MLB Rumors: 10 Players Now on the New York Yankees' Radar Without Cliff Lee
Despite it being about a week since it occurred, every Yankee fan still has that bitter taste left in his or her mouth from the jaw-dropping loss of Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Simply put, the Yankees were counting on Lee to sign with them. They completely invested all of their time and effort into acquiring the dominant left-handed ace to pair with current ace CC Sabathia atop their rotation.
Needless to say, when Lee abandoned them and headed to Philly despite a significantly lesser offer, both in length and monetary values, the Yankees and their fans were baffled.
To make matters worse, Lee took so much time making his decision that most of the possible backup plans for New York have disappeared. Jorge De La Rosa re-signed with the Rockies, Hiroki Kuroda re-signed with the Dodgers, Jon Garland also signed with the Dodgers and Jake Westbrook re-signed with the Cardinals.
Now, the only free agent starter worth a glance is Carl Pavano, and he'll receive his fair share of looks...none of which will come from the Yankees, and for good reason.
With the exception of one or two free agents, New York is now left to explore the trade market to fill one or both of the spots vacated by Javier Vazquez and possibly Andy Pettitte in their starting rotation. It's fairly likely that at least one of those rotation spots will fall into the lap of Ivan Nova, who enjoyed a decent share of his success in his stint with the Yankees in 2010, meaning the acquisition of only one pitcher is really necessary to compete.
In the eyes of Yankee fans across the nation, Brian Cashman has flat-out failed this offseason, only accomplishing the mediocre tasks of re-signing Mariano Rivera (to a higher price tag thanks to Theo Epstein) and re-signing Derek Jeter, mortally wounding their relationship in the process.
He did manage to snatch former All-Star catcher Russell Martin, but unless Martin rebounds this year, Cashman will still hear it for not handing over the reins to highly-touted prospect Jesus Montero this year. He did sign lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano to complement Boone Logan in the Yankees' bullpen, but no Yankees fan will be happy if that is the biggest move of the offseason for them.
Cashman needs to swing a deal for SOMEBODY that can help the Bombers fend off the rejuvenated Red Sox in the AL East this year. Here are 10 possible targets for New York that could help them do just that.
10. Justin Upton, OF
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It would be beneficial for the Yankees to keep their focus mainly on starting pitchers, but if the right type of deal arose, how could they say no to an opportunity to acquire one of the most promising young outfielders in the game? Justin Upton is just that.
Rumors have been circulating for the entire duration of the offseason regarding potential suitors for Upton, but the Yankees haven't been viewed as a likely destination because they don't really need him.
However, a young outfielder like Upton would benefit the Yankees for years to come, and with Nick Swisher's inability to produce in postseason play thus far, it would be unwise to not consider New York a contender for his services.
They seem content with their current outfield arrangement of Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Swisher, so don't expect them to deplete their farm system for an outfielder, but to only strike a deal if they can get him at a bargain.
9. Felix Hernandez, SP
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I know what you're all thinking. Why is this guy No. 9 on this list? He should be No. 1!
Well, before you start dreaming of King Felix in pinstripes, realize what it would take to pry him from the Mariners. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has publicly stated that he is not in any way trying to trade Felix Hernandez, nor does he want to. That doesn't mean he won't.
Let's face it: The Seattle Mariners are officially in rebuilding mode. Last year, they were thought to have a team that could actually compete for the AL West division crown. But sometimes the team you see on paper isn't the same team that shows up to the ballpark.
The fact is that they simply didn't click as a team. No one on the team had a good year but Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki.
What the M's do have, though, is an excellent crop of young talent waiting in the minors. To convince them to surrender King Felix, it would likely take a package that would include Jesus Montero, Joba Chamberlain and probably THREE other good minor leaguers—something that would help them try to win a championship late this decade.
That deal might seem tempting, but what if Felix can't handle the Bronx heat? It's just too much of a risk to the future of the Yankees for Cashman to give up so much young talent. Still, it's fun to think about.
8. Matt Kemp, OF
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As with the case of Justin Upton, Matt Kemp is a young outfielder (although older than Upton) that had a rough 2010 and could now be on the trading block.
The Dodgers would probably be open to hearing offers for Kemp so they could cash in on his value now in case he only declines more from this point on. Kemp would likely be available for a smaller price than Upton, which is the reason he ranks above him on this list.
Upton has much more room for potential growth, and being the kind of player he is already, he is basically expected to become a superstar. Matt Kemp is an excellent young talent but does not have the same kind of upside as Upton, making it more likely that the Yankees could swing a deal they would be comfortable with for him.
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7. Gio Gonzalez, SP
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I was originally planning on making this slide "Any of Oakland's Young Pitchers," but after some consideration, I settled on Gio Gonzalez.
The reason? Oakland has a very real chance of making the playoffs in 2011.
Many people are forgetting that the Yankees weren't the only losers in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes; the Rangers got blindsided too. Without Lee, the Texas rotation is in the same kind of shape as New York's. They don't have a legitimate ace, which is never good for a team (just ask the Twins).
As for the Angels, unless they can land both Adrian Beltre and Rafael Soriano, they will probably be just as much of a mess in 2011 as they were last year, if not more so.
With another year's experience for the rotation and an upgrade offensively with the additions of David DeJesus, Hideki Matsui and most recently Josh Willingham, the A's could be 2011's...well, Rangers.
However, Oakland could not come to an agreement with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma after winning the posting bid, leaving a hole in their rotation created by the trade of Vin Mazzaro that was probably done under the assumption that Iwakuma would sign. Because of this, the price tags on both Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson will be too high, maybe nonexistent.
Gonzalez would come much cheaper and is just as talented as any of the other pitchers in Oakland's rotation, with a higher strikeout total.
As for Dallas Braden, don't expect him to join the Bombers, as he has made it quite clear how attached he is to that mound in Oakland...
6. Fausto Carmona, SP
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The Yankees currently have a former Cleveland ace in the person of CC Sabathia. The Yankees just missed out on acquiring another former Cleveland ace in the person of Cliff Lee. Cleveland aces seem to be quite popular these days.
So why not make Cleveland's current ace, Fausto Carmona, ANOTHER former Cleveland ace?
Back in the 2007 postseason, Carmona was the No. 2 starter behind Sabathia on an Indians team that defeated the Yankees in the ALDS and officially ended the Joe Torre era in the Bronx. Hasn't it always been the Yankees' policy that "if you can't beat them...take them for yourself?"
Carmona has the perfect arsenal of pitches to succeed at the new Yankee Stadium. He has a dominant sinker that would help eliminate the home run factor of the ballpark and also sports an upper 90s fastball, a slider and a changeup.
After garnering serious consideration for the AL Cy Young Award (an award that Sabathia would end up winning) in 2007, Carmona fell apart in 2008 and 2009 before his reemergence in 2010 that netted him his first All-Star appearance, which does pose as a risk factor for any team looking into him.
He would most likely be available for a fairly reasonable trade, since Cleveland is clearly in rebuilding mode, trading the majority of its star players over the past three years, including Sabathia, Lee and Victor Martinez.
5. Francisco Liriano, SP
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This trade can only happen if the Twins are successful in re-signing Carl Pavano. There is no way they are going to give up their No. 1 starter in Francisco Liriano while also losing their No. 2 starter.
Although the White Sox are probably the favorites to win the AL Central heading into 2011, the Twins have a great team and can make their division a tough one with their offense.
A rotation of Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Brian Duensing, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn, coupled with the addition of Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka and the return of slugging first baseman Justin Morneau, will make Minnesota more than capable of holding off the ChiSox without Liriano, especially if it meant landing a package of Yankee prospects including at least one of the "Killer B's" (Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances, Manuel Banuelos).
Liriano, if he can stay healthy, would be a valuable young asset for the Yankees for years to come.
4. Brandon Webb, SP
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One of only two free agents on this list, Brandon Webb is without a doubt the highest risk the Yankees could take in their search for pitching help. The guy hasn't even pitched since Opening Day...of 2009!
However, before his injury two years ago, he was one of the best pitchers in the game. He won the NL Cy Young Award for the D-Backs in 2006 and then won 22 games for them in 2008, the year before his injury.
If he can stay healthy and pitch the way he had before getting hurt, he would be a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium, consistently having one of the best ground ball/fly ball ratios in baseball.
It was thought, before his injury of course, that he, not Cliff Lee, would be the crown jewel of the 2011 offseason. Who knows—maybe he still can be...
3. Rafael Soriano, RP
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Last year, Rafael Soriano was so good that I felt comfortable ranking a relief pitcher third on this list. The value of Soriano to the Yankees would be well worth what it is going to cost to sign him.
He will likely demand at least a three-year deal at $8-10 million per year, but for the Yankees, that money is irrelevant, especially in the wake of missing out on Cliff Lee.
What Soriano would do for New York is make every game a seven-inning game. The Yankees would feel invincible heading into the eighth with the lead if they could sign him.
Soriano would obviously be the setup man for Mariano Rivera, and to pay so much money for a setup man might seem absurd, but if Andy Pettitte were to return, I would much rather see the Yankees shorten the games for their starters and give the last rotation spot to Ivan Nova than to trade prospects for a fifth starter.
It would take the pressure off the young guys like Phil Hughes and Nova and allow CC Sabathia, Pettitte and especially A.J. Burnett to relax on the mound and know that if they make it just six innings, they will have an entire bullpen to pitch the seventh and then Soriano for the eighth and Rivera for the ninth.
2. Carlos Zambrano, SP
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Carlos Zambrano had one strange season in 2010. He began the year by allowing eight runs in one-and-a-third innings on Opening Day and then proceeded to pitch himself to a 3-6 record and a 5.85 ERA by the All-Star break.
Needless to say, Zambrano was not chosen to be an NL All-Star. In fact, he was removed from the rotation for the majority of the first half, spending most of his time out of the bullpen.
Then there was July, when his temper and all-around bad attitude in the clubhouse earned him a suspension from manager Lou Piniella and a spot on the restricted list.
He took some anger management classes and eventually worked his way back to the majors. Upon his return to the Cubs, he became one of the National League's best pitchers, posting an 8-0 record with a 1.58 ERA in 14 appearances (11 starts).
If this is any indication of what he will pitch like in 2011, the Yankees would be fools to not at least look into the possibility of striking a deal for him. The Cubs would likely want a package of talented minor league players in return, with a focus on pitching prospects. A deal including Jesus Montero would also likely do the trick, but if they could find a way to acquire Zambrano without including their No. 1 prospect, it would be very beneficial to the future of the club.
The Yankees would also likely have to absorb most of Zambrano's remaining salary, which will pay him $17.875 million in 2011, $18 million in 2012 and $19.25 million in 2013. That is pretty pricey for a pitcher with the type of issues that Zambrano has, but there is no doubt about the effect he would have on the Yankees' rotation if they were to acquire him.
1. Josh Johnson, SP
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As if the title picture didn't give it away.
Josh Johnson is absolutely one of the best young pitchers in baseball. However, he will never put up the kind of numbers he is capable of while pitching for the Florida Marlins.
In 28 games in 2010, JJ posted a 11-8 record with a 2.30 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 183.2 innings. Much like Felix Hernandez, his team just plain refuses to help him out offensively.
The "perfect" example of this is a game that took place between the Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies on May 29, 2010. That day will forever be remembered as "Roy Halladay's perfect game." What will not be remembered, however, is the fact that the opposing pitcher, Johnson, did not allow an earned run yet received the loss. One costly error caused him the win and also caused his team to get "perfect gamed."
Johnson isn't going to help the Marlins win anytime soon, especially now that the Phillies have all but captured the NL East title for at least the next three years (the duration of Halladay's contract) with the signing of Cliff Lee.
The Marlins would be smart to consider cashing in on a bright young star like Johnson now and head into a premature rebuilding mode. The Yankees would be perfect to help them do that. With a plethora of talented young pitchers and catchers in the organization, there has to be some combination of prospects that could pry him from Florida's hands.
The only thing that might cause the Marlins to scoff at a possible trade would be Johnson's extremely affordable salary. He is only scheduled to earn a total $35.25 million over the next three seasons: $7.75 million in 2011 and $13.75 million in both 2012 and 2013.
If Brian Cashman could somehow swing a deal for Josh Johnson, the Yankee fanbase would kneel at his almighty feet. To acquire a talented 27-year-old pitcher just entering his prime would do wonders for the Yankees.
However, the package of prospects would likely have to include either Jesus Montero or Austin Romine, Joba Chamberlain and at least one of the "Killer B's." That price might seem a little steep, but if Cashman could pull it off while holding on to Montero, it would absolutely be worth it. Yankee fans, just imagine JJ in pinstripes...
Now, although I have ranked Josh Johnson first on this list, there is one more man who the Yankees should try to convince to come to the Bronx. I think we all know what kind of an effect he can have on a starting rotation...
Andy Pettitte
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All of the players I listed would probably do wonders for the Yankees. Key word: "probably."
Andy Pettitte is a proven Yankee. He has been the man whose face you see when someone mentions the Yankees' starting rotation since 1995 (except for 2004-2006, when he went to the Astros, but those are years that Yankee fans block out).
He can and will help the Yankees make the playoffs if he decides to return for his 17th and final season in the majors. There isn't one Yankee fan out there who doesn't want to see Andy come back and pitch again.
Nothing would make us happier than to see the Yankees raise that 28th championship banner at home and hear Andy and Jorge Posada address the fans one last time before calling it a career. It brings tears to your eyes just thinking about it, doesn't it?
So far, it's been a roller-coaster ride this offseason, with reports surfacing every other week that Andy is leaning towards retirement, then towards a return, then retirement again. Let's face it—no one knows what Andy is thinking about doing next year but Andy. All of those reports are meaningless and shouldn't be paid any attention to. The only report that you should believe is the one from Andy himself when he makes his decision and either says, "It's been fun" or "It's gonna be fun."
My opinion? I don't think Andy would have said that next season would be his last if he didn't plan on returning. I also don't think Andy would be able to retire if the Yankees were unable to pull off one of the possible deals I described. He loves the Yankees almost as much as he loves his own family, and if they need him, I don't see him saying no.
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