LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Typically quiet first day at baseball's winter meetings, other than another idiotic signing by the Texas Rangers - three years, $34 million for Vicente Padilla. Manny Ramirez still is an apparently reluctant Red Sox as the Dodgers attempt to significantly reduce Boston's asking price to their much-coveted hard-throwing reliever Jonathan Broxton and maybe one other top prospect, and Barry Bonds remains a man without a beckoning team, although it now appears the mothership Giants are ready to come to his rescue.

 

On the rumor front, let's quash the big one before it gets started up again because it affects both the Yankees and the Mets: Dontrelle Willis isn't going anywhere. That's what the Florida Marlins are telling anyone who inquires about the personable and gifted lefty. The Yankees did call and so did the Mets and they were both told the same thing. At long last, the Marlins - this time with the direct involvement of commissioner Bud Selig - are making progress on getting a new stadium deal in downtown Miami, which would preclude any more payroll-dumping by them. Besides, Willis isn't costing them a whole lot right now and they have him under control for two more years.

 

Of course, Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins' owner, never will completely shut the door on potential Willis suitors. "Not if someone wants to really overwhelm us," is what he says, which, translated, means, "Who's to say if someone is willing to do something really stupid like trading three can't-miss prospects?" Not the Yankees or the Mets.

 

What's interesting from the Yankees' standpoint is that, for the first time in recent memory, they are actually in a position to put together that sort of package as a result of Brian Cashman's determined restocking of the once-barren farm system with blue-chip prospects such as pitchers Philip Hughes, Humberto Sanchez, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Dellin Betances and Kevin Whelan and outfielders Jose Tabata and Brett Gardner.

 

The George Steinbrenner of yesteryear would be telling Cashman to call Loria and make precisely that sort of overwhelming offer for Willis. But as Cashman reiterated yesterday, the Yankees are doing business in a different way now.

 

"We're trying to build from within to the point where we have a lot of choices so we're not forced to go into the free agent market which is typically unproductive," he said.

 

He didn't mention Carl Pavano, but then he didn't have to.

 

And as another Yankee operative told me: "Good as a guy like Willis might be, we've learned our lesson about bringing National League pitchers over to this league. In the case of almost all of them, their ERAs go up a run per game. So you give up a whole lot of your best prospects for a guy whose ERA is in the high fours and what have you done, other than stripping your system again? You're much better off developing your own pitching, if you can."

 

Who would have thought that in this baseball winter gone wild with outrageous spending and one mind-boggling signing after another, the Yankees would be the models of restraint? Even the $26 million they plunked down for the negotiation rights to back-of-the-rotation Japanese lefthander Kei Igawa is now viewed as a modest expenditure, given the crazy money Texas threw at Padilla, which in turn will lead to the $40 million-$45 million it will take to sign a Ted Lilly or Gil Meche.

 

As one rival AL scout observed in the lobby of the Dolphin Hotel: "What's with the Yankees? Are they even here? Everybody seems to be going crazy this winter and they're just sitting back watching it all."

 

"I'm patient," said Cashman, "but I'll be aggressive if it's something that makes sense. At the same time, I'm more than willing to go into spring training with what I've got."

 

For the record, the Yankees and Mets can be counted among the 27 teams in a Daily News survey that have vowed no interest in Bonds, who needs 22 homers to break Hank Aaron's sacred all-time record. This despite the claim of Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, that he has numerous offers for his client. In fact, at the moment he has none. But that soon is likely to become one, at least if you believe Giants GM Brian Sabean who, after striking out in his attempts to replace Bonds by signing either Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Lee or trading for Ramirez, conceded yesterday he'll probably need to re-sign the surly, steroids-tainted slugger.

 

"We have a need for a left fielder and a cleanup hitter," Sabean said. "Does (re-signing Bonds) make sense from a baseball standpoint? Yes."

 

Too bad. What a statement baseball could have made about steroids if no club offered Bonds a contract, denying him the opportunity to break Aaron's record. That would be an even bigger statement than the Yankees setting the example for salary restraint.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/477271p-401556c.html

27 teams in a Daily News survey that have vowed no interest in Bonds

 

That means 3 do...the Giants, A's...

:mischief2

Nice article :thumbup

I was personally more pleased by the report that the Marlins are finally making real progres on the stadium.

Man, I forgot that the Yankees drafted Joba Chamberlain. He's a local boy from Nebraska. I got to watch him play college ball a few times. He reminds me a lot of Brad Penny. Big guy who throws hard. I wouldn't mind having him in our farm system. Found his stats for West Oahu. 9 games, 6 starts 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA 37.2 IP 46 SO 3 BB!!! I think he went fairly high in the draft this year. Around 36th overall, or so.

I am happy to see the yankees finally realizing throwing 50 millions bucks at a great player won't always solve your problems. :thumbup

Not shocking the Yanks have had to reform their ways.

Man, I forgot that the Yankees drafted Joba Chamberlain. He's a local boy from Nebraska. I got to watch him play college ball a few times. He reminds me a lot of Brad Penny. Big guy who throws hard. I wouldn't mind having him in our farm system. Found his stats for West Oahu. 9 games, 6 starts 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA 37.2 IP 46 SO 3 BB!!! I think he went fairly high in the draft this year. Around 36th overall, or so.

 

We actually could have drafted Chamberlian as we had the 36 pick in the Draft and he went 41st. Problem is he signed over slot money (not sure how much), though I believe our pick Coughlan signed over slot money as well.

happy to see the stadium deal is making progress...

OK, wait, can we really pinpoint what teams are interested in Bonds?

OK, wait, can we really pinpoint what teams are interested in Bonds?

Oakland, SF, and :whistle

not TB they refuted it today

OK, wait, can we really pinpoint what teams are interested in Bonds?

Oakland, SF, and :whistle

 

San Diego... I've seen several articles which mention that they had some interest in him.

 

As for Dontrelle.. I'm proud of Admin stickin to his guns...

I was personally more pleased by the report that the Marlins are finally making real progres on the stadium.

That is the real news in this article, actually HUGE!

Bonds: isn't the other team San Diego?

Bonds: isn't the other team San Diego?

 

Yes, I believe so.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Typically quiet first day at baseball's winter meetings, other than another idiotic signing by the Texas Rangers - three years, $34 million for Vicente Padilla. Manny Ramirez still is an apparently reluctant Red Sox as the Dodgers attempt to significantly reduce Boston's asking price to their much-coveted hard-throwing reliever Jonathan Broxton and maybe one other top prospect, and Barry Bonds remains a man without a beckoning team, although it now appears the mothership Giants are ready to come to his rescue.

 

On the rumor front, let's quash the big one before it gets started up again because it affects both the Yankees and the Mets: Dontrelle Willis isn't going anywhere. That's what the Florida Marlins are telling anyone who inquires about the personable and gifted lefty. The Yankees did call and so did the Mets and they were both told the same thing. At long last, the Marlins - this time with the direct involvement of commissioner Bud Selig - are making progress on getting a new stadium deal in downtown Miami, which would preclude any more payroll-dumping by them. Besides, Willis isn't costing them a whole lot right now and they have him under control for two more years.

 

Of course, Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins' owner, never will completely shut the door on potential Willis suitors. "Not if someone wants to really overwhelm us," is what he says, which, translated, means, "Who's to say if someone is willing to do something really stupid like trading three can't-miss prospects?" Not the Yankees or the Mets.

 

What's interesting from the Yankees' standpoint is that, for the first time in recent memory, they are actually in a position to put together that sort of package as a result of Brian Cashman's determined restocking of the once-barren farm system with blue-chip prospects such as pitchers Philip Hughes, Humberto Sanchez, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Dellin Betances and Kevin Whelan and outfielders Jose Tabata and Brett Gardner.

 

The George Steinbrenner of yesteryear would be telling Cashman to call Loria and make precisely that sort of overwhelming offer for Willis. But as Cashman reiterated yesterday, the Yankees are doing business in a different way now.

"We're trying to build from within to the point where we have a lot of choices so we're not forced to go into the free agent market which is typically unproductive," he said.

 

He didn't mention Carl Pavano, but then he didn't have to. And as another Yankee operative told me: "Good as a guy like Willis might be, we've learned our lesson about bringing National League pitchers over to this league. In the case of almost all of them, their ERAs go up a run per game. So you give up a whole lot of your best prospects for a guy whose ERA is in the high fours and what have you done, other than stripping your system again? You're much better off developing your own pitching, if you can."

Who would have thought that in this baseball winter gone wild with outrageous spending and one mind-boggling signing after another, the Yankees would be the models of restraint? Even the $26 million they plunked down for the negotiation rights to back-of-the-rotation Japanese lefthander Kei Igawa is now viewed as a modest expenditure, given the crazy money Texas threw at Padilla, which in turn will lead to the $40 million-$45 million it will take to sign a Ted Lilly or Gil Meche.

 

As one rival AL scout observed in the lobby of the Dolphin Hotel: "What's with the Yankees? Are they even here? Everybody seems to be going crazy this winter and they're just sitting back watching it all."

 

"I'm patient," said Cashman, "but I'll be aggressive if it's something that makes sense. At the same time, I'm more than willing to go into spring training with what I've got."

 

For the record, the Yankees and Mets can be counted among the 27 teams in a Daily News survey that have vowed no interest in Bonds, who needs 22 homers to break Hank Aaron's sacred all-time record. This despite the claim of Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, that he has numerous offers for his client. In fact, at the moment he has none. But that soon is likely to become one, at least if you believe Giants GM Brian Sabean who, after striking out in his attempts to replace Bonds by signing either Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Lee or trading for Ramirez, conceded yesterday he'll probably need to re-sign the surly, steroids-tainted slugger.

 

"We have a need for a left fielder and a cleanup hitter," Sabean said. "Does (re-signing Bonds) make sense from a baseball standpoint? Yes."

 

Too bad. What a statement baseball could have made about steroids if no club offered Bonds a contract, denying him the opportunity to break Aaron's record. That would be an even bigger statement than the Yankees setting the example for salary restraint.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/477271p-401556c.html

 

Dang.. the Yankees are on to us. No raiding their farm system I guess. :mischief

I remember the Yankees' farm system a couple years back was considered one of the worst in the majors. They actually have something to offer to other teams these days.