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

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I'm not trying to argue and apologize if i came off that way.

Just meant that, these teams say they're not interested in the 'Texeira' type deal. Okay, so Holliday is in a lower bracket. The Cardinals still have to compete against the same teams that can go higher. NOt saying it will happen, only that it is worrisome still that a lot of these teams easily CAN outbid the Cardinals despite saying they don't want to pay 8/180 or whatever.

Not saying it will happen, I think that Holliday will be here next year. But, saying that the Yankess et all aren't interested in a 8/180 type deal doesn't mean they aren't interested in a 6/120 type deal and imo that puts Holliday out of the Cardinals range.

[Fat Strat]

$20 million is in the Cards' range, imo. At least it should be. We have plenty of money and just a few minor holes (with the exception of LF) that can be filled more than adequately from internal sources or cheaper FA options. I wouldn't hesitate one bit to do 6/$120.

[skmsw]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

[TimeForGuinness]

I'm not trying to argue and apologize if i came off that way.

Just meant that, these teams say they're not interested in the 'Texeira' type deal. Okay, so Holliday is in a lower bracket. The Cardinals still have to compete against the same teams that can go higher. NOt saying it will happen, only that it is worrisome still that a lot of these teams easily CAN outbid the Cardinals despite saying they don't want to pay 8/180 or whatever.

Not saying it will happen, I think that Holliday will be here next year. But, saying that the Yankess et all aren't interested in a 8/180 type deal doesn't mean they aren't interested in a 6/120 type deal and imo that puts Holliday out of the Cardinals range.

I've always said they could offer 5/90...maybe 6/108...throw in a NTC, and a $20 million dollar option and I think you can land him.

[JL21]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

It doesn't sound bitter or paranoid but rather rational to me. If you're the Yankees and your largest organizational strength is to lean on your opposition in the off-season with your outrageous payroll... why would you enter into a season with an AARP Outfield when you could easily afford to spend that money on a player like Holliday?

I understand that there's some inherent value to guys like Damon and/or Matsui because their fans are familiar with them and they've been part of lots of Yankee success, and even the Yankees have payroll limitations at some point. But it's far more logical to have Holliday or Bay.

All the same, I don't think that discounts the Cardinals or any other team for that matter.

[Radbird]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

Is that why I feel so uneasy about this? The Yanks need a LFer, and MH would plug that hole quite nicely for the next few years, so their "lack of interest" never made sense to me.

But I will continue to try and put that feeling aside, so I choose to believe that Wainwright's text messages are accurate and look forward to seeing #15 wearing the BOTB for the rest of his career - yeah, that's the ticket.

[Fat Strat]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

I completely agree. My only reservation is that they might have to make decisions on Damon and Matsui before they would get around to going after Holliday. Isn't the arbitration deadline before the winter meetings? I realize that the Yankees live in a different financial plane than what I'm used to dealing with, but I can't see them offering arb to those guys (especially Matsui) and then going after Holliday.

That and at some point they have to say enough is enough with the spending. They just won the world series. They just made a huge FA splash last season to get themselves into standing as "best team in the world". They're not a bottomless source of money. They don't have any real reason to drop another $20 million into another top FA player when $10-$15 million would do just as well.

[cards2468]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

I completely agree. My only reservation is that they might have to make decisions on Damon and Matsui before they would get around to going after Holliday. Isn't the arbitration deadline before the winter meetings? I realize that the Yankees live in a different financial plane than what I'm used to dealing with, but I can't see them offering arb to those guys (especially Matsui) and then going after Holliday.

That and at some point they have to say enough is enough with the spending. They just won the world series. They just made a huge FA splash last season to get themselves into standing as "best team in the world". They're not a bottomless source of money. They don't have any real reason to drop another $20 million into another top FA player when $10-$15 million would do just as well.

You also have to consider that maybe they were relying on losing Matsui and Damon to help fund that half a billion dollar spending spree from last off season.

[TimeForGuinness]

I know this is going to sound bitter, paranoid, or both -- but I can feel the damn Yankees lying in the weeds waiting to sign Holliday or Bay.

I'm very skeptical that they resign Damon or Matsui. Those two contracts free up some $26mm per year. They need a left fielder, and their M.O. is to quietly deny interest at the beginning, never be heard from again, and then swoop in at the very end by saying "OK, what's the best offer you've gotten so far? We'll top it by 10% right now, you have 48 hours to think it over, after that the offer is retracted, we go in a different direction, and publicly announce that you will not be coming here."

That definitely worries me too...but I'm just going by what I'm hearing...that's the fun of the hot stove

[JL21]

Holy crap.... just out of dumb curiosity, I looked it up. According to ESPN, los Banditos Yanquis dropped $208M- TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHT MILLION!!!- on payroll last year. You could pay the A's, Pirates, Padres, Marlins, and about 90% of the Orioles with that much money.

They also (potentially) shed Damon ($13M), Matsui ($13M), and Nady ($6.5M).