Are the Yankees in a bind?

[Fins4ever]

Just heard that A-Rod is batting .130 and has been benched. He is making 30 mil a year and has a "no trade" clause in his contract for the next 5 yrs. Uh, yes, I would say they are in a bit of a pinch. lol

On a more positive note, it was reported that while A-Rod was on the bench, he wrote his phone number on a baseball and gave it to some good looking babe in the front row. What a dog! lol

You are on the bench, your team is losing and fighting for their lives and your little head is still doing all the thinking. lol

[BigDaddyFin]

The question is, if they terminate him do they still have to count the money they pay him toward next year's salary? 

We know the Yankees will spend $200 million in payroll if they feel like it.  So if they want to drop him, and pay him the rest of his contract (I don't know how much we're talking but for some reason $5 million keeps coming to mind) to sit at home or commentary on ESPN, they might just do it.

[Landshark]

The question is, if they terminate him do they still have to count the money they pay him toward next year's salary? 

We know the Yankees will spend $200 million in payroll if they feel like it.  So if they want to drop him, and pay him the rest of his contract (I don't know how much we're talking but for some reason $5 million keeps coming to mind) to sit at home or commentary on ESPN, they might just do it.

They also could look to trade him  and offer to pick up a big chunk of his remaining salary.  Either way, this is the Yankees.  They'll just go out and spend some more money to get another third baseman.  Regardless, A-Rod is only part of the problem.  Mark Texiera is another overpaid underperformer, and Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano are hot one week and cold the next.  This is a franchise in transition and I'm so happy that the evil empire is getting their come uppance.  This team cost my Braves two World Series titles.

[TonyB0D]

Rumors are A-Rod will get traded to Miami in the offseason.

Swisher is gone.

Tex might be a little overpaid, but his defense is worth it.

Grandy I'd keep; we have no one better.


Cano is the only untouchable on the roster.

Pitching is surprisingly OK, but no way Kuroda can repeat his performance.  Hope Pineda comes back with a vengeance and Nova gets his head straight.



The problem here is ownership and management.  Need new owners and to fire Cashman and Girardi.  I was going to say give Francona a blank check, but he just took a new job.

[EDGECRUSHER]

The Yankees made it to the ALCS without:

-Their closer Mariano Rivera
-Their #2 starter Michael Pineda
-Their second best overall player in terms of WAR and VORP, Brett Gardner

They are not collapsing or in transition, they are going to make tweaks. When Cashman is in charge, the stupid contracts are held to a minimum. A-Rod and his 10 year deal until he is 42 years old was Steinbrenner's call.

Cano and Granderson may be streaky, but Cano should finish in the Top 5 of MVP voting and Curtis is a CF who just hit 42 HR. These aren't bad players that need to be replaced.

Swisher will probably leave because his agent is telling him he will get Jayson Werth money. That is laughable for several different reasons.

Soriano will opt out which is a good thing because we don't need a $14 Million middle reliever. The payroll goal for 2014 is $189 Million. Not only would that reset the luxury tax clock down to 0, but they would get a lot of money refunded to them. Most common figure I have heard is $25 Million. So, it is essential to get that payroll number down. This means no more stupid spending until then. Swisher may be a casualty of this.

Trading A-Rod would be great if there is another idiot GM like Ned Coletti.

[masterfins]

Yankees are fine, just ran into a full team batting slump at the wrong time, against some good pitching.  I wouldn't mind seeing A-Rod go, but I don't think any team can afford to take him.  Swisher will probably go, he's not worth the $10 Mil a year he makes.

[Landshark]

I wouldn't mind seeing A-Rod go, but I don't think any team can afford to take him. 

I agree, unless the Yankees offer to pick up a big chunk of his remaining salary.

[masterfins]

I agree, unless the Yankees offer to pick up a big chunk of his remaining salary.

I'm sure that is what would have to happen.  Funny the Yankees had to pay part of the Rangers' debt from acquiring A-Rod when they signed him, now they would have to pay part of his salary after he leaves.

[EDGECRUSHER]

The Yankees were getting a lot of money from Texas when they traded for A-Rod, but when Alex opted out and the old ownership signed him to that AWFUL 10 year/$300 Million deal, that money went away. In a sense, the Yankees helped build Texas into a perennial contender.

There is 5 years and $121 Million left on his deal and for what the Yankees would have to eat to make him go away PLUS pay a replacement, he might as well stay. He hit well this year when he was healthy, he just isn't an MVP anymore. If they are serious about being under $189 Million in 2014, he will probably be a Yankee come Opening Day.

Also, take a look at the numbers and records the Yankees broke for postseason futility this month. Cano alone broke 2 that will probably never be touched for another 40 years. I don't know what happened to the whole team, but they need a therapist more than they need a new hitting coach.

[BigDaddyFin]

I never understood why they kept him this long honestly.  That seems like a fortune to pay a dude who doesn't ever hit in playoff games and whose defensive equal would easily be found for a lot less money. 

[TonyB0D]

I never understood why they kept him this long honestly.  That seems like a fortune to pay a dude who doesn't ever hit in playoff games and whose defensive equal would easily be found for a lot less money. 

because he single-handedly won the 2009 world series, and they wanted to keep him around for the milestone HRs

[Denver_Bronco]

The Yankees made it to the ALCS without:

-Their closer Mariano Rivera
-Their #2 starter Michael Pineda
-Their second best overall player in terms of WAR and VORP, Brett Gardner

This is what i find most hilarious. The Yankees were awful this season, won 95 games and made the ALCS...meanwhile the Red Sox lose 100 games.

[TonyB0D]

This is what i find most hilarious. The Yankees were awful this season, won 95 games and made the ALCS...meanwhile the Red Sox lose 100 games.

They weren't awful this season, only the last month.  They were an absolute juggernaut for more than the first half this year.

[Denver_Bronco]

They weren't awful this season, only the last month.  They were an absolute juggernaut for more than the first half this year.

They were dreadful. The fact that they were managing to score with a home run only offense must have blinded you. They hit about .100 the entire season with runners in scoring position. Teams like that do exactly what they did in the post-season.

[Landshark]

They were dreadful. The fact that they were managing to score with a home run only offense must have blinded you. They hit about .100 the entire season with runners in scoring position. Teams like that do exactly what they did in the post-season.

Acquiring Ichiro was a good move.  Without him, I don't think they win the division.  They need more hitters like him.