Tanaka Is A Yankee!

[CashMan]

OK. Again, I will say that this does not prove that Small Market teams could not afford Tanaka. Can you show me any proof that they can not afford to pay Tanaka? They have the same chance as any other team for him.

However, according to Forbes, Arizona is a small market team. I mean, what is a small market team? Also, I noticed that while you correctly point out that Seattle pulled out at the last minute and was not part of the 5 final teams considered, you also avoid the fact that Seattle did outbid the Yankees for Cano. While he is not a pitcher, he is still a big time contract that was won by a Small Market Team over a Big Market Team. Does that not prove the point that Small Market teams can compete?

You just keep going round and round with this, just do so you can be right. You asked for proof, Other than Teams making a public statement, I think what I showed is pretty solid. So I am done with that.

Arizona, has shown in the past, to spend money, so no they are not a small market team. They paid Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, so there is already proof, that they can and will spend. As for Seattle, they have tried before to spend, The Richie Sexton era, Ichiro era, and Chone Figgins. Maybe this time is for real, but it has shown, that they can not sustain it. So this is probably a bad decision to sign him.

 

[CashMan]

I have no idea but if you want to do the homework on that, make sure you context it in comparison to how many American Pitchers also fail. That should keep you busy.

Keeping up with the open ended arguments.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

You just keep going round and round with this, just do so you can be right. You asked for proof, Other than Teams making a public statement, I think what I showed is pretty solid. So I am done with that.

Arizona, has shown in the past, to spend money, so no they are not a small market team. They paid Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, so there is already proof, that they can and will spend. As for Seattle, they have tried before to spend, The Richie Sexton era, Ichiro era, and Chone Figgins. Maybe this time is for real, but it has shown, that they can not sustain it. So this is probably a bad decision to sign him.

You showed no proof, other then to say that no small market teams offered a contract to Tanaka. Well, that's not proof and what's more, that's not even entirely accurate, depending on what you consider to be a small market team. I've already told you that Arizona is a small market team, according to Forbes. Heck, some would even say that the White Sox are a small market team, because of the relationship with the Cubs in Chicago. Now, I would not include them as such because I believe they do have the money to act like a large market team but that's not really how they run their organization. They run it like a small market team. I've also never said that I was right. I said that there is no proof, that I know of, to substantiate your statement and that's true, so far as I can tell.

Spending money does not mean you are not a small market team. The Rays have also spent money in the past but they are still a small market team. If anything, that just lends credibility to my earlier statement. The question is not about outspending a Big Market team like the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Dodgers. The question was, did a small market team have the same opportunity to sign Tanaka as did the Yankees? The answer, I think, is yes.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Keeping up with the open ended arguments.

Have it your way but the point is correct. You can't make a statement like the one you just made without comparing the results to American Pitching prospects and what percentage of those have failed to be big time pitchers in MLB. If you want to call it open ended, that's OK. I would call it an honest evaluation.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

It doesn't solve all the Yankees problems...

But given the signings they've made it's potentially a 90-win club.

Several things need to break right for them to reach say 95-wins, but it's a better team than they put on the field in 2013.

A team of old timers in the field. Can they stay healthy? Prob w/ that Yankee Pixie Dust, but maybe Father Time actually is a factor.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

A team of old timers in the field. Can they stay healthy? Prob w/ that Yankee Pixie Dust, but maybe Father Time actually is a factor.

You're right. Depending on how things go with Jeter and Tex, combined with CC's ability to bounce back from his poor 2013... Well they could win 90 or they could win 82.

 

[Kristen82]

A team of old timers in the field. Can they stay healthy? Prob w/ that Yankee Pixie Dust, but maybe Father Time actually is a factor.

Not to mention scrubs like Kelly Johnson at 3B and Brian Roberts at 2B. Don't understand how you can afford a massive payroll yet have to resort to cheap journeymen to fill some spots.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Not to mention scrubs like Kelly Johnson at 3B and Brian Roberts at 2B. Don't understand how you can afford a massive payroll yet have to resort to cheap journeymen to fill some spots.

Brian Roberts wasnt even wanted by the Orioles. And he had been their franchise face for quite a few years, except the past 2 or 3. With the Yankee Pixie Dust he may have one of those miraculous resurgent type years that so many old unwanted guys do that the Skankees pick up.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Not to mention scrubs like Kelly Johnson at 3B and Brian Roberts at 2B. Don't understand how you can afford a massive payroll yet have to resort to cheap journeymen to fill some spots.

I think the answer is that Kelly is a career .982 fielder and Roberts is a career .985 fielder. Neither one is going to carry you with the bat but both can play multiple positions and both are excellent defensive players. Also, it's not like they are too terribly old. Roberts is only 36 and Kelly is only 31.

The other thing you have to consider is that they will both be playing in Yankee Stadium so that will absolutely help their numbers.

 

[Kristen82]

I think the answer is that Kelly is a career .982 fielder and Roberts is a career .985 fielder. Neither one is going to carry you with the bat but both can play multiple positions and both are excellent defensive players. Also, it's not like they are too terribly old. Roberts is only 36 and Kelly is only 31.

The other thing you have to consider is that they will both be playing in Yankee Stadium so that will absolutely help their numbers.

36 is ooooold for a ballplayer (although PHI doesn't seem to mind). And I guess their hitting lineup is deep enough that they can afford to carry two weak bats at the 8-9 spots. Maybe they should actually try to develop a farm system though because prospects are cheaper than journeyman players and hey they might actually have some upside.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

36 is ooooold for a ballplayer (although PHI doesn't seem to mind). And I guess their hitting lineup is deep enough that they can afford to carry two weak bats at the 8-9 spots. Maybe they should actually try to develop a farm system though because prospects are cheaper than journeyman players and hey they might actually have some upside.

I worry about the age as well but if your going to have old guys on the field, at least they are not paying them 20 million a year to be on the team and on the DL but yeah, I do agree, would be nice to have some younger guys. No question.

On the Farm System, they actually have a few players but the problem has been injuries in the farm system. In 2012, the Yankee Farm System was ranked 10th. Last year, they took a real step back with injuries so hopefully this year, that will improve. If not, it's spend more money I guess.

That sucks.