Remember When The Yankees Were Going to "Cut Payroll"?

I just wonder if the Yankees are going to look to dump anybody. If not then I have to question George's sanity, because no owner in their right mind would have a $155M payroll in our current economy.

 

They have 8 starting pitchers. I suspect at least 2 will go. Probably El Duque and Hitchcock.

 

I could see Hitchcock taking Ramiro Mendoza's place in the bullpen. Hernandez has been in and out of the rotation, mostly out, so he could easily be gone. Roger is nearing the end of his career, so when he retires that would bring them down to 5 starters. Mussina, Pettite, Weaver, Wells, and Contreras. They will need to overhaul their rotation very soon though. They really should have gone after Colon. As for cutting payroll, I still would expect them to be economically viable at whatever payroll they have up to at least $150 million. Now, if only they could sign Vlad Guererro. Has any team ever had two 40-40 guys at the same time?

 

George must be upset that the Yanks haven't won a Series in a whole two years. Poor guy!

 

Just makes it all the sweeter when the Yankees lose in the playoffs once again

Even sweeter if a low budget team does them in (A's or Twins).

 

Let me know when the Astros win 26 World Series ... or maybe advance past the FIRST ROUND.

 

posted by StupidMoniker

Let me know when the Astros can raise their payroll by 80 million dollars Why so defensive?

 

let me know when there's a level playing field.

 

They didn't cut payroll, they cut dental plans.

That Steinbrenner's a class guy I tell ya.

 

There was one, now they are taxing the Yankees. It is funny that everyone bashes the Yankees, but no one talks about the Red Sox, Dodgers, etc. Why, because a high payroll doen't guarantee victory. Does it help, sure, but it isn't the be all end all. The A's and twins were both division winners last year with very small payrolls.

I don't like fans of teams that haven't done anything talking smack about the team that I root for that has done something. It isn't like the 'Stros beat the Yankees. It's just that being knocked out by a wildcard team was bad enough (damn that rally monkey) but it just makes it worse when the fans of the teams that are even worse tries to mock you. It would be like the a Clippers fan clowning on the Rockets now, or a Jazz fan in '96.

 

i'm not bashing the yankees at all...but to argue there is a level playing field in baseball is ludicrous. the money from the media markets is so grossly disparate it's sick.

i agree wholeheartedly that $ doesn't guarantee wins....the orioles and rangers have proved that. but you have a substantially better chance to compete if you have more money.

in the nba, markets like salt lake city and new orleans can still produce winners...real championship contenders...with no huge difference in talent level. further, salt lake and new orleans can afford to sign their developing talent, so they're not merely one-year wonders. you can say the same thing about nfl markets like green bay and nashville.

you can't say that in baseball...a team can have a good year with young talent...but teams like the Twins and Royals can't hold on to that talent. there is no significant, worthwhile revenue sharing...there are no salary controls. there's the difference.

congrats to the new york yankees for taking the money and turning into championships...no one should diminish that at all...but it's not a level playing field at all.

 

a high payroll doen't guarantee victory. Does it help, sure,

And thus, there's not a level playing field.

 

No one is stopping the other owners from spending the money to make a winner. Even if they operate at a loss, they can sell the franchise after a decade or so and they will still come out winners due to the appreciation of the franchise. Other owners also have the ability to negotiate media contracts. The Houston area has a lot of people, it is up to the Astros owner to go out and get that money to put into his team. In some really small markets, they could have problems (Minny, Wisconsin, etc) but sometimes it is just the cheap owner causing problems. The same thing happens in leagues with salary caps. Just look at the Bengals and the Clippers. Just because a team has the highest revenue, doesn't mean they will necessarily spend the most money (in this case they do). But it is really up to the players to determine where they want to play at what they are willing to accept to play there. Oakland, for example, could have had Giambi if they just gave him his no trade clause.

The Yankees waste a lot of money overpaying for mediocre talent anyway. You could put together just as good a team for half the payroll, if you could convince the players to come. They are going to pay Clemens $20 million dollars next year (his new 1 yr 10 million dollar deal plus the last ten million of his two year thirty million dollar deal.) Robin Ventura, Raul Mondesi, Derek Jeter, Rondell White, all are way overpaid. I think a great staff and team chemistry contribute a great deal to the Yankees success, it isn't just a collection of talent. Prior to Giambi, when they were actually winning titles, I don't think they had one player who was the best at his position.

I think a bigger advantage for the Yankees is the history behind the ballclub. Many a player wants to be part of that tradition, while no one really cares about being next in the long line of Devil Ray greats.

 

sure the yanks tradition helps....no doubt. but drayton mclane can't change his media market...if you buy a team in houston, you're subject to that media market. the nfl and nba realized this disparity and dealt with it...mlb has yet to do that. thus, inequity.

by the way...your attempt to color them as equal is hilarious..."just run at a loss for a while!" great!! real equal...steinbrenner can pump money in and still make money on the team...many of the other owners don't even have the revenue to match what he puts in.

 

No one is stopping the other owners from spending the money to make a winner. Even if they operate at a loss, they can sell the franchise after a decade or so and they will still come out winners due to the appreciation of the franchise.

Wasn't this the theory behind internet companies and the stock market 1995-2000?

 

Major,

I am sure many baseball franchises are going to be eliminated too. It never seems like any of them can find a buyer, especially when they are winning.

 

How many Ottawa Senators are there in MLB? They are the 3rd NHL team to go into bankrupcy. A mark the Yanquis will surely cause to fall in MLB.

Last year the Yankees' payroll was 100% higher than the Astros. And the Yanks made $, the foodies didn't.

Fix this, Bud, or you'll be commish of the smallest pro league going going gone.

 

What was the last baseball team that went bankrupt, and what does it have to do with the Yankees? The Twins and the 'Spos were on the verge of contraction, but that is because no one showed up for their games for a long time. The Astros really don't need to worry about the Yankees payroll anyway, the next time they face the Yankees inj the post season, it will be the first.

 

I am sure many baseball franchises are going to be eliminated too. It never seems like any of them can find a buyer, especially when they are winning.

Again.. the exact same thing said about internet companies, until people realized that spiraling upward prices make no sense and the bottom fell out of the market.

What was the last baseball team that went bankrupt, and what does it have to do with the Yankees? The Twins and the 'Spos were on the verge of contraction, but that is because no one showed up for their games for a long time.

The Oakland As win year in and year out. People come to their games. They STILL can't riase payroll without going bankrupt. Franchises aren't going bankrupt because they have an alternative: cut payroll.