McCann Introductory Presser Wrap-Up

Brian McCann's introductory press conference was held earlier today.  It was the typical Yankee affair, with all the head front office honchos out there, a million cameras, and the unveiling of the number a new player will wear when he's coming to a team with precious few good ones available.  If you weren't able to watch live, here's what you missed:

- McCann will wear #34 as a Yankee.  He said it was because his former teammate and good friend Eric O'Flaherty wears that number for the Braves.  Shouldn't be too hard to exceed what Freddy Garcia did in that number.

- Cash hooked his wife up with a bouquet of flowers and a pair of #34 onesies for his kids.  Gotta keep the wives happy.

- Joe said of McCann, "We think we've got the next great Yankee catcher right here."  He would know.  He played with the last one.

- McCann said he called Mark Teixeira before making the decision to sign to "pick his brain" about what it was like to play in New York.  Because nobody has their finger on the pulse of what it's like in NYC than painfully white, robotic humanoid Mark Teixeira.

- When the topic of clubhouse leadership came up, McCann said "this is Derek Jeter's team" and added that he's looking forward to meeting the rest of the team and "falling in line."

So there you go.  Pretty standard stuff, although McCann most likely will become more of a clubhouse leader than he let on.  Welcome aboard, Brian.  Looking forward to doing this for Ellsbury next week.

P.S. Check out this picture that Feinsand got of the front office heads sitting down.  Levine, such a fucking tool.

Goodbye Operation 189

(I'd like to imagine Hal is doing this in his office, maybe even in Joker facepaint)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It's been a fun last couple of weeks, huh?  The Yankees have plucked the second and third best free agents off the market, the top 2 players available at premium up-the-middle positions, and they've done in relatively sneaky fashion.  While everybody else was assuming their primary focus was on Robinson Cano and Carlos Beltran, they pushed harder than many of us realized to get Brian McCann and then called an audible for Jacoby Ellsbury.  McCann will finally be formally introduced this afternoon at a 2 PM press conference, and once he passes his physical Ellsbury won't be far behind.

After the slow, stagnant, predictable, and painful offseason of last year, this year's has already been full of fireworks and we aren't even to the Winter Meetings yet.  With wheels still turning on the Cano front and the signing of Ellsbury reportedly not stopping the Yanks from pursuing Shin-Soo Choo, I guess the most important question right now is who's next?

A Quick Word On The Latest NPB Posting Developments

(Or gets struck back against ... )

I don't want to make a huge deal out of this, because the Yankees are still winning the offseason right now by a wide margin and still have to be considered a favorite to sign Masahiro Tanaka whenever he's posted.  But the new changes being made to the NPB posting system are possibly the most blatant anti-Yankee screwjob I've ever seen in my time as an educated baseball fan and as a diehard Yankee fan I simply can't let it go by without saying something.

Report: Kelly Johnson Signing A Done Deal

There was little reason to expect otherwise after the news first came out, but the deal between the Yankees and Kelly Johnson was agreed to yesterday and Johnson will be donning the pinstripes next year.  Jon Heyman had the confirmation, reporting that it is a 1-year deal for $3 million and is still pending a physical.

I touched on Johnson a little bit yesterday and I'll get into more detail on him soon.  The bottom line is he can play all over the field, hold his own defensively in all those spots, and he offers some legit pop and plus offensive value from the left side of the plate.  I'm sure there's some thought of using this signing to put more pressure on Robbie going on in the front office, but Johnson is the type of versatile player the Yankees need on the roster next year regardless of whether Robbie comes back or not.  Another good signing for sure.

Jacoby Ellsbury Signing Thoughts & Afterthoughts

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

I was shocked when the Yankees came out and signed Brian McCann.  Shocked.  I thought that was the one spot they'd be willing to take a hit and stick with their internal crew as they worked through their roster revamp plan this offseason.  Well they didn't and they surprisingly got him at basically market value.

I was absolutely blown away (BLOOOWHOA-WHOA-WHOA-OOOOOWN!!!!!!!) when the story of the Jacoby Ellsbury signing first broke last night.  I knew the Yanks had been in contact with him but I really thought he was their 3rd option behind Beltran and Choo.  With a speedy, low-power outfielder already on their roster, I didn't expect them to seriously go after another one and I definitely didn't expect them to give out the kind of deal they did to get Ellsbury.

My initial reaction to the deal was one of dislike.  I didn't like the years, I didn't like the money, I didn't like the lack of power, and I didn't like the spotty injury history tacked onto the length of the deal.  Now that I've had some time to think, consider, talk to people, read some other takes, and think some more, I think this is a move I can actually get on board with.

The Ellsbury-Cano-Boras Connection

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

A little over 7 months ago, Robinson Cano decided that Scott Boras wasn't the right fit for him heading into free agency.  He ditched Boras and signed on with the then newly created Roc Nation Sports firm headed up by Jay-Z.  Last night, Boras got a 7-year/$153 million contract for one of his other clients, Jacoby Ellsbury, and he got it from the Yankees.  It's the 3rd highest contract ever given to a free agent outfielder and it comes with an option for an 8th year that could bring the total value to $169 million.

To be honest, I still don't know how I feel about the Ellsbury signing.  At first glance I'm not a fan of the years or the dollars but I'm smart enough to recognize how great he's been when he's been healthy.  I need a few more hours awake today to really put all my thoughts together on how this fits from a baseball perspective.  The one thing that does keep rattling around in my head right now is what the Ellsbury signing means for Cano.  It certainly doesn't him off the table for the Yanks.  They still have plenty of money to spend right now, as shown by Mike E. last night, and I still firmly believe Cano will re-sign with them.  If you'll allow me to put on my Jim Garrison hat for a few minutes, here's my quick little theory on how this move to sign Ellsbury could actually be a part of the Yankees' strategy with Cano.

Wednesday Morning Food For Thought

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Jacoby Ellsbury is a passed physical away from becoming the starting center fielder for the Yankees.  The team has stated they have no intention of trading Brett Gardner and the assumption if they don't is that he'll shift back to left field in 2014.  With Ichiro Suzuki in right, that would give the Yankees arguably the best defensive starting outfield in baseball.

But what if they don't keep Ichiro in right?  What if the addition of Ellsbury signals that Ichiro is now expendable and possibly tradeable?  The Yankees have 2 left-handed speed OFers now in Ellsbury and Gardner, they have 2 righties in Soriano and Wells, and they have switch-hitting Zoilo around for further bench depth.  If there's any kind of market out there for Ichiro, which is not to say there is or should be based on his last 2 years of production, the Yankees could try to move him and at least some of his salary and go with Soriano as the right fielder/part time DH.

There are still moves that can be made before that to help manage 40-man roster issues as the Yankees continue to add pieces, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Ichiro get shopped around, if for no other reason than to see if there's any interest out there.

Report: Yanks Close To Signing Kelly Johnson

They didn't stop after signing McCann and it doesn't appear as though they're even slowing down after signing Jacoby Ellsbury last night.  Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees are "close" to signing free agent utility man Kelly Johnson to a 1-year deal worth about $3 million.

Johnson, 31 and turning 32 before the start of next season, is a lefty bat with a .253/.335/.427 career slash line (.335 wOBA).  While his offensive numbers have been down the last 3 years from their early peak, he still offers pretty good on-base skills for a guy who hits for low average and has some pop (.174 career ISO).  His primary position is second base but he has experience on the infield and outfield corners and he handled himself well at third for the Rays this past season.

According to Sherman's report, the Yankees plan to use Johnson in multiple positions and as a potential starting second base option if they don't re-sign Robinson Cano.  As a lefty bench guy with pop, I like this move a lot, especially if it means Johnson gets most of his time at third.  As a replacement for Robbie, I wouldn't be a fan.  I still think the team's primary goal is bringing him back and using Johnson in that utility role.

Yanks Agree to 7-Year Deal With Jacoby Ellsbury (UPDATED)

This has all come out in the last 20 minutesor so, but apparently the Yankees and free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury have agreed to a 7-year deal.

Jon Heyman first reported that the 2 sides were close, and it has since been confirmed by Mark Feinsand that it's a done deal pending a physical.  No specifics on the dollar amount but Feinsand says it will be bigger than Carl Crawford's 7/$142 million deal with Boston a few years back.

I honestly don't know what to say here.  I didn't see this coming and I don't think anybody did.  More on the story as it comes out.

** UPDATE 7:44 PM- Multiple Yankee beat guys confirming Heyman's report that the deal is close but still not done.  Feinsand now saying it's 7 years/$153 million.  This is shocking to say the least. **

** UPDATE 7:54 PM- Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees have stated that they have no intention of trading Brett Gardner.  If that's true, they'll have a hell of a defensive outfield. **

** UPDATE 8:04 PM- Via Bryan Hoch, there is an option for an 8th year that could bring the total value of the deal to $169 mil.  I imagine that's for AAV/payroll purposes but I still don't like it. **

** UPDATE 11/4 7:41 AM- Via Heyman, the deal includes a full no-trade clause.  That's 2 of those now for the 2 big signings. **

Yanks Make McCann Signing Official (UPDATED)

The Yankees have issued the formal statement, so I guess that means everything checked out with the physical and Brian McCann is now officially the 37th current member of the roster and the starting catcher for the 2014 season.  As part of the team's official statement, Hal Steinbrenner had this to say:

“The singular and unwavering desire of this organization is to construct a team each and every season designed to play meaningful baseball deep into October.  In Brian McCann, we feel we have made a significant improvement to a key position, while adding a high-character presence to our clubhouse. Our work this offseason has just begun, but we feel this is an important step towards what will be an exciting and rewarding 2014 season for our fans.”

Big, bold words that match up with what the team has been saying for a while and doing since the green flag dropped on this offseason.  I said after the deal was signed that I thought this was a great move for the Yankees for multiple reasons.  They've added an elite catcher for a reasonable amount of years at market value and will have the added benefit of extending his career thanks to the DH spot in the American League.  Looking forward to McCann's introductory presser on Thursday and finding out what number he'll wear.

** UPDATE 4:10 PM- Via Joel Sherman, here are the details on the vesting option: 1,000 PA in 2017-2018, 90 games at catcher in 2018, and not on DL at the end of 2018.  All 3 must be met for the 2019 option to vest.  That's pretty good for the Yankees. **

Non-Tender Deadline Moves Won't Be The End Of The 40-Man Shuffle

(Listen to the bell, Vernon.  It tolls for thee.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The non-tender deadline was yesterday and the Yankees continued their onslaught of offseason activity with a flurry of moves.  They traded Chris Stewart to the Pirates for a PTBNL in the morning, reuniting him with his 2012 catching partner and clearing some of their new logjam at the catcher spot caused by the Brian McCann signing.  In the afternoon, they officially non-tendered Jayson Nix, Matt Daley, and David Adams, freeing up 3 40-man roster spots in the process.

Stewart's spot makes 4 but that will go to McCann when his signing is made official later this week.  With so many free agent feelers out right now and the Rule 5 Draft coming up next week, those 3 remaining spots will really come in handy.  You have to think the Yankees are unofficially reserving 1 for Robinson Cano, or whoever they sign to replace him in the unlikely event he signs elsewhere.  Another will be held for Hiroki Kuroda, to whom the Yankees have reportedly made another 1-year contract offer.  And based on the Yankees' recent history, it's high likely they will select a player - another unheralded bullpen arm is my guess - in the Rule 5, bringing them back to a full 40-man roster.

Non-Tender Deadline Wrap-Up

So a lot of stuff happened yesterday afternoon and last night that I didn't get to.  If you were busy like I was, here's what you missed.

- The Yankees non-tendered Jayson Nix, Matt Daley, and David Adams to free up 3 more spots on the 40-man roster.  I bet they'll try to re-sign all of them to MiL deals, but Adams is the only one I'd care about getting back.

- They did sign Russ Canzler to a MiL deal, giving him a second go-round after cutting him in February.  I did a piece on Canzler way back when they first signed him in January and he still profiles as that same type of player.  Has always hit lefties in the Minors and can play some corner IF/OF.

- Brendan Ryan's new deal was formally announced by the team.  Via Joel Sherman, the deal is actually worth $2 million this year and next year with a team option for 2016.  If the Yankees decline, it becomes a $1 million player option, bringing the AAV of the deal to $1.67 mil.  Every little bit helps.

Yanks Have Reportedly Made An Offer To Hirok

We found out last week that the Yankees were feeling "more upbeat" about Hiroki Kuroda returning to pitch for them next season than they were earlier in the offseason.  Those upbeat feelings have now reportedly translated to a new contract offer.  According to Andrew Marchand, the exact details of the offer aren't known but an unnamed source has it as another 1-year deal between $15-16 million.  That would represent a slight upgrade from the 1-year deal that Kuroda pitched on this past season.

Mark Feinsand just tweeted that the offer was made "a long time ago," so maybe there's some differing information going on here.  My expectation was always that the Yankees would strongly entertain the idea of bringing Kuroda back next season if they felt he was open to returning.  I also expected them to wait a little longer than they did last year to explore other, younger options first.  Regardless of when the offer was extended, this is a sign that the Yankees aren't content to wait around for the Masahiro Tanaka posting situation to get resolved.  If they do end up with both Kuroda and Tanaka next year, that wouldn't be a bad first 4 to have in the rotation.

Aggressive Yankee Offseason Approach Being Thwarted On Multiple Fronts

("Psssst.  Do you think it's time offer Robbie a bonus package based on running hard to first base?"/Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The Yankees entered this offseason knowing they had a lot of work to do.  Luxury tax avoidance goal or not, they were and still are an old team with a ton of roster holes to fill.  Years of focusing their efforts on older free agents, overpaying to retain some of their own, and sticking to their outdated and foolish team policy of not negotiating new deals while they still had team control over guys has caught up to them, and the Yankees find themselves very much in need of a makeover this offseason to avoid slipping into another down era.

To their credit, the Yankees prepared themselves well for this offseason and have been among the most, if not the most active team since the offseason officially began.  They've been engaged with nearly every big name MLB free agent, they've done extensive research and scouting of the top international free agents, and they've been proactive in trying to re-sign their own free agents that they're interested in keeping.  Yet despite their best efforts, and despite multiple assurances by the highest-ranking front office members that they would not, the Yankees find themselves being slowed down and even delayed in executing many of their big offseason plans.  It's been frustrating to say the least and potentially problematic if the team is still trying to build their next championship contender on a luxury-tax avoiding budget.

Quick Hit: Chris Stewart Traded

Well I guess that interest in Chris Stewart that was reported over the weekend turned out to be true after all.  As first reported by Buster Olney, the Yankees agreed to trade Stewart to the Pirates earlier this morning.  Jon Heyman confirmed the details of the trade, which will include a player to be named later coming back to the Yankees, and the team has already issued a press release formally announcing the trade.

This move was a pretty obvious one given the current 40-man depth the Yankees have at catcher.  The writing was on the wall for Stewart the minute the team signed Brian McCann.  If the Yanks didn't move him in a trade today he would have been non-tendered.  The PTBNL most likely won't even be a fringe prospect, the real goal here from New York's side was to open up another spot on the 40-man.  That's what was done and kudos to the Yankees for at least getting something back for Stewart.

So Long, Old Friend

* (Disclaimer- I may or may not have written this post last night with a half dozen beers in me) *

If there was 1 more nail that had to be driven into the coffin of Phil Hughes' tumultuous Yankee career, it happened over the weekend.  Hughes signed a 3-year/$24 million deal to join the Minnesota Twins rotation next year, in a deal that was a little more than I thought he'd get after the horrible finish to his 2013 but much less than a 27-year-old righty should be getting in this day and age of baseball spending.

I know I said the last post about Phil was the last one I'd write about him, but I just can't let it end like that.  Phil was an important part of my Yankee fandom, my transition to a more educated baseball fan in general, and my evolution as a blogger, and I'll always remember him for that.

You came into my life as a promising young stud, Phil.  I had high hopes for us.  You winning games and leading future Yankee rotations.  Me blushing at home and fanning myself while you struck out the side.  It was a match made in heaven.  Until things started to fall apart.  To be honest, I can't really pinpoint where things started to go wrong, but I knew that you weren't the pitcher I thought you were and I still don't think I'm fully over that.  You were my first prospect love, Phil.  And we'll always have that first spring 5th starter competition.  But now you're really gone and I think we're both better for it.  I wish you all the best in Minnesota.  Maybe I'll come out to visit sometime.  Probably not though.

Chances Of Kuroda Coming Back Improving?

(Courtesy of the AP)

The last time we heard about Hiroki Kuroda, reports had him leaning towards returning to Japan next season rather than coming back for another year in MLB.  At the time, only the Yankees and Dodgers stood out as realistic MLB options if Kuroda decided to stick around for 1 more season and the Yankees, at least based on their early lack of communication with Kuroda, didn't seem to have Hirok high on their priority list.

In the last few weeks, that landscape may have changed to shift back towards Kuroda returning to the Yanks in 2014.  The Dodgers recently signed Dan Haren to a 1-year/$10 million deal, making Kuroda much less of a priority for them.  And in a story for The Post a week ago, Joel Sherman reported that the Yankees were "more upbeat" about the possibility of Kuroda coming back than they were earlier in the offseason.  Cash's stated need for 400 innings still hasn't been addressed and the continued delays in the new NPB posting agreement is keeping the Yankees from making their push for Masahiro Tanaka, so the match is very clearly there.

Cano Lowers His Asking Price

Don't get too excited because it's not by much.  But after tabling talks until Monday, a report is out on the latest offer from Robinson Cano's side.  According to Ken Davidoff of The Post, Cano's agents turned in a new proposal for a 9-year deal worth between $250-260 million during the last meeting this past week.  This is down slightly from the initial 10/$310 mil figures that were submitted in May.

To their credit, the Yankees reportedly stood firm to their 7-year/$160-175 million offer and they have no reason to budge from that without another team getting involved.  This new counter offer from the Cano camp signals them coming to terms with the reality of his market, although their new proposed offer would still put him in the high 20s per year in terms of AAV and that's still a very high price for a player already in his 30s.  If the Yankees stand pat on their side when talks start up again tomorrow, chances are we'll be reading about Cano's team lowering their figures again at some point.

Report: Teams Interested In Stewart (No, For Real)

Source: #Yankees Chris Stewart is drawing trade interest. They are also discussing a deal to avoid arbitration with him. Fluid talks.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) November 29, 2013

First reaction- No effing way teams are actually willing to trade for a guy who's probably going to be non-tendered in a few days.

Second reaction- No effing way the Yankees would actually entertain the idea of offering a new contract to a catcher they no longer need.

Third reaction- Love when talks are fluid.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 11/29/13

Food coma.  I don't know about y'all but I'm still very much in one today.  I stuffed myself full of as much food and beer as I could fit for about 10 hours yesterday and it all finally came crashing down on me around 8:30 when I passed out on the couch and missed the first 3 quarters of the Steelers-Ravens game.  I woke up to see the last quarter and I was still so full at that point that I couldn't really get back into a good sleep pattern.  I can still feel how heavy and bloated my body is today, but that's what Thanksgiving is all about, right?  Justifiable and enjoyable gluttony.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Chad Jennings of LoHud compared new leading OF target Carlos Beltran to the other top players available at the position.

- El duque of It Is High... lamented the added confusion that the Brian McCann signing brings to the Yankees' future plans.  I think he's being a little too negative in his assessment, but there are some valid points there.

- Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits broke down just how big an upgrade Brian McCann will be both offensively and defensively.

- Jason Evans of Yanks Go Yard questioned how real the "limited time offer" to Cano is.  Fair question based on how the Yankees have handled some of their other big re-signings in the past.

- Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily listed his top 5 first base prospects in the Yankee system.  Yeesh, that's a pathetically short list after Bird.

- On Tuesday, Mike Axisa of RAB wrapped up his 2013 season review by looking at the good and the bad of all the spare parts used by the Yankees this year.

- On Wednesday, Matthew Provenzano of Pinstripe Alley profiled Matt Kemp as a potential trade target.

- SJK of NoMaas showed how much the Yankees and Cano need each other and why it's in both sides best interests to speed up talks and get a deal done.

- Domenic Lanza of IIATMS/TYA put together some free agent pairing options the Yankees could pursue with the money they'd otherwise give to Cano.

This Friday's jam is "Come A Little Closer", the new song from Cage The Elephant.  I heard it once or twice on the radio in the last week and now I can't get the hook out of my head.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Yanks Lose Mike Harkey To The D-backs

It was rumored to be a possibility weeks ago and now it's close to becoming reality.  Via Jack Magruder, the Arizona Diamondbacks have tapped Mike Harkey to become their new pitching coach.  They're expected to formally announce the signing on Monday.

Harkey had been the Yankee bullpen coach since 2008 and he was one of the few coaches who had served on Joe Girardi's staff since Joe took the manager job.  He was well respected in the clubhouse and in the bullpen and he's actually a pretty cool dude, evidenced by him tossing my friends and I a ball from the bullpen before the Saturday Yanks-Sawx day game in September and then laughing off our drunken razzing when he dropped another ball somebody had thrown him to sign.  With Harkey leaving, the Yankees will need to find a new bullpen coach for 2014.  Expect Triple-A pitching coach Scott Aldred to be the leading candidate.

Brendan Ryan Signing Official, And For More Years

("Don't worry, Robbie.  I got this.")

The one bit of news that snuck through yesterday and bears posting today is the official announcement of the Brendan Ryan signing.  While it's basically been a done deal for a few weeks now, Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal was made official yesterday.  Somewhat surprisingly, there were additional years and dollars added to the contract than what was initially reported.

According to Rosenthal, the contract is for 2 years and $5 million, which raises the AAV a tick from $2 mil per year to 2.5.  There is also a mutual option for 2016 and an incentive package that could make the total value of the deal $10 million when all is said and done.  That might seem like a lot for a player with a bat as weak as Ryan's, but the Yankees badly need a defensive upgrade at the position and they don't have anything closely resembling a full-time replacement for The Captain in their farm system.  If Ryan hits slightly better than his career average and plays his typical stellar defense, this should be a winning deal for the Yanks.

Happy Thanksgiving From AB4AR

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, as I'm sure it is for many more of you out there, so expect today to be slow around the blog.  Unless something incredibly unexpected and newsworthy happens I'll be spending my day eating myself sick, drinking a shit ton of great beer, and watching football, and I sincerely hope everyone else out there does the same.  Wherever you are, hopefully you're surrounded by family and friends and have as great a Thanksgiving today as I intend to.  And if you're one of the chosen people, have yourself a happy Hanukkah today.  It's a celebration for everybody.

See Ya Monday...

According to source, the $310M demand from Cano's side remained until Tuesday, though it was lowered "very slightly." Sides still far apart.
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) November 27, 2013

 That tweet came on the heels of Feinsand reporting that the 2 sides spoke today but did not meet.  Doesn't sound like this week's discussions led to much progress, but that really doesn't come as much of a surprise.  There's no reason for Cano's side to lower their asking price significantly this early in the game and there's no reason for the Yankees to raise their offer at all knowing they're still the only team who's made one.

Sooner or later, somebody will have to blink and right now the Yankees are still in the more favorable position.  Let's see where the talks go next week.

What About Third Base?

Regardless of you how you feel about how they're prioritizing this offseason and who they're going after, the Yankees have to be commended for the proactive approach they've taken.  Recognizing that this past season's penny pinching/washed up veteran reclamation project approach was not the right way to contend on a budget, they've wasted no time in identifying their primary and secondary free agent targets and appear to be making a strong effort to upgrade every major area of need on their roster.

Every area, that is, except for third base.  The Yankees used 9 different players at the hot corner in 2013, best among them Alex Rodriguez.  While they've stated that they are planning on having him around and at third next season, there's a very, very good chance that he ends up suspended for at least 50-100 games.  Even if he beats the odds and is free to play for the whole season, A-Rod no longer has the ability to be an everyday third baseman after years of injury problems and surgeries to both his hips.  Yet third base remains the one position the Yankees don't have a clear plan to address, at least not when compared to catcher, right field, and the starting rotation.

So what's the deal?  What do Cash and the rest of the front office have in mind to address this seemingly under-considered roster hole?