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July 31, 2006 -- THE YANKEES had to make the trade they made yesterday. The
Phillies were giving gifts away, well, as long as you had $23 million,
Philadelphia was giving them away. And as long as you see a pitcher with a 4.74
ERA in the National League and a hitter with one homer in the last two months
as gifts.
The Yankees sent four "prospects" to Philadelphia for Bobby Abreu and Cory
Lidle. But don't kid yourself. This was a salary dump. First-year Phillies GM
Pat Gillick now has fully assessed the toxic dump he inherited and decided to
start over by having Abreu's future money to re-allocate.
The "prospects" the Yanks surrendered were a situational lefty (Matt Smith),
who could go right into Philadelphia's bullpen, and three players so low in the
Yankee system that they are a minimum of four years away if all goes swimming-
ly. In a perfect world that quartet would not allow an acquiring team to rent
Abreu for a week. But this is not a perfect world.
Think of that quartet, instead, as compensation and think of Abreu and Lidle as
free-agent signings because, in reality, that is what they are: Midseason free-
agent buys by the only team that could afford to take the majors' largest pay-
roll up further.
Brian Cashman had been telling Gillick for two months that the Yanks would
assume Abreu's whole pact, but it would mean marginal prospects in return from
a marginal system. And, oh yeah, you have to throw Lidle in, as well. Gillick
played liar's poker as long as possible, demanding Philip Hughes and Jose
Tabata, Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor. But the trade deadline is today and
Gillick blinked, even agreeing to pay the $1.5 million Abreu demanded to res-
cind his no-trade clause.
"They [the Yanks] are doing what I would if I had those resources," said Blue
Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, whose team is trying to catch the Yanks in the stand-
ings when he knows they will never catch them financially.
The interesting item, though, is that this is the second time Cashman's skill
at liar's poker and his newfound power saved major assets. In the offseason, he
stressed he would play Bubba Crosby in center and waited out Johnny Damon. It
still cost the Yanks $52 million for four years - more than anyone else was
offering - but in the recent past, the impetuousness of The Steinbrenner
Yankees would have had the organization out in November offering six- and seven
-year pacts for millions more.
The old Yanks would have had Abreu, as well, but 3-4 weeks ago, when the
prospect price would have been steeper. As the congenitally honest Damon
observed, "We did not give up what the Phillies wanted" and "If you are us, you
have to make that trade."
He is right. When the price is just money - and you are the team with the most
money - you must make this trade. Despite the standing ovations for Bernie
Williams, the Yanks had the next-to-worst team OPS for right field. Even with
his batting average slipping and his power all but disappeared, Abreu (.862)
had the majors' third best right field OPS.
Yankee third base coach Larry Bowa, Abreu's manager for four years in Philly,
promised his bosses that the lefty hitter plays hard despite persistent com-
plaints within the game that his concentration and passion wane. Interestingly,
the Yanks have picked up three renowned outfielders in mid-season trades over
the past 11 years, who fit much the same background: questionable makeup com-
bined with an expensive contract for the following season.
Ruben Sierra, David Justice and Raul Mondesi all helped the Yanks make the
playoffs, and all were disappointments the following season physically, statis-
tically, emotionally or all of the above. The Yanks seem willing to take that
risk here. Cashman likes how his injury-wrecked roster has scrapped into play-
off position and felt it was worth the gamble in 2007 to honor that effort.
And gamble is the term. The Yanks had $200 million in the poker pot already.
This was merely about more money for the team with the most. Philadelphia was
giving away gifts, and the Yanks were the team with the purchasing power.
--
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