We have discussed the Yankees need to decide on Nick Swisher‘s $10.25 million dollar option for next season. I already have gone on record saying it’s time to move away from Swisher and look for a replacement, preferably cheaper and of better value. Let Swisher build his brand and sell CDs on someone else’s dime. One name would be Carlos Beltran, but you aren’t getting him for anything less than a 3 or 4 year deal. Some reports indicate that Scott Boras will be asking for as much as five years for his client’s services. Enter Michael Cuddyer.

Many of the fans have mentioned Cuddyer the last couple of days. It’s actually a good fit as Cuddyer provides the same type of power as Swisher, isn’t much of a downgrade in OBP, can play five positions if necessary, and brings that blue collar element the team sorely lacks.

Cuddyer is a fan-favorite in Minnesota. He is viewed as one of the guys that plays hurts and exemplifies Twins baseball. His right handed bat would complement the lefties like Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, and Curtis Granderson. With the recent injury history of Alex Rodriguez he might be better protection for Cano than A-Rod at this point in his career.

What will Cuddyer command on the open market? He made $10.5 million this year, one in which he hit .284 with 20 homers and 70 RBI and made the All Star team. Could the Yanks snag him for a 2-year $20 million dollar deal? Is Cuddyer a better value and safer signing than Carlos Beltran? Is he better than Nick Swisher? The OBP-obsessed might be afraid to give up Swisher’s 90+ walks a year, but Cuddyer’s versatility can be a great help to the Yankees. He has a career .343 OBP, not at Swisher’s level, but not exactly Jeff Francoeur-esque.

The one stat that may sway you is Cuddyer is a .338 hitter in the postseason; Swisher .169. You can’t sign someone just for what they do in the postseason, but you can give it a shot since his regular season production isn’t significantly different. These are the blue collar type of signings the Yankees use to make in the 90s.

***

Buyer beware! Edwin Jackson started last night in the Cardinals 12-3 win over Milwaukee in Game 2 of the NLCS. Jackson couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, but he did beat the Phillies in the NLDS and any success he has going forward will mean dollar signs for the impending free agent.

Jackson is represented by Scott Boras. Only 27, Boras is going to try and peddle Jackson as the next coming this winter. In a free agent market that lacks top of the rotation pitchers, Jackson will be sold as one.

He has come a long way since the Dodgers rushed him to the big leagues at 19-years old. He’s won double digit games the last 4 years, including a no-hitter against his former team in Tampa. He would be a solid #3 starter, but at what cost? He is coming off a 2 year/$13.35 million dollar deal. Boras will undoubtedly ask for 4-5 years at $10 million annually. Considering he received $12 million a year for Oliver Perez is it crazy to think a 5 year/$60 million dollar deal is the asking price?

Jackson is one of those pitchers that just doesn’t excite me for that price. He wins double digits in games, but is not dominant. This year he gave up 225 hits in 199 innings. He’s improved on the walks, but he is another version of Mike Pelfrey. On a one or two year deal he is fine, long-term I have issues with it. If the Yankees want to replace Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, Jackson is one name that I could see brought up. From what I understand they weren’t interested in dealing for him when he was available by the White Sox, but perhaps that was due more to prospect price than anything. I can see someone like Randy Levine pushing for a Jackson signing. A bad deal like this is the kind of move Levine loves since it shows the fans “they are doing something.” Good baseball sense isn’t a priority or the Randy Levine faction of the club, spending money is.

I can see a long-term Jackson deal being like Jeff Weaver or Darren Dreifort, another Boras client, who received 5 years and $55 million from the Dodgers and started only 26 games during the length of the deal. At least Seattle wasn’t too fooled by Weaver’s solid ’06 postseason and awarded him a 1 year/$8 million dollar deal in 2007.

***

I knew Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals would find a way to take a game at Miller Park and come home even.

I was listening to Kevin Kennedy on MLB Network Radio and he was discussing the toughest ballparks to play. The Brewers have established an outstanding home-field advantage as they were 57-24 at their home park.

Kennedy mentioned Seattle’s Kingdome as one of the tougher places to play. The Kingdome certainly was a dump, but any Yankees fan knows how uncomfortable games there were, especially during the 1995 ALDS.

The Yanks never met Seattle in the postseason after the ’95 season. It would have been interesting to see that mid-90s dynasty get a second crack at the Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson Mariners.

What are some other difficult ballparks in baseball history that have yielded great home field advantages? We all know the old Yankee Stadium certainly was, but I can’t think of many other places. The Kingdome might be right up there after Yankee Stadium.

***

Last night was a “must win” Game Two for LaRussa’s crew. Just like Game 2 at Shea Stadium in 2006, they found a way to get back home tied. I was in the Shea crowd that night and everyone was looking for blood. The Mets had the Cards on the precipice, but Scott Spiezio‘s 2-run triple tied the score. So Taguchi quieted the Mets crowd for good with a 3-run homer off Billy Wagner in the ninth.

The Mets lost that series that night, not in Game 7.

***

Speaking of long-term deals for pitchers, I am not sure I would give more than 5 years to any pitcher going forward. How many deals for pitchers that were longer than 5 years turned out well? Pedro Martinez with Boston might be the only one. Of course, the jury is still out on CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee (6th year option), but pitchers like Mike Hampton, Kevin Brown, and Barry Zito have been unmitigated disasters. If Johan Santana doesn’t pitch somewhere in the vicinity of a top of the rotation pitcher he could be added to that list as well.

I didn’t criticize the Santana signing when it happened. The Mets needed an ace and they stole Santana when you consider the prospect haul they gave up.

A former employee of the team told me that he had concerns about Santana’s health from the beginning of spring training in 2008. His pitches were flat and the arm angle wasn’t great from day one. The team didn’t think anything of it, nor did they want to raise a red flag with their new ace.

Remember, Santana had a torn meniscus that he pitched with in 2008. That very well could have been bothering him from the beginning and forced him to change certain aspects of his delivery, thus hurting his elbow, and eventually the shoulder.

It’s not like Dan Warthen and Jerry Manuel took an active approach to their star pitchers health since Warthen has the “he told me he is ok” mentality with his arms.

Star players are bulldogs. Santana is a bulldog that nearly dragged the Mets to the playoffs in 2008. The price might be 3 dead years of money in the backend of that deal.

If it were a 5-year deal they could be out from under it after this year.

The Yanks should take notice of the Santana story, especially considering Sabathia isn’t taking his weight seriously.

***

I railed against self-serving athletes on Twitter, specifically NBA players over at Sports Media Watchdog.

***

Terry Francona wrapped up a great two days with Joe Buck. Francona’s performance was a huge indictment on Tim McCarver, who will return to the FOX booth today.

Francona provided interesting analysis, but didn’t feel the need to talk incessantly, or pound the point home to the viewers. I can see why his players liked him. He makes his point, but doesn’t do so in a condescending or know it all way. He has very good on-air presence about himself.

He will be back in the dugout and whatever team takes a chance on him will be better for it.

More on McCarver and Francona’s two-day television stint tonight on Sports Media Watchdog.

***

Nelson Cruz hit the first walk-off grand slam in postseason history. Of course, this should have been the first one if not for Todd Pratt tackling Robin Ventura halfway around the bases.

Cruz was actually property of the Mets once upon a time. He was traded to Oakland on August 30th, 2000 for Jorge Velandia, a 4-A middle infielder who received 74 at-bats for the team in 3 years. The Mets needed insurance I guess for Mike Bordick since Rey Ordonez was out for the season.

Oakland would trade him to Milwaukee, and Milwaukee would deal him to Texas. I don’t have any minor league stats on Cruz with the Mets, so it’s hard to say if Steve Phillips gave away a talented prospect for a 4-A shortstop.

***

Ventura, now the White Sox manager, actually needed surgery to help him walk again after his retirement.

If you remember, his ankle problems started when he had a nasty broken leg and dislocated his ankle during a collision at home plate in spring training 997.

 As he shared with both the ESPN Baseball Today podcast and Los Angeles Times recently, Ventura underwent ankle transplant surgery a few years ago that finally alleviated the pain he dealt with ever since breaking and dislocating his right ankle in the spring of 1997.

That Ventura was able to play for eight more years — including a 32-homer, 120-RBI season in 1999 with the New York Mets — is a testament to his perseverance and the effectiveness of painkillers. But dealing with an arthritic condition months after his playing career ended in 2004 became unbearable.

As Ventura remembers it, “I told my wife, ‘I am at the point where if I have to cut it off, I’ll cut it off,’ because it hurt that bad. ‘Take it right below the knee. I don’t care.’”

Fortunately for him, a surgeon offered a much less severe — but perhaps no less drastic — solution. The procedure, called an ankle allograft (warning: that link contains some graphic medical photos toward the end of the page), involves replacing the damaged joint with healthy bone and cartilage harvested from a cadaver.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

View all posts by Mike Silva
Mikes website

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Edwin Jackson, FOX, Joe Buck, Johan Santana, Kingdome, Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins, Nelson Cruz, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Pedro Martinez, Robin Ventura, Scott Boras, Seattle Mariners, St Louis Cardinals, Terry Francona, Texas Rangers, Tim McCarver