Should Moose's $17m option for 2007 be picked up?

[pacewon]

The best postseason pitching performance I have ever seen, and perhaps best pitching performance I have ever seen period, was Roger Clemens in the 2000 ALCS. CG, 0 ER, 1 H, 15 K. That 1 hit was a line drive that barely went over a leaping Tino Martinez. Clemens was amazing that game.

I remember that too. He knocked A-Rod down two times in a row in the first inning.

Not even if Moose goes 27-1 should that option be picked up.
If Moose has the season I think he will, which is about 14-9, then I say renegotiate with him...maybe a 2 yr deal at $10M a pop. And that's being very generous.

I first read $7 million, but SEVENTEEN is way too much.
And if Hughes is living up to the expectations, what do we need Moose for?

If they negotiate about a lower amount, we can reconsider. But indeed $17 million is way too much.

[TonyStarks]

I'd more go with a 1-yr deal then an team option for the same. If it's incentivized, like a low ERA, hi Ks, etc, I'm fine, but nothing like the number of games pitched.

That's true.
I'd do a 1yr with team option for another year.

But I would only pay between $8-$10M no higher.
If I was Cash I'd actually push hard for a $7M deal and make easy incentives for Moose such as Winning 13-15 Games, Pitching 150Inn and with Bonuses the deal could hit about $10M.

[Mattingly]

Not even if Moose goes 27-1 should that option be picked up.
If Moose has the season I think he will, which is about 14-9, then I say renegotiate with him...maybe a 2 yr deal at $10M a pop. And that's being very generous.

I'd more go with a 1-yr deal then an team option for the same. If it's incentivized, like a low ERA, hi Ks, etc, I'm fine, but nothing like the number of games pitched.

[TonyStarks]

I can be short about this. If he has a solid season in 2006, I say yes. Otherwise let him go.

Not even if Moose goes 27-1 should that option be picked up.
If Moose has the season I think he will, which is about 14-9, then I say renegotiate with him...maybe a 2 yr deal at $10M a pop. And that's being very generous.

[Myankee4life]

I thought the one hit occurred earlier in the game, like the 6th inning? I don't remember there being the no-hit drama in the late-innings of that game, but I could be mistaken.

Yea I think it was a double in the 6th. The thing is Yes never shows this game on Yankees Classic.

I can be short about this. If he has a solid season in 2006, I say yes. Otherwise let him go.

[patchyfogg]

If you listen to my interview with Jim Baumbach from Tampa, you'll hear that even Moose thinks it won't be picked up--unless he "wins 25 games."

[SD Bomber Fan]

Moose has been solid with the Yanks. He doesn't spend much time on the DL, and he always seems to get a decent number of wins. That being said, he has never lived up to the contract that the Yanks gave to him. He never became the number one, shut-down, sure thing pitcher that the Yanks envisioned. This year, he was the highest paid pitcher in baseball. Does anyone believe that he came close to performing up to that level? I criticize A-Rod quite a bit for his large salary, but when it comes to judging people on the pay/performance scale, Mussina makes A-Rod look like a bargain. When people question the Yanks' lack of production despite the high team salary, I look no further than Mussina. I, for one, can't wait for the Yanks to dump him and his ridiculous salary.

[TonyStarks]

I tend to believe that, if asked, he would be greatly surprised if the Yanks picked up that option. So long as there's the buyout, not a biggie.

How much would you pay that you'd expect him to agree to for 2007? This presuming he had 2006 numbers similar to 2004-2005 or 2003-2005.

$10M tops. That is more than fair for a 38Yo pitcher who hasn't lived up to expectation in NY.
I expect Moose's number this year to be something like 14-9 ERA between 3.8 and 4.2.

There are cheaper and younger arms on this staff that could replace him:

RJ - Stays on Top
Pavano
Wang
Wright
Chacon
Or give one of the AAA-AA kids a chance to win a 5th spot.
(Hughes, Garcia, Clippard, Henn)

[DoubleX]

I remember Clemens' ALCS 2000. After that 9th inning leadoff double, he got each of Messrs Mike Cameron, Edgar Martinez and Alex Rodriguez.

I thought the one hit occurred earlier in the game, like the 6th inning? I don't remember there being the no-hit drama in the late-innings of that game, but I could be mistaken.

[Mattingly]

I wouldn't mind bringing Moose back but at 38, there is no way that anyone could justify paying him that much.

If he ginuwinely wants to come back as he says then he takes a pay cut.

I tend to believe that, if asked, he would be greatly surprised if the Yanks picked up that option. So long as there's the buyout, not a biggie.

How much would you pay that you'd expect him to agree to for 2007? This presuming he had 2006 numbers similar to 2004-2005 or 2003-2005.

[TonyStarks]

I wouldn't mind bringing Moose back but at 38, there is no way that anyone could justify paying him that much.

If he ginuwinely wants to come back as he says then he takes a pay cut.

[Mattingly]

This was before he was with the Yankees, but I remember watching Mussina pitch tremendously for the Orioles in the '97 ALCS:

Game 3: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 15 K, 1 BB (Orioles won 2-1)
Game 6: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 10 K, 0 BB (Orioles lost 1-0, and lost the series)

Mussina was very, very much an ace at one point in his career.

The best postseason pitching performance I have ever seen, and perhaps best pitching performance I have ever seen period, was Roger Clemens in the 2000 ALCS. CG, 0 ER, 1 H, 15 K. That 1 hit was a line drive that barely went over a leaping Tino Martinez. Clemens was amazing that game.

I didn't follow his Orioles career, but as a Yankee, I've seen his near-Perfecto against Cone and the Red Sox, which Carl Everett, called in to pinch hit, broke up with a RF single when it was *ONE SINGLE STRIKE* away from said Perfecto. We won the game, 1-0, and Moose almost lost it after he'd lost his composure following the hit, so Posada had to make a mound trip.

I remember Clemens' ALCS 2000. After that 9th inning leadoff double, he got each of Messrs Mike Cameron, Edgar Martinez and Alex Rodriguez.

I'll only say he was in rare form that season. If anyone thinks that his 2000 WS wasn't bad either, that was a great 1-2 punch, even if it was overshadowed by the bat throwing incident.

What were Moose's postseason stats as a Yankee?

[DoubleX]

Definitely a common misconception. Mussina has been terrific in the playoffs. In 128 IP, he has 137 K's to 29 BB's, 109 H allowed, and a 3.30 ERA.

This was before he was with the Yankees, but I remember watching Mussina pitch tremendously for the Orioles in the '97 ALCS:

Game 3: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 15 K, 1 BB (Orioles won 2-1)
Game 6: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 10 K, 0 BB (Orioles lost 1-0, and lost the series)

Mussina was very, very much an ace at one point in his career.

The best postseason pitching performance I have ever seen, and perhaps best pitching performance I have ever seen period, was Roger Clemens in the 2000 ALCS. CG, 0 ER, 1 H, 15 K. That 1 hit was a line drive that barely went over a leaping Tino Martinez. Clemens was amazing that game.