Gary Sheffield for Mike Cameron trade?

[Jabroni]

"'EL' OF A DEAL!"

http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/25568.htm

June 29, 2005 -- BRIAN Cashman and Omar Minaya have engaged in preliminary talks about a blockbuster trade that would send Gary Sheffield to the Mets for a package headed by Mike Cameron, according to an executive from both an AL and NL club.

 

The two executives cautioned that talks are in their infancy and filled with major hurdles. After all, this would be the largest trade ever executed between the two New York teams, and neither wants to help the other make the playoffs and be endlessly ridiculed in the city. Nevertheless, the willingness to broach this deal shows the current thinking of both organizations.

 

The Mets have defined a late-inning reliever and a middle-of-the-order bat as their main needs, and have come to believe a quality bullpen arm at a reasonable return price may never become available. Sheffield, though, would be the run producer the Mets tried and just missed getting in the offseason with Carlos Delgado. Hitting between Carlos Beltran and Cliff Floyd, Sheffield would give the Mets an elite middle of the order.

 

The Yankees, ironically, are where the Red Sox were at this juncture last season, underperforming with a veteran team and identifying lethargy and poor defense as their biggest problems. The Red Sox shockingly solved those issues by trading Nomar Garciaparra. They did not receive a star in return, but bettered the overall structure and temperament of their roster. That deal spurred the Red Sox to a Curse-ending title.

 

The Yanks have identified defense in center field, and a sluggishness/lack of athleticism caused by too many older players, as the their main faults. They feel the club's ERA will drop if more fly balls are caught in center and if fewer baserunners take first-to-third liberties. The Yanks, though, have faced a conundrum how to address their faults. Cashman has recommended stopping the vicious cycle of trading the organization's few prospects for expensive, aging players. George Steinbrenner, though, has rightfully demanded not giving up on this season with $200 million-plus invested in payroll.

 

The compromise, therefore, is to see if a core veteran can be moved to solve the issues. The three most obvious are Tom Gordon, Jorge Posada and Sheffield because all are without no-trade clauses. The Yanks are hesitant about breaking up the late-game strength of Gordon, Tanyon Sturtze and Mariano Rivera. Posada remains among the majors' most productive offensive catchers, replacing him would be difficult, and he is likely to vest a $12 million option for 2007 that makes him hard to deal. Obviously, moving Sheffield would weaken the offense, but the Yanks feel they can more easily compensate in that area than others.

 

"They have talked to a couple of GMs and said they would move [sheffield] for a similar type player, to shake things up a little, get younger or to fill a couple of their needs, specifically center field or starting pitching," the NL executive said.

 

Sheffield makes $13 million this season and next, but with $9 million deferred until between 2008-2016 without interest, the present-day value drops considerably. Sheffield has been dissatisfied with that structure since before he even signed his contract. And the Yanks worry about Sheffield becoming even more of a distraction in the final season of his contract. Without mentioning Sheffield by name, a Yankee official recently said, "If there is a player who does not want to be here, we'll get rid of him." In Willie Randolph, though, the Mets have a manager who has a good relationship with Sheffield.

 

Cashman has informed rival GMs that he will listen to offers for any of his players, and not to assume the Yanks are operating in their usual fashion of dealing prospects for expensive pacts. To that end, the AL official said of Sheffield, "His name has come up. They have talked about that player." To date, however, the Yanks have yet to hear an offer for Sheffield that they like, and it just may be impossible for teams to incorporate his salary and provide the Yanks an acceptable return.

 

In addition to the Mets, the Cubs, Rangers, Indians, Braves and Blue Jays all need corner outfield help. Texas has definite interest in Sheffield and has a young center fielder in Laynce Nix to build a package around. A second AL official said the Yanks "are really on Mark Kotsay," and suggested he is a player for whom they would move top prospect Eric Duncan. It is possible the Yanks could use Sheffield to obtain prospects to deal to Oakland for Kotsay or perhaps to Toronto for Vernon Wells. The Yanks have shown little fervor for either Colorado's Preston Wilson or the Cubs' Corey Patterson.

 

In Cameron, the Yanks would get an elite athlete who, if moved back over from right field, would immediately become one of the AL's top defensive center fielders. At 32, he is four years younger than Sheffield, makes $6 million this season and next with a $7 million 2007 option. The Yanks would have to get additional players to balance a deal. They talked to the Mets earlier in the season about reacquiring Miguel Cairo and also would have interest in a young Met pitcher.

Edited June 29, 2005 by Jabroni

[Kalapse]

I don't understand why the Yankees would ever want to make a deal with the Mets and Vice Versa. It's like the Sox making a trade with the Cubs. They're too close to be making deals with eachother.

[Jabroni]

I don't understand why the Yankees would ever want to make a deal with the Mets and Vice Versa. It's like the Sox making a trade with the Cubs. They're too close to be making deals with eachother.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But it DOES happen. We sent them Sosa and they sent us Garland. The trade does smell like BS though...

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/sports/b...html?oref=login

Cashman has little flexibility to deal from the major league roster, partly because several players have no-trade clauses. Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada do not have such clauses in their contracts, but Sheffield would essentially create one if the Yankees tried to move him.

 

"I'm not going anywhere," said Sheffield, who is signed through 2006. "If I have to go somewhere, I won't go. If they said, 'Wouldn't you want to get paid?' I'd say, 'I've got plenty of money.' I'm not playing nowhere else. I can promise you that."

Edited June 29, 2005 by Jabroni

[Capn12]

Good luck with that Cashman. If Sheff plays hardball with the no-trade clause, you are s*** out of luck.

[YASNY]

This serves Steinbrenner a little slice of justice. He has so many players with no-trade clauses that can't be moved, no prospects to move and the players he can trade say they won't go.

[Dick Allen]

What's with all the deferred money in Sheffield's contract? Steinbrenner is so cheap.

[Kyyle23]

This serves Steinbrenner a little slice of justice.  He has so many players with no-trade clauses that can't be moved, no prospects to move and the players he can trade say they won't go.

 

I agree. He made that bed, let him lie in it. It makes me laugh every time I think about what Giambi has done and how much money they are paying him. That 80 million has to be staring Steinbrenner in the face right about now.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

Usually I say where there is smoke there is fire but this is NY so it is different. The Sheff-Dubois rumor sounded ludicrous and so does this one. I'd love to make it if I were the Mets. THe Yankees lineup would take a big downgrade but I guess they could use the D help, but it still wouldn'tbe worth it to me. I don't buy it either.

[Jabroni]

Latest News  Jun. 29, 2005 - 11:15 am et

 

According to the Bergen Record, the Yankees and Mets have ''a tentative deal'' in place that would swap Gary Sheffield for Mike Cameron and Miguel Cairo.

The Record reports that the Mets are awaiting a formal offer from the Yankees, who are also interested in Oakland center fielder Mark Kotsay.

 

Source:  Bergen Record

[Milkman delivers]

 

Ha, they could've just re-signed Cairo. I love seeing these things happen to the Yankeees. If only they would happen to the Red Sox, too...

[ChWRoCk2]

i like the whole trade, it helps both teams but i just dont see it happening

[Punch and Judy Garland]

I don't get this trade. You then have Cameron in Center, Matsui in right? and Womack STILL in left with Cairo and Cano clogging up 2b. IF they did this trade maybe they would trade cano and prospects for Kotsay and then have

 

LF-Hideki

CF-Kotsay

RF-Cameron (he'd rather play center)

3B-Rod

SS-Jeter

2B-Cairo

1b-Black Hole

C-Posada.

 

I know they need a real CF and that Womack can't stay in left but I'm not sure this helps them that much. It's a big defensive upgrade but the bats get weaker and I'm not sure that Cano and co. can land Kotsay anyways.

[Kyyle23]

Ha, they could've just re-signed Cairo.  I love seeing these things happen to the Yankeees.  If only they would happen to the Red Sox, too...

 

The Red Sox are getting theirs still. there has been a Foulke Implosion sighting(pun intended) and they were sure that Schilling was going to be back sooner than he is going to be.

 

The Yankees monetary arrogance is finally catching up with them though, and that is good news.

[Balta1701]

The Yankees don't care at all if their bats get weaker. They have enough bats. They have so many bats that if they need to sacrifice a bat for some defense, they can do it with ease. Much like the White Sox last year, if they reduce the runs they score in their big games from 16 to 13, it's not going to make a difference, but if they reduce the runs they give up in close games, it will help them a lot.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

Getting rid of Sheffield, an elite bat, doesn't make their defense even decent. Sure they would get better there but not by a huge amount. They'd still havve Tony Womack in the OF without another move. I think that Corey Patterson makes more sense than Cameron because Cameron whiffs without walking like Patterson but he also gets hurt.

[BlackBetsy]

I like this move for both teams. It gets the Mets an "elite" corner OF bat to go along with Cliff Floyd, making it much easier to carry a weak 1B position. Yankees get a MUCH better defensive outfield in Matsui-Cameron+LF and also move their weak position to LF, which is much easier to find on the trade market.

 

The Yankees aren't done. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to trade for any number of people in the last year of their deals /tradeable:

 

Carlos Lee

Aubrey Huff

Jay Gibbons

Matt Lawton (?)

 

an outfield of Huff-Cameron-Matsui is pretty solid defensively (with Huff being the weak spot) and relatively productive. With Jeter/Rodriguez as your left side of the infield, you don't need much help offensively.

 

The problem is that Pavano sucks, Wright is out (and sucked before that), and Johnson and Mussina are a year older. That starting pitching isn't getting any better and without a farm system, they aren't going to get a good starter on the trade market.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

I almost wonder if a guy like Gary Sheffield might be someone that Kenny sits around and wonders about for a few minutes a week.