New York Yankees 2012-2013 Offseason Outlook

[CyYoung4Vazquez]

Wow, Yankee fans have to put up with what other baseball fans have been dealing with for years.

Can we pay the same face value for tickets as those franchises?

[spikeowenfan]

Martin's offensive numbers have been going down the last 4 years so I'm not surprised the Yanks didn't match the Pirates' offer. Cashman needs to do something. Can't see one of the current backups being a starter.

.309, .306, .324, .316 have been his wOBAs the past 4 seasons.

Martin is very clearly worth 2/17. That doesn't mean they had to sign him, maybe they have a better option via trade. I think it's most likely just that Cashman has clear restrictions on 2014 budget and 8 million for Martin, though fair value, doesn't work within those limitations.

[Yankees1962]

Can we pay the same face value for tickets as those franchises?

Nobody is making you go to Yankee Stadium.

[spikeowenfan]

Wow, Yankee fans have to put up with what other baseball fans have been dealing with for years.

other teams don't tie up the majority of the payroll in declining veterans before suddenly reducing their budget.

[CyYoung4Vazquez]

Nobody is making you go to Yankee Stadium.

Correct. However if the ownership is going to act like they're not a billion dollar organization there will be many, many angry people. If you thought the place was empty during the ALCS, wait until they play Kansas City in April.

[BronxBombers92]

Can we pay the same face value for tickets as those franchises?

We have a winner

[just-blaze]

Why would the LAD want to replace AJ Ellis? He had a darn good year offensively, is he terrible behind the plate or something?

Can't be much worse than Pierzynski.

[ElDandy]

I know the 'Jays have a glutton of catchers. Wonder if they'll part ways with JP Arencibia and what it'd take to get it done.

[Mr Coffee]

other teams don't tie up the majority of the payroll in declining veterans before suddenly reducing their budget.

They signed those long term deals before the new rules were in place.

You can't get on them for spending money like that then if you're also going to get on them now for not spending money like that now.

[Battingly]

Is Austin Romine healthy?

Any recent news on his condition?

[TheScooter]

Is Austin Romine healthy?

Any recent news on his condition?

Romine is healthy. He returned from his back injury late in the summer and finished out the season in AAA. Romine played in the Arizona Fall League earlier this month.

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats....pbp&pid=519222

[yank4life2005]

Anyone for Ramon Hernandez from CO?

Only signed through 2013 and is a veteran guy.

[Yankees1962]

Correct. However if the ownership is going to act like they're not a billion dollar organization there will be many, many angry people. If you thought the place was empty during the ALCS, wait until they play Kansas City in April.

What people do with their monies is their own business! If people don't want to go to Yankee Stadium then so be it. However, I think the Yankees already know that they'll have to deal with the consequences of their actions if the Yankees become a non-playoff team.

[THEBOSS84]

Time to get creative.

[Zimmers' Helmet]

Time to get creative.

Replacing a .211 hitter with good defensive catching skills shouldn't take too much creativity.

I liked what Martin provided behind the dish, but its not like the Yankees just lost Johnny Bench.

[longtimeyankeefan]

Anyone for Ramon Hernandez from CO?

Only signed through 2013 and is a veteran guy.

Yankee fans would be jumping from the GWB from his 49 OPS+

[THEBOSS84]

Replacing a .211 hitter with good defensive catching skills shouldn't take too much creativity.

I liked what Martin provided behind the dish, but its not like the Yankees just lost Johnny Bench.

I just can't think of the logical replacement. They can't give the job to Romine, but I'd love for him to win it and take off.

[rajah]

They signed those long term deals before the new rules were in place.

You can't get on them for spending money like that then if you're also going to get on them now for not spending money like that now.

Especially if he did not complain about the Teixeira and CC contracts, without which they would not have won in '09, then. (ARod's contract was criticized by everyone but Hank, and Jeter's doesn't look bad for the Yankees now.)

I liked watching Martin play and am disappointed he will not be back. But he was pretty bad for most of the year and most here wanted him gone. He has been in decline.

I understand Cashman has to have a plan to meet the 2014 budget and spending 8 and half on a catcher who has a good chance of being no better than a low-cost Romine in that year probably does not make sense.

I think we have to wait before judging the off season as a whole.

[wang+cano=future]

Romine is healthy. He returned from his back injury late in the summer and finished out the season in AAA. Romine played in the Arizona Fall League earlier this month.

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats....pbp&pid=519222

How realistic is it for him to start splitting time (I guess with Stewart or Cervelli) at the major league level and eventually take over catching duties throughout the season?

[Zimmers' Helmet]

I just can't think of the logical replacement. They can't give the job to Romine, but I'd love for him to win it and take off.

If Romine is healthy, why not let him have a crack at it?

While he's not going to replicate Martin's power numbers, he is a solid defender and I'm sure he can hit .200 and do it at a fraction of the cost.

[kan_t]

Chris Snyder may be a good option. He was terrible last year but he's still relatively young and was good in 2010 and 2011.

[THEBOSS84]

If Romine is healthy, why not let him have a crack at it?

While he's not going to replicate Martin's power numbers, he is a solid defender and I'm sure he can hit .200 and do it at a fraction of the cost.

I think that's a lot of pressure to be placed on him, considering he barely played last year.

[Art Vanderlay]

I find it ironic that the same people who dismiss batting average as a meaningful stat to evaluate a player are now using batting average to justify this move. Martin is a solid defensive catcher, the pitching staff trusted him and loved throwing to him. He has good power and on base skills for a catcher. Lets not kid ourselves, this is a significant loss.

Two years ago I wrote that we were about to enter a new era of Yankee baseball, one in which maximizing profits would take precedent over winning. Of course I was shouted down by the usual suspects, the ones who believe that being loud and rude makes them right. On top of their normal profits the Steinbrenner family just pocketed $400 million from the cable deal and are in line for another 500 million lump sum. That close to a billion dollars in windfall profits. In addition the amount of money coming in from YES will increase every year under the new deal. Despite the obscene amount of money the Steinbrenner's are pocketing, we are being asked to believe that they can't compete with the Pittsburgh Pirates for our starting catcher or other teams for our right fielder. IMO anyone that doesn't believe we have entered a new era of Yankee baseball (as I predicted 2 years ago) is in serious denial.

Yankees1962 is correct, everyone will have to decide for themselves wheteher they as the consumer want to continue to line the Steinbrenner pockets. IMO Hal Steinbrenner is overestimating the Yankee fans loyalty to the team. We shall see.

[THEBOSS84]

If only the Yanks could sign Cano to the deal Wright just got. I highly doubt Cano would agree to it.

Signing Cano to an extension instead of a new deal as a free agent would really help them in terms of $189M, considering his AAV would be lower.

[LongtimeNYYFan]

Seriously, that was it - 2yr/$17m. OK, plan B.

From David Waldstein at the NY Times, the Yankees told Martin they didn't have the money to match Pittsburgh's offer:

https://twitter.com/DavidWaldstein/s...44827561332736