Bonn1997 wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I would like the Yankees to get their roster's payroll in check - but still spend the same amount of money, but on overhauling the farm system and how they do business. I personally think the Cardinals run the best organization in baseball and I would love for the Yankees to be able to grow talent like the Rays - but use their deep pockets to retain all their star players

I agree but that's clearly not their approach. I am definitely hoping that they keep Gardner. If you count his impact on defense, then I think he's much better than the the players being offered for him in trades are.

I agree completely about Gardner. And the honest truth is that the 9th batter is significantly more important on the Yankees than a lot of other clubs... I like his ability to get on base and cause havoc on the diamond before the work the count power hitters come up (assuming everyone is healthy)

Oh I don't want him batting 9th - he's too good for that. I'd like to see him and Ellsbury at the top 2 spots. If Jeter's healthy, it's a conundrum because it will be perceived as an insult if he bats low in the lineup, though. If all 3 are healthy I'd give Jeter about 10 games to show he's back to where he was a few years ago before moving him to around the #6 spot. It's so important to have the 1 and 2 batters getting on base.

Agreed. Good point that the two best & fastest table-setters should be at the top of the order yet I also agree dropping Jete in the order could present a problem. Something Girardi will have to consider and I think he may take longer than 10 games to properly evaluate the situation....Love Jeter - always have, always will. Funny thing I read about him recently though -- during the course of negotiating his 2014 1-yr salary ($12mm) with the team, it didn't go smoothly. I think he actually considered the offer an insult yet wanted to remain a Yankee bad enough that he begrudgingly accepted the offer. Really? I mean come on, DJ. What did you want after last year -- 5 yrs, $20mm a pop? You're 40 years old this coming season and broke down 100x last yr. I actually consider that offer generous. You think the Yanks wanted to give this guy $12mm? They did it out of respect...And where else is he going at 40 years old anyway? I doubt either a contender or a young up & coming team would want a older SS in the twilight of his career with diminished range, skills and now injury problems. Not at $12mm, I can tell you that...He's still worth that to us though for sentimental value alone above anything else, so while I think it's excessive, I can see why we gave him that and have no problem with it.

Instead of considering his salary an insult, it might be time to start thinking about retirement and doing other things. You know there will always be a place with the Yankees somewhere in the organization if he wants it -- as an instructor, coach or even as a GM one day possibly. That's a given...In the meantime, it might be time to make way for the next wave. Having said that -- I think he could still help us if healthy, maybe even at the top of the order. Let's see and pray he's still productive. Bottom line -- we're a better team with Jeter healthy and in the lineup, even at 40 yrs old.

Finestrg wrote:A-Rod suspension reduced to 162 games plus any playoff games if we're lucky enough to even get that far.. Time to move on with an extra $25mm to spend for this year. Hopefully this makes us more of a player now for Tanaka and possibly another good player or two..

Finestrg wrote:Unfortunately he'll still be our property. We have him for another few years after this upcoming season I believe... Such a bizarre situation...Read something today saying he wants to show up to Tampa early for workouts and maybe to spring training but the Yankees don't want him anywhere near the team...And how 'bout this Tony Bosch stuff on 60 mins, huh? Good lord... Bosch showing up personally in a restaurant/nightclub to draw Alex's blood in the men's room in order to test for the PEDs (testing to see if they were still present in his system) because Alex "is afraid of needles"; Bosch getting paid $12k a month yet says he wasn't getting paid enough to show up to the nightclub; Bosch saying Alex sole motivation was to go for 800 HRs and the all-time HR record; Alex chewing gummie testosterone losenges 10-15 mins before games for increased performance (apparently these drugs would all dissipate from his system by the time a game was over leaving Alex in the clear if there would to be a surprise drug test -- apparently this guy Bosch, if you believe him, gave Alex every trick in the book on how to cheat the system and not get caught); Bosch then getting death threats from an A-Rod associate; MLB Players Association pissed off at MLB and vice versa; A-Rod suing both MLB and the MLBPA...Holy ****, man -- I've never seen such a circus...Shit's crazy!!

Totally agree that once he finally does return for 2015, he probably won't have much left. And that's just skill-wise physically speaking -- imagine this guy's mental state if he ever takes the field again, the laughingstock he's now become?? So much money still owed to the man, that's the thing. Yanks might wanna re-think their strategy a little bit. I know they can't stand this guy anymore and feel betrayed but if there's any chance of an amicable breakup (a buyout), they might wanna tone down the hatred just a tad. A-Rod probably laughs at an notion of buyout anyway. He'll be looking for every dime esp. after missing out on $25mm this year...Can you imagine that - forfeiting $25mm dollars? And the way he did it, getting involved with this slime ball, dirt-bag AFTER being involved with PEDs before and never learning his lesson...Unbelievable..

Yeah, I can't imagine there being a buyout. The Yankees are going to have to pay A-Rod the remaining $61 mil. It's a sunk cost. The only question is whether they want to pay him to be with the team or away from the team.

Just a feeling I'm getting, I expect the final offer to be north of $120mm, esp. if the Dodgers are really engaged to the extent that's being reported. Supposedly this won't drag out past the 24th or 25th. Either someone signs him by then or he goes back to Japan... Hey man, still say a great backup plan would be a quartet of Matt Garza/Fernando Rodney/Kendrys Morales/Mark Reynolds, esp. with the A-Rod money now freed up. I think we'll be fine either way.

Hopefully he's not a Igawa with a MUCH bigger contract!

Did I hear they're moving Jeter to 3B?