Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Let's Figure Out How to Get Rid of Igawa

This would be Cashman's greatest feat if he were able to do so, but Cashman should trade Igawa. If we were to pick up half of his contract, he could be a reasonable relief option on an NL team. The trick would be to get another team to eat his whole contract. Then Cashman would be a genius. Especially if he got a left fielder out of the deal.

So far the Yankees have been pretty impressive in this off season, considering that they began the off season with a goal to lower payroll under the $200 million mark, and it would seem that they are going to pull it off. Among their accomplishments, the Yankees traded for Granderson, signed Pettitte, traded for Vazquez, picked Jamie Hoffman in the rule 5 draft and signed Nick Johnson. My only issue with this off season is letting Mark Derosa go to the Giants for 2 years and $12 million. That would have been a very affordable contract for the Yankees. Think of it this way, last season Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon made a combined $26 million. If the Yankees had signed Mark Derosa to the same contract he got from the Giants, then the Yankees would have wrapped up Derosa and Johnson for $11.75 million, otherwise known as less than half of what they were paying their DH and left fielder last season. I know they're operating with a budget and all, but is Reed Johnson/Brett Gardner/Jamie Hoffman going to give you more in left field than Derosa? I think not. But they're serious about the budget it seems, and adding Vazquez and Granderson in addition to the raise Pettitte got pretty much wraps up what the Yankees saved from losing Wang, Nady, Matsui, and Damon to free agency.

2 comments:

Rich Mahogany said...

Didn't Cashman nix a deal to send Igawa to the Cubs? The Cubs must have refused to throw in a Sprite with the deep dish pizza they offered.

DeRosa is a nice player, but the wrist injury concerns me. I have to assume Bronny's crack medical team warned the Yankees away.

Roberto E. Alejandro said...

The cubs were indeed willing to take Igawa as part of a Zambrano deal. Too bad it fell apart, but mandatory mother smacking clauses will do that.

Yeah, the Yanks seems to be saving up for something, and it doesn't seem that the Yanks will sign anyone who might otherwise command a multi-year deal.