Yanks sign Tex, offseason spending hits $423.5m

Posted by Ology Staff , Dec, 2008 @ 2:28 pm

Yep. That just about figures. Word is that the Yankees have reached an agreement with free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, worth in the neighborhood of 8-years and $180 million, plucking him away from the Red Sox. That brings their offseason spending to a total of $423.5 million. Combined with the contracts of A-Rod and Jeter, the Yankees will now own the four biggest contracts in professional sports.

I get the Yankees sudden willingness to break the bank after a couple years of (comparatively) reserved free agent spending under Brian Cashman. They’ve offloaded tens of millions in salary to departing free agents like Giambi and Abreu, and retirees like Mussina; and they’re expecting mondo revenue from a new stadium which at the same time excludes them from having to pay a luxury tax on their payroll.

But I still have questions. For one: Where do you put Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada in 2010-2011 if Teixeira is plugging up first base? Posada can DH, if you’re willing to write-off Hideki Matsui or stick him back out in left. But Jeter is going to be resigned, for better or worse (he’s Derek Fucking Jeter), and he won’t be able to hack it at shortstop for much longer…

A friend made another good point. the Yanks will probably be the only team ever to have their three starting outfielders bat 7-8-9.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

RATE