With the winter meetings in Las Vegas coming to an end this week, there’s no question that the Yankees and the Mets stole the show. With each team making two key additions to address their respective areas of greatest need, they virtually assured that there will be a Subway Series in 2009. Alright, let’s not get carried away here, but the two clubs from New York were clearly looking for redemption, following disappointing 2008 seasons, in the “Capital of Second Chances”.
The Yankees’ signings of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, while not necessarily the most economically sound moves, certainly have to make the rest of the league take notice. Despite missing the post-season last year with a payroll of over $2 million per victory, the Yankees still won 89 games while getting significantly less contribution from Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy than was expected. They will most likely get more out of Wang and Chamberlain this year, and despite the departure of Mike Mussina, the additions of Sabathia and Burnett should easily put them back in the playoff picture.
Don’t expect them to rest on these moves, either. By the time they’re done maneuvering, the Yankees, whether deserved or not, will be the favorite to win the AL East and, probably, the World Series. That distinction, of course, will be based on how the team looks on paper. Translating that to actual success is the thing the Yanks have had difficulty with in recent years.
Since I brought it up, we all know that making economically sound moves is not the Yankees’ modus operandi. In an era where it’s believed that championship contenders are built through a balance of developing good young talent and making key acquisitions of proven veteran performers, fans have become increasingly interested in whether or not their teams are spending their money wisely. That is, all except Yankees fans. Milwaukee Brewers loyalists know that, if they had signed Sabathia to a four-year, $100 million contract, and if he ended up contributing significantly less than being the hero he was last year, the team would not be able to overcome this. Even Red Sox, Mets, Angels and Dodgers fans know that their teams can ill afford to make a monumental mistake with a long-term free agent contract.
Yankees fans do not have this concern. They do not need to care whether or not Sabathia will be overpaid in the 5th, 6th and 7th years of this $161 million deal. If he is anything approaching the Sabathia of 2007 and 2008 for two or three years, he gives them a chance to climb back to the top of the heap. The Yankees have had several bad contracts on the books for quite a few years now, yet last year is the first that they fell short of the playoffs, and, even so, were still in contention for most of the year.
With a team payroll of $201 million for 2008, the Yankees spent $2.25 million per victory. Even the Mets, Tigers and Red Sox, all listed as having payrolls in the vicinity of $138 million, would have been as bad as the Seattle Mariners, the worst team in baseball, at that rate. Yet, if the Yankees improve this “efficiency” to $2 million per, that would translate to 100 wins. Only the three aforementioned teams, plus the Chicago White Sox, would have won as many as 60 games by that calculation.
I think you get my point. The Yankees don’t have to spend wisely to win. They do have to make better personnel decisions, though, and this is something that has eluded them in recent years. Will the Sabathia and Burnett signings, and whatever they do next, continue that trend, or will they finally hit the nail on the head with their major free agent acquisitions? We’ll have to wait and see, but I have to say that A.J. Burnett, who just agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal, somehow reminds me of a cross between Kevin Brown and Kyle Farnsworth. Again, we’ll have to wait and see.
The Mets still have some rotation issues to address, including their new #1 priority–the re-signing of Oliver Perez–but they could not have done a better job of shoring up their major area of weakness. The Francisco Rodriguez signing–three years, $37 million–was a no-brainer. With the Angels never making a serious attempt to re-sign him, beyond the contract extension they offered last winter, his move to Queens was a foregone conclusion. The market for closers this off-season was clearly a buyers’ market, and the Mets were the club with the most purchasing power.
The Mets have had a closer of Rodriguez’s caliber for the past three years, though, so would the K-Rod signing be enough to address the area that, inarguably, was the reason the Phillies were better in 2008? Apparently, they didn’t think so. The Mets had setup problems last year, even before Billy Wagner went down with an injury that will keep him out through the 2009 season, so just a day removed from acquiring their new closer, they traded for J.J. Putz in a three-way deal involving the Indians and Mariners.
In addition to Putz, the Mets acquired relief pitcher Sean Green and reserve outfielder Jeremy Reed. The Indians get reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and infielder Luis Valbuena from the Mariners. The Mariners acquire outfielder Franklin Gutierrez from the Indians, outfielder Endy Chavez and pitcher Aaron Heilman from the Mets, in addition to prospects Mike Carp (the key to the deal), Jason Vargas, Ezequiel Carrera and Maikel Cleto.
The Putz acquisition shows that the Mets mean business about not letting last year’s downfall repeat itself. Not only does he instantly become the favorite for the best setup man in baseball, but Putz provides them with an insurance policy they wish they had last year. Well on his way to becoming one of the best closers in the American League–in fact, take a look at the 2007 numbers and try to convince me he wasn’t the best–until injuries set him back last year, Putz gives the Mets a backup plan that no other team has right now.
So, while the Yankees did the most spending–and, some will say, gambling–in Vegas last week, the Mets come away the biggest winners, by playing the percentages and knowing when to double down.
Of course, there were a few other recent moves by, and news items affecting, teams other than the Yankees and Mets. First and foremost, future first-ballot Hall of Famer Greg Maddux announced his retirement, after a 23-year career that included four consecutive Cy Young awards from 1992 to 1995, 355 career wins–the most among active pitchers–and a major league record 18 gold gloves.
On the free agent front, the Phillies signed outfielder Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $30 million deal, a move that signals the end of Pat Burrell’s days in Philadelphia. The Indians addressed their need for a closer, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $20 million contract with Kerry Wood. The Dodgers signed Casey Blake to return as their third baseman, giving him a three-year, $17.5 million deal, with a club option for a fourth year at an additional $6 million. Last but not least, shortstop Edgar Renteria signed a two-year, $18.5 million deal with the Giants.
In trade news, the Braves acquired starting pitcher Javier Vazquez from the White Sox, along with reliever Boone Logan, in exchange for shortstop Brent Lillibridge, catcher Tyler Flowers, third baseman Jon Gilmore and pitcher Santos Rodriguez. The Padres traded shortstop Khalil Greene to the Cardinals for relief pitching prospect Mark Worrell and a player to be named later. The Tigers completed two trades, acquiring starting pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Rays for outfielder Matt Joyce. This move came a day after they sent minor league pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo to the Rangers for catcher Gerald Laird.
Wally says
Chas —
Awesome post! Great update with details for those of us who haven’t been hot stovin’ it as much as we should. Love the commentary you provide.
I think one or the other, Yanks or Mets, will go to the WS this year … but not both. It is fun rooting for the Yanks to fail … given all they have spent to buy their dreams. Raul Ibanez to the Phils is under the radar a bit, but I think that’s a very key acquisition for them … he’s really a “pro’s pro” and still very productive.
Well … if it has to be one or the other, I hope it’s the Mets.
Casey says
Chas
I second Wally’s sentiments. Great stuff.
Casey says
Do you think Curt Flood could have imagined what would become of free agency? I almost have a modicum of sincere pity for the Yanks. They are in a position where if they don’t make a splash with free agents, the media will drag them through the mud. Of course – they probably created this.
Greg Maddux – the last of the 300 game winners?
Kerry Wood with the Tribe – I’ll have to speak for Rey (who is still inflicted or infected might be more appropriate with multiple computer issues) – if only the Indians had him in ’07. This is exactly what Rey wanted. He’s been losing patience with the developing of prospects mode of operation.
Wally says
Maddux might indeed be the last of the 300 game winners. Here’s a list of active players and their current win totals. Randy Johnson is knocking on the door with 295 wins … he’s going to play in ’09, right?
Randy Johnson 295
Jaimie Moyer 246
Kenny Roger 219
Curt Schilling 216
Andy Pettite 215
Pedro Martinez 214
John smoltz 210
.
.
.
Roy Halladay 131
CC Sabathia 117
Johan Santana 109
With today’s 5 man rotations and pitchers commonly being lifted in the 6th or 7th … thereby leaving middle relief numerous chances to blow leads … I just don’t see any stud pitchers making it anywhere near 300. So if the Big Unit doesn’t do it, nobody else will. No way will the guys currently over 200 wins play that long … or that well.
Oh … and rest assured … Kerry Wood will disappoint Tribe fans in the long run.
Chas says
RJ still hasn’t been signed, but someone’s going to give him a one-year deal, considering how well he pitched in the second half last year. Hell, Jamie Moyer’s a year older, nowhere near as good, and he got a two-year deal.
It is hard to imagine anyone else getting to 300. Sabathia’s only 27, but there’s still a long way to go. The only trend that ‘s in favor of someone making it are only these pitchers playing well into their 40s. So, maybe there will be a guy with the longevity of a Moyer, but who has enough success early on in his career. I honestly don’t think we’re seeing the last of the 300-game winners, but it’s certainly going to become a rarer feat.
Muels says
Chas
Great stuff! I am wondering about your view of the press in NY. Do you really believe that if Cashman got a couple of free agents, but also invested in his farm system a bit more consistantly, that the NY press wouldn’t be totally supportive? Are they NOT somewhat intelligent baseball people? Watching Theo in Boston (while I know that NYers think of Boston as the cesspool of the universe) balancing strong drafts with good trades and hit and miss free agent signings I would think might show a more easily digestible means of running the Bronx Bombers. Yes, they crave the splash and sizzle, but they also crave a whiff of the World Series. I don’t mean to sound like I am taking pot shots- I am wondering if the press could accept a shift in philosophy to a focus on building up the minors and get a bit more home-grown talent- allbeit over a longer period than NYers are used to waiting?
Chas says
Interesting question, Muels. They have built the farm system back up over the past several years, and actually passed on the temptation to nab Johan Santana for some of those prospects (including Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy) last year. That didn’t turn out so well, but that doesn’t mean that strategy should be completely abandoned. This year, they had so much money coming off the books from bad contracts they had signed in the past, so they’re signing these free agents without mortgaging the future.
So, in a way, the Yankees are trying to operate similar to the way the Red Sox do. It’s just that the Yankees have a greater margin for error, but the Red Sox have done a better job of it in recent years. That is, the youngsters they’ve counted on have mostly panned out and they’ve done better character assessments of veteran players.
Cashman also doesn’t have the stable bosses that Theo has. I know there was that power rift with Lucchino, but it seems to that was fairly normal corporate politics. Cashman has to deal with the Bronx Zoo. What’s interesting is that phrase was once used to describe the Yankees’ clubhouse, now it’s more a more fitting label for the front office.