How does Mark Teixeira fit in with the Yankees?
He's a great fit for the Yankees. I really thought before they signed him that their offense was short last year, having gone from almost 1,000 runs a game to fewer than 800, and they added a big bat in the prime of his career. He's a switch-hitter, he's an upgrade defensively. They became the favorite in the AL already if they weren't already. I think they needed a bat, and the other side to that is they kept him away from the Red Sox, which further improved their chances in the division.
Their offense last year was just north of mediocre, and they should be getting the prime years of his career.
Did the Yankees overpay?
You can make an argument that the Yankees overpaid a bit to get him. He's certainly not in the A-Rod/Albert Pujols category in terms of the very best hitters in the game but he is in the next tier, and you have to like the fact that he's durable and he is a switch-hitter. If they did overpay they didn't do it by a lot.
Is there a chance these signings could limit the Yankees down the road?
For the people who are thinking that there's a bill that will come due in three, four, five years, they're ignoring the fact that the only thing more dangerous than the Yankees with money is the Yankees with money in a new ballpark. They were way out in front of the pack without the benefit of a new ballpark, which has been the cash cow of the major leagues for the last 15 years. Now they have a new ballpark, so if people are waiting for the Yankees to be hamstrung financially down the road, that's not going to happen. They're going against the tide in baseball in terms of getting players in the prime of their career and allowing roster flexibility. They can lock up guys until their mid 30s and not worry because the money that keeps coming in covers up those problems. They're more dangerous than ever.
Are the Yankees bad for baseball?
I think it's more a problem of perception than reality. This is a year the Yankees had $88 million coming off the payroll. They're going to add Andy Pettitte or someone else for $10 million to be their No. 5 starter. It just looks bad, especially in this economy, but when you break it down it's business as usual for the Yankees.
It's a good thing for baseball if the Yankees have to play the Darth Vader of baseball. It's good for the sport to have that real goliath out there that everybody wants to knock out. In 2006 they had five of the nine highest-paid players on the same team and they got knocked out in the first round by the Tigers. It's easy for everybody to hate them in terms of what they have in resources, but it puts enormous pressure on those players. They're the only team that reports to spring training with the mandate of getting to the World Series. There's enormous pressure and it can be a joyless ride when it's World Series or bust. The newer players will have to live with that. Their profile says they should be OK with that kind of pressure but the fact is there are going to be those expectations.
And that just scratches the surface of the article. Go check the rest out here.
7 Comments:
Actually some good points in that article.
I said a few days ago that Teixeira is the probably the best hitter in the "2nd" tier of players. The ones that are just below that elite hitter status that consists of maybe 5-7 guys.
I still don't think they needed another bat. I felt that with Posada and Matsui (hopefully) returning from injury to play nearly full seasons, with better years from Cano and CF, with a full year of Nady and Swisher, that the Yankees offense would do plenty enough to win. And the added arms of CC, AJ, and (again hopefully) a full year of Wang and Joba, that the team would be markedly better than 2008... a team that won 89 games. To me, Teixeira wasn't a necessary addition, it was a luxury move, and while like I said it's a debateable move in the long term, it's a huge addition to the overall team right now. Even without him I was extremely confident in the Yankees position. Now with him (and him not on the Red Sox), the position is even better.
And as for the Yankees and their spending, you make due with what you have, and you should be using every available resource to put the best team you can on the field. If you're a small market team and you can't afford the big free agents, you have to develop your farm system, make good draft choices, and do it that way. It clearly works sometimes (Tampa Bay, for example), but if you're the Yankees, you can't just say "You know what? This isn't fair to baseball. We should just stop signing the players that we can afford and just pick some of the lesser available players." You can't knock someone for doing something within their means. It's in the interests of making your product better and your team better, and to me, what the Yankees do is nowhere near as bad as what some of the supposed smaller market teams do when they pocket the revenue sharing money they get instead of re-investing in the team.
You know I thought they did need a bat, but you made many good points as to why they may not have. Either way they got one and for now, like you said, they're a much better team.
I agree completely about the luxury tax issue. These teams take this handout every year and some of them do nothing but line their pockets with the money. I think it should be mandatory that the money goes back into the team.
Right you are, Greg, about that luxury tax money--they should have to put it back into their teams.
Another great post, by the way, Greg!
Mike
An interesting point is the one Verducci raises at the end of the article about Jeter. What happens when its time for him to re-up? I mean, we all know that the Yankees are not going to let him go anywhere else, but realistically what would Jeter demand on the open market? With his declining ability at SS, and with the bat, his market value would probably be in the 12-16 mil/yr range. That is of course with any team not named the Yankees. So how does Jeter negotiate for a 20/mil/yr deal from the Yanks? Do they pay him that sum for 3 years just because he's Derek Jeter even though the market competition is not there? Or will Derek do the right thing and sign with the Yankees for the 12-15 mil I mentioned above, and allow them some monetary mobility to not only be huge players on the FA market, but also wrap up alot of the young fellas who will be coming up for big money deals (i.e. Wang, Cano)? Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Even more money is going to be coming off. Damon and Matsui.. We all heard Austin Jackson will be in CF.. Very cheap option for a few years.
Basil,
That's true. There is also a chance that the Yanks go with Gardner/Melky and Jackson in the same outfield, and an outside chance of all three if Gardner and Melky both have strong 2009 season. It's doubtful, but it's possible.
People have to relax with going nuts about the Yankees spending. They will have a lower payroll next year, and probably lower the year after that.
Bobby,
That's a good question. I'm not sure what Jeter would do. It would be great if he'd take a discount, but I think it's more likely the Yankees give him $20M a year for a few years like you mentioned.
well now that weve got our pitching and landed texiera to play first, which i expected the yankees to pull out of nowhere, we have officially gotten a lot younger and more competitive in the last month. people who complain and say this is bad for baseball is rediculous, first of all i do not even see boston competing with the rays and yankees this season, they have injured pitching and a spotty lineup with lowe not 100 percent and papi having an off year in 08'. do you stupid baseball fans actually believe the yankees would let texiera go to the redsox and let them win the division again or even worse stop the yankees from making the playoffs. texiera might have been pricy but do u actually think the yanks would give him less then or the same that boston offered.... no! thats dumb and very uncompetitive. wut texieria ultimately brings to this team is protection for arod, i think this is wut alex was missing hitting infront of him during the postseason, tex will take some of the work load off of alex and alex will play a lot better in october... But we'll just have to wait and see but i truly think the yankees can go further into october with this new starting rotation and revamped lineup.
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