Nothing imminent with Yanks and Ibanez
February, 6, 2012
Feb 6
8:18
PM ET
By
Wallace Matthews | ESPNNewYork.com
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, if that's truly what they are, "nothing is about to happen'' between the Yankees and Raul Ibanez, one of four candidates for a designated hitter job, the last opening on the club. According to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, the Yankees are interested in either Ibanez, Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui for the job, the youngest of whom is Matsui, who is 37 until June 12. Presumably, Eric Chavez, 34, is still in the running as well.
This evening, FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Yankees "are in serious discussions'' with the 39-year-old Ibanez, coming off a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Phillies. Rosenthal said Ibanez "would take less'' to play for the Yankees than he might elsewhere, although according to a team source, he's got to take even less than that.
"Prices have got to come down a bit,'' the source told Andrew Marchand, before the Yankees interest in Ibanez truly becomes a negotiation. Which of course means the Yankees are interested. Ibanez, like the others a left-handed hitter, batted .245 with 20 HRs and 84 RBI for the Phillies in 2011.
This evening, FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Yankees "are in serious discussions'' with the 39-year-old Ibanez, coming off a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Phillies. Rosenthal said Ibanez "would take less'' to play for the Yankees than he might elsewhere, although according to a team source, he's got to take even less than that.
"Prices have got to come down a bit,'' the source told Andrew Marchand, before the Yankees interest in Ibanez truly becomes a negotiation. Which of course means the Yankees are interested. Ibanez, like the others a left-handed hitter, batted .245 with 20 HRs and 84 RBI for the Phillies in 2011.
Wallace Matthews
ESPNNewYork.comWallace Matthews has covered New York sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com after working for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and 1050 ESPN New York.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Wallace Matthews
Wallace Matthews has covered NY sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He joins ESPNNewYork to cover the Yankees, which he's done since the days of Stump Merrill for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and ESPN 1050.
Andrew Marchand
Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork.com. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, 1050 ESPN New York and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years as a sports writer at the New York Post.
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| NYY | 24-21 | 14-11 | 10-10 | W3 | |
| OAK | 22-24 | 10-13 | 12-11 | L3 |
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYY | 24-21 | 14-11 | 10-10 | W3 | |
| OAK | 22-24 | 10-13 | 12-11 | L3 |
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Derek Jeter
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