wrveres wrote:Allright I understand it now .... Last year, the Braves offered Greg Maddux salary arbitration, and Maddux, unexpectedly accepted, Remember? He received $14.75 million .. an Arbitration record, and that forced the Braves to ship Millwood to the Phillies in a cost-cutting move last winter, They were worried Gary might do the same thing ...
True, but in light of the expected Yankee signing, you'd think that they'd offer him arbitration to get the picks. Odd, really.
they thought the same thing about Greg last year too .... I understand both sides thinking, now .... and I agree the ATL really messed up on this one...
By JOEL SHERMAN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO'S THE BOSS: Gary Sheffield's handshake deal with George Steinbrenner fell through yesterday when free agent demanded more money.
December 9, 2003 -- You know how Gary Sheffield was sealed and delivered to the Yankees. Well, it turns out he is not signed and doubt has emerged if he will end up in pinstripes at all. The Yanks believed they had agreed two weeks ago with Sheffield on a three-year accord with an option worth $39 million. Sheffield actually confirmed a deal had been struck on Nov. 25 in a published report.
But officials who have spoken to the Yanks in recent days say Sheffield has reneged on the handshake agreement he had with George Steinbrenner, demanding more money so that his annual average salary would climb beyond $13 million.
Sheffield and Steinbrenner had not even talked in the past few days, and The Boss had grown furious with minor league executive Dwight Gooden, who is Sheffield's uncle and acted as a go-between in the negotiations, for this breakdown in contact.
Despite the strain in relationships, it remains likely Sheffield will be a Yankee. The Braves did not offer arbitration to Sheffield, removing the only other suitor willing to pay him big money. In addition, The Boss still badly wants to add an impact bat.
To get that bat - and perhaps to gain leverage on Sheffield - Steinbrenner ordered GM Brian Cashman to call Vladimir Guerrero's agent, Fern Cuza, over the weekend. The Yanks also are going to look into other free-agent right fielders, including Juan Gonzalez, who invoked his no-trade clause in 2000 to cancel a deal to The Bronx.
The Yanks are in a media blackout, and neither Cuza nor Sheffield's business manager, Rufus Williams, returned calls. But it is believed the Yanks offered Guerrero the same deal they were prepared to give Sheffield. Team officials say Cuza is still seeking a deal of at least seven years, and the Orioles are considered the front-runners.
To this point, the Yanks have spurned Cuza's request on contract length. But if the Sheffield deal cannot be resurrected and the Red Sox land Alex Rodriguez - and many agents and team officials think the star shortstop eventually will go to Boston - then Steinbrenner could further ratchet up his battle with the Red Sox by bidding more aggressively for Guerrero, the best free agent still available.
The Yanks already have reacted to problems with Sheffield by signing Ruben Sierra to a one-year, $1 million pact after last week determining they would not keep him. The Yanks see Sierra as right field/DH insurance if Sheffield is not signed and after trading Nick Johnson for Javier Vazquez.
When word spread from the Yankee camp early last week that a snag had surfaced in negotiations with Sheffield, it was generally assumed that was a smokescreen. The theory was the Yanks were trying to protect a draft pick by bluffing the Braves into not offering arbitration to Sheffield. That Sheffield was working out at the Yanks' Tampa complex and was being quoted, in published reports, referring to the Yanks as "we" gave credence that Sheffield was signed.
The Braves did not offer Sheffield arbitration at the Sunday deadline, but Atlanta thought the Yanks were being deceptive and asked the Commissioner's Office to look into the matter. Braves GM John Schuerholz said yesterday, "I am not commenting on that" and major league VP Frank Coonelly did not return calls.
When asked if the latest revelation of a breakdown was another smokescreen to give the Yanks cover against a potential Braves grievance, an AL executive who had spoken to the Yanks said it was his understanding that Sheffield had not taken a physical, that final contractual details were never put on paper and that, "Sheffield had backed out of a deal the Yankees were comfortable with because he wants more money."
Sheffield, who fired Scott Boras as his agent to represent himself, did get himself traded out of Los Angeles (with Boras facilitating the deal to Atlanta) by - in part - regularly complaining that he was underpaid, especially in comparison to a few of his teammates. Also, Steinbrenner hardly can complain about the validity of a handshake deal. David Wells had one after the 2001 season with Arizona, and The Boss convinced the lefty to renege on that to sign a better deal with the Yankees.
A veteran agent who has been talking to the Yanks said: "You have a crazy owner and a crazy player. Who knows if they even know what their last offer was to each other? There is no surprise to anyone in the business if things unraveled when it is these two coming face-to-face."
"and doubt has emerged if he will end up in pinstripes at all. "
"The Yanks believed they had agreed two weeks ago with Sheffield on a three-year accord with an option worth $39 million. Sheffield actually confirmed a deal had been struck on Nov. 25 in a published report"
wow ... this is new ...... Maybe he thinks he can get more money in Boston
one would think so .... but why theo is playing Fantasy ball here ... what better way to really stick it George ... does Boston have three OF that are better ...
Nixon, Manny, Sheff ... send Damon on a trade to Pittsburgh for Kendall ... Nevermind that you have a catcher .... you have a SS too but thats not stopping Theo from .. " upgrading"
Ohh.......This is getting good now. I gotta go get some popcorn with plenty of "movie style" butter....... be right back.
Yes doctor, I am sick. Sick of those who are spineless. Sick of those who feel self-entitled. Sick of those who are hypocrites. Yes doctor, an army is forming. Yes doctor, there will be a war. Yes doctor, there will be blood.....
one would think so .... but why theo is playing Fantasy ball here ... what better way to really stick it George ... does Boston have three OF that are better ...
Nixon, Manny, Sheff ... send Damon on a trade to Pittsburgh for Kendall ... Nevermind that you have a catcher .... you have a SS too but thats not stopping Theo from .. " upgrading"
For one, there's no way Kendall is better than Varitek. The sox won't get Sheffield. No need for him, and not enough money. Even if we get Arod, and trade Nomar, theres not enough money left over to sign him. I was wondering though that if we traded Manny for Arod, who would be our left fielder? Would we move Millar out there and bring in Ortiz to play 1st?
[url]http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/stats/player.php?id=453973[/url]
Going to huge someday.
one would think so .... but why theo is playing Fantasy ball here ... what better way to really stick it George ... does Boston have three OF that are better ...
Nixon, Manny, Sheff ... send Damon on a trade to Pittsburgh for Kendall ... Nevermind that you have a catcher .... you have a SS too but thats not stopping Theo from .. " upgrading"
For one, there's no way Kendall is better than Varitek. The sox won't get Sheffield. No need for him, and not enough money. Even if we get Arod, and trade Nomar, theres not enough money left over to sign him. I was wondering though that if we traded Manny for Arod, who would be our left fielder? Would we move Millar out there and bring in Ortiz to play 1st?
sheffield .... I just told ya .... and I'd take my chance with Kendall over Varitek ..
one would think so .... but why theo is playing Fantasy ball here ... what better way to really stick it George ... does Boston have three OF that are better ...
Nixon, Manny, Sheff ... send Damon on a trade to Pittsburgh for Kendall ... Nevermind that you have a catcher .... you have a SS too but thats not stopping Theo from .. " upgrading"
For one, there's no way Kendall is better than Varitek. The sox won't get Sheffield. No need for him, and not enough money. Even if we get Arod, and trade Nomar, theres not enough money left over to sign him. I was wondering though that if we traded Manny for Arod, who would be our left fielder? Would we move Millar out there and bring in Ortiz to play 1st?
sheffield .... I just told ya .... and I'd take my chance with Kendall over Varitek ..
Even if you think Varitek's numbers will slide, and I do, 'Tek is teh heart and the soul of that team. YOu often complain about the whiners on the Sox. Well, 'Tek and Trot Nixon are the opposite of that. Just true ball players.
Anyway, I'd expect Theo to get some nontender to play left. He won't put Millar out there, don't worry. And he won't sign Sheff or Vlad. Cameron would do well.
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by mikcou » Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:45 am 
...check that out .....
Maybe he thinks he can get more money in Boston 
