Question #124: Are the Yankees now the favorites?
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- December
- 24
CC. AJ. Tex.
In the span of a few weeks, the Yankees have added two aces and the premier position player on the market to their roster (and about $420 million in salary). They may or may not be done.
So, given all that, consider this: Are they the best team in the AL East?
A year ago they weren’t. They were the third-best, behind the Rays and the Red Sox. So far this winter, neither one of those teams has done anything to change their team while the Yankees have essentially plugged their two most glaring holes. To me, that puts them ahead. Yes, they’re the best right now.
It’s hard for me to write that, mostly because the Yankees have made tons of big moves in winters past and have very little to show for it. Are CC and AJ better than Kevin Brown and Randy Johnson and Javy Vazquez and Jose Contreras? Looking back at the latter names now, it’s easy to say, “We knew those guys wouldn’t fit,” but the truth is that most of the reaction at the time of those additions was positive. Just like it is now.
So maybe I’m getting sucked in again. As I wrote in today’s paper, none of these moves guarantees anything in terms of winning. Any Yankees fan who’s been paying attention for the past seven years knows that. But I do think it’s enough to get them back to the AL East title and back to the playoffs. What they do once they get there remains to be seen.
CARP SAYS:
First and foremost, Happy Holidays!
I think the best part of the Texeira signing for the Yankees is that it keeps him out of Boston, and maybe it keeps Manny Ramirez’s act out of the Bronx.
But, no, nothing’s certain because of these three signings. First of all, Burnett, with the exception of his one Carl Pavano-contract season, is a .500 pitcher. His stuff is better than Darrell Rasner’s, maybe among the best in the league, and he’ll give you innings and strikeouts, all of which is important. But will he actually win more games than a Rasner or a Sidney Ponson? No guarantees at all.
I still think Sabathia preferred to pitch elsewhere, and that there is an inherent danger in bribing somebody to sign. He’s an ace, no doubt, but he’s not a 20-game winner, or at least he hasn’t been in his recent glory years. If he and Wang are healthy, then the Yankees have a very strong top of the rotation. But unless Joba Chamberlain is going to the bullpen, the bullpen remains weak in the middle-to-late innings.
The Yankees still are weak, if not awful, in the outfield; still have question marks at second base and behind the plate—I think Robinson Cano will rebound, but I have no idea how much Jorge Posada will be able to catch. Their lineup wasn’t good enough last year, and that was with Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. Texeira should be as productive as Giambi was, and maybe Posada and Cano’s return to what’s expected of them will offset the loss of Abreu.
I’m not saying, at this point, that they’re better than the Rays or the Red Sox. But they are in the conversation now, because of Sabathia and Wang.
12:08 p.m., Sam says:
Figured I’d post two links I found interesting:
First, here’s Rob Neyer – always a great read on ESPN – with his take on the “conventional wisdom” that the Yankees ARE the team to beat now.
And second, here’s Rays manager Joe Maddon’s take on the Tex signing – basically reminding everyone that the Rays did pretty well with their own system last year. It’s a fair point.
Are they the team to beat may be the dumbest question at this point in any pro sport! Who’s next, Manny? How can a team who owns virtually the highest paid player at EVERY POSITION NOT BE EXPECTED TO WIN
This is the very reason baseball is a sham. Yes THE YANKEES ARE THE #1 SHAM !
” BUT DURING THE SEASON YOU’LL HEAR YANKEE FANS YELLING,
THOSE WERE SOME GREAT TRADES WE MADE” !!!
I GREW UP A YANKEE FAN BEFORE THEY RUINED BASEBALL, I’M ASHAMED TO HAVE EVER BEEN ONE.
I’m excited that the Yanks signed CC and Teix. (Burnett, not so much.) However, signing Teix does no more for the Yanks than what acquiring Youkelis or Pedroia did for Boston. Of course, Boston acquired them before they were stars and without committing $300 million. There was nothing like the current fuss when they were first signed. Similar comment applies to Tampa and their young stars. I think the current free-agent signings more or less offsets the Yanks failure to develop enough stars in the last few years.
HOpefully, Wang will return to form and Hughes and Joba will fulfill their potential in 2009. I think the Yanks are now the strongest team in the AL East and favorites to win it all, but not overwhelmingly favorites.
First things first – I need to address some issues here:
I’m not sure I understand why the Yankees paying market value for players is considered a sham…? If I recall, the Angels, Sox and Nationals all bid $150 mil and higher for Tex and the Nationals’ bid was even $5 mil more than the Yanks’ offer. Also, the Rangers gave Arod his initial $252 mil contract, not the Yankees. And if I recall, the Sox also tried to procure Arod’s services before the Yankees did. Another point, didn’t the Sox bid $51 mil just to be able to NEGOTIATE – not sign – negotiate – with Matsuzaka – $12 mil more then the next highest bidder (which wasn’t even the Yankees – it was the Mets)?? I don’t believe the Yankees are the only ones who excessively overspend in baseball. So getting riled up about that aspect is ludicrous.
In my eyes, the Yankees have the biggest resources of many clubs and that is in part due to the town they’re in. Whether or not it’s fair to other clubs doesn’t mean they shouldn’t field the best team they can. The Steins could very very easily save the profits and field a team not unlike the KC Royals. They Yanks also pay their share in both revenue sharing and pay thier luxury tax. And I do believe there are teams out there who just pocket that revenue sharing instead of putting back into the team. With the resources at their disposal, the Yanks can and do put together a formidable team. If I’m correct, the owner of the Twins, Angels and a few other clubs are richer than the Steins, but it’s the Steins who put all the resources back into their club instead of the profits back into their pockets. If you’re ashamed of that, then I believe the Royals are in need of some fans.
Topic:
The Yanks are now in the discussion. A good team isn’t just the best paid players in the game. It’s the team that’s the healthiest, the hottest, and the
most consistent team that wins the title. The Yankees are now a playoff bound team in my eyes. Whether or not their a championship team or the favorites depends on if their healthy and hot at the end of the season… just like every other playoff bound team.
Re: Maddon’s POV… two things aobut his system – 1) the Young played an extra 2 months and we’ll see what kind of toll that takes on young arms. 2) it took 15 years of last place finishes to get there… not exactly the model of efficiency. Thanks, but I’ll take the Yankees system every day of the week and twice on Sunday over the Rays’ system.