Since the dawn of the Yankees' dynasty in the 90s, the franchise's offseason moves have been relatively easy to predict. Steinbrenner has reacted to the team's failure to win a ring the only way he knows how: by breaking out the checkbook (not to mention making some questionable firings).
As Steinbrenner had slowly faded away and Brian Cashman had taken the sole reins of the team, the Yanks' priorities had shifted. No longer were they interested in short-term solutions; the team wanted to establish a farm system, develop players from within and build another dynasty.
But with the new Hank and Hal Steinbrenner regime, it seems that the Yankees have gone back to the ways of old. They've reportedly offered CC Sabathia six years and $140 million, and there are rumors flying around about five years of A.J. Burnett for $80 million. Obviously, both are good players, but these are far from wise investments.
Sabathia is going on 29 and weighs 300 pounds. Sure, he had a stellar year last year, and he doesn't have a history of injuries, but so what? He's 300 pounds! (Did I mention that?) He's soon to be on the wrong side of 30. He's pitched 500 innings the past two years: great for the Indians and Brewers, but probably something my Yankees should be concerned about. This contract has Carl Pavano written all over it.
As for Burnett, he's even more worrisome. As he routinely finds his way onto my fantasy baseball teams (I'm a sucker for strikeouts), I'm quite familiar with his inconsistency. Last year he had two months with an ERA below four and two above five. His batting average against went as low as .194 and as high as .308.
So why are the Yanks interested? Because he got Hank's attention; facing the Yankees last year, he went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 43 K in 38 innings. Obviously the stuff's there, but he's not consistent. If he couldn't learn the subtle art of pitching from Roy Halladay in Toronto, he never will. He's never going to be anything more than Javier Vazquez, and we don't need five more years of that.
So who should the Yankees go after? Well, along with signing Mark Prior and Brad Penny to cheap, low-risk deals, there's one ace pitcher that I think the Yankees should be more closely involved with: Jake Peavy.
At 27 years old, he's one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors. He boasts a career 3.25 ERA over six seasons, and since 2004, he's posted the lowest WHIP of any pitcher in the majors. He plays in a pitcher's park, but that's not the only reason he's capable of posting good numbers. When he won the Cy Young award in 2007, his home and road ERAs were 2.51 and 2.57, respectively.
And I haven't even gotten to the best part. He's signed for the next four years for $52 million -- a measly $13 million a year, compared to what would be over $23 million a year for Sabathia-- and his contract includes a $22 million club option for 2013. Part of the reason the Yankees didn't go after Santana a year ago is because, in addition to prospects, they would have had to pay him so much money. But Peavy is a different case: He's wholly affordable, even for some of the lowliest teams in baseball (like, oh, say, the Padres?).
Plus, San Diego isn't even asking a king's ransom for him. The Braves have reportedly been offering Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes. Are you telling me a package of Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy wouldn't be competitive with that? Yes, they'd be trading some young talent away, but that's better than handcuffing themselves with behemoth contracts for pitchers that likely will decay significantly over the course of their deals.
It's difficult to lose top prospects, but it can work out for both sides, like when the Red Sox gave up Hanley Ramirez to get Josh Beckett. Peavy could be the same thing for New York. Even if the Yankees end up signing ol' Chubbie Chubs Sabathia, I still think they should pursue Peavy. He's younger, more proven and cheaper than anyone else out there.
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