Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
Where Does It Stop?
Where does the money train end? The New York Yankees are offering CC Sabathia 6 years and $137 million. They also have A-Rod signed at $270 million over 10 years. They also have Derek Jeter at $19 million a year. Thats potentially three players on the roster making collectively almost $70 million a year. That would be more than the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins team payrolls combined on those three players.
The Yankees also paid out an average of over $6.7 million per player on their roster last year. 17 teams in the league averaged less than half that.
Where does it end? Now, thats not saying that with all that money they are going to be a championship team. At some point someone has to manage the egos in the clubhouse and keep them all healthy. Last year, despite a $200+ million payroll, the Yankees were sitting at home watching the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Greed catches up with you eventually but at the same time, the money spent results in a super star team that can be unbeatable too.
The fact is though, most of the time, the top money teams win. Tampa this past year was the rare exception. You can bet that no matter what happens, once their top players head to free agency they will be bought up by the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers or Mets. All of whom have payrolls approaching or far exceeding $150 million a year.
The other problem is when you offer ridiculous contracts like that it drives up the price of other players on the market as well making them far less affordable for teams who thought they could spend a little to get them. Thats were Burnett, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets come into the mix. The Jays are interested in keeping Burnett first but if he is signed, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets would immediately peak their interest.
I am always hopeful come the first day of the season but when you hear that the Yankees are offering up obscene contracts like that to Sabathia and on top of that plan to try to sign both AJ Burnett and Derek Lowe it takes all the fun out of being a fan of Major League Baseball.
We have seen in the NFL how a hard salary cap can level the playing field. Look at how evenly distributed the championships are in that league. Given the exception of the New England Patriots, teams can and usually do turn their franchises around in a couple seasons and every team falls back down to earth sooner or later.
Major League Baseball needs a hard salary cap or at the very least something like that of the NHL. They also need revenue sharing that will allow teams to spend to the that cap.
The Yankees go out and just thumb their nose at the stupid luxury tax and keep right on spending. It does nothing. With each and every ridiculous contract thrown around the league I become less a fan of the league and more a fan of anyone who can beat the Yankees, Red Sox and other teams that spend excessively.
hope that makes them win
Well one thing is for sure The Yankees won't be looking for a bailout from the gov.
Even as they pursue free-agent starting pitchers CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett, the Yankees could also have an eye on Padres right-hander Jake Peavy.
The line-up for 2009 is looking great, but the yankees need a full time DH -Matsui cannot fill that order. Remember we have Tampa Bay and Red Sox to deal with now. For me the full time DH should be BARRY BONDS.
I know it sounds crazy, but think about the impact this guy would bring and then we would match up with the Red Sox
having a full time DH.
We can also throw in Manny to really top off things, can you imagine what it would be when the Red Sox comes in the Stadium with Manny in the Yanks line-up.
I WONDER IF THE BLUE JAYS EVER THOUGHT ABOUT SELLING ROY HALLADAY HE'S THE 2ND BEST PITCHER IN BASEBALL TODAY AND BEST PITCHER IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE IT MUST BE HARD LIVING In JOHANS SHADOW. IF THEY DID TRADE HIM ID GIVE UP HUGHES, KENNEDY, MELKY PLUS ALAN HORNE
Um, last year, Halladay was better than Santana. Halladay had 20 wins.
Yankees are building an offer -- perhaps a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $80 million -- to present to Burnett, who became a free agent when he opted out of his contract with the Blue Jays on Thursday.
And When Burnetts Tommy John Surgery explodes in his second start, I will be the first one to post that the Yankees spent like idiots.
Ahh your just jealous. You throw the whole Tommy John thing around like it the end all for MLB players. I remember a day when the Tommy John did not exist. That was much worse for MLB players at least they now have a chance to extend their careers. I think I remember a post not long ago where you praised Burnett as the best pitcher on the Jays. How quick you flip flop. I noticed you like to post on the suffering of others for your enjoyment, so you posting about his exploding surgery does not surprise me
Burnett is no where close to the Jays best pitcher. He is their second best pitcher. The only pitcher I have ever referred to as the Jays best is Doc Halladay. Burnett is a distant second to Doc.
It is a proven fact that Burnett has been injury prone his whole career, his first two season in Toronto with that huge contract he signed inToronto he was hurt half the years.
He owes Toronto the rest of his contract because he never gave them their money's worth in his first two years.