I’m fine with trading Cameron, actually, even for the Melkster. The trick is, although Melky is a much better value in center, he’s not nearly as good. You’re not going to win many World Series with Melky in center. Similarly, although a change of scenery might do wonders for Igawa, he’s still going to be paid $12 million over the next three years, even if he’s mowing down batters in Nashville.

I guess I’m not sold that a year of Cameron + the draft pick isn’t worth more than a few season of Melkeigawa.

And I would like to make clear that any deal that includes Igawa is a non-starter in the McSuperFly school of baseball franchising. Melvin will earn a lot of scorn if he takes Igawa.

I personally believe this is a horrible deal and that Gord Ash is right that they should walk away.

I tend to agree with the prevailing wisdom that the Yankees are a bunch of Nuggnuts

You know, my roommate in college had Nuggnuts. Penucillin clears that right up.

One year for $10 million is not bad for an above average CF and is valuable for the Brewers if they want to contend this year- and it is only a $4.0million savings this year- but NEGATIVE $13-15 million for the following 2 years- so $11 million in additional spending for a downgrade at CF this year.

Next year, instead of getting a sandwich pick if Cameron declines arbritration and has a decent year… we have Melky and Igawa at a combined $6 million and again in 2011 for $7 million (both may still be below average at that point).

So in essense, the options are a cash outlay of $10million for one year of an above average CF, or $19 million for the next three years for 2 below average players (perhaps one of the two could show some improvement).

IMO, it is time for the Brewers to pull out, unless the Yankees offer to pay $9-10 million of Igawa’s salary.

I dont know if I am perfect with my numbers but 12 million for Igawa over next three, and predicted $2 million this year for Melky, $3 million the next year and $4 million the year following? Is that how long arbritation goes for and typical raises if he shows minimal improvement?

We keep Cameron and dangle him as a mid-season trade next July if we’re out of playoff contention. Cabrera and Igawa just don’t do it for me, unless they’re a huge salary relief. And paying ANY of Igawa’s bloated salary negates the “salary relief” portion.

I think it’s about time to tell Cashman to go fuck himself.

I haven’t been paying attention to the discussion about this trade, so pardon me if I’m covering old ground.

Until now, I had been assuming that the Yankees would be paying a significant portion of Igawa’s salary for the remainder of his contract. If it’s just for next year, that obviously makes the deal less sweet. At the same time, and I said the same thing when Jeff Suppan signed, it’s not my money. As long as it doesn’t hamstring the club from making other moves, they can pay any player whatever the hell Attanasio wants to. This argument, I admit, has lost some of its credibility with the sight of Suppan performing important tasks like starting playoff games for no real reason other than that we’re paying him a bunch of money, but I think the sense of Igawa being owed even a roster spot, much less a rotation spot, isn’t there like it is for Soup.

Now, to Melky and Mike. I guess I kinda have to admit that as I was putting together the Brewers chapter for the THT book, I’ve begun thinking about 2009 as a bit of a lost year. I could be wrong, but I don’t think the difference in production between Cameron and Cabrera will be the difference between making the playoffs and not. I don’t really know anything about Melky, and I have no idea to what degree his cratering last year was ascribed to anything other than him just sucking (i.e. “playing in New York”), but guys that are league average at 21 usually become okay ballplayers.

All in all, as long as the money doesn’t prevent future moves, I’m in favor of gambling that Melky becomes something and Igawa finds whatever attracted people to him in the first place, if the non-monetary price is merely a year of a pretty good Mike Cameron that isn’t likely to propel the Brewers to the playoffs anyway.

Someone named Theron emailed Rambling Al. Emaling Rambling Al seems like a very recondite thing to do.

Brad Nelson plays third base?

is what the Yankees would likely top out at in terms of contract relief for Igawa. I’m not sure how folks are still assuming that the Brewers are going to be on the hook for all 4MM each of the next 3 years. It appears the sticking point just now is the amount of Igawa’s pay the Brewers want the Yankees to take on.

So, in light of this, I’d assume that its going to be 6MM over the next 3 years, and assume Melky gets 2, 3, 4 for arb. That makes a total of $15MM. So the total amount is $5MM more over 3 years than 1 year of Mike Cameron. And, as is proven here, Melky Cabrera’s stats at his age vs. Mike Cameron’s stats at the same ages are significantly better. I know we’re talking 24 year old Melky and 36 year old Mikey, but the odds of Cabrera improving every season he’s with the Brewers seem better than fishing for a new CF every year after this one when we no longer have Cameron.

I’m glad no one is honestly asking about Tony Gwynn Jr. He’s not ever going to be anyone’s everyday CF. And as far as Cain is concerned, I feel its just to early to say whether he’ll be able to play well in CF, considering he’s only played 45 games higher than A ball.

I’d be interested to see what they actually do with Hernan Iribarren. He’s been playing predominantly LF, and is thus blocked by Ryan Braun. Perhaps move him back to 2B and get rid of Dick Weeks…

i’d do melky for cameron straight up.
i’d do melky + igawa + 6 million dollars for cameron.
i’d do melky + igawa for cameron + bill hall

(then i’d go after orlando hudson, and have weeks/melky duke it out for cf)
(i’d also trade prince fielder for pitching/3b, and move gamel to first and give him the job opening day)

:)

According to Newsday, the Melky/Mikey trade is off.

It sounds as though the Yankees will not be getting Mike Cameron to play centerfield next year. That could change, of course, but I just got off the phone with Brewers GM Doug Melvin. He said: “Nothing new. At this point, I don’t anticipate it’s something that we would (do). … I haven’t talked to Brian (Cashman) since last week.”
Melvin said they had originally looked at moving Cameron to gain some flexibility on the pitching front but that is no longer such a need. Said Melvin: “I like Mike Cameron a lot. He means a lot in our clubhouse. He’s a very positive presence. He’s a good player. He’s played on a lot of playoff teams — maybe more than anybody. He’s got a lot of intangibles. (A trade is) not something that we’re pushing at this time.”
The Yankees obviously aren’t pushing it either, given that Cashman and Melvin haven’t spoken since leaving Las Vegas last week.