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Yankees can handle Sosa's ego
Posted: Thursday June 15, 2000 01:52 PM
Sammy Sosa has quarreled with his manager. He refers to himself and conducts himself as a superstar. How would that act play with the New York Yankees, where there are no superstars -- with the possible exception of manager Joe Torre? One former Yankee told me he could see several situations where Sosa wouldn't be a good fit. Boston, for instance, where Carl Everett didn't exactly roll out the red carpet this week. But the player I spoke with said, "I don't think the Yankees would be a problem. Joe wouldn't let it be a problem. Hey, he handled Darryl Strawberry, didn't he? He could handle Sammy."
10/5, good buddySosa is one of 19 players with 10/5 rights, meaning he has 10 years of big league service, the last five with the same team, and veto power over any trade. Another dozen players could join the 10/5 club by season's end. Scott Erickson, for instance, will qualify on July 7, prompting one club executive to say he expects the Orioles to deal the veteran righthander before the All-Star break. Erickson's contract lists eight teams to which he cannot be traded, which further complicates matters. Others who could be dealt before they qualify later this year: Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford, Cubs righthander Kevin Tapani and Orioles outfielder B.J. Surhoff, who has a limited no-trade clause in his contract as well.
Leaving the nestScouts have been hovering around the Orioles' carcass for weeks, waiting for owner Peter Angelos to give the go-ahead on a fire sale. Personnel man Syd Thrift warmed up this week with a couple of minor deals, but the big names could start flying out the door soon, names like Surhoff, Charles Johnson, Mike Bordick, Will Clark and Delino DeShields. Mike Mussina has a full no-trade clause but could waive it under the right circumstances. Look for setup man Mike Trombley to go soon, perhaps to Montreal.Says one scout on the Orioles beat: "I see Surhoff looking in the stands before every game to see which clubs have come to see him. It's sad. He needs to get out of there. I think anybody's available there." Mike Berardino covers baseball for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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