Update: HOLLIDAY A CARD 7yr/120 million, p178

[TGantz]

when a team has that large of a payroll, how do you implement a salary cap? set it at their payroll level and hope inflation catches up?

I'm not looking to get into an argument over salary caps. Just making a joke that it's crazy that any FA is possible for them every year.

[a_smith]

Not to sound snide, or even paternalistic . . . but we've sort of been over this.

Damon = $13mm in 2009
Matsui = $13mm in 2009
Nady = $6.5mm in 2009
Wang = $5mm in 2009

Even if they keep Damon (I'm skeptical), and even with Granderson aboard (whose 2010 number is quite reasonable), they still have a PAYROLL-NEUTRAL path to adding Holliday if they want it. Assuming they even have to go payroll-neutral.

Now, that's not to say that they WILL sign Holliday, or that those dollars won't just go to pay escalaters for people like ARod, Jeter, etc . . . . but however much it may be true that their payroll has an upper limit, there's really no reason to assume they already are at it.

I don't hear any whispers about the Yanks being in on Holliday. So I am not attributing my paranoia to Boras plants. really, I now their M-O. If they want him, they will sit back, say nothing to no one, then swoop in at the end to match the best offer. If they truly want to get "younger and more athletic," and they have a potential opening in left field -- then the Yankees are still running in the background.

I don't mean to sound like a smartass but we've been over just about everything more than once. It's a 97 page thread.

But like I said before, considering raises that will have to be given and the length of their 1B's contract... I don't see them handing out a similar contract as far as length goes. What will they look like in 5 or 6 years when they're stuck with three old players making a huge chunk of their payroll (A-Rod, Texiera, and Holliday)?

But even if they have those three they will still have 160-170m left to spend and have the same payroll as they do now.
Think about it. Arod, Tex, Holliday could totally crap the bed be out of baseball and they still would have 170m to spend.

Steve makes a strong point that we don't even know if they are close to their max payroll.
Think about that-those guys become sunk costs and they still could put 210m for their payroll.
yikes.

I dont think that they are worried about the lengths of certain players contracts. If they want a player they can buy any players they want.

[Socnorb11]

Just a hunch, but I would imagine that Joe Mauer being a free agent next off-season may play into this. I wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees are stashing a little cash to put him in pinstripes, and signing Holliday would make that significantly more difficult.

Even though Mauer will be expensive, I think it will be a PR nightmare for the Twins to let the hometown boy walk away just one season into a new stadium built with lots of public money. They're supposed to be working on an extension this offseason.

Any idea who his agent is?

Rotoworld says:

LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune cites 'a person of influence in the Joe Mauer contract talks' as saying that no serious negotiations on a contract extension have begun and absolutely no deadlines have been set.

[Gashouse]

Just a hunch, but I would imagine that Joe Mauer being a free agent next off-season may play into this. I wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees are stashing a little cash to put him in pinstripes, and signing Holliday would make that significantly more difficult.

Even though Mauer will be expensive, I think it will be a PR nightmare for the Twins to let the hometown boy walk away just one season into a new stadium built with lots of public money. They're supposed to be working on an extension this offseason.

Any idea who his agent is?

I don't remember, but I don't know many agent names. But I can say that it's not Boras.

[TheoSqua]

Just a hunch, but I would imagine that Joe Mauer being a free agent next off-season may play into this. I wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees are stashing a little cash to put him in pinstripes, and signing Holliday would make that significantly more difficult.

Even though Mauer will be expensive, I think it will be a PR nightmare for the Twins to let the hometown boy walk away just one season into a new stadium built with lots of public money. They're supposed to be working on an extension this offseason.

Any idea who his agent is?

I don't remember, but I don't know many agent names. But I can say that it's not Boras.

Ron Shapiro

[Leroy]

Minnesota would be crazy to let Mauer go. But they might just be crazy.

[BW23]

I'm confused. What exactly is the number of years offered (or at least assumed since nobody here really knows)?

Neyer talks about 8 years, based on Strauss' article.

However, Olney talks about 5 years...or at least that's what StL is thinking internally since they don't seem to be competing against a lot of clubs.

[epinephrine]

In Strauss' article it clearly says 'neither side will discuss any details,' yet somehow Strauss knows it's 8 years and 16 per. Olney doesn't know any more than the next guy.

[Faceman]

Can anybody remember one time the Yankees didn't get into a FA because of their current payroll obligations? Just one?

I cannot.

[Jocephus]

According to FOXSports.com, two sources confirmed the Boston Herald report that the Yankees have interest in free agent outfielder Jason Bay.
Meanwhile, a third source with knowledge of the club's plans said that the team is not seriously interested in Bay at the moment. The Yankees have a habit of laying in the weeds sometimes (see: Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira) so they can't be dismissed with any free agent. Bay has reportedly been offered a four-year, $63 million contract by the Mets and over the weekend, a mystery team extended an offer exceeding four years.
Source: FOXSports.com
Related: Yankees