G-Snarls

Yankees Expected To Aggressively Pursue Tanaka By Steve Adams [October 11, 2013 at 9:00am CST] Masahiro Tanaka's video-game numbers for NPB's Rakuten Golden Eagles this season have turned quite a few heads in the United States, and according to George A. King III of the New York Post, the Yankees "are going to be serious players" for the Japanese ace. King spoke with several executives who guessed that the posting fee for Tanaka could go as high as $60MM, but the Yankees aren't overly concerned about that number given the fact that the posting fee wouldn't count against their stated desire to get underneath baseball's $189MM luxury tax threshhold. The expected $50-60MM contract that would go along with such a posting fee -- contract totals are usually in the same ballpark as the posting fee -- certainly would. King writes that assistant GM Billy Eppler and pro scout/former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu have both watched Tanaka extensively this season. While the common consensus has been that Tanaka is a lesser prospect than Yu Darvish was prior to joining the Majors, King spoke to a scout who prefers Tanaka to Darvish: "He is better than Darvish because he is a strike thrower," the scout said. "Overall, Darvish’s stuff might be a little bit better, but this guy knows how to pitch. He is like Kuroda, he has a lot of guts. He throws four pitches but when it gets to [stone]-cutting time, it’s fastball and splitter." Tanaka, who doesn't turn 25 years old until Nov. 1, is 22-0 for the Golden Eagles with a 1.23 ERA. His strikeout rate has dipped slightly from previous seasons, though he still manages nearly eight whiffs per nine innings and has averaged just over one walk per nine innings as well. His splitter is such a wipeout pitch that Baseball America's Ben Badler called it perhaps the best splitter in the world back in late August. The Yankees will have competition for Tanaka -- one talent evaluator told King that the Red Sox, Dodgers and Rangers will be in the mix as well -- but they also have a clear need for starting pitching with Andy Pettitte's retirement and Hiroki Kuroda's uncertain future. New York also saw CC Sabathia decline in 2013 and is unsure what, if anything, they can receive in the future from Michael Pineda.

They think it's ridiculous and don't understand it They think AA is under huge pressure to fix the team for 2014 or he's gone Suggested maybe Motttola was fired for someone Gibby wanted (not yet announced) and Murphy feels slighted and quit

PTS now discussing these coaching changes

True. But some poor teams probably can't even gamble the QO for fear it might get accepted. I guess it usually works though, like with BJ Upton leaving Tampa.

Dammit. Odds of beating Red Sox cut by 30% compared to when he's healthy. Fielder hasn't had a very good season. Lineup not so deep at the moment.

About as expected I guess Damn that's a a lot of money to gamble on guys you don't really want to keep This system has to change

I'll say though, Miguel Cabrera is just not himself right now, home run in the last game notwithstanding. What's the injury??

Yeah it really would. And based on the 4 teams left it's what I want to see for sure

Such a hater, you are. LOL.

Yep. Owner has all but said as much Price and his 10+ Mil will be gone and they'll spend less than that on other needs. Longoria's contract then really sticks out like a sore thumb on the team, but he's actually worth every penny

Oakland and Tampa have shown that a smart frugal front office can assemble a good team that can win 90 games. But to ask those teams to win three post season series against teams with $$$ is too much to ask. One of them will get lucky every once and a while and stay healthy and have a good run and beat some of the giants, but the odds are stacked heavily against them every year.

Yep. If they keep doing what they're doing they will always be good but probably never good enough to get through 3 post season series. That's what I wanted the Jays to become under AA. "The Rays with money". A good cheap young starting rotation mostly developed through the draft, a solid core of talent, but with the money to keep guys like Lawrie beyond their arbitration years, and the money to sign a key free agent when you really need to plug a hole. Obviously it's not happening.

True. But if they trade Price they're an injury away from having a bad starting rotation. If they trade Price then lose Moore or Archer they're f***ed. They've been lucky (and smart with development maybe is a big part of it) with their starters. Only one major injury to a starter in the last 5 years? You don't see that very often.

Verlander 8 IP, 2H, 1 BB, 10K, 0ER, after the other gem he threw in game 2? f*** me... If they make it to the WS no one will even remember what a sub par (for him) regular season he had. He's still such a beast.

When they trade Price they will be a worse team in 2014 too, no matter how good the prospects they get back are They're just never QUITE good enough. And you're right, extra $ (even 30-40 M) could fix that.

Yeah I like Leyland and many of their players I just want to see Oakland make it to the WS, I feel bad for these repeated first round losses They just keep getting Verlandered

4 perfecto innings for JV

Yep. 2-0 they can come back from. 5-0 not so much.

Dammit Even when injured he's dangerous

LOL @ this sign:

I just want to see Oakland get to the WS one of these years. But yeah I think Tigers have a better chance of beating Red Sox too

A's not likely to score too much off Verlander, huh?

Whatever dude. It hurts like hell. Especially the square ones!

Wow. Let the feeding frenzy begin.