Friday, February 12, 2010

Love The Ones Your With

I'm going to be honest, Yankee fans. There are few things I find more off-putting than someone trying to imagine all of the greatest players in baseball - who are still under contracts with their respective teams - eventually signing ridiculously huge deals with the Yankees.

As Craig points out in disgust this morning, there's an article, nay glorified slideshow, on FOX Sports by Bob Klapsich which does just that. I can only assume that Bob wrote the piece just after he completed an exhaustive list of which of his friends' wives he'd like to bone and why.

Here are the 10 guys he lists:
10. Prince Fielder
9. Tim Lincecum
8. Albert Puljos
7. Joe Mauer
6. Dustin Pedrioa
5. John Lackey
4. Carl Crawford
3. Cliff Lee
2. Carlos Beltran
1. Johnny Damon
Aside from Damon, who was already a member of the team, how many of these guys are ever going to end up on the Yanks? Two? Maybe?

Lackey just signed a 5 year deal, Mauer appears close to an extension that will keep him with the Twins basically forever, and the Giants just re-upped with Lincecum. We have a great second baseman, thanks, so we don't need Pedrioa (regardless of how hard he may appear to try). Beltran would have been nice back in 2005, but not anymore, and the Cardinals aren't going to let Puljos walk after giving Matt Holliday $120M. I doubt the Yanks are going to sign Fielder solely to DH considering first base is taken for the next 7 years. Crawford and Lee are possibilities but I'd be really shocked if the Yanks opened up the coffers for more than one of them.

I know Bob is just trying to do his job of attracting pageviews over at FOX and that I'm ostensibly helping him out with that goes by linking to the piece, but this is really the lowest common denominator. I'm sure there are a certain contingent of Yankees fans who want every great player in the Major Leagues to don an white interlocking NY on a navy blue cap; those who aren't content to have the highest payroll in the Major Leagues and above average players at every single position - All-Stars at most. But I'm not one of them.

I like the team we have. Most every team would love to have any member of the Yankees' infield, any of their top four starters and especially their closer. So why don't we start writing articles picturing Mark Teixeira as a Royal, CC Sabathia as an Astro or Mariano Rivera as a Marlin? Probably because it wouldn't make people enraged enough to click through to the slideshow and leave angry comments.

5 comments:

  1. Crawford happens next year, Lincecum in his first FA year. Everyone else on that list ranges from "no thanks" to "what, are you high?".

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  2. He shoulda just called this post "My 10 Favorite Baseball Players" and been done with it.

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  3. "I can only assume that Bob wrote the piece just after he completed an exhaustive list of which of his friends' wives he'd like to bone and why."

    I enjoyed this line very much. I dont get why people get off on assuming that the yankees will sign every free agent, every year. I hope mauer stays with the twins and puljos with the cards. If you want to dream as a yankee fan, look through the farm system and imagine jesus montero becoming mauer. it would save the yanks a ton of cash.

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  4. I agree, we are not going to sign every player and I tire of the assertion that we do things differently than any other team. Or rather that we do things that no other team can do. I enjoy the site have been a reader for a little bit now.

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  5. I don't believe the Yankees are going to sign any of those players. The Yankees are setting up their system so that the when a spot opens up on the roster it will be filled by a player from their minor leagues. Jesus Montero in 2011 to replace Jorge Posada. Phil Hughes, Zack McAllister, or Ivan Nova to Replace Andy Pettite in 2011 if need be. Slade Heathcott to Replace Nick Swisher in 2012 0r 2013. Andrew Brackman, D.J. Mitchell or Adam Warren, Nick Turley replacing Javiar Vasquez when needed. Payroll goes down talent meshes in to keep the Yankees competing for Championships.

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