Yankees decline options on Giambi, Pavano

More no-brainers came from today's session of the GM meetings.

The Yankees declined Jason Giambi's $22 million option and Carl Pavano's $13 million option, according to the AP.

Giambi will receive a $5 million buyout, while Pavano will receive $1.95 million.

Regarding Pavano, Mark Feinsand reported today that Brian Cashman isn't opposed to bringing back Pavano.

“When he’s healthy, he can pitch. We have to keep our options open,” Cashman said. “I’m not ruling anything out. We have needs, so we’ll have to go to the marketplace, be it free agency or through trades, to fill those needs.”

You can't make this stuff up.

Burnett throws his hat in the ring

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett opted out of his contract today, making him a free agent.

This was pretty much expected, so it's not big news. However, the Blue Jays are still interested in Burnett's services, and the Yankees and Red Sox are also expected to be interested, Rosenthal said. Burnett also lives in Maryland, so one could factor in the Orioles as a suitor.

The question is: are you interested? If he's signed for a lot of money, he could be a ticking time bomb judging by his history.

Abreu files for free agency

Bobby Abreu field for free agency today, according to Ed Price.

Abreu, who made $16 million last year, hit .296/.371/.471 with 20 home runs and 100 RBI last season. With those numbers, he'll probably look for similar money.

"We just haven't heard anything," agent Peter Greenberg said. "All things being equal, I'm sure the Yankees would be his preference. But he's got to maximize his value. He'd like to get a long-term deal somewhere."

He will also turn 35 during spring training. If the Yankees aren't interested in Manny Ramirez, I'd look to sign Abreu to nothing longer than a two-year deal.

The Yankees will have a 15-day period of exclusive negotiation with Abreu.

Olney: Yanks to have lower payroll

Buster Olney (via MLB Trade Rumors) says that he heard the Yankees' payroll will be around $180 million next season. That would be a decrease of almost $30 million if true.

I'm not sure where he got that number from, but let's examine it.

Big money coming off the payroll:

• Jason Giambi's $21 million. He has a $5 million buyout.
• Bobby Abreu's $16 million
• Andy Pettitte's $16 million
• Mike Mussina's $11 million
• Carl Pavano's $11 million

That is $70 million coming off the books right there. On the above list, I can only see Abreu and Mussina have a chance of coming back next year. Ivan Rodriguez won't be back, Damaso Marte has a 2009 club option and the Yankees will have to pay arbitration eligible players like Chien-Ming Wang, Xavier Nady and Brian Bruney.

The Yankees will have a lot of money to throw around at free agents. The weeks and months after the World Series should be a lot of fun.

Bernie's departure could still affect the Yankees

From the Daily News:

When the Yankees decided not to include Bernie Williams in their 2007 plans, they had no idea it could have a greater impact on the club down the road.

But that might be the case, according to a baseball source, as several members of the Yankees' late-1990s dynasty - including pending free agents Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera - have privately questioned the organization's loyalty to its longtime players.

"This is no longer the old Yankees, where they made sure to take care of their core players," the source said yesterday. "They let (Andy) Pettitte go the first time, and the way they treated Bernie this year left a sour taste in everybody's mouth from that whole crowd."

Posada admitted he was "somewhat" bothered by the Williams situation, and while the whole thing rubbed him the wrong way, he placed some of the blame on Williams, the outfielder who declined a nonguaranteed spring training invite. "I don't know what happened between Bernie and the Yankees," Posada said. "As a player, you'd like to see the guy here. It's tough to discuss what happened, why Bernie isn't here; there's not an answer."

Rivera said Williams' situation "didn't bother me at all," as the team's invitation to camp gave Williams the chance to win a job (source).

I disagree. I think they are just trying to make a story to cause even more distractions in the clubhouse.

I'm also starting to get the feeling that Posada is leaning towards walking.

From the same article: "They can offer me everything and I would not sign a contract right now," Posada said. "They had a chance to do it in the offseason and they had a chance to do it in spring training; I'm not going to do it right now. That's just the way it is. ... If they don't want me here, I'll go somewhere else. I don't have to play here. I would like to play here, but that's the way it is."

Rivera is saying all of the right things in this situation.

He defended the Yankees' actions with Williams: "He had a chance to be here," Rivera said. "It's not like the Yankees just threw him out over there."

I don't think there's any chance the Yankees will let Rivera walk. However, considering the other catching options, the Yankees must re-sign Posada. They have no one close to being ready in the organization and the free agent list of catchers is barren. The Yankees will really have to blow Posada away during their exclusive negotiating period to show him that they are serious about re-signing him.

The Rodriguez situation

The news has been littered with talk of Alex Rodriguez's possible impending free agency. For a team teetering at .500 in the middle of July, this is the last thing this team needs. Whatever the Yankees decide to do with Rodriguez in November will work itself out then.

If the Yankees are serious about making a run at the Wild Card, I don't want to hear reports from the Yankees' camp that they are willing to negotiate during the season with Rodriguez and Scott Boras. Boras has since said that they are not interested in talking during the season.

In an interesting twist, Peter Abraham has reported that the idea that the Yankees would negotiate in-season was overblown.

I was told there is no chance the Yankees would negotiate with Rodriguez and not Posada and Rivera. It sounds like the Yankees just wanted it known they were interested in an extension. From both a team and personal standpoint, Alex is doing the right thing by waiting (source).

To increase the distractions, The Daily News reported today that the Yankees have told Rodriguez that if he opts out, he will not be able to re-sign with them.

A source told the Daily News that the Bombers have made it clear to A-Rod and his agent, Scott Boras, that they have no intention in taking part in a free-agent bidding war for the two-time American League MVP, and that if he chooses to opt out of his current contract and open the bidding to the rest of baseball, his days in pinstripes will be over.

Rodriguez has until 10 days after the World Series - Nov.10 at the latest - to opt out of the contract.

With the Texas Rangers, A-Rod's former team, set to contribute more than $30million to the $81 million that Rodriguez will make on the final three years of his current deal, the Yankees would be on the hook for that money if they were to sign him to a brand-new pact, as Texas would no longer be responsible for it should the contract be dissolved.

Rodriguez reiterated yesterday that he has no plans to negotiate a new deal during the season, setting up a potential showdown this fall between the Bombers and the third baseman (source).

I don't really know how true this could be, especially considering Abraham's report last night. This whole "story" is ridiculous and I just want the Yankees to concentrate on trying to win and catch the Cleveland Indians.

The last thing this struggling team needs is to be bogged-down in an ugly battle between the front office and Rodriguez in the middle of the season. Also, even though the preliminary report that the Yankees would consider negotiating in-season was "way overblown," it could still send a strong message to free agents-to-be Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. Both were told that their contracts would not be negotiated during Spring Training.

Overall, I find this whole news blitz to be a non-story.

Cross Ichiro off the list

I guess the Yankees won't be inquiring about Ichiro's (pictured) services this offseason. He is about to sign an extension to stay with the Mariners.

The club is on the verge of locking up Ichiro, its All-Star outfielder whose contract was set to expire after the season, to a five-year contract extension, The Seattle Times has learned. Indications are the deal will approach $100 million and could be announced Friday.

An agreement is said to be imminent. Though it is not yet signed, all sides appear to be in agreement in principle on the parameters of the deal, which would run through the 2012 season (source).

Oh well. There's always Torii Hunter.

Seattle Times Photo

Hunter likes New York

Free agent-to-be Torii Hunter was quoted in the Daily News saying he likes New York.

"I love Yankee Stadium," Hunter said. "The atmosphere and energy there is great. And the fans know the game. When they get on you it can be pretty personal, but it's always about your baseball game.

"When someone screams, 'You just can't hit that slider,' that's someone who knows what they're talking about. You don't hear that kind of informed (chatter) in Minnesota."

Hunter has been in the Twins organization since he was drafted by Minnesota in 1993. The Twins picked up his $12 million option for this season, but negotiations on a contract extension ended in spring training.

"I want to be with the Twins and that's been my main goal, but I'm human and the silence makes you wonder," Hunter said. . . . I think I'm a decent player. I can't believe there hasn't even been a conversation about it. That's tough to swallow" (source).

Obviously, Hunter is no Orlando Cabrera.

I wouldn't be opposed to signing Hunter. However, as bad as Johnny Damon is in center field, the position is not a priority to me this offseason.

The Yankees are facing the grim possibility of not having Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and (gasp!) Mariano Rivera. Because all three will command a lot of money ("a lot" is a huge understatement), there may not be enough money to throw around at center fielders as there normally might have been.

Also, I like Melky Cabrera. While I think he's overrated by many Yankee fans, he can be a solid center fielder with regular playing time. If Bobby Abreu keeps playing well, the Yankees may either pick up his $16 million option or sign him to a smaller deal. They would probably have to trade Cabrera at that point.

If they choose to let Abreu leave, they could move Cabrera to right field and maybe sign Hunter for center. That would then make Johnny Damon a first baseman.

That being said, hammering out deals for Posada and Rivera, and preparing for the looming opting-out situation with Rodriguez should remain Brian Cashman's top priority.

I also prefer other free agent Ichiro Suzuki to Hunter.

Posada wants to test the free agent waters

According to the Bergen Record via Was Watching, catcher Jorge Posada wants to become a free agent at the end of the year.

"I'll treat every team the same," Posada said in his first detailed comments about his contract since spring training. "That's what free agency is. It's my first time as a free agent."

Posada is certain he is headed that way. He's not interested in negotiating during the season, and not because of the potential daily distraction, but because "They had a lot of time to do it already."

Spring training came and went without an extension, and as far as Posada is concerned, that was the hinge that swung the door open to a potentially different future. All he has managed since is to become the Yankees' most valuable player, his .353 average, seven home runs and 40 RBI among league or team leaders. Contract-year motivation? But the Yankees don't mind reaping the benefit.

For starters, he shouldn't be talking about this now. They have just won seven games in a row and 10 of their last 12 to get back to .500. Just shut up and play.

Posada will be 36 before the season is over. That is extremely old for a catcher, although he is showing no signs of slowing down despite having an awful backup and playing six times a week.

I don't know how many years I'd be willing to give him. Two years with an option maybe? If he wants four or five years, Brian Cashman has to let him walk at that point.

I don't think Posada will walk. I'm sure he knows his place and will not ask for more than three years. My guess (which means absolutely nothing) is three years for $45 million. The Yankees will give in to his demands, simply because they have to. There are no catchers close to making the Majors in their system now, and the only interesting free agent catcher is Ivan Rodriguez, but he has an option for 2008. After him, the list is rather barren.

Closer Mariano Rivera is also a free agent at the end of the season, and he expressed his displeasure during Spring Training when he was told the Yankees weren't going to negotiate until the offseason.

I can't see the Yankees without both Posada and Rivera next year. I think (and hope) the front office has learned from the Andy Pettitte debacle in 2003.