Can We Move On From The Cliff Lee Sniping Yet?
by Ed Valentine on Jul 12, 2010 1:07 PM EDT
in New York Yankees News
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It seems the folks in Texas have heard enough of what they perceive as 'whining' continuing to come from New York after the New York Yankees lost out to the Texas Rangers in their effort to acquire Cliff Lee.
It's bordering on comical the way the reporting is coming out of New York on this deal. Either Yankee officials are ultra-sensitive. Or those covering the Yankees are. This post obviously tells the Yankees side of the story, but might not Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik have his own version of the details on how the trade went down, a side that isn't being depicted here.
Based on the sparse details of the talks that officials who were involved are letting out, the Rangers were told at one time that Seattle was "leaning in other direction," but never that it had reached an agreement with another team. The Rangers were re-contacted by Seattle early Friday afternoon after the Mariners expressed concerns about prospect David Adams' ankle. It was then the Rangers finally agreed to put Smoak into the deal and the trade moved along quickly.
Did Seattle shop what it had in hand? Supposed that depends on your definition. I would venture to say that every time a club make what it feels is a fair offer and doesn't end up with the player in question, it could feel used. If the Yankees really are upset over the way this shook out, I'd say their front office needs to toughen up. The Yankees have a huge competitive advantage over other teams in terms of an unlimited payroll. Other GMs have to use whatever tools they have at their disposal to try and even the playing field.
That was posted in response to a piece this morning by Joel Sherman.
The Yanks believe Seattle’s late-stated concerns about David Adams’ ankle were subterfuge designed to stall and give Texas time to change its mind. And the Yanks feel that ruse was unethical. They were told by Seattle late Thursday night that if Adams were included then the sides had a completed trade pending the OK on physicals. On Friday morning, when the Yanks agreed to substitute pitcher Adam Warren for Adams, they were told again that this was a completed deal.
Yankee officials feel that it is not ethical to keep shopping a deal once there is a verbal agreement and physicals are exchanged; and – in general – executives I spoke to said that once physicals are exchanged it is time to put a moratorium on all other conversations with other clubs. The Yanks feel that it is proper to say something like "we need to get back to one more team before we can agree to this deal in principle." But not agree and still shop the deal elsewhere.
My reaction? Enough already, children. The Mariners behaved like brats, that's not the Rangers' fault. Let's everybody just move on already. Oh, and wait for the Yankees to get even with Seattle, which they eventually will.
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Let the little Rangers fans thing they "stole" him from us.
They really "stuck " it to us. Kinda like how we stuck it to them anytime we’ve played them in the playoffs.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
also
let them think that Lee is their ticket to a WS championship this year. I hope Lee continues to pitch in Arlington the way he did on Saturday.
I wonder if the Rangers checked his stats
He has pitched his worst in that stadium throughout his career. I think New York was next then Boston.
Oh, and wait for the Yankees to get even with Seattle, which they eventually will.
Get even with the Mariners? If anything, Yankees owe Seattle a debt. Since 1995, they have surrendered post-season series to the Yanks on several occasions and have handed them plenty of regular season wins. Now, they not only declined to take the Yankees’ best prospects, but also leveraged NY interest to deplete a real competitor of their farm assets. Best of all, they traded Lee to a team that can’t afford him next year, so the Yankees don’t have to worry about contract extensions in case they do decide to sign him!
by qortra on Jul 12, 2010 1:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Get even? What are they going to do, put Chan Ho on a bus to the great
northwest? Send Gaudin as his travelling companion? That’s about the only way the Yanks could get even with Seattle.
Well....
We did actually ruin their 2001 season when they won 116 games. :-)
by Iggy Poptart on Jul 12, 2010 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
it does seem like the Yankees front office were misled and used as leverage..
which I think is fair game when it comes to making deals but I do also think the Yankees have every right to be pissed.
I tried listening to the NY Baseball digest podcast with Mike Silva for the first time and wow, were they pissed. They’re not even actual front office people and it seemed like they were taking it so personally.
Again, Seattle is (for the moment) a non-competitor. It makes tactical sense to let them use us to suck more depth out of a real competitor.
Maybe the Yankees front office is pissed, but most of the fans that I’ve read and talked to are actually quite relieved.
All the protesting
Is a ruse. I became suspicious when the Mariners wanted a guy on the DL in the package. (That was an easy outfor them)
Lee went to a team that will not have an ownership group in place this calendar year. The Yankees will complain through unnamed sources to the Post about it but the front office is just happy that a team that could afford to keep Lee didn’t get him. (Like the Mets or the Phillies),
So, yes, dig up your best Claude Raines impersonation and proclaim that you are shocked to find out that their is gambling going on at Rick’s place, and collect the team’s winnings in free agency. :-)
by Iggy Poptart on Jul 12, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
This won't blow over for awhile...
For a couple reasons.
1) ESPN and other media outlets won’t let it go. Resident dunce and ESPN talking head Skip Bayless pretty much combined all that’s been wrong with this story into one argument on First Take today. He basically claimed that in missing out on Cliff Lee and letting him go to the Rangers, the Yankees missed a chance to mentally destroy the rest of baseball and wrap up the World Series now. That’s all well and good, but the argument fails to mention that not only were the Mariners the ones that screwed the pooch on the deal, but it also neglects to account for the Yankees hater part of most baseball fans’ brain. If we would have acquired Lee, it’s ballgame over, Yankees will win it all, they’re too strong, it’s unfair to everyone else, they buy all their talent, blah blah blah.
2) The next time Burnett or Javy explodes and gives up a pile of runs you just know we’re going to hear his name. It’s sad and foolish, but it’s inevitable.
by Jedi Master A-Rod on Jul 12, 2010 1:33 PM EDT reply actions
i could care less
A thousand lips. A thousand tongues. A thousand throats. A thousand lungs. A thousand ways to make it true. I want to do terrible things to you.
by Nine Inch Nails on Jul 12, 2010 1:37 PM EDT reply actions
This is hardly the first time something like this has happened (that a team changes its mind at the last minute after getting a better offer).
This issue has a sell- by date of July 19th. Then you should throw it away, unopened.
by designatedquitter on Jul 12, 2010 2:12 PM EDT reply actions
I think Joel Sherman is the one whining, primarily because he kept
tweeting the deal as a done deal. Perhaps he was played by his “source”. Perhaps he misunderstood or misevaluated the situation.
In any event, Sherman would be wise to do a little more reporting and a lot less tweeting and whining.
I dont blame the Yanks for being pissed
In all businesses when you say you have a deal and somebody pulls out at the last minute, you are going to be upset. That the Yanks were used for leverage makes it even worse. I dont think the Yanks are whining, they are just letting the other teams know what kind of GM Trader Jack is. That is their revenge.
Gutter quote of the day (so far)
“somebody pulls out at the last minute, you are going to be upset”
Giggidy
Statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything.
Seattle and Texas made the media look like idiots
From the moment I got to work Friday all I heard all day was the deals done. Cliff Lee to the Yankees. Right before I was about to leave at like 4:30 the deals off the table. By the time I got home at like 5:30. MLB network is reporting a done deal of Cliff Lee to the Rangers and I was happy because the Yankees do not need Cliff Lee this year. Its overkill. The rotation has been unbelievable. CC is a better 2nd pitcher, so is Pettite, if we get at least 7 more wins out of Hughes I’ll be happy. Burnett and Vasquez, we’ll see. I think Burnetts gunna go on a nice little win streak after the break and Vasquez will be Vasquez, get some bullpen help. Hopefully Chad Tracy gets his shit together in AAA and he’ll nice little utility player off the bench and away we go trying to win #28.
Never forget, sometimes the best trades are the ones that aren't made
After all, imagine where we would be if this trade for David Wells had gone through 15 years ago:
" Jim Bowden, the Reds’ general manager, declined to discuss the Yankees’ involvement, but an official familiar with the Wells talks said Steinbrenner called Bowden Saturday night and offered pitcher Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada.
Bowden, looking to cut his payroll, obviously decided he preferred (Curtis) Goodwin, a 23-year-old left-handed hitter, who in 87 games with the Orioles last season batted .263 and had 22 stolen bases in 26 attempts."
by bluecheese999 on Jul 12, 2010 2:41 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Good Stuff...
Thank you Jim Bowden. thank you thank you and thank you
Statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything.
Oh man, I had managed to supress that memory all these years.
Thanks for resurrecting the Steinbrenner nightmares.
BOWDEN!!!!!
That asshat set the Nationals back five years with his moronic handling of the team. And it’s one thing to be merely incompetent, but he topped it off by being slippery and alienating a lot of people. He used to live in my building, too … I’m glad I never ran into him in the hallway because it would have been difficult to be polite.
what's equally as bad
is that he’s now on MLB Radio co-hosting a show in the middle of the day. I can’t stand listening to his stupidity.
I used to like MLB Radio, back when they had mostly former players, coaches, managers, and some sports journalists. Now they are going the way of ESPN by hiring failed GMs to be “analysts” or “commentators” on their shows. Shut up! You got fired because you sucked or were incompetent or were resistant to the owners/controlling group’s interests and plans.
There’s no other job in the world that I can think of where they hire you to be an expert consultant for a subject matter that you utterly failed at and were fired (multiple times for Mr. Bowden) from. Well, maybe it happens in politics, but that’s not for this web site.
I really think only the media is upset by this.
Pretty much every Yankees fan I talk to, both online and off, are very happy the Yankees DIDN’T get him. This includes myself. Hell, I think even Sterling and Waldman said at one point during the Seattle series, after the Yankees had one 6-7 in a row, that they really didn’t need Lee because they already have the best rotation in baseball. Maybe it was Mark of the Daily News. Regardless, like what was said above, the Yankees didn’t have to give up any talent for him, he’s most likely not staying on the Rangers next year, and odds are the Yankees are probably going to get him next year.
However, I’ll be honest…I don’t want Cliff Lee, not this year or next year. We already have a solid rotation, arguably the best in the majors. If Pettitte doesn’t retire, I say let him continue to pitch. Hughes, CC, and AJ will still be there, and if Vazquez can continue to do what he’s been doing, I say keep him. There, that’s your starting 5. At that point, we don’t need Cliff Lee. Also, I still haven’t given up on Joba as a starter quite yet. Sure, it probably can’t be done now, but during the offseason, if he can get his mechanics together and actually work on a 3rd and 4th pitch and NOT work the count up to 3-2 every time, he still has a viable shot, especially if Andy retires. I would rather the Yankees focus on their bullpen, add a little extra bat to their bench (or make a younger clone of Luis Sojo), and ultimately try and work on developing their farm talent.
"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"
by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 12, 2010 2:57 PM EDT reply actions
Yea..real pissed
we didn’t get a player we don’t need to win the WS. Very pissed. Be crying about this all over the WS trophy.
Be even worse when we sign Cliff LEe in the offseason cuz Texas can’t pay him. Then we’ll all be sad then. So sad taht we got to keep Montero et. all.
I’ll be very angry watching Montero play pepper with death valley for the next 10 years after he’s called up. That’s gonna be the disappointment of a lifetime.
Texas really stole him. The Yanks will be crying for the one that got away when they knock the living snot out of Lee in the playoffs (they are about as due as the July rent for that…you scared?)
Bye, Lee :(
finally.
I’ve been RELIEVED since Friday. I couldn’t be more happy that the Yankees didn’t waste great prospects for a starting pitcher when we have one of the best rotations in baseball.
Somebody grab me some tissues please.
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"
by Gelatin on Jul 12, 2010 3:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You need a bro hug?
"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"
by I'mGivingYouARaise on Jul 12, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
If the offer is on the tabke
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"
by Gelatin on Jul 12, 2010 3:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
SO very glad the deal didn't go through
For all the reasons set forth above. When my brother called me with the speculation I just laughed because I couldn’t imagine that a deal like that would be seriously considered.
Stupid is, as stupid does!
I was stunned by the Mariners trading Lee to the Rangers! Here’s why! All the reports I heard said this: the Mariners wanted prospects at Catcher, middle infield, and Left-handed Pitching for Lee. Isin’t anyone but me surprised that the M’s got NONE OF THE ABOVE from TX. MONTERO was the CROWN JEWEL for the M’s and they BLEW IT. Every team in BB has been trying to pry this guy away from the Yanks; and the M’s had him! They will never be a contender with their GM
What about Dan Uggla
The Yankees are looking for another bat to go in the lineup….and someone that could give Arod a break here and there at third. I dont think that the Marlins would want to much for him
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