MLB Rumors: Will Yankees Reject Nick Swisher to Overspend on Carlos Beltran?

The Yankees are known for overspending on free agents during the offseason, while ignoring their own talented players that are not named, Jeter, Rivera and Posada. 

With the 2011 Major League Baseball season about to come to a close, the free-agency period is about to start up and now it looks like the Yankees are going to make a run at free agent, Carlos Beltran. 

But with the run at Beltran, it means that fan favorite and clubhouse leader, Nick Swisher, will have to either take a huge pay cut or find employment elsewhere. Sorry to say Bleacher Creatures, but your leader is going to have to find a bunch of fans to impress with his dynamic personality and lovable attitude. 

This is shocking news—that the Yankees are in the running for Beltran—as it looked like they were going to pick up Swisher’s $10.25 million option for next year. 

"He's on our list. But we have to make a decision on Swisher first,'' said a Yankees official that was in Tampa Bay with the team during their team meeting.

This is bigger news than the recent news that the team is ‘highly unlikely’ to redo Robinson Cano's contract and is bigger than anything that they decide to do on the C.C. Sabathia contract.

The deal—signing Beltran and cutting Swisher—will sway the Yankees from being World Series contenders, to barley making the postseason. 

Not only will the Beltran signing hit the Yankees payroll more than the Swisher contract, but the Yanks will be getting a player that is older and more on the decline of his career.

If you look at the numbers between Beltran and Swisher, you will see that their numbers are very close across the board. Beltran has the advantage in most numbers, but not by that much, with a .283 average compared to a .254 for Swisher. Beltran  is averaging 23 home runs and 88 RBIs to Swisher’s 26 home runs and 83 RBIs.

Cutting Swisher for an aging Beltran, who can give you maybe one full season, will be the reason why this Yankees team will fall to Boston and Tampa in the ’12 season, and however long Beltran’s contract is for. 

Swisher isn’t the player that will lead you to a World Series, but he is the guy that can lead this team in keeping them loose and playing well when the pressure is high. 

It’s a uncharted stat that led this team to their last World Series, and is what this team will miss the most when they part ways with ‘Swish. 

Just like you can follow Swisher on Twitter, you can follow me too by click the link! Follow @tjmcaloon