Yankees Big Players at Winter Meetings?

[Majorball]

Who should they have gotten in 2013 that would have made a difference? nobody, they didn't make any moves because 2013 was a very shitty free agent class, and trades are simply not as fruitful as they once were.

So blaming Cashman or Hal is lame, I bet you can't name 1 move they could have done that would have made this team significantly better, let alone the 3-4 moves that were really needed.

2014 is a much better class, although the pitching is weak and that's really what they need, but make the bats better and they should be decent, and I have faith NY will do that.

Rusty do you feel that the decisions to go with Jeter at SS before Spring Training coming off severe ankle surgery wasn't a mistake. That they felt that Nunez was a adequate MLB SS for a season. That Suzuki in right field was the best they could do. That Cervelli and Stewart was a MLB caliber starting catcher. That trading for Vernon Wells was a good choice. Do you feel that Hafner was the best they could do for DH

It's about decision making, what YBlue is saying, and I think we all agree, is that there is never any accountability within the organization. The job of a GM is to be prepared. Granted that the injuries we had you can never plan for, but for example, Martin wanted to come back, the money he signed for in Pittsburgh was nothing for the Yankees. The organization said they were only interested in one year, why, if Sanchez, Murphy, or Romine arrive it would be 2015 before Sanchez would be ready. A two year contract was perfect but not for Cashman or whomever sits behind the curtain. DH, Ibanez was available after the 2012 season ended, it would have made sense to sign him if there was nothing better, but Hafner, not even Pasta would of have signed Hafner. Decisions once again. Now bring this 189 million mandate into the pic, real or not, and again this is what I feel YBlue is saying, Your either pregnant or not. So is the cap real or not. And what purpose does it serve by discussing it. There are advantages with being under, but a 3.3 billion business model I feel dictates other options and spending to maintain the brand is one of them.

 

[RustySpan]

Rusty do you feel that the decisions to go with Jeter at SS before Spring Training coming off severe ankle surgery wasn't a mistake. That they felt that Nunez was a adequate MLB SS for a season. That Suzuki in right field was the best they could do. That Cervelli and Stewart was a MLB caliber starting catcher. That trading for Vernon Wells was a good choice. Do you feel that Hafner was the best they could do for DH

It's about decision making, what YBlue is saying, and I think we all agree, is that there is never any accountability within the organization. The job of a GM is to be prepared. Granted that the injuries we had you can never plan for, but for example, Martin wanted to come back, the money he signed for in Pittsburgh was nothing for the Yankees. The organization said they were only interested in one year, why, if Sanchez, Murphy, or Romine arrive it would be 2015 before Sanchez would be ready. A two year contract was perfect but not for Cashman or whomever sits behind the curtain. DH, Ibanez was available after the 2012 season ended, it would have made sense to sign him if there was nothing better, but Hafner, not even Pasta would of have signed Hafner. Decisions once again. Now bring this 189 million mandate into the pic, real or not, and again this is what I feel YBlue is saying, Your either pregnant or not. So is the cap real or not. And what purpose does it serve by discussing it. There are advantages with being under, but a 3.3 billion business model I feel dictates other options and spending to maintain the brand is one of them.

Until I hear the other players NY should have gotten, and could have gotten, then how can I knock them?

I've said it again and again, fans can kill them for not having a better farm, that's fair, although no farm was saving them in 2013, but you can't kill them for not getting better FA/trade players when none were to be had, unless you think Hamilton was a smart move.

 

[Yblue]

Until I hear the other players NY should have gotten, and could have gotten, then how can I knock them?

I've said it again and again, fans can kill them for not having a better farm, that's fair, although no farm was saving them in 2013, but you can't kill them for not getting better FA/trade players when none were to be had, unless you think Hamilton was a smart move.

I mean come on, its not rocket science here. They could have signed Torri Hunter, r Cody Ross, Angel Pagan. even resigned Swisher (bad idea)or a number of other OF options without breaking the bank for Hamilton (which George would have done for sure, to the team's detriment). Point is, the yankees were worried about adding meaningful payroll to 2014, so they passed on better options for a cheaper one in Ichiro.

Everyone knew Jeter coming back was dicey at best. The guy suffered a major injury, and they really had no back up plan. YOu had your GM spouting off about how he didnt think the once untouchable Nunez wasnt a very good offensive player, and everyone knows how bad he was with the glove, yet that was their option. No doing whatever it takes again.

They could have reupped Martin, or gone after a better part time starter than Stewart to back up Cervelli if they actually believe in him. That combo didnt cut it, but instead of adding payroll t0 2014, they figured they'd hack it. That is not doing whatever it takes.

The pitching was far from locked down. They could have gone after a number of capable starter, but chose not to. They foolishly relied on Phil Hughes yet again to do what he does best, suck, because they didnt want to add any payroll to 2014.

Coming off of 2012's playoff exit, you do not normally see a yankee team go from not good enough to worse off. We did last year.

Once again, ths isnt about what they should or should not have done or what was smart and what was not. Its about what they did do, and what they did do was try to field a competeive team without hitting that 2014 payroll. That isnt doing "whatever it takes".

My response that started all of this was to a question by Hammer, i think, who asked why does the A-rod case have anything to do with who the yankees sign. My response was because if they want to get under that cap to reset the tax, A-rod's 25 mill is meanigful and they will have to know how much is hitting against 2014. And i stated that Hal saying don't worry we will blow passed it if we have to is not exactly to be trusted based on what he said and did last year. Later it turned into a tit for tat about how much the yankees spent on 2013 payroll, and if they did so last year they would again etc etc. All stuff that is irrelevant to the 2014 payroll tax impact.

 

[Majorball]

River Ave had a nice article with their opinion of the Cap and Arod situation. The article outlines what are we as fans to believe. Are we building to contenders in 2014, or are there fiscal restraints. You can't have it both ways. In there article, the consensus is Arod's money shouldn't matter and if Hal is serious then the Cap isn't a roadblock either. Once again, no clear direction.

http://riveraveblues.com/2013/11/the-bet-that-can-balance-winning-and-plan-189-96177/

 

[yankeesince59]

...lmao...SSDD.

 

[Yblue]

River Ave had a nice article with their opinion of the Cap and Arod situation. The article outlines what are we as fans to believe. Are we building to contenders in 2014, or are there fiscal restraints. You can't have it both ways. In there article, the consensus is Arod's money shouldn't matter and if Hal is serious then the Cap isn't a roadblock either. Once again, no clear direction.

http://riveraveblues.com/2013/11/the-bet-that-can-balance-winning-and-plan-189-96177/

That articel seems pretty dead on to me. I think this offseason will tell us all we need to know about just how much Hal values winning over earning. Rumor is he is going to be very hands on and involved directly in personel decisisons, which once again begs why they dont just dump usless cashman already. He already cut Cashman out of the Jeter deal. Hopefully he continues to cut that slug out of many more.

 

[Majorball]

That articel seems pretty dead on to me. I think this offseason will tell us all we need to know about just how much Hal values winning over earning.

I agree, after this offseason, Hal will no longer be able to talk out of both side of his mouth. I believe that Arod situation has nothing to do with this offseason. Plain and simple. If we predicate our moves on the Arod outcome we are making a mistake.

 

[Yblue]

I agree, after this offseason, Hal will no longer be able to talk out of both side of his mouth. I believe that Arod situation has nothing to do with this offseason. Plain and simple. If we predicate our moves on the Arod outcome we are making a mistake.

Well the A-rod situation does have something to do with the offseason. A lot actually....unless Hal is finally serious about his comment that the goal to get under the cap does not override the ability to field the best team. That is a hurdle Hal needs to clear in his mind. He didn't last year.