In a winter meetings notable for the Las Vegas host hotel Bellagio’s lip-smackingly delicious and jaw-droppingly abundant buffet, it is entirely fitting that the Yankees wound up the biggest winners.
Their seven-year, $161 million preliminary agreement with CC Sabathia reflects a perfect dining choice. The Yankees, flush with plenty o’ cash with their new stadium ready to be filled by the thinning fat cats of Wall Street, were mistaken a year ago when they declined to deal their top two pitching prospects and Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana to the Twins. They needed Santana desperately, but whether or not it was calculated, the risk they took by waiting a year to get Sabathia, who is about as close of an ace to Santana as one can get, was rewarded handsomely.
The beauty of the Yankees’ pending contract is that it contains an opt-out clause for Sabathia after his third season. Unless he is injured or somehow falls head over heels with New York City, then it’s a lock he will be a free agent again in the 2011 winter meetings.
For the Yankees, a three-year “rental” of Sabathia is perfect; they get the use of a pitcher entering his prime as he anchors a rotation that will be a force once again in the AL East, especially with right-hander A.J. Burnett now in the fold, as well.
Another Vegas winners was the Detroit Tigers.
Even though they did not pull off a whopper trade like last year, when they shipped half their farm to the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, they did make a couple of swift moves to shore up holes.
Although outfielder Matt Joyce is a nice young player who will help the Rays, Detroit’s acquisition of right-handed starter Edwin Jackson is a better pickup. Just 25 years old, Jackson projects to be a 200-inning starter for years to come. Although still raw and the victim of a second-half fade this year, Jackson’s potential is too big to give up for a fourth outfielder.
And while they had to thin out their already gaunt farm system of two more young pitchers, the Tigers got a viable catcher from the Rangers in Gerald Laird. Nothing flashy with Laird, but he is a solid catch-and-thrower with some pop.
By signing Francisco Rodriguez and trading for J.J. Putz, the Mets constructed the Fort Knox of all bullpens. It is a worthwhile investment to be sure, and although they still need starters, they quickly fortified a major flaw. And, for our money, we would rather have Putz than Rodriguez in a long-term deal.
Count us among the fans of new Orioles outfielder Ryan Freel. Although he has unable to stay healthy the last couple of years, Freel has a high OBP with a great competitive reputation. Baltimore needs a presence like his. Giving up catcher Ramon Hernandez, whose production has plateaued, was a strong move for the O’s.
The Indians’ signing of closer Kerry Wood yesterday has a huge upside, but nearly anybody would have been a big help for the back end of the Tribe bullpen.
One of the best rumors we heard before leaving Sin City was the Angels’ interest in trading for Jake Peavy. Even so, the Angels would still need to find offense if they cannot re-sign first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Time to zip it, Brian
We have been a big supporter of Brian McNamee for having the fortitude to testify on the actions of Roger Clemens while he was in the twilight of his career and for backing up his allegations of steroid usage.
But, really, he needs to mind his business when it comes to offering advice to Hall of Fame voters about Clemens’ future candidacy.
“He’s done. He’s not going to the Hall of Fame,” McNamee said in an interview on sportsimproper.com “There’s no chance. Too much damage. Too much trust was broken. Between the people that gave him his career, the people that wrote about his career, and the people that supported his career.
“You know, it takes a lifetime to build trust. All it takes is one monumental moment to break that trust and you’re done. And that’s what happened. It not only happened, but it happened at monumental lengths. So he’s not deserving of the Hall of Fame.”
In five years, we will hopefully have learned a great deal more about what Clemens did and did not do, plus, probably, a great deal more about the lifestyle choices of more than a few other Hall of Fame candidates. For those of us who voted for Mark McGwire in his first two years of eligibility and plan to vote for him again, there is a wait-and-see aspect to every candidate’s nomination. The Hall’s character clause remains subject to interpretation. McNamee’s rush to judgment is out of line.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, always a McGwire backer, noted to reporters in Las Vegas that when McGwire walked away from a $30 million, two-year contract because he felt he could not play at that level, “that speaks to the public or the voters about his integrity. That is a hellacious sign of the type of person he is, and that should translate into knowing that he’s a special guy.”
McGwire came close to returning to the public eye as an instructor for the Cardinals last spring training. He is mulling that same job again in 2009, La Russa said.
‘Sabes’ back in it
Former Red Sox starter and Kansas City Royals World Series hero Bret Saberhagen has signed on with former Dodgers general manager Dan Evans’ athlete agency.
Saberhagen wanted to return to the game and see if his pitching knowledge would be able to help spot and develop talent.
The right-hander’s career ended with the Red Sox in 2001, and he has a soft spot for the organization. He had not been aware that the black leather chair, inscribed with his “Sabes” nickname on the back, is still used in the Red Sox clubhouse.
“That makes me feel good to hear that, it really does,” Saberhagen said at the winter meetings.
Former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette, at the meetings as well, had high praise for Saberhagen’s clubhouse skills and ability to steer young players into making proper decisions. In between film festival stops to promote his role in the “Holy Land Hardball” documentary, Duquette is stumping for his Boston Baseball All-Stars project. A team featuring players from all branches of the military plays a Latin stars team, as well as teams from the Can-Am League and New England Collegiate Baseball League in a “Red, White and Blue Tour” hosted by the Department of State and Defense Department. . . .
Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo will begin playing winter ball this week in the Dominican Republic, a key step for the Red Sox’ ongoing effort to shop him to interested teams. Should a team needing a shortstop find Lugo attractive, the Sox would then have to either trade for another shortstop or acquire a more veteran presence via free agency to provide Jed Lowrie more room and time to grow into the job. . . .
Having lost out on free agent third baseman Casey Blake, who signed with the Dodgers, the Twins still need a third baseman. Should Teixeira sign with the Red Sox, the Twins will be glad to share a Fort Myers spring training home with the Sox as it would afford them a good look at how veteran third baseman Mike Lowell is progressing from his hip surgery.
