Every winter, baseball's free agents heartlessly abandon their teams and clubs, casually trade away their stars. It's come to be known as the Hot Stove. This offseason has been chock full of big-name signings and trades. Some teams reaped the benefits while others got screwed. This week, we'll review one big winner and one big loser.
Big Winner: New York Yankees
The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000, yet they have maintained the same offseason strategy for six straight years: buy the most expensive free agent available, trade away all their prospects and pay no attention to team chemistry. Largely as a result of their expensive and imperialistic offseasons, the Yankees have continued to fall short of their lofty expectations - a group of all-stars does not always equate team success. This offseason, after a shocking and frustrating American League Division Series defeat to the $82.6 million-payroll Detroit Tigers (the Yankees payroll totaled $194.6 million), the Yankees have made all the right moves. Thanks in part to owner George Steinbrenner's poor health and subsequent apathy towards the team, general manager Brian Cashman has had the freedom to do exactly what the Yankees needed: build team chemistry, strengthen the farm system and bolster the pitching staff with high-quality (not just big-name) players.
In their first major move, the Yanks traded 'roid-raging 38-year-old Gary Sheffield to the Tigers for three pitching prospects, including highly-touted Humberto Sanchez. Instead of continuing the failed experiment of employing Sheffield at first base, the Yankees wisely cut their losses and moved on. They saved money, got rid of Sheffield's "me-first" attitude and restocked their young arms.
The Bronx Bombers second shrewd move was retaining Mike Mussina, their most reliable pitcher. Mussina has been a key component in the Yankees rotation since 2001, and resigning him was a top priority this winter. Cashman signed Moose to a 2-year, $23 million contract. He is a proven winner in the playoffs (3.40 ERA in 22 games) and in the regular season (2006: 15-7, 3.51 ERA), and will continue to help the Yanks in 2007.
Next, New York signed fan-favorite Andy Pettitte to solidify the rotation. Pettitte was a staple of the Yanks' rotation during their late-90's dominance, and his mere presence helps the team's chemistry and competitive fire. In the second half of 2006 - a player's late-season performance is often an accurate predictor of what his success will be the following season - Pettitte went 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA. While his numbers will probably worsen with a switch to the American League since pitchers are replaced by designated hitters in opposing lineups, Pettitte's cut fastball, pickoff move and steadiness under pressure are exactly what the doctor ordered.
Finally, the Yankees landed a terrific final blow, dealing 43-year-old Randy Johnson to his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. By getting rid of his ornery attitude and 5.00 ERA, the Yankees have drastically improved the clubhouse atmosphere and opened the door for uber-prospect Philip Hughes. Hughes has yet to play above double-A, but his minor league stats (over three seasons: 2.13 ERA, 10.21 strikeouts per nine innings) and 96 mph fastball have Yankees officials drooling over the 20-year-old's potential. Hughes will most likely begin the 2007 season at triple-A, but his chances of a mid-season call-up have greatly increased with the Big Unit's departure.
Big Loser: Los Angeles Dodgers
Since the Dodgers play in the perennially weak NL West, they still stand a chance of winning the division despite an awful offseason.
They signed aging, injury-prone and inconsistent Jason Schmidt to a 3-year, $47 million contract. Schmidt somehow convinced the Dodgers that he still has something to offer even though his career is clearly on the decline. His strikeouts have been in a freefall since 2003 and home runs allowed have steadily climbed despite pitching his home games in pitcher friendly AT&T Park. The most revealing statistic is during Schmidt's most "dominant" seasons, 2003 and 2004, he allowed 6.60 hits per nine innings, which was significantly lower than his career mark of 8.28. This means that during his "good" seasons, Schmidt was probably just very lucky; balls put in play off Schmidt happened to go straight to fielders, a variable out of the pitcher's control. Schmidt, at age 34, will not be the ace L.A. is paying him to be.
Also, after several moves, their outfield is a mess. In left field: Luis Gonzalez? The Dodgers signed the 39-year-old to a one-year contract to be their everyday left-fielder. All of Gonzalez's significant offensive statistics are on the decline, and his range in the outfield has eroded to a below-average level. In center field, they signed weak-armed, weak-hitting Juan Pierre to a five-year deal. Pierre is a good, speedy player (2006: .292, 58 SB), but he adds little to a team with no power. The Dodgers are paying him to be their leadoff hitter even though Pierre had a pathetic .330 on-base percentage in 2006, which ranked 25th among MLB leadoff hitters. In right field, they have second-year player Andre Ethier who will try to fill the void left by power-hitting J.D. Drew's departure to the Red Sox. With their retooled and largely depleted outfield, the 2007 Dodgers don't project to score - or prevent - too many runs.
Ellis Rochelson '09 prefers women with a WHIP below 1.00.
