Yanks realease Boone

[southsideirish]

White Sox 2nd baseman of the future?

 

 

Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- Third baseman Aaron Boone was released Thursday by the New York Yankees, nearly six weeks after hurting his knee in a pickup basketball game.

 

 

The injury, which could sideline him the entire season, set the stage for the Yankees to acquire Alex Rodriguez from Texas last week. Boone, an NL All-Star last season, becomes a free agent.

 

 

"It's a tough situation we're all in," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "You have to move on. We'd like to continue discussing the possibility of keeping him within the Yankees' fold in some form or fashion that would manifest itself with him maybe being a player for us next year."

 

 

Boone was hurt Jan. 16 and had surgery last week to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Adam Katz, Boone's agent, said recovery will take 5-to-9 months.

 

 

"Aaron is a quick healer, and he's a guy with a tireless work ethic," Katz said. "I'm sure he'll be on the short end of the recovery schedule."

 

 

The 30-year-old third baseman already had agreed to a $5.75 million, one-year contract, but the Yankees contend Boone violated the guarantee language, which prohibited basketball.

 

 

New York says he is entitled to just 30 days of termination pay, which comes to $917,553 over the Yankees' 188-day season.

 

 

"We're exercising our rights in the contract," Cashman said. "Would we want to pay him the full salary despite the injury? That wouldn't make any sense whatsoever from a business perspective."

 

 

Boone hit the 11th-inning homer off Tim Wakefield that won Game 7 of the AL championship series against Boston. He batted .254 with six homers and 31 RBI last year for the Yankees, who acquired him from Cincinnati on July for left-handers Brandon Claussen and Charlie Manning. Overall, he hit .287 with 24 homers and 96 RBI last year.

 

 

"He'll get back from this injury," Cashman said. "He'll be down for almost the entire year, if not the whole season. We're looking toward next year, maybe. We don't have anything in place, but I do volunteer that we would be interested."

[Queen Prawn]

Is it that easy to move from playing third to second?

[CSF]

Is it that easy to move from playing third to second?

He came up with the Reds as a 2nd baseman.

[southsideirish]

Is it that easy to move from playing third to second?

Wasn't he originally a 2nd baseman? I could be wrong. Didn't Ryne Sandberg come up as a 3rd baseman?

[southsider2k5]

Is it that easy to move from playing third to second?

It is a lot easier to play 2nd than 3rd. Shorter throw, more time to react. The only harder things are you need more range, and turning the DP.

[cwsox]

sign him now KW

[BrandoFan]

sign him now KW

He CAN'T play.

[Queen Prawn]

Thanks for the replies - I honestly didn't know how easy moving from 3rd to 2nd would be.

[southsideirish]

He CAN'T play.

He will next year. Isn't this the same injury Patterson had in the middle of last season for the Crummies?

[BrandoFan]

He will next year. Isn't this the same injury Patterson had in the middle of last season for the Crummies?

First we have to MAKE it to next year.

 

We implode THIS year and we're the New Brewers in 2005.

 

If Boone would sign for 2 Mill and be ready by June, then I can see it him chalenging Crede and Harris.

 

But not now.

[YASNY]

Aaron Boone would be a good investment for next season. Sign him for a 2 year deal, the minimum this year and something more for next.

[Soxbadger]

If we did not have $1.75mil to sign Todd Walker who could play 2b this year, is a lh, and has no knee injury.

 

Where are we going to get the money to sign Boone?

 

I guess eventhough we are over budget we should spend on players who wont even suit up?

 

Ill pass, if he rehabs and is 100% next offseason, Id consider him but, Ill take a wait and see approach.

 

SB

[YASNY]

If we did not have $1.75mil to sign Todd Walker who could play 2b this year, is a lh, and has no knee injury.

 

Where are we going to get the money to sign Boone?

 

I guess eventhough we are over budget we should spend on players who wont even suit up?

 

Ill pass, if he rehabs and is 100% next offseason, Id consider him but, Ill take a wait and see approach.

 

SB

Damn. You people that bring realistic things like money into the equation really bring me down.

[BrandoFan]

Ill pass, if he rehabs and is 100% next offseason, Id consider him but, Ill take a wait and see approach.

 

Then again, once he "rehabs 100%", he'll be WAY out of our price range.

 

Most people remember him for sending the Yankees to the Series.

 

Someone will pay him 4-5 Mill a year - for a mediocre at best 2B, with average speed (after ACL), and streaky hitting that is too much if you're the money-tight White Sox.

 

So if we're to get him to platoon/replace Cool Papa Harris at 2B, we better do it NOW while he is a "risk" and is relatively cheap.

[Soxbadger]

Brando,

 

Ill pass then.

 

Next year who knows what the free agent market will be like, who knows how Harris will play, who knows if we might find a diamond in the rough at 2b in our minor leagues.

 

If we dont have money for today, we cant spend money for tomorrow. It is just not good business sense. Lets say we sign him for 2 years, and his knee never heals and he never plays again. Now next year we are sitting on a 2mil contract that is doing nothing.

 

We dont have that money, $2mil is 1/30th of our payroll. We need that money to sign starters.

 

But its all perception, and my perception is if we start giving out contracts to people that are doing nothing, we are going to lose in the end.

 

Not to mention if Boone thinks he will be 100% and command money as a FA, why the hell would he sign with us for cheap?

 

SB

[elrockinMT]

He came up with the Reds as a 2nd baseman.

I think Aaron Boone came up the Reds farm system as a third baseman. I watched him in several Pionner Rookie League games when he was with the Billings Mustangs, the Red's rookie farm club. I always remember the slick fielding plays he made. He had quite the glove even then. I would think signing Boone to a contract would not be a bad move. He just might be able to play SS or 2B besides 3B.

[southsideirish]

If we did not have $1.75mil to sign Todd Walker who could play 2b this year, is a lh, and has no knee injury.

 

Where are we going to get the money to sign Boone?

 

I guess eventhough we are over budget we should spend on players who wont even suit up?

 

Ill pass, if he rehabs and is 100% next offseason, Id consider him but, Ill take a wait and see approach.

 

SB

Todd Walker sucks!!!

[southsideirish]

I think Aaron Boone came up the Reds farm system as a third baseman. I watched him in several Pionner Rookie League games when he was with the Billings Mustangs, the Red's rookie farm club. I always remember the slick fielding plays he made. He had quite the glove even then. I would think signing Boone to a contract would not be a bad move. He just might be able to play SS or 2B besides 3B.

SS would be nice.

[soxfan420]

He CAN'T play.

think for the future, pay him the min this year with more money next year.

[witesoxfan]

Sign him to a Jon Lieber deal, and we could be in buisness.

 

We know one of these two things will happen...

1.) Willie Harris will play well enough to be counted on for next year

2.) Willie Harris will suck this year and we'll need someone new next year

 

Under either circumstance, I sign Boone, if I can, to a two-year deal worth about $4-5 mill...that would be $500,000 this year and $3.5-$4.5 next year. I do this mainly because we have an insurance plan if Harris does suck, but also because if Willie does do well, we can then trade Boone and get some value out of him(while only paying $500,000).

[Soxbadger]

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS

 

A) 144 503 79 119 26 2 28 74 54 114 8 3 .237 .313 .463 .776

 

B) 160 592 92 158 32 3 24 96 46 104 23 3 .267 .327 .453 .780

 

Player A is a SS makes $5mil a year and is considered a great club house presence.

 

Player B is a 3b who people want to move to 2b, and will make $5mil a year, and is coming off an ACL tear. He has similar stats except for 15 more sb.

 

Player A most players want to run out of town.

 

FPCT G GS Ch INN PO A E DP RF ZR

SS .969 143 136 412 1,200.0 223 395 20 96 4.640 .893 (single season)

 

Player B people want to sign to a 2 year contract and he has yet to recover.

 

GP GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Total as 2B 21 19 166.1 107 43 63 1 14 .991 5.74 .857

Total as SS 30 16 164.0 92 29 58 5 9 .946 4.77 .826 (both were career).

 

Now lets guess who they are:

 

Player A is none other than Jose Valentin, for some reason I can get his fielding stats on ESPN otherwise I would of posted other positions too.

 

Player B is Boone.

 

Once again, I dont see what the fascination with Boone is?

 

Its like a crazy grass is greener on the other side of the fence scenario.

 

We cant just over pay these average players, we can get the same production from young cheap players who can produce.

 

If we are going to sign a free agent 2b next year, I hope we either get the best available, or get one who accept a really cheap contract in the Everrett, Alomar, or Vina mold.

 

We dont have this money to throw around, we need to make plans that give us the absolute maximum payroll flexibility.

 

SB

[witesoxfan]

G AB    R H    2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS

 

A) 144 503 79 119 26  2 28  74 54 114 8 3 .237 .313 .463 .776

 

B) 160 592 92 158 32  3 24 96 46 104 23 3 .267 .327 .453 .780

 

Player A is a SS makes $5mil a year and is considered a great club house presence.

 

Player B is a 3b who people want to move to 2b, and will make $5mil a year, and is coming off an ACL tear. He has similar stats except for 15 more sb.

 

Player A most players want to run out of town.

 

      FPCT G GS Ch INN PO A E DP RF ZR

SS .969  143  136  412  1,200.0  223  395  20  96  4.640  .893  (single season)

 

Player B people want to sign to a 2 year contract and he has yet to recover.

 

            GP GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT RF ZR

Total as 2B 21 19 166.1 107 43 63 1 14 .991 5.74 .857

Total as SS 30 16 164.0 92 29 58 5 9 .946 4.77 .826  (both were career).

 

Now lets guess who they are:

 

Player A is none other than Jose Valentin, for some reason I can get his fielding stats on ESPN otherwise I would of posted other positions too.

 

Player B is Boone.

 

Once again, I dont see what the fascination with Boone is?

 

Its like a crazy grass is greener on the other side of the fence scenario.

 

We cant just over pay these average players, we can get the same production from young cheap players who can produce.

 

If we are going to sign a free agent 2b next year, I hope we either get the best available, or get one who accept a really cheap contract in the Everrett, Alomar, or Vina mold.

 

We dont have this money to throw around, we need to make plans that give us the absolute maximum payroll flexibility.

 

SB

Player A's career numbers...

 

.213 2 17 20 SB's(2 CS) .255 OBP, .262 SLG% which equals a career .517 OPS in 324 career at bats.

 

Player B's 2003 season...

 

.264 24 96 23 SB's(3 CS), .327 OBP, .453 SLG% which equals a .780 OPS.

 

Player A is quite obviously Willie Harris, player B is quite obviously Aaron Boone.

 

Adding to the fact that Aaron Boone is only insurance in case Willie sucks this year and cannot be depended on next year. If we signed him, and Willie did in fact pan out and play well, making it so that we could count on him for next year, we could then trade Aaron Boone and get some type of value out of him, all in all only having to pay $500,000 for him(if we signed him to a 2-year, $4 mill deal, $3.5 mill in 05).

 

BTW, just for the record, I have never wanted Jose out of a White Sox uniform...I just didn't want him back at $5 mill. Also, a reason people want Jose out has to do with his .131 average(14 for 107) with a .386 OPS as a right-handed batter.

[SuperSteve]

I think he'll eventually end up in Seattle next year.

[BrandoFan]

. I always remember the slick fielding plays he made. He had quite the glove even then

 

Huh?

 

A-Boone is a mediocre-fielding 3B.

 

What makes you think he could handle 2B, let alone SS? Above-average throwing arm? Hell, lets convert Olivo to SS, then.

 

 

Oh and Soxbadger, I agree: people who want to run Jose out of town are evil freaks whose graves I will surely urinate on.

[elrockinMT]

Huh?

 

A-Boone is a mediocre-fielding 3B. 

 

What makes you think he could handle 2B, let alone SS?  Above-average throwing arm? Hell, lets convert Olivo to SS, then.

 

 

Oh and Soxbadger, I agree: people who want to run Jose out of town are evil freaks whose graves I will surely urinate on. 

I stand by my statement. I of course am only speaking of what I saw at the minor league level. He was a slick fielding 3Bman. I prefer we keep Jose Valentin as our SS, but the way things go here you don't know if we will have a team $20M salary cap in '05 and compete with Bud Selig's non-franchise. I think Aaron Boone could help our team and if I am not mistaken we heard things over the summer of '03 about KW thinking of trading for Boone. Once again let me say this about that...I like Jose V, but Aaron could fit in somewhere.