MarlinatPenn Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=fla PHILADELPHIA -- Al Leiter is returning to the New York area. MLB.com has been told the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees have reached agreement on a deal to be announced Saturday that would send Leiter to the Yankees for a player to be named. Â Leiter, 39, was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Thursday. The team had 10 days to release or trade the left-hander, who was 3-7, 6.64 ERA this year as a starter and reliever. Â Leiter signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Marlins. The Yankees are believed to be picking up part of his salary, but the Marlins will be responsible for the bulk of his contract. Â The Yankees are desperate for starting pitching. Injuries to Chien-Ming Wang, Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright have decimated the rotation, and recent obtainees Tim Redding and Darrell May have been ineffective. Â When asked before Friday's game in Boston about the possibility of obtaining Leiter, Yankees manager Joe Torre alluded to Leiter having pitched for both the Yankees and Mets previously, saying, "He certainly is an experienced guy. One thing about our ballclub, when you look at the pitching, the New York experience factor usually carries a little weight." Â Leiter was expected to provide leadership to a relatively young Marlins rotation while offering big-game experience. Â "I truly expected more success in my return to the Florida Marlins," Leiter said in a statement released by the Marlins late Thursday. "To say I'm disappointed with my performance is vastly understated. I understand the organization needed to do what they had to do. It's a very good team with expectations to win. It's just unfortunate it didn't work out for me." Â "He's a real pro and a good guy," manager Jack McKeon said. "He feels probably as bad as anybody. He's an all-around class guy, and I think we all hate to see him go." Â While Leiter provided insights to a talented staff that includes Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett, the veteran left-hander never got into a pitching groove. From the beginning of Spring Training, through 17 games with the Marlins (including 16 starts), Leiter lacked consistency. Â After suffering a loss to the Cubs on Sunday at Dolphins Stadium, Leiter's record fell to 3-7 while his ERA rose to 6.64. Falling behind batters was a constant problem, as evident by the fact Leiter walked 60 batters in 80 innings, while giving up 88 hits. Â Cutting ties with a savvy veteran was a difficult task for the Marlins, who were anticipating big things from a consistent winner. Leiter had a string of winning at least 10 games in 10 straight seasons, including a 10-8 record and 3.21 ERA for the Mets last year. Â Sunday's setback started the process of the front office examining what to do with Leiter. On Wednesday, general manager Admin Beinfest notified Leiter that he wanted to meet with the veteran left-hander. Leiter was with his family. Last Friday, Lori Leiter gave birth to the couple's fourth child, a girl. Â While informed of the team's decision on the phone, Leiter met later in the day Wednesday with Beinfest at a restaurant near his Weston home. Â "We spent a good amount of time together, talking about everything," Beinfest said. "We talked about the disappointment and how things went. Everybody wished it would have went better." Â A respected veteran with a lifetime 158-127 record, Leiter played a crucial role in the Marlins winning the World Series in 1997. On May 11, 1996, he tossed the first no-hitter in Marlins history, blanking the Rockies, 11-0. Â But this season, his bread-and-butter pitch, his cut fastball, wasn't finding the mark. While Leiter continued to say he felt fine physically, scouts noted that his pitches would flatten out, and he wasn't as deceptive as he had been. Â Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. Reporter Mark Feinsand contributed to this article. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accord Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Desperate is an understatement :lol . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beinfest4Prez Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FishFanInPA Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 I called this.....don't deny me my due for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Wow is right... Its great we're getting something, even though its probably not much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinatPenn Posted July 16, 2005 Author Share Posted July 16, 2005 If we could trade him for a box of batting practice baseballs, it would be a steal. And not even a new box of practice baseballs, I'm talking middle of the road batting practice baseballs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndLine Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 gl Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passion Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Yankees pwned twice in two days...17-1 loss and this s***ty, horrible, retarded trade. And I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishFan24 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Suckers. :shifty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fritz Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 If we get anything more than one of those fashion-type NY Yankees hats, I'm happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy42Jack0 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 who do you think we will get back from the stanks? and on the bright side, last time i remember a trade with them we got mikey...and he was pretty good until this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strandedx02 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Yankees pwned twice in two days...17-1 loss and this s***ty, horrible, retarded trade. And I love it. 858025[/snapback] Sunday's game is gonna be fun to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Man Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Watch him pitch amazing for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passion Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Watch him pitch amazing for them. 858051[/snapback] Mark Wiley >>>>>> Mel Stottlemyre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGonzalez11 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Best wishes to Al -- hope he turns his season around (but not the Yankees'...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanks1212 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 I like Al alot, but if the Yankees even give 500k to the Fish for him, along with a PTNBL, the Marlins have to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FlummoxedLummox Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 I'd take a paperclip and some pocket lint, but if they want to give us MONEY (however negligible), and a living breathing ball player (even if he plays in the convalescent league) it's a no brainer. As a side, I would have liked nothing better than for Al to have had a decent year with us. We could have sent him off into retirement properly, showing him how much he has meant to our club and how much the fans respect him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Odds are that's what you're getting from the Yankees - Nothing. A 25 year old A ball player, so it's not much more than a pack of bubble gum. Considering you're paying probably 7 of the 8 million it works out for both sides. I'd rather take my chances with the 5 inning wonder than Darrel May or Sean Henn - Im sure you'll all agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghettoshznt Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 its nto that bad for the yankees, they dont have a good minor league system anyway, and the marlins r taking the bulk of his contract, its better for him to start for the yankees than another minorleaguer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildMarlinMan2003 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Watch him go 5-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Good luck Al, I hope you turn your season around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlin Nation Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Best of luck to him, I really hope he does well and goes out with a bang in NY instead of a sputter here in FL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimeWrecker Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 ANYONE BUT THE $$! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetle Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Bye, Al. Sorry it didn't work out. You're still a good guy in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rferry Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Watch him pitch amazing for them. 858051[/snapback] Mark Wiley >>>>>> Mel Stottlemyre 858057[/snapback] I'm not sure if you're being a jerk or sarcastic or what, but a coach's impact varies from player to player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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