Yanks Land Soriano
The Yanks set their bullpen for kill today by signing Rafael Soriano to a three year deal, that he may be able to opt out of after 1 year. They gave up a first rounder to get him, but they have a sandwich pick, that's not too far back from the pick they gave up. This should give the Yanks the best bullpen in baseball. That's always a good thing to have. Go Yanks.
posted by Kalel9 @ 6:13 PM
47 Comments:
Awful contract. Market value in a weak market, and can opt out after the first or second year? Bet he opts out after year two, hoping Rivera retires and asks for what Rivera was getting per year.
As long as Girardi agrees not to use him as another LOOGY, I'd like to add Fuentes too.
Good move.
Cashman can't be done.
Buh bye Joba!
As blog readers know I have been a big proponent of this move. I bet a ring would end any opt out ideas. I am happy Cash stepped up and can care less about the actual contract, considering we did not get Lee. Great move Cash!!
Kinda hurts to lose a 1st rounder in a very deep draft but shortening the game is a smart move when we don't have a solid rotation
I think the opt outs make the deal better because they can recoup the pick.
If this puts Joba back in the rotation, I like the deal.
What I don't get is why Cashman has become Tommy Flanagan.
"Buh bye Joba!"
I would hope that's followed by Buh bye Cash!
Rich, color me as someone who doesn't see what you see in Joba. The Yankees ruined him, and if Rothschild can fix him, he deserves a lifetime contract.
Mike, but he's their best option. Even coming off an injury and having an innings cap, he was far better in 2009 than AJ or Javy were last season. Granted, that's not saying much, but he means he deserves another shot. I'm not sure how anyone on the 40 man deserves one more.
We won't ever see the elite pitcher we saw in 2007-08, but even 4.5 ERA would be great right now.
He's beyond repair, and Cashman foolishly chose to hold onto him instead of trade for Haren, which now gives the Yankees Nova and Mitre for fourth and fifth starters. He needs to go somewhere else.
I watched joba pitch twice in the minors, once in AA and once in AAA, both as a starter. He was electric, legitimately 95-98 on every fastball for 6+ innings.
I don't think its mechanical in what plagues him these days, more of just physical. Ever since he was brought back along as a starter after brief BP duty, he had that shoulder strain. Since then I haven't seen that consistent velocity that was present no matter if he started or relieved.
Rich,
Why the hatred towards Cash? I don't see how you think he can just put him a 4.5 era, which in reality isn't that good when you average 5 1/3 ip per start.
I don't hate Cashman, but he looks like a fool with his flipflops which can't be justified as they could wit prior changes of position, which were done to gain leverage. He gained nothing here.
He's a decent GM, nothing more. If he had traded Montero for Lee, as he wanted, then I would be nauseated by him.
Let Montero C 60 games in NY this year, develop the Killer Bs and keep them, and I will reassess.
Again, which 3-5 starters on the roster offer more than Joba?
I'd like to see Joba get another shot at the rotation now that the bridge to Mo can't be second guessed. I hope he shows up in great shape. There have been a number of power pitchers in the past who had trouble getting on track before becoming great. Schilling comes to mind.
I pray Joba comes back, don't get me wrong. I've played baseball my whole life, through college, some low-a affiliates and even some independant leagues and when I say I have never seen someone so electric as a starter, ever. I've played vs strasburg, played with porcello, and many other great young pitchers that have made it and in all honesty, Joba's fastball + slider were just unhittable. His fastball not only had velocity, it had life, it had bore, it exploded. Believe me, I'm praying he can figure it out and he's still young so lets hope so!
Anyway, I spoke to a few buddies of mine, and no this isn't from buster olney. There was a very split decision on this signing. Cashman didn't want to be handicapped by this contract and lose a pick but was reassured the contract would not hinder any future signings by ownership. Take this for what its worth but it looks like ownership is going to keep this contract off of the overall budget.
Then they need to sign Manny or Damon and not Jones to start to show that.
Per ESPN Mariano sold ownership on Soriano, and encouraged the signing. Saying he would watch over him and help groom him to be the next closer.
Will and Mike, thanks for the info.
Agreed on Manny or Damon, Rich.
Per a Heyman tweet, Yankees might consider moving Joba for a starter. Given that Haren's no longer available, isn't it too little, too late?
Joba should get moved and CWS needs BP help.
Perhaps a Jackson, Floyd or Buerhle might work with a package built around Joba.
Trading Joba now is beyond ridiculous.
You are right.
They should send him down to AAA so he can get his s*it together.
The Yankees are too prideful to admit they messed up his development. He won't be sent down, even though it's the right move. Plus, I'm pretty sure he's out of options.
Maybe Rothchild can work with Joba in ST and straighten him out.
I'm not certain that the Yankees should get full blame for the lack of Joba's development. There could be something physical in his shoulder that prevents his velocity from returning. There could be a lack of conditioning on his part since he got to the bigs. I'm not sure anyone of us knows. Like Phil says, he may take a little longer to find his stuff. Let Rothschild assess unless Cash gets an offer that he can't refuse.
Joba's velo improved over the course of last season.
But two years after the fact, it wasn't back to pre-injury levels consistently. As concerned as I am that ownership is handing out contracts again (A-Rod, ugh), the fact that Cashman valued Joba over Haren is what forced ownership's hands.
Wheres this the yankees wouldn't give up Joba for Haren talk from? Haren is/was viewed in the eyes of the yanks baseball ops to be just as valuable as cliff lee. I highly doubt it was joba as the sticking point in those negotiations.
Reports during the trade rumors suggested that the Yankees didn't want to part with Joba, and that it was a sticking point. Were those reports false?
Per the NYT:
"Certainly times have changed since July, when Chamberlain was off limits during their discussions with Arizona about Dan Haren, who was eventually sent to the Angels."
Source.
That's totally unacceptable, if true. Chamberlain is not what he was in 2007 and spring/summer 2008. If he was really off-limits for Haren, Cashman deserves a lot of flack.
I don't mind not making that trade, as long as they let him start.
Who else did AZ want besides Joba?
I am sure that Montero was part of that deal.
Never read a report of them asking for Montero. All B prospects, IIRC. He was having a subpar year in Arizona, which is why the Angels didn't have to give up an arm and a leg despite his very reasonable contract.
Houston might not be able to keep Wandy Rodriguez. Solid lefty for the back end of the rotation.
Perhaps dangle Joba for him?
Believe me, the yankees were willing to part with montero for lee, its a 100% guarantee they would of part with joba for haren. haren was very highly valued.
Trading Montero for 3 month of Lee is really a cry for help.
Trading Montero for anything other than Hernandez, Josh Johnson or Hanley Ramirez is a cry for help.
Matt Cain should be added to that list of guys to package up Montero for.
Perhaps SF can't afford to pay Cain and Lincecum in the new future?
The bigger need is to stop the idea of trading Montero.
I agree, but Cashman seems hell bent on trading him for top tier talent. Perhaps the organization isn't convinced he's a long-term catcher, and doesn't have a spot for him?
More from earlier, on Yankees' reluctance to include Joba in the talks with Haren this past summer:
John Heyman, July 24: "yankees willing to include nova, mcallister and 2 prospects for dan haren, will not eat $ and give up joba. still talking."
I don't think Cashman is more than an advisor.
Yanks are closer to landing Jones.
Perhaps Boras/Cashman can wrap this up in NY after Soriano's PC today.
Phil you okay with the signing? Giving up the pick?
I'd rather not give up the pick, but we do have a sandwich pick, and signing Soriano beats the crap out of trading Montero, Betances or Banuelos.
I agree with that Phil, no reason to trade any of them at this point. As you know I have been a big Soriano proponent. I mean on the field he is a major upgrade. This could be Mo/Wetteleand redux where Raf eventually takes Mo's spot.. Let's hope there is no division in the organization, and Cash gets re-upped at seasons end.
For someone so adamant about keeping the first round pick, I'm curious as to why Cashman didn't recommend signing Fuentes and Jenks at the start of the offseason. Taking into consideration the contracts they got vs. what Soriano/Feliciano got, I'd definitely go with the former.
The biggest problem with the signing is that it shows Cash is not really the GM.
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