You can never count the New York Yankees out when it comes to utilizing their deep pocketbooks in free agency, but ESPN's Jayson Stark doesn't think that will translate when it comes to the potential pursuit of veteran free agent righty James Shields.
In fact, Stark believes that the Yankees' recent aversion to handing out mega-contracts to players north of 30 will likely take them out of the running for the former Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals ace:
We'd all concede that you can never count the Yankees out on anything or anybody. But if you've paid attention to their offseason, could it possibly be more obvious that they're steering themselves away from pricey 30-something free agents looking for $100 million paydays? They've been all about getting younger and loading up on bullpen depth. And Shields would contribute to neither. Not to mention that his career ERA in the new Yankee Stadium is 6.35.
Shields, 33, is likely seeking, at the very least, a five-year deal in the $100 million range - numbers that don't compute with GM Brian Cashman's current M.O. on the free agent market.
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