Brian Cashman welcomes Carl Pavano to New York.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
BERGEN COUNTY RECORD
NEW YORK
Say farewell to Carl Pavano, if you haven't already, as the doomed right-hander moves closer to elbow surgery which will end his season and (thankfully) his Yankee career.
Pavano was in Pensacola, Fla., on Friday, where he was supposedly being examined by Dr. James Andrews. There was no further news, however, as Pavano failed to get in touch with the Yankees and his agent, forcing all parties to admit they'd temporarily lost track of the pitcher.
Typical Pavano, unreliable to the end. Still, there's only one possible conclusion to this bizarre saga: Pavano will have reconstructive surgery that will keep him on the disabled list until mid-2008. And that's exactly what he's wanted all along.
Even before the scheduled visit to Andrews, Pavano was telling teammates he needs an operation. One Yankee said on Friday, "He's going to have [this surgery] one way or another." Pavano was going to find a doctor, any doctor, who could hasten his final exit from the Bronx.
Pavano will be remembered as the worst mistake of general manager Brian Cashman's tenure -- and there've been a few. None, however, have been this expensive or this embarrassing. At $10 million a year, Pavano hasn't just been a negative value, he's savaged Cashman's reputation, as well.
The GM was fleeced by a pitcher who never intended to honor his contract. Even if you accept that Pavano's elbow is legitimately damaged, the constellation of preceding injuries told you there was something spiritually wrong with him. Pavano made Cashman look like a fool, and the GM compounded his mistake by insisting the right-hander would make a storybook comeback in 2007.
Cashman finally admitted on Friday, "This hasn't worked out" for either Pavano or the Yankees. But the GM is still being too nice. He - and agent Gregg Clifton, another honorable man – should stop making excuses for Pavano, stop talking about his bad luck and articulate what everyone in the baseball community already knows.
And that is, Pavano has made off with the greatest heist in recent Yankee memory. Who knew it would end this badly? Pavano had everyone so thoroughly conned: He was blessed with that power sinker, the Connecticut roots, the championship pedigree from the 2003 Marlins. He even turned down more money from the Tigers just to play in pinstripes.
But something happened to Pavano in his first six weeks in New York. A member of the organization said: "He realized he couldn't handle it here. Everything, all of this, was too much for him." And so began the steady blur of unthinkable injuries – the back, the buttocks, the shoulder, bone chips in the elbow. Now comes the doomsday setback, Tommy John surgery, which will keep Pavano on the disabled list for 12-16 months.
That extended invisibility will give everyone a perfect exit strategy: Pavano won't be pressured to return, allowing him to get paid for doing nothing. And if Cashman wants it, he'll have the last word.
Goodbye.
There's no reason for the Yankees not to sever their ties with Pavano. There's no financial incentive to keep him around; his money is guaranteed and the Bombers will collect their insurance payout. Buying out Pavano will allow the Yankees to at least regain their dignity after two years of humiliation within the industry.
Even Clifton has trouble mustering a defense for his client. This is the same agent who represents some of the game's most ethical players, including Tom Glavine. Clifton came to Pavano's rescue this winter, determined to rehabilitate the right-hander's career and reputation. But having been undercut by Pavano, Clifton had to skirt around the events of the last two years and speak of Pavano's future (assuming he has one.)
"Carl is still a young man, and if this is all because of an injury, he might be better than ever after he recovers," Clifton said by telephone on Friday.
When asked specifically about Pavano's damaged legacy, Clifton said: "You just keep moving forward. If what went wrong was physical, then you think about getting better. At least you have a reason for what went wrong, something you can point to."
Clifton might have had a point, if the bad elbow was all that ailed Pavano. But once a player spends too much time on the DL, people start talking, even the ones who wear the same uniform. Cashman likes to say every one of Pavano's injuries was diagnosed and confirmed by a board certified physician. But ballplayers have a truer, sixth sense about who wants to be on the field and who doesn't.
You don't have to ask how the Yankees felt about Pavano. His latest setback hardly caused a ripple in the clubhouse. The Bombers were beyond shock or anger or even disappointment. Pavano was all but dead to the Yankees. If anything, the finality of Tommy John surgery will lighten the clubhouse, if not the organization.
The Yankees won't have to issue empty progress reports on Pavano's latest comeback. And he won't have to think of any more injuries. Good thing, since Pavano was running out of available body parts.
Not to worry, though: Dr. Andrews will soon take everyone off the hook. Presumably, he'll fix Pavano's elbow, too.
E-mail: klapisch@northjersey.com
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