I don’t begrudge A.J. refusing the trade.  He negotiated the right to have that option and he used it.

Agreed.  Hell I actually respect him for it.  He is pretty much saying he will pass on the Angels and play for the Pirates for the sake of his family.

Glad to see that the family>winning decision isn’t being mocked here.  Too often (for my tastes), players are bashed for making decisions on factors other than what’s best for the team/fans.

[2] We try to save most of our irrationality for the game chatter, where the world can end on every pitch.

A.J. should have gone to the Angels because I say so.

I dunno. There are other costs. Would Abreu have insisted on another 18” of padding on the walls in RF and down the line ? That stuff ain’t cheap and may have been the real reason this blew up.

Damon looks to add a couple of runs (SB) over Ibanez and Branyan as well.  I’d guess that would make them roughly equal, no?  Abreu would probably add about the same, maybe another run on top of that.

Really, as a left-handed DH, I think there’s almost no difference between the 4.  They’re all between 36 and 40 (Branyon, Damon, Abreu, Ibanez in order), all have some defensive issues but *could* play the OF in a pinch.  Though the youngest, Branyan had the worst year last year, followed by Ibanez, Abreu, Damon.  Abreu could make sense IF AJ agrees to go, because they may both get rid of AJ and come out best salary-wise.  Ibanez is probably cheaper than Damon, and in some ways could be more desireable because he isn’t a (minor) Yankee hero.  So (shrugs)?

Damon’s numbers against RHP last year were horrible.  Maybe it was a fluke, maybe not but given his main value would be to take the DH AB against RHP I’m not sure it’s a risk I would take.

I like Damon primarily for his versatility relative to this batch of bozos.  I’d guess his reverse split last year was a fluke.  Also, his power numbers - especially home runs - appear to have been significantly improved during his tenure playing at Yankee stadium.  He definitely works the short porch.

Now that posada is retired, who’s the worst baserunner in the every day lineup?  Is anyone bad enough where Damon as a pinch runner provides added value? 

X gets on late in the game, gets pinch run for by Damon, and then is defensively upgraded with Y.  Anyone fit that criteria?  Losing Martin would be a negative defensively.

Is AJ’s no-trade really a family thing?  I didn’t know that.  I hate going on the road now that I have a daughter, I don’t know how athletes (or anyone else who travels a lot) does it.

[9] Tex is pretty bad on the bases. Cano isn’t a great baserunner either.

11) but then the Yanks would be taking a hit defensively by whoever they replaced them with.  Which I suppose is fine if the Yankees are losing late in the game, but not if they are up.

[10] I’m sure making several million dollars a year for 8-9 months of work helps.

Now that posada is retired, who’s the worst baserunner in the every day lineup?  Is anyone bad enough where Damon as a pinch runner provides added value?

Are you talking speed, or sense ?

In the latter, I think you have to go with Cano. For slowness… Teix looks like he’s moving a lot faster than he actually runs. For that matter, Swish has lost calibration between how fast he thinks he is, and how fast he actually is.

[12] Totally not worth replacing them, but they are probably the worst 2 regulars in terms of baserunning.

[14] Swisher has never been calibrated in any sense of the word.

[13]  Maybe, I don’t make that kind of dough.  But I personally did choose to make less money partly because of my family, because I didn’t like that I was coming home from work depressed every day.  I didn’t want my daughter to have that connotation with work. 

Overshare?  Probably.  Um, put snarky joke that almost crosses some kind of taste line here…

[17] But baseball players do. Are you on the road as much as they are?

If you trust the non-SB baserunning numbers at FG, Cano has been the 3rd best baserunner on the team in each of the last 2 years.  Also 3rd in the 2 combined, after Gardner and Granderson.  He’s actually pretty good on the bases, even if he doesn’t look it.  Teix and Swisher are the worst two after Posada.

[18]  No, of course not.  My point was that money does buy some kinds of happiness but not all.

20 Isn’t that what the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers said

If money can’t buy happiness, I guess I’ll have to rent it.

-The Poet Yankovic

[20]  Sure, money may not buy all types of happiness, but it rents them

I’d rather have the two mediocre prospects and $10M than Abreu, so I’m glad AJ refused.

I think Branyan will be better than anybody else they sign, so I’d rather take the prospects, and save the money for a mid-season trade.

Branyan and Ibanez may project well, but both TANKED last year.  It’s kind of worrisome.  Then again when you are picking of the late February discount scrap heap I guess that is a given.  As you suggest, that may be a reason to save their money for a mid season trade and get someone better for half a season, and most importantly the playoffs.

Ah, that’s too bad.  I always liked Bobby Hustle.  I wonder why AJ would rather play in Pittsburgh than Los Angelheim

[24]  Abreu’s power completely disappeared as well.  If that’s real, the walk rate is going to go south fast, and he’s done too.

Sheesh. I’d take a job where for six months (ok seven) I have half of all my mornings and early afternoons with my kids, then a full five months of vacation, over my hour-here-and-there plus weekends with three weeks off.

[27] The worst part about it is that you also get paid an enormous amount of money.

The eight hour work day is a relic coming from an era where child labor and violent union busting were commonplace. #occupyrlyw

Good grief.  I don’t feel sorry for ballplayers, but they are at the park until late most nights, and I assume sleep in, so if the kids are in school they don’t really see them at all.  Not to mention road trips half the time.  And the family isn’t always in the same city.  I wouldn’t like that one bit.

If a player is traded from the New York Yankees, his life has lost all meaning.

The townies signed Ohlendorf today.  There are few names in baseball that sound funnier with a townie accent than Ohlendorf.  I assume Mitre will be signing for them any day now.

[28] Even if you are the worst player on your team.

[32] You win. Post best post of the day! I’m calling someone from Billerica right now.

[30] Except your kids aren’t in school for at least half the baseball season, so you can spend your days with them.  They can even travel with you.

I know Scott Brosius and his wife home-schooled so they could take the kids with them all season long.

mlbtr:

The Yankees are “intent” on acquiring two hitters and “remain focused” on Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The team’s attention will turn to adding hitting depth once the rumored A.J. Burnett trade with the Pirates is finalized.

I don’t really understand the Chavez love.  Is it because he’s cheap and the Yankees seem to value “clubhouse presence” these days?  Wouldn’t Laird likely be just as good?

As for Ibanez, as SG pointed out, he’s likely no better than Branyan tree as a lefty DH and will probably get guaranteed $$$.  I don’t get that either. 

Otoh, these moves could help the team at the margin.  What would they add to the CAIRO pro-Yankees projection, another win maybe?

I don’t really understand the Chavez love.  Is it because he’s cheap and the Yankees seem to value “clubhouse presence” these days?  Wouldn’t Laird likely be just as good?

He’s still an elite defender (I think) at 3rd, and adds another layer of depth.  After Laird in the minors I’m not sure if they have anything above A-ball that you’d want near the majors at 3rd.  So now they’re one injury away from Pena and Nunez being their only 3B AND middle-IF depth. 

Also, if the Yankees believe Laird will benefit - e.g. better pitch recognition to impreve his BB% - by getting 100PA a month, it could make sense for him to be in AAA for a few months.  So Laird hones some skills in the first few months before the inevitable Chavez injury, and comes to the team a better overall player.

Eh, I’m fine either way.  Want to see Laird get a shot, but see benefits for having Chavez ahead of him.

As for Ibanez, as SG pointed out, he’s likely no better than Branyan tree as a lefty DH and will probably get guaranteed $$$.  I don’t get that either.

If it’s $1M it’s irrelevent.  If they think Branyan would accept a stint in the minors it also gives them two potentially useful bats in ST/beginning of the year, instead of 1.  Though a little different, kind of like when they had Garcia on a ML deal and Colon on an MiLB deal, and we thought it was bad…

If the Yankees think that Chavez is reliable enough to back up Rodriguez at third, he should be reliable enough to be a platoon DH as well.  What do they need Branyan/Ibanez/Damon/Abreu/Matsui for?

That’s a good complaint, EB.  Better than mine.  But give me credit for trying to get the kvetchball rolling, okay?

If we didn’t have so much depth we wouldn’t be able to sell low on the same talent a few months from now.

[40] eggsellent complaint, A-.

[38] - Because Branyan/Ibanez/Damon/Abreu/Matsui don’t have to play 3b.  I’m assuming they think either

a) Chavez is fragile so it’s better to not give him a full time position.  Keep him fresh incase you need him as A-Rod’s backup.
b) They believe there is a good chance that whoever is at DH can outhit Chavez.

or both.

But what would they do with the extra roster spot?  They currently have 4OF, 5IF, 2C, and let’s assume 12P.  They have two spots left.  Do you want Golson/Dickerson?  They have value but more value than a backup for an a 36 year old with a bad hip?  And if they want him that bad they can always go with the standard 11 pitchers.

[42] I’m not really seeing a complaint in there anywhere.  C-.

The Pirates and Yankees hope to take the proposed deal to the Commissioner’s Office today, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney.  The trade requires league approval due to the large amount of cash involved.

[42] Dickerson and Maxwell are out of options.  What is likely to happen to them?

Looks like Okajima is not in the best shape of his life. Sweeny Murti tweets he busted the physical and is out.

That’s one less ex-Townie cancer in the clubhouse.

Maybe they sign Mike Gonzalez with the swag from the AJ deal.

[46] Wakefield to retire, one fewer current TWN clubhouse cancer.  Can Captain Crotchgrabber be soon to follow?

Aaaand Wakefield’s retiring.

[48] - Honestly, I can’t believe the Sox brought him back last year.

With all these Townies biting the dust, let’s hope their days of dominating us are coming to a close. #Paps, #Tek, #Wake, #Okajima

[46]  Thank God the Yankees had the foresight to sign Soriano for three years.

[46] Wonder what came up during the physical. Elbow? Shoulder?

Done deal. $13million and 2 players not yet named. Awaiting league approval.

I’m glad they got it done today, if only for Burnett’s sake. Forcing him to make changes to his ST plans in 1 day would have been pretty low.

I can’t say I’m sad to see Burnett go, but I did like from what we knew of him as a person, even if he was endlessly frustrating as a pitcher.

[38] For a half-season’s worth of playing time, there’s a 10 run difference between an average fielding 3B and a DH.  So if Chavez is on the team to be an average 3B when Alex isn’t playing - and you also think he’s like +3 as a defender in that time - he’s also probably 13 runs worse than the average DH in that time.  Which is why you want both Chavez AND a lefty DH.

Forcing him to make changes to his ST plans in 1 day would have been pretty low.

Aren’t the Pirates also Grapefruit League?  Wouldn’t that be like, him staying in the hotel accross the street instead?

[55] I agree, my esteemed snuggles.