(The following is being syndicated from The Captain’s Blog).
The other shoe has dropped. As expected, the Yankees followed up the official announcement of the A.J. Burnett trade by signing Raul Ibanez to a one-year deal worth just over $1 million.
Is price what made Ibanez the right choice for the Yankees? (Photo: AP)
Now matter how Brian Cashman tries to sugar coat the acquisition, the selection of Ibanez as the Yankees’ left handed DH was a fallback position. Among free agents, Johnny Damon would have been the superior choice, but the veteran’s salary demands were too rich for the Yankees’ new budget conscious approach. In addition, the Yankees also pursued left handed bats like Garrett Jones and Bobby Abreu while shopping around Burnett, so Ibanez wasn’t even a plan B. What made the former Phillies’ left fielder attractive, however, was his price tag, so now he will be wearing pinstripes in 2012.
Just because Ibanez wasn’t the Yankees first choice doesn’t mean he is a bad signing. On the contrary, the deal would quickly become a bargain if Ibanez starts to earn the incentives that could increase the contract value to $4 million. And, because of the low base salary, if Ibanez struggles in the Bronx, the Yankees can quickly cut the cord. However, that doesn’t make the signing a no risk proposition because someone would still need to take his at bats.
Ibanez’ Relative Performance Against Right Handed Pitchers
Source: baseball-reference.com (sOPS+) and fangraphs.com (wRC+)
If the Yankees almost exclusively use Ibanez to hit against right handers (and keep him away from the outfield), his value is comparable to most of the other options being considered. But, what happens if he is thrust into a more full-time position, or, fails in the limited role he was signed to fill? By forgoing a better all-around player like Damon, who is not only younger, but comes without the red flags of a rapid decline phase, Brian Cashman will be forced to scramble midseason if either of these circumstances come to fruition. Is that safety net worth the reported $4 million difference (or less, depending on incentives) between Ibanez and Damon? At the moment, it doesn’t seem so, but if the Yankees find themselves desperately looking for an upgrade at DH in July, their decision making in February could wind up being penny wise.
Putting aside the potential replacement risk, Ibanez does have some upside. His 2011 season represented a significant decline, but he was still a league average hitter against right handed pitching. In previous seasons, the lefty had much more success against righties, so if he regains some of that form, the Yankees will have a potent DH-platoon. Also, Ibanez has had success pulling the ball, which could become an accentuated positive at Yankee Stadium. So, although he won’t please those who crave small ball and marvel at the sweet science of hitting, if he deposits his fair share of fly balls into the short porch, the Yankees will wind up getting their money’s worth. Of course, that assumes he doesn’t also get more than his fair share of playing time.
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4 Responses to Price Is Right, but Raul Ibanez Signing Comes With Opportunity Cost
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TIQ IQ
The Yankees biggest offensive need right now would be a hitter to mash righties. Unfortunately none of the free agent options even remotely fit that description. None are likely to be much better than league average vs. RHP. I’m hoping signing Ibanez is just a cheap temporary solution until a better option presents itself on the trade market near the deadline (perhaps Eithier or Hafner). I prefer Ibanez at 1M to Damon at 5M simply because while neither addresses their need for a righty masher well, Ibanez at 1M will be much easier to dump and upgrade at the trade deadline. Bottom line, I wouldn’t want either Damon or Ibanez to still be filling the LH DH role at the end of the season. Signing Ibanez instead of Damon makes it more likely that neither will be filling that role at the end of the season.
Ethier is death on RHP but I have no interest in bringing him on board. I think there will be enough interest in him at the deadline that the only way it will make sense to trade for him is to sign him long term for RF, and that I want no part of. He’s only a year younger than Swisher and he’s so god awful against LHP I’d just rather sign Swisher to an extension than have Ethier in the right. He’s nothing more than a platoon player at this point with his splits and it’s not like he’s any good in the field, career -7.5 UZR/150, so he’s not making up his lack of hitting against LHP in the field.
Hafner makes sense at the trade deadline if the Indians are out of it and giving him away, but I believe in Ubaldo having a good season this year. So while I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs I think they’ll be close enough not to be sellers, and they can’t afford to weaken that offense at all.
I only suggested those two as possible alternatives. There’s no way of knowing now who will be available. As far as Eithier goes, they wouldn’t be bringing him in as the long term outfielder, they would be bringing him in as a half season rental as platoon DH. He would seem to fit that role perfectly, obviously depending on the price.
I’m in no way suggesting they bring in Eithier to replace Swisher.
I understand, I have just heard Ethier from a couple places and wanted to start a discussion of why. I just think he’s not going to be a salary dump, and he is probably going to demand a decent prospect for him, especially when you consider he’s not far removed from an All-Star season. So in that mold I think he would have to be the future at RF to give up that cost. But that’s just the way I see his value.
I have heard that so I was just seeing if that was the case or not. RF options are pretty slim but I’d like a more equal split player, though the last one of those we got turned out pretty great, how many miracles can you expect from Long.