From the Eagle Tribune:
HAVERHILL – The Red Sox cap and jacket was a dead giveaway.
Police said when they went to the home of Mark Klier, who was suspected of robbing the Walgreens on River Street, he answered the door wearing the cap and jacket. It was the same way he was dressed in a store surveillance videotape that captured him robbing $200 from the store Jan. 22, police said.
At least he was a diehard fan.
Phil Hughes, who will be getting a new number, is still a Yankee even after Santana was sent to another team (in NY). Oh, and guess what? He’s happy about it (no, really?).
“That’s kind of been my goal the whole time, and to finally know that it’s somewhat intact, it’s a good feeling,” the 21-year-old right-hander said today at the Yankees’ minor league complex.
“It’s good to finally have that reassurance of being somewhat stable for the time being. It kind of dragged out longer than everybody wanted it too, but it’s finally nice to be able to concentrate on things we need to do.”
It’ll be good to have Hughes around. I have a feeling he’ll prove many people wrong, and will ultimately demonstrate that he was worth keeping in NY and on the Yankees (even if Johan Santana was on the table).
Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates today, especially in terms of timeliness. I’ve been pretty busy with school stuff, but hopefully, I’ll still have enough content, commentary and information for you guys at the end of the day.
One great item that I missed is Keith Law’s Top 100 Prospect List. It’s a nice summary if you’re getting acquainted with prospects for the first time or if you’re simply looking to brush up on your favorite player’s development. Joba, Jose Tabata and Austin Jackson are all ranked in the top-25 (in that order), which is very cool for Yankee fans.
The Yankees signed Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal today. He is expected to compete for the job at first base (although he typically plays third). If anything happens to Giambi, or, if Duncan is experiencing any lingering effects after his blood clot scare, Ensberg could (that’s the key word) serve as a viable replacement. He’s been miserable since a great 2005 campaign, so maybe we can strike some lightning in a bottle.
Charley Walters is reporting that the Mets and Santana are close to reaching an agreement. According to Walters, the contract could be a 6-year deal (with a signing bonus and performance incentives) worth more than $150 million.
This seems like an incredible amount. Jayson Stark at ESPN has actually released a conflicting report which states that the Mets and Santana are still far off on an extension. Stark says that the years of the contract are the biggest factor and that a deal will likely be reached by tomorrow (morning) at the earliest.
It’s still doubtful that the deal could collapse, but then again, anything’s possible.
It’s always sad whenever someone’s life is reduced to this, but, if it’s necessary, it’s necessary. Jim Leyritz has been ordered by a judge to take daily breathalyzer tests, three times a day until his trial. When measured three hours after the crash, Leyritz’s BAC was 0.14 percent.
The legal limit in Florida is 0.08, and the NY Post has actually found out that the victim, Fredia Ann Veitch, was also driving under the influence of alcohol, although her BAC was the legal limit (0.08).
People need to relax with the booze before they hit the road, period. It’s just not worth it. I’ve always thought that was obvious, but I guess not.
By Jim Ingraham:
All together now: ”So long, C.C.!”
Whatever Santana gets, you can slot Sabathia’s next contract just a few clicks below that. In fact, who’s to say Sabathia isn’t the more attractive commodity? He’s the reigning Cy Young Award winner, has seven more career wins, one more career shutout, 10 more career complete games than Santana, and he’s a year younger than Santana.
In some ways, the best case scenario for the Indians would have been for the Twins to do what the Indians will do with Sabathia: keep him for the entire 2008 season, even if he is un-re-signable. At least then, Santana’s market value wouldn’t be established until he became a free agent after the season.
Now, however, Santana’s market value — and, hence, Sabathia’s — is going to be established before the start of spring training. That can only hurt the Indians’ attempts to re-sign their ace.
The Yankees will have some money ready for him. With Santana on the Mets for many, many years (after an extension is ironed out), C.C. Sabathia, who is a personal favorite of mine, will ultimately become the premiere free agent pitcher after the 08 season.
The Yankees better break out the checkbook and stock the buffet table. Hmm… I wonder if Sabathia will have a locker next to A-Rod or Mark Teixeira?
From the Canadian Press:
“I can’t really comment because it’s not done. All I can say is that the Twins did what they had to do,” New York Yankees senior vice-president Hank Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. “I hope it works out well for them. The Mets made a good trade from their end. Hopefully it works out for both teams.”
This is basically Steinbrenner speak for “Die.. Brian.. Cashman…”
Okay, so I have a few MLB bits for the day, but I was also reading this article by Michael Rosenberg at FOX Sports (on the Santana trade), and I have a quick reaction.
Here’s what he had to say:
Yeah, they would have paid Santana a lot of money — a lot more than Hughes or Kennedy would get. So what? They are the Yankees. Hank Steinbrenner washes his armpits with hundred-thousand-dollar bills. The benefits of having a very good, cheap, young player are diminished for a team with such a high payroll.
It’s basically an “if you have it, just spend it all” type of argument. That concept, when put into practice, is simply unsustainable. The Yankees have been spending money for years now, and, although its gotten them far, maybe it’s time for a new philosophy that focuses on player development and cost efficient contracts (with great young players).
One of the bigger reasons Santana was not had by the Yankees was also due to money and this philosophy being championed by Rosenberg. The Yankees, although willing to spend and spend, have been saddled by bad contracts. Look at Giambi, Pavano, even Mariano’s new contract is pretty terrible. These spending sprees have hurt them from making other moves. By keeping their cost efficient players (young players) they’ll be able to make bigger and hopefully smarter transactions in the future.
Anyway, here are those bits I promised:
That’s it for now. Be back with more later.
Bill Smith knows what happened. He knows all too well what happened after he overplayed his hand in the Santana Sweepstakes. He was left reeling and now has Carlos Gomez in CF, while Philip Humber may get a chance to crack the rotation.
Ben at RAB thinks that Smith didn’t overextend himself and is a good enough talent evaluator to gauge the ceiling of the players sent back to Minnesota. This is true, Smith knows what he’s getting and seems okay with that, yet I still believe that he himself knows the return on Santana wasn’t nearly as good as what he could have had (earlier).
If Smith was content with the package, he wouldn’t have made a desperate phone call to the Yankees on Monday night (after all the proposals were in). He wouldn’t have conceded or caved, as reported in that article, which essentially states that he called the Yankees and asked for a combination of Kennedy-Melky and a top-prospect (Hughes, who would’ve been hard to bargain for, was simply left out of the deal altogether).
The NY Daily News is reporting that Smith actually asked Brian Cashman for a combination of Ian Kennedy and Chien-Ming Wang, with the Yankees flat-out rejecting that offer (and laughing histerically). Here’s the text on that:
According to sources familiar with the entire negotiations, after the Red Sox removed Lester, the Twins called the Yankees back and proposed a scenario in which Hughes would not have to be part of the deal. Instead, they asked for Chien-Ming Wang and Ian Kennedy. The Yankees flatly rejected that, leaving the Mets as the Twins’ only alternative.
This still doesn’t indicate that Smith thought the Mets had the best offer. All it demonstrates is that the Twins called the Yankees on Monday morning, knowing Lester was now off the table (Olney reported that Lester was no longer being traded as of Sunday), and asked for the world (Wang and Kennedy). The Yankees balked and the Twins figured they’d crack if a deal was on the table later. Once Santana asked to be traded by Tuesday (or else), the Twins, under duress, had to make a move and chose the Mets (or, some would say that they were forced to choose the Mets).
With that deal near completion, Smith immediately called the Yankees and asked for the lesser package of Kennedy, Melky and a fourth player (the desperate Monday night phone call). He knew this package, in itself, could be better for the Twins in terms of the future and the present. The Mets package is grounded in the future (win later, way later), as the players still have a long ways to go before they fully develop.
Some have described the package as a high-ceiling reward, and that the GM was taking a risk when he agreed upon the deal, knowing that the gains could be tremendous. However, it’s just too risky. Jim Callis at Baseball America certainly agrees.
So, in the end. I still think Smith got fleeced when you view the package in relation to the others that were offered weeks ago (by different teams). We cannot fully evaluate the deal until a few years from now, but, at first glance, this is what I see.
Thanks to Bronx Liaison for the info.
From the Boston Herald:
The Sox are two rings and about two years ahead of the Yankees in their plan to keep fresh draft talent streaming through the minor league pipeline, with one or two players emerging as major league contributors each season. Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia have made a huge difference, while Buchholz and Ellsbury are well on their way. Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie and Michael Bowden are just three of the players on the horizon, and the team now is in a position where it doesn’t have to give up everything for a Johan Santana.
Granted, these players have made major contributions in Boston’s WS championship. However, althought I’m no organizational expert (Baseball America ranks organizations in March of each year, and in 2006 Boston was ahead of the Yankees), with some of their recent signings (e.g. Brackman) and with the rapid development of many young players in the Yankee farm system (e.g. Joba, etc.), I would have to disagree.
From ESPN:
In return for Santana, the Twins would receive center fielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra — a package which some talent evaluators believe could be the fourth-best offer that Minnesota received during this process.
HA! Smith held onto his pitcher for too long. He could have had Hughes and Melky for Santana, both of whom are major league players. I’m glad we got to keep these guys, but you have to wonder what the response is in Minnesota. Granted, good trades aren’t necessarily about the public’s response, and can only be judged in retrospect, but Phil Hughes was looked at as a can’t miss prospect (what were they thinking?).
Ken Rosenthal has a nice piece about this topic as well. He wonders if the package for Santana was enough. He wonders why the Twins didn’t acquire Mike Pelfrey. He wonders why Bill Smith waited so long to make a deal. Everyone should be wondering this.
Smith overplayed his hand. He was obviously waiting on the Yankees to fold, but they truly called his bluff, dropping out of the bidding in the end. In fact, if the Yankees would have offered a package of Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera and Jeff Marquez, one could debate as to whether or not that package is better than what the Mets gave up.
So, with that said, good luck Bill Smith (really). I wish you the best and I hope that you don’t get knocked out on one of the many mean streets in Minnesota.
Bob Nightingale at USA Today has the scoop. The Mets and the Twins have agreed on a trade that’ll send Santana to NY. The Mets have gotten their spark for 2008, and will have 2-3 days in order to negotiate an extension with the lefty.
From Buster Olney:
Executives involved in the Johan Santana trade talks expect the Minnesota Twins to make their decision soon, perhaps as early as Tuesday, on what they intend to do with the left-handed superstar, after the team asked on Monday for last and best offers from teams involved in the trade talks.
Yes, it “could” end today but, a lot of things “could” happen today. Olney goes on to say that the Twins “could” keep Santana into spring training and wait for better offers. Again, a lot of things “could” happen, but I don’t think that’s one of them…
MLB.com is having a series of online baseball tours (video and text). The first of the series starts with none other than Yankee Stadium and follows Tony Morante (the stadium director of tours) as he outlines the history of the stadium and the team. Great stuff if you’ve never been on one of the official tours or need a Yankees-history refresher.
From Lisa Riddle (TCPalm):
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Proctor chose a new twist on an old theme when he planned his first celebrity benefit, set to debut this weekend.
The usual golf foursomes that are so popular for other celebrity fundraisers didn’t interest Proctor enough. He wanted something distinctive, and foursomes for a sporting clay-shooting tournament seemed like a fun and entertaining alternative.
The event, which will be held at Quail Creek Plantation, will feature Proctor and New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon and pitcher Kyle Farnsworth. All will participate alongside donors in a tournament that has “shooting stands” instead of golf holes. There will be 14 stands where clay discs hop along the ground to represent rabbits and shoot into the sky to represent birds.
Farnsworth? Rifles? Johnny Damon? This could end in a variety of ways…
From Joel Sherman:
The terms on Robinson Cano’s Yankee contract were finalized in full early tonight, and all that needs to be completed for the deal to be official is a physical that will take place either tomorrow or the next day, The Post has learned.
Cano’s contract guarantees him $30 million for four years, and if both of the options on the deal are exercised, the second baseman will receive $57 million over six years. For Cano, it is financial security now and a chance – even if both options are exercised – to be a free agent in still prime years at age 31.
Cano is due to make $3 million in 2008, $6 million in 2009, $9 million in 2010 and $10 million in 2011. In 2012, Cano has an option for $14 million with a $2 million buyout. If that option is picked up, Cano will have another option in 2013 for $15 million with a $2 million buyout.
It’ll be good to have Cano around for awhile. He’s capable of putting up some phenomenal numbers and I expect him to hit 30 HRs one day (I’ll call it… 30 HR in 2010).
Okay, I have a lot to say for this little bit party. So, let’s get started.
“You prepare guys and you do the work that you have always done to get them ready to pitch,” Eiland said. “Obviously, they’re pitching at the highest level now, but they can’t be somebody they’re not. So you still prepare them and get them ready to attack hitters with their equipment. The game is still the same. You’re just facing the best of the best now. You make adjustments. You just don’t make any major changes.”
The Red Sox acquired David Aardsma today. He has the stuff to be effective but hasn’t pulled it together at the big league level. Hopefully, he’ll continue on that path in Boston.
Honestly, nobody really cares too much about steroids or the Mitchell Report this week. Most baseball fans, well, at least most Yankee/Red Sox/Mets fans, are more interested in the Santana Saga that has been developing over the past few weeks. With a climax in sight, culminating within the next 10 days or so, who really cares about steroids?
Regardless of our lack of interest, some brief news. Roger Clemens has issued a statistical summary of his career (actually it’s long as hell), equipped with data analyses and comparisons of his numbers. This is another attempt to prove his innocence, and show that his increased performance in the later years of his career can be attributed to switching his style and incorporating new methods to his pitching repertoire. Nice to know Roger, but guess what? Nobody cares. Go to Congress, clear the air, and that’s it.
Next up, Chucky Knoblauch was found and agreed to speak to Congress about the Mitchell Report’s allegations voluntarily. I love how they call it “voluntarily” when the man had a subpoena coming his way (which was withdrawn) and would have been crucified by baseball fans and government officials for not attending.
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