Randy Levine defends the Yankees’ spending

I just love when multimillionaires have a war of words.
Mark Attanasio, the owner of the Brewers, recently said the following to USA Today about the Yankees:
“We’re struggling to sign (first baseman Prince Fielder),” Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said, “and the Yankees infield is making more than our team.”
While Attanasio didn’t say anything that wasn’t [...]

Quick Bits: Damon, Coke, Payroll

Here are a few final items on the day:

Johnny Damon told Marc Topkin that Tampa Bay was still a possible destination him.
Phil Coke believes that his trade to Detroit might end up being a “blessing in disguise.”
The Biz of Baseball has a new feature up called a salary database, which is pretty cool.

The feature “has [...]

Ravens owner criticizes Yankees for their spending

From Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun (h/t to Buster Olney):
Clearly, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti is a proponent of the NFL salary cap, and took a light-hearted shot at the Yankees during today’s big news conference for their inability to totally dominate Major League Baseball with their huge revenue and payroll advantage over the other [...]

Recap Bits: Damon, Rotation, Reed, Wang

Here are a few quick items from the weekend, plus a “new” bit:

Johnny Damon is still homeless as the few options he once had have dwindled considerably.
Last night, we were treated to a guest post regarding Damon and WPA from our own, tedbrogen.
Joe Girardi said the Yankees will host a 5-man “competition” for the 5th [...]

Morning Bits: IPK, Payroll, Wang, Damon, Winn

Here are a few quick items on the morning:

Ian Kennedy seems eager to prove himself as a starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Maury Brown points out that the 2010 Yankees are committing about $199M to 18 players.
SI’s Jon Heyman tweets that Chien-Ming Wang is expected to wind up “on one of the coasts.”
The Reds have reached [...]

Quick Bits: Marlins, Matsui, DHs, Gossage, Canseco

Here’s a mixed bag of bits to start the morning:

Today, it was announced that the Florida Marlins’ spending will be monitored for the next three years in order to ensure that the club is utilizing received revenue-sharing dollars rather than pocketing the resources as profit.
Lyle Spencer of MLB.com has a nice writeup on former Yankee [...]

A-Rod’s grip on the payroll to loosen after 2010

Some details on Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $275 million deal via Cot’s Baseball Contracts:
08:$27M, 09:$32M, 10:$32M, 11:$31M, 12:$29M, 13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M
After receiving $32 million this season, A-Rod will receive a lesser base salary each year, starting in 2011. Though the annual commitments owed to him are still very significant, 2011 will serve as a [...]

Quick Bits: Wang, Zambrano, Payroll, Hal

Here are a few quick news items on the evening:

First, from Sam Borden, we learn that our friend Chien-Ming Wang is open to a return to New York.
Jon Heyman says the Yanks “definitely” talked to Chicago about Carlos Zambrano prior to the Vazquez deal.
Mark Feinsand examines the team’s payroll and wonders if what we currently [...]

Yanks’ restraint bothering their rivals

Via ESPN’s Buster Olney:
There is a certain amount of eye-rolling that goes on in the ballparks of rival teams — and in the offices of agents, for that matter — whenever the Yankees or Red Sox indicate that they can’t afford a particular player or general advancement in payroll.
The other day, I wrote here that [...]

Damon: I don’t fit the Yanks’ payroll

Yesterday, Mike Puma of the NY Post spoke briefly with Johnny Damon, the Yankees’ former left fielder, who, when asked about the likelihood of a return to the Bronx, basically stated that he does not expect such a return this winter.
“I know I don’t fit their payroll,” noted Damon about the Bombers. “We’ve had a [...]

Quick Bits: Payroll, Towers, Miranda, Girardi

Here are a few notable items on the day:

Buster Olney (ESPN) says that the Yankees’ 2010 payroll will be in the $190-200M range but adds that there’s no “hard ceiling.” I often wonder what the point is of these types of range guesstimates, especially if there is no “hard ceiling.” For all we know, this [...]

With budget set, Cashman ready to deal

From Marc Carig (Star-Ledger):
The Yankees wrapped up their organizational meetings on Friday afternoon, allowing general manager Brian Cashman to focus his attention on filling his team’s holes heading into baseball’s winter meetings.”I’ve got a set budget now,” Cashman said. “Now we’re in position to start engaging in the trade and free agent market and trying [...]

D-Rob, Marte to setup for Mo?

From Peter Gammons (ESPN):
Cashman feels David Robertson and Damaso Marte can pitch the seventh and eighth innings in front of Mariano Rivera, but a Yankee run at Lackey, Ben Sheets or another starter hasn’t been ruled out. The feeling inside the Yankees’ offices is that there will be some payroll cutback, but how much is [...]

Cashman discusses spending, bullpen, rotation, outfield

Last night, Dan Martin (NY Post) caught up with Brian Cashman at the Ziegfeld Theatre in midtown, as Cashman was in attendance for the premiere of the Yankees’ Official 2009 World Series film. Cashman, of course, did not disappoint, providing Martin with some newsworthy comments and interesting remarks about the Yankees’ plans this winter.
Here he [...]

Thank you, Scott Boras

From Nick Cafardo (Boston Globe):

There will always be teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets, who will go after a player they desperately need and won’t be afraid to offer a big salary. Even teams like Seattle, Milwaukee, and San Francisco will be aggressive to make sure they don’t miss out on the players [...]

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