A couple of things that have been on my mind the last few days:
*Why would the Mets allow what happened in Boston with Manny Ramirez to effect their decision to pursue the slugger in the offseason? I don't know how many columns I have read this weekend, including little Mikey Lupica, who hasn't written an insightful column in about 22 years. The jist of each writer's point is that Manny gave up on the Red Sox because they refused to committ to letting him out of his two option years and was willing to put the Sox playoff hopes at risk to get what he wanted.
All of that is absolutely true. Manny Ramirez will never win a Derek Jeter Hustle award on his life. He isn't a very likeable guy or a guy who is easy to root for. In fact, he is pretty easy to root against.
Having said that, Manny being Manny has been around for a LONG period of time. Manny's antics, his selfish way of playing the game, never once hurt the Red Sox when it came to them winning a World Series. Don't kid yourself: one of the most important players on the championship teams for the Sox was Manny. His bat in the middle of the order gave that team a surreal 1-2 combo in he and Ortiz that made it virtually impossible to navigate through the lineup effectively. And while he certainly quit on the Sox this year and forced the team's hand, it came after at least 3 years of Manny legitimately wanting out of Beantown.
Manny if at the end of his career (in that this next contract will most likely be his last). He is not only an effective hitter, he is an absolute menace in the middle of any order. His right handed bat would be devastating in Queens.
Think of a lineup that features Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez and David Wright. That is as good a five as anyone in baseball, with a terrific mix of right and left, young and old. It also provides the Mets with a bona fide clutch hitter, the one that was so obviously missed down the stretch.
*I am having a hard time understanding the Yanks supposed fascination with AJ Burnett. To me, he seems to be a much more talented version of the disaster on two legs himself, Carl Pavano; oft injured, only seems to step up in contract years, mediocre against much of the league, and a questionable personality, which doesn't seem to really play all that well in the rough and tumble of New York. I understand the Yanks looking at Burnett in conjunction with CC Sabathia. If you get the big lefty, and you believe he will stay healthy and durable for you, then you can take a flier on Burnett, hope he stays healthy and motivated, but have enough of a pitching cushion to still be okay if he is not. If Burnett ends up being the Yanks centerpiece pitching move, I think it would be a real mistake, one the Yanks have already made with the likes of Pavano, Jarret Wright, Randy Johnson, etc... I mean, didn't Cashman demand more control, and more emphasis on the minors because he felt "forced" into making those types of moves? Perhaps it was less about being forced into something and more about being a terrible judge of talent.
An offseason that sees the Yanks land both Sabathia and Burnett would be big. An offseason that sees the Yanks land Burnett and Derek Lowe, at 35 and out of the AL for the last 4 years, would seem to just be more of the same.
*If someone can explain to me what Joel Sherman was injecting when he wrote about the Yankees potential plans for center field in his most recent column I would greatly appreciate it.
While I obviously agree with him on the Burnett point, the names he listed as potential center field options just doesn't make a lot of sense. In particular, this line just doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense: "The willingness of the Yanks to include Hughes and/or Robinson Cano in conjunction with a surplus reliever or two should open many doors."
Now, if the Yanks were talking about, say, the Pirates Nate McClouth, who Sherman points out will be nearly unattainable this offseason, then I could see potentially DISCUSSING either Hughes or Cano. But for the names he lists as potential Yankee targets (Andre Either, Jayson Werth, Shin Choo Soo, Franklin Guiterrez, or Jeremy Hermedia) Hughes and/or Cano shouldn't even be on the radar.
Hermida and Either are very interesting as they are young, talented players that have not lived up to expectations as of yet. However, neither has proven to be consistent major leaguers, certainly not worth a blue-chip pitching prospect like Hughes or a guy one year removed from a .300 20 100 season at second base like Cano (who will probably be a much better offensive player overall than any of the center fielders listed). Shin-Choo Soo had a very, very good year and is a decent defensive player, but still, in my opinion, not worth a Hughes/Cano price tag. In fact, if the Yanks were interested in ANY of those players I have to believe both Cano and Hughes would be off the table and the Yanks would be discussing Ian Kennedy, Chase Wright, etc....
*Why does Nick Johnson still fascinate me? Seriously, Johnson is ALWAYS injured, has a career high of 147 games two years ago, missed the ENTIRE 2007 season and almost all the 2008 season because of a wrist injury. Yet, he is a walking machine and, if healthy, is perfectly capable of playing great defense, hitting 20+ homers, batting .300, and drawing 100 walks. Is he worth the risk? Let's say the Yanks get BOTH Sabathia and Burnett and trade for, say, Andre Either in a trade. Would you take a chance that Johnson could stay healthy for the season and plug him in at first base? Sadly, I would. No question. I like to look on the bright side of life and, in my mind, the Yanks would get a good season out of Johnson and somehow keep the man healthy.
So, how about this lineup: Damon, LF, Jeter, SS, Johnson, 1B, A-Rod, 3B, Matsui, DH, Posada, C, Ethier, CF, Cano, 2b. Or you could entrust the #3 spot to Matsui and move Johnson down in the order. You could also move Cano up, depending on how well he does and if he shows he is taking a step back to being an elite offensive player.
*Another one of my man crushes is on Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the 23-year-old catching prospect for the Rangers. Salty was the prized piece of the Mark Teixiera trade between the Braves and the Rangers a few years ago, however the youngster has not lived up to expectations and there were rumors the Rangers could look to trade him.
Considering Salty couldn't stay with the big team this year, I can't imagine it would take a whole heck of a lot to get him in a trade and since the Yanks have a good amount of pitching, would it be worth the Yanks trading Chase Wright for Salty? I love the idea simply because I still believe he is a potentially devastating catcher and, with Posada getting older by the day, the Yanks are gonna need a catching replacement sooner rather than later. Salty can play a little first (perhaps spelling the Yanks new first baseman, Nick Johnson:) and learn under Posada, catching a day here and there during the season.
He certainly isn't the sure thing he was believed to be only a few years ago, and he is now a risk, but I think it is worth the risk.
*In writing this column, I have decided that the Yanks need to grab Andre Ethier, Nick Johnson and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and sign Sabathia and Burnett. That's my team.
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