Monday, June 11, 2012

Jorge Soler Is NOT A Yankee

Yesterday I had a little fun with those Yankees fans that want the team to trade for an outfielder, but in Jorge Soler's case I was hoping the Yankees would sign the Cuban defector. When I read Mike Axisa, from River Ave Blues, say that Soler was looking at a 4 year deal worth around $20 million, I was all in. Not that $5 million a season wouldn't be a lot for a 20 year-old, but I'm not sure the team has anybody from within that could take over for either Nick Swisher or Curtis Granderson (at least when either man's current contract is over with).

I figured the team may need to bring back Nick Swisher, who could probably be re-signed for a 3 year deal worth like $12 million a season (Josh Willingham, who is fairly similar to Swish offensively, signed a 3 year deal worth $21 million this last offseason), since Soler wouldn't be ready to go in 2013. I could have seen Jorge taking over for Granderson after the 2013 season (Soler would be 22 at that point), but now the Yankees have to think again.

Earlier today Jon Heyman tweeted that Jorge Soler had agreed to a deal with the Chicago Cubs, for 9 years and $30 million. Yep, you read that right... 9 years. That's a long time for Prince Fielder, let alone a 20 year-old that's never played pro ball outside of Cuba. So although I would have liked the Yankees to acquire Soler, I'm just fine with backing off that many years.

Some time in the future I'm going to look at the future Yankees, and try and see what they'd have to do to get to a payroll of $189 million in 2014.

Yankees @ Braves 6/11/12

A good night for Ivan Nova who collects his first major league hit and, with some help from a slew of Yankees relievers, threw a shut out en route to a 3-0 Yankees victory.

We now have a share of first place in the AL East with CC Sabathia on the mound tonight in Hotlanta.


Welcome to Atlanta where the players play! The Yankees start a three game series tonight against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta. Ivan Nova will be on the mound for the Yankees and will be facing  Randall Delgado for the Braves. The game will be televised on YES at 7:05 pm but I will be watching it on the local channels. 

Lineups...

The Yankees, even after a sweep of the Mets, are still .5 games behind the Rays for the top spot in the AL East after they swept the Miami Marlins down in Miami over the weekend. 

Go Yankees!

Welcome To Atlanta..

Where the players play?

It is tough being a Yankees fan and being misplaced in another state. As a lot of you may not know I was born in the Bronx New York in a hospital overlooking Yankees Stadium. When I was 14 years old I moved down to metro Atlanta Georgia with my mother due to personal reasons. The last time I got to see a Yankees game live and in person before the 2009 trip down here (and eventual World Series title) was in 1998 (another World Series title) so it was a long drought. This week, starting tonight, the Yankees will once again come down to Atlanta looking to go into first place. For me though it is much more then that because I get to see my Yankees live. A luxury that I definitely took for granted when I lived in New York and a luxury that I definitely did not take enough advantage of when I lived there. I will be seeing Hiroki Kuroda pitch on Wednesday so I am excited and scared at the same time. Excited because Kuroda eats up NL bats but scared because you never know what you are going to get from him. I am just happy to being able to see my team live, win or lose, and root root root for the home team.

I am not sure why I wanted to share this with you but I did. Go Yankees!