Wang Gone?

by 3460kuri on Dec 7, 2009 10:50 AM EST

Ken Davidoff is reporting what we all figured - the Yankees are likely to decline arbitration with Chien-Ming Wang, making him a free agent once the Dec 12th deadline passes. Peter Gammons points out that if Wang doesn't sign with another team, the Yankees would still be able to re-sign him after May 1st.

This makes no sense to me. Wang made $5 million last year, and it seems certain that he'd "earn" the maximum 20% pay decrease in arbitration based on his awful 2009.

I know that shoulder surgery is far more complicated, and often far less successful, than Tommy John surgery. And it doesn't seem like anybody knows for certain how far along he is (or isn't) in the rehabilitation process. But we do know that some GM is going to cross his fingers and sign Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard, or Rich Harden this offseason, probably for at least $4 million guaranteed, and the only way that Wang differs from any of them is that he's actually pitched more than 200 innings in a season in the last half-decade.

Wang is far from a sure thing at this point, but somebody will take the gamble on his comeback. I just hope it's the Yankees.

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Teams need pitching help...

But don’t know if anybody will take a chance on wang w/ that surgery….I don’t want them too…..

I want him back on may 1st…..

-Announcemen Forwarded To The Following: Boston Blowsox, New York Pets, Philadelphia Phonies, And Any Other Team Who Ain't The With The Empire.................

Getcha' Fuccin Rings Up........

by NYYWinsRings27 on Dec 7, 2009 11:00 AM EST via mobile reply actions

I'd really like to see

the medical reports the Yankees are looking at. Because this does indeed make little sense. There has to be something in those reports; otherwise, the Yankees seem to be taking a calculated risk that either: a.) no team is going to pick up Wang and they can re-sign him to an incentive-laden deal, or b.) Wang’s best days are behind him. I think A is unlikely.

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

by LateInningRelief on Dec 7, 2009 12:26 PM EST reply actions

I'm sure the Yanks...

…aren’t making this decision with no research or reason. I’m gonna file this under "they must know something we don’t ", and leave it at that for now.

by NumberSeven on Dec 7, 2009 1:01 PM EST reply actions

Less about orthpedics, more about between the ears?

Could this decision be less about the surgery, and more about what’s going on in his head? He looked like a lost sheep these last couple of years. I believe this is a head issue and the Yankees don’t have confidence they can fix between his ears.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 7, 2009 1:45 PM EST reply actions

I’m pretty sure the Yankees aren’t using the “lost sheep” line of reasoning.

Wang pitched well in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. He was pitching with an injured shoulder this year. I don’t see what the problem is.

by 3460kuri on Dec 7, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions

Hurt, not hurt

I watched Wang pitch in Spring Training against the Braves. His velocity was 94-95 and had great command. He did however give up two long homeruns to guys not known for jacking the ball. That was a concern amongst those I was sitting with.

However, given his velocity and command, Wang was healthy. He just wasn’t pitching well. He’d obviously lost the touch on his sinker. That was the big issue. He got hurt later. I believe the Yankees lost confidence in his ability to throw the sinker.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 9, 2009 9:29 AM EST up reply actions

Man, this would be a huge tragedy

to lose such a great pitcher to injury. Damn shame.

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Dec 7, 2009 2:31 PM EST reply actions

Hope he's back

and I hope if he does, he gets his career back on track. He was on his way to the Hall of Fame if he could have kept up what he was doing in 2006-2008. All he did was win. And the foot injury killed him (and the Yankees 2008 season). Hopefully if he comes back and gets on track, he can still put together a nice career for himself and help the Yankees get #28 and more.

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 7, 2009 6:16 PM EST reply actions

"Hall of Fame?" Really?

Wang did not have his first 19 win season until he was 26. It’s unlikely he would have won 200 games in his career, even if he were healthy the past 2 years. He’s also been tremendously bad (1-3, 7.6 ERA) in the playoffs. At his ceiling, he looks like a very effective sinkerballer, but he’s no Brandon Webb.

He’s also had a ton of injuries and he won’t be able to pitch until August. If Ben Sheets didn’t get a deal last year, there’s no way Wang gets a deal this year, unless the Yankees bring him back May 1. I think they will, but for much less than $4 million (which is what I think will happen).

by PortlandYankee on Dec 7, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions

Only counter i have to the "wasnt a 20 game winner til he was 26"...

Is that most pitchers spend a couple of years trying to figure it out. There is no doubt in my mind he peaked with that 20 win year but…I still think wang could be effective….not an ace anymore but he can be a 4, 5 spot pitcher next half of next year….

But he certainly is not HOF yet, he plooked like he was gonna be hard tpo beat for years to come…

I just hope we get him back…cause I strongly believe he will be efficient again….just hope it’s not with another team….

-Announcemen Forwarded To The Following: Boston Blowsox, New York Pets, Philadelphia Phonies, And Any Other Team Who Ain't The With The Empire.................

Getcha' Fuccin Rings Up........

by NYYWinsRings27 on Dec 8, 2009 1:21 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Wang was never really an ace; he was a #2-3 who could give you 200+ solid innings per year. In the last couple of years, he had the same problem that Mel Stottlemyre had early in his career.
Stottlemyre was also a sinkerballer, and had great success when he first came up in 1964, starting three games in the World Series that year and winning one (beating Bob Gibson).
However, after a couple of years, the hitters realized that his sinker was dropping out of the strike zone and started laying off it. He lost 20 games in 1966, but was able to adjust successfully and won 20 games in 1968 and 1969 for a truly dreadful Yankee team.
Before Wang went out with an injury, it looked like he had the same problem; hitters were laying off his sinker and forcing him to come up in the zone, with bad results.
If he were not injured, this would be a curable problem. He is big and strong and could certainly develop other pitches. I am sure that the Yankees would love to have a #3-4 starter who could contribute 200 good innings.
The problem, then?
> there must be real concern about his recovery
> 40 man roster issues. The Yankees have a lot of players to protect and may not want to use a slot for someone whose future is questionable.
I hope they can work something out with him. Perhaps they could bring Stottlemyre back as a consultant.

Mickey C

by Mickey C on Dec 8, 2009 8:53 AM EST reply actions