Cashville, Tenn. for everyone but frugal Yankees
By JOEL SHERMAN
Posted: 1:00 AM, December 6, 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Yankees and Mets came to the Winter Meetings and have made news with their third basemen and by bucking the industry trend when it comes to spending bucks.
It would be technically incorrect to say the New York clubs have not reached into their wallets. David Wright received $138 million over eight years — the largest total outlay the Mets ever have given in a contract. The Yankees invested $37 million to bring back Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera for 2013.
Here we were thinking the Yankee payroll restrictions were about dropping under the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014? Well, the vault appears closed for 2013, as well. As of yesterday — while legitimate options to fill in for the injured Alex Rodriguez were coming off the board — the only formal offer the Yankees had made to any position player this offseason was believed to be to reserve outfielder Nate Schierholtz who, in what is becoming a familiar theme this offseason, spurned them to sign with the Cubs for $2.25 million.
Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in the game, revealed, “I just had a meeting with [Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman] and he just said he is not in on a lot of players that he liked. He would like to be in on more, but right now he is working with ownership to see where he can go.”
Two other agents who had discussed clients with the Yankees in recent days said their perception was a clamp had been placed on spending with the team’s payroll already at $168 million for 2013. This at a time when the Yankees still have major needs in right field, the left side of the infield and catcher, and the options at each spot are dwindling.
One of the agents described Cashman as “frustrated” by being unable to act. Cashman refused comment, breaking the familiar routine of the GM addressing his city’s local media each day of the Winter Meetings. Hal Steinbrenner did not respond to an email request for an interview nor a request placed through the Yankees’ media relations department.
So there was near organizational silence over this quirk: The Yankees are the talk of these meetings despite being perhaps the most inactive organization here, such is the tectonic shift of identity away from free-spending behemoths. As months go by, this strategy may prove wise considering this is a market in which Jeremy Guthrie and Randy Choate can get three-year contracts.
Nevertheless, in real time, it’s as if the Yankees are fiddling while their empire crumbles. Their first choice to fill in for A-Rod was a lefty-righty platoon of Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger. Yet neither received a Yankees’ offer and yesterday Chavez signed with the Diamondbacks for one year at $3 million while the White Sox inked Keppinger for three years at $12 million. This comes after the Pirates signed Russell Martin away for two years at $17 million and with the growing possibility Raul Ibanez will go elsewhere (the Mariners are front-runners over the Phillies and Rangers).
Not long ago the Yankees would sneeze and $32 million would come out, now they have let three players they wanted walk away for that total. In recent years, Cashman has stressed not doing desperation deals early in the offseason and that patience and diligence would be rewarded with upside opportunities later.
So maybe there are still trades (Jason Kubel for right field perhaps) or signings that will provide solutions. For now, though, the Yankees — of all things — are behaving like the Mets.
By JOEL SHERMAN
Posted: 1:00 AM, December 6, 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Yankees and Mets came to the Winter Meetings and have made news with their third basemen and by bucking the industry trend when it comes to spending bucks.
It would be technically incorrect to say the New York clubs have not reached into their wallets. David Wright received $138 million over eight years — the largest total outlay the Mets ever have given in a contract. The Yankees invested $37 million to bring back Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera for 2013.
Here we were thinking the Yankee payroll restrictions were about dropping under the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014? Well, the vault appears closed for 2013, as well. As of yesterday — while legitimate options to fill in for the injured Alex Rodriguez were coming off the board — the only formal offer the Yankees had made to any position player this offseason was believed to be to reserve outfielder Nate Schierholtz who, in what is becoming a familiar theme this offseason, spurned them to sign with the Cubs for $2.25 million.
Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in the game, revealed, “I just had a meeting with [Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman] and he just said he is not in on a lot of players that he liked. He would like to be in on more, but right now he is working with ownership to see where he can go.”
Two other agents who had discussed clients with the Yankees in recent days said their perception was a clamp had been placed on spending with the team’s payroll already at $168 million for 2013. This at a time when the Yankees still have major needs in right field, the left side of the infield and catcher, and the options at each spot are dwindling.
One of the agents described Cashman as “frustrated” by being unable to act. Cashman refused comment, breaking the familiar routine of the GM addressing his city’s local media each day of the Winter Meetings. Hal Steinbrenner did not respond to an email request for an interview nor a request placed through the Yankees’ media relations department.
So there was near organizational silence over this quirk: The Yankees are the talk of these meetings despite being perhaps the most inactive organization here, such is the tectonic shift of identity away from free-spending behemoths. As months go by, this strategy may prove wise considering this is a market in which Jeremy Guthrie and Randy Choate can get three-year contracts.
Nevertheless, in real time, it’s as if the Yankees are fiddling while their empire crumbles. Their first choice to fill in for A-Rod was a lefty-righty platoon of Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger. Yet neither received a Yankees’ offer and yesterday Chavez signed with the Diamondbacks for one year at $3 million while the White Sox inked Keppinger for three years at $12 million. This comes after the Pirates signed Russell Martin away for two years at $17 million and with the growing possibility Raul Ibanez will go elsewhere (the Mariners are front-runners over the Phillies and Rangers).
Not long ago the Yankees would sneeze and $32 million would come out, now they have let three players they wanted walk away for that total. In recent years, Cashman has stressed not doing desperation deals early in the offseason and that patience and diligence would be rewarded with upside opportunities later.
So maybe there are still trades (Jason Kubel for right field perhaps) or signings that will provide solutions. For now, though, the Yankees — of all things — are behaving like the Mets.