Yanks Will Pursue C.J. Wilson Despite Subpar Postseason
By Frank Russo ~ October 25th, 2011. Filed under: New York Yankees, Rumor Mill.
Some more quick hot stove hits:
- Despite his difficulties in the post season, the Yankees are still going to go after C.J. Wilson. They don’t look at him as they did a Cliff Lee, but more a solid number two starter.
- Yankees are getting ready to talk to the White Sox about the availability of John Danks, whom they see as having more upside than Mark Buehrle.
- Hiroki Kuroda is another option if he is amenable to coming to the Bronx.
- Speaking of Japanese pitchers, it appears the Yankees will put in a bid on Yu Darvish, whom they really, really like. They also look at him as a solid number two starter.
- Johnny Damon wants to come back to the Yankees in the worst way, but Cashman is apparently holding a grudge against both Damon and Scott Boras, which is left over effects from the poisoned negotiations of two years ago.
- Yankees are going to try to bring back Andruw Jones to use in the same role as last year, but with the promise of a lot more ABs. The Yankees liked his club house presence, especially his influence on Ivan Nova and Robinson Cano.
- Scuttlebutt is that the Marlins are going to look at Jorge Posada, since they are trying to build up their brand in the Latin community. FYI, Ozzie Guillen loves Posada!
- FYI, Yankees are not, I repeat, not going to use 2012 as a bridge to the Killer B’s. Of the three, Andrew Brackman is the closest to being Major League ready, with Betances and Banuelos at least one to two seasons away. Yanks also feel that Adam Warren is also in that group of not ready for prime time.
- Lastly, Yankees will listen to offers for Jesus Montero, but will only include him in a deal for a stud pitcher.
October 25th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
C.J. Wilson would be a costly mistake, another Burnett-esque contract. Danks is a much better option (1 year only, pitching for a contract going into 2013 FA year). I’d love to see them add both Darvish and Danks and of course keep CC.
October 25th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
But Wilson is a much better pitcher than Burnett. His numbers over the last two seasons are comparable to Sabathia’s.
October 26th, 2011 at 12:43 am
And he’s allowed more critical walks this postseason than the Casey Anthony jury
October 26th, 2011 at 2:46 am
Michael,
Now that was freaking funny!
October 26th, 2011 at 4:31 am
andruw jones will hitt 25 home runs eazy come on main one of the best player ever played in the outfield. the lines he walk to catch flyballs are the best on the whole yankees outfield
October 26th, 2011 at 7:55 am
“Yankees are going to try to bring back Andruw Jones to use in the same role as last year, but with the promise of a lot more ABs.”
And who will those extra AB’s be at the expense of?
Montero.
“Lastly, Yankees will listen to offers for Jesus Montero, but will only include him in a deal for a stud pitcher.”
False.
October 26th, 2011 at 8:48 am
“And he’s allowed more critical walks this postseason than the Casey Anthony jury.”
So he’s had some bad outings. Two regular seasons of work is much more statistically significant.
October 26th, 2011 at 10:06 am
Stu,
I have a problem giving an $85-100M contract to a pitcher who has only two years of starting, a very limited body of work for that kind of money IMO. If he showed hints of Andy Pettitte in the postseason, I could be swayed a bit harder, but given he has done his best “Bad Burnett” impression the past three weeks, I am less inclined.
October 26th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Wilson won’t get anywhere near $100 million.
The Rangers have already said if he wants more than 4 years or more than $15 million per they won’t try and keep him.
October 26th, 2011 at 10:55 am
Chuck,
First off, Jones did not play a lot in the first half of last season, especially with Posada at the DH, Yankees could easily get him more AB’s this year……
Also, You do realize Montero was already “traded” once, as he was part of the package for Cliff Lee back in 2010 before that deal fell through?
Go ask Chuck Johnson…..none of the Yankees prospects are “untouchable” if the right pitcher comes along. You don’t think that Montero could be included in a package for say a King Felix or another stud pitcher?
Too many Yankees fans look at Montero as untouchable, even though none of the Yankees prospects are if the right deal comes along. The fact is, Montero is not untouchable.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Chuck,
You have a right to your opinion, but to say what I reported about Montero is “false” is just that, your opinion, not false. Brian Cashman listens to all trade proposals, even for Montero. If he didn’t, he would not be doing his job. If anyone thinks that Montero would not be included in a trade if an upper echelon pitcher becomes available, then they are living in a box.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:09 am
Michael,
I understand your concern about Wilson, but the Yankees look at it that its only money. It’s not like they are giving away prospects.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:09 am
“Lastly, Yankees will listen to offers for Jesus Montero, but will only include him in a deal for a stud pitcher.
“False.”
So, David, you interpret “false” as me being of the belief Montero is untradeable?
Interesting.
I take it you haven’t read anything I’ve written previously.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:12 am
OK, Frank, I guess I have to spell things out here.
Montero won’t be a Yankee come opening day, and they’re not getting a stud pitcher for him.
All he needs is a pulse.
Two years ago, they held out for Cliff Lee.
Tomorrow, they’ll trade him for Pinky Lee.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Chuck,
I have read what you have wrote in the past. it’s just that you used the world “false” in regards to Frank’s statement. So you don’t think Montero could be traded in a package for King Felix or Matt Cain or a Clayton Kershaw if they became available?
October 26th, 2011 at 11:19 am
I didn’t know that Pinky Lee was avaialbe.
October 26th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Frank said Montero would only be traded for a “stud pitcher.”
This is false.
They’ll trade him for ANY pitcher.
October 26th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Chuck,
I don’t think are giving Brian Cashman much credit here. Montero is not getting traded for anything short of Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, Yvonni Gallardo, Jered Weaver, Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda, Justin Verlander, or David Price.
October 26th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I don’t believe that’s true, Michael.
Nothing personal, but you and Frank are guilty of falling into the Buster Olney trap of over-evaluating prospects because they play for the Yankees or signed big bonus contracts.
You have your sources, Frank has his, and I have mine.
The shine on Montero has unquestionably started to wear off, and his time in New York this year wasn’t a job audition for the Yanks, but for the other 29 teams.
I’m not saying there’s a 110 percent chance Montero gets traded, but at the same time I’d be shocked if he’s in the organization on opening day.
October 26th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
If Montero’s September performance is an indicator of things to come, trading him for a John Danks-type or something of that ilk, will be a monumental mistake, especially considering the lack of pure hitters in the Yankee lineup and the decline of Jeter, A-Rod, Swisher, and Teixeira.
October 26th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Well, I guess I’m in the minority then, because I wasn’t all that impressed with his September.
So he hit four homers.
Big whoop.
He had three straight multi-hit games from Sept 22,24 & 25 where he went 8-11 with one K.
The rest of the time he hit .240 wtih 16 k’s in 50 AB’s, which is Mark Reynolds territory.
You’re right, his September is likely a sign of things to come, but it wasn’t in three games, it was in the other 15.
He swings like an old lady trying to knock the cat off the counter, he’s big and strong and if the ball happens to get in the way it will go, but ML pitchers will exploit his weaknesses moreso than in A ball.
He repeated AAA and regressed almost across the board, that tells me a lot more than 69 ML plate appearances does.
October 26th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Pinky Lee & the Yankees ruined my life. Watching them made me think that’s how the world should be. Funny & winning the World Series every year. I know Frank experienced part of that era — let me tell you guys who didn’t — except for that ridiculous hiding under our desks for an A bomb attack — it was Disney World compared to now. Especially since there weren’t arrogant ahole GMs big timing the Yankees, then taking shit from other teams for their so called studs. Yankees need to make their players watch vids & prep more. And learn how to bring young pitching along w/o crippling them like Hughes & Joba. As for the hitters? less choking & more choking up. Swinging for the seats only works when you make contact. . ..
October 26th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Chuck,
I don’t think I am falling into the same trap as Buster Olney. All I did with my report was state what I was told by several people in the Yankees organization, whom I have known for years.
I am one of those people who believes that prospects are just that, prospects. You never know how they will turn out. Right now the Yankees don;t project Montero to be much of a catcher and since he does not play other positions, where does that leave him? DH?
The interesting thing here is that teams like Seattle and even the Giants have tried to pry away Montero for almost nothing. In 2009 they asked for Montero for Jared Washburn, which is lunacy. Montero’s name comes up in almost every trade, even if it’s for pitchers who are not very good like Ted Lilly. Personally, I don’t see Montero as a full-time DH at his age.
I am actually in agreement with you on your evaluation of his September performance. As a scout friend of mone once told me, you never base your decision on a player with how he hits during spring training and as a September call-up!
October 26th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Chuck,
One last thing! If you go back in my archives, you’ll see where I reported where Yankees management had gotten tired of Montero’s act down in the minors. He sulked a good majority of the time, showed a lot of disinterest, and was even benched for failinbg to run out a grond ball.
So here is the $20,000. Do you think Cashman is over hyping Montero and the other prospects in order to get over-value for them? It’s been done before and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it happen again.
I am definatly not one of the typical writers who maintains that Montero should be deemed untouchable. There are some people who believe that the Yankees should build their team completely from minor league talent, which to the best of my knowledge, had never happened throughout the history of the Franchise.
October 26th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
I’ve been around long enough to know when a GM or manager or even a player speaks, the majority of what is said is dogpoop.
It’s like playing in a high stakes poker game and laying your cards down first before you bet.
I’ve seen and read and heard enough comments from Mark Newman and Damon Oppenheimer and even Girardi where they are growing more and more concerned that Montero’s place in the organization is almost now a negative.
Newman went so far as to say his presence is “impacting the development” of Andrew Romine and that Romine should have been the starting catcher this year in Scranton.
All assuming of course, that Montero didn’t blow his chances in Spring Training.
Montero’s the only position player in the system with any kind of profile or reputation, so it only makes sense his name would come up in any trade negotiation. And why not get him for nothing?
Pittsburgh’s looking for an upgrade at catcher, they suck, they’re not going anywhere, so what difference does it make who actually catches? Same with Seattle.
And yes, Montero’s attitude is becoming a concern (he was actually benched three times), and if you recall the situation with Jose Tabata, you know the Yanks frown on that sort of thing.
Is Cashman over-hyping?
Of course he is. Using another poker analogy, he’s got nothing but is bluffing like he’s holding the big ace.
If some team is willing to over-pay for him, then the egg’s on their faces, not Cashman’s.
I talked to a Detroit scout the other day who’s job is the International League, and he said in eight years of watching games Montero’s the worst athlete he’s ever seen.
Someone will take him, but the Yanks aren’t getting a king’s ransom for him.
That ship sailed.
October 26th, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Care to make this interesting?
October 26th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Are we talking over your head again, Brien?
October 26th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
I confess, I don’t do well when it comes to translating belligerent moron into English, but in any case I’ll take that as a no.
October 27th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Seriously, Brien?
Wow.
October 27th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Let’s not make this “that” kind of forum.
October 30th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Chuck Johnson has killed this site. What a boob. Mike this is on u
October 30th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Anything in particular Daler, or are you just speaking in general terms?