Scutaro’s an excellent defensive player.
His offense is an open question. He was very good in '09 but it was way out of line with his usual performance. Perhaps he’s just gotten better for being a regular, but being 34 years old I wouldn’t bet on it. Still, even if his bat falls back to earth, he can play the position extremely well.
The Jays, meanwhile, signed Alex Gonzalez (not the one who used to play for them, the other one) a huge downgrade at that position for them.
Oh, yeah, he’ll make an excellent SS. But yeah, I think his bat may not stick around too long.
Matsui too old? You say he’s got to go? Go go Godzilla?
Looks like the Yankees have traded for Curtis Granderson. Story. Not quite official yet, pending medical checks.
I’m a bit surprised. While this makes them a little younger, CF wasn’t the most pressing need. Plus, they gave up their top OF prospect in Austin Jackson who could have filled that role next season. I like Coke as well. He was a valuable arm.
What is the report on Granderson’s arm? Is he average CF or above? I know he plays a good overall defense. His power away is much better than home so that gives me hope. Coke is a very good young lefty reliever with and outside shot of being a starter. Seems like Detroit did pretty well on this. Ian Kennedy might become a good 4 or 5 for the Snakes. So far he yet to show much on the major league level.
I am surprised they gave up on Jackson. I believe Granderson is only scheduled to make $5.5m so by Yankees standards he is cheap.
Granderson’s a good player at a good price but I’d agree that it’s a strange deal from a Yankee perspective. While this improves their outfield defense, it seems like a steep price to pay for what amounts to a marginal improvement in your outfield defense.
It’s possible, of course, that they know something we do not with regard to their existing stable of outfielders.
Perhaps not the greatest need, but I’d say pretty important. Melky is not a center fielder. He’s serviceable there, but Granderson will get to many more balls and save more runs; he’ll also provide some much needed speed on the bases, though his obp and strikeouts are not very good.
I am disappointed about Jackson more than Coke (though he was huge in the post season).
I was surprised by the idea when I heard about it, but I think I like it. Granderson is young and not making that much money by MLB standards, and he’s going to be better over the next few years than Jackson. There really can’t be any question about that. And Yankee Stadium should suit him well.
I’m a little concerned about what the Yankees are giving up in terms of their pen, especially since Bruney was traded a few days ago. They’ll need to replace some of that. And this was not their biggest need, it’s true. But I was reading that the Yankees and Johnny Damon are not even close to a deal right now - with the Yankees offering two years for $20 million, and Damon asking for four years at a raise from the $13 million he made last year. Granderson is younger, cheaper, and under contract for three years with a team option for a fourth.
Damon was a terrible option for more than one year anyway. His defense was already dismal. I felt little assurance his offense would near this years for the next two years.
Bruney was given up on as he has proven both injury prone and a bit mental. He was not really a major part of the bullpen plan and there is still a lot of young guys moving up nicely in the farm. Robertson had already passed Bruney and if either Joba or Hughes end up in the pen, Bruney was really going to be a spare part. Coke can be tough to replace. It was nice to have a pair of lefties for a change that could actually pitch. They are hard to find and I do not know of any in the system ready to join the team.
Austin Jackson though is the real question mark on whether this will be viewed as a good trade in 3 years. His high end is pretty high. But we know how often that does not work out.
Ian Kennedy was nothing but a trade chip anyway. To me he is another Westbrook. In a few years he might really help Zona as a 4 or 5 guy but it will still be easy to see he was never going to make it as a Yankee.
In fairness, this trade actually looks solid for all three teams. Melky has plenty of speed and a very good arm. I would probably move him to Right and Swish to left. Melky can cover enough ground to let Granderson cheat to left and Swish by the end of last year looked competent in the field and has a superior arm to Damon. It appears Granderson’s holes are his arm and inability to hit lefties. Yankee Stadium is a great fit for him, but teams throw a lot of lefties against us. Hopefully someone figures out how to improve his hitting against them.
Andy Pettitte is staying with the New York Yankees, agreeing to an $11.75 million, one-year contract.
Also from CBS:
What the hell do the Orioles want with Millwood? He’ll be done and gone by the time they get any good.
I don’t understand that deal from Baltimore’s perspective at all.
Maybe they want a veteran to help bring along the young arms?
He got a bit more than I thought he would. The pitching really is thin this year though. He was the best of the injury brigade. I would have loved the Yanks to pick him up for up to about $5 + incentives.
More for Texas, rumors that:
This is exactly their reasoning. Someone they can count on to put up innings and help their young arms.
I think it is a sound move for them honestly. It helps the rotation and the bullpen and might well along with all the kids progressing get them back over or at least near .500.
The big trade: I think the Blue Jays did not do all that well considering their hopes and offers last season. I think the Phillies did fine as the have the best pitcher locked in for 4 years and Lee had little interest in extending. If Lee does not extend with Seattle, they may have given up too much.
As to Lackey, do any sports writers or Theo look at his numbers in Fenway or against the Yankees? They are paying him a small fortune and Fenway is where he pitches close to worse. He made far more sense for a team like the Mets with a nice roomy ballpark and NL opponents. If the Dodgers had the ability to make decisions right now he would have been a very good pick up, but going to Fenway should blow up in their faces. Why is this be hailed as a great move?
Speaking of the Mets, are they actually going to get anything done? They currently have the worst GM in the game in my opinion.
Yanks are fairly quiet at this point. Damon won’t go low enough for the Yanks and will move on. Bay is not a good fit overall and Matsui went to the Angels. They will probably pick up a starter and I keep thinking Mark DeRosa would be a perfect fit for the team and he grew up a Yankees fan and has expressed interest in coming to the Yanks.
Anyone got anything?
What do all of you think of the Cameron signing? The Juan Pierre trade to the White Sox with the Dodgers sending about $10 million in cash? Matsui becoming the Angel’s DH for only $6.5m?
His numbers in Fenway are all against the Red Sox. How does that matter?
He makes the rotation a lot stronger, and gives them protection if Beckett walks after next year or if Wake has to hang 'em up, or if Buchholz is dealt. Good pickup.
They can still overpay for Bay, now that Boston has called his agent’s bluff. Holliday looks like he’s going to get rich(er) in St. Louis, and good luck to both him and the team there.
There’s more to come. I don’t think he’d have signed just now unless he were being assured he’d be a starter, but I don’t think Boston would have made the offer unless they really were letting Bay go. He could be adequate in CF for a couple of years if Ellsbury goes to SD (along with Buchholz) for Adrian Gonzalez. And that guy had damn well better be coming here, too, even WITH Bay returning. There was already a serious wood shortage in Fenway last year.
I do like Cameron as a bench player, the type you’d add at the trading deadline for the stretch run, but as a starter? Hmmm …
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The big trade: I think the Blue Jays did not do all that well considering their hopes and offers last season. I think the Phillies did fine as the have the best pitcher locked in for 4 years and Lee had little interest in extending. If Lee does not extend with Seattle, they may have given up too much.
I’m not exactly sure what their hopes have to do with anything. Manny hoped for 100 million. That doesn’t mean that him getting 40 million wasn’t a good deal for him. And offers? It is impossible to tell exactly what offers were actually made. Toronto got a far better return than the Indians did for Lee or the Twins did for Santana. I’d say they did very well. Also, I think Seattle comes out ahead even if Lee walks. 1 Year of Lee (plus potential draft picks) is worth what they gave up.
I don’t know that it was a great move. It was giving a premium pitcher a premium contract with all the inherit risks thereof. The fact that he has struggled a bit in a minimal amount of games in Fenway against very good lineups would be a very minor factor in my decision making.
Well, they didn’t give Jason Kendall who hasn’t hit in a decade 6 million or a generic reliever in Lyon $15, so I’d say Minaya is at least in the top 28 gms. It is better to not make any moves than give contracts that will haunt you for years. Thus, I’m more concerned about overpaying for Molina or Bay at the moment than anything else.
Cameron is a better player than Bay though not necessarily a great fit for left field in Fenway. The White Sox might have the worst outfield in the game. Matsui did pretty well, as the amount of guys who can only DH out there outnumber the available spots.
Huh?
Cameron is going to be 37 years old at the start of next season, and has a career OPS+ of 107. Bay will be 31 years old when the season kicks off, and has a career OPS+ of 131. Bay’s last 4 seasons have all been better than Cameron’s best season. Bay has a better batting average, a better on-base average, and he hits for more power.
Better player not better hitter.
Yeah, i know that Cameron is a significantly better outfielder, but not only is he older (i’m not especially impressed by the way your linked article pretty much dismisses that factor), but as you suggest in your earlier post, the very thing that gives Cameron so much of his value is likely to be reduced in value considerably inside the cozy confines of Fenway Park.
It doesn’t matter how fast you are across the grass, or how good you are laying out for catches, if the ball is thumping off the wall 10 feet above your head. Obviously, defensive ability still matters at Fenway as it does at any other park, but the qualities required are somewhat different, especially in left field. Although, given his abilities, i’d be very surprised if Cameron doesn’t end up in center rather than left. Cameron’s UZR/150 at CF is 5.7, while Ellsbury’s is -10.6. Cameron’s value as a fielder would, i think, be much better realized in center, where he can show off his skills more.
If we were talking about a team that really needed to save a few million bucks a year, i’d agree with you, because Cameron probably does represent better value for money. But we’re talking about the Red Sox here, a team that is happy to throw money around. Player value, on a performance-per-dollar basis, actually means something different to teams that are spending over $100 million than it does to teams trying to put together a roster on $40-80 million. A few million here or there is much less important to Boston than to Baltimore or Arizona.