12/14: Bronx Discipline
Posted by: Jason
You may have heard/read recently about an AL East team signing a pitcher from Japan. The media blares: 6 years, 8.5m per year!! This is completely incorrect, for it ignores the posting fee, which must be factored in.
There are 2 cost accounting ways to look at this contract.
1) Load the posting fee over the life of the deal, or
2) "Take the hit": Reflect the posting fee in the first year of the contract.
Scenario #1: 17+ million per year over 6 seasons. This accounting method means that he would have been the 8th highest paid player in MLB in 2006.
Scenario #2: 59+ million in year one, then 8.5m/year after that. Using this accounting method means that what the Red Sox must pay for DM's services (in year one) crushes the record for the highest annual salary in the history of sports, easily surpassing current recordholder David Beckham (not including endorsements, Tiger).
Also remember: If Matsuzaka leaves the Red Sox at some point before the deal's end, then one should load the posting fee over the time he was with the Red Sox. For example, DM is traded in 3 years: 51m/3: 17m + 8.5m per year = total annual contract price of 25.5m (or the second highest salary in MLB).
Cashman learned his lesson well as he moved through the ranks in the Yankees organization and seems to have changed the 15+ year culture of brute force expenditures.
There are 2 cost accounting ways to look at this contract.
1) Load the posting fee over the life of the deal, or
2) "Take the hit": Reflect the posting fee in the first year of the contract.
Scenario #1: 17+ million per year over 6 seasons. This accounting method means that he would have been the 8th highest paid player in MLB in 2006.
Scenario #2: 59+ million in year one, then 8.5m/year after that. Using this accounting method means that what the Red Sox must pay for DM's services (in year one) crushes the record for the highest annual salary in the history of sports, easily surpassing current recordholder David Beckham (not including endorsements, Tiger).
Also remember: If Matsuzaka leaves the Red Sox at some point before the deal's end, then one should load the posting fee over the time he was with the Red Sox. For example, DM is traded in 3 years: 51m/3: 17m + 8.5m per year = total annual contract price of 25.5m (or the second highest salary in MLB).
Cashman learned his lesson well as he moved through the ranks in the Yankees organization and seems to have changed the 15+ year culture of brute force expenditures.
12/13: There Goes That Idea
Posted by: James
Brad Wilkerson wasn't non-tendered so my post from yesterday is moot. Oh well.
If you'd like to see a full list of the players that actually were non-tendered, The Baseball Digest has a list up. Some of the notable names include:
-Joel Pineiro, RHP (remember how good he was back in 2003 and how much the Yankees coveted him?),
-Marcus Giles, 2B (I know the Braves are cutting costs but I think that is a mistake. Whoever picks up Giles will be making a very good move. Marcus had a bad first half but slick fielding, good hitting second basemen are hard to find),
-Chris Reitsma, RHP (this might be someone the Yankees actually consider),
-Rick Ankiel (I still feel bad about how it all went down for Rick),
-Toby Hall, C (for a backup catcher, you could do worse),
-Victor Zambrano, RHP (man, if I was a Mets fan, I'd be pretty annoyed at Jim Duquette),
-Brandon Claussen, LHP (with the way the pitching market has been and considering Claussen's age, I'm surprised at the Reds giving up on him).
If you'd like to see a full list of the players that actually were non-tendered, The Baseball Digest has a list up. Some of the notable names include:
-Joel Pineiro, RHP (remember how good he was back in 2003 and how much the Yankees coveted him?),
-Marcus Giles, 2B (I know the Braves are cutting costs but I think that is a mistake. Whoever picks up Giles will be making a very good move. Marcus had a bad first half but slick fielding, good hitting second basemen are hard to find),
-Chris Reitsma, RHP (this might be someone the Yankees actually consider),
-Rick Ankiel (I still feel bad about how it all went down for Rick),
-Toby Hall, C (for a backup catcher, you could do worse),
-Victor Zambrano, RHP (man, if I was a Mets fan, I'd be pretty annoyed at Jim Duquette),
-Brandon Claussen, LHP (with the way the pitching market has been and considering Claussen's age, I'm surprised at the Reds giving up on him).
12/12: Mike Gonzalez
Posted by: Patrick
From George King:
Gonzalez's numbers are very good. Career: 155.2 IP in 168 games, 7-9, 28 saves, 2.37 ERA. With that said, you can't trade Proctor and Melky for him. A deal with Proctor is entertainable to me (even though it doesn't help our bullpen depth, i.e. RP for RP) being that Proctor is older than him and, as much as I like him, has only had one good year. But, I'm not down with dealing Melky in such a deal.
Via PSD.
Ideally, the Pirates would like Atlanta first baseman Adam La Roche, but the Braves have Bob Wickman to close and would likely spin Gonzalez. Enter the Yankees and Red Sox.
The Braves, who have Scott Thorman to replace La Roche, were very interested in Scott Proctor at last summer's trade deadline and haven't changed their opinion. However, since they would be giving up a 32-homer, 90 RBI bat it's likely they would want more than Proctor. Like everyone, they are high on Melky Cabrera but would the Yankees trade Proctor and Cabrera for a 28-year-old reliever who has never pitched a meaningful game after May and has spent his entire four-year career in the NL?
The Braves, who have Scott Thorman to replace La Roche, were very interested in Scott Proctor at last summer's trade deadline and haven't changed their opinion. However, since they would be giving up a 32-homer, 90 RBI bat it's likely they would want more than Proctor. Like everyone, they are high on Melky Cabrera but would the Yankees trade Proctor and Cabrera for a 28-year-old reliever who has never pitched a meaningful game after May and has spent his entire four-year career in the NL?
Gonzalez's numbers are very good. Career: 155.2 IP in 168 games, 7-9, 28 saves, 2.37 ERA. With that said, you can't trade Proctor and Melky for him. A deal with Proctor is entertainable to me (even though it doesn't help our bullpen depth, i.e. RP for RP) being that Proctor is older than him and, as much as I like him, has only had one good year. But, I'm not down with dealing Melky in such a deal.
Via PSD.
12/12: Wilkerson
Posted by: James
Man, those guys at NoMaas beat me to the punch. In their discussion of some players that could be possibly non-tendered today, they brought up Brad Wilkerson. Now, Wilkerson is a guy that I've I was going to mention as a good option for the Yankees for a couple reasons but first, I want to point out a salient point made by Nomaas:
On top of that, according to the Rate2 stat, Wilkerson actually plays a good first base, or at the very least, has played well in his 161 games there over his career. Now, all those games are spread out over several seasons so it would be a risk to assume he can do the same over the course of an entire season. Still, if he is available and cheap, it becomes a question of who do you think can outperform over the course of a full season, Andy Phillips or Brad Wilkerson.
He's a lefty and all the news outlets have reported the Yankees are in the market for a right-handed first baseman. However, have a look at this. Wilkerson has actually hit lefties better than righties during his career:
vs. LHP: .266 BA / .367 OBP / .446 SLG / .813 OPS
vs. RHP: .247 BA / .355 OBP / .449 SLG / .804 OPS
vs. LHP: .266 BA / .367 OBP / .446 SLG / .813 OPS
vs. RHP: .247 BA / .355 OBP / .449 SLG / .804 OPS
On top of that, according to the Rate2 stat, Wilkerson actually plays a good first base, or at the very least, has played well in his 161 games there over his career. Now, all those games are spread out over several seasons so it would be a risk to assume he can do the same over the course of an entire season. Still, if he is available and cheap, it becomes a question of who do you think can outperform over the course of a full season, Andy Phillips or Brad Wilkerson.
Posted by: Patrick
Our 2007-2008 Interviewing the Yankees Blogosphere series kicks off with Jim Baumbach of On the Yankees Beat.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
My main goal when I'm off is to forget about the Yankees and it is hard. This job really takes over you when you're working - I owe it to my wife and myself to put it away in a small box during the little down time we get. As for hobbies, we bought an older house a year ago and we're doing a lot of work on it. That's really taking up whatever free time we have.
When you aren't doing something related to or depending on the Yankees, what are you up to?
My main goal when I'm off is to forget about the Yankees and it is hard. This job really takes over you when you're working - I owe it to my wife and myself to put it away in a small box during the little down time we get. As for hobbies, we bought an older house a year ago and we're doing a lot of work on it. That's really taking up whatever free time we have.
12/11: The Pavano Files
Posted by: Patrick
According to Jim Baumbach, the Cardinals have requested what will henceforth be known as "The Pavano Files."
I can't believe that we could actually fill our need at 1B with Albert Pujols!
Via Pro Sports Daily.
The Cardinals have asked to view Carl Pavano's expansive medical records, according to a report in yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a sign that the Yankees might be able to get out from under that albatross of a contract.
I can't believe that we could actually fill our need at 1B with Albert Pujols!
Via Pro Sports Daily.
12/11: Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Patrick
I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a happy, healthy and successful 2007.
I appreciate everyone who has contributed to YanksBlog.com in 2006 and I look forward to 2007!
Thank you for reading. :)
I appreciate everyone who has contributed to YanksBlog.com in 2006 and I look forward to 2007!
Thank you for reading. :)
12/11: Yankees Sign Cuban Prospect
Posted by: Patrick
From ESPN.com:
The article notes that it's a major league deal, meaning that Miranda has to be on our 40 man. He's a lefty 1B/OF.
Update: Or not? Peter Abraham says the deal isn't done yet, just in the works. Thanks Chris.
Via Cliff.
The New York Yankees signed Cuban prospect Juan Miranda to a four-year contract worth $2 million, the player told ESPNdeportes.com. ...
"In Cuba I grew up dreaming of playing in the big leagues, but I never thought it would be possible, much less with the Yankees," the 23-year-old Miranda said.
"In Cuba I grew up dreaming of playing in the big leagues, but I never thought it would be possible, much less with the Yankees," the 23-year-old Miranda said.
The article notes that it's a major league deal, meaning that Miranda has to be on our 40 man. He's a lefty 1B/OF.
Update: Or not? Peter Abraham says the deal isn't done yet, just in the works. Thanks Chris.
Via Cliff.
Posted by: James
Hmmm... according to ESPN and the Boston Herald, as of Saturday night, the Red Sox and Matsuzaka weren't close to getting a contract done. Actually, the term used was that they were "close to finding a common ground".
Even with the uncertainty surrounding what Matz (due to my own laziness, I choose not to write out his whole name so that's what I call him), taking him out of the equation changes the outlook for the Red Sox considerably. The Herald's source admitted that there is time for the outlook to change and with this much money on the table, there may yet be a last minute deal. Still, if there's no deal, I'd have to say that Toronto becomes the consensus #2 pick in the division.
Negotiations between the team and the Japanese star pitcher have nearly broken down, the Boston Herald reported Sunday. A source familiar with the situation told the Herald late Saturday that unless "there is an abrupt change of course," the Red Sox will not strike a deal with Matsuzaka before the deadline midnight Thursday.
Even with the uncertainty surrounding what Matz (due to my own laziness, I choose not to write out his whole name so that's what I call him), taking him out of the equation changes the outlook for the Red Sox considerably. The Herald's source admitted that there is time for the outlook to change and with this much money on the table, there may yet be a last minute deal. Still, if there's no deal, I'd have to say that Toronto becomes the consensus #2 pick in the division.
12/09: Cue Clemens Talk
Posted by: Patrick
Now that we've got Pettitte, everyone is going to be talking about the possibility of signing Clemens. And why not? It's a fun possibility to consider. Randy Hendricks, understandably, gave a nice quote leaving the door open:
Emphasis mine, of course.
Via Pro Sports Daily.
"Roger has yet to decide what he will do next year," agent Randy Hendricks said. "But he has followed Andy's negotiations very carefully."
Emphasis mine, of course.
Via Pro Sports Daily.
