Yankee's Offseason Thread

[BuckFoston]

All off season moves and transactions shall be put in this golden thread right here.

[BuckFoston]

Wil Nieves gets granted free agency.

Weak hitting backup catcher, Wilbert Nieves was granted free agency October 17th. That leaves the Yankees with zero catchers in the organization with major league playing experience. Nieves was originally drafted by the Padres , and was eventually claimed off waivers by the Angels. The Yankees acquired him from the Angels in exchange for reliever Brett Prinz, who spent 2007 with the White Sox.

I never got a chance to speak with Wil, but I saw him around the clubhouse after the Yankees acquired Jose Molina.

Nieves will probably spend the remainder of his career in the minors, with the occasional emergency start.

[BuckFoston]

The Yankees are likely to replace pitching coach Ron Guidry regardless of whether they bring back Joe Torre as manager, ESPN's Buster Olney reports.
Perhaps they have Leo Mazzone in mind as a replacement. The Yankees' young pitchers largely did well undere Guidry, and that the veterans were prone to breaking down hardly seems to be his fault. If Guidry wants to be a pitching coach elsewhere, he should land a job. Oct. 17 - 1:15 pm et

Source-Rotoworld

[BuckFoston]

Joe Giradi met with the team yesterday.

Joe Girardi is leading off the Yankees' search for a new manager, meeting with club executives at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla.

Girardi's agent, Steve Mandel, told MLB.com that Girardi met with Yankees officials on Monday, but said that he would not comment beyond confirming that his client met with the club.

Girardi is preceding Don Mattingly in the sequence, with Mattingly expected to be interviewed on Tuesday. A third candidate, first-base coach Tony Pena, is likely to follow on Wednesday.

Speaking of the choices lined up for the first round of interviews, senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner told the Associated Press, "There's a slight favorite, not a heavy favorite."

That is believed to be Mattingly, 46, who was contacted by general manager Brian Cashman late last week to interview for the opening and had said through his agent, Ray Schulte, that he planned to travel to Florida in mid-week.

The Official Site of The New York Yankees: News: New York Yankees News

[BuckFoston]

This is huge...

The Yankees plan to do what they can to keep Jorge Posada from hitting the open market, but it doesn't look like anything will happen before the team has completed its interview process for the open manager's job.

Yankees sources said the organization hasn't begun substantive talks with Sam and Seth Levinson, the agents who represent Posada, but the team is said to be planning an offer of three years and about $40 million.

"I believe that we're going to be very competitive," one Yankees official said.

Posada just completed a five-year, $51 million contract that included a $12 million option for 2007 that kicked in based on playing time behind the plate the previous season. Posada, who turned 36 in August, hit .338 with 20 homers and 90 RBI this past season, the best all-around season of his career.

"I look forward to sitting down with Brian in the near future to hash out all the various issues regarding Jorge and his future with the Yankees," Seth Levinson said of GM Brian Cashman.

There was no movement on the Alex Rodriguez front yesterday, as the team was occupied with its interview of Joe Girardi for the managerial job. But Hank Steinbrenner reiterated the Yankees' stance on A-Rod and his opt-out clause, saying outside Legends Field in Tampa, "We've made it clear if he opts out, goodbye."

Yankees likely to offer Jorge Posada $40 million

[BuckFoston]

No Joe doesn't necessarily mean no Mo.

Mariano Rivera has been conspicuously silent since the Yankees announced last week that Joe Torre would not return to manage next season, but the closer finally spoke out yesterday in a radio interview, saying that Torre's departure won't automatically send him packing from the only baseball home he has ever known.

"I know the Yankees are going to do whatever they think is best for the team. I always respect them for that," Rivera told Sirrius Satellite Radio when asked if he needs to know who the new manager will be before he starts to negotiate a new contract. "The Yankees always have given the opportunity to give us the best everything: the best players, the best coaching staff. They always tried to do that. I don't think it (Torre leaving) has (anything to do) with me, in terms of signing with the Yankees."

Those must be welcome words for the Yankees, especially after Rivera spoke out in favor of Torre after the playoffs, saying that Torre's situation would play a major role in his own pending free agency.

"I don't see why they are thinking about (letting Torre go)," Rivera said while cleaning out his locker following the Yankees' playoff elimination. "I wish he's back, definitely. If you ask me what I would want, I want him back."

Rivera put the onus on the Yankees to bring him back as the team works on an offer to present him. Rivera can file for free agency the day after the World Series ends, though no team can talk to him besides the Yankees until 15 days after the Series.

"Well, all depends with the Yankees; definitely they know my feelings," Rivera said. "They know how I feel. I let them know the way I felt. They know what they have to do, so I don't worry about it. The ball is in their court and I'm just being patient and waiting patiently."

Mariano Rivera: Joe Torre's exit doesn't mean I'll leave

Please re-sign him...

[bjd2933]

I can live with Girardi, but the Yankees need an expendable manager, because if things go wrong the first 1-2 years, they need someone they can shit-can easily and not regret it. Girardi sort of fits that bill, the Marlins had no problem sending him packing after a great season. Mattingly is not an option. You can't do that shit with popular home grown players.

I have mixed views on Torre as a manager, but really when you're dealing with a team of All-Stars and high profile personalities, you need a good player's manager, and Joe Torre fit that bill better than anyone. The Yankees aren't a team where a strategist is going to win them 5 extra games on the season.

[BuckFoston]

Yanks sign two new players,

The New York Yankees have signed two players from the Israel Baseball League to minor league deals.

Outfielder Jason Rees and catcher Eladio Rodriguez took part in the IBL's first season this year.

Rees hit .362 with a league-leading 17 homers and 50 RBI for the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox. Rodriguez led the league with a .461 batting average for the Modiin Miracle.

Rees, 23, is from Newcastle, Australia, and the 28-year-old Rodriguez, a former Red Sox minor leaguer, is a native of the Dominican Republic.

The Yankees announced the signings on Wednesday

New York Yankees, Major League Baseball - CBSSports.com

[Veovis]

Those two signings are going to make the difference.

[Lance324]

Signing Posada for that amount of money until he's 39 is a mistake. The Yankees are in a real pinch with him. Let's face it, he's worth about twice as much to the Yankees as any other team. They do need him, but fact is prior to this year his offensive numbers were dwindling slowly and his defense albeit still ok, is not what it once was. I feel for you guys though, the Red Sox were in a very similar situation with their aging catcher just a few years ago, and I feel we overpaid badly. Good Luck

[Veovis]

I agree completely Lance.

About the manager situation:

I personally like all the candidates. They are all great options. Still, the Yankees can only really make one choice, and that is Mattingly. I doubt he comes back if Girardi or Pena are picked for the job, and I don't think the organization has it in them to knock out Joe and Don in the same year.

There seems to be support for hiring an "expendable" manager. I don't think it is wise for the organization to look at the position in such a manner. They should be looking for stability. If the manager position is stable, the players will feel some stability. Hiring some guy for a season or two because he is "expendable" isn't the right approach.

Plus, hey, I want Don to get an opportunity as a manager. I really do. It opens up another opportunity for a great baseball guy to reach the HoF - an opportunity his back stole from him. If it worked for Torre, I guess we faithful Yankees fans can hope it will work for the Hit Man.

[bjd2933]

Heck, I want a long term manager, but with Levine pulling the strings, it seems like anyone and everyone is going to be on a short leash, and I'd hate to see a popular name like Don Mattingly treated like garbage because the 200 million dollar ballclub can't make it past the division series. I'd much rather a Bobby Valentine or Girardi put up with that crap.

I am a Mattingly supporter, but I'd like to see him get a fair chance and to do things his way. Unfortunately with this regime in place, I don't see that happening.

Posada is a tricky situation. He's coming off a fantastic year... he's old as dirt... but there is no other option out there right now. I've never been big on his defense, but in the AL, there are no spots in your lineup where you can go "defense first" at any position with a guy like Jose Molina... who is an ideal backup, but not a guy I want starting 110+ games for my team. They are overpaying... they'll probably wind up regretting the third year when Posada is a DH/first baseman.... but all in all I really can't argue with it.

Even if Posada gives you his career average which is .271, .381 OBP, 25 HR, 97 RBI over 162 games... thats much better than most catchers give you.

I would have given him 2 with a mutual option personally.

[love_that_reefer]

According to the New York Post, the Yankees decided at their first offseason baseball operations meeting that they will pick up the $16 million contract option on Bobby Abreu.
There's certainly no good reason not to. Abreu was pretty much his usual self over the final four months of 2007, and there are no better right field options available in free agency.

I find this to be a dumb move on the Yankees part. Abreu is not the same player offensively and defensively. I thought the Yankees were trying to shake things up but apparently they want to keep the same old guys. They say there are no better RF potions but they can go get a CFer (take your pick) and move Cabrera to RF. He has a great arm and can cover a lot more ground than Abreu. I know the Yankees have all the money in the world but $16 million for this guy is absurd.

[Veovis]

Abreu had a good year last year after an awful start. There isn't a lot of risk here, and signing a CFer would be more costly than picking up Bobby's option. In a weak FA class, Rowand and Hunter are going to get Gary Matthews Jr money, which he didn't deserve either. I'll take Abreu for one. Just like I'll gladly take Andy for one, even if it will be for $16 mil.

[love_that_reefer]

What was the point of firing Torre? This team needs to shake things up on the field, not fire the best manager they've had in 30 years. Rowand and Hunter are far better than Matthews Jr. and much more of a proven product. Plus those two help the defense tremendously, Abreu holds it back a bit. Signing would be looking toward the future, not living in the past that doesn't work.