Don't be shocked if...(Baldelli Rumor)

[gdn]

Baldelli does not suck. His first two seasons in the Majors were actually pretty decent.

I'm not saying I want Baldelli. I am just saying that no matter who the Yanks sign to play center no one is going to be happy.

Again, that is because there is no one really worth getting. The asking price for what is available is too steep (because of the paucity of supply), making it not worth the price.

[Sam18]

Before the injuries, Baldelli and Crawford were being touted as the building blocks around which the Devil Ray team would be built. In fact, many considered Baldelli the better player with Crawford just a punch and Judy hitter who struck out too much, couldn't hit lefties and had no plate discipline. Baldelli had better power, was a better fielder with a better arm, was just as fast, if not faster... a potential 5 tool player. Ah, how quickly they forget!

He has a .326 career OBP and depends on his speed a lot which might be slowed down significantly due to injuries. I'd take him if he came for free(like Leiter).

[gold23]

Baldelli was a talented young player before his injuries. He was not a very good player yet. A guy who walks 30 times a year, hits under 20 HR, and hits around .280 is pretty well below average for an OF. He was talented and on the way up, it seemed.

Now....his speed is assuredly much less than it was, and will never return to the blazing form it was a few years back. His arm, previously a strength, will likely be terrible for at least a few years, and likely never to be that good.

If you could get him extremely cheap, no harm. But I wouldn't go into a season with him as your CF'er. WAAAY too many injuries in a short time, and you'd be banking on a guy being much better than he ever has been- this after two extremely big injuries.

[Wang's Groundballs]

I'd much rather take a risk with Bradley, who is a much better player than Baldelli anyways, and will likely cost a lot less.

[MTYankee23]

Interestingly enough. 2 examples regarding his injuries. They may or may not apply in this situation, but just some food for thought.

He's 24 right, and he tore a ligament in one of his knees. Can you think of any other high level athletes that have torn knee ligaments and recovered to perform at a high level at that age? Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James come to mind.

The elbow surgery was Tommy John surgery wasn't it? Don't pitchers that have had Tommy John tend to throw harder after surgery?

Again, this could completely not be the case, but its hardly a death sentence. Also, we should be careful about condemning players in their early 20's for having OBP's in the .326 range, that sounds a lot like the un-dealable Robinson Cano.

[Yankee Steve]

You know sometimes you have to take a flyer on a guy and try to catch lightning in a bottle. That is how the other 29 teams operate (yes, including Boston - Bill Muellar being an example). We have the large payroll and the larger expectations, but seem to forget even about our own success. Mariano Duncan was a guy that had a terrific year for us in 1996 and was not a marquee player. Go get a guy who has some tools and relatively inexpensive and take a chance.

[Wang's Groundballs]

Again, this could completely not be the case, but its hardly a death sentence. Also, we should be careful about condemning players in their early 20's for having OBP's in the .326 range, that sounds a lot like the un-dealable Robinson Cano.

If he wasn't a Yankee I wouldn't want to empty the farm just to get him, especially if he was coming off a year with 2 surgeries.

[rhodehead]

I think just about everyone has underrated Rocco here. Is he an injury risk? Yes, coming off two surgeries, he is an injury risk. That is his biggest detractor and I would have a tough time finding too many more outside of a terrible OBP. His numbers in his rookie season are similar in many ways to Robinson Cano, a guy most around here speak of as the Second Coming. I like Cano as much as the next guy, but we should not dismiss Baldelli's shortcomings while overlooking Cano's similar ones.

Rocco will be 25 at the end of next season, still young enough to develop into a very nice player. Not good before his injury? Taking his age into consideration, I think that is off-base. The pedigree is there for him to be an all star. Look at the numbers:

Rookie year at age 22 - 156 g, 184 H, 32 2B, 8 3B, 89R, 11 HR, 78 RBI, .289 BA, 27 SB, 128 K, 30 BB
2nd year at age 23 - 136 g, 145 H, 27 2B, 3 3B, 79 R, 16 HR, 74 RBI, 17 SB, .280 BA, 88 K, 30 BB

I my opinion, the walks will come eventually. He will continue to develop power and hit for .300 consistently.

Now, I am not saying give up Cano and Wang for him, but this is a guy who you would hope to be undervalued a bit because of injury and overcrowded TB OF.

To say you would only give up a mid-level prospect or only claim him off waivers tells me one of three things. 1 - you are scared off by his injury (understandable, but he is not injury-prone, just had some bad luck. He is worth the risk involved) 2 - you do not know too much about players outside of the yankee organization 3 - you overvalue yankee players/prospects and/or undervalue everyone else's players.

That said, he is a fan favorite in Tampa Bay (rightfully so) and i am sure they will ask king's ransom for him if he proves to be healthy. But i would love to have him patrolling CF and hitting 7th in Yankee pinstripes...

[Martini6196]

You know sometimes you have to take a flyer on a guy and try to catch lightning in a bottle. That is how the other 29 teams operate (yes, including Boston - Bill Muellar being an example). We have the large payroll and the larger expectations, but seem to forget even about our own success. Mariano Duncan was a guy that had a terrific year for us in 1996 and was not a marquee player. Go get a guy who has some tools and relatively inexpensive and take a chance.

Well said..........Look at Cano's numbers........very similar to Baldelli's yet Cano is an untouchable. I think Baldelli is a good option but it all depends on what the yankees will have to give up.

[Snatch Catch]

Before the injuries, Baldelli and Crawford were being touted as the building blocks around which the Devil Ray team would be built. In fact, many considered Baldelli the better player with Crawford just a punch and Judy hitter who struck out too much, couldn't hit lefties and had no plate discipline. Baldelli had better power, was a better fielder with a better arm, was just as fast, if not faster... a potential 5 tool player. Ah, how quickly they forget!

Forget what?

So now being "touted" by the ignorance of the baseball world is tantamount to being good?

Baldelli sucks. Cano had a comparable year to Baldelli's 2nd year in the majors, and a better year than his 1st...and he wasn't that good.

[jimmykey2]

Trading any top prospects for a player coming off Tommy John and major knee surgery in the past year would be stupid. Baldelli has a nice upside, but the Yanks can't depend on a guy whom they have no idea if he's healthy.

[Sam18]

Well said..........Look at Cano's numbers........very similar to Baldelli's yet Cano is an untouchable. I think Baldelli is a good option but it all depends on what the yankees will have to give up.

Cano didn't cost us any prospects to aqquire and isn't coming off major surgery.

[Mr. Mxylsplk]

At 23 Baldelli was a pretty promising guy, but when a guy misses a season with two different injuries, it seems pretty reasonable to be skeptical. If you could buy low, I think he could be an interesting acquisition, but his health is a pretty big question mark if you're giving up more than marginal talent.

[Wang's Groundballs]

1 - you are scared off by his injury (understandable, but he is not injury-prone, just had some bad luck. He is worth the risk involved) 2 - you do not know too much about players outside of the yankee organization 3 - you overvalue yankee players/prospects and/or undervalue everyone else's players.

1.) Every time you get injured you're more likely to get injured in the future, whether you had "bad luck" or not.

2.) I see a guy coming off of 2 major surgeries who has horrible range and was barely a league average hitter in 2004. He also strikes out a ton while walking very rarely.

3.) Or we don't want to trade the next Cano for a major injury risk who's not anything special when we can get a guy that's better and almost as young for a lot less...

[gdn]

I think just about everyone has underrated Rocco here. Is he an injury risk? Yes, coming off two surgeries, he is an injury risk. That is his biggest detractor and I would have a tough time finding too many more outside of a terrible OBP. His numbers in his rookie season are similar in many ways to Robinson Cano, a guy most around here speak of as the Second Coming. I like Cano as much as the next guy, but we should not dismiss Baldelli's shortcomings while overlooking Cano's similar ones.

Rocco will be 25 at the end of next season, still young enough to develop into a very nice player. Not good before his injury? Taking his age into consideration, I think that is off-base. The pedigree is there for him to be an all star. Look at the numbers:

Rookie year at age 22 - 156 g, 184 H, 32 2B, 8 3B, 89R, 11 HR, 78 RBI, .289 BA, 27 SB, 128 K, 30 BB
2nd year at age 23 - 136 g, 145 H, 27 2B, 3 3B, 79 R, 16 HR, 74 RBI, 17 SB, .280 BA, 88 K, 30 BB

I my opinion, the walks will come eventually. He will continue to develop power and hit for .300 consistently.

Now, I am not saying give up Cano and Wang for him, but this is a guy who you would hope to be undervalued a bit because of injury and overcrowded TB OF.

To say you would only give up a mid-level prospect or only claim him off waivers tells me one of three things. 1 - you are scared off by his injury (understandable, but he is not injury-prone, just had some bad luck. He is worth the risk involved) 2 - you do not know too much about players outside of the yankee organization 3 - you overvalue yankee players/prospects and/or undervalue everyone else's players.

That said, he is a fan favorite in Tampa Bay (rightfully so) and i am sure they will ask king's ransom for him if he proves to be healthy. But i would love to have him patrolling CF and hitting 7th in Yankee pinstripes...

I would not give up a mid-level prospect for him. In fact, I might not give up a 6-year FA for him.

[Mr. Mxylsplk]

1 - you are scared off by his injury (understandable, but he is not injury-prone, just had some bad luck.

He's 24. How can anyone know that he's not injury prone yet? He's already missed more time to injury than a typical 24 year old - what possible basis is there to conclude that it's bad luck, not being injury prone.

[NewEraYanks2527]

No thank you to Rocco. Now if you say Crawford I'm listening.

[Sam18]

No thank you to Rocco. Now if you say Crawford I'm listening.

He's overrated too.

[RI Dawg]

I went to elementary school with Roco and played against him in HS. The RI papers relate him to Joe D. I've seen the kid play, he's a great athlete and I personally wouldn't mind having him on the team.

[THEBOSS84]

What is wrong with Baldelli?? Im sorry if he doesnt meet your requirements of having an all star at every position but this player is certainly capable of giving us what we need.

Hes got great speed in the outfield and a gu for an arm - enough for any logical yankee fan to want him right away, based on our 05 cf situation.
And he can put up better #'s than Bernie gave us last year - someone please explain to me what the problem would be as it seems to me he would improve our team

[Sam18]

What is wrong with Baldelli?? Im sorry if he doesnt meet your requirements of having an all star at every position but this player is certainly capable of giving us what we need.

Hes got great speed in the outfield and a gu for an arm - enough for any logical yankee fan to want him right away, based on our 05 cf situation.
And he can put up better #'s than Bernie gave us last year - someone please explain to me what the problem would be as it seems to me he would improve our team

1. He had horrible range before he was injured and the injury will cause his range to get worse.
2. His arm was injured too and will likely be worse.
3. He'll cost a lot (prospects)
4. He wasn't a good hitter to begin with.

Looks like you're the one missing the logic.

[THEBOSS84]

1. He had horrible range before he was injured and the injury will cause his range to get worse.
2. His arm was injured too and will likely be worse.
3. He'll cost a lot (prospects)
4. He wasn't a good hitter to begin with.

Looks like you're the one missing the logic.

1 his range this year would still be better than bernies of last year otherwise we woudl not trade for him
2. his arm was injured - yes you are right, and obviously this would be a moot point because i cant imagine the Yanks trading for him unless he is cleared - and like i ust said Rocco with a recovering arm can not be worse than Bernies healthy arm
3. agreed he will cost prospects, but not unless hes 100% healthy at which case hed be worth some B level prospects (a few)
4. he might not have been a GREAT hitter but again, his hitting potential is greater than the hitting that Bernie had given us last year

so all in all we would be better suited with him in cf for 06 than we were with bernie in cf in 05

looks like you're the one missing the logic

[RhodeyYankee2638]

He's 24. How can anyone know that he's not injury prone yet? He's already missed more time to injury than a typical 24 year old - what possible basis is there to conclude that it's bad luck, not being injury prone.

Thats why we should deal a Sean Henn type for him, a AAAA pitcher without an outpitch that has a history of injuries.

[Snatch Catch]

1 his range this year would still be better than bernies of last year otherwise we woudl not trade for him
2. his arm was injured - yes you are right, and obviously this would be a moot point because i cant imagine the Yanks trading for him unless he is cleared - and like i ust said Rocco with a recovering arm can not be worse than Bernies healthy arm
3. agreed he will cost prospects, but not unless hes 100% healthy at which case hed be worth some B level prospects (a few)
4. he might not have been a GREAT hitter but again, his hitting potential is greater than the hitting that Bernie had given us last year

so all in all we would be better suited with him in cf for 06 than we were with bernie in cf in 05

looks like you're the one missing the logic

Can you please stop misusing the word logic in your posts?

If Baldelli is 100% healthy, he's going to cost more than B prospects, because people like you believe that because he was "highly touted" he's worth it.

Baldelli has done next to nothing in terms of proving that he is an above average Major League ballplayer as either a hitter or fielder.

He could run the bases and throw well.

Then he tore up his knee and blew out his arm.

He sucks. Giving up anything for him would be a mistake.

[Mark19]

The bottom line is that the Yankees need defense first and offense is a bonus. Unless we can know for sure that Baldelli's surgeries haven't sapped him of his range/arm strength, he will not be a good fit for the Yankees.