MORE than ever, the Yankees must use their greatest asset – money.
That is because they have too many past-prime players and one of the majors’ weakest farm systems. So now is not the time to sacrifice youngsters such as Nick Johnson and Alfonso Soriano or their few prospects in trades unless they were to get back young stars who would be under their control for years, and both Carlos Beltran and Javier Vazquez are free agents after the 2004 season.
Instead, the Yanks should be buying their way out of their problems by re-signing Andy Pettitte, inking free agents Bartolo Colon and Gary Sheffield, and trading Aaron Boone, Jeff Weaver and Erick Almonte to the Giants for Edgardo Alfonzo, Jason Christiansen, Felix Rodriguez, Neifi Perez and Noah Lowry.
George Steinbrenner seems gung-ho to trade Johnson to get Vazquez. But you don’t trade 25-year-olds who get on base 42 percent of the time and have 30-homer promise. Especially for a pitcher who in his 17-start inter-league exposure to the AL is 4-8 with a 5.05 ERA. Now the strike-throwing, cerebral Vazquez might succeed in the AL. But we already know that to be true about Colon, and he only costs money.
Johnson is not going to lose value any time soon. Better to save him, if he must go, for a midseason deal when the Yanks have a better handle on their needs. In fact, if the Yanks follow this Post blueprint, they will give their whole system a chance to regenerate and some prospects who were either injured or in decline an opportunity to rebuild their value for potential deals. Look, the system can’t be worse in July than it is now and the big club has seen a landscape develop so far this offseason in which their dollars can be used to assure they stay powerful in 2004, and here is why:
ROTATION – Colon, Pettitte and Mussina form a terrific front three followed by Jose Contreras and Jon Lieber. The Yanks can attempt low-cost signs of David Wells and/or Orlando Hernandez (likely to be non-tendered by Montreal) or make a push for Cuban star Maels Rodriguez as a way to provide depth.
For Colon, the Yanks might have to offer a fourth year (the White Sox are considered the front-runner). His girth makes him a risk. But, like Wells, Colon has defied predictions that his bulk would limit him (only Tim Hudson has more innings the last three years and no one has more than his 18 complete games). Put it this way, who do you think is a better three- or four-year gamble, the 30-year-old Colon or the 37-year-old Curt Schilling? And, again, as opposed to Schilling, Colon costs the Yanks only money.
LINEUP – During the course of last year, especially in the postseason, the Yanks’ penchant to strike out was overt. In 2003, Alfonzo and Sheffield fanned 95 times – combined – in 1,090 at-bats and walked 144 times. The Yanks really should sign Kaz Matsui to play second, which would better address a poor infield defense (with Soriano shifting to the outfield), especially because Lieber and Pettitte are extreme groundball pitchers. But all signs are Matsui wants to play short and also, pragmatically, Steinbrenner wants Sheffield.
Sheffield’s age (35) adds to a Yankee concern. But it appears as if the Yanks will keep his contract to no more than three years, and the once-brittle Sheffield has played 726 games the last five years, just six fewer than Derek Jeter.
As for Alfonzo, the Giants want to snip payroll and this deal would save them $1.5 million this year (more if they non-tendered Boone after they acquired him) and $4 million over the lives of the various pacts. San Francisco needs a veteran starter and in the NL and in a pitcher’s park, Weaver has his best chance to rebound. The Yanks must forget they sacrificed (Ted Lilly, Brandon Claussen) for Weaver and Boone, and recognize neither is likely to succeed in New York. We know that is not the case for Alfonzo.
At 30 with a questionable body, Alfonzo is risky with three years left on his deal. But his strong second half/postseason last year suggests he has a lot more to give the Yanks than Boone. Meanwhile, Perez replaces Enrique Wilson and provides a great middle-infield defender off the bench. If the Yanks must live with Christiansen (lefties hit .208 last year off him) and Rodriguez in their pen, so be it. However, they may be able to use them to further strengthen the bench (think Christiansen to St. Louis for Eli Marrero and Rodriguez to Philadelphia for Ricky Ledee).
HARDBALL’S
2003-04 YANKEES LINEUP
1. Derek Jeter ss
2. Nick Johnson 1b
3. Gary Sheffield rf
4. Jason Giambi dh
5. Alfonso Soriano 2b
6. Jorge Posada c
7. Bernie Williams cf
8. Hideki Matsui lf
9. Edgardo Alfonzo 3b
ROTATION
Mike Mussina
Andy Pettitte
Bartolo Colon
Jose Contreras
Jon Lieber
HARDBALL’S 2003-04 METS LINEUP
1. Kaz Matsui ss
2. Jose Reyes 2b
3. Mike Piazza c/1b
4. Cliff Floyd lf
5. Mike Cameron cf
6. Geoff Jenkins rf
7. Jason Phillips 1b/c
8. Ty Wigginton 3b
9. Starting pitcher
ROTATION
Al Leiter
Tom Glavine
Livan Hernandez
Steve Trachsel
Jae Seo
