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Written by Keith Hejna
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Wednesday, 31 December 2008 |
The New York Yankees, dubbed the “Evil Empire” by haters and fans
alike, seem to have already won the arms race this offseason with the
expensive acquisitions of starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and A.J.
Burnett, and first baseman Mark Teixeira. But does that mean they are
now a lock to win the World Series, or even the AL East?
No, but it sure puts them in a better position to do so.
Dollars do not translate to wins (look at the ’93 Mets), but they can make a team a contender if spent in the right places. The question is whether the Yankees have wisely invested the $423.5 million owed to these three ballplayers.
With the departures of Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Andy Pettitte, the Yankees had $88 million come off the books this winter. However, they locked most of it up on three players with long-term contracts and downsides that may eclipse the upsides that they bring to the Bronx.
C.C. Sabathia – The Yankees’ new ace inked a seven-year, $161 million contract, making him the second highest paid player in Major League Baseball after Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez. It is the most lucrative deal ever given to a pitcher in the history of the game. And to top it off, the agreement includes a full no-trade clause and opt-out clause after three years, giving Sabathia and his agent Greg Genske control of the reigns of his career. If he plays well through 2011, he can test his value once again on the free agent market at the age of 31, the way A-Rod did last year. If he fails to meet his expectations, or gets injured, he can stay in the Bronx and continue to make $23 million per year. It was also widely reported that Sabathia wanted to play on the west coast, and some speculated that the left-handed hurler, who flopped in the last two postseasons, did not want to play on baseball’s biggest and brightest stage – New York. He is large (6’7” 250 lbs) durable, pitches deep into games and already has an American League Cy Young Award under his belt, but it is yet to be seen how he will fare in the New York limelight of the brand new Yankee Stadium.
A.J. Burnett – The Jays’ number two starter behind Roy Halladay, who averages more than eight strikeouts per nine innings in his career, signed a five-year $82.5 million contract to be the Yankees’ number three starter behind Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang. The tall right-hander can still hit the high 90’s on the radar gun, but his health has been an issue since 2003 when he had Tommy John surgery. He spent more time on the DL in 2004, ‘06 and ’07. Burnett is unproven in the postseason since he has never pitched in a playoff game. “I wanted to come to a place with a big stage,” said Burnett. “I wanted to pitch in the postseason. That's all I'm here for. I'm here to win.” With Burnett, the Yankees are built to win, but only if he can stay healthy. If not, well, at least Pavano won’t be sitting next to him on the DL.
Mark Teixeira – Just when you thought they might be finished signing big name players this year, the Yankees locked up first base for the next eight seasons with a $180 million deal that topped offers from the Red Sox and Nationals. Teixeira is a gold glove-caliber first baseman with the added offensive pop that can extract better numbers from the middle of the Yankees’ lineup – he hit .308 with 33 home runs and 121 RBIs last season. However, this move limits the Yankees flexibility with some of their aging veterans. Though Jorge Posada, 37, will be behind the plate on opening day, he is coming off a shoulder surgery that cut his 2008 season short. Teixeira’s arrival stifles the aging catcher’s eventual move to first base. This will force the Yankees to have to make a decision in the near future on whether Posada or Hideki Matsui will be the team’s designated hitter.
In short, the Yankees blew their load on the cream of the free agent crop this offseason. The chances that all three of these players will earn their tremendous contracts are slim, but the chances of the Yankees winning the division in 2009 just got a whole lot better.
But while the brothers Steinbrenner may have secured an immediate spot in the playoffs, they may have also doomed their team for the future. Or, they may have built the next great Yankees dynasty.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 December 2008 )
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