality, a greater emphasis must be placed on avoiding major mistakes. For just about every other franchise, that wouldn’t exactly qualify as “rebuilding”, but very little about the Yankees is analogous to the rest of the league.
Just because the Yankees did not acquire any of the big name free agents this offseason, and may have their sights set on future transactions, doesn’t mean the team can’t improve before the start of this season. A short-term contract for Edwin Jackson or a trade for John Danks (without giving up top prospects) are two remaining options that would fit into the Yankees’ new decision making paradigm. However, Cashman shouldn’t be afraid to stand pat once again, nor should fans of the Bronx Bombers fear another season with a make-shift rotation. Remember, after missing the playoffs in 2008 (a year in which the team relied upon a trio of young starters), the Yankees re-allocated their resources and the result was a championship. As long as the organization doesn’t fall into the trap of plugging holes instead of maintaining a sturdy ship, the Yankees’ championship aspirations will perennially remain afloat.
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16 Responses to Are the Yankees in a “Rebuilding” Mode?
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TIQ IQ
I think that the Yankees are and should be thinking five years out — they should be maximizing the chances of championships in a 5 yr window rather than just next year. Can you imagine a rotation fronted by CC and Hamels — that’s intimidating.
Waiting for guys who may never be there (or even if they are there, there is no guarantee Yanks get them – think Lee)makes no sense. You also have no idea that your team at that point will be good enough for them to even make a difference. They are aging by the minute.
There are only 25 roster spots and even the Yankees do not have an unlimited budget. You have to make decisions with an eye to the future in order to ensure that you are able to take advantage of opportunities in the future. The question Cashman has to ask is whether the a potential acquisition is worth the possibility of being unable to make a future move.
Who’s aging? Jeter and A Rod? Everyone else is in their prime or entering it…Posada’s gone, Pettitte’s gone, Burnett may be aging but he’s not going to get any worse. Everyone else is 31 and younger. Mariano is still the best closer in the game, he’s not aging. Jeter hit .300 last year, and .327 after his 3,000 hit when the pressure was off, maybe he wasn’t aging, just feeling pressure. A Rod was at 13 home runs, 53 RBI’s with a .295 average at the end of June when he was injurred. If not for that injury, i’ll bet he ends the year at .290/30/100 again. Posada out, montero in….we got younger. Colon out, hughes in, younger. Hughes will come in shape. Burnett is the wild card. He’s very capable of a good season. let’s hope the mechanic tweaks in september carry over to this season…I have no reason to not hope they will…
The fact that Hughes’ bad season gets written off as “he’ll come into camp in shape” astounds me. He’s never been a great starter, he’s only ever really had a couple of good starts here and there in his entire career. They were great starts, but the numbers suggest he is nothing more than a middle to back of the rotation starter.
2010 is Hughes’ “glory year”, yet when you really look at it was average at best. He won 18 games but big deal, from June on he had a 4.90 ERA. For his career he has a 4.90 ERA as a starter. Yet time and time again I see people making excuses for him in ways I find it hard to understand. I get that he was most peoples first prospect they followed, but cut the cord people. Time to face the fact that he is no more than a potential number 3 starter, who for most of his career has pitched like a 4-5.
I’ve been fine with the theory, and possibly its actually happening, of a payroll rein in lieu of the 2012 FA class. Hamels is hitting free agency. The Phils can’t afford to pay Hamels a Halladay like contract, and Hamels’s team is probably thinking CC-like money anyway. The Phils team is returning intact and they’re all in to win next season. Hamels isnt getting traded barring a disastrous first half. I just dont see that happening.
At that point its just praying and hoping that Cashman wins Hamels over in what’ll be an intense bidding war involving the RS, Rangers, Mets (yea, i think this team is gonna make FA noise), Orioles, TOR, and us. Pretty crazy days await Hamels.
Saying the Phillies can’t pay anyone is a silly concept. They’ve done nothing over the past few years to say they would have to let Hamels walk, and Cole has said on many occasions he would rather stay in Philly than go somewhere else. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a Weaver like extension announced some time during the year. In fact I would be more surprised to actually see him hit the open market. I highly doubt they signed Lee without understanding Hamels contract was about to run out, I doubt they would’ve signed Cliff if it meant they 100% were out on extending Hamels.
I found it VERY difficult to think that the Phillies have anybody relevant in their farm system left after trading for the two best pitchers in the league, while also trading for Oswalt and Pence. What talent could they possibly have left after trading for Lee, Halladay, Oswalt and Pence….then they had to PAY halladay and lee, they paid rollins and howard. Utley’s going to need an extension as well as giving papelbon that contract. Their payroll is maxxed out. They can’t possibly have any more prospects, money, or time. They have about….a 2 year window to win another world series before this core group of players are ALL 35 and older…
Which means they don’t have the surplus of talent left to trade for someone, but doesn’t mean they CAN’T re-sign Hamels. They won’t be trading him, I simply see no way that happens unless they have one of the worst first halves in baseball. Also considering Cole is about to turn 28 wouldn’t it make sense to sign him with an aging core? If he’s willing to take a 5 year 85 million dollar deal similar to Weaver it makes perfect sense. He’d be 33 at the end of the deal, so he could conceivably sign another multiple year deal, though a significantly smaller one. Plus the Phillies keep their youngest arm of the big 3 in the rotation for when/if Lee and Halladay regress.
I’m not saying he will 100% re-sign, but I think it’s silly to say they CAN’T re-sign him.
No question, it’s all A-rod’s fault.
Well ever since the Phillies signed Papelbon as Rollins I’ve been wondering more and more about Hamels’ future. I’m sure he’d love to stay there but can they pay him what he wants? Maybe Philadelphia has realized that a brilliant pitching performance only takes you so far when your team can’t score a run (hence their failure last year) and would prefer to have a rotation fronted by two legitimate aces, then allocate more money towards building a stronger lineup… It’s just looking like they’ll either sacrifice a bunch of bats like Pence and Victorino to hang on to Hamels, or let Hamels walk.
I still think it’s inexcusable that the Yankees didn’t get Darvish, there’s really no reason they weren’t able to. The posting fee was pricey, sure, but that doesn’t count for the luxury tax so what’s the harm?
In case Darvish can’t handle the NY pressure. That would be a nightmare all over again. Seriously.
I understand the bid doesn’t count against the luxury tax, but when did this idea start floating around that 52 million dollars means nothing? Everyone acts like the Yankees can just give 60 million dollars away and it means nothing. Giving out 130 million dollars total for Darvish may not be the same as giving 130 million for another pitcher, but it’s still giving away 130 million dollars. The Yankees are going to consider the entire total when looking into a Japanese player, not just take the attitude “60 doesn’t count against the tax so it doesn’t matter. None of us can say how much it factors into their decision making, but I guarantee it’s more than everyone is acting like.
Also since when have all the people mad about not bidding higher for Darvis actually seen him pitch? The WBC, a highlight on MLB Network, a youtube video perhaps? The Yankees have had professional scouts on this guy for at least 3 years watching him throw more than any of us combined, if they don’t feel he is worth the bid I say we trust them on this one. They could be wrong sure, but they are a lot more informed on this one than any of us simply because we haven’t had the luxury to watch him pitch. I’ve actually seen Mat Latos go through ups and downs in his career, get out of james, and K a guy when he absolutley needed a K. I’ve seen Darvish do none of this, so I don’t feel like I can call foul against them for not making the decision when they have this information.
No matter what anyone says this is still paying 130 million for the right to have a 25 year old prospect, which at the end of the day is a ridiculous price. I’m more than fine we sat this one out honestly. I wouldn’t be mad if we had gotten him but I’m more than a little releaved we didn’t.
Well said.
Is it sad that i’ve dreamed about Darvish in pinstripes for literally the past 3 years, only to have my dream stripped away? He definitely was not worth $51.7 mil posting fee — the rangers must have really liked him. But the yankees have been scouting him for years, so they must of have some serious question marks about him.
I’d hate to think they didn’t at least post a fairly competitive bid (even though its a blind process), unless there where some question marks about his make up. This was one of their last opportunities in the next few years to make a serious splash in the international market without suffering serious luxury tax sanctions.
While i’m disappointed in the move, I have faith in cashman to always put a competitive team on the field. Hopefully a fair trade scenario comes his way and he jumps all over it, so this offseason doesn’t lull us all into a coma *fingers crossed*
Andrew Marchand is reporting the Yankees bid less than 20 million. I must say as someone who thought they had lukewarm interest at best, even I’m surprised they bid so low. I figured they would come in somewhere around they 33-35 million dollar bid they had in on Daisuke. I think it’s fair to say they had almost no interest in him, unless the rest of the league had no interest.