New York Yankee notes: Left field, of course

by Ed Valentine on Dec 30, 2009 9:00 AM EST in New York Yankees News

I didn't want to do this, but Google is forcing me. Went surfing for stories about our New York Yankees, and left field is pretty much all anyone is talking about. So, this notebook is sponsored by a very confused left field at Yankee Stadium.

FanGraphs Tuesday made an excellent case for why the Yankees are doing the right thing by bargain-hunting for a left fielder.

The Yankees have made a bunch of good moves this winter, adding Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson, and Javier Vazquez to a roster that was the best in baseball a year ago. Their true talent level, as currently constructed, is probably that of a 100 win team. The Yankees are going to be very good in 2010.

So, perhaps we should not be so surprised that New York is bargain shopping in left field, avoiding the likes of Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. They are at the other end of the win curve, and it doesn’t make much sense to spend a lot of money there either. The marginal value of the 101st, 102nd, and 103rd win in terms of playoff odds is really quite small. And that’s approximately the upgrade that Holliday would represent over the current production that Gardner offers in left field.

The Yankees have entered the prime area of significant diminishing marginal utility. They are so good that adding another high quality player doesn’t help them that much in 2010, and because of the long term contract that is required, they’d be risking future flexibility to add wins that may actually matter for an upgrade that just isn’t necessary.

Writing about that FanGraphs piece, ESPN's Rob Neyer agrees.

Yes, the Yankees can afford Holliday.

Yes, Holliday would make the Yankees better. Maybe a juggernaut, even.

But the only way the Yankees can fall into a habit of losing, someday, is by stockpiling too many players in their 30s with big long-term contracts. It's incredibly difficult to place a value on flexibility, but that value is real and important and Brian Cashman's awareness of that value is going to keep the Yankees on top for quite some time.

So do I. Without going into great detail, let me remind you who the left fielders were during the dynasty years of 1996-2001.

1996 -- Gerald Williams; 1997 -- Tim Raines, Mark Whiten, Chad Curtis; 1998 -- Chad Curtis, Tim Raines, Ricky Ledee, Shane Spencer; 1999 -- Ricky Ledee, Shane Spencer; 2000 -- Ricky Ledee, Shane Spencer; 2001 -- Chuck Knoblauch.

Point is, you don't need a super star at every position. The Yankees will add somebody to the mix before Spring Training, and I will be happy if it's a useful option like Xavier Nady or Jerry Hairston Jr.

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Left Field 1949-1964

From the 1984 version of MacMillan (I had it handy) these are the regular Left Fielders for the Yankees when they took 14 of 16 pennants:
1949-Gene Woodling
1950-Gene Woodling
1951-Gene Woodling
1952-Gene Woodling
1953-Gene Woodling
1954-Irv Noren
1955-Irv Noren
1956-Elston Howard
1957-Enos Slaughter
1958-Norm Siebern
1959-Norm Siebern
1960-Hector Lopez
1961-Yogi Berra
1962-Hector Lopez
1963-Hector Lopez
1964-Tom Tresh

by RobertG on Dec 30, 2009 10:04 AM EST reply actions

I am heartened by this story.

The Yankees are making a bold step towards fiscal responsibility, which everyone should applaud, especially people living in the shadow of the giant casinos on Wall Street. I offer a 3-step guide to achieving the desired financial security.

1) Don’t sign overrated players to long-term contracts.
Jason Giambi was a mean hitter (for a while) with a mean mustache, but by the end of his contract he could barely play, let alone provide $20 million worth of value.
2) Don’t sign overrated players to long-term contracts!
$180 million to block one of the easiest positions to fill, one where you could put any of the following, aging players as they lose range and athleticism: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Alex Rodriguez.
3) DON’T SIGN OVERRATED PLAYERS TO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS!
C C Sandwichia is going to eat himself out of house, home and Yankee stadium. The Yankees can only hope that his arm doesn’t fall off beforehand. AJ Burnett is another injury risk.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Dec 30, 2009 10:21 AM EST reply actions

I agree with

points one and two, but not so much point three.

Seriously, there’s a good piece on RAB today exploring the idea of bringing a third team to NYC. The idea being that the Yankees’ revenue advantage would be mitigated somewhat by having to compete more for fans.

Whether you agree or not (I think it’s an intriguing, if wholly theoretical idea), it underscores a key issue: The Yankees are going to need to police themselves somewhat; otherwise, the calls for greater luxury taxes or salary caps are only going to increase.

In the Halladay sweepstakes, Free Bradshaw kept pounding a single point — The Yankees didn’t need to gut the farm for Halladay. A good 4th starter was all they needed.

The same is true for Holliday. We don’t need him. If Damon will come back at a reasonable price, great. Otherwise, I think we’re looking to upgrade Hoffman, not Gardner. (Okay, so I’ll keep pounding that single point.)

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 30, 2009 10:44 AM EST up reply actions

...and upgrading Hoffman

does not require spending more than Jerry Hairston money.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 30, 2009 10:46 AM EST up reply actions

Why are we worried about Hoffman?

He is a versatile player, and a good athlete with plenty of potential. Signing Jerry Hairston back makes little sense to me at this moment in time. He was brought aboard in July as a complementary piece in the run for a title. He served his purpose. There will be plenty of younger players that can fill his role available in July

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby

by sdhman11 on Dec 30, 2009 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Hairston

is worth it because he’s a better infield backup/ insurance policy than anyone else on the roster.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 30, 2009 12:03 PM EST up reply actions

Or Johnny

by cph on Dec 30, 2009 10:24 AM EST reply actions

Define your terms please........

What is your technical definition of:

1) Overrated player

2) Long-term contract

Notice I said “technical definition,” by which I mean leave OUT examples (i.e., names), since that is highly subjective.

by henryst on Dec 30, 2009 11:28 AM EST reply actions

I can't speak for LateInningRelief

but…

Here’s how I would define it.

1) A player whose perceived value exceeds his actual value. Specifically, a player whose market value is higher than the average market value of players who provide similar production.

2) This has a more fluid definition depending on the context of the usage, and the player in question. However, a general definition that applies to the above 3-Step Guide might be a contract of more than 3 years that is expected to cover significant decline years from the player. For old players expected to decline steeply for the remainder of their career, a 3 year deal may be considered long-term.

by metric on Dec 30, 2009 1:04 PM EST up reply actions

Garder is fine in LF

I agree with this post. I don’t think we need another “star” player in left. Jason Bay is going to the Mets anyway, which means Matt Holliday is the only really good left fielder available in free agency. If the Yankees don’t want to spend the money to bring Damon back, they certainly won’t want to spend it to get Holliday. I think not getting Holliday is the right move. I also think keeping payroll from getting even more astronomical than it already is is a good move. I agree that the Yanks don’t need more long-term contracts for overrated players.

Gardner will be fine as an everyday left fielder and will steal a bunch of bases.

I don’t see the point of getting Jermaine Dye. He is old, injury prone, and inconsistent.

by albanyattorney40 on Dec 30, 2009 1:14 PM EST reply actions

Neyer's point is more pertinent to the Yankees

The diminishing-marginal-utility argument is interesting, but I’m not sure it’s relevant to any team who’s in the position to make use of it. If you’re pretty confident of 100 wins or thereabouts, the goal is a WS ring. In that case, a player with a history of hitting HRs in pressure situations looks very attractive indeed.

If, say, the Cubs were in a similar position regarding talent on the roster, it might make perfect to sense to trade future flexibility for a few more current superstars.

Usqueadbaugham! Anam muck an dhoul ! Did ye drink me doornail?

by Q-TDSK on Dec 30, 2009 1:30 PM EST reply actions

are the yankees married to Granderson in CF?

Everyone’s asking about left, but I think that their defense is somewhat better with Gardner in CF and Granderson in left. The question of whether you want another outfielder remains, and if the best player available is suit for left there’s no problem sliding Granderson over to center, but I think we should see Gardner in centerfield and batting 9th on opening day.

by long time listener on Dec 30, 2009 3:40 PM EST reply actions

we'll be fine regardless

of if we go sign someone or if gardner and granderson make up the combination of LF and CF( i personally like gardner in left better, granderson is a much more natural outfielder in terms of covering ground and i think he is much better bet on sliding plays and plays against the wall). however, i still think johnny will be back in LF for 2 years at between 8 or 9 mill a year eventually. cashman has to be looking at an outfielder as either a starter or backup. im worried about our depth. swisher had a great year but lets not forget before nadys injury, he was a bench player, so he’s far from a sure thing. and what if somebody gets injured? add one more OF = offseason complete

by cermolaNY2 on Dec 30, 2009 3:48 PM EST reply actions

HELP

our nice little Yankees blog is being overtaken by the French,atleast that is where I think they are from.They just found out who won the WS.

Anyone who mentions salary caps as an answer is unemployed. Say Hello to my little friend,Al Pacino-Scarface

by cashman bashman on Dec 30, 2009 5:37 PM EST reply actions

1 word for LF

CERVELLI

Anyone who mentions salary caps as an answer is unemployed. Say Hello to my little friend,Al Pacino-Scarface

by cashman bashman on Dec 30, 2009 5:41 PM EST reply actions

1 year deal at LF

I think that now that the market has been overrun by options for the Yankees, they should stick to a one year deal. This gives them maximum flexibility going forward. If I was Cash these would be my options for left field, in this order,

Damon 1 year- 6-mill (Abreu money)
X-man 1 year- 2-4 mill
Jerry Hairston 1 year- 1-2.5 million (not sure what his market value would be)

If they can not be had for these prices I would pick someone up off the scrap heap.

I believe that Gardener will be good enough, if he starts. I am worried about depth however. Think of last year when Melky and Swish were on the bench to start the year. One injury and we are mighty thin in the OF.
I think it will be some time before we see them sign someone, The longer Cashman holds out the lower the prices will fall.

by yankeechaser on Dec 30, 2009 9:15 PM EST reply actions

wow

i posted earlier in here insulting a troll and it must have gotten removed……sorry ed…ill try to keep it more civil next time,,,,i didnt even see the retort….must have been bad

by swanny4eva on Dec 30, 2009 10:20 PM EST reply actions