Can anyone remember...

[sandlot]

.. when there has been a less eventful off-season with fewer personnel changes than there have been this time around? With the exception of CF, every position player is returning, the utility players are familiar faces and while there are a few new names on the pitching side, none is a starter. Arguably the biggest change has been letting Gordon go, and Damon (or somebody) had to be obtained because Bernie clearly was not coming back as a regular. Memory fails: When was the last time that the team remained this stable and there were no major shakeups? Or does it just seem like the Yanks usually have tumultuous off-seasons?

[pacewon]

Or does it just seem like the Yanks usually have tumultuous off-seasons?

Nope, they usually do, but that IMO was a result of the disagreements and constant bickering between the New York and Tampa factions that used to split our front office. Now, Cashman is in complete control. We had a CF hole to fill and a bullpen to restructure, and we did just that. We didn't make any moves for the sake of making moves. We didn't make reactionary transactions to big Boston trades like those of Beckett and Crisp, or to the Mets massive upgrading like we used to. Those days are over.

[Yankee Legend]

So does this mean the good ol' days of overpaying high profile players are over?????

[DoubleX]

- From '96-'97 the team remained largely intact, the biggest changes were that Rivera replaced Wetteland as the closer, Jimmy Key left and David Wells was signed to take his place, Posada replaced Jim Leyritz as the backup catcher (backing up Girardi), Mike Stanton joined the bullpen, and the Hideki Irabu experienment began. That's about it though.

- From '97-'98 there were major changes but after that, the team reamined mostly intact until '01. In '98, the team added Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius, Chili Davis, Chad Curtis, and Orlando Hernandez, and farm guys like Shane Spencer, Rickey Ledee, and Homer Bush emerged as well. Gone from '97 were Wade Boggs, Cecil Fielder, Charlie Hayes, Mariano Duncan, Pat Kelly, Rey Sanchez, Andy Fox, Mark Whiten and Kenny Rogers. Posada also supplanted Girardi as the starting catcher.

- The biggest change from '98-'99 was trading Wells, Graeme Lloyd, and Homer Bush for Roger Clemens. The only other somewhat big change was that Tim Raines was gone.

- From '99-'00 there were some more changes, but the core was still intact. Irabu mercifully left in the offseason. Chris Turner was the backup catcher, but barely saw the light of day. David Justice was added mid-season for a trade that included Rickey Ledee and prospects (Zach Day and Jake Westbrook). Denny Neagle was also added midstream for prospects (Ed Yarnall, Drew Henson, Brian Reith and Jackson Melian - that all seems like a lot of players just for Neagle). Glenallen Hill, Jose Vizcaino, and Jose Canseco were also added midstream.

- From '00-'01 the core remained mostly intact, except Knoblauch moved to LF and Soriano became the 2Bman, Mike Mussina was signed, Todd Greene was the backup catcher, and Ted Lilly stepped into the rotation. Sterling Hitchcock, Enrique Wilson, Jay Witasick, and Mark Wohlers were acquired midseason and Todd Greene was the backup catcher. Gone from '01 were Jeff Nelson, as well as all the midseason pickups (Neagle, Hill, Canseco, Vizcaino) save David Justice.

- From '01-'02 there were major changes again, just like between '97-'98. Jason Giambi, David Wells, Steve Karsay, Rondell White, Ron Coomer, and John Van Der Wal were signed. As was Chris Widger who was the third new backup catcher in as many years. Robin Ventura was acquired in a trade for David Justice. Raul Mondesi was acquired midseason. As was Jeff Weaver who was acquired for Ted Lilly. Nick Johnson also stepped into the lineup this year. Gone were Paul O'Neill, Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius, and David Justice.

- From '02-'03, Hideki Matsui, Jose Contreras, Chris Hammond, Antonio Osuna, and Todd Zeile were signed, and John Flaherty was the new backup catcher. Orlando Hernandez and Mike Stanton left Not many other changes, except during midseason when Raul Mondesi, Robin Ventura, and Sterling Hitchock were traded away, and Aaron Boone, Ruben Sierra, and Karim Garcia were acquired. Juan Rivera emerged as well.

- From '03-'04 there were some important changes. Gary Sheffield was signed. Alex Rodriguez was acquired in return for Alfonso Soriano. Kenny Lofton, Tony Clark, and Miguel Cairo were signed. Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill were signed. Javier Vazquez was acquired for Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, and Randy Choate. Kevin Brown was acquired for Jeff Weaver. Orlando Hernandez was brought back. Jon Lieber first pitched for the Yanks (having signed a year earlier). John Olerud, Esteban Loaiza, Tanyon Sturtze, and Felix Heredia were picked up midseason, while Jose Contreras was traded away. In sum there were a lot of changes before '04.

So I'd actually say while this offseason was pretty uneventful, it wasn't too different from the offseasons between '98-'01 in which the team made usually made one big move, at most.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

So does this mean the good ol' days of overpaying high profile players are over?????

YOu may not agree with me, but I really hope so.

[TonyStarks]

I'm really hoping that Cashman takes the same route that Epstein is taking the BoSox on.

The Yanks need to start getting Younger now.
Jeter is already going on 32 now, I believe, and it's time to find/groom the next Yankee. I really hope that Duncan or Hughes is the next to become the face of the Yanks...or I feel that the Yanks could be in a very dangerous position for the future.

[pacewon]

I'm really hoping that Cashman takes the same route that Epstein is taking the BoSox on.

The Yanks need to start getting Younger now.
Jeter is already going on 32 now, I believe, and it's time to find/groom the next Yankee. I really hope that Duncan or Hughes is the next to become the face of the Yanks...or I feel that the Yanks could be in a very dangerous position for the future.

I am all for continuing to build up the farm, but let's not compare that to the route Theo Epstein has taken the BoSox on. He just traded one of baseball's best prospects in Andy Marte for Coco Crisp, when IMO (and it's strictly my opinion) the Red Sox are still only the third best team in the division even with the trade going through.

The Yanks have plenty of talent in their system (particularly in the lower levels) and with Cashman in charge it appears that we will not be dealing our minor league talent any time soon.

[Mattingly]

So does this mean the good ol' days of overpaying high profile players are over?????

Not likely, but not to the extent as before. I point you to Sterling Hitchcock's 2-year/$12m deal (2002-03). He could've been signed for 1/2 or 2/3 of that at most, and then he didn't do too well in the rotation, and was used infrequently in the pen, so he didn't excel there either. Might not have been one of Torre's boys is my only guess.

I think the Yanks have to watch the lower end of the salary spectrum, since Kenny Lofton was given a $6m/2 year deal, which was 1/2 of Hitchcock's. That was still overpaying by his standards. If you scroll down to the bottom right of either link, you'll see salaries. While Lofton made $8m in 2001, he made a *COMBINED* $2.05m in 2002-03, which were the immediately preceding years to his Yankee contract.

Jaret Wright's $20m/3 yr deal was just using up whatever money was intended for Jon Lieber. That was clearly overpaying, as he only made about $850k the prior year.

For big names, I strongly hope that they never offer a 41-y.o. pitcher a $32m/2 yr extension. Even for someone of Johnson's capabilities, while I can see $20-25m to make the deal happen, that's definitely top dollar by anyone's standards, regardless of whether the last name is Johnson, Clemens, Santana, etc.

I don't see any more long-term deals being given out. These 7-year deals should only go to young guys like Vlad, and even then, preferably a 5-year deal.

Rather than jumping up and throwing money at the players, I'm hoping that the Yanks are more fiscally conservative and don't waste everything that they've got. Look at players' market value, then decide how much to give him.

Also, no crazy contracts like what Posada got. If he plays about 81 games in 2006, his 2007 option ($12m) is automatically triggered, making him completely untradeable. Every single GM on the planet (and I'm sure those abroad) are aware of this, so he'll never be able to be sent packing, at least not for that price. All of our eggs are in one basket, and Jorge is it. That's the high price the Yanks pay for overpaying.