QUOTE (Liquid Tension @ Oct 17 2008, 06:53 AM)

A post earlier form I think Tom stated how old the Yankees are getting, but this year they will remove a lot from the payroll with contracts up. I am not in favor of bringing back both Mussina and Pettitte, although it can be argued that if they are each for one year deals then it might make sense. In general, Pettitte surprised me 2 years ago that his ERA approached 4. This year is about what I would expect from him so is it really worth it? Mussina reinvented himself, but I have to think if he wants to play he will want a 2 year deal at good coin. With Joba wanting to start, I don't think we need both of them IF Sabbathia will be hunted/signed.
Mussina finished the year 7th in the AL in ERA+.
Pettitte had an ERA of 4.54, but a Fielding Independent Pitching stat of 3.74. This implies with different luck and circumstances, it could have been quite lower.
As for the contracts going off the books, here is excellent analysis from www.nomaas.org:
QUOTE
10.15.2008 NoMaas offseason idea #5 -- Free agents & the '09 draft
This offseason is the perfect storm for the Yankees to leverage their financial advantage over the rest of baseball, as there is really no downside to spending on big-name veterans. Normally, if the Yankees were to sign a Type-A free agent, they would have to forfeit their 1st round pick in the 2009 draft to whichever team it was that the player came from, and this would detract from the net value of the transaction. Considering how valuable building a farm system has become in recent years, 1st round picks have become a pretty significant price to pay.
At the same time, the Yankees have a number of their own players that could be filing for free agency. Pettitte, Mussina, Giambi, Abreu, and Pudge will all be free agents. Marte has a $6 million option which, if declined, would make him a free agent. Pettitte, Moose, Abreu, Pudge, and Marte all stand to be Type-A free agents, while Giambi will likely slot in as a Type-B. Remember - each Type-A free agent that another team signs away from the Yankees will net the team two picks in the 2009 draft, while each Type-B brings back one.
Often times this compensation factor leads us to wonder if signing a player is worth it, as it could potentially cost the team a shot at an Andrew Brackman, Phil Hughes, or Joba Chamberlain. In the case of this offseason it is clear that signing a Sabathia or Teixeira is clearly worth giving up the draft pick. They are young, talented, and of elite production. The beauty of this offseason though, is that with so many players coming off the books, there is not only money to spend, but a potential windfall of picks coming back to the Yankees if they let some of these players walk (after offering arbitration, of course). Also, lets not forget that the team already has two additional picks in the 2009 draft from not signing Gerrit Cole and Scott Bittle. Those picks, as well any picks that the Yankees gain from losing their own free agents, cannot be lost to the compensation rules. The only picks he Yankees can lose are the standard 2009 picks they get based upon their record this past season.
So, going into this offseason, the Yankees' 2009 draft picks are:
1st round: #26, #31 (Cole)
2nd round: #76 (approximately), and #80 (Bittle)
Lets say they sign Sabathia AND Teixeira. They lose their natural 1st and 2nd rounders, and are still left with picks #31 and #80. Now, lets say out of the six free agents that are coming off the books, Giambi, Pudge, Abreu, and Marte are offered arbitration and sign elsewhere. This adds an additional SEVEN draft picks, in the first 80 or so picks of the draft, to the Yankees haul.
Not only could the Yankees land some prime free agents this offseason, but they could also simultaneously turn the first two rounds of the 2009 MLB draft into their personal playground. It really is the perfect storm, as it allows the team to build for next year while not just maintaining their presence in the draft, but actually increasing it significantly. This could be a huge moment for the direction of the franchise and we can only hope that they capitalize on this incredible opportunity.