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totally inexplicable. spending money on every free agent available is fine, but spending $16 mill on abreu is a problem? he would have been a great 1-year signing, at worst. and he probably would have signed elsewhere, bringing two picks to the Yanks. i simply do not understand this at all. all of a sudden the economy is an issue for them? but it won't be after the winter meetings when fa signings are being bandied about, i can assure you of that.

i am really disappointed in this move (or lack thereof). are we focusing on youth while also spending big for a winner now? if so, as has been publicly stated to be the case, then not offering abreu arbitration is both inexplicable and insulting to yankee fans.

Haha - Mr. Delaware said it was a given that Abreu would get offered arbitration. He knows nothing when it comes to the Yankees. He should stick with the Nationals.

Not offering arb to Abreu is confusing. I know they have Damon and Nady lined up to be their LF and RF, but Abreu will definitely sign with another team. This non-move just cost the Yanks a pick. Even if he did accept, you could put Damon in CF, Nady in LF, and Abreu in RF and that's not too shabby. Spell Damon once in a while with Melky/Gardner and it would work fine.

Hey Jon - didn't you "report" that the Yankees were offering Abreu arbitration back on November 18th? Why should we trust anything you report? Were the people "familiar with their thinking" that you relied on for the Nov 18th scoop Cashman's drycleaners or something? Why not out your source if he's feeding you lies?

I just dont understand where the Yankees are headed. One moment Cashman wants to build from the farm. Hughes and Kennedy tank, and now he has to sign all these FA pitchers, but he decides to totally write-off a way to recoup two of the draft picks of the several they will lose. I just dont know what they are thinking, it's sad as a Yankee fan that the thing i am most jealous of that the Red SOx AND Rays have, isnt a player on the roster. Rather I wish we had a top tier front office like those organizations have.

stupidity reins when it comes to the Steinbrenner brothers.

Can somebody explain to athequous that all this does is make sure that if the yankees bring them back they won't have to pay them more than in 2008? maybe they'll get them cheaper because THEY CAN STILL SIGN THEM. There is no way either of those guys are getting $16M or more anywhere else so they would have taken the arbitration for sure.

I thought Cashmans plan was to get younger by building through the draft. All of a sudden he gets panicked by Abreu possibly staying for a year. I'm sure he will get at least a 2 year deal from someone else. Why don't they sign Pettite for the year already? Maybe we should trust Cashman picking up another Kei Igawa or Carl Pavano as a Free Agent.

this is hard to understand.... cashmoney is the man and i will have faith that he knows more than me and knows whats hes doing.....

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 05:58 PM ET  12.01 by athequous

totally inexplicable. spending money on every free agent available is fine, but spending $16 mill on abreu is a problem? he would have been a great 1-year signing, at worst.

The thing is no other team is going to give him anything near that number. Even if the Yankees do want Abreu back, it won't cost $16M.

Abreu will be 35 after next season, which means he still stands a bit of a chance of getting a multi-year deal somewhere if he can't find the deal he wants now. If he got a three-year deal after '09, he would be making much more money at the age of 38 than he probably would be if he made a deal now and was a free agent at 38. So he's actually probably better off taking one year and $17M or so from the Yanks. Too big a risk for the Yankees to make.

Why spend $16M with Abreu? Abreu has been ineffective for the Yankees since mid-07 season, so it is a good call.

I would like to see the Yankees bringing Pettite back. It would be amazing see he pitching in the first game of the new stadium.

20 hrs, 20 sb, 100 rbis, 100 runs, and .290 avg is hard to replace. Unless the Yanks obtain Tex and/or Manny, losing Abreu would be a big mistake. He is the only #3 hitter the Yanks have and is a better fielder than Damon (fear of walls notwithstanding.) Neither Matsui nor Posada, if healthy, replace Abreu's multiple tools and top third of the lineup ability. We were mediocre offensively with Abreu and Giambi. Please tell me the Yanks are not content with hoping that a healthy Matsui, Posada and Swisher make up for that. Last years decline may have been in part due to injuries but age and health problems cannot be discounted future forth. The Yanks should have offered Abreu and Pettitte arbitration for the fact that, at worst, they are better than the Yanks current options and are only 1 yr commitments or if they don't sign, you get two picks, at best, they save the Yanks from their own stupidity in committing to guys like AJ and Lowe long term.

Just seems odd to pass on the draft picks here. And for a team that threw money around for years it sounds suspect that they are now afraid to pay maybe an extra $2M over what they paid these guys last year if they were to accept arbitration. Abreu wants a multi year deal so it was almost certain he would not accept it and they'd get the draft picks. Pettitte though I could see not offering him it because chances are he would accept it.

I dont understand what they're thinking the picks would be great to have as iy looks as if Andy is dreaming LA and what was really the worst that would have happened with Abreu you keep him for another year get close to a .300 avg 20 hrs and 100 RBI's what a downer!!! Bad move Yanks this may hurt

Apparently most on here don't get how arbitration works. As Heyman points out $16 million would be the starting point for what either player would get. Very possible each would end up with $20 million deals. The Yankees desperately need to get younger and continuing to overpay aging stars is not going to make that happen. However I think the Yanks were fools not to try and get Pettitte to take a two year $20 million deal. If he really wants to keep playing he is not likely to see a better offer than that. But by ignoring him, while shopping for every limp arm on the market, just as they did in 2003, they have guaranteed he will go elsewhere.