hate to say i told you so
5.06.2005
That's the price George Steinbrenner is paying for years of chasing older, expensive players. Everyone saw the crash coming - except The Boss. That was never more apparent than the last off-season, when Steinbrenner insisted on acquiring Randy Johnson, when his lieutenants begged him to take Carlos Beltran instead.
If ever there was a time for Steinbrenner to flood the market with his millions, it would've been for the free agent center fielder - precisely the player the Yankees needed in the post-Bernie Williams era. If history has taught us anything, it's that the Bombers need a switch-hitting center fielder to win championships, and Beltran would've ensured a smooth transition well into the new millennium.
Even more maddening was the revelation that Beltran would've given the Yankees a $10 million discount. All they had to do was call. Instead, Johnson's contract, worth $48 million with a two-year extension, broke the bank. One team insider said Steinbrenner finally reached his pain threshold when he realized the luxury tax would exceed $50 million.
Was Johnson really worth it? The point isn't open to debate within the Yankees' hierarchy. As the team source put it, "George had to have him. He wasn't going to budge. That's all he's been talking about for the last couple of years."
No wonder the Mets moved so frantically to sign Beltran in the hours after he turned down the Astros' offer of arbitration. GM Omar Minaya was convinced Steinbrenner would've eventually come to his senses, had Beltran been on the market for more than a day. So the Mets negotiated all night, making sure Beltran was theirs before The Boss woke up. [bob klapisch]
