6 WORST YANKEE CONTRACTS: WHAT'S YOUR TAKE?

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The other day I came across this short blurb by Brendan Kuty from NJ.com: “MLB hot stove: Alex Rodriguez tops Yankees' 6 worst contracts.”  “Huh, I never thought of it that way.”  I mean I guess I have but I also just sort of dealt with contracts for what they were and are and hoped for the best.  However, in this day and age, we can’t just deal with these contracts, we have to address them before they happen and unfortunately, the Yankees will never learn.

The top six worst Yankee contracts, according NJ.com, include:

1.  ARod (4-years, $90 million; a little of that erased with the recent 2014 season suspension) 
2.  Mark Teixeira (3-years, $69.375 million with Tex being injured for the last two seasons) 
3. Ichiro Suzuki (1-year, $6.5 million- not really too upset about this one, frankly, but he’s no spring chicken pushing 40-years-old) 
4. CC Sabathia (3-years, $71 million- now, I feel like CC has taken a lot of flack on his velocity, more to come on this later in my thoughts below)
5. Jacoby Ellsbury (7-years, $153 million, absolutely outrageous- haven’t we learned?)
6. Derek Jeter (1-year, $12 million, and why not?).  

 That’s the top six worst, now what can we discuss about these contracts?

Discussion topic 1: Criticism. We all criticize our favorite Yankees when they don’t perform.  It’s human.  I get that, you get that and they even get that.  But, sometimes, it is just not warranted.  Take CC for instance- truthfully, he has changed immensely as a pitcher and why wouldn’t he?

 So, if his velocity isn’t what it used to be, so what?  He can perfect other pitches; that’s what athletes do.  When Kuty says in his article that CC “will have to learn to pitch with diminished velocity,” I mean, yeah, sure, why wouldn’t he?  Why can’t he?  He’s a professional, he’s playing since he’s a kid; he has other pitches.  Let’s get him some offensive support and let him go.

Discussion topic 2: Fountain of Youth. We all want it, myself included.  I run to live and live to run.  How many Yankees live to play?  I can think of one- Derek Jeter.  And he has been here, he has moved through the system and he has made his mark on the game.  So, what are we going to do?  Not sign him?  Let him go somewhere else to finish his career?  He’s worth every penny of the 12 million for the leadership, mentoring and positive energy he brings to the team every day- every day, not just when he feels like it – he brings it every time!  That’s priceless- we got a steal at 12 mil.

Discussion topic 3: Reality. Reality is we signed Jacoby Ellsbury for a boatload of cash.  Why?  I will tell you why, because the game says so.  That’s the reality.  We live in a world where you pay to keep players off of other teams and keep players playing for yours- again, price tag for this kind of mentality- huge!  We may not want him, we may not like him, but this policy of sign first, apologize later is part of today’s game.  Now, am I happy we signed Jacoby for all that cash?  Not really- more for Tanaka!  Just kidding, that’s ridiculous too and we may be down this road again if we sign him and he doesn’t produce.  Do we want Jacoby going somewhere else, where can hurt us? No, I’d rather have him in pinstripes playing in the Bronx- but I’d rather Brett Gardner play center, just saying.

Discussion topic 4: The Worst. Top offender, ridiculous contract, dwindling athleticism, has given his phone number out to female spectators and willing to lose his temper in the court room and even on WFAN, yes, you know him well, ARod.  Okay, now, I will tell you I was proponent of keeping ARod away from Boston (see Discussion topic #3) and I respected him for his contributions to his teams during his heydays with Seattle, Texas and of course New York.  Yet, does that mean that he is worth $22.5 million when he’s not performing well?  Thoughts to ponder… I lay awake with those thoughts.

So, let’s discuss.  What is your take on the six worst contracts? What about the discussion topics of Criticism, Fountain of Youth, Reality and the Worst?  We’d like to hear from you and your “Huh, I never thought of it that way?" Fill up the Twitterverse and Facebook Page with your ideas.  We’re listening.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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