ESPN.com: Blue Jays suddenly in a great spot

[Randle McMurphy]

Pineda had a DUI a few months back, so no, I can't say I'm feeling too bad for the guy or the Yankees.

[EventHorizon]

Are we that much different?

Bautista 32
EE 30
Reyes 30
Melky 29
Buehrle 34
Johnson 29
Morrow 29

All I'm saying is people are always predicting the premature demise of the Yankees and their always
in there at the end. I still think out of all the AL East teams they will be the biggest thorn in our side
and depending who Tampa loses Joe Maddon always seems to get the most out of his roster and
they borderline over achieve.

Those ages are by season's end, to start the season it's n-1, and the age discrepancy between the Yanks and Jays is quite high.

[Skin Blues]

I forgot about Pineda. looks like he might miss all of 2013 as well now. And here I thought that the Yankees made a fantastic trade getting him from Seattle, he looked like a future ace.

What's mildly amusing is in some ways it helps NYY in its sub 189m 2014 goal as he'll still be pre-arb instead of arb that year. Depending on how good he is on return that'll save them some dough.

He still accrues service time while on the DL. They'll have to wait until he's healthy enough to come off the DL before they can option him to the minors, and then have him spend a few months down there to avoid reaching super 2. If they want to compete next season they'll need all the arms they can get and I can't imagine them leaving a healthy Pineda in AAA for 3 months in the middle of the season.

Have to feel bad for Pineda and the Yankees

bahahahaha. Seriously?

[satyr9]

He still accrues service time while on the DL. They'll have to wait until he's healthy enough to come off the DL before they can option him to the minors, and then have him spend a few months down there to avoid reaching super 2. If they want to compete next season they'll need all the arms they can get and I can't imagine them leaving a healthy Pineda in AAA for 3 months in the middle of the season.

Really? A pre-arb guy who spends more than a year on the DL gets all that service time? How did we retain control of McGowan for like 10 years? I'm not arguing with you, this is certainly a part of CBA stuff that I've never even considered learning about, but I'm amazed he gets full credit for playing big league ball all this time.

[The_Hater]

Have to feel bad for Pineda and the Yankees

bahahahaha. Seriously?

I never wrote that.

[Skin Blues]

I never wrote that.

quoting mistake... oops

He still accrues service time while on the DL. They'll have to wait until he's healthy enough to come off the DL before they can option him to the minors, and then have him spend a few months down there to avoid reaching super 2. If they want to compete next season they'll need all the arms they can get and I can't imagine them leaving a healthy Pineda in AAA for 3 months in the middle of the season.

Really? A pre-arb guy who spends more than a year on the DL gets all that service time? How did we retain control of McGowan for like 10 years? I'm not arguing with you, this is certainly a part of CBA stuff that I've never even considered learning about, but I'm amazed he gets full credit for playing big league ball all this time.

Yeah he was a big leaguer the year before, he got that year of service time. And you can't demote a guy that's on the DL, so it counts as a year for him just like it would for every player that has a season-ending injury. It's possible that he's healthy by June and then can spend 2-3 months in the minors after his rehab is done, but I doubt that'll happen unless the Yankees either add a couple more starters and they have a 5 man rotation that is healthy and effective - or are completely out of the playoff race - in July. I don't think either of those scenarios are very likely.

[Lateral Quicks]

Have to feel bad for Pineda and the Yankees

bahahahaha. Seriously?
I never wrote that.

Yes, I do feel bad that a guy may have his career cut short due to injury, and do feel bad that the Yankees lost a good player.

Unlike (it would appear) some of you, I don't wish injuries for any player or team.

[Schad]

The Yankees are bringing payroll below $189M. They have an enormous contract in A-Rod which will be taking up 15% of their payroll for the next 5 years. I'm sure Jeter will be signed to another ridiculous contract which will take up another 10% of their budget for 2013/14. Their young pitching becoming either injured/ineffective in the big leagues (Hughes/Chamberlain/Pineda) or minors (Betances/Banuelos) will hurt even more if they're forced to stop spending on all of the top free agents. They need a few of those guys to be viable mid-rotation starters in a year or two.

Sure, the Yanks were great last season but they'll be losing Swisher, Soriano, possibly Pettitte, possibly Rivera, plus everybody else is a year older and will have more injuries/health issues (ie: breaking your ankle while fielding a ground ball, tearing a leg muscle running to first base, anything A-Rod does, shagging fly balls during batting practice, or straining an oblique while trying to wolf down a box of Cap'n Crunch.) This is definitely the right time to strike with both the Yankees and Red Sox on the ropes.

Absolutely; as has been pointed out, "getting old" isn't usually a problem for the Yankees, because they've been able to spend obscene amounts on a neverending supply of late 20s/early 30s stars. This may be the rare occurrence when they cannot do so, however, so we have a window.

It also means that the Yankees, for the first time in a long time, have to get their moves right; they already have so much salary committed to a handful of players that they cannot afford an eight-figure albatross or two. If they spend Yankees-esque money reupping their big name free agents and don't get the expected production, we could be heading for a three-year slump by their standards...or, perhaps more likely, a sudden easing of their payroll 'restriction'.

[Homer Jay]

I think the Yankees already did make their mistakes with Jeter and A-Rod. I don't believe anybody was even offering anything close to what they paid either of those guys. I think the days of the Yankee loyalty bonus are over. I used to think players just wanted to play for the Yankees out of tradition, but, in hindsight it was always the willingness to overpay. Now they simply may not be a desirable place for free agent pitchers, especially in light of the new commitment to spending from the Jays and Os.

[Waylon Mercy]

Not sure why you listed everyone there but Bautista as a year older than they actually are. Besides, it's not necessary to skew the truth to make the point. When you have a 200M payroll, you're pretty much always going to be able to contend. I wouldn't start doubting the Yankees.

Because that's the age they will be or turning during the 2013 season

I'm aware, but if you're posting their ages right now and want to be intellectually honest about it, they should be what they are right now, not 9-10 months from now (unless you've specified differently, which you didn't).

Do I really need to clarify something that is so obvious? Are you just trying to troll me because we
disagree on almost everything and you're trying look for another debate? Guys like Morrow, EE,
Buerhle etc will be turning those ages in a few months before the season starts. Obviously im talking
about the 2013 season this shouldn't have to be explained. There is a reason why Bautista was left at
age 32 because he just turned 32 and will be until the 2013 season is over.

Stop reaching unless you want to debate if the sky is blue

[Randle McMurphy]

Do I really need to clarify something that is so obvious?

If you want to be intellectually honest about it, yes (especially when only one of the players was listed as their exact age right now and the rest a year older). A guy like Melky, for example, won't even be turning 29 for another 9 months.

Are you just trying to troll me because we
disagree on almost everything and you're trying look for another debate?

Considering I actually agreed with your central point about the Yankees, not at all.

Obviously im talking
about the 2013 season this shouldn't have to be explained. There is a reason why Bautista was left at
age 32 because he just turned 32 and will be until the 2013 season is over.

I get it. But some could easily infer your post to mean that the ages you posted are their current ages right now and that they will get a year older than that as we head into next season. Which isn't the case clearly. Giving current ages is also generally how it is done unless you've specified differently, which you didn't in the post.

[Waylon Mercy]

Do I really need to clarify something that is so obvious?

If you want to be intellectually honest about it, yes (especially when only one of the players was listed as their exact age right now and the rest a year older). A guy like Melky, for example, won't even be turning 29 for another 9 months.

Are you just trying to troll me because we
disagree on almost everything and you're trying look for another debate?

Considering I actually agreed with your central point about the Yankees, not at all.

Obviously im talking
about the 2013 season this shouldn't have to be explained. There is a reason why Bautista was left at
age 32 because he just turned 32 and will be until the 2013 season is over.

I get it. But some could easily infer your post to mean that the ages you posted are their current ages right now and that they will get a year older than that as we head into next season. Which isn't the case clearly. Giving current ages is also generally how it is done unless you've specified differently, which you didn't in the post.

I was being "intellectually honest" about it which is why I took the time to look up the core of the
Blue Jays age in the first place. When the season starts Melky will be a shade under 4 months
from being 29.

But some could easily infer your post to mean that the ages you posted are their current ages right now and that they will get a year older than that as we head into next season. Which isn't the case clearly. Giving current ages is also generally how it is done unless you've specified differently, which you didn't in the post.

Or I could easily answer any questions about it if anyone was confused wanted clarification or wanted
to make a big production about something they agreed with me in the end

[agk47]

Yankees older core of Jeter, Rivera, A-Rod, Pettite ar
All of the "younger core" for the Yankees are 30+ years old. I don't see them as a long term threat, and even in the short term injuries are more likely to affect players 30+ years old.

yanks are always a threat. After following the jays for 20+ years, ive come to one absolute, just assume the yankees are ALWAYS on the verge of signing somebody for 20+ million a year.

Frankly, the jays going out and acquiring jj, reyes, buerle++ is exactly the type of thing that could/should/probably will inspire the yanks to go out and sign a josh hamilton and a stud pitcher.


....the yankees will respond to AA's moves, book it!

[satyr9]

yanks are always a threat. After following the jays for 20+ years, ive come to one absolute, just assume the yankees are ALWAYS on the verge of signing somebody for 20+ million a year.

Frankly, the jays going out and acquiring jj, reyes, buerle++ is exactly the type of thing that could/should/probably will inspire the yanks to go out and sign a josh hamilton and a stud pitcher.


....the yankees will respond to AA's moves, book it!

I agree with the opening sentence and the general sentiment and long-term there isn't another team in professional sports I would count on to be a perennial contender more than the Yankees, but for this small 2 year window while they try to save 10's of millions a year in taxes down the road, the Yankees will not be signing big names to long-term deals. Cano will get re-upped, but I'd hazard a guess that Granderson gets packaged rather than re-signed for 2014. They'll find nice deals for old guys like Kuroda willing to go 1 year or 2 at a discounted 2nd, but Hamilton and his ilk are out of the picture almost 100% for sure.

They may package some prospects for young cheap players (cheap for the next two years anyway), but AA isn't being silly with his timing. The Yanks have a self-imposed cap restriction in the short-term. The Sox are at their most disfunctional and with so many holes and being burned by FA so much recently, they simply cannot re-tool entirely in a year. There likely isn't going to be a better opportunity to get back into the AL East hunt and rejuvenate TOR baseball fans enthusiasm than the next two years. At least the cost for entry is lower than it's ever been or likely will be afterwards.

That being said, it's not like the Yankees need a lot of help right now. They were best offense in baseball last year and aren't likely to degrade that much. Gardner/Jeter/Cano/Granderson/Teixeira/ARod/etc... is fantastic regardless of who they find to take over for Swisher, Martin, and man the DH. The rotation has two up front and back-end youth. It just needs the short-term vet or vets in the middle and they'll get those. Same goes for the 'pen. I guess if Soriano goes and Mariano is finally done, they'll have some issues, but I'm never betting against Rivera, just never.

So they'll muddle through the next 2 years with short-term fixes and stay a very very good team and the core will continue to age while they pass on the Fielders and Greinkes and Hamiltons of MLB, but once they've met their tax re-set, I expect things to get mind-boggling in a hurry and if you're AA you don't want to be trying to convince your fans you're finally ready to compete with the big boys with your rookie phenom pitchers the year the Yankees sign King Felix, Kershaw, and Verlander all at the same time (not really, but you get my point).

[rtcaino]

When you have a 200M payroll, you're pretty much always going to be able to contend. I wouldn't start doubting the Yankees.

I believe they will be at 178MM for 2014 and 186 MM for the next couple years.

The point still stands - but the tax does put a kink in their MO.

[why22]

Is it wierd that i had a dream we traded for Brandon Jennings?

[TR50]

Is it wierd that i had a dream we traded for Brandon Jennings?

Yes, because he's a basketball player

If it were Desmond Jennings it would make just a tad bit more sense, but still a lot of OF's!

[Skin Blues]

Who the hell is Brandon Jennings?

[TR50]

Who the hell is Brandon Jennings?