Ben Badler broke down the Top 10 teams that would likely sign Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees came in at the second position, the first spot went to the Seattle Mariners. Could the Mariners really outspend the Yankees again on the free agent market and steal Tanaka away from us?
The Yankees are desperate for starting pitching, let's be honest, but so are the Seattle Mariners. Yes they have Felix Hernandez and yes they have Taijuan Walker and yes they have been linked to a David Price trade but the Mariners are desperate to win now. After they handed out a 10 year contract to Robinson Cano and extended Felix Hernandez for big money they have to win and win now while these core players are still stars. Could the Mariners outbid the Yankees on the best free agent pitcher and free agent hitter in the same offseason? I think so.
That doesn't mean that they will, Tanaka may just want to play in New York and not under 14 inches of water every day, but they could and that scares me. The Mariners have a new regional television contract that will pay them $2 billion over the next 17 years and outside of Cano and Hernandez, who will make a combined $47 million in 2014, not much else is on the books. I am officially worried that the Seattle Mariners will blow everyone out of the water and get the man they want from the Yankees, again.
That will not happen again. There is no way the Yankees will play second fiddle to the Mariners during this off season
ReplyDeleteI sure hope you're right Ken
DeleteWHAT IS THIS ?....the below article, has been sitting at MLB Trade Rumors, for two days.
ReplyDeleteEarly on this was talked about, but now it's back.
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Rakuten Eagles Masahiro Tanaka is not only the target of the NY Yankees. Ubaldo Jimenez is also being eyed by the franchise, per report (Photo : Reuters)
The New York Yankees are reportedly the frontrunner to get free agent hurler Ubaldo Jimenez, regardless of whether or not they win the bidding war for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, a source close to the situation reported earlier this week.....
The free-spending Yankees are at it again, chasing expensive free agents at all costs. On Monday, Real GM reported that the Yankees are the likely destination for Jimenez, who has yet to find a new team after two seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
According to Boston Herald baseball insider Nick Cafardo, Jimenez's solid performance in the second half of the 2013 season will allow him to get a lucrative paycheck this winter, and the Yankees sound like the most ideal destination for the hard-throwing right-hander.
"A few GMs I spoke with recently feel the Yankees may wind up with Jimenez, even if they land Masahiro Tanaka. "He had an excellent second half, has great stuff, and he has the type of personality that would fit New York," one GM said, according to Cafardo in his latest report. "He doesn't let things get to him. He's good at shrugging off things and turning the page."
Yankees To Load Up Rotation
Already boasting Cy Young winner in C.C Sabathia and a handful of above-average starting pitchers (Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova), the Yankees could add more firepower to their lineup by bringing in a hurler of Jimenez's caliber.
Jimenez is a career 3.92 ERA hurler with 1,172 strikeouts on his belt. Last season, he had a rough start before coming up with a strong second half surge to finish the season with a 13-9 record, 3.30 ERA and 194 strikeouts.
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