Yankees Trying to Get Under Luxury Tax Again

I think everyone had this looming in the back of their heads but it hasn't been put to paper until now, the New York Yankees will once again attempt to get under the luxury tax in two years or so. The Yankees have an absolute ton of money, maybe literally, coming off the books after the 2016 and 2017 seasons including the bulky contracts of four of their top seven paid players. That's not including Masahiro Tanaka who may opt out of his current deal with the team after 2017 season meaning if the Yankees are going to get under the cap for the fiscal resets the time may never be better than now.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement ends after the 2016 season where the luxury tax threshold is expected to be raised giving New York a little more wiggle room. Mike Axisa even writes that he expects the number to be around the $200 - $210 million range due to soaring revenues and payrolls around Major League Baseball. Coming off the books after the 2016 and 2017 seasons in terms of AAV are Mark Teixeira ($22.5 M), Carlos Beltran ($15 M), CC Sabathia ($24.4 M), Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 M), and possibly Tanaka's $22.5 M.

If they are going to do it and still have that whole World Series caliber team then the time to strike is approaching. If the team could be smart about it they could have a 2009-esque spending spree and make the fans happy while making Hal Steinbrenner happy with a better bottom line. The key phrase here is if they do it smart and that remains to be seen if that can be done or not.

Here is a direct quote from Steinbrenner:

“I found (being called cheap) very interesting,” he said, smiling, “given that we offered $25 million (for Moncada) and spent substantially in the international market (a reported $26.82 million in bonuses and penalties for greatly exceeding their bonus allotment). I’m not saying we’ll never give another seven-year contract, but going in you know you’re probably only going to get three-four good years out of it. It remains my goal to get under that $189 million (luxury-tax threshold), but it’s not going to happen for at least two more years when these big contracts we have expire. But I’ve continued to say you shouldn’t need $200 million to win a championship.”

Closing the Door on Max Scherzer

By my very unofficial count the New York Yankees payroll for 2015 sits at about $212 million after the Chase Headley signing for $52 million. The Yankees have two open roster spots on the 40 man roster and at least two holes to fill in the starting rotation. With New York seemingly waiting out the 2016 and 2017 seasons to once again make a run at getting under the luxury tax and giving austerity another chance this all may be closing the door on Max Scherzer in pinstripes.

What Hal Steinbrenner fails to realize when making these “Hal Cap” goals is that the team, more so than any other team, needs to spend money to make money. The Yankees fans are spoiled and expect, not appreciate, the big signing and the star power that the checkbook brings to the team. If the Yankees were to make it to the playoffs and the World Series a Scherzer contract would be more than paid for in merchandise, ticket sales and revenue. What Hal fails to realize is the YES Network and stadium attendance have been going down ever since the teams win total started to go down and that was with a Mariano River and a Derek Jeter farewell tour going on. What will those numbers look like in 2015 when the longest tenured Yankees are Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner and Ivan Nova?

The Headley contract looks like it really shut the door on a Scherzer contract and the lack of a Scherzer contract may really put the damper on a lot of future contracts when the fans don’t flock to the overpriced stadium like they once did. It’s the domino effect and I’m not talking about pizza Hal, pay attention. 

Jon Lester, $25.84 Million in AAV & I’m Not Having Fun Anymore

Breaking News out of New York where reports are circulating that the days of the deep pocked Yankees and endless money supply seem to be over. In the days of The Boss George Steinbrenner would have snatched up Jon Lester just because it would hurt the Boston Red Sox. George operated in the red for many years while owning the Yankees as the team seemed to be his hobby and his passion and not so much his job like his sons portray. Lester earned a $25.84 million AAV for six years with the Chicago Cubs and while that’s a ton and he’s probably not going to be worth anything near that in four or five years, maybe six in the National League who knows, George would have done it.

The days of the hot stove and rumor seasons being fun are over I do believe. In its place are fiscal responsibility and the hopes of austerity after the 2016 and 2017 season when players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran and CC Sabathia are off the books. These have the potential to be dark times ahead in Yankees land ladies and gentleman and I don’t look forward to it.

Be wary and be warned. 

My Reaction To Signing Jacoby Ellsbury

Last night's news, that the Yankees had signed Jacoby Ellsbury, had pretty much come out of the blue for me. Even though the team was interested in signing an outfielder, there was no way I thought it would be for 7+ years. And I figured they were looking for more of a power guy, such as Carlos Beltran. Not a top of the lineup guy like Ellsbury. I mean, they have Brett Garder, who is pretty close to being the same exact player as Jacoby.

"Now that I'm a Yankee, it's time to sign up for Dollar Shave Club."

So after a night to sleep on things, what do I think of it?

First of all, it's clear that the Yankees are not taking a hard line with the $189 million payroll thing. Even if Alex Rodriguez is suspended for the entire 2014 season, in order to fill all the holes on the team with good players, the Yankees may go over that number. I'm happy to see that. The Yankees are in line to make a lot more money by putting a good team on the field, than they would save by getting under the Luxury Tax threshold.*

*I don't know that for sure, but as a fan I don't care about the money. So there.

The Yankees are apparently still going to try to sign Robinson Cano, acquire pitcher or two, and not trade Brett Gardner. While I believe the first couple of things, I think the talk of not trading Gardy is just lip service. Of course they aren't going to say they are looking to deal away Brett. Why make that proclamation at this point? We already know that Cashman can be tight lipped, so we shouldn't take what he says to heart.

Getting back to the reason for this article, I initially didn't think Ellsbury was worth that much money. The average annual value of the contract is a bit under $22 million, which will make him the 9th highest paid player in Major League Baseball. But is he the 9th best player?

In terms of fWAR, Jacoby ranked 13th in MLB. So while the technical answer to that question is "no", when you look at the players in front of him on the list you should start to change your mind.

Mike Trout was the top player in MLB, followed by Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson, Carlos Gomez, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Carpenter, Evan Longoria, Chris Davis, Paul Goldschmidt, Manny Machado, Joey Votto, and Robinson Cano.

Trout, McCutchen, Donaldson, Carpenter, Davis, Goldschmidt, and Machado would probably be in for bigger contracts than Ellsbury got were they free agents this offseason.

While the average annual value of Cabrera's deal is less than Jacoby's, Miggy will get paid $22 million in 2014 and 2015 (the final two seasons of his contract). If he were to be a free agent this season, he surely would get a contract that rivals ARod's.

Evan Longoria left a lot of money on the table when he signed his extension with the Rays. According to Fangraphs, over his six year career Evan's been worth $27 million a season. While Evan's highest paid season will be in 2022, when he'll make $19.5 million.

"This isn't the right place to think about it, but man... I should have gotten a lot more money."

The AAV of Joey Votto's contract with the Reds is the only one that is actually higher than Ellsbury's. Well, except for after Cano finally signs a contract for 8 or more years.

What it comes down to is Jacoby's health. But I think it's wrong to say that Ellsbury is an injury risk. Sure, if you just look at the fact he's missed around 300 regular season games in his seven-year career, then I can understand being concerned. But you have to take into consideration the reasons for him being on the DL.

In 2010 Ellsbury missed all but 18 games due to fracturing four of his ribs. That injury came when he crashed into Adrian Beltre.

In 2012 Ellsbury missed 70 games due to a shoulder injury, which he suffered while trying to take out Rays shortstop Reid Brignac on a double-play attempt.

Last season Ellsbury missed 16 games after fouling a ball off of his foot, and trying to play through the pain.

Right there you have 238 missed games that could have easily been avoided. See, this isn't a case of somebody being weak and prone to getting hurt. This is a case of a guy that's played so hard that he's hurt himself badly a few times. Jacoby doesn't need to be coddled, he needs to just tone it down a bit. That's something that comes with experience, just like a starting pitcher learning how to pace themselves to be effective for more than a few innings a game.

The only real concern involving Jacoby Ellsbury has to do with his base-stealing ability. He's stolen an average of 55 bases per 162 games, which is where much of Jacoby's overall value comes from. It's rare that a player is able to remain that big of a stolen-base threat into his mid 30s, and the Yankees will have Jacoby around through his age 36 season. The only hope for the Yankees that Ellsbury is still a top player during his last few years in pinstripes, is for him to boost his power output to make up for less stolen bases. Which is something players like Curtis Granderson have learned to do.

While I'm not happy with the Yankees signing Ellsbury to a seven, or possibly eight, year contract. I don't think it will necessarily be the disaster that some fans think it will be.

Don't worry, guys. It's not that bad.

My Reaction To Signing Brian McCann

I think it's safe to say that other Yankee news has been put on hold for a bit.

"Robinson who?"

The team obviously needed an upgrade at the catching position for 2014, and they certainly got one. Last season Yankee catchers hit a combined .213/.289/.298, along with only 8 home runs. Meanwhile, Brian McCann hit .256/.336/.461, to go along with 20 homers. And keep in mind that Brian's batting average was twenty points lower than his career mark in that department. In fact, all three of his triple-slash numbers were lower than his career marks. While I didn't include McCann in my "What I'd Like To See For 2014" roster, it certainly wasn't because I didn't like him as a player.

But what about the contract?

While $17 million a year is a lot of money, that's hardly my concern. I'm not the one paying these guys. My concern when it comes to money has revolved solely around how it affects the team. The Yankees have talked about getting under a payroll of $189 million in 2014 for a couple of years now, but the team has made it clear that it's a goal... not a mandate. So if putting a winning team on the field means spending more, then so be it. It's not like 2014 is their only chance of saving money when it comes to the Luxury Tax.

Even if the team pushes to stay under $189 million, this deal for McCann does not destroy it. Even if the team were to bring back all of their arbitration eligible players, which is highly unlikely, then the payroll is currently around $104 million. Add Robinson Cano for $25 million, Masahiro Tanaka for $10 million, and Carlos Beltran for $15 million, and that brings things to $154 million. You can also add $12 million for the team's portion of league bonuses, as well as players not on the active roster, bringing the total to $166 million. So the team could add $14 million more to the payroll, and leave themselves about $9 million for mid-season additions.

Of course, the Yankees still have to think about third base. I mean, they could probably get by with the tandem of Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki in left field, along with Alfonso Soriano getting some time out there too, but Eduardo Nunez is the only option currently on the team for the hot corner. And nobody wants that.

On top of that, the Yankees could use somebody good to pair with David Robertson to finish off wins. As of right now Shawn Kelly would be slotted into the set-up role, and although it's not as bad as starting Nunez at third base, that's still not a very attractive option. Thankfully relievers, even good ones, can be had without spending a ton.

Putting payroll to the side for now, should we be concerned about the length of the contract?

Brian McCann's contract is guaranteed for five years, and with his injury history it's highly likely that he'll either become the regular DH in a few years or will move to 1B once Mark Teixiera's contract ends after the 2016 season.

The only real concern is how effective a player McCann will be down the road. He will be 35 in the final year of his deal, which is not that old. If we were in the National League, and Brian would have to catch more often than in the AL (thank you, DH), then I'd be more concerned. But I believe the team can keep him healthy. And if he's healthy, I see no reason why he can't continue to hit 20+ home runs a season, and bat around .270. Which is better than what Jorge Posada produced on average in his final three years.

Speaking of Posada, I have every reason to believe McCann will be at least as valuable as Jorge was at the end of his career. And while Jorge made $39 million in his final three years, McCann will only make $12 million more over his final three years (not a lot comparing 2009-2011 payrolls to what 2016-2018 payrolls could look like).

Ah, but speaking of the future!

Some people have expressed concern about the future of youngsters JR Murphy, Austin Romine, and Gary Sanchez. Honestly, the only player whose future with the team is truly in jeopardy is Austin Romine. Well, I'm sorry to be so blunt, but that doesn't bother me. Romine could turn out to be a solid MLB catcher, but I don't think he's going to be anything special. He's certainly not the type of player/prospect that should keep a team from getting a player the caliber of Brian McCann.

While Romine is ready for MLB, Murphy and Sanchez will likely spend one and two more years in the minors. At that point, one or both of them will be able to "sit under the learning tree" for a couple years before taking over behind the plate, while McCann becomes the regular DH or first baseman.

On that note, I do believe at least one of Romine, Murphy, and Sanchez will be traded in order to avoid spending more money in free agency to fill holes on the team. It would be great if the team could keep as many catchers as possible, as there's really no such thing as having too much depth, but the Yankees likely don't have that luxury. However, I wouldn't expect a big-name player in return. What's more likely is that Romine, along with a couple others, is traded to get a good set-up man or closer.

So, in conclusion, the Yankees greatly improved their offense, didn't hinder their ability to get under $189 million for 2014, and didn't hurt the future of the team. Brian McCann's contract may be for a lot of money, and five years is a long time, but I think they did a pretty good job with this signing.

"Thanks, bro."

Can It Be Done?

It was reported yesterday, by Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York, that the Yankees are planning a spending spree of around $300 million. And they say they can spend that much while also staying under the $189 million Luxury Tax threshold in 2014. 

Okay, get your calculators out.

The team plans on pursuing free agents Robinson Cano, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, and Masahiro Tanaka. Getting those four players would be great, but my initial thought was that the team would have only a few bucks left over to fill other holes on the team. So I put together what I think the team would look like, along with the average annual value of each player's contract (obviously, some are guesses).

Catcher - Brian McCann $15 million (signed for 5 years/$75 million)

First Base - Mark Teixeira $22.5 million

Second Base - Robinson Cano $25 million (signed for 7 years/$175 million)

Third Base - 

Shortstop - Derek Jeter $14.375 million

Left Field - Ichiro Suzuki $6.5 million

Center Field - Brett Gardner $6 million (arbitration 3)

Right Field – Carlos Beltran $14 million (signed for 3 years/$42 million) 

Designated Hitter - Alfonso Soriano $4 million

Bench - Eduardo Nunez $500,000 million (pre-arbitration)

Bench - Austin Romine $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Bench - Vernon Wells $0

Bench - Brendan Ryan $3.25 (signed for 1 year/$3,250,000 million)

Starting Pitcher - CC Sabathia $24.4 million

Starting Pitcher - Masahiro Tanaka $12 million (signed for 6 years/$72 million)

Starting Pitcher - Ivan Nova $2.5 million (arbitration 1)

Starting Pitcher - Michael Pineda $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Starting Pitcher - David Phelps $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Closer - David Robertson $5 million (arbitration 3)

Relief Pitcher - Shawn Kelley $1.5 million (arbitration 2)

Relief Pitcher - Adam Warren $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Relief Pitcher - Preston Claiborne $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Relief Pitcher - Dellin Betances $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Relief Pitcher - David Huff* $750,000 (pre-arbitration)

Relief Pitcher - Cesar Cabral* $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

The total here is $160.775 million. But we can't stop there, as you can add another $5 million for the remaining 15 players that would be on the 40-man roster, along with $12 million for the team's portion of league player bonuses. So that brings us to $177.775 million, leaving the team with $11.225 million. 

Don't jump for joy quite yet.

Unless you just skimmed that roster above, you probably noticed that there's nobody listed at third base. Nobody currently on the team sticks out as somebody that I'd be okay with playing there regularly. 

Then there's the fact that Shawn Kelly could be the set-up man for David Robertson. It would be nice to bring somebody in that could be better in that spot.

And finally, the team would want some money left over in case they have to spend during the season. There will surely be an injury or two that will require adding somebody to the team.

So I can see the Yankees spending a lot, but probably not on all four of those players.

We Can Improve & Get Under The Luxury Tax In 2014

The New York Yankees can absolutely improve their team and take a legit shot at getting under the 2014 luxury tax threshold that could give us a reset on the penalties we pay to other teams. It will not be easy mind you and we will have to rely on some of our homegrown guys that did not exactly install much confidence in us this season but it can be done. The free agent market is one of the lighter ones in recent history with guys like Jose Dariel Abreu and Brian McCann towards the top of the offensive free agent rankings and Matt Garza and Masahiro Tanaka leading the charge for the pitchers. Let's take a look at what the Yankees would look like if I were running the show, trying to improve on 2013, and get under the 2014 luxury tax threshold.

C: Brian McCann
1B: Mark Teixeira
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Eduardo Nunez
LF: Alfonso Soriano
CF: Brett Gardner
RF: Zoilo Almonte
DH: Jose Dariel Abreu

BN: Francisco Cervelli
BN: Brendan Ryan
BN: Jayson Nix
BN: Ichiro Suzuki
BN: David Adams

While we are making a serious run at the $189,000,000 luxury tax thresh hold some guys had to be cut off the roster that I have been originally clamoring for. The Yankees will not see a Michael Young on the team because he is aging, declining, and probably too expensive for us. Mark Reynolds did well as a Yankee under Kevin Long's watch but I think we should ultimately cut ties while we are ahead. I originally wanted him to play at third base and first base when Mark Texeira needed a day off but David Adams could do that in a pinch as well and comes about $7-$8 million cheaper. Also I am pretty impressed by what Eduardo Nunez did the last month or so of the season both at the plate and on the field at third base. I think if we stick Nunez at third and third only he can get comfortable and be the plus defender that he was in the minor leagues. Chris Stewart has to go as we have four catchers on the 40 man roster and he should be the lowest on the totem pole. The fact that Austin Romine and JR Murphy both have options remaining either has them being sent down or in a potential trade as both have some potential trade value. Vernon Wells costs us nothing against the luxury tax so he could easily be cut, released, or traded while we give Zoilo's switch hitting bat a shot in right field. The Yankees have some serious infield depth with the likes of Brendan Ryan, Jayson Nix, and David Adams all being able to play in multiple positions each including every infield spot but catcher.

SP: CC Sabathia
SP: Matt Garza/Masahiro Tanaka/ Hiroki Kuroda/ Free Agent
SP: Ivan Nova
SP: Michael Pineda
SP: Adam Warren

CL: David Robertson
RP: Dellin Betances
RP: Shawn Kelley
RP: Preston Claiborne
RP: Cesar Cabral
RP: David Phelps

Obviously I do not expect the Yankees to go into the season with Ivan Nova as their number two starter with two guys coming off of an injury and someone who has never been a starter in the majors full time but this is what we have now. I think Adam Warren has pretty much solidified, barring an injury or disastrous Spring Training, at least a 5th starter spot next season after a strong 2013 season in the bullpen and as a spot starter. If we sign a veteran starter or two then obviously Vidal Nuno would be the first to go down to the pen or the minor leagues. After that it would get interesting because I think the Yankees almost have to send Pineda out at this point and get something for him.That pretty much looks like the bullpen that we will send out there. If Nuno, Warren, or a veteran middle reliever get signed them David Huff would get designated for assignment followed by a tough David Phelps decision.

This team would probably be just as good as the 2013 team and a whole lot cheaper. Now I know we missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2008 and we want to get better, not stand pat, but think about it if we can lose Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte, Travis Hafner, Kevin Youkilis, Alex Rodriguez, and Hiroki Kuroda and still be just as good by building from within I cannot think of anymore that we can ask for. Especially considering that we would have plenty of trade chips for the July 31st trade deadline. This is going to be the most interesting off season that we have ever seen as Yankees fans and it may be a slow and boring one for us but as long as we take care of our own, namely Robinson Cano, and fill in big offensive upgrades where we can, namely Jose Dariel Abreu and Brian McCann, we should be just fine if not better in 2014 while still getting under the 2014 luxury tax threshold.

Be Happy We're Not Browns Fans

I'm about to talk about football, but bear with me...

Cleveland Browns fans are in an uproar over yesterday's trade, which sent star running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts, and in return Indy sent their 2014 1st Round pick to Cleveland. Unless the Colts crap the bed, which would give Cleveland a top pick, the chances of the Browns drafting somebody anywhere near the caliber of Richardson are minuscule. For reference, Trent was the third pick in the 2012 draft.

On top of dealing away their best player, the Browns team payroll is currently 25th out of the 32 NFL teams. Taking those two things into consideration, Browns fans certainly have reason to be up in arms.

The reason I talked about the situation for Browns fans is to put things in perspective for New York Yankees fans.

The best player on the 2013 Yankees, in terms of bWAR is Robinson Cano. The best player on the 2012 Yankees was Robinson Cano. In 2011 the top player for the Yankees was a tie between Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson. In 2010 Cano was yet again the top player for the Bombers. And in 2009 the top Yankee was Robinson Cano Derek Jeter. What I'm saying is that the Yankees do not trade away their top talent. And no, Jesus Montero, while their top prospect a couple of years ago, does not count as trading away a top player.

I don't have to throw numbers out there to remind you that the Yankees have had the top payroll in MLB for well over a decade. So you can't complain that they don't spend, either.

But here we are, on September 19th of 2013, and Yankees fans are indeed angry. Not just because of the team's current predicament, but because management is talking about lowering payroll to *gasp* $189 million. That's about $24 million more than the Phillies, who have the 3rd highest payroll this season.

I'm not saying it's totally cool for the Yankees to lower their payroll. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, the Yankees are one of the most profitable franchises in the World. So they absolutely don't have to lower their payroll to try and save money. But with Alex Rodrigez's gigantic salary off the books next year, and millions more going away as well, it's not impossible for them to put a contending team out there.

If anything, Yankees fans do have reason to be concerned that Cashman & Co aren't smart enough to get the job done. Personally, while I don't have 100% confidence in them, I'm not about to give up on them either.

It won't be easy, but I've taken a look at what the Yankees could do this offseason, and I like it. And as hard as it is to look beyond next season, once this austerity budget stuff has passed, and those large contracts keep falling away, we may all look back at the decisions made for 2014 and be really... really... happy.

Yankees Willing To Add Payroll At Trade Dealine

The New York Yankees already have an all time high payroll of roughly $230,000,000 this season and are willing to add even more at the trade deadline in order to compete. The Yankees have roughly $100,000,000 sitting on the disabled list alone and with them basically paying Vernon Wells for this season and next season all in 2013 you can see where that number seems a little bloated. I am glad to hear that the Yankees are willing to add payroll and even made a statement about the trade deadline without bringing up the 2014 luxury tax threshold goal and austerity budget. If the Yankees could not add payroll this July then we would be stuck seeing this same punch-less lineup for basically the rest of the season and that is enough to depress a guy.

My Thoughts On Scrapping The Austerity Budget

I can sum it all up in a picture... 

The Yankees May Scrap The Austerity Budget

Sources: The Yankees are almost certainly abandoning the plan to get their 2014 salary under $189M. yhoo.it/ZxmNFc
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 26, 2013

When I first read Jeff Passan's tweet last night I didn't think anything of it. I figured it was just another opinion piece from somebody that didn't think it made sense for the Yankees to try and save a few bucks by getting their payroll down, seeing as how it could cost them dearly by losing more games. We've written things like that right here. But it was between innings during last night's game, so I decided to click the link and see. I mean, it would be nice if the Yankees would drop the austerity budget, but there's been so much talk about it my hopes weren't high.

It turns out that Mr. Passan wasn't trying to simply gain website hits, as had some evidence...

"They're going to be over 189," one source familiar with the Yankees' plans said. "They know it. Everyone knows it. You can't run a $3 billion team with the intentions of saving a few million dollars."

Apparently the money that could be saved by getting payroll down to $189 million wasn't as much as anticipated. It was originally thought that the team could save upwards of $50 million by doing so, however that's not the case.

The rules on revenue sharing are changing. In the past, as long as a team was considered "low revenue", they would receive a portion of the revenue sharing money. That means that teams like Washington, Toronto, and Atlanta would get some of the revenue sharing money, even though those teams are actually in large markets. As opposed to low revenue teams like the Oakland As, who are not only low revenue but also in a small market. All of which would lead to a larger pool of revenue sharing money.

That's changing this season, as those teams in large markets (Washington, Toronto, Atlanta) will actually have to start giving that money back to the large market/large revenue teams that have been giving them money through revenue sharing for years.

However, for a team to get that revenue sharing money back they'd have to have a payroll at or under the threshold ($189 million in 2014). And that is the money that makes up the majority of the $50 million the Yankees were looking to save through the austerity budget.

"What happened to all the water?" - The Yankees/That Kid

Due to their success, the Washington Nationals are moving from being a payee to a payor, which will lower the amount of money to be given back to the Yankees and other large market/large revenue teams. The same goes for the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. Meaning the amount of money to be given back to large market/large revenue teams isn't as much, so the savings won't be as high.

So, it turns out that the majority of the money to be saved by getting to that magical payroll of $189 million would come from the Luxury Tax, which has been talked about quite a bit. As Jeff Passan pointed out in his article, if the Yankees had a payroll of $205 million from 2014-2016, the team would pay $24 million to the tax. However, if the payroll were $189 million in 2014, then went back up to $205 million in 2015 and 2016, the team would only pay $8.4 million. That means the team would save only $15.6 million over those 3 years. There's just no way saving $15.6 million over 3 years makes up for putting a lower quality product on the field.

Hell, the money the team could make from selling Robinson Cano jerseys over three years could make up that $15.6 million.

My math may be off there.

Perhaps if the Yankees didn't already have over $89 million wrapped up in only six players for 2014 (Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki, and Vernon Wells are all contracted through next season) things would be different. Oh, and that doesn't include up to nine possible arbitration cases, as well as ten regulars set to hit free agency (Robbie Cano key among those).

So not only would the savings for getting down to $189 million not be as much as first though, but getting there will be next to impossible. As a Yankee official said, "It was a good idea to try, but deep down, we all pretty much knew it wasn't going to happen."

Russell Martin Was Willing To Sign One Year Deal

In the latest version of Brian Cashman being a complete idiot we heard news today that Russell Martin was interested in signing a one year deal with the Yankees worth $9-10 million. For some reason the Yankees did not take him up on this offer and instead allowed him to walk to Pittsburgh on a two year deal. This would fit in with our off season plan of one year deals only and would also help us get under the 2014 luxury tax thresh hold of $189 million. Brain scratching to say the least. Instead we will see Stewvelli behind the plate for the Yankees in 2013.

Hal Steinbrenner Ready To Ditch The $189 Million Plan?

It appears that Hal Steinbrenner may be ready to say adios to the $189 million austerity budget luxury tax plan for 2014, halle-freaking-lujah! Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York reported that this seems like the first time a Steinbrenner is running the Yankees since George died. Whether this is because the savings are less then expected, the fan out lash was greater than expected, season ticket sales are down, they did not want to lose Robinson Cano, they read The Greedy Pinstripes and see how much I personally hate it, or all of the above which is making the Steinbrenner's consider ditching the austerity budget but whatever it is this is one happy blogger. This is all speculation at this point but with the Yankees willingness to now break the bank to keep Robinson Cano I can see this plan going by the wayside and the Yankees cutting checks this trade dead line and next off season, not payroll.

2014 Sans ARod

In a post of mine last Friday I looked ahead to 2014, to see what the Yankees roster could look like after that offseason. With the news that the Yankees are trying to find a way to nullify the remaining 5 years and $114 million on Alex Rodriguez's contract, I thought I'd have a little fun and see what the team could do with that much more money to spend. But, before I do that, let me just say this...

ARod is not going anywhere for at least 5 more years. I see no way Major League Baseball will allow the Yankees to void his contract and wash their hands of the most overpaid player in all of professional sports (that may be an exaggeration, but sadly not by much). It would be the type of thing the Player's Union would fight tooth and nail, which could lead to a lengthy legal battle. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm certainly not counting on it.

That doesn't mean I can't play fantasy General Manager, though. Before I start my spending spree, let's take a look at who the Yankees will already have around after the 2013 season...

I won't need Cashman's ninja gear for this exercise.

C - Austin Romine $500,000
1B - Mark Teixeira $22.5 million
2B - Robinson Cano $23 million (for the 1,937th time... I think he's re-signed, and I'm thinking 9 years/$207 million)
3B -                                                
SS - Derek Jeter $14 million (exercises his player option)
LF - Ichiro Suzuki $6.5 million
CF - Brett Gardner $4 million (arbitration 3, after a raise from $2.85m in 2013)
RF -
DH -

BE - Francisco Cervelli $1.5 million (arbitration 1.... this was tough as I had to go by the fact that Jarrod Saltalamacchia got $2.5m in 2012 from Boston)
BE - Eduardo Nunez $500,000
BE - Tyler Austin $500,000
BE -

SP1 - CC Sabathia $22.125 million
SP2 -
SP3 - Michael Pineda $2 million (arbitration 1... Hughes got $2.7m in 1st year of arbitration in 2011)
SP4 -
SP5 - David Phelps $500,000

CL - David Robertson $5 million (arbitration 3... Robertson will receive $3.55m-$2.85m in 2013, and got $1.6m in 2012)
SU -
RP - Mark Montgomery $500,000
RP - Clay Rapada $1.5 million (arbitration 1... Logan got $1.2 million in his 2nd yr of arbitration)
RP - Chase Whitley $500,000
RP - Ivan Nova $2 million (arbitration 1... Hughes got $2.7m in 1st year of arbitration in 2011)
RP -

15 Players not on Active Roster ~$3 million

TOTAL: $110.125 Million

That total doesn't include bonuses and the Yankees’ portion of the league’s player benefits that are added to the team's total payroll. That amount is expected to be in the neighborhood of $12 million for 2014. So that $110.125 total immediately jumps to $122.125.

That leaves us with about $66.875 million to spend in 2014, in order to stay at or under the $189 million Luxury Tax threshold.

The first hole I'm going to look at is the DH one. While it's unlikely the Yankees have a guy currently in the organization that could fill that role, I'm going to go out on a limb and say otherwise. I'm going to pencil in the name Ronnier Mustelier. Although I included Ronnier on the roster in my last article, I didn't say much about him beyond the fact he could play a little third base to give ARod some rest. With ARod out of the picture, then Ronnier could fill in in the outfield... where he's play the vast majority of his Minor League games. I can also see him hitting .280 and cracking 15-20 home runs a season.

"Yeah, I can be that guy."

Like in that article last Friday, I see the Yankees trading for Corey Hart mid-season, and then signing him to a 3 year/$36 million contract at the end of the season. Corey has a good amount of right-handed power, can hit for a decent batting average, and would be available at a non-premium price unlike a player such as Jacoby Ellsbury (assuming he bounces back from his freak shoulder injury, and hits like he did in 2011). And that non-premium price includes a contract short enough that we'd miss out on his big decline years.

I also see the Yankees re-signing Joba Chamberlain. With Mariano Rivera on his way to retirement after this season (I haven't seen it reported, but I'm assuming this is it for the G.O.A.T.), the bullpen is going to need some work. David Robertson, I believe, could be the next closer for the team. Mark Montgomery could be that guy, but I'm not sure he'll be ready to step right into that position in 2014. The same could be said about Mark for the set-up role, which is where I see Joba after returning to the Bronx on a 3 year/$12 million contract.

One of the holes I see on the team is at starting pitcher, in this case the #4 spot. It would be great if Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances could bounce back this season and be ready to step into the Yankees rotation, but I'm not feeling too good about that. And I'm not the biggest fan of prospects anyway, so I'm going to say the Yankees should look into re-signing Phil Hughes on a contract of about 5 years and $45 million. I'm not saying Hughes is going to start blowing people away, and winning 18 games a season like he did in 2010, but I can see him being a solid starter in the bottom part of the rotation. And with my plans for the second starting pitcher, I think the rotation could be in really good shape.

That second pitcher I just alluded to is the same guy I talked about in my previous post about the 2014 roster. That man is Tim Lincecum. If you want to read my thoughts about the current Giants pitcher then here again is the link to that article, in which I say plenty about The Freak.

The last big free agent signing I'm going to sign on for is for Martin Prado for 5 years and $80 million (this might need to go 6 years, which could be an option). Prado will be 30 years old when he's a free agent after the 2013 season, and would likely command a 5 year deal, which would mean the team that signs him could avoid the bigger decline players tend to see after their age 35 seasons. I can also see Prado hitting for a .290 batting average and on-base percentage of .350. It would be nice if Martin continues to run like he did in 2012, when he swiped 17 bags, too. Add in some versatility to his defense, as he's played a significant amount of time at second base and in the outfield, and I think he'd make a really good signing to fill the hole left by Alex Rodriguez.

Raise your hand if you want to be a Yankee.

After the team uses some younger players already in the organization to fill a couple of remaining holes, like in the bullpen, this is the team I would put on the field in 2014...

C - Austin Romine $500,000
1B - Mark Teixeira $22.5 million
2B - Robinson Cano $23 million
3B - Martin Prado $16 million
SS - Derek Jeter $14 million
LF - Ichiro Suzuki $6.5 million
CF - Brett Gardner $4 million
RF - Corey Hart $11 million
DH - Ronnier Mustelier $500,000

BE - Francisco Cervelli $1.5 million
BE - Eduardo Nunez $500,000
BE - Tyler Austin $500,000
BE - Pre-Arbitration Player $500,000

SP1 - CC Sabathia $22.125 million
SP2 - Tim Lincecum $23 million
SP3 - Michael Pineda $2 million
SP4 - Phil Hughes $9 million
SP5 - David Phelps $500,000

CL - David Robertson $5 million
SU - Joba Chamberlain $4 million
RP - Mark Montgomery $500,000
RP - Clay Rapada $1.5 million
RP - Chase Whitley $500,000
RP - Pre-Arbitration Player $500,000
RP - Pre-Arbitration Player $500,000

With the remaining 15 players filling out the 40-man roster, who will make about $3 million combined, along with the $12 million that includes bonuses and the Yankees’ portion of the league’s player benefits, the total payroll for 2014 would be $185.125 million.

Nobody Interesting This Offseason

From MLB Trade Rumors, here's something that can be filed under "Bull****"...

The Yankees intend to lower their payroll below $189MM by 2014, but the financial incentives in place for doing so might not be as strong as initially anticipated. The team could end up obtaining less than expected from the new market-disqualification revenue-sharing program, as Rosenthal explains. However, Yankees officials say the team’s offseason strategy has been influenced by available players rather than maneuverings based on the sport’s collective bargaining agreement.

I'm assuming that un-named Yankee official is only referring to this offseason, which I can kind of understand. I wasn't dying to get Josh Hamilton or Zack Greinke, and seeing what happened between the Red Sox and Mike Napoli has changed my mind completely on that player. I keep reading that the austerity budget could be thrown out should the team not be up to snuff, but I guess we'll have to wait another year to see for sure.

Should We Feel Confident For 2013 & Beyond

This has been an off season to remember, or forget depending on how you want to look at it, especially for the fans that have been spoiled to grow up watching the Yankees during the dynasty years of the mid 90's until as recently as 2009. We have all seen guys come through the system like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner, David Robertson, and a plethora of others guys that I am unintentionally forgetting that have all had huge impacts on not only the regular season but also have played big parts in our five World Series titles in the last seventeen seasons. We have also seen the Yankees go out and bid against themselves getting the biggest free agent prizes like Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Mark Teixeira, Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina, David Wells, Hideki Matsui, and probably 600 other free agents that George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have gotten into pinstripes. With the ability to have a seemingly infinite budget both in free agency, with International Free Agents, and in the draft the Yankees and Brian Cashman have not been afraid to pull off big trades involving prospects for proven veteran pieces to make another World Series run which was fun to watch for all of us until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was applied with a luxury tax. With the newest CBA now under full effect with even harsher penalties up to a 50% tax for repeat offenders who go over the luxury tax threshold the Yankees are finally starting to feel the heat and the restraints put into place.

We have been hearing about it for the last couple of off seasons now that the Yankees have a plan to get under the luxury tax threshold before the 2014 season, which is going to be set at $189 million, in order to reap the fiscal benefits that come along with it. The Yankees have continuously operated in the red as an business, although the YES Network has always more then made up for the short comings by the actual team, so the idea to get under the threshold to save some money and restart the penalties if we decide to go over in 2015 make sense on paper but do they really make sense in the real world? I personally have my doubts and my question has always been whether the fiscal savings by getting under the threshold would outweigh the fiscal hit the Yankees would take if we were mediocre on the field not only in 2014 but this season as well. Can the Yankees really compete in what is an ever growing competitive American League East AND follow through with the austerity budget in what seems to be like a rebuilding project? Sure, we can, but the only way that is going to happen is if we put our faith into Brian Cashman's alter ego, Ninja Cashman. Let's not beat around the bush our farm system, especially in the upper levels, is depleted and barren and not going to really help us in major spots in 2013 and beyond besides for maybe a David Adams, Corban Joseph, Adam Warren, or a Mark Montgomery. While those are nice pieces for depth or in a pinch aside from Montgomery none of these guys are the can't miss type guys that we will need to keep the payroll down and still compete. The only way we are going to get this done is if Ninja Cashman can pull off a trade or two that brings us a young and effective piece without creating too many other holes but can we really bank on that? I am glad that you asked...

I took it upon myself to look at the last six seasons worth of trades, no matter how minor, and evaluated each one specifically to evaluate whether or not we should really put our faith into Ninja Cash or if we should expect to miss the playoffs the next two seasons. I am just going to hit the high spots because I do not think anyone puts much weight into trades like when we acquired Justin Maxwell from the Nationals in 2011 for some guy whose name I cannot pronounce and have to copy and paste his last name(Adam Olbrychowski) to make sure the spelling is correct. Let's look an evaluate the trade history of Ninja Cash:

On July 23rd 2012 the Yankees traded minor leaguers DJ Mitchell and Danny Farquhar for Ichiro Suzuki while we were in Seattle playing the Mariners. This trade worked out beautifully for the Yankees because we were never going to give either of these guys a shot for the big club and in 67 games Ichiro gave us a 0.8 WAR, wreaked havoc on the base paths, and was one of the few Yankees to not totally disappear when the calendar changed to October. Verdict: Good Trade

On April 4th 2012 Brian Cashman traded away George Kontos to the San Francisco Giants for Chris Stewart. This trade never made much sense to me because while I can agree and get behind the fact that relievers are a dime a dozen and George Kontos was not exactly young or a "can't miss guy" can you not say the same thing about back up defensive minded no bat catchers? Especially when the Yankees already had a capable backup, albeit not exactly defensive minded first, in Francisco Cervelli already on the roster. Kontos went on to have a pretty good season for the eventual World Series champions while we were without guys like Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain and Chris Stewart did nothing of note for the Yankees. Granted Chris Stewart looks more and more like our starting catcher in 2013, which I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, so there is time to get some value out of this trade. Verdict: Bad Trade

On January 23rd 2012 the Yankees traded Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos from the Seattle Mariners. As much as this trade hurt because I have watched Montero come through the system and salivated at the idea of his power in Yankees Stadium the trade made sense because Michael Pineda was a power arm with 5 years left of team control and filled a need. Jose Campos was also considered to be able to walk into camp and be listed in our Top 5 Prospects list right away and had much more potential then Hector Noesi ever thought of having. The trade is obviously incomplete as even after the 2013 season we will still have 3 years left of Michael Pineda and Jose Campos is still only in Charleston you have to wonder if Pineda will ever come back and be effective for the Yankees. The only redeeming factor in this trade is the fact that Jesus Montero once again seems to be without a true position and did not exactly tear the cover off of the ball while Hector Noesi got lit up in Safeco. Verdict : Fair Trade

On July 31st 2010 the Yankees acquire "Kid K" Kerry Wood from the Cleveland Indians for at the time was two players to be named later, who later turned into Matt Cusik and Andrew Shive, and cash. Kerry came over and absolutely dominated out of the Yankees pen with a 0.69 ERA in the second half for the bombers while to date neither Shive or Cusik have done anything for the tribe. Verdict : Good Trade

On December 22nd 2009 the Yankees traded Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and Arodys Vizcaino for Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez. While in Atlanta Melky Cabrera was absolutely terrible and quickly traded to Kansas City, Mike Dunn has not done anything to lose sleep over, and Arodys Vizcaino is going to miss the 2013 season with Tommy John surgery. While Boone Logan has been somewhat of the LOOGY we have been searching for the last five to ten seasons Javier Vazquez was absolutely terrible for the Yankees. It is a lot to give up just for essentially a LOOGY but since we did not give up anything that has come back to bite us to date this trade gets my approval. Verdict : Good Trade

On December 8th 2009 the Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Tigers hooked up in a three team trade that saw The Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson from Detroit while giving up Phil Coke and Austin Jackson to the Tigers and sending Ian Kennedy to Arizona with other lesser pieces moving back and forth. Curtis started out well for the Yankees and has compiled a 13.2 WAR since the trade the pieces we gave up have compiled a 26.8 WAR in the same time period. Austin Jackson has turned into one of the better lead off men and center fielders in the American League, Phil Coke has dominated us in the playoffs out of the pen, and Ian Kennedy is one season removed from becoming a 20 game winner. Curtis Granderson has forgotten how to take routes in center field and has become an all or nothing kind of home run hitter that the Yankees were trying to get away from. Verdict : Bad Trade

Our final trade we are going to look at was on November 13th 2008 where the Yankees acquire Nick Swisher and reliever Kanekoa Texeira for Wilson Betemit, Jeffrey Marquez, and Jhonny Nunez. This was a classic buy low move after Swisher had the worst season of his career in Chicago and rebounded nicely in four seasons for the Yankees. We gave up nothing of note and got a fan favorite in return that the Yankees are scrambling and struggling to replace after leaving via free agency this season. Swisher has compiled a 15 WAR in his time in pinstripes where Betemit, Marquez, and Nunez combined have brought Chicago a 2 WAR. Verdict: Excellent Trade

I know that I have missed a few trades but for the sake of space I hit the high spots and wen't over the bigger of the trades and according to my tally I have one excellent trade, three good trades, one fair trade, and two bad trades. Trades, much like the MLB draft, are a crap shoot because you never know what you are going to get but on the bigger trades Ninja Cash seems to get the better end of the deal more often than not. I am not the most patient Yankees fan and I definitely hate settling for anyone less then Zack Greinke and Josh Hamilton this off season, hence the name Greedy Pinstripes, my faith in my General Manager and the teams commitment to winning will never waiver. Ninja Cash has been fantastic at finding cheap value late in the off season and in traded and I have full confidence that he will again in 2013 and 2014 to keep this team in contention.

Maybe The $189 Million Plan Is Not Set In Stone

Hal Steinbrenner left a little wiggle room regarding the 2014 luxury tax thresh hold plan of getting under $189 million in payroll. When asked about it by Ken Davidoff down in Tampa Hal responded by saying "Is our goal 189 next year? Yes, but only if I'm convinced the team I see, that we've put together, is a championship caliber team." He also went on to say that he did not believe you needed to have a payroll of $220 million to win a World Series which I can agree with. Maybe there will be a little wiggle room in this and we have been already putting Cano on a farewell tour and looking at being a 3rd or 4th place team for nothing...

Yankees 2012 Luxury Tax Penalty Set At $18.9 Mill

The Yankees have spent approx. $224.2 million over the last 10 years of the luxury tax threshold penalty which is one seasons worth of payroll in the Bronx or more. In 2011 the Bombers paid a "mere" $13.9 million but in 2012 we are paying $18.9 million. I still cannot get behind the austerity budget for 2014 and the whole $189 million plan even after seeing these numbers. These numbers are a drop in the bucket in the big picture but hey, what do I know right?

Is The Austerity Budget Really Worth It?

Although Burch was ahead of me in hating the austerity budget for 2014, I've come to also hate the budget as it seems to be keeping the team from making moves that could better their chances of winning now.

Having lived in the 80s, and seeing some poor baseball played by the Yankees, you'd think I'd be okay with sacrificing a year or two in order to set the team up for better things down the road. But I've come to really like the taste of winning year in and year out, so I'm not happy about the idea of feasting on lesser fare for even one season. It doesn't help that the Yankees are one of the richest teams in the sports world, and saving a few bucks shouldn't be all that important. Nor does it help that I'm a very impatient person, so sitting back and waiting for something to happen while a team like the Dodgers goes nuts annoys me.

Waiting for my meal to arrive at Olive Garden infuriates me.

So what would the team really be saving should they get under the Luxury Tax threshold in 2014? To start, let's say the Yankees made some moves that cost them more money. Now, I'm not here to defend the players I have them signing, or anything like that. I'm merely bringing up the acquisition of some players to make a point. So here is the full roster, meaning not just the active roster but the full 40-man, that I'm proposing for 2014. Keep in mind that the numbers represent the average annual value of the player's contract.

C - Mike Napoli $13 million (signed for 3 years and $39 million after 2012 season)
1B - Mark Teixeira $22.5m (under contract)
2B - Robinson Cano $23m (re-signs for 7 years $161 million after 2013 season)
3B - Mark Reynolds $8m (signed for 3 years and $24 million after 2013 season)
SS - Derek Jeter $14m (exercises player option)
LF - Tyler Austin $600,000 (pre-arbitration)
CF - Brett Gardner $4.5m (signed in his 3rd year of arbitration)
RF - Hamilton 25 (signs 3 year $75m)
DH - Alex Rodriguez $27.5m (under contract)

Bench - Chris Dickerson $2m (1st year arbitration eligible)
Bench - Eduardo Nunez $650,000 (pre-arbitration)
Bench - ??? $600,000 (young player in pre-arbitration years)
Bench - ??? $600,000 (young player in pre-arbitration years)

Starting Pitcher 1 - CC Sabathia $24.4m
Starting Pitcher 2 - Tim Lincecum $23m (signed for 7 years and $161 million after 2013 season)
Starting Pitcher 3 - Michael Pineda $4m (1st year arbitration eligible)
Starting Pitcher 4 - Phil Hughes $9m (signed for 3 years and $27 million after 2013 season)
Starting Pitcher 5 - Ivan Nova $2.5m (1st year arbitration eligible)

Closer - Rafael Soriano $12m (signed for 3 years and $36 million after 2012 season)
Set-Up Man - David Robertson  $3.5m (3rd year arbitration eligible)
Relief Pitcher - Joba Chamberlain $3m (signed for 2 years and $6 million after 2013 season)
Relief Pitcher - Boone Logan $3m (signed for 2 years and $6 million after 2013 season)
Relief Pitcher - ??? $600,000 (young player in pre-arbitration years)
Relief Pitcher - ??? $600,000 (young player in pre-arbitration years)
Relief Pitcher - ??? $600,000 (young player in pre-arbitration years)

The last 15 players on the 40-man roster will be making the league minimum of $500,000, which would total $7.5 million.

Total Payroll: $228.15 million

"The chances the Yankees sign Tim Lincecum are slim to none."

"Shut up, nerd!"

The Luxury Tax threshold for 2014 is $189 million, and a team that was over the threshold for 3 or more previous seasons (which would be the Yankees) will be taxed at a rate of 50% for each dollar over that threshold. That would mean the Yankees would owe the league $19.575 million.

I decided to look at ticket sales for the playoffs, since I had some solid numbers to work with in that area. I found that in 2012 ticket prices for the American League Divisional Series and the American League Championship Series averaged $131 each. I also read that World Series tickets for Yankee Stadium averaged $196 each. Now, seeing as how Yankee Stadium has a capacity of 50,291, I think it's safe to say they could sell 50,000 tickets per playoff game. Even if we assume the Yankees played the minimum number of homes games in route to a World Series victory, we'd be talking about a total of six home games... four in the ALDS and ALCS, and two more in the World Series. That would be 200,000 tickets at $131 each, and another 100,000 tickets sold at $196 a piece, which makes the total gate for the playoffs $45.8 million.

Make $45.8 million or save $19.575 million?

Yeah, this shouldn't be a hard choice.

The team would remain at a tax rate of 50% for the following season, and any other season after that they were over the Luxury Tax threshold, therefore it would cost them a few more bucks than if they got under the threshold in 2014, thus resetting their tax rate to 17.5%. But you can see by the playoff ticket sales alone that the Luxury Tax bill shouldn't keep them from fielding the best team possible year in and year out. I mean, the possible money to be made far exceeds the money they'd save.

I'm sure those that are pushing for the austerity budget have looked at these numbers already, so I can only assume that they believe they have a legit shot at winning it all anyway. Personally, I'm not so sure. Let's hear what you think.

Yankees Could Not Match Offer For Russel Martin

The Pittsburgh Pirates, as predicted by yours truly at TGP, signed Russell Martin on a two year deal worth $17 million which is far under market value. The shocking news came when Russell came out and said the Yankees told him that they could not match the offer or beat it and that is why he is headed to Pittsburgh. Say what?!?!

I can get behind the 2014 luxury tax plan and all that but at what cost? Then today we hear that the Yankees have no intentions of going after Mike Napoli or AJ Pierzynski... say what again ?!?! I am hoping that this is more of a ninja cash type scenario that nets us a Joe Mauer and not the beginning of New York Rays.