New York Yankees News: 12/12/11

by Lord Duggan on Dec 12, 2011 6:00 AM EST in New York Yankees News

Mood Music - The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden

It makes a lot of sense to avoiding handing out contract extensions. The last thing that a team wants is a player crowing for a new deal in the middle of a season or angling to "re-negotiate" when they're feeling under-appreciated and under-paid.* A blanket policy of "you're not getting a new contract until your old one ends, so don't bother asking" is a good way to curb this, but Mike Axisa of RAB wonders if the Yankees might be wise to relax this philosophy in order to lock up Robinson Cano.

*This happens much more in other sports than in baseball, but it always interests me that players seem to have a much easier time escaping contracts that underpay them than teams do escaping albatrosses. If the Yankees can not re-work their deals with A.J. Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, and Rafael Soriano to better reflect their play, the players should be equally bound. In baseball, they almost always are.

Although it is a dangerous precedent and Scott Boras always pushes for his clients to hit unrestricted free agency, I would definitely kick the tires and see what it would take. Trying to lock up Cano's age 29-35 seasons with no competing offer on the table seems a lot more inviting than trying to out-bid for him when he is a 31 year old free agent.

It is looking more promising that Hiroyuki Nakajima will sign with the Yankees and take a utility role. With the age and fragility of the left side of the infield, the more options and flexibility on the bench, the better.
Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and Jorge Posada hanging out and playing some ball in Panama City.

Tweet Comment 16 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I the Yankees can lock up Cano until his age 35 season to a front-loaded contract.

Then by all means, do it.

BSME

by Xavier10 on Dec 12, 2011 7:33 AM EST reply actions

Oh, Panama City, Panama

when I first saw the link I thought of Panama City, FL. Wondered what those three would be doing on the Redneck Riviera.

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Dec 12, 2011 9:35 AM EST reply actions

Caption for the photo of Robbie

STFU about bringing Big Papi to the NYY.

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Dec 12, 2011 9:36 AM EST reply actions

What purpose

does a front loaded contract give the Yankees?

by dan lc on Dec 12, 2011 9:48 AM EST reply actions

Pay him more when he's actually more productive

And have more flexibility at the end, when he’s more likely to be less productive. Of course, this will increase the present value of the contract. The Yankees, in turn, will hope that salary inflation makes the “decline” part of the contract even more team-friendly.

The idiot formerly known as pkyankeefan! Now in Technicolour!

by Hasan Paliwala on Dec 12, 2011 10:16 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

That does not matter...

as any extension for Cano would last past Alex so as of now he would be the only expensive contract at that time.

by dan lc on Dec 12, 2011 1:02 PM EST up reply actions

It still gives the team flexibility - how does that not matter?

by waw on Dec 12, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

It does not matter becauee right...

now the Yankees have only 3 players under contract for 2014. Front loading or back loading of a contract does nothing with respect to luxury tax so if the team has money and they do they gain very little either way.

by dan lc on Dec 12, 2011 5:12 PM EST up reply actions

flexibility is not just avoiding the luxury tax

Flexibility means you could trade a player more easily if needed, because his contract is not going to scare other teams off. Or transition him to a backup role, if needed.

by waw on Dec 12, 2011 6:14 PM EST up reply actions

Just a dumb idea

A complete waste of thought. There is no benefit for the Yankees to do this.

by dan lc on Dec 12, 2011 9:52 PM EST up reply actions

Oh

by waw on Dec 13, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions

I guess that settles that

Romine!

by david d on Dec 13, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

GOD JUST STOP THINKING ALREADY

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 13, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

What kind of extension could the Yankees realistically offer Robbie?

Void the next two years, and give him a 5/90 or 6/100 deal? I think that could have been possible, but with Boras, it’s more likely not to have been.

I’d have loved to have seen the Yankees lock Cano up after 2008 or 2009 on a Youk type deal. And not just in hindsight, either. I always was a little jealous of Boston’s deals for Pedroia, Youkilis and Lester.

The idiot formerly known as pkyankeefan! Now in Technicolour!

by Hasan Paliwala on Dec 12, 2011 10:23 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Good take by IATMS on Ryan Braun situation

http://networkedblogs.com/rqw3J

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Dec 12, 2011 11:45 AM EST reply actions

I would have to vote 'no' on an extension of Cano now.

Aside from opening the door to more of the same, we see Cano now at the height of his productive ability. It is so easy to thin that there is another 7 years of comparable production to lock up now, but it may not be. Aside form injury possibility, there is always the chance that his numbers may simply drop off in a similar fashion to Teix’s batting average or Burnett’s fastball.

If Cano still looks like he does now in two years, and the Yankees want to keep him, is it really likely that anybody else will be able to pry him away? I doubt it. The best anyone else can do is to try to drive up the price. This is a trade-off the Yankees should make- the risk of a diminishing Cano vs. having to slightly overpay someone who would have HOF numbers.

Signing Nakajima is essentially taking on Nunez as he would be a few years from now having learned to play some defense. If history is a reliable guide, between Jeter and Arod’s injury probabilities, there will be plenty of chances for him to play long stretches at a time.

by designatedquitter on Dec 12, 2011 11:50 AM EST reply actions