DAVID ROBERTSON DOES WHAT MOST PLAYERS DON'T.....

He makes the bold decision to represent himself now that he is a free agent. It may not sound like a big deal but....it is incredibly rare. David Robertson is definitely making a bold decision, and I actually kind of dig it.

It's not common for a player to decide to represent themselves. They trust their agents to find the best deal for them and they are usually pretty damn good at it. I mean, how often do you hear someone say they don't like Scott Boras? Or at the very least say that he is "bad for baseball" and the reality is we wouldn't be saying that if Boras wasn't good at convincing teams to spend money on his clients. We may not always like it (and certainly not when Boras is involved) but its part of the business.

There really isn't a long list of players to choose to represent themselves but a few interesting ones come to mind:

Zack Greinke went without an agent for awhile. In 2012 he decided to try and represent himself, but that only lasted a few months before he hired Casey Close at Excel Sports Management.  Huston Street was self-represented when he negotiated his final contract with the Angels for two years and $18 million.

It is rumored that Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez had worked with as many as five different agencies in the year leading up to his final contract extension that he negotiated by himself.

It's not something that we are used to hearing about for sure. So why and how did Robertson come to this conclusion on this own? He explains it best. He recently made a guest post on MLB Trade Rumors HERE where he explains it all.

"At this point in my life and career, no one else understands my wants and needs more than myself. After recognizing this, I made the decision to forgo using an agent since I no longer feel as though I need a middle man. I know what I want in a contract, I’m aware of what I can offer to teams, and teams are aware of my abilities."

Maybe he's onto something and not all players need a "middle man" to negotiate their deals. If Robertson wants to go out on a limb and chase his own deal down then more power to him. No one else is going to better represent his interests then himself. He knows this isn't an ideal move for most players and he acknowledges that. It's a risk and it's a lot of extra work but he's doing what he feels is best for him. He's taking ownership of his own future and I can't be mad at that.

Now knowing that Brian Cashman won't be calling an agent to try and sway Robertson back to the Bronx makes this chase even more interesting. He says he wants to come back, and I know a lot of fans including myself want him back. I hope the two sides can come to a mutually beneficial deal because I'd love to see Robertson back in pinstripes.

We've always been big Robertson fans here at BYB. We go way back with David and his wife Erin.

In fact, they sold our first set of BYB shirts for us! Robertson only wants the best for himself and his family.....and so do we here. Here's to hoping for another run at a championship together next year.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Nyprincessj

BENOIT & THE NEW YORK YANKEES

That rumor mill is running, ladies and gentlemen! The deadline is at 4pm, and teams are moving. And our Yankees are throwing their names into the mix. The latest? Joaquin Benoit on the Yankees radar.

According to Jon Heyman (HERE) the Dodgers and the Yankees are both pursuing the reliever. San Diego hasn't said whether or not they actually intend to trade Benoit. Chris Cotillo, of MLB Daily Dish, thinks there is a "good chance" that they will trade him (HERE). The Padres just traded reliever Huston Street to the LA Angels.

I'm not against the idea of Benoit. He's not terrible. My main concern is, what happens to Dellin Betances and David Robertson if we do get Benoit? We don't really need three potential relievers. We just need one that is reliable. I like Robertson. His Houdini acts are the reason I have several mini heart attacks a season, but he gets the job done. I have gone on and on about my love for Betances. He IS the hometown hero. He isn't only homegrown through the farm, but a native New Yorker. If they trade away Betances, I may riot.

I'm sure there will be more to emerge from this story soon. MLB is moving fast, folks! Stay tuned!

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 
  

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WHAT I MIGHT DO AS THE YANKEES GM

On June 25th the Yankees defeated the Indians 7-1, Hiroki Kuroda got an impressive win throwing 7+ innings of 1 run ball with 7 strikeouts, propelling the Yankees to their 13th win in their past 16 games, and their 8th straight. Sure, it happened 2 weeks ago, but it was significant, it was the beginning of something good for the Yankees, a gelling if you will. The bombers were really clicking on all cylinders and the whole city knew it.

 Then, on June 27th a couple of hours before game time the Yankees announced that CC would be put on the 15 day DL for a groin strain, read HERE. At that point, I was still optimistic for the Yanks because they still had another left hander in the rotation, old reliable Andy Pettitte.  But that changed when Andy went down with a come backer off the bat of Casey Kotchman, busting his ankle, read HERE. It's devastating, but this isn't a cause for complete, "abandon ship" type of concern... we should however look further than who we have to fill the holes, my opinion of course. Why? Because since those injuries, some of the moving parts just aren't working and there is need for improvement....outside the organization.

 Let's break it down. Cory Wade has been good, but not recently.  That was why he was sent down and it's my opinion that he shouldn't have even been in last night's game against the Red Sox, read WADE HAPPENS. They Yankees picked up Chad Qualls and while I'm not exactly sure how effective he really is yet, I'm not exactly pleased with Wade's recent performance and I'm not too confident in Qualls ability.

I'm thinking another solid reliever in that bullpen could really do wonders. If I were assigned the Yankees GM role for the day, I would work very closely with the Houston Astros to make a trade for Brett Myers & Wandy Rodriguez a rental starter and reliever that could really help our club.

• Brett Myers is a former starter turned closer who really can do either.  Throughout his career he has been a starting pitcher on the Phillies (2002-2009) and the Astros. Sure, there were 2 seasons in 2007 when he was with the Phillies and became a closer for a good portion of the season after former Yankee Flash Gordon went down for some time. Bottom line, Myers did such a good job that when Gordon came back, Myers stayed as the closer for the rest of the season recording 21 saves. 

This year Myers was appointed closer when Mark Melancon was traded to the Red Sox. This season Myers has 18 saves already with a 3.54 ERA. He is a solid option to shore up the Yankees bullpen and in my opinion, a better option than Chad Qualls or Cory Wade.

• Wandy Rodriguez is the other piece to this potential deal.  He is the ace of the Astros pitching staff and is a proven left handed pitcher.  Rodriguez has posted an ERA under 4 every season since 2008.  He could be the piece that can fill the void as a lefty with 2 lefties out. Plus, the Astros are a team in serious rebuilding mode. They easily traded Houston fan favorite Lance Berkman to the Yankees in the summer of 2010 for just 2 mid level prospects. 

If Brian Cashman could work the Astros again and get a trade going again, give up a few low level prospects and get the Astros to eat some salary on Myers and Rodriguez, I'd be all over this.

Sure, there are other pitchers out there, but we all know Cole Hamels is just too expensive for the Yankees, Read HERE. How about Huston Street who's a good target (read HERE), and Matt Garza whom the Yankees really like and has already proven himself in the AL East, read HERE, but I tell you what, it's my opinion Myers and Rodriguez could be the best option by the deadline, a reliever and starter, both rentals, both reliable and both for low level prospects. If I'm the Yankees GM for a day, that's what I'd do, what about you? Comment.



--Will Cohen, BYB Contributor




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