blueclaw wrote:Don't know how to post a link from my phone but I didn't notice anyone mentioning the article on ESPN about the Yankees being rebuffed by Smugs. It seems to confirm Heyman's article. Says Ruben told Cashman he couldn't trade Young because he's "my best bat and I don't want to move him". Says Yankees don't anticipate a waiver claim on Young because they don't think he's actually available

The New York Yankees likely will not acquire Michael Young in a waiver deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to a source with knowledge of the conversations between the teams on Wednesday afternoon.

Young, 36, has a no-trade clause in his contract but agreed just before Wednesday's non-waiver deadline to approve a possible deal to the Yankees, which failed to materialize.

The source said that although it was communicated about an hour before the 4 p.m. ET deadline that Young had dropped his refusal to be traded to New York, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman ran into a brick wall when he spoke to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.


According to the source, Cashman offered Amaro several names in exchange for Young; Amaro replied that the veteran third baseman is "my best bat, and I don't want to move him."

"They were never really close," the source told ESPNNewYork.com Thursday. "It almost seemed like [Young] really wasn't in play."

Cashman could not be reached for comment Thursday, but addressed the Yankees' inactivity at the deadline during a conference call Wednesday.

"It wasn't a deep market at all, number one," Cashman said. "Two, what I was offering obviously wasn't good enough for the opposing teams, and what the teams were offering me wasn't good enough from my perspective."

phillies wrote:ESPN clearly made up the quote. hogwash.

The industry waited all month for the Phillies to decide whether to buy or sell. So shockingly, after an eight-game cliff-dive answered that question for them, they still managed to stagger to the deadline tape without GM Ruben Amaro Jr. pulling off a single deal.

Not Michael Young. Not Carlos Ruiz. Not Papelbon. Not Lee. Not a single name on an aging, disappointing roster ended up moving on up the highway.

"In a way, I get it," one longtime exec said. "I know Ruben is in a tough spot. People there expect a lot. So you can't ever really sell off. But you have to listen, don't you? If somebody will give you something for some of those guys who aren't part of the future, you have to listen. But with some of them, they barely listened."

Other clubs said the Phillies never seemed motivated to trade Ruiz, made minimal effort to deal Young after the Rangers (his preferred destination) said no and appeared to expend surprising effort on deals that had just about no chance of happening -- for Lee and a guy who announced he wouldn't waive his trade-veto rights, Jimmy Rollins.

"It doesn't seem like they ever set a realistic price point for Lee," one NL executive said. "So at that price [starting with Bogaerts for the Red Sox] and no willingness to take any of the money [about $70 million], it was a waste of time to even engage in the conversation."

Warszawa wrote:

Trent Steele wrote:

Warszawa wrote:

Shore wrote:

sydnor wrote:Shore, thoughts on McCann being the focus of FA? To the good, he can really hit. To the bad, he will be signed past his 33rd bday and you're skeptical of old catchers. And he's lh.

I like McCann, and even a 5-year deal would only pay him to 34. BUT, if the offseason is "sign McCann, cross fingers", then I don't want him. The LH thing has to be considered, because he's much better against RHP.

But they need to figure out the short- and long-term plans at C, 1B, SS, 3B, RF, and CF. If the C solution is McCann, but the rest is Howard, Rollins, Asche, Revere, and a schlub in RF, no thanks.

The Braves, and Nationals, are better than that team.

I'd rather figure out how we're going to win 95 games in 2015, then how we're going to win 85 in 2014, and hope that's enough for the 2nd wildcard. That will mean tough decisions on Howard, Rollins, etc. And we can't just throw 5 guys out in the pen and hope 3 of them have good years, because relief pitching is some kind of mystery.

Murph basically says we are screwed offensively here, especially if we re-sign utley. Too left handed with the best free agents available also left handed.

Personally think that is way overblown. Could platoon at 1b and C with Ruf and Kratz

at 3b too i guess. don't think charlie is real big on platooning though. maybe sandberg will

dajafi wrote:Anyone else getting the sense that Amaro's colleagues in the game find him close to unbearable too?

dajafi wrote:Anyone else getting the sense that Amaro's colleagues in the game find him close to unbearable too?

dajafi wrote:Anyone else getting the sense that Amaro's colleagues in the game find him close to unbearable too?

heyeaglefn wrote:

dajafi wrote:Anyone else getting the sense that Amaro's colleagues in the game find him close to unbearable too?

Yes, and just imagine if he was good at his job.