Here's a question that just popped into my head: Would you trade Manny straight up for A-Rod? I hate A-Rod, but if we are going to trade Manny, isn't he really the only equal value we are going to get? I doubt this management crowd wants to be on the hook for the salary and the baggage A-Rod brings, but is it that absurd? Shaughnessy in the Globe this morning echoes a lot of the chatter (with more than a hint of schadenfreude) -- that A-Rod has to go. So too, we are hearing, does Manny. We disagree with this, but Manny does seem like a headache the Sox want to rid themselves of. Could this work? Would it be smart? Would either team make such a blockbuster with the other?
Now let me be clear -- I have not heard so much as a whiff of a rumor about this. It is completely idle speculation on my part or only my part. But who else could provide anything even approximating fair value to either team? I'm curious to hear what my readers who are baseball fans think of this idea.
Update: And if the ESPN story is true, it looks like Steinbrenner has made the Sonny Corleone seemingly strong but really wholly reactive move and fired Torre. As much as I hate the Yankees, and not to put too fine a point on it, but Joe Torre is not only one of the finest managers of his generation, he is one of the finest managers of all time. And if you must fire him, why Lou Piniella? How can you now go with Joe Girardi? Hell, at least Sonny would have done that. Choosing Piniella is pure Fredo.
6 comments:
I don't want ARod. Give me the guy with the clueless dude in Manny before the the chokeartist that gives into the pressure.
Steinbrenner was remarkably quiet three years ago when the Yanks got beat by the Marlins, two years ago when they pulled off the greatest choke of all time against the Sox and last year when they didn't show up against the Angels. I imagine he's coming this time and hell's coming with him. The fallout should be fun to watch. Looks like a lot of change both in NY and in Boston.
And I think it's ridiculous that Torre bears the brunt of this after all he's done there. I'm sure the calm approach of Lou Piniella will guide the Yanks through the raucous and pressurized NY media scene. Oh wait--Piniella's a crazy man. This should end well.
I agree -- I don't want to trade Manny. And I do not particularly want ARod. And I doubt the two teams want to run the risk of one guy haunting them for the next couple of years. But it is an intriguing matchup.
It really does seem like Steinbrenner has decided that his time of silence is over so, as you say, it could be entertaining to watch.
And my goodness, yes, adding Piniella is just dumb. Do you really think a guy like Jeter needs a fiery guy like Piniella trying to give him the rah rah stuff or anything like that? Too many of these Yankees are serious veterans and do not need a taskmaster like Lou. I cannot see that ending well. Of course Lou had supposedly mellowed when he went to Tampa, but I just do not see how this will work out. I am looking forward to it very much!
dcat
Peter --
You hit it on the head -- Torre providied a stabilizing influence, plus his tenure both coincided with and he was partially responsible for one of the great runs in recent baseball history. As long as all was well in yankeeland there was no need for Steinbrenner to intercede. But the problem is that the yankees redeveloped a sense of entitlement, and now that the century is six years old and they are titleless, heads were probably bound to roll even if that strikes me as the wroing decision.
But believe me, as a Sox fan and Yankee hater, I'm thrilled. A Piniella regime seems to me to have disaster written all over it. And I'm sure this is the beginning and not the end of the machinations.
Of course the Sox have their own share of issues, and those issues may be deeper and more profound than what the Yankees face, but the Sox have no one who can match Stein's bombast or lightning rod status, and as such, the lights that will shien on the Sox will not be as laser-bright as those in the Bronx. In the end, I would guess we could be in for a few bidding wars -- now more than ever the goal will be both to improve and to take steps to impede the improvement of the other guy.
The Hot Stove, in other words, will burn brighter than ever.
dcat
ARod's not a head case? I'd rather take a flake like Manny than a surefire Hall of Famer who goes 3-29 every time it matters. ARod is the king of the 3-run home run when the yanks are down 9-3 or up 14-4. I doubt this trade could ever happen, but the idea that ARod is a rock while Manny is loopy is dubious. But remind me, how many World Series MVP's does ARod have? Oh wait -- he's never played in a World Series.
dcat
Manny's got a world series MVP trophy on his living room mantle. ARod has a regular season MVP trophy on his living room mantle. I'll take the former. I'd rather have the guy that costs his team a few runs during the 162 game regular season stretch because he's a headcase than the guy that costs his team a few runs in a short playoff series because he is a headcase.
GoodLib --
Sorry for the silence -- I've been out of town for a while and have been trying to catch up.
I'd be more than happy to see if we could score Soriano or Jones, and Zito will be high on everyone's watch list. But this team could use help in a number of areas. i think we are at a tipping point where we are going to start growing old or else where we will continue to move younger but maintain the veterans. if we can integrate youth, and especially if the young staff develops as hoped for, that will put us in a good position. but we need to start to think of the AL East as a three tem slugfest, which makes smart dealing this offseason all the more important.
dcat
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