Kuzul

Hasn’t the New York Yankees brass put us fans through enough already?

So far, the 2010 offseason has been emotionally draining for those loyal to the pinstripes.

To be fair, we were warned the moment owner Hal Steinbrenner uttered the word “messy” pre-captain Derek Jeter’s negotiations.

After weeks of vandalizing Jeter, one of the most luminous Yankees ever, and seemingly giving Mariano Rivera the silent treatment, Yankee fans have had about 24 hours of peace.

That was Saturday, today is Tuesday and the Winter Meetings are in full swing.

The MLB Network has around-the-clock coverage, filled with interviews and introductions. The first 24 hours a majority of teams’ GMs and owners sat down to give their respective clubs plan for 2011. I learned a lot:

• The West Coast, NL version of Yankees Mark Teixeira has left San Diego for Beantown, as Adrian Gonzalez is now with the Boston Red Sox. During his press conference, Gonzalez said he couldn’t wait to beat the Yankees. Boston gave up three coveted prospects and one player to be named later to the Padres for the All-Star. GM Theo Epstein said Kevin Youkilis would move to third-base, so Gonzalez can play at first. Gonzalez is described as a left-handed Manny Ramirez and hit .337 in 2010. Merry Christmas Red Sox fans!
• Jayson Werth signed a monster contract for seven years and $126 million with the Washington Nationals. So, now you know Scott Boras is in attendance. As for Werth, he better hope rolling around in dollar bills will ease the pain of losing. Not to worry as no one watched the Nationals games and Stephen Strasburg won’t be back till 2012 so stash some of the green in your locker, too.
• My love affair continues to grow stronger with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, as he once again told it like it is and it is so refreshing. Ozzie was elated about his team’s new addition of Adam Dunn from the Nationals. Ozzie said his White Sox are AL Central’s team to beat. Ozzie ended his talk by stating he wished he was Jayson Werth’s wife.
• Also, heard from higher-ups of the Rangers, Mets, Braves, Padres, Phillies, Angels and others who took the time to inform us what they are up too. Also, the Red Sox have officially been labeled the favorites to win the 2011 World Series.

So, what news came out of Yankees camp?

Well, we were told that Andy Pettitte is leaning towards retiring, according to a friend of a friend. That is very reliable reporting.

Has anyone found the guy who heard this news from Pettitte’s buddy?

Obviously the answer is no, as no one even knows the “mole’s” name.

On to the Cliff Lee front, all I picked up from listening to this banter is that the Yankees are not the only club Lee’s camp is taking to.

This felt like some kind of polite warning.

Fact remains, sans the two southpaws spells trouble for Yankee universe.

One of the hosts said if this becomes the Yankees’ reality, that for sure the Royals’ Zach Greinke would be in pinstripes. I think this is a baaadddd idea.

I mean what’s next a press conference reintroducing Carl Pavano to New York?

I will happily put my foot in my mouth if GM Brian Cashman comes on TV with both Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee.

Only because that is the Yankees way….still?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

It has been widely reported that the New York Yankees have engaged in talks with free agent Carl Crawford because they consider him a potential “plan B” should they fail to sign the apple of their eye, pitcher Cliff Lee.

What has not been mentioned at all, however, is the possibility that New York might also be considering the speedy outfielder as a “plan B” should Andy Pettitte decide to retire.

And why wouldn’t they?

If Crawford really is considered a backup plan in the event that Lee doesn’t sign on, why on earth wouldn’t he be just as good a backup plan—if not better—in the event that Pettitte decides to retire?—And by the way, it’s sounding more and more as if that is exactly what Andy Pettitte intends to do.

Think about it.

The thought behind Crawford serving as a “plan B” for Lee was that the Yankees would take the majority of the money set aside for the lefty ace and give it to Crawford, then use one of their current outfielders—most likely Nick Swisher or Curtis Granderson—to acquire a starting pitcher.

If Pettitte calls it a career, the Yankees are still one pitcher short of a rotation even IF they sign Lee.

However, they would be in better shape—who wouldn’t rather have Lee than Pettitte next year, given the option?

The Yankees could then deal one of their outfielders—we’re betting on Swisher—for a starting pitcher to fill in at the 4-hole behind CC Sabathia, Lee and Phil Hughes.

The money the team was ready to pay to Pettitte—at least $12 million—combined with Swisher’s 2011 salary—$9.1 million—would easily cover the salary for Crawford.

And don’t forget, Crawford is a guy the Yankees—especially Cashman—have pined over for YEARS now, and he’s EXACTLY the type of player—super athletic, fast, great defense—the Yankees GM has been targeting in the post-PED era.

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Deal He Will Get: Seven years, $18 million/year

Deal He Should Get: Five years, $10 million/year

Everyone knows Carl Crawford is an elite hitter in this year’s free-agent class. That isn’t saying a whole lot, but the talents he has going for him are legitimate. His consistency in the batting average department speaks to a true ability to hit for average. Over 8.5 seasons in Tampa, his average fell within the .280 to .315 range seven times, failing to do so only in 2002 and 2008. Those also happened to be the two seasons he missed significant playing time.

In 2002, he debuted and played in 63 games, hitting .259. In 2008, he missed about a third of the season with injuries and hit .273. Other than that, the consistency has been remarkable. He topped the .300-mark five times. Part of this is due to his exceptional speed, which is perhaps his most noteworthy talent.

Speed is probably what most teams will have in mind when offers are constructed north of $100 million. His speed is legitimate and his base-stealing smarts are too, with 409 steals and only 90 caught-stealings placing him amongst the elite speedsters. Of the 14 players who stole 200 or more bases since 2002, Crawford ranks fourth in terms of success rate.

His 81.96 percent success rate was topped only by Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon, each of whom has at least 100 fewer steals over that time period. Among these top speedsters, only Ichiro has a better batting average than Crawford’s .296. The only player anywhere near Crawford’s stolen base total is Juan Pierre. Pierre hits a home run once every 447.3 at-bats, while Crawford hits one per 48.

Perhaps Crawford’s one Achilles heel has been his lack of plate discipline. His career OBP of .337 is pretty average. Since he has hit for good batting averages, most of that OBP comes from hits. However, there is evidence that Crawford is learning discipline. His walk rates over the past three years have been 6.2 percent, 7.6 percent and 6.9 percent, having never topped six percent previously. One explanation is that pitchers have started to pitch around him, but that seems unlikely. Crawford was an established star well before 2008 and Tampa’s lineup was hardly fearsome before then.

Fangraphs’ swing percentage statistics show Crawford to be swinging at fewer pitches over recent years, though the percent of pitches out of the zone he’s swung at has actually increased. He’s also showing a lower percentage of swinging strikes, a greater percentage of out-of-the-zone swings and a greater contact rate on pitches out of the zone.

The explanation is that Crawford has been walking more and striking out more. The onset of “old-player skills” is beginning, though his plate discipline is getting better only marginally.

Speed and batting average are often thought of as “young-player skills,” and many of the best hitters of recent generations have shifted from high-average/good-speed guys to high-OBP/good discipline guys. I think that’s what Crawford will need to do to stay elite into his late 30s, and there is evidence that he’s begun to drift in that direction. As he gets older (he turns 30 late next season) he may shift further in that direction, but his defense will probably get worse (as might his speed). Years wear on guys’ legs, and Crawford owes a lot to his legs, but he plays the field very well currently and that should continue in the coming seasons.

Based on all of this, Carl Crawford should expect to be paid comparably to what Ichiro makes or what Jose Reyes should be making, or a tick below what Hanley Ramirez would get on the market. Reyes makes about $6.5 million per year. Hanley makes almost $12 million per year. I think that’s about what Crawford is worth now, and I think, given the market, he will probably get about that, or even a little more in this year’s paltry class.

He can also use Jayson Werth’s recent signing as leverage, and teams will not only be paying for Carl Crawford, but they will be paying to not have to employ Andruw Jones, Melky Cabrera or Manny Ramirez. Though the GM insistent on adding speed to his outfield can always give Corey Patterson a call.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The rumors are flying in the already steaming Major League Baseball hot stove.  With the Winter Meetings starting today, many free agents are sure to find new homes in the upcoming days and weeks.

But where will they end up? The answer is not as sure for some as it is for others. 

With the outlandish deal given to Jayson Werth, the uncertainty of this offseason has dramatically increased. After more major players sign, the dominoes are sure to fall. Here are 10 of the most coveted prizes of this offseason, their possible suitors and where they will end up. 

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As a Red Sox fan, I’m as happy as anyone that the Red Sox have acquired Adrian Gonzalez. However, Boston’s work is far from done in this offseason: if they are to succeed in 2011 and beyond, the Red Sox need Carl Crawford and several relievers.

While the prospects dealt to San Diego in the Gonzalez blockbuster are tremendous talents, they’ll probably hit the bigs too far in the future to help a Red Sox team poised for success now. Casey Kelly would find himself logjammed behind a locked-up rotation, Anthony Rizzo is a first baseman, and Reymond Fuentes is years away from achieving anything close to the success of his cousin Carlos Beltran.

San Diego snatched a strong haul, but it’s a much stronger haul for a small-market team than for a team capable of filling any need through free agency and less reliant on a farm system’s continual production. While the Red Sox need quality homegrown players like Bard, Buchholz, Ellsbury, Lester and Pedroia to produce at a high level for a relatively low cost, they don’t need to fill an entire 25-man roster with low-cost pre-arbitration youngsters. The Sox can afford the Adrian Gonzalezes of the world.

So, yes, I’m a big fan of this deal, which also means that Boston avoids committing four or more years to a productive but inconsistent and aging corner infielder like Adrian Beltre. This move gives Boston tremendous flexibility moving forward.

That said, Boston cannot rest on its laurels and settle for only minor improvements between now and spring training. Boston needs both Carl Crawford and multiple relievers.

Although Gonzalez may hit .320 and provide more than 40 homeruns and 100 RBI per season, he less than replaces the combined 2010 production of Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre. Those two sluggers launched 48 bombs, drove in 181 and averaged .310 for the season.

The Sox need another bat, and it had better be in an outfield that’s only one year removed from losing JD Drew and Mike Cameron. Crawford’s dominant speed and defense make him by far the best available option for years to come.

Just take a look at the potential free agent outfielders next Winter, and you’ll quickly recognize what an opportunity teams have right now to sign the likes of Crawford. The Sox shouldn’t be afraid to sign two franchise players to six or eight year deals at the same time. Crawford and Gonzalez can carry this club for a long time.

Then there’s the bullpen. Young flamethrower Daniel Bard recently commented to the Boston Herald that the pen needs a veteran presence. They need some help out there.

With Hideki Okajima non-tendered, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez dealt away last season, and Jonathan Papelbon diminishing each time he takes the mound, the Sox need to bolster the pen for 2011. Recently, they’ve been connected to Matt Guerrier, Brian Fuentes, Koji Uehara, and Ron Mahay.

The smart money’s on Fuentes and Guerrier. Either way, the Sox cannot rely on recent acquisitions Andrew Miller and Taylor Buchholz. Soon the free agent relievers will be gobbled up like holiday leftovers.

The Sox need to get in on this arms race.

For breaking Red Sox news updates, follow Peter on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford would love to give you a hug or at least send you a thank you card because what you did for his new contract isn’t something he can put into words.

Although, the stupidity of the Washington Nationals should be worth something to Crawford as well because if it wasn’t for the team in the nation’s capital, Crawford wouldn’t be looking at nearly the amount of money that he’ll command now.

We found out over the weekend that tIhe Nationals had signed the former Philadelphia Phillies’ outfielder to a seven-year $126 million contract. The most surprising thing about this deal was the fact that it was kept almost silent. With the social media available these days, that’s almost impossible and unheard of.

Before you look at Werth’s deal as the standard bearer, there’s a rumor floating around that the Red Sox and Adrian Gonzalez have agreed to an eight-year $161 million extension. But, there’s another story out that says the extension for Gonzalez will be seven-years for $154 million.

Money has gone crazy and baseball’s winter meetings are less than a few hours old. Werth gets $126 million, Gonzalez looks to be getting $161 million and Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford are still out there and available.

We are still yet to see two of the biggest contracts get signed.

But let’s stick with the deal the Nationals signed. I honestly didn’t think the Nationals would do something like this. Why sign a guy for that many years who is 1) over 30 and 2) end the contract two years shy of his 40th birthday?

Didn’t they learn anything from the Chicago Cubs and outfielder Alfonso Soriano? Anything at all?

Let’s not forget, this is the same Washington Nationals team that rushed pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg up to the big leagues so the fans would have something to look forward to.

Sure, he shined in his debut, and sure, there were plenty of sportswriters who were a blubbering mess when they talked about him, almost in the same way as teenage girls do when they talk about teeny bopper Justin Bieber.

It’s all well and good if you want to show off a little and boast that you have a guy who can throw 103 miles per hour consistently. I’m happy for the Nationals that they have a kid like that.

However, when it was time to shut him down, the Nationals didn’t want to do it. They were selling tickets and making money. He was their cash cow, no way were they going to do the right thing and shut him down for the season.

They were playing for nothing. Not a playoff spot, not a wild card spot, nothing. Yet they continued to run him out every fifth day until, surprise, Strasburg succumbed to the work load and had to undergo Tommy John surgery which will force him to miss the entire 2011 season.

Congratulations Washington. Was that worth it?

Let’s talk about former Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford who might get the biggest offseason contract of any player out there.

The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and a few other teams have big-time interest in this young outfielder, and for good reason. In 2009, he hit .307 with 19 home runs and 90 runs batted in. Not only that, but he’s a solid defender for any team looking to fill a hole in their outfield.

So if Werth gets $126 million, Gonzalez is apparently at $154 million, could Crawford be looking at a contract worth upwards of $170-$180 million or more? The other question is, who is really ready to pony up that kind of dough and for how many years?

Last, but certainly not least, is the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.

The top two teams that are involved in trying to lure Lee to their team are the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. There are going to be other teams in the running, but none that can match the two that I previously mentioned.

For the Rangers, it’s the draw of enjoying the guys he played with and has already been on the record of saying that he would love to be a part of the team next year. Not only that, but he’s within driving distance of his home in Arkansas.

As far as the Yankees go, it’s all about money and championships with them. If he signs with New York, it will be because they offered him either more years or more money per year than the Rangers.

If you’re either team, how much is this left hander, with plenty of playoff experience, worth to you?

We’re only through one day of the winter meetings with more moving pieces still to come over this week. I’m curious to see what kind of stupid money is thrown around this week, or will we not see two of the bigger contracts signed until after the holidays?

I won’t take anything away from Jayson Werth, I’ll just say congratulations and I hope you can live up to what they expect from you for the next seven years.

If not, most people will forget all about it. At least those outside of Washington D.C. Besides, there’s more pressure on a young teammate of yours than there is on you. 

I doubt very highly that Nationals’ general manager Mike Rizzo came to the winter meetings hoping to be mocked. But, he accomplished just that. Congratulations to you as well Mr. Rizzo.

The winter meetings are something that all of us baseball fans look forward to. We want to know when our teams are making a move and who they are interested in.

But, even the biggest Nationals fan said the following after hearing of the Jayson Werth deal. “Wait, we gave how much to who?!”

So now that Werth is a member of the $100-million club, I may as well send members-only jackets to Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. It’s just a matter of time before they join it as well.

Salary cap anyone?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

Everybody knows the New York Yankees have their hearts set on adding lefty ace Cliff Lee this offseason, perhaps as early as the winter meetings next week. Of late, however, there has been a lot of talk about the interest being shown by the Bronx Bombers in free agent outfielder Carl Crawford.

Much of that talk has centered around the legitimacy of New York’s interest. Specifically, does New York really want to sign him, or are they just driving up the price for Boston—assumed to be one of the teams most interested in Crawford— while also paying that team back for their interest shown in Mariano Rivera?

We might have the answer to that question. The Boston Red Sox are on the verge of completing a trade that would bring them first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Part of that deal will be a massive contract extension, which likely takes Boston all but out of the bidding for Crawford.

The Yankees, however, appear to remain, which could be the strongest sign yet of their desire to add the speedy outfielder. And New York might have found a clever way to add both Cliff Lee AND Carl Crawford while sticking to their word on “holding the payroll to about the same level as 2010.”

Deferred money. New deals for both Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, which are all but done, BOTH include deferred money, and both are thought to be worth in the neighborhood of $15 million per year. We don’t know how much of the money is deferred, but $5 million per year on each doesn’t seem like a stretch.

But let’s be conservative. Let’s say the new deal for Jeter, not counting deferred money, pays him $15 million this year and the Rivera deal, after deferred money, pays the closer $12 million. $27 million this year for those two players would represent a decrease of $10.5 million from what New York paid those players in 2010.

If you then trade either Curtis Granderson or Nick Swisher—something that will absolutely happen if the Yankees sign Crawford, and we’re betting on Swisher—you EASILY have the money to sign Crawford without touching the money you’ve set aside for Lee.

All of the talk about the deferred money in the Jeter and Rivera contracts has dealt with saving the Yankees money on the luxury tax. We don’t believe it’s about that at all. We believe it’s about the Yankees getting the pitcher they love AND the outfielder for whom they have held a deep and longstanding infatuation.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Red Sox have Adrian Gonzalez wrapped up in a nice little package, ready to play. The good thing for the Red Sox is they now can focus on the other cogs in the machine that is the Red Sox. This clears the air for many issues which people have been debating, but there is no question now that the Red Sox have a dangerous batting team. Depending on what they choose, you could see Boston have a powerhouse team, or a sickening combination of speed and power. Regardless, getting Gonzalez to 1st gives the Red Sox great defense at the corners. Here’s some things the Red Sox should be up to after this deal is inked.

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According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, The New York Yankees have interest in outfielder Carl Crawford. Crawford is a pricey free agent that many teams are after and if there is any team that has the money to pay him, It is the New York Yankees.

Heyman is reporting that the meeting can take place as early as next week. Crawford might not make any sense for the Yankees because they already have a crowded outfield, but what an addition Crawford would be for the Yanks.

The meeting will most likely take place at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. 

Crawford has also drawn interest from the Red Sox and the Angels, and the Yankees certainly do not want Crawford to play in Boston next season.

If the Yankees are serious about meeting with Crawford to possibly get a deal done, then they would have to trade Nick Swisher or Brett Gardner.

This is an outfield that already has three capable outfielders. Adding a fourth would not make sense if the Yankees are planning the other three.

Crawford is thought to be asking for a contract in the $100 million range. The Yankees are accustomed to this having giving out $100 million dollar contracts to the likes of CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.

Carl Crawford had career highs last season in home runs and runs batted in with 19 and 90. He performed at a high level in hopes to get a big contract, and that will likely happen whether it is with the Yankees or elsewhere.

Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Derek Jeter, Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, and Jayson Werth have the Hot Stove burning up and the MLB landscape is bound to look different, with Jeter the only one likely to end up back with the same team.

Rumors are flying around like mosquitoes in the summer time. The non-stop talk about Jeter can also be related to mosquitoes because they both do one thing to people: annoy them.  

Enough about mosquitoes, it’s time to get back to Hot Stove talk and address everything worth talking about right now in baseball.

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