Mets Acquire Santana

Johan Santana is coming to New York, but he will not call the Bronx home. The two-time Cy Young winner is heading to the Mets after Omar Minaya pulled the trigger on a deal sending Carlos Gomez, Phillip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra to Minnesota in return. This brings a the Yankees’ long pursuit of the elite lefty to a close. This team still lacks a proven shutdown starter at the top of the rotation. It is time to take a look at how all relevant parties fared in this deal.

Winners

Johan Santana: The lefty is going to get the big contract he covets, play in the world’s biggest media market, and go to the weaker hitting league.

New York Mets: The Mets somehow landed the game’s best pitcher without giving up their top hitting prospect, Fernando Martinez, or their top pitching prospect, Mike Pelfrey. They gained the dominant ace they had lacked and added an anchor to a thin pitching staff. This move is the big splash that will finally allow the fans and media to start looking forward and forget their dramatic 2007 collapse. In one move, Omar Minaya has made the Mets the team to beat in the National League in 2008.

Boston Red Sox: They would have loved a Beckett-Santana combination to top their rotation, but their starting pitching looks great as currently constructed. They did not need Santana. Their only concern was the Yankees using him to counter Beckett. Now the Yankees did not get Santana, and they get to hold onto their prized prospects.

Yankees Fans: Fans of the Yankees have grown tired with the marquee acquisitions. Over the past three years, it has been deeply satisfying for them to watch their young, homegrown stars develop. Now they will get to see Phil Hughes turn into one of the game’s top pitchers instead of buying up an established star who made the leap years ago.

Losers

Bill Smith: The Minnesota general manager has to top this list. He could have had the game’s next great young pitcher in Phil Hughes to pair with Francisco Liriano for the next five years at the top of his rotation. He also could have had an adequate young centerfielder in Melky Cabrera to compensate for the loss of Torii Hunter. He could have replaced Hunter with Jacoby Ellsbury, a future All-Star in centerfield, or received a future 2 or 3 starter who has won a World Series clincher in Jon Lester. He could have topped off a deal with the Red Sox by acquiring an above average shortstop prospect in Jed Lowrie. Instead, Smith ended up with a couple of middle of the rotation starters, a project pitcher, and an overrated centerfielder prospect with great speed but no power or discipline at the plate. Smith deserves to be tarred and feathered by his fanbase. This was awful evaluation. He picked the worst package.

Hank Steinbrenner: Hank lost out on the pitcher he coveted. He has nobody but himself to blame. His pompous negotiations and through the media, unprofessional public complaints about the Twins’ front office, and setting of fake deadlines helped to torpedo any chance the Yankees and the Twins could sit down and amicably negotiate a way to get Santana to the Bronx.

New York Yankees: The Yankees still do not have a shutdown starter at the top of their rotation. It would have been foolish to trade a future ace like Phil Hughes for a guy that much older and more expensive. It still made no sense as to why the Yanks were willing to give up Hughes but not make Robinson Cano the centerpiece instead. Cano has firmly established himself as an elite second baseman at a young age. The hitting challenged Twins gladly would have listened had the Yanks put Robbie in the package in place of Phil. Cano is a terrific hitter, but the Yankees have plenty of offense. Giving him up for a shutdown starter should have at least been considered. Their refusal to do so might have cost them Santana. Second basemen are easier to find than pitchers of Santana’s caliber. It is more important to have an ace in October than it is to have a .300 hitter at second base.

Major League Baseball: The fact that the small payroll Twins could not afford to keep a player so important to their franchise speaks volumes about the problems Major League Baseball has. One cannot blame teams like the Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees. They are using a flawed system to their advantage just like any other business would. Baseball needs to get more equitable rules because this is awful for fans of the Twins.

Mitchell Report Names Numerous Yankees

The Mitchell Report was released to the public today. Numerous former Yankees were named as steroid users. David Justice, Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch, and Randy Velarde are among those named. The two biggest fish were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. I will spread out my comments over the next few days. There are numerous aspects of this Report that deserve attention. This coming Wednesday, I will be on a 4 hour train ride, which will give me a chance to actually examine this thing closely. These are my opening thoughts.

*ESPN, the “objective” source for sports news, could not have put Clemens’ and Pettitte’s pictures up more. The talk centered on them, even though a former MVP, Miguel Tejada, was also implicated along with scores of others. This network cannot get enough Yankee bashing. It generates interest. This is like how the network made Clemens’ perks a major news story once he came to the Yankees after he got the same treatment in Houston for 3 years.

*As a fan, most of these names really do not affect me. I have become jaded with the times. Everybody knew that steroid abuse in baseball went far beyond what we knew before today. Very few names would have surprised me. While I loved the championship teams with guys like Stanton, Justice, and Knoblauch, I never really identified with any of them personally. Even though I rooted for Knoblauch, I really could not stand the guy when he was with the Yankees. I never even developed a major fondness for Clemens. I rooted for and defended him, but he was always a great pitcher who happened to be a Yankee. He was not a great Yankee.

*Pettitte is a different story. He is a true Yankees, who came through the system. He seemed like a great guy and a good family man. He has shown time and again that he cares about more than just money, a refreshing change from the egotistical culture of modern professional athletics. He plays hurt and comes up big in huge spots. He is very likable and easy to identify with. He provided me with some of my best childhood memories. I now know how the kid who said, “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” felt.

*I am really not sure what to believe in the Pettitte case. On the one hand, a person cannot simply ignore these charges. On the other, the case Mitchell laid out was hardly beyond a reasonable doubt. The only evidence against him seems to be the testimony of a man, Brian McNamee. McNamee’s story seems relatively logical, but how can anybody really confirm it? There is something for him to gain by lying. Before today, nobody knew the name of Brian McNamee. Now he can be remembered as the guy who took down Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. How can one handle Pettitte even if this testimony was true. All that the report appears to indicate (and as a disclaimer, I have not read it closely yet) is that Pettitte took HGH in 2002 to recover from an elbow injury. Mitchell does not suggest steroids turned him into a high quality pitcher before or after this. It claims that Clemens met McNamee in 1998, but his late career resurgence began a year earlier. Nowhere does it say anything about Clemens taking steroids in 1997. Again it seems plausible that the Mitchell Report is accurate. Clemens avoided aging by taking steroids, and Pettitte was his protege. Still, I am not sure there is bulletproof evidence that this took place. I am not comfortable destroying a man’s reputation without that kind of proof. There are plenty of plausible explanations and little in the way of solid evidence beyond McNamee’s hearsay.

Yanks Lose Michael Gardner, Get Bo Hall

The Yankees lost relief prospect Michael Gardner to San Diego in the Rule V Draft. Because Gardner had enough service time in the minors and was not on the 40 man roster, he was exposed. The Padres now get Gardner but will need to return him if he does not stay on their 25 man active roster.

Gardner posted a 2.88 ERA at AA Trenton last year. He was a swingman out of the bullpen for the Thunder and made a few spot starts. Gardner is not much of a prospect, although he might turn into a decent Major League reliever. The Yankees have more talented guys without the health issues that have plagued Gardner.

It is amazing that nobody picked up Steven White. White is hardly a big time prospect, but he has progressed through the minors and should be ready to slide into the back of somebody’s rotation. White is a hard thrower, who could make a niche for himself down the road as a reliever. He is likely to land in New York at some point in 2008 either as a spot starter or as bullpen reinforcement.

In the minor league phase, New York got a reliever Bo Hall from Milwaukee. He posted a 3.46 ERA in 54.2 innings last season at AA Huntsville. He is underwhelming, but as a pick in the minor league portion, the Yanks do not need to keep him on the big club. This move is unlikely to make any impact, but it is worth a shot. Nothing is lost either way.

Yanks to Speak to A-Rod

George King of the New York Post reports that the Yankees plan on sitting down with Alex Rodriguez to prevent the third baseman from opting out of his contract.

“Apparently we will talk soon, I am told,” Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, said last night when asked about the Yankees brass talking to his client. “I would expect it will include all parties.”

Asked if there were an offer on the table from the Yankees, Boras didn’t say yes or no but explained Rodriguez wasn’t interested in talking financial terms until he hears from Hank and Hal Steinbrenner about the direction George Steinbrenner’s sons intend to take with the Yankees.

“We have been very clear with the Yankees that we are not in the economic phase of the process,” Boras said. “We are considering our next step and that will be preceded by taking in information. We want to be thorough. Alex wants to know the intentions of Hank and Hal.”

One intention of the Steinbrenner sons is that if Rodriguez opts out of the contract and the Yankees don’t get the benefit of the $30 million for the next three years they would receive from the Rangers, they won’t chase the third baseman into the free agency pool. Some view that as a negotiating ploy; others believe the Steinbrenners will stick to their statement and allow Rodriguez to flee The Bronx as a free agent even, though everybody in the organization knows he can’t be replaced on the field or as a box office and television draw.

If the Yankees want to keep A-Rod, all they have to do is blow Scott Boras and him out of the water with a contract extension offer. Give him a deal he would not be able to top on the open market. This will at least save the Yanks the money that they would lose from Texas if he opts out of his deal. The pickings are slim to replace him. If there is one thing the Yankees can part with, it is money. This team would be hit hard losing his production.

Mattingly: I’m Not Ready

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Don Mattingly has told the Yankees front office that he would have a lot of reservations about taking over as the team’s manager. This is due both to his own inexperience and the pressure that would be involved with following a legend.

Yankees bench coach Don Mattingly has told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager’s job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre, according to a friend of Mattingly.

The friend, who requested anonymity because the situation is unresolved, said he spoke directly with the former Yankees great in recent days. Mattingly’s stance could open the door for the Yankees to bring back Torre for a 13th season because he was the leading candidate for the job.

Since hiring Mattingly was used as a rationale for getting rid of Torre, things now look a bit brighter for Joe to return. Don deserves some credit here. Being the manager of the Yankees is one of the glamor jobs in all of sports. It says a lot about his intellect to know that he is underqualified and being set up to fail. Following Torre’s act would be difficult enough for anybody. Mattingly would have to prove his own worth at the same time to skeptics since he has no track record of success in the Majors as a skipper.

Yankees Invite Twenty-One to Spring Training

The Yankees have issued twenty-one invites to Spring Training. There are a wide range of players who receive an invite. Some are youngsters who have no realistic chance of breaking camp with the big club. They are there so that the coaching staff can observe them for future reference and so that they can get some experience playing with top players, forcing them to raise their respective levels of play and giving them a better idea of what they need to work on to make it to the Majors. Players in this category include Brett Gardner, Jose Tabata, and Eric Duncan. Some of these players are youngsters looking to make an impression and break into the Majors for the first time. This category includes Phillip Hughes, Tyler Clippard, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson, Steve White, and others who will battle for a spot in the rotation when Carl Pavano comes down with his inevitable season-ending injury. The final category consists of veterans looking to latch on with a team to extend their careers. Todd Pratt and Ben Davis help make up this list. That pair will battle Wil Nieves for the backup catcher spot. Both men have experience, which should give them the inside track since neither could be much worse than Nieves.

Nelson Signs and Retires

Jeff Nelson has signed with the Yankees and then retired so that he could end his career with the team he pitched for from 1996 to 2000 and again in 2003. He also had three stints with Seattle and one with Texas. Nelson was never the most selfless player. He was a pain in the neck in the clubhouse, often airing his grievences to the media instead of keeping them in the clubhouse. This was what helped eventually earn him a ticket out of New York. However, his contributions to championship teams on the field also cannot be discounted. He was invaluable to the Yankees as a reliever on a quartet of World Series winners with his sweeping slider. He was part of a dominating bullpen along with Mike Stanton, Ramiro Mendoza, and Mariano Rivera that won critical games by shutting down the opposition in late innings. The fact that Jeff thought so much of the Yanks that he wanted to end his career in pinstripes has to take away most of the ill will he created during his career. Thanks for everything, Jeff.

“I enjoyed a fulfilling 15-year major league career, and each season brought experiences and friends that I will cherish forever, but being able to be a part of four world championship teams with the Yankees, while playing in a place like Yankee Stadium in front of the greatest fans in the world that time will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The End of Bernie?

The New York Daily News hypothesizes that Bernie Williams’ storied career in pinstripes is near an end. Most of the article is simply speculation aside from one telling passage.

But in addition, a high-level Yankee official said the current plans do not include Williams, at least partly because the ballclub feels it’s more important to keep 12 pitchers than a fifth outfielder.

It would be a shame to see it end this way. Bernie showed in 2006 that he still has something to offer. His 600 at bat days are over, but on a more limited basis, Williams is still a productive hitter off the bench for a backup outfielder, especially from the right side. He still thrives in pressure situations, and he is an invaluable source of clubhouse leadership for youngsters like Robinson Cano and veterans alike. The Yanks seem set on a righty platoon guy with Doug Mientkiewicz. Miguel Cairo could satisfy this need. He has a good glove, and his offense would not be much of a dropoff if at all from Josh Phelps or Andy Phillips with the bat, meaning that neither would be more valuable than Bernie. This is especially true when one considers how many fewer games a righty platoon player gets than a lefty. Late in a tight game, the Yanks would be better off sending Bernie to the plate to pinch hit for Mientkiewicz against a lefty than they would be with either Phillips or Phelps off the bench.

Cairo Resigned

The Yankees have resigned utility man Miguel Cairo to a 1 year, $750,000 deal. Bringing Miggy back into the fold makes sense. He provides great defense at all four infield positions and can play a corner outfield spot if he has to. His stats aren’t terribly impressive, but he is not a bad hitter. He is not very imposing at the plate, but he has a tendency to get his hits in big spot. Cairo might not be an impact offensive player, but he’d be a starter if he was. If a starter goes down, Miggy is capable of filling in. It’s tough to ask more of a utility man.

Johnson Sent Back to Arizona

The Yankees have reached an agreement to trade Randy Johnson back to the Arizona Diamondbacks about two years after New York traded Javier Vazquez, Brad Halsey, and Dioner Navarro to acquire the future Hall of Fame lefty. Arizona would take on all but $2 million of Johnson’s $16 million salary in 2007. The Yanks would receive Luis Vizcaino, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson, and Alberto Gonzalez in return. The deal depends on the Diamondbacks working out a contract extension with Johnson to get the 5-time Cy Young winner to waive his no-trade clause.

This deal is another good one for Brian Cashman and the Yanks. Johnson is sure to be a first ballot Hall of Famer one day. However, the productive phase of his career appears to be nearing an end. Randy is 43 years old. At that age, the chronic back and knee issues that have led to his decline in New York are only going to get worse. It is impossible to tell what one could expect from him in 2007. He posted a 5.00 ERA in 2006, and he will be a year older and coming off major back surgery. Odds are that Randy won’t be improving much if at all. His physical issues make him a liability for this season. His ailments have taken their toll on his pitching success. They probably will only make his decline quicker and more painful. With a $16 million salary and a cabinet full of Cy Young’s, it would be difficult to lift the man from the rotation should be prove to be a liability. That is assuming that he even stays healthy, which is really going out on a limb. The Yankees’ rebuilt farm system has to have somebody who could match his production for much cheaper. The Yankees could always replace any of these young pitchers if they don’t work out. The bottom line is that the Yanks could not afford to depend on Johnson in 2007. They were likely looking at Kevin Brown, Part II.

Getting Arizona to take on $14 million of this contract was brilliant enough even before one considers how much New York got in return. The guy who will make the most immediate impact is Vizcaino. He is another quality arm for a rebuilt bullpen. Luis has appeared in at least 65 games and pitched at least 62 innings in every season since 2002, proving his durability. During this time, his ERA has exceeded 3.75 only once. He was part of the White Sox’s 2005 Championship bullpen. This was an excellent pickup for what should be one of baseball’s elite relief corps in 2007.

The Yanks also picked up a trio of prospects in this trade. Ross Ohlendorf is a sinkerball prospect. Scouts love his mentality. Many believe that he has the kind of stuff that will eventually make him a successful Major Leaguer. Steven Jackson is a 24 year old right hander who posted a 2.65 ERA in AA last season after reworking his delivery. He’s another potential big leaguer. Alberto Gonzalez is a AA shortstop. His bat is a bit of a question mark, but he is a terrific defender at the position. At worst, he could become a utility guy, which is probably where he would end up with the Yankees since Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez have the infield positions locked down for a while, although A-Rod is more tenuous. He could eventually become an Orlando Cabrera or Alex Gonzalez style player. Those guys don’t hit much, but their terrific defense at such an important position has value. Pitchers are more difficult to project. The fact that the Yanks got a pair who have at least the talent to make it one day is a good thing. They add to the depth of the minor league pitching system. There is so much talent that by the law of averages, the Yanks should be able to develop a number of quality pitchers in the years to come. This depth also helps the Yankees make trades to fill current holes. Teams like what New York has to offer, and with an abundance of pitching, it doesn’t hurt to part with some of that. These guys don’t rank high among Arizona’s prospects, but the Diamondbacks have such a deep farm system, meaning that’s not much a red flag. Some believe that these guys will be better than the highly rated prospects. The bottom line is that getting these players is a good bet for the Yanks to make.

This deal also makes sense to a degree for the Diamondbacks. Getting Johnson back will excite their fanbase. He will undoubtedly be better in the National League. The problem for them is that $14 million is a lot to pay for a pitcher who is breaking down, not to mention the extension he will get. They had prospects to spare so giving them up doesn’t really hurt them. However, they will have to hold their breath that Johnson’s body won’t betray him because he could become an albatross.

This ends a tumultuous era for the Yankees. The team has taken some heat for dealing for him in the first place, but that is all hindsight. The Yanks had to make that deal. They had come off a disastrous ALCS in 2004 where their pitching had let them down. New York needed an ace, a guy they could hand the ball to with confidence every fifth day. Coming off a Cy Young caliber season, Johnson looked like that guy. Yes, he was 41 at the time and he had the same physical concerns, but they hadn’t kept him from dominating. If a workout nut like Randy could dominate at 41, he seemed like a good bet to do the same at 42. Johnson didn’t like the glare of New York, but the real reason he struggled is that his body started giving out on him. The adjustment period every star has didn’t cause his fastball to lose velocity or his slider to lose bite. Johnson pitched some masterpieces for the Yanks, but these came inconsistently. His dominant finish to 2005 helped the Yanks into the postseason, but the egg he laid in Game 3 led to the team’s early October exit. Overall his tenure with the Yanks was uneven. He offered glimpses of the pitcher he once was, but the team got him a year too late. He was not what the team had hoped for. Was he a total bust? The answer is no. He did pitch the way he was supposed to at time, no matter how inconsistent he was. He did carry the team to the division title in 2005. The team has gotten less bang for its buck from plenty of players. Was the trade worth it? Maybe it wasn’t in hindsight, but based on what we knew in the winter of 2004, the Yanks had to take that chance.

In the end, this separation is best for all parties. Randy gets out of the glare of New York and gets to finish his career near his home and pick up his 300th win for the team that he loves. The Diamondbacks get their PR boost. The Yanks get something of value and more financial freedom. They can use that money to go after Roger Clemens harder. There is the question of the backend of the rotation. Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano hardly inspire confidence. However, Randy is not a much better bet. New York has stockpiled young arms as insurance. If nobody sticks, the team now has even more ammo to make a deal to get an established guy. Getting anything valuable for a guy like Randy Johnson is a good deal.