Here’s the goods:
- What the Yankees want, the Yankees get. The News reports that the IDA approved the issuance of $370 million in additional tax-exempt funding for the new Stadium. (The Mets got the $ they wanted also.)
- The Times clarifies the new funding: $259M is tax-exempt bonds, $111M is taxable bonds.
- Richard Sandomir of the Times has the wrap-up on the day’s proceedings at the IDA.
- Tyler Kepner of the Times reports that the Yanks have been in talks with numerous teams regarding Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher:
Swisher, a 28-year-old switch-hitter, is two years younger than Nady and is signed for three more seasons at roughly $21 million. Nady, 30, is a right-handed hitter who is eligible for free agency after the season. He is represented by Scott Boras, who rarely agrees to a long-term deal before a player explores the open market.
Nady had a better season than Swisher last year, batting .305 with 25 home runs and 97 runs batted in — all career highs. Swisher had the worst of his five seasons, hitting just .219 with 24 homers and 69 R.B.I. But Swisher’s on-base percentage, .332, was actually better than Nady’s .320 figure over two months with the Yankees.
In that way, Swisher profiles better as the kind of player the Yankees seek for their lineup. He saw an average of 4.53 pitches per plate appearance last season, leading the major leagues in that category. Nady averaged 3.65 pitches per plate appearance. Among Yankees, only Robinson Canó (3.35 pitches) was worse.
- The News’ Anthony McCarron notes that the Bombers are optimistic that Jorge Posada will be 100% ready to go Opening Day. Here’s a quote from Cashman:
“He won’t start on time as a catcher in spring training. It’s just a fact. There’s nothing I can do about it or the player can do about it. We’re hoping to have Jorge by Opening Day, but he will not be the opening spring training catcher, I can tell you that.
“He’s going to come in with restrictions and we’ll bring him along slowly.”
- NorthJersey.com has an article describing hitting coach Kevin Long’s “off-season”, which was actually quite busy.
- Happy 49th birthday to Chili Davis, who finished his 19-year career with 1+ seasons as the Yanks DH. In 1999, he compiled a line of .269/.366/.445 with 19 HRs and 78 RBI in 476 ABs.
- A very happy 78th birthday to the one and only Don Zimmer. In Zim’s life he has played for 11 different minor league or major league teams, been a minor league manager of 5 different teams, been a coach for 7 different major league franchises and managed 4 different major league teams. He is currently recovering from a small stroke he suffered late last month. Get well soon Zim!
- On this date in 1939, the Yankees elect Ed Barrow as president. Barrow replaces Jacob Ruppert, who died four days earlier. Barrow will remain as the Yankees president until 1945, when the team is bought by Dan Topping and Del Webb.
- On this date in 1970, during the January phase of the annual free-agent draft, Fred Lynn is drafted by the Yankees in the first round. He will not sign with them (obviously).
Til Monday …
I ain't the brightest baseball guy in the world, but it seems to me that Swisher is a much better guy to keep for many reasons. And on the trade front, Nady is high and Swish is low, so frankly, I don't know why the Yankes would even consider trading Nick.
[1] i agree. but, then again, we're both drummers, so how smart can we be?! (neil peart, excluded from this!!!) ; )
I'm sure Swisher's trade value is higher. Why do you think Nady's is, OYF? For all the reasons Swisher is better to keep, he's also got more value in a trade.
chili davis - i always liked the big jamaican and am glad he ended his fine career w/ a good season and w/ the pinstripes. he's one of only 4 switch-hitters to reach 350 homers. i dig switch-hitters. the top 3, are obvious. reggie smith & ruben sierra stretch it to 6, as far as reaching 300 homers. berkman should get there this season, beltran the year after and Tex, hopefully, the season after that.
i can't wait for beltran to join the exclusive 300-300 club. he'll be the only switch-hitter in it!!! soriano and hopefully abreu will join sometime thereafter and beltran will remain the only switch-hitter w/ that many homers and steals. pretty cool!
[3] Om a talent/potential level, I think more then not would feel Swish has a higher upside... and slightly better career numbers,
Swisher has a career OPS+ of 112, but is coming off a career low of 92+.
Nady has a career OPS+ of 108, but is coming off a career high of 128+.
When you talk about buy low/sell high, Swish is low and Nady is high.
When Chicago GOT Swish from Oakland, the Whie Sox gave up:
Gonzalez: led all of minor league baseball with 185 strikeouts while pitching for Double-A Birmingham in 2007. The 22-year old left-hander also ranked fourth in the SL in ERA and led SL starters with a .216 opponents batting average.
De Los Santos: was named the South Atlantic League's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect and was also named to the SAL midseason and postseason All-Star teams in 2007
Sweeney: was named the White Sox number one prospect by Baseball America entering the 2007 season
Do you remember who we gave up for Swish?
We didn't 'pay' much for Nady, but he was somewhat of a salary dump who would be a FA soon.
Swisher had a bad year, but the GMs around MLB aren't idiots. He'll fetch substantially more than X in a trade.
We didn’t ‘pay’ much for Nady, but he was somewhat of a salary dump who would be a FA soon.
Uh, yeah. Which are two of the reasons he won't have much trade value now: not cheap, and not long under the club's control.
[6] Swish is guaranteed $21m over the next 3 years. Dirt cheap if he becomes Swisher again. But after last year, that's a big risk for a lot of clubs.
Nady made $3.5 in 2008. How much do you think he will get for 2009? $7M? And it's only for one year. No guarantees, but Nady looks to be a well priced, one-year OFer. I'm happy to keep him. I think he's a decent deal for whoever gets him.
I'm glad to see them getting back to maximizing the numbers of pitches per plate appearance! We need more four hour seven run slugfests! This offense should be able to do that on average health permitting!
Nothin' like some Chili on a chilly winter day!
;)
[2] I thought Neil Peart was a Ayn Rand-crypto fascist?!?!?
Keep Swish!!! Trade X-Man for some up the middle D utility type please.
[6] You're right, Swisher would probably net more in a trade than Nady. But that's a matter of absolute value, and I don't think that was the point. More important is that Nady, coming off his best year, may be overvalued; he might bring back more than he's "really" worth. Swisher isn't just coming off his worst year, it's a year that looks even worse than it was because of the low BA. So he may well be undervalued,
Swisher's also the player the Yankees would rather keep. At least I hope so, because I think he's much, much more valuable to the Yankees.
[9] i don't know enough about rand or fascism to comment, but yes, neil is definitely an ayn rand fan. still, NO disputing 2112 as one of THE greatest concept albums of all time!!! are you familiar with the horrible life circumstances neil went thru about a dozen years ago? just awful. he, and Rush, are all godly!!!
i wonder what Cash has up his sleeve, in regards to Swish & Nady. i'm guessing he's gonna surprise us. we know Nady can play in NY, but there's a pretty sizeable of me that would like to see what Swish can do in pinstripes, with say, 400 AB's...