Yankees Guy

Yankees guy has a new home

2009-01-27T21:58:00.002-05:00

We Have Moved Please click here and enjoy

Were making a move

2009-01-27T01:30:00.002-05:00

For a couple of months now the staff here at Yankees Guy has been developing a new blog. (Ok you cau.ght me I'm the staff) We are going to the dark side and switching to word press. Now I know many of you blogger.com faithful will call me a traitor and say that I sold out. In all seriousness this is going to be a strong power move for the blog. For the first month I will simultaneously post on both blogs to give everyone a chance to update their blogrolls, bookmarks, feedburners, ECT...

The new blog can be found at Yankeesmagazine.wordpress.com

It’s a power move more hits off search engines ect... Now I know what you are saying. "Mike you spent so much time building up Yankees Guy why change now" To be honest with you I like what word press has to offer and I think you will find the new blog to be just as good if not better. I appreciate all your support and your patience during this transition.

What Now

2009-01-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

Ok fans of the evil empire what do the Yankees do next? Answer the poll to the right.

I. have recently discovered feed burner. If you don't use it you should. It lets you read multiple blogs very quickly. Check it out you won’t be disappointed. You can get my feed by clicking the link on the right. Allot of people are also choosing to subscribe to Yankees Guy by E-mail. Sometimes it feels like I’m talking to myself but according to stat tracker we are averaging 20-50 hits a day and many return visits. I want to thank you all for your support and the outpouring of E-mails I have received. Your input is always appreciated. If you have Ideas for stories leave me a comment or drop me an e-mail @ mdrook6206@hotmail.com. Myself and a couple of other bloggers are thinking about putting together a monthly e-magazine which articles will be written by all of you and posted once a month. Could be allot of fun still in the works but hoping to come out with first issue next month. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading.

Deep Deep roving right field

2009-01-25T20:14:00.002-05:00

Continuing with our series evaluating the AL East position by position the Rays house the newest of the outfielders in Pat Burrell. Without knowing exactly what the Rays are planning I am assuming that he is going to play Right field. I suppose he could play left but we have already looked at Carl Crawford so for comparison sake we will look at him now. Pat has hit 20 or more HR every year since 2001, 30 or more three out of the last four seasons. He doesn’t really hit for average, .257 lifetime (very Gambish) and strikes out allot. He is an average fielder but will add some right handed pop to the Rays offence. Kind of a poor mans answer to Tex. Grade B-
Xavier Nady joined the Yankees midseason last year and made an immediate impact filling in for the injured Matsui. He hit a combined .305 25HR 97 RBI between Pittsburg and NY last season. This is a little better than his career average .280 which is still very respectable. He is an above average fielder and is well liked by everyone he has played with. The Yankees avoided an arbitration hearing and agreed to a 6million dollar deal for 2009. Among much speculation that he may be traded He remains the Yankees best option in 2009. Grade A-
However their remains the possibility that Nady could be delta prior to the start of the season. If this happens the Yankees will go with newly acquired Nick Swisher. Swisher also hits for power but unlike Nady doesn’t hit for average holding a career average of only .244. He does however have a great arm, the ability to play all three outfield positions and first base and he is 4 years younger than Nady. Swisher is expected to have a bounce back year after only batting .219 in 2008. I look for Swish to back up Tex and be a fourth outfielder for at Yanks. But don't be surprised If Nady is dealt now or at the trade deadline. Grade B-
Jd Drew has been a prize for the Red Sox that most teams would love to have. If nothing else he is consistent. A ten year Vet with a great arm and a career .280 average has started 100 or more games every year since 1998. Drew has been awesome in the post season for the Red Sox batting .314 with a Homer and 11 RBI's in 14 games. Grade B+
That pretty much wraps up position players. Next we will compare the Starting rotations starting with the Aces on Tuesday.

Why do the Yankees set themselves up

2009-01-23T02:09:00.002-05:00

The Yankees stood by Andy Petitte through thick and thin. They let him come back after he turned his back on them, they stood by him when he admitted to steroids, and finally they offered him 10 million dollars to come back in 2009 after posting a 14-14 record and an ERA over 4. Not to mention that he was horrible after the all star break. Then Pettite slaps them in the face saying he doesn’t want to take a cut in pay from the 16 million he made last season. Let’s put this in perspective here is what the Yankees starting rotation will make in 2009

1. CC $11 million

2, Wang $4 million

3. AJ Burnett $13.2 Million

4. Joba $390,000

Yet somehow Pettite believes that he is worth $16 million in 2009??? Now the Yankees are embarrassing themselves further upping their offer to $10.5 Million.

If he doesn't take it let the bum go! They can probably get Sheets and Garcia for not much more than that or let the kids fight it out for that spot. Time to focus on the Bench and the Bullpen let’s get the Rotation settled yesterday.

The Curious case of Benjamin Button.... I mean Kei Igawa

2009-01-22T14:57:00.002-05:00

Kei Igawa’s has been considered a bust by most everyone in the Majors and rightfully so in his MLB career with the Yankees he has pitched 71 innings and given up 89 hits 15 of those going yard. But what is really disturbing is his ERA being 6.66 all biblical jokes about him being the Lefty antichrist aside why has he been so good in the minors and so bad in the majors. In AAA Scranton last year he pitched 156 innings only giving up 141 hits with 117 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.47. This again brings me to the case of why is he so horrible. Let’s break it down, the good: He has a good speed ratio between his fastball and changeup. 92mph FB and 76 Mph Change. That’s a good if not great difference. He pitches to both sides of the plate and isn’t afraid to come in on Lefties. Ok now the bad: He pitches up in the strike zone, he has poor arm speed, and he relies too much on a below average curveball and he over strides causing his hips to open prematurely. Frankie Piliare of Saber Scouting describes this better than I ever could by saying "Take note of how Igawa’s leg swings open as oppose to just a normal stride forward. This also causes his hips to prematurely open. By doing this, he is causing his front foot to turn open also. Notice that his foot lands very hard on his heel and not on the ball of his foot. Because he is landing on his heel, as he begins to drive with his legs, his heel will rotate slightly before the rest of his foot comes down. It’s a small millisecond but that is more time for his front side to premature open up. Especially since he is a leg drive oriented pitcher this is especially true, but a pitcher’s upper body and arm follow and are dictated by the actions of the lower body".
In Lamons terms he needs to start listening to the Yankees pitching experts most of his problems can be corrected. He’s still a young guy at 29 and he’s a Lefty. He may never be part of the regular Yankees rotation but it’s my belief that he could be an effective lefty out of the Pen if he can overcome some of these issues. Allot of it could be mental as well in April of 2007 he came out of the pen against the Red Sox and pitched 6 inning only giving up 2 hits no runs and had six strikeouts. He didn't have time to psych himself out and he pitched well. Don't give up Yankee fans there may yet be hope for our former Japanese superstar, or perhaps we should just take the 46 million dollars we spent on him as an expensive lesson.

Center Field

2009-01-22T13:51:00.003-05:00

Here it is the long awaited Center Field comparison. Let’s start with the easy ones. The Rays feature B.J. Upton as their deep man. He has showed great speed and decent power. 2007 was his best year when he batted .300 with 24 HR. Last year was down from that but he had more hits overall and 44 stolen bases. He had 16 assists against only 7 errors. One thing to note is that he can also play the infield and in 2007 split his time between second, short and center. Overall a young talented player that can play muti positions. Grade B+

The Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury is a Gem of a Center Fielder. At only 25 years old he is a five tool player. Although he hasn’t shown allot of HR power I believe it’s there. He has a plus arm and is super fast with 50 stolen bags in 2008 and boy can he cover ground. In his short 2 year career he has yet to make an Error. He batted .280 in 2008 and you can tell if he stays healthy he will have more years over .300 than under. Grade A

With the Yankees it gets more confusing. Last year the position was shared between Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Melky started the season for the Yanks and after a poor showing was optioned back to AAA in August in favor of Brett Gardner. Gardner added a dimension that Melky did not provide. Speed, and allot of it. He didn't hit well but showed some signs of life in September after some adjustments to his swing were made by hitting Guru Kevin Long. It has been stated that the barring a trade made prior to spring training the two of them will compete for the Job. If Gardner can continue to hit like he did in September he definitely has more value. Both Cabrera and Gardner are thought to be stop gaps for Austin Jackson who is by far the organizations best Athlete. He like Gardner is very fast and has the potential to be a power hitter and great defender in the future. Unless something unusual happens in spring training he is probably a year away from the majors. Based on what the Yankees have now they get a B
The Center field edge goes to Boston but it could be different my mid season

Musical Blog, tunes to read to

2009-01-22T11:46:00.002-05:00

Now you can listen to music while you read. Yes it sounds distracting but its fun. I made sure to add some Madonna content. Just click on a song from the list and enjoy. Yes I do take requests if you want me to add a tune you like to read to.

Yankees front runners for Garcia

2009-01-22T11:02:00.005-05:00

Fox sports and MLB Hot Stove report that the Mets and The Yankees appear to be the lone suitors left in the race for Freddy Garcia. Garcia is a 10 year veteran with a career record of 118-77 however he is coming off serious shoulder surgery in 2007 that has limited him to only 73 innings over the last 2 seasons. My best estimate would be that he would have to except a minor league deal and attempt to win a spot in the rotation at spring training. A Garcia that is healthy and back to pre surgery form was definitely a winner that could eat up 200 innings a year. Its one of those roll of the dice low risk deals that the Yankees are famous for. Garcia, 32 is said to be looking for a major leauge contract that would give him termination pay if he does not make the club.

My opinion: sure what the heck nothing ventured anything gained. A low risk deal with minimal financial commitment. Heck he’s only 32 and hell we took a risk on Ponson, I would think Garcia would spend less time at the donut table.

Update: Those pesky Mets signed Garcia to a Minor Leauge Deal with big leauge provisions expected to exceed 7.5 Million. Certainly more than he is worth

Quickie

2009-01-22T10:41:00.003-05:00

You can now subscribe to Yankees Guy via E-mail just enter your e-mail address on the right and start enjoying.

The poll results are in from our whose going to start in Center field poll. Here are the results

69% Brett Gardner

23% Melky Cabrera

7% Johnny Damon

0% Mike Cameron

I would have say that the results of this poll pay a tribute to the intelligence of my readers. (except for you Idiots that voted for Damon, sorry )

More free agents to sign.. Advantage Yanks

2009-01-21T17:34:00.005-05:00

The Yankees now have an advantage when it comes to signing type A free agents. Because they have already signed 3 higher ranking free agents. Sabathia, Tex and Burnett the Yankees would not have to forfeit any more than a 4th or 5th round draft pick if they signed another. Ken Rosenthal hints at the possibility that the Yankees might not be done and might have an interest in Ben Sheets or Juan Cruz. We all know the ups and downs with Sheets. I think that the Yankees are waiting to see what happens with Pettite and what other packages sheets has on his table before they make a move on him, but Juan Cruz? Hummm now there’s a name I have not heard in association with the Yankees. To me this makes more than perfect sense, he’s a 30 year old right handed reliever whose ERA has gotten better every year for the last 4 years . In 2008 he was 4-0 in 51 innings pitched only giving up 34 hits and striking out 71. Impressive eh? In 2003 and 2005 he had bad years that have inflated his career ERA but last year it was 2.61. He made just shy of 2 million last year and could probably be had on a 2 or three year deal worth around 7 or 8 million. These numbers are based on nothing more than what I feel he is worth , like my opinion has any weight right.? Here is a Great analysis of what he throws from the guys over at Behind The Boxscore. (Hat tip to them). So what do you think is this a guy that you could see as a set up guy for Mo? I think so.

Melky gets big payday

2009-01-21T02:25:00.002-05:00

Are you @*#!ing kidding me? Ok last season Melky made $461,000 he batted .249 and sucked so bad that he was sent down to AAA. So just because he was eligible for arbitration he asks for 1.7 million dollars. Then the Yankees settle with him for 1.4 million. Granted He has a heck of an Arm and is young but is his upside worth that big of a raise? I'm voting no. Actually I believe he is going to end up as a bench player if he is lucky. Can't tell I'm a Brett Gardner fan can ya? I'll leave the comparisons for when we talk about center fielders tommarow.

Other raises to note. Nady gets a raise from 3.35 to 6.65 Million dollars. I'm not knocking this raise. He batted .305 with 25 HR and 97 RBI's. Brian Bruney also is getting a raise not sure of the details but I'm guessing around 1.3 million for 2009. I'm getting so anxious for spring training. This time of year is when things always start to get exciting.

Left Field

2009-01-20T02:44:00.003-05:00

The Yankees Johnny Damon will be starting in LF in 2009, although thought to be on the downslide of his great career he doesn’t seem to be slowing down yet. In 2008 he batted .301 with 17 HR and 75 RBI. In the last three seasons he has stolen at least 25 bases and is all that and a bag of chips compared to when he played for Boston. In a contract year I think he will have another big season and the Yankees will bring him back on another 2 or three year deal. His weakness is his arm. He really does not have a good one at all. However he is much better suited for LF than he ever was for CF. Grade A

Carl Crawford is the shining jewel of the three at 27 years old he gets better every year. Last year was a little down due to injury but he has 50 or more stolen bases in 4 of his six full seasons. He consistantly bats .300 and is a great fielder. In six seasons he has 2 all star appearances and with his speed and abilities I would assume he will have many more. Grade A+

Jason Bay the newest of the Red Sox outfielder was acquired mid-season last year to fill in Manny's shoes. Although nobody hits like Manny, Bay was the next best thing. You can’t argue with 31 HR and 101 RBI's and he seems to do it every year. A decent fielder and a plus hitter at only 30 he is a star that the Red Sox should hold on to for many years to come. Grade A

Left field was a strong position for all three teams with the edge going to the Rays. CF is going to be a little bit different. Check back on Thursday.

Which Blogs do you read???

2009-01-20T02:15:00.000-05:00

I am always discovering new Yankees Blogs there are so many us out there. I try and put the really good ones on my blogroll. If you have a Yankees Blog and want me to check it out and put it on the roll just drop me a note in the comments. I'll check it out and if I like it you’re in. Hopefully if you are reading mine you will reciprocate. A couple of new blogs I have just added are Bronx Baseball Daily and Zells Pinstripe Blog. I'm a new reader to them but I really like what they are doing over there. This brings me to what blogs do you all read on a daily basis. Hopefully mine is one but who else. I like

Confessions of a she Fan, New stadium insider, Al Leiters bullpen catcher, This Purist Bleeds pinstripes, Respect Jeters Gangster, Sliding into home, and of course Pete Abrahams blog. I used to be a big fan of Yankees Chic (my inspiration to create Yankees Guy, we used to be Yankees Muse) But Maureen seems to have vanished from the blogging world hopefully she will return she has allot of fans out there. I only wish I was as funny as her. So lets hear it what do you read??

Baseball and Politics don't Mix

2009-01-20T01:55:00.002-05:00

Along with the separation of church and state there should be a definite separation between politics and baseball. Now I'm far from un-American, I’m a registered Republican and always vote. What I don't understand is why the MLB Network has chosen to air the inauguration???? Couldn’t they just replay the world series of something? I hope they don't choose to start airing Senate baseball hearings next.

Vote in the poll for CF who knows maybe Cashman is reading

2009-01-15T11:49:00.003-05:00

To the right you will see a poll on who will be the Yankees starting CF. I believe it will be Brett Gardner. He started to show signs of life with the bat last September after some instruction from Kevin Long. (who I believe to be a hitting genius) Hopefully this will carry over into the spring. Plus he has good defence and amazing speed.

Also you may notice I have a follow this blog link as well. I want to start a list of followers so that I can do promotions and contests for Yankees merchandise and apparel once the season starts. So become a follower now for your chance to win in April.

Third Base

2009-01-14T16:19:00.003-05:00

Third base for the Red Sox is held by Veteran Mike Lowell a ten year veteran has been a solid presence and a great team leader for the sox for 3 seasons now. Last season he hit .274 in 113 games. Hampered by injuries in 2008 he was sown from his career .279 average. The days of him hitting 25 HR and 100 RBI's probably behind him at 35 he is still a solid fielder and who the Sox are hoping can return to his 2007 form when he batted .324 with 120 RBI. Not really representive of his career numbers. All and all a very serviceable piece for 2009. I give him a B

The Rays Willy Aybar is more of a utility infielder than a true anchor at third. Hitting .253 with average power only had 82 hits in 324 ABS. I’m reserving judgment until we have a full season sample of his abilities. So far not to impressed Grade C+ (ok I lied about reserving judgment)

Alex Rodriguez is argued by many to be one of the best players to ever play the game. His numbers have been brilliant with a career .306 BA and 553 HR it’s a hard point to argue. Although a better SS than third baseman has a cannon for an arm. He also has good speed on the bases with a 12 year average of 22 a year. Alex will probably one day be the all time leader in HR and many other categories if he plays out his current contract. Now the bad. Alex has been none as a choke artist who hits allot when it doesn’t really matter and hits into allot of DP. I think this will be the year that he discredits these critics however you can’t discount bad timing. Anyone who doesn’t give him a A however is just jealous.

As we approach the outfield we will also look at those players who only occasionally play in the outfield.

Recapping the Infield I think we have solidified some facts.

1. The Rays are based on pitching not hitting

2. The Red Sox have the best Defense of the three

3. The Yankees are going to hit allot or HR

With the additions both teams have made and the adjustments that will be made to the Rays pitching I think it’s going to be a battle between the Yankees and the Sox for the division.

Who has the best short stop??

2009-01-10T21:35:00.003-05:00

For the Red sox last season this was a unsettled position Jed Lowrie started 81 games and although is a very slick fielder who can also play 2nd and 3rd, he doesn't hit well. Ok well is an understatement he doesn’t hit at all. He had 260 AB's struck out 68 times and only had 67 Hits. This isn't to say that he will never be a good hitter. Pedroia went through a similar season when he first came up to the big leagues too. His big upside is his glove, only 2 errors and no errors at short. His counterpart was Julio Lugo who is the polar opposite in 81 games he had 16 errors. Usually a proven hitter he wasn't such a force last year as he was in 2006 when he batted over .300. Combined I give them a C+

The Rays Jason Bartlett is not known for his Power. In 128 games last year he hit only one HR. He also had 16 Errors which was down from his 2007 26 Errors. He does have decent speed with 20 stolen bases and sports a strong arm. Grade C-

The Yankees Derek Jeter needs no introduction and will walk into the hall of fame first time up. His 13 years in the majors is highlighted with a career .316 batting average and although is only an average fielder at best, is known for his famous trademark jump throw. By the time his career is over he should have 3000 hits and with any luck at least one more Ring on his finger.

Grade B+

Tuesday we will look at 3rd base.

Ok everyone reality check

2009-01-10T21:09:00.002-05:00

Ok everyone it's time for a reality check. There are certain truths that Yankees fans refuse to accept.

1. Unless he becomes cheap the Yankees are not signing Manny

2. Unless he accepts a big pay cut Pettite will not be in pinstripes next year.

3. The Yankees probably won't trade Swisher. He is young, under the teams control for more than one year and plays multiple positions. Logic dictates that Nady has a higher trade value and will most certainly be gone after this year anyhow.

4. Joba is a starter. What is wrong with you people that want to make him a permanent set up man? Starters are more valuable and harder to come by and usually only have a couple of good pitches. Joba has 4 good pitches and was always a starter before.

5. The Yankees won’t trade Hughes unless it’s for gold. Phil is still 20 years old and will probably be a great pitcher in years to come. Have patience he will get there.

6. Wang will not be allowed to run the bases. I’d be surprised if he’s allowed to lift the bat off his shoulder.

And lastly the Yankees are not trading for Bedard or Ichiro. The Young and Healthy is what they need not the old and the crippled

Quick notes that tidy up all those little transactions

2009-01-07T14:04:00.003-05:00

Now that the Holidays are over free agents will be signing on the cheap hand over fist. The more time that goes buy the cheaper they will be. Here are a few quick points of interest that will clean up the recent Yankees doings.

Giambi signs with the A's- At 4.5 million with an option good deal for the A's he’s a great clubhouse guy and should add a little pop to the lineup.

Angel Berroa signs a minor league deal with the Yankees. I like this move he has great speed and although primarily a short stop he has played at 2nd and 3rd base. Could be another option for a utility off the bench kind of guy.

John Rodriguez signs minor leauge deal with Yankees. (I don’t have any information on him other than him plays OF)

Carl Pavano signs with the Indians. Wow they must be desperate!!!

With the signing of big Tex Shelly Duncan was DFA'd. (Wouldn’t it be funny if he signed with the Red Sox, you know after the Red Sox suck autograph and all) The releasing of Shelly will certainly save the Yankees some broken arms down the road.

Pettite looking like a no go Phil Coke has been told to report to Spring Training to compete for the number 5 spot. You can never have too many lefties and Phil is a great guy.

Jason Johnson signed to minor leauge deal. Seems Johnson is thought to be in the mix to compete for the number 5 rotation spot. The scouts must see something in him because his numbers are far from impressive. Looking at them closer I'm not sure how he has held a job in the majors as long as he has.

Whats on Second

2009-01-07T09:15:00.004-05:00

The long awaited second base comparison is finally here. For all of you who keep religiously checking the blog to see if it’s written yet your wait is all but over. Ok. Ok it’s not all that serious but I feel that the key to any of these teams seasons may come down to the performance they get from their second baseman.

Dustin Pedroia is the reigning AL MVP and certainly the cream of the crop of second baseman. With only two years under his belt the Red Sox second baseman already has accomplished more than most do in an entire career. With Rookie of the year in 2007 and a MVP and gold glove in 2008 there is no reason to believe he is a fluke. Last year he showed speed as well with 20 stolen bases. He is above average in power for a 2nd baseman hitting 17 home runs and 83 RBI's. His Batting average was .326 and played in 157 games last season. Although the likelihood of having another season like this is slim, I expect him to remain one of the leagues finest young talents who the Red Sox have under their control for the next 6 years. Grade: A++

The Yankees Robinson Cano is coming off a sub-par season. Known for his slick fielding and timely hitting the 26 year old has, with the help of Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, Revamped his hitting stance and is expected to have a bounce back year. Still considered to be amongst the premier second baseman he has comparable power to Pedroia. (Probably a little more do to his size) He doesn't have Dustin's speed and has allot to prove after batting only .271 last season. This season look for an in shape Cano to bat around .300 with 20 HR. Grade B+

Akinori Iwamura moved from third to second in 2008 and although above replacement level shows little power and strikes out allot, and I mean allot. He had 627 AB and struck out 131 times. In comparison Pedroia had 653 Ab and struck out 53 times Cano was 597/65. Defensively Iwamura had a good season with only 7 errors and turned 109 double plays. I expect another year playing second base will further solidify him in the position. However offensively don’t expect anything special from a singles hitter who only has 13 HR spread over two seasons. Grade C+

Pettite is Greedy

2009-01-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

According to MLB hot stove Andy Pettite has formally rejected a one year 10 million dollar offer given to him by the Yankees. Under advice from his agents he does not want to take such a big pay cut from the 16 million he has made over the last two seasons. Andy, wake up! You were 14-14 last year with a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts and were horrible after the all star break. Not to mention that you are 36 years old. If the Yankees were going to spend 16 Million on a pitcher per year than they would be smarter to go three years on Derek Lowe who is only 35 and had a 3.24 ERA last year and only made 10 Million.

I feel that Pettite owes the Yankees a little something after him leaving and then letting him come back and standing by him when the whole world was calling him a druggie because he took steroids. This is just pure greed! I would think that with the rotation that the Yankees are putting forth he would kill to come back and have one last chance at another ring. 10 million dollars is more money than most of us will ever see in our life. Frankly I think the Yankees can do better.

MLB network is finally on

2009-01-02T15:05:00.004-05:00

The long overdue MLB Network has finally aired and is being carried on most cable and satellite formats. Check your local listings. It's very cool and also available in HD

Who's on First

2009-01-02T14:07:00.004-05:00

Continuing our series of position by position comparison we move on to First base.

The Yankees Newly acquired Mark Teixeria is a 28 year old switch hitter who has 2 gold gloves and 2 silver slugger awards to his credit. His lifetime batting average is .290 and has averaged 36 HR and 121 RBI'S over the past 5 seasons. His age + Fielding ability + Offensive ability give him a grade of A+

The Red Sox field Kevin Youkilis who is a 29 year old right handed batter who hits for power. His career average is .289 and is good for around 20HR and 90 RBI he won a gold glove in 2007 and the Hank Aaron award in 2008. If nothing else he is the biggest bargain in town being his 2008 salary was only $3 million .At 220 lbs he doesn’t run particularly well but shows great patience at the plate and plays with more passion than any other first baseman that comes to mind. Kevin also broke the record previously held by Steve Garvey for consecutive errorless games by a first baseman at 194, running the new record all the way up to 238. The Red Sox get an A

Carlos Pena of the Rays is still a fairly unproven talent he’s the oldest of the group at 30 but has proven that when he gets to play a full season he can produce. In 2007 he hit .282 with 46 HR and 121 RBI's. He was still productive in 2008 as far as his slugging, hitting 31 HR and another 102 RBI's but his batting average dropped to more representative numbers of his career hitting at only .247. Prior to the last two seasons with the Rays you have to go back to 2004 with the Tigers when he hit 27 HR with 82 RBI to show a full season of play. Not to say these are bad numbers he certainly has power, however it seems that he strikes out allot and is prone to long slumps. The fact that he made $6million and Youkilis made $3million last year boggles my mind. Pena does bat left handed which is a plus. But do to the lack of consistency over the years and his average fielding + career .190 batting average against lefties, The Rays get a B-

In closing first base is not an issue for any of these teams right now Tex and Youk are both beasts in the field and at the plate. The only thing that makes Mark an A+ and Kevin an A is that Mark is a switch hitter, not as much of a hot head and has more power. Even though I am fan of the Evil Empire I certainly respect what a Talent Kevin Youkilis is. Lets hope that the Red Sox start paying him his worth.

Next up Second Base. Be sure to come back its going to be a good one.

Al East Comparison

2009-01-01T18:17:00.005-05:00

One of my readers brought to my attention that maybe I wasn't being completely objective when I wrote my "Yankees seal Red Sox doom" article. (Me bias?????) He said that I should compare their rosters side by side before stating that the Red Sox are finished. Ok, this seems fair. But in order to make it truly fair we must include the Rays in the comparison. (After all they did win the division last season) We will compare Position by Position then starting rotations and finish with bull pen and bench players. I will also give each player a grade and at the end we will try and sum it up with win loss predictions and perhaps an award candidate or two.

We will start with Catchers:

Rays: Dioner Navarro

Dioner is still a young player, at age 24 Dioner has gotten better each of the last three seasons. Last year was his best hitting .295 with 7 HR and 54 RBI. He seems to be growing confidence behind the plate and works well with the Rays young pitching staff earning him an all-star game appearance. However he is no Carl Lewis on the base pads and with only 7 Hr hasn't shown to have allot of power. His arm is decent but not exceptional. Grade B

Red Sox: Jason Varitek (assuming they resign him)

Jason is not known as an offensive catcher but rather coveted for his leadership and defensive skills. He has slightly more pop in his bat than Navarro but in 2008 batted only .220 with 13HR and 43 RBI's . For his career he’s a .263 hitter averaging closer to 20 HR and 80 RBI. He is 36 years old and after a sub par season last year many wonder weather or not he is still the catcher he once was. But he is the team captain and an incredible clubhouse motivator. Varitek is probably the best defensive catcher or the three and a proven leader for this I give him a B+

Yankees: Jorge Posada

Posada is definitely the best of the three offensively. Although injured last year for the majority of the season he is a career .277 hitter and is usually good for 20+HR and 90-100 RBI. This is a rare for a catcher. Much like Navarro he is not very nimble around the base pads and of the three he has the weakest arm. In 2007 he showed improved defense but coming off an Injury he has allot to prove. Posada is also 37 years old and many wonder how many more years he will be able to catch if at all. Because of all the question marks lingering around Posada for 2009 I'm only giving him a grade of : B

Next up 1st base. Hmmmm wonder who will win that battle?

For the record the reason that Toronto and Baltimore have been left out is that I feel that they are not going to be a factor in the Division Race. However at the beginning of last season I said the same about the Rays.

Non Yankees related post

2008-12-30T18:20:00.004-05:00

I don't often post something that isn't baseball related but as a fan of the Fish I have to post this link that comes from the brilliant minds over at deadspin.

Funny stuff. If they can get Ricky to autograph it they can list it in a MasterCard commercial as priceless.

Rumors Rumors Rumors

2008-12-30T17:41:00.004-05:00

There have been rumors all over the web saying the Yankees are shopping one of their surplus outfielders to try and fill the fifth spot in the rotation. Let’s look at the facts. The Yankees have made no such claims and it would not make much since unless someone out there offers Cashman something for a handful of beans. One of the rumors floating around is that the Yankees might trade Matsui for Bedard. Pete Abraham told me earlier today that he had heard nothing that it was a Seattle radio thing. Yes Bedard has been a great pitcher in the past but he has shoulder and hip problems. He had a torn Labrum to be specific. I speak from the prospective of having had two surgeries to repair mine. He will NEVER be the pitcher he once was. I can't even throw a Frisbee for my dog without feeling the pull. Matsui prior to this knee injury and the freak wrist injury has been very durable, and he’s a .300 hitter. Why would the Yankees consider it? There has also been speculation that they might shop Nady which makes more sense. He only has one year on his contract and he is coming off a great year, but who will pay the price for a one year rental. Swisher is the only corner outfielder they have on the good side of 30 and most believe he will have a bounce back year and he has a very modest contract compared to most on the roster. So trading him is dumb. Damon’s value is not as high as his worth because of his age and poor defense.

I say go one of two routes

1. Forget Pettite, go out and sign Sheets for two years 30million. Sheets + Hughes = 200 innings

Or 2. Go into the season as is and trade for the hot arm in July to relieve the innings load on Hughes and Joba. This also includes forgetting Andy.

Pettite is a shell of what he used to be and showed it in the second half of the season. Unless he is willing to sign on the cheap, look elsewhere. You would think he would love to pitch on this team considering they are favorites to win the East in 2009. I think he owes the Yankees something standing by him after the drug scandal thing. The fact that he won't take a pay cut is a slap in the face. Take a pass Cash!

Some Morons think the Yankees are bad for Baseball

2008-12-29T21:53:00.003-05:00

Yes I said Morons, (link is to the moron) It makes me mad when people shoot off at the mouth and say that the Yankees aren't responsible in today’s recession spending all that they did this year in free agency. First off they are going to have a lower payroll this year than last. With the departure of Abreu, Giambi, Pavano, and I-Rod the Yankees shed more than 80 million dollars. The Yankees aren't breaking any rules they are just doing what every fan wants their team to do, put a quality product on the field. The Yankees are the best thing for baseball, love them or hate them people will watch the 2009 Yankees win allot of games.

You want to know what’s bad for baseball. Small market teams! MLB has a system called revenue sharing. The way that it works is that the larger market teams that break a certain payroll threshold have to pay a tax that gets distributed to the smaller market teams. Unfortunately most of the smaller market teams do not use this money to obtain better players and become more competitive. They take the money and stick it in their pocket. For example in 1995 the Yankees Paid 76 million dollars in tax , the Florida Marlins received 30 million in revenue sharing, the marlins payroll was 23 million. In 2006 they cut their payroll down to 14.9 million dollars. Less than half the money they recieved in revenue sharing. See where I’m going? The smaller market teams are receiving more in revenue sharing than their payroll yet they are not putting a competitive product on the field. If I were a fan of the Fish or the Royals or any of those teams that are basically getting their payroll paid by the Yankees I would be pissed! Pete Abraham brings up a good point in his blog when he states that good management and staying healthy wins championships there has been 7 different champions in the last eight years.

The Yankees are one of the few teams that do their fans right by spending money on the team. They have improved their team more than anyone else and at great cost to the ownership. Don't think there aren't other owners who have deep pockets as well. Just not as many that care enough about winning and their fans to spend some money to bring home a world championship.

Are they done Yet???

2008-12-24T23:53:00.002-05:00

The signing of Tex certainly may be it for big money contracts and the Yankees this off-season. This could be an open door for Phil Hughes to grab the number 5 spot in the rotation leaving Pettite out of the mix. The Yankees offered Andy a 10 million dollar deal a while back that he either refused or is sitting on. I suppose a deal could still get done but my feeling is that Hughes will be just as good, as number 5 starters go. Many believe that Signing Tex puts them out of the Manny hunt. I believe it makes it less likely but don't count the Yankees out of anything this off-season as we have already learned. The only thing I can predict with a marginal degree of certainly is that they are staying away from Ben Sheets. I think the Yankees should offer Manny two years for 45 million with incentives that could make it closer to 55 million and a mutual option for a third year. But then again who am I. Oh yeah I’m the guy that predicted that the Yanks would sweep in at the last minute and get Tex. :)

There is allot of speculation that someone will get traded now that Tex is signed but I think that that Swisher will be a great 4th outfielder and can work some games for Tex so that he can be rested as well. This is the line up that I predict for opening day:

Damon LF

Jeter SS

Tex 1B

Arod 3B

Matsui DH

Posada C

Cano 2B

Nady RF

Gardner CF

Off the bench

Swisher

Ransom

Molina and Cabrera

Starting Rotation

CC

Burnett

Wang

Chamberlain

Hughes

Bullpen

Rivera

Marte

Bruney

Veras

Ramirez

Coke

Aceves

Yankees seal Red Sox Doom

2008-12-23T15:50:00.003-05:00

In a surprising twist the Yankees have apparently swooped in at the last minute and signed Mark Teixera to an 8 year contract worth more than 170 million dollars. It will be hard for anyone not to believe that the Yankees will be the team to beat in baseball this upcoming season. I would think the Yankees are probably done spending money and I would not be surprised to see swisher playing CF. We will just have to wait and see what happens. But this is surely a happy day in New York and there are bound to be allot of pissed off red sox fans out there. Welcome to NY Mark!

Somebody flinch already

2008-12-21T13:05:00.002-05:00

It seems that Mark Teixeria may not be off the Yankees radar as everyone would have you believe. Don't believe that the Red Sox are out of it either contrary to what they might let you think. Its all a giant game of cat and mouse. The Red Sox want you to think that they are not involved so they can pay less and the Yankees want you to think that they aren't involved so they can swoop in at the last minute and outbid everyone else. Numerous sources are saying that Tex wants to be on the East Coast and I would think he wants to play for a team with a chance to win for many years to come. So like I said before, "Somebody Flinch already!" First 10 year 200 million dollar offer takes him for sure but teams are going to see if they can get him on the sly. If Tex signs with the Yankees it would be a crushing blow to the Red Sox. They must know this. This is why I say don't believe them when they say they are out of the game.

Will Posada be ready

2008-12-19T22:34:00.002-05:00

This is the million dollar question. Or in the Yankees case the multi million dollar question. You see if Posada cant go catch at least 120 or so games than the Yankees may have to DH him which would prevent them from signing a big bat this off season. You can only have one DH and as it stands right now its Matsui. But what happens if Posada isn't ready? What happens if the Yankees sign Manny or Tex? Who gets moved who gets traded???? These are all big questions. The guys over at The Bronx View have their idea of what happens, what do you think?? Leave some Comments, send me an e-mail.

I will be sending out a monthly newsletter that will keep you up to date on all Yankees goings on, if you are interested in checking it out simply send me your name and e-mail to mdrook6206@hotmail.com. Next time I'll tell you what Is really going to happen with the Yankees and their quest for a big bat so stay tuned.

Please no Melky

2008-12-18T11:59:00.003-05:00

I keep reading on the blog comments that everyone wants Melky to be the opening day CF'er. My question is why? Yes he has a good arm. Does he hit well? Does he run well? Is he prone to long slumps? no no yes.... This is why the Yankees sent him down to the minors in the first place. Yes the kid has talent and will probably be above replacement level in the long run. Brett Gardner has a few more tools that we only started to see at the end of last year. I say let the two of them slug it out in spring training for that coveted CF position. Unless We sign Manny and the the battle is for the fourth outfield spot.

Where is Mike Cameron already?

2008-12-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

It seems the Yankees may be getting cold feet on Mike Cameron. Makes sense because he’s not worth 10 million dollars. He strikes out to much and really doesn't hit for average. Yes it makes sense if they will take Igawa in the deal, but they want the Yankees to pick up part of his money. It seems that they may be waiting to see if they sign Manny, which would make Cameron unnecessary. The question that comes to my mind is would they move Damon to center or would they try and trade Nady or Matsui, the latter would be my choice. Damon just doesn't have enough arm to play CF. You would think that Nady would bring some decent prospects. I’ve always been all for Manny on a short tem deal if you can get him for three years with an option pull the trigger. Or maybe we would just be better off signing Tex for 10 years 200 million. It seems that is what it would take to get him at this point.

Yankees Mulling over Tex and Manny

2008-12-14T19:44:00.002-05:00

It seems the Bombers are entering the Mark Teixeria game. Of course they are, why wouldn’t they? I would think they have no real interest in paying him what he will demand, but the mere sighting of the Yankees in on the bidding may drive the price up for other teams. Why would the Yankees care to do that you ask? Good Question, think about it if the Angels were thinking about signing him for lets say 160 million over 8 years they may be forced to raise their offer and or the number of years in order to land him. This will deplete funds that could have been used for other players that the Angels may have been interested in. Now you see don’t you? It's an old game, one that the Yankees are good at.

However on the other side of the coin Hank Steinbrenner is reported to like Manny and not just him but other members of the organization as well. The Yankees MLB site goes on to speculate that if they got Manny they may shop Nady, who will be a free agent after 09 anyhow. My thoughts , BRILLIANT!! How About Damon,Cameron and Manny in the outfield next year. Oh what the heck it’s like I said before its only money sign um both.

Yankees add Burnett

2008-12-12T22:36:00.004-05:00

To add insult to injury the Yankees have added Red Sox Killer AJ Burnett for 5 years and 82.5 million dollars. The Braves had a similar offer on the table but AJ is an East coast guy who likes the American league. Pair that with the fact that his wife doesn’t like to fly and drives to the games and they already live near Baltimore, a three hour train ride, and its a match made in heaven. Burnett won 18 games for Toronto last year and led the American league with 231 strikeouts.

In other news the Yankees non tendered Chris Britton and Justin Christian to make room ton the 40 man Roster for Sabathia and Burnett. This makes them free agents and I'm certain they will get picked up quickly as they are both very talented. The Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera trade appears to be a lock. (Almost) It seems the Yankees that just spent all that money on Sabathia and Burnett want the Brewers to pick up part of his Salary. Either way it looks as if the deal is going to get done. I predicted this one back on my Nov 26th blog. More details to come when it’s final. Cashman met with Pettite the other day as well. I'm not quite sure why they would want him back in my mind Sheets is younger and more talented and you could probably get him for less than you paid Andy last season. I think they will offer Pettite a 10-12 million take it or leave it offer to be their number five starter. However it would not surprise me to see them sign Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets before it is all said and done. What the heck sign um both its only money.

Yankees could be bringing in friend for CC

2008-12-11T10:33:00.003-05:00

The Yankees MLB site is reporting that the Yankees are rekindling trade talks that apparently were discussed at the winter meetings. The Bombers would send the Brewers switch hitting Melky Cabrera and they would receive Mike Cameron. On the surface this seems like a good trade Cameron is a gold glover with more power than Cabrera, but I feel that such an expensive stop gap may delay the arrival of Austin Jackson to the big leagues. Cameron is a career .250 hitter but can swipe a bag and has hit 20 or more homers in the last eight seasons. Melky is a Kid who in my mind is still an unproven talent, his upside is that he is only 24 and is a switch hitter with a cannon for an arm. His downside is that he has been streaky as a hitter prone to long slumps and has little home run power. Do I think Melky has what it takes in the bigs? Yes. Do I think he is going to Bat .300 and hit 30 HR next season, no way. Is it a good trade for the Yankees? Maybe, but we can all agree that its an expensive one at 10 Million for 09 compared to Melky or Brett Gardner who will make less than 1 million. But hell it's only money and they are the Yankees.

Whos next on radar

2008-12-10T20:56:00.003-05:00

With Sabathia all but a few signatures and a physical away from being completed their apparently seems to be some urgency for the other big name free agents to get signed. It’s reported that the Yankees have reached out to AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets. It seems that if they get only one of these guys that they may reengage talks with Pettitte. If they get two of the three Andy may be odd man out unless he is willing to sign on the cheap. He has already turned down a one year 10 million dollar offer. Will the Yankees end up raising their offer if they don't get two. I would think 12 million for one year of Andy would be reasonable, but the 16 million he made last year is a bit much. Are there any other plan B type free agents the Yankees could engage? Perhaps, Brad Penny? I think they will sign Lowe and Sheets and Pettite will have to take what he can or look elsewhere. But who knows maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Sabathia is a Yankee

2008-12-10T10:09:00.001-05:00

After much sneaking around and negotiations CC is a Yankee. Reportedly agreeing ot a 7 year 160 million dollar contract. Now the Yankees can use this to work on the other free agent pitchers. Welcome CC ! You will make a great Yankee.

Somethings cookin with CC

2008-12-09T23:10:00.003-05:00

Apparently Cash money has been MIA for a while this evening and it has now come to light, Via Pete Abraham, that he is meeting again with Sabathia possibly in California. Now if something big wasn't about to happen why would cash jump on a plan and fly to California in the middle of all the fun. I could speculate all night but Ill just wait till something concrete happens then I will let you all know.

update: the daily news is reporting that the meeting with CC may have everything to do with getting his wife Amber involved. In my mind a good sign. Perhaps we will wrap this all up by friday...

Hot Stove is on! Yankees not going to get burnt

2008-12-09T10:01:00.003-05:00

The Yankees hot stove is heating up. Brian Cashman Met with Sabathia the other day and at Sabathia’s request had a second meeting. In my mind that’s a good sign, if you’re not interested in something why ask to talk more. Lots of teams have been saying that they will or might prepare an offer for CC. but so far only the Brewers and the Yankees have done so. Sabathia seems to be holding out hoping a west coast team will get involved, being from California I suppose I understand, but ultimately I don’t think anyone will even come close to the Yankees offer and I don’t believe anyone will. While the Yanks continue to court Sabathia they are keeping busy on other fronts apparently preparing an offer for Burnett that reportedly will exceed Atlanta’s 4 year 60 Million Dollar offer and One for Ben Sheets believed to be in the range of 2 years 30Million. That’s a big raise for sheets who made 11million last year. Many teams have stayed clear of Sheets due to past injury concerns. When healthy Sheets is an Ace with a career ERA of 3.72 and last season pitching nearly 200 innings I think he’s a keeper.

Burnett is a true strike out king. He has absolutely filthy stuff last year he had 231 strike outs and has a career 1278 K's in 1376 innings. Both of these guys and Sabathia would certainly make the Yankees a force in 2009. Think about this rotation kids.

Sabathia

Wang

Burnett

Sheets

Joba

Devastating!!!!! I'll keep you up to date as more happens.

OK so it looks like somethings brewing

2008-12-05T18:17:00.002-05:00

Yankees General Manager Brian Cash man met with Scott Boras yesterday who represents Sabathia, Teixeria, and Lowe. Mlb.com reports that Teixeria was present at this meeting. I wouldn't look into that to much I don't think the Yankees will be pursuing him to the extent of the Angels. However It appears that the Yankees are reaching out to Lowe, who reportedly wants to return to Boston. To me it appears that the Red Sox don't have a glaring need for a high priced free agent Pitcher. Pete Abraham reports that Cash will be meeting with CC this weekend in an effort to get something done before the Winter meetings next week. I'll get you more when I have it.

Angels say Tex is #1

2008-12-03T10:09:00.002-05:00

It has been speculated that the Angels may be preparing an offer to CC Sabathia. Now it appears that these rumors have been exaggerated and that Tex is still their priority. This is good news for the Yankees being that the only other offer out there is the Brewers and its significantly less. Hopefully this means CC will be signing soon.

No arbitration for anyone

2008-12-02T01:50:00.002-05:00

The Yankees in a surprising move did not offer any of their free agents Arbitration. It didn’t' t surprise me about Pettite and Pudge but I really thought they would offer it to Abreu. What does this mean? Well not a whole lot, do to the new arbitration rules they can still negotiate with any of these players. Previously they would have had to wait until May. What it does mean is that if they go to another team the Yankees do not get any Draft Picks for them. I think they still may resign Andy, but now they can do it at a lesser salary. He surely would have accepted arbitration and the Yankees would have had him for more money than they probably want to spend on him considering he mad 16 million last year. I think there is zero chance they resign Pudge and only an outside chance for Abreu if other deals fall apart and there is no place else to get any offence.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T15:47:00.000-05:00

It's Thanksgiving day at the mother in-laws and this is my first post from my new blackberry.I now feel that everyone should have one. The Yankees are home having turkey which is what you should be doing. So Check back on monday and I promise something other than my rambling.

No Moves Yet

2008-11-26T13:28:00.002-05:00

It’s the calm before the storm, or so it would seem. The Yankees have been quietly going about their business before the gunfire starts. I would think most things will remain that way until Monday but historically some big deals are often made over the holidays. It appears that the Angels may be preparing an offer for Sabathia. Being on the west coast the thought is that them will get a discount. I think that the Yankees will just dig a little deeper and come up with a you can’t match this one, not even close, kind of offer in response. I haven’t heard much else about the Yankees looking at Cameron. I believe if they sign CC they will be more aggressive about Mike. However you know me I'm a Brett Gardner Fan.

Rule 5 Draft for Dummies

2008-11-20T20:56:00.007-05:00

I'll be the first to admit that things like arbitration the rule 5 draft and collective bargaining confuses me, sometimes to no end. That being said if I get any part of this wrong please call me on it. The rule 5 draft is named for its rule number in the collective bargaining agreement. Its purpose is to prevent teams from stockpiling young talent in the minors that could be playing in the majors for other organizations. The rule 5 draft works in a similar fashion to the amateur draft in that the team with the worst record selects first. Players that aren't being protected by being on the teams 40 man roster can be selected by another team but they must be immediately added to the teams 25 man roster and cannot be optioned to the minors for the entire season. In order to prevent abuse of the system the player must be on the active roster for 90 days. This prevents teams from drafting players and them putting them on the DL for the whole season. This may be spread over more than one season. A rule 5 player can be waived at any time. If not signed by another MLB team must be offered back to his original team at half price. The Draftee may also be traded but the Rule 5 guidelines transfer with the player.

Confused? It's a bit overwhelming. Now in order to protect newly drafted players (from the amateur draft) there are certain eligibility guidelines. Players drafted at age 18 are protected for Four years .Players 19 or older are only protected for Three years. Players can also be protected by being on their teams 40 man roster at the time of the rule 5 draft. Draftees cost $50,000 and if not kept on the 25 man roster they must be offered back at half price. After keeping the player for the entire year a team may then put them in their minor league system, waive them, or keep them on the roster.

The best example is the twins drafting Johan Santana from the Marlins in the 2000 Rule 5 draft. After keeping him and his 6.49 era on their roster for the entire year they optioned him to the minors for further grooming and well the rest is History. Returning to the majors in 2002 he has been brilliant.

This year the Yankees have added 4 pitchers to their 40 man roster. Protecting Anthony Claggett, Steven Jackson, Michael Dunn and Chris Garcia who would have been eligible. In doing so they have left a couple of important players exposed to other teams namely Alan Horne and Kevin Whelan. Last year Horne had a shoulder injury which hopefully will prevent other teams from taking the risk, however he has great stuff so it is a big risk. Whelan walks way to many batters and struggles with control to much for another team to risk putting him on the 25 man roster for an entire year. The only other one that I would be worried about is Ramiro Pena a young talented shortstop, but to date his bat has no pop. With the lack of infielders out there it wouldn't surprise me to see him get selected.

Noteworthy news

2008-11-20T08:40:00.002-05:00

Ok Just a few things going on. Nothing as hot as if we signed CC but lets wrap up the news of the week.

1. As I,m sure you have all heard by now Mike Mussina has opted to retire rather than pitch into his 40's. Personally I think he still had a couple of more years in him. But you gotta do what you gotta do. 270 wins and an ERA of 3.63 is a heck of a career. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame. Maybe, but certainly not a shoe in.

2.The Mariners have made Baseball history naming Don Wakamatsu as the first Japanese-American head coach in baseball history. Even though he doesn’t speak Japanese having grown up in LA he wants to learn some so he can better communicate with Ichiro and Jojima. Good luck to Don except when he plays the Yankees of course.

3. The Red Sox have traded Coco Crisp to the Royals for 27 year old Ramon Rimirez. This was a cashman like deal if I ever saw one. Here take my leftover parts and this handful of magic beans for a 27 year old pitcher with an ERA under 3 and more than a strikeout per inning. This guy could be the setup guy that puts Masterson back in the Rotation. It also might make them think twice about being all in on Burnett, which realistically was just going to drive the price the Yankees sign him for anyhow.

4. An Interesting Article over at the Star Ledger suggests that the delay on the Sabathia offer may be that he's waiting to see if the Dodgers will bid. Hopefully they won't, but again it will only drive up the Yankees offer for him. It's believed that if they do submit an Offer that it will be for $30 million less than what the Yankees have already offered.

5. Are The Jays Shopping Halladay? If they are , don't look at them giving him to the Yankees. Teams don't usually like to trade stars to another team in their own division. However a pitcher like that with only a 2 year commitment might be an incentive to talk to the Dodgers (believed to be the Jays likely suitor) and see what it would take to spin him to the Yankees. But that is just a pipe dream.

6. There is a Rumor out there that the Sox may trade Lugo to the Tigers For Willis or Robertson . Its pretty much a junk for junk trade, however Willis could still turn into a productive pitcher. Lugo only have one tool (speed) doesn't seem like a great fit if the tigers really want a real starting shortstop. he is more of an off the bench pinch runner type guy as I see it. If the Sox could get Robertson for Lugo they should have pulled the trigger already.

hopefully Ill be back later this afternoon with some important news.

Slow day in the Bloging

2008-11-18T01:52:00.002-05:00

Ok there is almost nothing new to report. Mlb. Com is reporting that Towers and Cashman have had no recent conversations about Peavy. It appears that the Yankees are not in the running for him but that doesn't mean that if something suddenly makes since that that won't change. One thing that is interesting is that the article (linked above) states that the Cubs is currently their focus but would likely need another team to make a deal work. Not that the cubs would be interested but I wonder what kind of three way deal it would take to get Back Soriano?

Is Pettitte the Odd man out?

2008-11-16T18:41:00.002-05:00

To tell you the truth I haven't made up my mind about Andy yet so lets compare them for a minute by stats and age.

Burnett Age : 31 2008 18-10 4.07 ERA lifetime 87-76 3.81 ERA

Lowe Age:35 2008 14-11 3.24 ERA Lifetime 126-107 3.75 ERA

Pettite Age 36 2008 14-14 4.54 ERA Lifetime 215-127 3.89 ERA

They all look like pretty much the same guy to me except at different ages.

Burnett has had his share of Injury problems but seems healthy now he also seems to strike out allot more batters than Lowe. The last 4 years Lowe has had an ERA under 4 but he has also been in the National league. Pettitte gave up over 100 earned runs last year and was horrible after the all star break. I guess Burnett looks like the better deal to me given his age, ERA strikeouts. Ok I have decided on Burnett, Sabathia and someone else other than Pettitte or Lowe to Fill out the rotation next year. Humm Let me see perhaps.....PEAVY!!!!

Farwell to Darrell

2008-11-16T18:25:00.004-05:00

In what is obviously an attempt to recoup some of the money lost to Japan on the Kei Igawa deal Darrell Rasner's Contract has been sold to Japan for One (pinkie to my cheek) Million Dollars! In all seriousness though it was at his request and even though he didn't pitch extremely well for the Yankees he had a stretch where he pitched well enough . I think his stuff will translate well in Japan. Good luck Mr. Rasner just remember to get your mitt up a little faster when the ball is hit at you.

Hey Cash how bout this?

2008-11-15T21:17:00.000-05:00

Ok how about we sign CC, Lowe and Manny. Trade Matsui For pitching and Go with Damon and Manny sharing time for DH/LF. The Rotation would look like this..
1.cc
2.Wang
3.Lowe
4.Chamberlain
5.Pettite

CC gets 6 for 150mil
Lowe gets 4 at 75mil
Manny gets 4 at 80 with incentives and a team option of 18 million with a 8 million dollar buyout

Could Peavy be a Reality?

2008-11-15T20:38:00.003-05:00

Apparently the word is out that the Yankees are going to make offers to Multiple pitchers. This could mean CC,Burnett and Lowe (with or without making an offer to Pettite or Mussina) It also is become apparent that the Yankees are at least a Dark Horse in the Peavy dealings. Seems my previous posting on hypothetical trade situations might not be so hypothetical anymore. However much I would love to see a rotation that involves Peavy I can't Imagine the Padres wanting less than the Moon for him. My guess is that the conversation starts with them wanting at least Jackson and Hughes and probably gets worse from there. However I have heard rumblings (sorry I cant remember where I read it) that Igawa might be good for San Diego. But If they had any interest in him it would be a forth or fifth player involved in the trade not a primary piece. My dream rotation looks like this

1. CC

2. Peavy

3. Lowe

4. Wang

5.Chamberlain

6. Pettite or Mussina

What are the odds? Its going to get interesting Kids buckle up!!

The Brinks truck has arrived

2008-11-14T19:53:00.001-05:00

Ok it’s finally here there is a big truck load of money parked in CC's driveway worth 6 years and 140 million dollars. According to Pete Abraham the previous record for six year contract for a pitcher was 137.5 million dollars. You can be certain that it will take a few days for his agent to figure out that the Yankees won’t be outbid and I'm going to make a bold prediction and say that this time next week the Yankees are having a press conference introducing CC Sabathia to the New York Media and his new pinstripes.

OK time for this weeks Hypothetical Trade Senerio

2008-11-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

It seems for the time being that the Padres aren't even close to a deal with the Cubs or the Braves in tradeing Jake Peavy. Obviously they are going to ask for the moon for one of the (in my opinion) top three pitchers in Baseball. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union Tribune thinks that the Padres my widen their scope and reach out to the Yankees and Angels to gain leverage. What do you think it would take for the Bombers to get Peavy? I think the Discussion starts with

1. Phil Hughes

2. Robinson Cano

3. Austin Jackson

If cash can make a deal and give up less than that he should have already pulled the trigger in my mind. Talk amongst yourselves

midnight is comming

2008-11-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

Its 10:00pm est and Yankees hot stove is on right now. Two hours until the Yankees are on the Phone with CC offering him the biggest payday of his life. Girardi just stated the obvious by saying that the Yankees aren't stopping at just one big name pitcher and that its important for the Yankees to have six possibly seven solid starters in the rotation. He also said that if people offer trades for Cano you have to listen because Canos valuable and that they would have to give allot back. but for now hes penciled in as the Yankees second baseman. To me this almost sounds like he should keep one bag packed, LOL. Ok Ill be back a little after midnight to report on any goings on.

update: midnight came and went and there was no truck full of cash outside CC's house. OK I better run I think he sees me climbing on the fence.

Yanks Trade for Swisher

2008-11-13T17:47:00.000-05:00

The Yankees in their first big move of the season have traded Wison Bedimit (Thank God) ,Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez to the White Sox for Nick Swisher and minor league Pitcher Kanekoa Texeria. Swisher, is a switch hitter who plays first base and all three outfield positions. According to Cashman, Swisher should see the majority of his playing time at first base, but provides an opportunity for some insurance in both corner outfield positions. Swisher is a plus defender at 1B,RF and LF however just average in Center. He is a career .244 hitter that given a full season at 1b should hit .250-.260 25-30 HR and 80-100 RBI. Hummm sounds just like Giambi, except that swisher can field his position, run the base pads, and is in the prime of his career at 27.

Yes you are correct this spell zero chance of Giambi returning to Pinstripes. With Swisher,at this point, a lock at First Base does anyone get the feeling that the Yankees won't be making a run at Tex. (That's me raising my hand).

On the other side of this coin the Yankees get Kanekoa Texeria Who is 22 years old and 6'2 190 right handed and had 22 saves with a 1.33 ERA between A and Double A ball last season. He was ranked The number two Prospect in the White Sox farm system and I would think would at least have a shot at starting at AAA this year with the Yankees. I will let you know as soon as I find out what kind of stuff he has but the Fantasy Baseball section of Usa Today says his stuff is unexceptional but he could surface as a middle reliever.

So where is the upside for the Sox? Besides Salary relief I really don't think they got the best end of the deal. Wilson is a bum who shows occasional power. In his defence he can play all the infield positions, just not extremely well. Nunez was part of an earlier trade agreement so He really wasn't around long enough to be missed. Marquez could be the only bright spot for the Sox a 1st round draft pick in 2004 showed some promise.

Keep it up Cash Next Stop CC and Manny. Don't worry what they all say Brian I got your back.

Posada is not a Outfielder

2008-11-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

Ok after reading this article on Dugout Central today and leaving my drawn out comment. I had to come here and share the insanity with all of you. This Author, creative as he is, believes that Posada because of his Injury to his throwing shoulder could have a career as the Yankees Right Fielder. Yes I’m serious ,I think he really believes it. He starts by breaking it down by position. In CF he thinks that Melky will be gone. (Secretly I think he’s right) and he is correct saying that Jackson is not ready yet and will probably start in AAA. However I disagree with his assessment of Brett Gardner. The author says that his skills are only Defense and speed. It’s no secret that I'm a big fan of Brett and of all players who can create runs by being aggressive on the base pads. I feel that he started to show signs of life with the bat in September and that he has the skills to be a good hitter. If anyone can bring this out, Hitting coach Kevin Long can. In my comment I made mention to Dustin Pedroia and that in his first appearance with Boston he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with a semi-automatic weapon. That being said I hope they give him a chance to be the starting CF but I think he will be the Fourth outfielder.I feel that Matsui , if not traded, will be primarily a DH do to his recovering knee and The Yankees will seek help via free agency or trade. The Yankees starting outfield will be Damon ,Nady and Player to be named (not Posada. )This Post will kickoff my official Manny for Pinstripes campaign.

Pavano is exhausted

2008-11-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

During an Interview with the Post Pavano said, "I look back on those four years with the Yankees and it was exhausting." Ok I'm Trying not to fly off the handle into one of my what a waste of $40 million dollar rantings, but I can’t resist, sorry Carl. Are you F******* kidding me Exhausting!!! Over Four years you only had 26 starts, I'm no Math whiz but that's 1.5 million dollars per start and out of those 26 starts how many innings did you really pitch? That's like Rocket money without half the results! Maybe it's exhausting to drive around in a sports car with Alyssa Milano. Maybe your Exhausted from all those rehab bullpens you threw making your poor little weak body frail and brittle. Then you had the Gall to say "If I was healthy, no doubt about it, the team would have benefited." Oh gosh Carl I feel like we missed out on what could have been the next Pedro Martinez. Maybe we should sign you to a long term deal now that you are healthy? The only reason you even had a contract last year is that you forced the issue instead of calling it quits, like a man with any dignity would have done and rehabbed on your own dime. NO no no lets suck the Yankees dry so that we can make a couple of September starts so that we can show something and suck someone else dry for a few more years. Maybe you really didn't injure your back side maybe someone kicked it, or at least they should.

Marte deal is a done deal

2008-11-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

I still am not all that Jazzed about signing relievers to long term deals but Pete Abraham spoke with Cash about the deal and compared to other recent contracts and with the praise of the teams lefty hitters and Rivera. I guess they could do allot worse than someone who has a career ERA under four and who has struck out 508 batters in 472 innings. Lets all hope he can go back to putting up the kind of numbers he did prior to 2008 now that hes making the big bucks.

Big bats in the Bronx

2008-11-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

In 2007 the Yankees took a shot at scoring 1000 runs but fell short only scoring 968. My question is how does a team follow that up with only 789 runs last year? Part of the problem was injury. Posada missing the majority of the season was a big factor. Molina, as great as he is defensively, cannot hit his own weight. Another factor was a poor season for Robby Cano. After looking like a batting champ to be in 2007 he was expected to do big things in 2008. On the bright side It appears as if his hitting woahs may be in the past and Kevin Long will be getting a fat raise. In 2007 A-Rod was incredible and there was no way he could have been expected to repeat that kind of year in 2008. So I guess looking at the numbers he had a representative year, but how many times did he choke with RISP or how many of his homers were solo shots when it didn’t matter. Most of all how many double plays did he hit into. In all fairness to A-rod he's probably the greatest hitter in the game and will continue to show that for many years to come. Another horrific blow was the loss of Matsui, however I feel the deal for Nady made up for him being gone down the stretch.

Overall the Yankee Pitching was ok. Injuries to Wang and Chamberlain hurt badly but they were able to get respectable replacement level pitching from within but unfortunately that doesn’t win championships. If the Yankees solidify their starting rotation is that enough? I say no way. They need to add Two players that can hit. A first baseman for sure and probably a designated hitter or corner outfielder. I know you are all thinking that the outfield is way to crowded as it is. I think Matsui makes good trade bait provided that he is healthy. Brett Gardner should be your fourth outfielder. But who should start in CF? Not Melky, please not Melky. Defensively he is above average but he doesn’t have the kind of bat that we need a CF to have. I think a trade packaging Melky, Matsui and perhaps some of our deep farm system of MLB ready pitching should be able to get us a suitable CF for a season until Austin Jackson is ready. But Who? Many people think Mike Cameron to be the answer. I think Gardner could put up a .250 batting average in CF just as easily. Ok Gardner would not hit 25 HR but I still think we could do better. What do you think? Maybe Damon in CF and a run at Manny for left? After all Damon did bat over .300 with 17 HR from the leadoff spot last season. If you had Manny, Damon and Nady as your starting OF next season you would be looking at 90+ HR from your outfielders. Ok lets assume for a minute the Yankees were interested in Manny ( which I think is only possible if Tex signs elsewhere) how much do you pay him? What would it take to get him. I think he will settle for 4 years 88Million. (Boras will never get Six years) That’s a lot of money for someone who may be a clubhouse cancer. But he’s not the first player to get run out of Boston and be a great teammate. ex. Nomar Garciapara.

Ok back to earth, I think the Yankees will go with Garder in CF unless someone makes them a trade offer that makes since. and I think Melky will get a shot in spring training but ultimately will be traded. The Yankees will throw tons of cash at Mark Teixeira and You will see him and Sabathia in pinstripes in 2009.

Marte Update

2008-11-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

According to MLBTR the Yankees have signed Damaso Marte to a three year 12 million dollar deal after declining his 6 million dollar option. My take, bad move! Why would you pay him till he's 39? A one year deal at 4 million with an option perhaps. I personaly didn't think he was all that.

David Brown, David Letterman is there a differance

2008-11-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

In Letterman like form. here is David Brown's , from Yahoo sports, top ten list on things CC might have asked Jeter During a Cell phone convo. click here

Pitching Pitching and more Pitching

2008-11-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

I think that most people are of the opinion that the Yankees need two starting pitchers either from free agency or via trade in order to be competitive in 2009. Agreed? That being said who and how much will they spend. I think that when Friday hits,(that's when people can talk money with free agents from other teams) Hank and Hal are going to park a Brinks truck outside CC's house until he comes out and says OK lets go for a ride. I'm guessing they offer him Santana type money maybe even a little more and they go six years. They have money to spend and they will spend it. I feel that they stay away from Burnett, his numbers just don't speak to me and I hope that they decide to throw a little love at Ben Sheets. He was 13-9 last year and has a career ERA of 3.72 He's 30 years old a 4 year deal seems reasonable. In my dream world I see the rotation like this.

1.CC

2. Wang

3. Sheets

4. Pettite

5. Joba

6. Phil Hughes (as needed if they don't trade him, but thats another story)

Next up big bats in the Bronx??

The first post

2008-11-09T23:09:00.000-05:00

The quest begins

The quest begins for the yankees 27th world championship. After a disapointing 2008 season the yankees will attempt to rebound this off season by digging deep into their newly full pocketbook and create a team that will compete with the young speedy Rays and the consistantly powerful Red Sox.

There will be rumors to explore interviews to conduct and contacts to be made. We will attempt to tap into those unnamed sources in the organization and hopefully provide some witty blogging along the way. Hopefully we can have some healthy discussions on who the yankees should aquire ,who should be traded and whos to be kicked to the curb. So fasten your seatbelts everyone and lets get ready for an exciting off season.