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If Abreu opts out we must make a push for Rowand. Hard-nosed player. Bats for average. Unbelievable in center-field. Melkey moves to RF, his arm remains a strength in right. Damon and Matsui split the left-field duties.

Buy-out Giambi-- let Shelly Duncan start at 1B--- I know he is not a great fielder, but he has done nothing poorly in his time at 1B.

C: Posada
1B: Duncan
2B: Cano
3B: Arod
SS: Jeter
LF: Matsui/Damon
CF: Rowand
RF: Melkey

Abreu cannot opt out, it's a team option.
Also, we cannot buy out Giambi's contract until after 2008

nykgeneralmanager wrote:Abreu cannot opt out, it's a team option.

Even better. Don't bring him back. He does not hit for power. Does not use his speed. Is an overrated outfielder. Won't go near the wall. Not nearly the "leader by example" that Rowand can be for our club. Rowand is the new Paul O'neal.

balkmania wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Even better. Don't bring him back. He does not hit for power. Does not use his speed. Is an overrated outfielder. Won't go near the wall. Not nearly the "leader by example" that Rowand can be for our club. Rowand is the new Paul O'neal.

Abreu is the perfect #3 hitter for this team. He sees a ton of pitches in front of our power hitters, gets on base 40% of the time (which is huge behind Jeter and in front of ARod/Posada/etc). He steals 25-30 bases a year, so I'm not sure how he doesn't use his speed. Okay so he isn't a gold glover, everybody has their flaws. He still has an incredible arm.

And who cares about his "lack of" power? If he hits 15 homers that is fine, all we need from him is his gap to gap power, we put up runs on a historical level this season, 123 of which were scored by Abreu himself. Keep Abreu, he is not holding this team back. Keep him for 2008, find a stop gap for 2009 and then Tabata will take over in late '09 then full time in '10.

lmao, rowand hit 10 homers all year away from that bandbox and he's a straight pull hitter, that short wall wont help him. Rowand is a very good CFer and a gamer. He's good, probably more valuable then Abrebu as an overall player but as nygm said, Abrebu is the perfect compliment to the power hitters.

Odds are good Rowand never repeats his 2007 performance (Jose7's right about Citizens Bank Park's HR tendencies), but his contract is bound to be huge anyway. In the end, he'd probably only be an upgrade defensively, and would just further clog up the 2008 depth chart.

Also, if Melky is ever going to be worthy of a long-term starting job in this league and particularly on this team, it's as a CF, not a corner outfielder.

Pick up Abreu's option because he is the best RF on the market right now & the ONLY offseason move that will not cause Cash & co. to lose sleep.

I want Bobby back. He's a perfect fit for this team and he's only a one year commitment. He is getting paid $16 million next year, but who cares, it's only a one year commitment.

And please don't give up any draft picks for outfielders like Rowand and Hunter... it's just not worth it.

cmaff051 wrote:I want Bobby back. He's a perfect fit for this team and he's only a one year commitment. He is getting paid $16 million next year, but who cares, it's only a one year commitment.

And please don't give up any draft picks for outfielders like Rowand and Hunter... it's just not worth it.

I'm a little fuzzy with my MLB free agent and draft info but don't the picks that go to the teams that lose free agents just extra picks. Aren't they just the picks between the first and second rounds? I don't believe the Yanks lose any picks.

Also just out of curiosity. If we buy out Abreu do we get picks in that sandwich round? What if Arod opts-out and goes elsewhere? -Jitpal

abreu is the perfect #3 for this team

he'll be back

Jitpal wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


I'm a little fuzzy with my MLB free agent and draft info but don't the picks that go to the teams that lose free agents just extra picks. Aren't they just the picks between the first and second rounds? I don't believe the Yanks lose any picks.

Also just out of curiosity. If we buy out Abreu do we get picks in that sandwich round? What if Arod opts-out and goes elsewhere? -Jitpal

Both Rowand and Hunter are "Type A" Free Agents. Hence, we'd lose our first round pick to sign them (unless we had a Top 15 pick which we don't). "Type B" Free Agents are ones where the other team would just receive "sandwich" picks.

That being said, I wonder what Luis Vizcaino will be?

Starksfor3 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Both Rowand and Hunter are "Type A" Free Agents. Hence, we'd lose our first round pick to sign them (unless we had a Top 15 pick which we don't). "Type B" Free Agents are ones where the other team would just receive "sandwich" picks.

That being said, I wonder what Luis Vizcaino will be?

Ok, I see. I was under the impression that Type A FAs just get 2 draft picks and not lose our own. Any thoughts on the Abreu and Arod situations? -Jitpal

Jitpal wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


Ok, I see. I was under the impression that Type A FAs just get 2 draft picks and not lose our own. Any thoughts on the Abreu and Arod situations? -Jitpal

I think we should hold on to Abreu considering all the other options don't seem like clear upgrades.

As for ARod, if he opts-out...he's done. I fully support Cashman on that. But we really should pull all the stops to make sure it doesn't get to that point.

Melky doesn't have enough production to play RF. Abreu is the perfect number 3 hitter, and good for RF right now. Rowand is good, but a bit overrated, and I wouldn't sign him at the expense of Abreu.

Starksfor3 wrote:
That being said, I wonder what Luis Vizcaino will be?

Starks, I don't think that has been determined yet. But I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that he could be a Type B free agent... or even a Type A free agent. He had a lot of wins this year and he's been a very reliable reliever for a few years now.

If I had to guess, I'd say a Type B free agent. If he is a Type B free agent, we let him go, IMO.

Jitpal wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


Ok, I see. I was under the impression that Type A FAs just get 2 draft picks and not lose our own. Any thoughts on the Abreu and Arod situations? -Jitpal

If we sign a Type A free agent, we give away a team our 1st rounder. But if somebody signs our Type A free agent (Mo, Posada, Abreu and Arod will all be Type A free agents), we get their first round draft pick.

Jitpal wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


I'm a little fuzzy with my MLB free agent and draft info but don't the picks that go to the teams that lose free agents just extra picks. Aren't they just the picks between the first and second rounds? I don't believe the Yanks lose any picks.

Also just out of curiosity. If we buy out Abreu do we get picks in that sandwich round? What if Arod opts-out and goes elsewhere? -Jitpal

No, not exactly. A team only gets compensated for a player they lose through FA if they offered him arbitration. Also the picks that can be given depends on which type of FA he is, which is determined by the Elias Sports Bureau

Jitpal wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


I'm a little fuzzy with my MLB free agent and draft info but don't the picks that go to the teams that lose free agents just extra picks. Aren't they just the picks between the first and second rounds? I don't believe the Yanks lose any picks.

Also just out of curiosity. If we buy out Abreu do we get picks in that sandwich round? What if Arod opts-out and goes elsewhere? -Jitpal

The picks you're talking about come from type A free agents. For a type A free agent, a team would be receive a team's 1st rd pick AND a sandwich pick (unless that team's 1st rd pick is top 15, then I believe it is 2 sandwich picks).

For type B free agents, the compensation may just be a sandwich pick, I'm not 100% sure.

Some people ignore the importance behind all of this.

For instance, when the Phillies signed Tom Gordon after the 2005 season (type A free agent) we got their 1st rd pick, #21 overall...and a sandwich pick #41 overall. With those, we chose Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain respectively. After the 2002 season, the Astros signed Andy Pettitte (type A of course) and we got their #23 overall pick, also known as Philip Hughes.

cmaff051 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



If we sign a Type A free agent, we give away a team our 1st rounder. But if somebody signs our Type A free agent (Mo, Posada, Abreu and Arod will all be Type A free agents), we get their first round draft pick.

I thought if a player opts out he is not subject to those rules.

Markos wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



I thought if a player opts out he is not subject to those rules.

Cashman has said that if Arod opts out we get the picks. In J.D. Drew's case, there was a specific clause in his contract where the team couldn't offer arbitration. It's not in Arod's contract, however.