With Bad Contracts Piling Up, How Do The Yankees Move On?
By Alan Levy
If the opportunity came to dump some salary or useless parts, which Yankee contract would you like to trade? Marx Teixeira? Absolutely. CC Sabathia? Probably. Carlos Beltran? Why not? The choices on the current roster seem limitless, as the Yankees have misjudged or overpaid for several long-term commitments (Hi Alex!) for short-term gains (I hope that 2009 ring still fits, Tex.)
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An article by Bryan Brunati explores these options, including some parts that have real value. While the free agent class of 2014 (Jacoby Ellsbury, Beltran and catcher Brian McCann) has underwhelmed at times, Ellsbury and McCann show some real value. However Beltran, with two years and $30 million left on his deal, brings his surgically repaired elbows and knees to Spring Training in 2015 looking to be a part-time outfielder, part-time DH. If he doesn’t show any improvement during the spring, the team is stuck with a very expensive bench player, or will need to eat most of the $30 million as trade bait.
Sabathia and Teixeira also have two years left, but at $48 and $45 million respectively, they are virtually unmovable unless the Yanks are again willing to eat the salary and some taker is blind to the eroding physical skills of both players. Speaking of eroding skills, Alex Rodriguez is back with two bad hips, three years, and $61 million left on his Steinbrenner-endorsed deal.
Where does this leave the team? It depends on the strategic outlook, but if they play out the next two seasons as is, in 2017, they will be out from under Beltran’s, Teixeira’s and Sabathia’s contracts. With the possibility of negotiating a buyout for A-Rod, the team will suddenly be looking at saving approximately $82 million in annual salary. Granted Ellsbury (as well as ace-in-waiting, Masahiro Tanaka) will still be on the books for three more years, this would be a substantial savings to go after future free agents or to clear roster spots for a youth movement.
Yankee fans have been spoiled by this era of success, going to the postseason 17 out of 20 years. The objective of the front office should be to use their greatest asset (money) to ensure that they avoid a period similar to the dark ages of 1982-1994.