SHEFF SURPRISE!

By JOEL SHERMAN
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December 9, 2003 -- You know how Gary Sheffield was sealed and delivered to the Yankees. Well, it turns out he is not signed and doubt has emerged if he will end up in pinstripes at all.
The Yanks believed they had agreed two weeks ago with Sheffield on a three-year accord with an option worth $39 million. Sheffield actually confirmed a deal had been struck on Nov. 25 in a published report.

But officials who have spoken to the Yanks in recent days say Sheffield has reneged on the handshake agreement he had with George Steinbrenner, demanding more money so that his annual average salary would climb beyond $13 million.

Sheffield and Steinbrenner had not even talked in the past few days, and The Boss had grown furious with minor league executive Dwight Gooden, who is Sheffield's uncle and acted as a go-between in the negotiations, for this breakdown in contact.

Despite the strain in relationships, it remains likely Sheffield will be a Yankee. The Braves did not offer arbitration to Sheffield, removing the only other suitor willing to pay him big money. In addition, The Boss still badly wants to add an impact bat.

To get that bat - and perhaps to gain leverage on Sheffield - Steinbrenner ordered GM Brian Cashman to call Vladimir Guerrero's agent, Fern Cuza, over the weekend. The Yanks also are going to look into other free-agent right fielders, including Juan Gonzalez, who invoked his no-trade clause in 2000 to cancel a deal to The Bronx.

The Yanks are in a media blackout, and neither Cuza nor Sheffield's business manager, Rufus Williams, returned calls. But it is believed the Yanks offered Guerrero the same deal they were prepared to give Sheffield. Team officials say Cuza is still seeking a deal of at least seven years, and the Orioles are considered the front-runners.



To this point, the Yanks have spurned Cuza's request on contract length. But if the Sheffield deal cannot be resurrected and the Red Sox land Alex Rodriguez - and many agents and team officials think the star shortstop eventually will go to Boston - then Steinbrenner could further ratchet up his battle with the Red Sox by bidding more aggressively for Guerrero, the best free agent still available.

The Yanks already have reacted to problems with Sheffield by signing Ruben Sierra to a one-year, $1 million pact after last week determining they would not keep him. The Yanks see Sierra as right field/DH insurance if Sheffield is not signed and after trading Nick Johnson for Javier Vazquez.

When word spread from the Yankee camp early last week that a snag had surfaced in negotiations with Sheffield, it was generally assumed that was a smokescreen. The theory was the Yanks were trying to protect a draft pick by bluffing the Braves into not offering arbitration to Sheffield. That Sheffield was working out at the Yanks' Tampa complex and was being quoted, in published reports, referring to the Yanks as "we" gave credence that Sheffield was signed.

The Braves did not offer Sheffield arbitration at the Sunday deadline, but Atlanta thought the Yanks were being deceptive and asked the Commissioner's Office to look into the matter. Braves GM John Schuerholz said yesterday, "I am not commenting on that" and major league VP Frank Coonelly did not return calls.

When asked if the latest revelation of a breakdown was another smokescreen to give the Yanks cover against a potential Braves grievance, an AL executive who had spoken to the Yanks said it was his understanding that Sheffield had not taken a physical, that final contractual details were never put on paper and that, "Sheffield had backed out of a deal the Yankees were comfortable with because he wants more money."

Sheffield, who fired Scott Boras as his agent to represent himself, did get himself traded out of Los Angeles (with Boras facilitating the deal to Atlanta) by - in part - regularly complaining that he was underpaid, especially in comparison to a few of his teammates. Also, Steinbrenner hardly can complain about the validity of a handshake deal. David Wells had one after the 2001 season with Arizona, and The Boss convinced the lefty to renege on that to sign a better deal with the Yankees.

A veteran agent who has been talking to the Yanks said: "You have a crazy owner and a crazy player. Who knows if they even know what their last offer was to each other? There is no surprise to anyone in the business if things unraveled when it is these two coming face-to-face."


source: New York Post

Note the Media Area in the Olde Town Team Forum Area.

That being said, this news caused me to rub my hands together with glee! Sheffield and Steinbrenner deserve each other. Hey George, how do you like handshake agreements now?

The best thing that could happen now for the Red Sox is that Baltimore inks Vlady in the next couple of days. Then the Yankees will be on the hot seat to sign Sheffield, and overpay (not that that matters to them). Or maybe the thing falls through and Sheff goes back to Atlanta?

The possibilities are delicious!

YAY

I have already accepted they get Sheff. A 3 year 45 million doller deal would make me

Guess the Braves and Sox get the last laugh.

as long as Guerrero does not end up on the Yankees then it is all good news to me! I hope Guerrero signs with Baltimore very very soon....that would make me feel good (unless he wants to come to the Sox)...but that isn't happening of course. As long as he is not a Yankee I'll be happy.

I think Sheffield will still end up in NY. I wonder if this deal is getting Doc a little nervous about his job security ......The Boss isn't pleased at the break down in communication with his nephew. I can't see and don't want to see Vlady in New York. He has said that he dosn't want to play in a big market, so I hope Baltimore can snatch him up quick.

Schillondahill

Actually, the dream scenario is the Yankees start a bidding war with themselves. Offering Sheffield's contract to Guerrero is certain to net a 'NO', considering Guerrero wants both more money and more years, and the Yankees might up their bid.. When Guerrero finally jumps off the market with the Os, Sheffield will come a-calling again, and this time he WILL get more money due to the Yankees offering more to Vlad (and maybe even...more years!)

Mwahahahahaha....

I think this is bad news : ( I can see it now....VLAD Signs with Yanks

That would be devastating. Hurry up and sign Sheff already, I DO NOT want to see VLAD on the Yanks

What's probably happened is George has now set his sights
on guess who? Vlad Guerrero, of course.

George is never one to go for half a banana.

Apparently satan has already had Vlad’s agent called…

... George must be ready to explode. I doubt they are going to be able to sign Vlad. He doesn't seem like the kind to want to want to play in a big market, especially in NY.

haha!
I would love to see the Yanks be stuck with JuanGon!
Plus, Pettie in Houston is looking good as Wells is going to sign back with the Yankees!

According to rotoworld, the Sheffield deal might change to the Vladimir deal:

They just talked about Sheff/Vlad/Yankees situation on ESPNews and said Sheff called the Yanks back today and is desperately trying to relay that he accepts the original 'handshake' deal he made. Sheff is gonna be a Yank and Vlad won't be because: A)he wants a large sum of money over a long period of time which is what Baltimore is poised to offer in the coming days and B)he doesn't want to play for a big market team such as Boston or NY. I see the Yanks calling Vlad as a move to make Sheffield back off his demands for more money and less defered cash and not as a serious offer.

But the Orioles shouldn't foulke around with the Yanks ... Aww I love it, Foulke with the Sox. I had chalked him up in the loss column a week and a half ago when he was taking to long to accept. What a victory fpr the Sox and what a problem for the MFY. For the first time since Babe Ruth was with us we have the upper hand by a long shot over our arch rivals.