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[CygnusXS]

That's probably for the best. I watch easily over a hundred games a year and I didn't know who some of the fucking scrubs on the MLB roster were. It's been bad.

4/$49 seems okay for Nolasco. Probably a year longer than I would want but it's nice to see them sign someone for the rotation who wasn't pulled out of a dumpster. Apparently they're not out on Garza either. If they signed both I would be ecstatic, but I am guessing the next guy they sign is Arroyo. I would prefer Kazmir or P-Hug to be honest. With Nolasco, one of those three, and a decent chance at Meyer being ready later in the summer they could actually have a real live rotation.

I would love it if the Twins signed Arroyo, as then the Braves wouldn't be able to.

 

[3N16MA]

C- McCann 5/85 (17M)
1B - Teixera 8/180 (22.5M)
2B - Cano 8/184 (23M)
SS - Jeter 1/12 (12M)
3B - Infante 3/27 (9M)
LF - Ichiro 2/13 (6.5M)
CF - Gardner (arbitration 4M)
RF- Beltran 3/39 (13M)
DH - Soriano 8/136 (4M)

SP - Sabathia 8/182 (24.4M)
SP - Tanaka 7/70 (10M)
SP - Nova (arbitration 2.8M)
SP - Feldman 2/16 (8.0M)
SP - Nuno (league minimum 0.48M)

RP - Robertson (arbitration 5.5M)
RP - Crain 1/3.5 (3.5M)
RP - Kelley - (arbitration 1.5M)
RP - Claiborne/Daley (league minimum 0.48M)
RP - Cabral (league minimum 0.48M)
RP - Phelps (pre-arbitation 0.52M)
RP - Betances (league minimum 0.48M)

BN - Wells 7/126M (0M)
BN - Ryan 1/2.5 (2.5M)
BN - Cervelli (arbitration 1M)
BN - Almonte (league minimum 0.48M)

This puts the Yanks at 189 with 16M for the other 15 positions on the 40 man roster and league benefits. Not happy about all those names on the list or the length of the contracts but trying to be realistic. I would rather see Cano at 7 max since the Yanks have already offered that. I rather not have Beltran at 3 years but he is pushing for it. Would prefer Kuroda to comeback for another year but this budget does not allow for it. Do not want to see Wells on the team but there he is.

Now replace Infante with Reynolds at 4M, use the extra cash towards Choo instead of Beltran, and give Crain some incentives to reach 4M you have this:

C- McCann 5/85 (17M)
1B - Teixera 8/180 (22.5M)
2B - Cano 8/184 (23M)
SS - Jeter 1/12 (12M)
3B - Reynolds 1/4 (4M)
LF - Ichiro 2/13 (6.5M)
CF - Gardner (arbitration 4M)
RF- Choo 6/105 (17.5M)
DH - Soriano 8/136 (4M)

SP - Sabathia 8/182 (24.4M)
SP - Tanaka 7/70 (10M)
SP - Nova (arbitration 2.8M)
SP - Feldman 2/16 (8.0M)
SP - Nuno (league minimum 0.48M)

RP - Robertson (arbitration 5.5M)
RP - Crain 1/3.5 (4M)
RP - Kelley - (arbitration 1.5M)
RP - Claiborne/Daley (league minimum 0.48M)
RP - Cabral (league minimum 0.48M)
RP - Phelps (pre-arbitation 0.52M)
RP - Betances (league minimum 0.48M)

BN - Wells 7/126M (0M)
BN - Ryan 1/2.5 (2.5M)
BN - Cervelli (arbitration 1M)
BN - Almonte (league minimum 0.48M)

This leaves absolutely no room for any of these guys to get a higher AAV (I'm actually $640,000 over).

 

[CygnusXS]

That's a lot of money to spend to win 86 games.

 

[3N16MA]

That's a lot of money to spend to win 86 games.

That scrap heap from last season won 85. Do you know how much of an upgrade it is to have a 2 WAR player at 3B compared to the crap that was there before A-Rod returned? Teix may not be the same guy he was from 5 years ago but he is an upgrade over Overbay. Jeter and Ryan are an upgrade at SS over the warm bodies that filled in last season. Choo/Beltran would upgrade RF automatically and of course McCann upgrades C in a big way.

Nothing changes with the #1 in the rotation and CC should bounce back to provide more value. Tanaka could be a solid #2 while Nova should replace Andy's value. Feldman/Nuno is no worse than what we had last year in the 4/5. The bullpen is young and inexperienced but D-Rob will be a fine closer and Crain a very good setup man.

 

[CygnusXS]

That scrap heap from last season won 85.

With a -21 run differential.

 

[Dominican Power]

Ichiro is not playing the OF.

 

[3N16MA]

Ichiro is not playing the OF.

Make your own team and kick him out . The whole point of my lineup is for people to pick it apart and make their own (if you're a Yankees fan). I plan on doing another one to see what can be done.

I'm not in love with that team but I'm trying to stay within 189. I have a feeling some guys are going to get paid more than what I have them so that exact team won't happen.

With a -21 run differential.

And the lineup I put together is a massive upgrade over the offense from last season.

 

[rando14]

Does your tanaka salary include the massive posters fee that will have to be paid?

 

[3N16MA]

Does your tanaka salary include the massive finders fee that will have to be paid?

Posting fee does not count towards the luxury tax.

 

[Blackace]

Does your tanaka salary include the massive finders fee that will have to be paid?

doesn't go against the luxury tax..

 

[CygnusXS]

And the lineup I put together is a massive upgrade over the offense from last season.

No kidding. Only 4.4 WAR out of non-Cano players in 2013. Damn.

My argument would just be, based on their run differential, the 2013 Yankees should have lost somewhere between 4-8 more games than they did. So even with a much improved position player crop, thanks to regression I wouldn't expect an equal improvement in actual wins.

 

[rando14]

Posting fee does not count towards the luxury tax.

Ah I see. In that case your list looks fair, not sure if choo is worth 100+ and honestly I think tanaka will get 15 a year given the money that nolasco and whatnot are commanding on the market

 

[cashman]

Jason Parks said he would take the Twins 11-20 prospects over a few teams top 10.

Yup, he also said that you can take away their top 10 and the twins would still have a better system than the Angels lol

 

[3N16MA]

Ah I see. In that case your list looks fair, not sure if choo is worth 100+ and honestly I think tanaka will get 15 a year given the money that nolasco and whatnot are commanding on the market

Tried to make the lineup based on rumors and players the Yanks have been linked to. I'm would not be happy about the Yanks giving 100M+ to Choo but threw him in there because of the rumors.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

No way Tanaka makes a cent less than Jason fucking Vargas.

 

[CygnusXS]

The top 3 RP ERA leaders (qualified players) from 2011-2013 (inclusive) are all Braves pitchers:
(1) O'Flaherty
(2) Kimbrel
(3) Avilan

Of course, Avilan wasn't in the majors in 2011 so he should be thrown out. If you do the same query but for 2012-2013 it's:
(1)Kimbrel
(1b)Neal Cotts (??)
(3) Uehara
(4) Avilan

O'Flaherty gets thrown out I guess since he didn't qualify in 2013? Not sure how FG qualifies players over multiple seasons.

One other thing I enjoy is that from 2008-2013, since Frank Wren took over the Braves, they have the lowest accumulated ERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERA of all bullpens. This is despite barely allocating any money to relief pitching. Thanks, Kimbrel.

 

[Blackace]

No way Tanaka makes a cent less than Jason fucking Vargas.

Well to be fair seems like 10 mill a year is about what all high profile pitchers from Japan make... Daisuke and Yu..

 

[3N16MA]

No way Tanaka makes a cent less than Jason fucking Vargas.

Tanaka is getting 7/70 in my lineup while Darvish got 6/60. Vargas received 4/32 which is not close to Tanaka.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

Nolasco got less than the Fangraphs crowd sourcing projected him to get. Not bad.

 

[lazybones18]

Just saw this mentioned on Around the Horn, thought it was worth mentioning here

http://deadspin.com/deadspin-buys-hall-of-fame-vote-will-turn-it-over-to-d-1467003665

 

[sf2fanatic]

Browsing the TV right now before football game starts and Dr Phil's on with Anna Benson as his guest. Prob an old tape from this year but she looks now is like wtf happened?

 

[Mr. Enigma]

Twins going after Phil Hughes now.

 

[Malo]

Twins going after Phil Hughes now.

That would be a great ballpark for him to pitch in, but fuck homerun phil. Enjoy, twins!

 

[Mr. Enigma]

Nolasco's deal with the Twins is a 4-year, $49 million deal.

 

[Dominican Power]

That would be a great ballpark for him to pitch in, but fuck homerun phil. Enjoy, twins!

Good riddance.

 

[Little Green Yoda]

One other thing I enjoy is that from 2008-2013, since Frank Wren took over the Braves, they have the lowest accumulated ERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERA of all bullpens. This is despite barely allocating any money to relief pitching. Thanks, Kimbrel.

How much does Kimbrel alone move the needle on those figures?

I'm always curious why the majority of teams have trouble developing relievers. The Braves (and recently, the Cards) make it seem so easy - draft guys who project to be starters and shift the ones who aren't able to become major league starters to the bullpen as they move up the system. I guess having good minor league instructors is the key?

 

[rekameohs]

Having an efficient thing must be a pretty nice thing. I've only heard about something like that in legend.

 

[CygnusXS]

How much does Kimbrel alone move the needle on those figures?

I'm always curious why the majority of teams have trouble developing relievers. The Braves (and recently, the Cards) make it seem so easy - draft guys who project to be starters and shift the ones who aren't able to become major league starters to the bullpen as they move up the system. I guess having good minor league instructors is the key?

The Braves seem to draft more pitchers in general than most teams, so it's easier for them to output quality relievers. They've really excelled in picking up talent from the waiver wire though. Eric O'Flaherty, Cristhian Martinez, David Carpenter being examples.

 

[Opiate]

How much does Kimbrel alone move the needle on those figures?

I'm always curious why the majority of teams have trouble developing relievers. The Braves (and recently, the Cards) make it seem so easy - draft guys who project to be starters and shift the ones who aren't able to become major league starters to the bullpen as they move up the system. I guess having good minor league instructors is the key?

I think the "closer" mystique is a microcosm of how many people still view relievers more broadly; that they have some special mindset, some particular mojo that makes them particularly suited for the bullpen. A failed AAA starter isn't a reliever; he's a failed starter.

That's my shot in the dark guess, anyway. This is obviously an invalid perspective, but it's one many teams still seem to hold.

 

[Mr. Enigma]

Jonny Venters was a very mediocre starting pitcher in AAA when he was called up in 2010 and was dynamite in the bullpen. Luis Avilan was the same until he was called up in 2012. Braves have some strange luck with these lately.

 

[Blackace]

Soriano was also a failed starter...

Mostly depends what kind of pitcher you are

High velocity guys get that bullpen shot

 

[Little Green Yoda]

I think the "closer" mystique is a microcosm of how many people still view relievers more broadly; that they have some special mindset, some particular mojo that makes them particularly suited for the bullpen. A failed AAA starter isn't a reliever; he's a failed starter.

That's my shot in the dark guess, anyway. This is obviously an invalid perspective, but it's one many teams still seem to hold.

The greatest closer in MLB history was a failed starter so that would be a really silly line of thinking.

Part of me wonders if it's a preference for experience in those crucial late inning roles that leads teams to acquire expensive veterans for the bullpen instead of using unproven rookies.

 

[Sanjuro]

All relievers are failed starters. Simple as that.

Closers are just relievers that fail less.

 

[JDHarbs]

Dayton Moore gets 2 year extension with Royals.

 

[CygnusXS]

Dayton Moore gets 2 year extension with Royals.

Well earned.

 

[Mr. Enigma]

Giants and Ryan Vogelsong have agreed to a 1-year, $5 million deal.

 

[The Frankman]

Nov. 19: Arroyo said he’s interested in anyone that is interested in him, but so far the Mets have not reached out to him (WFAN).

Ideally, he’d like to go to a place that has a chance to get to the post season, and guaranteed years are more important to him than the money.

“I’m open to everybody, and I think New York is great,” Arroyo said. “I’ve been an East Coast guy my whole life.”

Mets looking like they're in the running for Arroyo and Hughes. I like Arroyo more but Hughes is intriguing, pitching most of his games in Citi Field and having one of the more underrated pitching coaches in the NL couldn't hurt.

 

[cashman]

Dayton Moore gets 2 year extension with Royals.

Poor Royals fans.

 

[Mr. Enigma]

Rumors going around the Royals have offered Carlos Beltran a 3-year, $40 million deal.

 

[Dominican Power]

So desperate. How come The Cards have more money to spend and not The Royals?

 

[CygnusXS]

I'm still hoping Wren can figure out a way to dump Uggla on the Royals.

 

[The Frankman]

Over his last ten games with Las Aguilas Cibaenas, Juan Lagares has hit .293 with a .375 OBP and .790 OPS, one home run and six RBI in 41 at-bats.

In 25 games and 101 at-bats so far this winter, Lagares has hit .356 with a .391 OBP and an .827 OPS, one home run and 14 RBI with six walks, 14 strikeouts, and 15 runs scored.

If Lagares can just figure out a way to keep his OBP above .350, the kid will be a star.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Rumors going around the Royals have offered Carlos Beltran a 3-year, $40 million deal.

They still need money for someone who van pitch to contact and low strikeouts.

 

[Mr. Enigma]

In their latest negotations, Jay-Z said he wanted a 9-year, $260 million deal for Robinson Cano. The Yankees countered with a 7-year, $168 million offer.

Both sides are scheduled to meet again on Monday.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Its a one team market for Cano. Jay Z is fucked. We are finally living out our creed.

 

[Dominican Power]

I don't know why Cano doesn't take a 5 year $150MM deal and then re up for like 2 or 3 years after.

 

[Y2Kev]

The Twins have agreed to a three-year, $24MM deal with Phil Hughes, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports, citing an anonymous source.

YAAAAAAAAS get the FUCK OUT phil

I'll pack your shit, you just stand there while I get your possessions.

1. the 9000 home run balls you gave up
2. the slimfit you didn't drink last year that you were supposed to
3. the excess soulglo for your mullet

bye

 

[CygnusXS]

3 guaranteed years? Oh, Twins.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Wowza.

 

[3N16MA]

Hughes is as shocked as everyone else. He will be in total beast mode next season.