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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

NY Times: Looking to Add Arms, Yankees First Deal One

“Pitching, pitching, pitching, and then left field,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “Those are the obvious areas we need to focus on.”

The Yankees have an advantage on other teams, of course, because they have the highest payroll. They hope to bring it below $200 million for next season, but that still gives them enough space to have choices.

Their first move was to subtract a pitcher, trading reliever Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals on Monday for a player to be named. The Nationals pick first in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday, and they will select a player for the Yankees.
...
Other pitchers who interest the Yankees include Roy Halladay, who has a year left on his deal with Toronto, and the free agents Rich Harden, Joel Pineiro and Randy Wolf. Cashman flew to Indianapolis on a private jet with the agents Sam and Seth Levinson, who represent Jason Marquis…

“He’s very successful, pitched in tough markets, and he’s a New Yorker,” Cashman said. “That means he’s tough.”

The Yankees have not committed to bringing back Chien-Ming Wang… Wang’s agent, Alan Nero, said the Yankees had not told him if they would tender Wang a contract before the deadline Saturday.

Nero said he was optimistic that Wang could be ready by opening day, but Cashman put the timetable “between April and June.” If the Yankees tender a contract to Wang, they will be bound to pay him at least $4 million.

NTNgod Posted: December 08, 2009 at 09:04 AM | 21 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: yankees

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1. Howzer Posted: December 08, 2009 at 09:34 AM (#3406417)

So let me see if I understand this: the Nationals take a pitcher from the Yankees with arm problems and who has been burned out in exchange for the first Rule 5 draft pick?

2. tjm1 Posted: December 08, 2009 at 09:45 AM (#3406420)

So let me see if I understand this: the Nationals take a pitcher from the Yankees with arm problems and who has been burned out in exchange for the first Rule 5 draft pick?

I hate the Yankees as much as anyone, but this isn't really a fair assessment. Bruney had a good year last year, missing about a month and a half in the middle with arm trouble. He was very good down the stretch. The Nationals probably wouldn't make this trade if there were anyone available in the Rule V draft they wanted. Teams routinely pass on the Rule V picks.

3. APNY Posted: December 08, 2009 at 10:15 AM (#3406426)

He was very good down the stretch.

He was terrible down the stretch. His ERA was better in Aug/Sep/Oct than the total disaster that was June/July, but the perifs were still awful and his velocity was down.

I guess he's a better risk for the Nats than the Yanks, but so would be the first pick in the Rule 5.

4. jwb Posted: December 08, 2009 at 10:30 AM (#3406429)

So the Yankees see somebody they like and willing to trade some bullpen depth for the pick. The Nationals don't see anybody they like better than Bruney. No big deal.

5. ?Donde esta Dagoberto Campaneris? Posted: December 08, 2009 at 10:47 AM (#3406431)

Are the Yanks really going to let Wang go at that price? If he's likely to be healthy in the second-half next year, that seems crazy to me.

Doesn't he have one more arb year, after this one, as well?

6. RollingWave Posted: December 08, 2009 at 10:47 AM (#3406432)

he was very good at the start, terrible after his injury, and then did alright in the playoff.

regardless, he's your typical roll of a dice reliever, he probably will put up a good year or two somewhere down the road, the problem is he's also just likely to throw up horrific years.

7. Matt Garza smells it deep (Mr. Tapeworm) Posted: December 08, 2009 at 11:37 AM (#3406438)

regardless, he's your typical roll of a dice reliever, he probably will put up a good year or two somewhere down the road, the problem is he's also just likely to throw up horrific years.

A guy who hasn't thrown up a horrific year in the last four seasons is not really a "roll of the dice." Perhaps he'll never fully recover from his injury, but overall, he was still about average for a reliever last year. His one truly horrible year was 2005 with Arizona, but after that, he posted ERA+'s of 519, 96, 242 and 109. All over the place, yes, but nothing that would really sink a team. Plus, his upside if he recovers fully is that of a top-notch middle reliever. At times, he has closer stuff, but I'd be worried about his consistency.

8. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: December 08, 2009 at 01:26 PM (#3406458)

Fun but Meaningless Brian Bruney Facts: He is 8-0 the last two years, the only pitcher with that many wins and no losses in that period. His last lost came in Toronto on September 21, 2007. Both his 2007 losses, however, were in extra innings. He hasn't lost a game in regulation since August of 2006.

9. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: December 08, 2009 at 01:38 PM (#3406461)

His one truly horrible year was 2005 with Arizona, but after that, he posted ERA+'s of 519, 96, 242 and 109. All over the place, yes, but nothing that would really sink a team. Plus, his upside if he recovers fully is that of a top-notch middle reliever. At times, he has closer stuff, but I'd be worried about his consistency.

Shouldn't this also include his IP totals? I agree with you that Bruney isn't too likely to be horrific, but he's pretty likely to be unavailable.

You've got 20 IP, then 50, then 34, then 39. The 50 in 2007 was a career high.

I don't know if this is a bad trade because I don't know the status of Bruney's shoulder, and I don't know enough about the Rule 5 eligible players. The value of Bruney depends entirely on his health, so, well, up to the Nats and Yankees' training and scouting staffs to determine which is the better side of the trade.

10. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:12 PM (#3406479)

Doesn't he have one more arb year, after this one, as well?

Yes. Then again, he may never be a capable MLB pitcher again, no matter what his agent says about him being way ahead of schedule on his rehab.

Bruney was a damned fine pitcher in 2008, both before and after hurting his foot. It seems pretty clear that he still has upside. It's not saying much, but he might be the Nats best reliever, even if they keep MacDougal.

11. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:17 PM (#3406483)

Are the Yanks really going to let Wang go at that price?

Yes. There's a good chance of his arm being completetly shot. They're not giving him $4M to find out. Despite all the talk, the Yankees aparently do have a budget.

They'll non-tender Wang and try to resign him to a low guarantee/incentive deal.

12. fra paolo Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:18 PM (#3406486)

It's not saying much, but he might be the Nats best reliever, even if they keep MacDougal.

It says a lot, but not about Bruney.

13. Mr. J. Penny Smoltzuzaka Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:20 PM (#3406487)

...and he’s a New Yorker,” Cashman said. “That means he’s tough.”

The Yankees have not committed to bringing back Chien-Ming Wang…

Jason Marquis is tough because he's a New Yorker while Wang is a p*ussy because he's not.

14. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:46 PM (#3406502)

OK, let me get this straight. Wang is still arb eligible. He made $5 mil last year, so the least the Yankees can offer is 80% of that, or $4 mil. The only way to retain his rights is to make that offer. They could pay him less, but to do that they have to non-tender him, which makes him a free agent. Is that correct? Would that tender offer of $4 mil mean they are offering arbitration? Not that Wang would get more than $4 mil in arbitration, but you can't just make a 5 year player a take it or leave it offer, correct?

15. Liver of blaspheming 'zop Posted: December 08, 2009 at 02:46 PM (#3406503)

I posted this yesterday in the Winter Meetings thread, but does anyone have any idea who the Yankees might be eyeing for the Rule V draft? Who is out there who has a remote chance of sticking to their roster for a full-season?

16. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: December 08, 2009 at 03:07 PM (#3406518)

Is that correct? Would that tender offer of $4 mil mean they are offering arbitration? Not that Wang would get more than $4 mil in arbitration, but you can't just make a 5 year player a take it or leave it offer, correct?

Yes, yes, and yes. A couple more things, a) Wang is out of options, so if a month of minor league rehab wasn't enough to get him ready to pitch in the majors again, he would have to clear waivers and b) with five years of service time, Wang would have the right to refuse an outright assignment to the minors even if he did clear waivers.

... does anyone have any idea who the Yankees might be eyeing for the Rule V draft?

One name I've heard is Bobby Cassevah. Supposedly a ground ball machine. But he's got some control issues and he's never pitched above AA.

17. SOLockwood Posted: December 08, 2009 at 03:16 PM (#3406523)

The value of Bruney depends entirely on his health, so, well, up to the Nats and Yankees' training and scouting staffs to determine which is the better side of the trade.

Given the past performance of the Nationals' training and medical staff, I'd want independent confirmation that Bruney's arm is still attached.

18. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: December 08, 2009 at 03:27 PM (#3406529)

FWIW on Bruney's health, he seemed to lose a lot of weight this year. I have no idea if that reflects an increased commitement to training or if he just gave up carbs or what, but its worth noting.

19. jwb Posted: December 08, 2009 at 04:08 PM (#3406575)

b) with five years of service time,

Not quite. This is his third arb year, but Wang was a Super 2. Does this status get updated during the season? If so, he will have 5 years by the end of April, so they'd have to outright him by April 15 or so.

20. cercopithecus aethiops Posted: December 08, 2009 at 04:13 PM (#3406584)

Does this status get updated during the season?

It seems that the purpose of that rule is to prevent teams from optioning a player during his final reserved season just to get another year of team control, so yeah, maybe it wouldn't apply to Wang's situation.

21. Cris E Posted: December 08, 2009 at 04:20 PM (#3406590)

does anyone have any idea who the Yankees might be eyeing for the Rule V draft? Who is out there who has a remote chance of sticking to their roster for a full-season?

They could be picking FOR another team if Cashman has arranged a trade for the guy already. Johan Santana came to MIN on a low end trade like that.

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

NY Times: Looking to Add Arms, Yankees First Deal One

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