New York Yankees Rumors: Will Conscious Spending Continue?
By Editorial Staff
This offseason, the New York Yankees have said that they are committed to reining in their spending going forward. Evidence of this new mindset came out recently when it was announced that the club was hit with its lowest luxury tax bill in years. While this may be the case now, Jeff Bradley of the Star-Ledger wonders how long the Yankees will be able to stick to these budget conscious ways.
Heading into the offseason, many expected the Yankees to make a few additions to their roster. New York’s lineup was already in a good place. The rotation was another story.
General manager Brian Cashman noted that he didn’t want to watch the tight-rope act that became last season’s starting staff. Cashman admitted that the Yankees got lucky in 2011, as minor league free agents Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia were able to contribute meaningful innings. Without things such as the Colon and Garcia signings falling their way, the Yankees could have finished the season well short of the 97 wins they managed to accumulate.
This led many to believe Cashman and the Yankees front office would look to acquire more stable and consistent arms for their rotation. While ace C.C. Sabathia still sits atop their starting five, the Yankees have the same group below him that they ended the season with.
Garcia was brought back, earning himself a guaranteed deal with last season’s performance, but finds himself on the wrong side of 35. Ivan Nova is a promising young talent, but New York also has two wild-cards in their projected starting five.
Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett entered the 2011 season as expected 2nd and 3rd starters for the Yankees. Instead, they struggled with injuries and inconsistencies last season. They remain in the Yankees projected rotation as we approach 2012.
There have been several reliable veterans that seem almost sure bets to log 200 innings available this offseason. Recently the Yankees have been tied to former Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.
What has stopped the Yanks from bringing in a player such as Kuroda?
New York wants to reign in its spending and not push itself much further over the luxury tax threshold. A $12-13 million contract for Kuroda would turn into a $16-17 million deal once the luxury tax is added.
So, for now, the Yankees appear content sitting tight. One American League rival executive told Bradley that the Yankees are safe to “sit back right now”. On paper, the anonymous exec states that New York has a “very strong team”.
But what happens when the Yankees start to lose games, when their expensive veterans start their inevitable decline?
The same executive said that he doesn’t expect this more frugal spending to continue if the club starts “to dip in the win column”. In the long run, the exec believes the Yankees will “do what they have to do to win”.
For more on the Yankees, be sure to check out Yanks Go Yard.