MLB 2010 hotstove

[quagmire]

With the Yankees winning the WS tonight, it is officially the off season. Time to discuss the trading and signings.

So first order of business. Will the Yankees resign Matsui, Damon, or both? Will they keep Wang around? Will Andy finally retire or come back?

 

[MacNut]

They will keep one not both. Probably Damon.

 

[quagmire]

They will keep one not both. Probably Damon.

I think they should keep both. Both have been pivotal this year especially in the WS. Matsui did single handily beat the Phillies tonight.

It would also be bad PR to not resign your WS MVP.

 

[MacFan782040]

I know kinda off topic but....Good job Yankees!...I'm a Phillies AND Yankees fan (1/2 way between each city since birth)... I was AT the world series game 5 when they won last year... Yanks deserve it this year. CC, Matsui, and Utley are the top 3 MVP's IMO. Until next year!!!

 

[InvalidUserID]

Prior to tonight, I was of the popular belief that the Yankees would only sign either Damon or Matsui. However, after tonight, I think Matsui made a good case for himself.

If the Yankees had to pick one, I'd guess they'd re-sign Damon since he can still field (though not throw). They COULD keep Damon in LF and use Matsui as the DH. When Posada, Rodriguez or Jeter need to DH for a day, Matsui gets a day off.

Yankee's edition:

Damon: Resigns with Yankees
Matsui: Yankees, Mariners or returns to Japan as hero (I'm hoping for this one, if he doesn't return to Yankees
Pettitte: Retires on top

 

[MacNut]

Prior to tonight, I was of the popular belief that the Yankees would only sign either Damon or Matsui. However, after tonight, I think Matsui made a good case for himself.

If the Yankees had to pick one, I'd guess they'd re-sign Damon since he can still field (though not throw). They COULD keep Damon in LF and use Matsui as the DH. When Posada, Rodriguez or Jeter need to DH for a day, Matsui gets a day off.

Yankee's edition:

Damon: Resigns with Yankees
Matsui: Yankees, Mariners or returns to Japan as hero (I'm hoping for this one, if he doesn't return to Yankees
Pettitte: Retires on top

I thought Damon was coming back no matter what after the post season he had. I thought they would let Matsui go, now I'm not so sure. They might sign him and maybe use him as a pinch hitter and some DH. Pettitte I think will return for 1 more season.

Do they keep Molina is the question.

 

[InvalidUserID]

Do they keep Molina is the question.

Might as well. He's been a solid backup compared with Stinnett, Flaherty, Nieves, Fasano, etc.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Well I will be blunt. I have no respect for the yankees and when they win the world Series. They buy there team. They have the HIGHEST salary of all the other teams and they are an example of what is wrong with MLB. They have 27 wins and the next closes team has 10. Something is wrong there and it is what I say is proof that they buy are there team.

There needs to be a balance salary cap among teams so that it is not what team buys the best but balance it out.

 

[MacNut]

Well I will be blunt. I have no respect for the yankees and when they win the world Series. They buy there team. They have the HIGHEST salary of all the other teams and they are an example of what is wrong with MLB. They have 27 wins and the next closes team has 10. Something is wrong there and it is what I say is proof that they buy are there team.

There needs to be a balance salary cap among teams so that it is not what team buys the best but balance it out.

Bitter much. Don't worry maybe the Cubs will win someday.

You want a balance, get rid of the crappy teams. What good are the Pirates anyways.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

*double post*

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Bitter much. Don't worry maybe the Cubs will win someday.

You want a balance, get rid of the crappy teams. What good are the Pirates anyways.

wrong city. The only Major league team I really have any care about was not in the play offs this year.

Could care less about who the other team was. I have no respected the Yankees for a very long time and have no respect for any of their wins because they buy them.

hard to argue with the facts. That Yankees are by far the highest paid baseball team. They have the most World series wins because of it. I have no respect for the Yankees and they will not get any respect until there pay roll is in line with the other teams.

MLB needs a salary cap like NFL. Yankees are proof of it. A completely bought team.]


2009 Team pay roll

1. Yankees $201,449,289
2. New York Mets $149,373,987
3. Chicago Cubs $134,809,000

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/salaries

Kind of hard to compete with the 50 mil plus bought team. The Yankees pay role is well over double (may be over triple) the leagues average. Bought team. I have no respect for any Yankee win because of that.

 

[moonlight87]

So let me get this straight, the other players in MLB are volunteers? No wonder everyone wants to play for the yankees!
But seriously, if you make as much money as the yankees do, would you not invest it into making your team better? I mean, that's what any good business would do. Quit your whining, because baseball IS fair, you just don't like it because you don't understand it. It's called revenue sharing, and it works.

Oh, and GO YANKEES!!!!!!!

 

[Rodimus Prime]

So let me get this straight, the other players in MLB are volunteers? No wonder everyone wants to play for the yankees!
But seriously, if you make as much money as the yankees do, would you not invest it into making your team better? I mean, that's what any good business would do. Quit your whining, because baseball IS fair, you just don't like it because you don't understand it. It's called revenue sharing, and it works.

Oh, and GO YANKEES!!!!!!!

if it worked then you would not have payrolls for teams going from $201,449,289 to $36,814,000. Something is not right about that.

I am not going to agrue that the yankees are not good. I just have no respect for there wins because they are a bought team. MLB is currently not fair because at the difference in pay roll. A salary cap of a nice 75-100 mil for all teams would be great. All teams revenues are shared so they can each only afford that much.

I find it funny that Yankees fans get all up in arms when some one points out how they have a huge advantage and are a buy there wins and they back it up with proof. Hard to ague with the fact that they have an insane payroll compared to everyone else.

 

[TSE]

I personally think the Marlins are going to go on a fire sale getting rid of everyone that isn't cheap for 2-3 years. Jorge Cantu, a 1B/3B, Dan Uggla, a 2B, Jeremy Hermida, a LF/RF, and Cody Ross, a CF/RF/LF, are all gone by the end of the offseason for prospects.

 

[aloofman]

hard to argue with the facts. That Yankees are by far the highest paid baseball team. They have the most World series wins because of it. I have no respect for the Yankees and they will not get any respect until there pay roll is in line with the other teams.

....


2009 Team pay roll

1. Yankees $201,449,289
2. New York Mets $149,373,987
3. Chicago Cubs $134,809,000

By that logic, the Mets and Cubs would be the second- and third-best teams in baseball. They aren't. Yes, the Yankees have financial advantages, but it didn't help them much last year.

 

[MacNut]

So your saying that all 27 championships were money? I would accept the argument that the last 7 were but you can't say the pre Reggie teams were money ball.

 

[moonlight87]

if it worked then you would not have payrolls for teams going from $201,449,289 to $36,814,000. Something is not right about that.

I am not going to agrue that the yankees are not good. I just have no respect for there wins because they are a bought team. MLB is currently not fair because at the difference in pay roll. A salary cap of a nice 75-100 mil for all teams would be great. All teams revenues are shared so they can each only afford that much.

I find it funny that Yankees fans get all up in arms when some one points out how they have a huge advantage and are a buy there wins and they back it up with proof. Hard to ague with the fact that they have an insane payroll compared to everyone else.

Is it an advantage? Yes, I never denied that. But this is the real world moron. Come on, if I have an advantage, I will use it. What is the point of sport? To WIN. Thus the Yankees will try to win. They have their own corporation and thus make tons of money from it and invest it back in. I pray that you don't own a business or become a politician because you would suck hardcore. Just face it, you don't like the Yankees because you don't like winners, you like wieners.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

So your saying that all 27 championships were money? I would accept the argument that the last 7 were but you can't say the pre Reggie teams were money ball.

even assuming that. Currently the Yankees are a bought team and I have no respect for any of the wins. The worse time for the yankees were during the years that they were force to have teams payrolls more in line with everyone else.

I respect the skills of the players. I have no respect for the Team names and their wins because they are bought.
Now during my life the Yankees wins are bought and paid for with massive payrolls.

The Yankees are an example of why there needs to be a salary cap in base ball and teams force to have payrolls more in line with each other.

 

[MacNut]

First of all the union will never allow salary caps. That is where your gripe should be not with the Yankees. The Yankees make a **** ton of money a year. They spend it on players. If you don't like it tough. I am happy that they don't pocket the money like some teams. I want to see a winning team every year. The Yankees of old would just throw money at a player, even if they were not any good and they didn't win. Look the last win was 2000, how much money did they spend over the last 9 years and not win anything? So don't say that money wins championships because it doesn't.

You want to really fix the game, cut the teams from 32 to 20. That would make it more competitive. There is so much dead weight in baseball with crap teams.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

First of all the union will never allow salary caps. That is where your gripe should be not with the Yankees. The Yankees make a **** ton of money a year. They spend it on players. If you don't like it tough. I am happy that they don't pocket the money like some teams. I want to see a winning team every year. The Yankees of old would just throw money at a player, even if they were not any good and they didn't win. Look the last win was 2000, how much money did they spend over the last 9 years and not win anything? So don't say that money wins championships because it doesn't.

Does not change the fact I have no respect for the Yankees and have not in my life time because they use their deep pockets to buy wins and get farther than any one else. Something is massively wrong when they have 27 wins compared to the next closes of 10. I have no respect and I will not until the Yankee pay role is at least more in line with other teams. Hell just dropping it down to 120 mil a year would make me respect them a lot more but when they are out pricing everyone I have no respect for them. Year end and year our general the same teams make it into the play offs.
The Yankees buy there talent because they have much deeper pockets than anyone else.

I think it is funny that you can not stand your Yankee wins not being that great as they are bought and people point it out. I have no respect for any yankee win and I will be a root for any team playing the Yankees as such. I like the watch the Yankees lose because they are bought talent.

 

[MacNut]

Does not change the fact I have no respect for the Yankees and have not in my life time because they use their deep pockets to buy wins and get farther than any one else. Something is massively wrong when they have 27 wins compared to the next closes of 10. I have no respect and I will not until the Yankee pay role is at least more in line with other teams. Hell just dropping it down to 120 mil a year would make me respect them a lot more but when they are out pricing everyone I have no respect for them. Year end and year our general the same teams make it into the play offs.
The Yankees buy there talent because they have much deeper pockets than anyone else.

I think it is funny that you can not stand your Yankee wins not being that great as they are bought and people point it out. I have no respect for any yankee win and I will be a root for any team playing the Yankees as such. I like the watch the Yankees lose because they are bought talent.

It has nothing to do with money, you are just a Yankee hater.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

It has nothing to do with money, you are just a Yankee hater.

because they buy there wins. So be it. I do not like the team because they buy there wins and there payroll is massively out of line with everyone else.

A 65 mil over the number 2 team (48% larger) is a massive and I mean massive advatage and shows who much of a bought team they are. They buy talent with huge amount of extra cash they have. Yankees are the case and point of what is wrong with MLB.

 

[aloofman]

because they buy there wins. So be it. I do not like the team because they buy there wins and there payroll is massively out of line with everyone else.

A 65 mil over the number 2 team (48% larger) is a massive and I mean massive advatage and shows who much of a bought team they are. They buy talent with huge amount of extra cash they have. Yankees are the case and point of what is wrong with MLB.

Please try to type "their" instead of "there". That's driving me crazy.

 

[sysiphus]

Please try to type "their" instead of "there". That's driving me crazy.

Ditto.

Really, though, the Yankees payroll advantage does hugely skew the competition. Look at it this way--the Yankees paid for their top three starting pitchers with the difference between their payroll and #2 on the list (Mets), and still had money left over. It only takes 7 players on their roster NOT including A-Rod to inflate their payroll over $100M. They encompassed the entire Twins payroll with THREE players. I'd love to know how that is supposed to represent healthy competition.

I know the argument is that they don't win it ALL every year, so that's supposed to mean that it's not a problem...but the reality is that to win, you need a combination of good leadership/talent evaluation and good players. The 2008 Mariners (or heck, this year's Mets) are a perfect example that money alone does not win championships. That said, it's a MASSIVE leg up with an even half-competent front office. The Yankees can afford to retain any player they like, AND shop for the top free agents in the league every year. On top of that, it's almost inconsequential when a player signing doesn't work out...they can afford to put him in a corner and sign the next big name to replace him without even thinking twice. Nobody else builds rosters like that. If you don't think that's an absurd advantage, I don't know what to tell you.

With all that said, I'll freely concede that the Yankees were the best team, and as such deserved to win the Series this year...but it's not nearly as impressive of an accomplishment as when a team with a budget does so.

 

[MacNut]

We can talk about the Yankees payroll all day but lets get the stove started.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Bobby Abreu had no interest in spending another winter -- or even another week -- without an employer. The Los Angeles Angels were only too happy to oblige the slugger who transformed their lineup this year.

The veteran outfielder agreed Thursday to a $19 million, two-year contract to stay with the Angels rather than test the free-agent market again.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4626679

PHOENIX -- Pitcher Brandon Webb's $8.5 million option was exercised Friday by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The right-hander made just one start last season before being put on the disabled list and had arthroscopic surgery Aug. 4 on his pitching shoulder. Arizona would have had to pay a $2 million buyout if it had declined the option.

"Since Brandon has recovered well from his surgery, we have decided to exercise his option," general manager Josh Byrnes said. "His accomplishments for our organization have been significant. We look forward to him returning to the mound."

A three-time All-Star, Webb won the 2006 NL Cy Young Award. He is 87-62 with a 3.27 ERA in seven seasons.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4629217

MILWAUKEE -- J.J. Hardy has been traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Carlos Gomez.

The teams announced the deal on Friday.

Hardy, a shortstop, hit .229 last season with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs. He had a combined 50 home runs in 2007 and 2008.

He has a career batting average of .262 with 75 home runs and 265 RBI in 571 games.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said it was hard to part ways with Hardy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4629260

The Chicago White Sox and 2005 World Series MVP Jermaine Dye have parted ways.

On Thursday, Jermaine Dye informed the White Sox that he was accepting his 2010 one-year option for $12 million. The team followed suit today by buying out the popular outfielder's contract for $950,000.

Although this does not preclude the White Sox from re-signing Dye to a contract, it's most likely that the team will go in a different direction in filling their spots at outfield and designated hitter next season.

Dye, 35, signed a two-year, $22 million extension late in the 2007 season. This year, Dye batted .250 with 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 141 games.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=4629090