...one out

The New York Yankees and Tom Gordon have parted company after two good years with each other. The former setup man for Mariano Rivera has finalised his move to Philadelphia to become the new closer for the Phillies after Billy Wagner moved to NL East rivals the New York Mets.

Gordon gets $4.5 million next year, $7 million in 2007 and $5.5 million in 2008. The Phillies have a 2009 option of $4.5 million with a $1 million buyout. The 38 year-old had been angling for that guaranteed third year all off season and the Phillies were the first club to offer him that and the deal was sorted extremely quickly.

He’ll be 41 at the end of the deal, 42 if they exercise his 2009 option. Most Yankee fans (including me) will be sad to see him depart as he still had something very good to offer the club. However with Flash being a type A Free Agent, the Yankees will receive Philadelphia’s first round pick as well as getting a supplementary pick at the end of the first round of the 2006 draft.

As long as Flash wasn’t accepting a two-year deal then the Yankees did right to let him walk, this club needs to stop giving out dumb contracts and slowly they seem to be doing just that.