The Stirring Straw

Postseason Expansion

2012-03-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

The MLB and the Players Association came to an agreementtoday on adding one Wild Card team to each league beginning this season. The decision brings with it a one gameelimination game played between the two Wild Card teams. That’s not the onlychange it brings. In my opinion it changed the whole season of baseball, andnot for the better.

Last year’s baseball season was one of the most exciting andthrilling seasons in baseball history. Two teams clinching their berths into the playoffs by the skin of theirteeth (one of them winning the World Series). With an extra spot to make itinto the postseason, this finish would have never happened. This new format takes away from the regularseason.

This type of postseason reminds me a little of the NBA’s playoffformat. The NBA’s regular season iswidely thought of as a time holder until playoff time rolls around. There are rarely times when teams fight forthat last spot since over half of the teams in the NBA make the playoffs. I’m not saying the MLB season will be dull oran afterthought, but it will lose some appreciation.

Now how does all of this affect the Yankees? There will nowbe a greater push for teams to win their Division. Any team can come out andwin in a one game elimination. That is something that World Series contenderswant to avoid. Locking up a divisionspot also allows you to pitch your best pitcher in the Division series openersince he would not be used in the Wild Card game. The only problem here is thatthe Yankees play in one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball. The Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees are three ofthe top teams in the AL.Next season, all of them have a chance at making the postseason. AT THE SAMETIME. Three teams in the same divisionmaking the playoffs has never happened in baseball. It wouldn’t surprise me if the first to do itoccurred in the AL Beast.

Potential Draft Prospects/College Notes - Week 2

2012-02-29T22:07:00.001-05:00

Travis Jankowski, CF - Stony Brook (Projected: 1st round)

Stat line: 6-for-15, 5 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, 3B, 3 SB

I really like him. He could sneak up the boards the way Cory Spangenberg did last year. Will probably one up being one of the more valuable players in this class long term. If he is around for the Yankees pick they better jump on him like I projected in my first mock.

Mark Appel, RHP- Standford (Projected No. 1 overall)

Stat line: W, 7 IP, R, 3 H, 3 BB, 10 SO, WP, HBP

Appel pitched tremendously to pick up his second win of the year over the 7th ranked Texas team. Observers noted that Appel looked much better than last weekend and topped out at 96 mph and his slider was missing bats.

Victor Roache, RF - Georgia Southern (Projected: Top 15 pick)

Stat line: 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Roache was having a terrific double header until he made the news of the week by breaking his wrist diving for a fly ball in the second game. It is expected he will be out for the whole year. A major blow to his stock. He will definitely fall like Jackie Bradley Jr. did last year and the Yankees could be a possible destination. Would be a steal if it happens.

Kenny Diekroeger, 2B/SS - Stanford (Projected late 1st round - 1st supp.)

Stat line: 6-for-12, 3 2B, SB, 2 R, 2 RBI BB, 3 K, 2 E

Great performance offensively, but the errors on routine groundballs don't sit well when he already has defensive questions.

Steve Piscotty, 3B/OF - Stanford (Projected mid-to-late 1st round)

Stat line: 3-for-14, 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI,BB, K, E

Not quiet the follow up weekend you'd like to see after his booming start, but he was still productive. Thought he could be around for the Yankees pick... I am already doubting that.

Brett Mooneyham, LHP - Stanford (Projected 1st round supplement to 2nd round)

Stat line: W, 8 IP, R, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 SO, 2 HBP, 8:9 GO:FO

He is really pitching his way into the 1st round conversation early in the season. The stuff is in his arm and he is harnessing it much better thus far.

Hoby Milner, LHP - Texas (Projected 2nd-3rd round)

Stat line: L, 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 2 SO, HBP, 2:7 GO:FO

He has average stuff at the moment, although he is still projectable. Just not a good effort against the potent Stanford lineup though.

Mike Zunino, C - Florida (Projected: top 5)

Stat line: 2-for-6 R, RBI, BB, HBP

Nolan Fontana, SS - Florida (Projected: 2nd-3rd round)

Stat line: 5-for-9, 2 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 SO, HBP, E

Great weekend from him. Definitely making me an even bigger fan.

Preston Tucker, 1B/RF - Florida (Projected: Could go anywhere as a senior)

Stat line: 3-for-11, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, K, SB

Tucker is absolutely killing the ball right now and already has 5 homeruns. I liked him last year and he is definitely improving his stock from the 16th round he was taken in last year.

Hudson Randall, RHP - Florida (Projected: 2nd round)

Stat line: W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, R, 4 SO, 7:8 GO:FO

Lacks an elite fastball, but can throw four quality pitches that includes a quality fastball.

Austin Maddox, 1B/RHP - Florida (Projected: 2nd-5th round)

Stat line: SV, 2.2 IP, H, 4 SO, 3:1 GO:FO / 2-for-6, R

Scouts are starting to think his future is on the mound and not with the bat.

Brian Johnson, LHP/1B - Florida (Projected: Top 20 picks)

Stat line: W, 6.1 IP, R, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 SO, WP, 7:9 GO:FO / O-for-3, 2 K

I expected more from Johnson against William & Mary. Not terrible, but he needs to step it up.

Chris Beck, RHP - Georgia Southern (Projected: Top 20 pick)

Stat line: 7 IP, 2 R, 7 H, BB, 5 SO, HBP (87 pitches, 59 for strikes)

Nice outing that was tremendously efficient. A few too many hits against Radford, but he attacking the zone all game and sometimes a few of the balls put into play will drop for hits.

Eddie Butler, RHP - Radford (Projected: 2nd or 3rd round)

Stat line: 5 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 6 BB, 4 SO (103 pitches, 56 for strikes)

Sits low-to-mid 90's with projectability, but his inconsistent mechanics lead to troubles with command as was the case in this performance.

Deven Marrero, SS - Arizona State (Projected: Top 8 picks)

Stat line: 4-for-11, 2 R, RBI, SB

Brady Rodgers, RHP - Arizona State (Projected: 2nd round)

Stat line: W, 7 IP, 5 H, 9 SO, 7:3 GO:FO

Definitely a name I would watch for the Yankees second pick.

Marcus Stroman, RHP - Duke (Projected: 1st round)

Stat line: 7 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 10 SO

And this is why he still looks like a first round pick despite the question marks.

Michael Wacha, RHP - Texax A&M (Projected: 1st round)

Stat line: 7 IP, 2 H, 11 SO

Kevin Gausman, RHP - LSU (Projected: Top 6 picks)

Stat line: W, 7 IP, 4 H, 7 SO

High school tidbit: Lucas Giolito hit 100 mph in his start Tuesday night. No crazy bonus demands will get him out of the top 5 picks.

New York Yankees Spring Training Camp Notes 2/29

2012-02-29T17:00:00.002-05:00

At the Stirring Straw, we have discovered a nice visual way of bringing what happens in Tampa to all our readers across the nation. Introducing our Storify page! Storify is a website that lets you put together articles, pictures, video, and tweets to weave a story.

We're bringing you all of the day's tweets and photos from the Yankees' Spring Training camp all in one place. No more bland posts with just texts and a link. If you check out our Storify page, you'll be able to follow what happened and when.

We hope you like it and please feel free to give us feedback.

Here is what happened today - Highlights of the Day: Yankees practice "the flip" play, A-Rod and Jeter keep quiet on Valentine's comments, Francona spends the day in Tampa and 10 Playoff Teams in 2012? See what's up on Storify.

Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter: similar stars in two very different markets

2012-02-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

I love Derek Jeter as much as the next guy. In fact, from my earliest recollection, Derek Jeter has been the only shortstop I have known. The man is the New York Yankees.

Jeter continues to get older; inevitably, there will be a day when another will be announced as "playing shortstop for the New York Yankees".

Imagine for one second that Jeter was never played for the Yankees. Let's say, for argument's sake, he was traded for Chipper Jones before either reached the majors. It's tough to do.

Derek Jeter may the most recognizable figure in all of sport. Chipper Jones may be the best baseball player in the last 15 years that is appreciated the least. Why? Atlanta has "The Weather Channel", New York has "Yankee Stadium". New York has the glitz and the glamor. Atlanta has southern manners.

Back to my trade - would Derek Jeter be viewed any differently had he played in a small market? In my mind, yes. Would Chipper be viewed any differently had he played in New York? Yes, again.

These two players are remarkably similar. Jeter debuted 1995 and started playing full time in 1996. Chipper debuted in 1993 but did not start playing full time until 1995.

Chipper has a career batting average of .304. Jeter, .313. Chipper hits for more power - 454 home runs to Jeter's 240. Chipper has an all time career OBP of .402. Jeter, .383.

Defensively, Chipper is much better than Jeter; vver their careers, Jeter has a -14 WAR and Chipper only has a -2.

Am I arguing that Chipper is better than Jeter? No. Nobody will ever know how each would have reacted had they been moved to different markets. Yet, when fans say that no one player has been better than Jeter since the mid-1990's, I find myself arguing that for some, there is much more than what the sports media tells us.

2/28 Camp Notes

2012-02-28T22:15:00.001-05:00

(Reuters)

Here are today's notes from Yankees camp:

Robinson Cano will bat third in the Yankees lineup, but after that Joe Girardi isn't sure. He said that other than that, he isn't "married" to anyone batting anywhere in the lineup. (Link)
David Aardsma reported to camp today is throwing off flat ground at 90 feet. He's hoping to be back some time around the All-Star break. With him and Joba coming back mid-season, that pen is going to be stacked down the stretch. (Link)
Bobby Valentine apparently delivered some shots at the Yankees today. I didn't really look at them because I didn't care, but here you go. I'll have something on Bobby V up in the next day or two. (Link)
And as always, the Lohud blog has your pitchers that threw bullpens and your hitters that took batting practice, along with some other notes. (Link)

Replacing Mo

2012-02-28T11:06:00.004-05:00

With the 2012 baseball season approaching, it’s hard for a Yankee fan not to think about the 2013 season. Mariano Rivera has hinted at a possible retirement after his 2-year $30 million dollar contract expires at the end of this season. Although there is still a possibility that the all-times saves leader returns to the mound next year, people are wondering who takes the reigns if he does call it quits.

(Chris Pedota)

The easiest place to start is with setup man David Robertson. Robertson posted a stellar 4-0 record with a minuscule 1.08 ERA over 66.2 innings. His 100 strikeouts as a reliever ranked second in all of baseball and his 35 holds ranked third. While those numbers seem to make him an automatic choice for the heir to the throne, his 35 walks raise a red flag. Robertson has never been known as a control pitcher and a closer giving up free passes is a little unsettling.

The next candidate is Rafael Soriano. The 2010 American League saves leader is already an experienced closer. He is also getting paid like a closer. Soriano is set to receive $14 million during the 2013 season. That is only if he picks up his player option, which he certainly will. Rafael is coming off a season where he performed well below expectation. His line of 2-3 with a 4.12 ERA is far from the 3-2 1.73 ERA he had in 2010. He also had a problem finding the strikezone. Soriano (in a season where he pitched 23 fewer innings) had four more walks in 2011 than he did in 2010. This is also happening while his homerun and hit rate were at some of the highest in his career. The stats here can all be rendered meaningless if he has a similar season to 2010.

Joba Chamberlain. Yes Joba Chamberlain. Joba was deemed the closer of the future way back in 2007. Fast-forward four more seasons and the once super prospect is coming off Tommy John surgery. Joba has struggled to live up to the expectations since he burst on the scene. He is set to return to the Yankee bullpen by June, but nothing is guaranteed when rehabbing from an elbow injury. His fastball faded the past couple of years where he was transferred from the rotation to the pen. In the 28 innings he did pitch in 2011, his fastball seemed to be coming back. History has shown us that pitchers coming off of Tommy John have generally thrown harder than they previously did. A solid 2012 can give him a shot at the ninth inning in 2013.

The closer market for the 2013 season looks to be a soft one. Notable names that will touch free agency are Jonathan Broxton, Brandon League, Juan Carlos Oviedo (former Leo Nunez), Ryan Madson (if he opts out), Jose Valverde, and former Angels and Met closer Francisco Rodriguez. Other than maybe Valverde, who led the AL with 49 saves, nobody projects to be any better than the Yankees in house solutions. However, this can all change after 2012.

Yankees Spring Training Camp Notes -- 2/27

2012-02-28T00:33:00.003-05:00

Third base-man Alex Rodriguez during Yankees Photo Day. Quite the studio in Tampa. (Getty Images)

The New York Yankees officially announced the signing of Eric Chavez. In other news, water is wet. Relief pitcher David Aardsma was placed on the 60-day disabled list shortly after the announcement.

After AJ Burnett's departure for Pittsburgh, it appears as if the walk-off pie duty will fall on him. Joe Girardi says that he is the favorite to replace the starter in that job.

Speaking of AJ Burnett, he had to drop some cash in order for him to wear No. 34 again in Pittsburgh. He wrote out a check to the college fund for Daniel McCutchen's daughter in exchange for the number.

Joba Chamberlain is getting ready to throw off a full mound some time soon. He could throw about twenty pitches to get back in the groove of things.

Joe Girardi has set his pitching rotation for the early portion of Spring Training and it goes as follows: March 2nd Adam Warren, March 3rd Ivan Nova, March 4th Freddy Garcia, March 5th Michael Pineda, March 6th CC Sabathia/Phil Hughes, March 7th Hiroki Kuroda.

Robinson Cano will be away from the team in Tampa for a little while as he tends to his family after his grandmother passed away in the Dominican Republic.

Andy Pettitte is in town for a little while just hanging out as a guest instructor. He'll be working with some of the pitchers as much as he can. He joked around about pitching batting practice only to be received as a joke by Derek Jeter. Bernie Williams will be around soon to hang out much like Pettitte.

Stirring Straw Live Chat

2012-02-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

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Babe Ruth's jersey to sell for record-sum, Yahoo Sports says

2012-02-27T10:50:00.003-05:00

Yahoo Sports reports that Babe Ruth's 1920 jersey (aka, the jersey he wore during his first season with the Yankees), is on sale. They say it has the potential to be auctioned for the most money in any baseball auction to date. See the article here

Now, I am not the biggest auction fan - the extent of my knowledge on the topic is Honus Wagner's T-206 tobacco card in 2007 and the $2.8 million it sold for in 2007.

But, that being said, this, to me, is the most important piece of memorabilia in baseball's history. Why? In 1920, the year after the Black-Sox Scandal, baseball needed a savior to avoid fans from losing interest in a potentially "corrupt game". Ruth's trade to the Yankees, and the Yankees' decision to make Ruth a full time hitter (he only pitched in 4 games in his entire Yankee career), helped bring people back to the game.

Of course, Honus Wagner's cards (and the handful of them left) are historic. But, rightfully so, this jersey is the greatest.

2/26 Camp Notes

2012-02-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

(Reuters)

Here are today's camp notes:

In order to make room for Eric Chavez on the 40-man roster, the Yankees took Chris Dickerson off the 40-man. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. I'm happy they were able to keep him because he's a useful player and I'd like to see him up again soon. (Link)
Mariano Rivera threw his first bullpen of the spring and said he felt good. (Link)
Austin Romine had an MRI on his back which revealed inflammation. The Yanks are gonna hold him back a few more days. There's no need to rush him. Romine says he can tell it's not gonna be a big thing by the way he feels. (Two Links)
And as always, Chad Jennings has all the guys that threw bullpens and took batting practice. (Link)

Podcast Episode #4: Nick is a Fantasy Guru

2012-02-26T15:45:00.001-05:00

Nick and I are back and we have a good amount to talk about. We start by wrapping up the AJ Burnett deal since it was finalized after the last time we recorded. We then move forward to Russell Martin and the talks of an extension. The negotiations have been tabled, but we discuss if this would be the right move and what this would mean for Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez. Lastly, we move on to talking about the Jays and Orioles and what to expect from them this year. You can listen to it below:

Or you can download it here.

And you can subscribe on iTunes here. (Be sure to rate and review us)

2/25 Camp Notes

2012-02-25T21:36:00.001-05:00

(Reuters)

Here are today's camp notes:

Raul Ibanez expressed how happy he was to be a Yankee as he met with the media today. He's spent some time talking to minor leaguers. People have said he's a great clubhouse guy and he's proving it. (Two Links)
Alex Rodriguez also spoke to the media and said that his knee is 100% healthy and that he wants to hit fourth. (Two Links)
Here are the guys who hit and threw bullpens, along with other notes. (Link)

2/24 Notes: Everyone Reports

2012-02-24T19:28:00.001-05:00

(Bryan Hoch)

So today is the day that everyone reports to camp and Spring Training officially begins. Yay for that. On to the notes:

Derek Jeter spoke to the media today like he does at the beginning of every Spring Training. His main points were that he will play as long as he feel he can and he's having fun and that he was shocked to get Michael Pineda. (Two Links)
Austin Romine sat out today due to his sore back and he's basically day-to-day. Joe Girardi says he'll sit tomorrow too if he has to. (Link)
No bullpens were thrown today, but a bunch of guys took batting practice. Click to link to see who. (Link)

Musings on Angelo Gumbs

2012-02-24T16:36:00.001-05:00

The thing that makes the Yankees farm system good is not top tier talent, but the amount of depth in it. Maybe the guys at the top of the system don't match up that well with other teams, but when you start to get lower and lower on prospect lists, the guys that the Yankees have, for the most part, are more valuable than what other teams have to offer. A great example of this is the 2012 Low-A Charleston team. It's going to feature a lot of good prospects including Mason Williams, Bryan Mitchell, Tyler Austin, Ben Gamel, and former first round picks Cito Culver and Dante Bichette Jr. One guy getting lost in all of this is second baseman Angelo Gumbs.

You won't see Gumbs on any Top 100's or (most) Top 10's, but he is definitely a legitimate prospect. He was taken in the second round of the 2010 draft and given a very nice $750,000 signing bonus. After getting his feet wet in Rookie Ball just after signing he posted a .264/.334/.406 slash line with Short Season Staten Island. These numbers aren't great, but it's all about the tools with him. He's a great athlete, but is very raw and needs a lot of polish on both sides of the ball.

The reason I bring Gumbs up is because this week at Baseball Prospectus, Jason Parks took on the Yankees farm system in his "What Could Go Wrong" series. If you're not familiar, he takes the best five prospects (in his opinion) from every system and talks about what may go wrong in the upcoming year for them. Anyway, he had Gary Sanchez in the one spot, Manny Banuelos at two, then Dellin Betances, followed by Mason Williams. The order is a little shaken up, but nothing too crazy. But after this, he wrote about Gumbs. Here's a mini scouting report:

On a short-season team that featured up-the-middle talent like Cito Culver and Mason Williams, second baseman Angelo Gumbs stood out as the athlete worth watching. I’ve been noisy about Gumbs’ athleticism and the projections he holds both on defense and at the plate. He flashed a bit of this promise in 2011, but his production won’t spark much prospect love. If you were lucky enough to see the former second-round pick in action, there is a good chance you witnessed Gumbs’ competitive fire take him out of games. Call it immaturity or give it another label, but when faced with a setback on the field, Gumbs’ own disappointment in the result was often visible, and on quiet nights, quite audible. Some industry sources I’ve spoken with question Gumbs’ makeup, but I’m not ready to call his competitive fire a flaw. It goes without saying that he needs to mature on the field. But Gumbs played the entire season as an 18-year-old, and at that age, I like to see a player who demands the best from himself.

[snip]

Based on the snapshot, Gumbs’ athleticism stands out, as I was able to see a few routine ground-ball executions, and one nice glove-side play where Gumbs was able to flash his first-step quickness and reactions. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Gumbs wasn’t able to show off the full range of his physical abilities, as I was at the mercy of the balls in play, and Gumbs only touched the ball a handful of times. I would have paid extra to see him take flies in the outfield. His skill set belongs in the vast wilderness of center field.

At the plate, Gumbs looked more comfortable than [Cito] Culver, with a natural feel for his swing and natural contact ability; it just seemed easy for him to pull the trigger, jump into the zone, and control the bat and barrel the ball with authority. Even the balls he fouled off were quality swings, as he was locked in most of the night. The statistical results of the evening run counter to my claims of quality, but he was putting good wood on the ball; he just wasn’t getting any help from the holes on the field. He also has more power potential than I realized. The kid has juice in the bat.

Obviously Gumbs is very athletic and has all the tools to become an All-Star, but I didn't expect this type of praise from anyone. Now before we get our expectations up, let's remember that Parks is an outlier and that he's one of the few that like Gumbs this much and also, coming from a scouting background he's bound to put more weight on what he sees. I like him a lot too, heck I've even predicted him to break out in a few chats and he's definitely someone I'm going to be keeping my eye on even with all the talent he'll be surrounded by.

The Last Roster Spot

2012-02-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

When the Yankees signed Eric Chavez to a major league deal a couple of days ago, they didn't just fill the back-up corner infielder role, but they also filled the 24th spot on the roster. That's right, 24 spots on the roster are currently filled leaving one remaining for a reliever. This means that the only way Bill Hall and Russell Branyan are going to make the team is if someone gets hurt. That's a real shame too, because I was looking forward to seeing Branyan hit some moon shots, like this one.

(Pro Rumors)

Anyway, the way I see it, the one spot left can be filled by four different people depending on what the Yanks feel they need and of course who performs well in Spring Training. Hideki Okajima was in this group until he failed his physical. So let's take a look at the candidates.

Cesar Cabral: Joe Girardi has made it known that he would like a second lefty to work with in the pen and Cabral would give it to him. The 23 year old was a Rule 5 pick from the Red Sox system and has put up pretty good numbers. There are a few somewhat serious problems with Cabral, however. First of all he hasn't pitched above Double-A, not to say he put up bad numbers there, but it goes without saying that the difference between pitching there and in the majors is a big one. There's also the fact that Cabral's best pitch is a change up which bodes better against righties than it does lefties. The fact that he is a Rule 5 guy though could help him in a tie breaker situation.

(Mike Ashmore)

Mike O'Connor: O'Connor's signing in the middle of the off-season went under the radar maybe because it was a minor league deal or maybe because no one cared about another lefty reliever. Anyway, O'Connor probably doesn't have that much of a chance to make the team, but I think he should get a decent look. He spent most of last year in the Mets system (Triple-A) and pitched to a 3.47 FIP in 60.1 innings. In his combined MLB stints he has .243 batting average against versus lefties and a 4.18 FIP.

Brad Meyers: This is the other guy that the Bombers took in the Rule, a right-hander from the Nats. Meyers is a more of a control guy than anything else and spent most of last year in Triple A pitching to a 3.43 FIP thanks in a large part to a sub-two walk rate. I don't think Meyers has a real shot of making the team unless some injuries occur or management decides that they don't want the second lefty. I like Meyers a lot and I know Nick does too, but unless the competition comes down to just righties where his Rule 5 status can come into play, I see him going back to Washington at the end of camp.

George Kontos: Kontos is a personal favorite, who I think could be very good in that last bullpen spot. He's a guy who can throw multiple innings if need be and uses a nice fastball-slider combo to record a good amount of strikeouts. For Triple A Scranton last season, the 26 year old logged 89.1 innings in 40 games and pitched to a 2.62 ERA before getting short stint with the big league club in September. I like him a lot as solid middle reliever down the line, but it wouldn't shock me if they opted for one of the Rule 5 guys just for depth purposes. In that case, Kontos would be the first guy in the case of an injury.

All four of these are solid options and I wouldn't really argue with any of them getting a roster spot. A lot of this going to depend on what they do in camp and how much Joe Girardi really wants that second lefty. I want to see Kontos get the job because I think he can do very well in it, but as of right now I think it will Cabral. Should be a fun little competition to watch out for in the coming month or so.

2/23 Camp Notes

2012-02-23T19:04:00.001-05:00

Boomer! (Reuters)

Here are the notes from today at Yankee camp:

The big news is Austin Romine who has a sore back which will keep him out for a few days, but isn't thought to be too serious. (Link)
Also on the injury front, George Kontos will be out only a few more days due to his oblique. This is good news because it was possible that he would be out for a few weeks. (Link)
Speaking of injuries, Eric Chavez reported to camp today, although his signing is not yet official. (See what I did there?) (Link)
Another worthy note (sort of) David Aardsma will be issued the number 34, cutting AJ Burnett from our minds permanantly. (Link)
Also, the Yanks and Russell Martin have re-opened negotiations about a possible extension. Martin's agent said that they would even be willing to work with the team as far as the budget goes. Sounds good to me. (Link)
And as always Chad Jennings has the list of guys who threw and hit today. (Link)

Mariano Rivera NOT Overpaid

2012-02-23T11:00:00.002-05:00

In the midst of all the Mariano Rivera retirement talks, Tom Van Riper released an article for Forbes this week on the financial relief that the Yankees will see after the all-time saves leader calls it a career. His argument is that for the amount of work that Rivera does in one inning, he is overpaid. Van Riper cites statistics that show that in most cases, the team with the lead in the ninth inning will secure the victory. He did not point out if those situations were save scenarios for a closer to be called into the game.

The main issue that I have with his argument is the fact that he singles out Mariano Rivera as an over paid player. First of all, he is being paid to seal victories for the team with the most pressure to bring home the World Series trophy when the season is all said and done. Couple that with the fact that he has demonstrated that he is the best at his craft in his career and he's worth every bang for his buck.

Most of the money that has been flushed out by this team has not been on him, but on players that could help get the ball to him and relieve the pressure of a setting like New York. Try spending the same amount of money on a different reliever and feeling confident in getting the same results as Rivera? It just isn't the same, because there is no name in the league that comes close to the reliability this man has not only in the regular season, but in the playoffs as well.

Take Rivera and place him in a Mets uniform. Give him the same salary that he is earning with the Yankees. The investment fails, because of the fact that this Yankees team has been built for years around the fact that if you hold a slim lead in the 9th inning, you can still win. It would take years for another team to replicate what the Yankees have been able to do for the money to work.

When Mariano Rivera started off as a closer in 1997 and helped the Yankees make a run in the playoffs, he made $550,000 and recorded 43 saves. He has five World Series rings on his hand and if 'overpaying' him now doesn't make up for his contributions in the 90's, it just is not fair. Putting his contract aside, Rivera will retire with his name among the greatest to ever take the field.

2/22 Camp Notes

2012-02-22T18:48:00.001-05:00

(Reuters)

Here's are the notes from today at Yankees camp:

Joba Chamberlain threw off a full mound for the first time since his Tommy John surgery and said he feels really good. He's slated to throw again on Friday. (Link)
Derek Jeter says he knows what Mariano is going to do after this season, but he's not telling either. Let the speculation continue. (Link)
The YES Network has hired Lou Piniella as a special contributor. Piniella will work games as an analyst, also pre- and post-game from the studio, contribute to Yesnetwork.com and do a CenterStage. (Two Links)
Lastly here's a list of the guys who threw bullpens and took batting practice along with some other notes. (Link)

Yanks Sign David Aardsma

2012-02-22T12:34:00.001-05:00

Per Byan Hoch, the Yankees have signed reliever David Aardsma to a MLB deal as he rehabs back from Tommy John surgery. The deal is reportedly worth $500,000 and the righty could possibly come back some time later on this season. Andrew Marchand is reporting that it's a two year deal and is geared more for 2013 then it is for this year. It is a club option after this year.

Aardsma's last season in the majors was 2010 when he closed games for Seattle. He logged 31 saves in 52 appearances while pitching to a 3.44 ERA. I'm not really sure what to think of this move yet, but he could help the Yankees down the stretch. Should be interesting to see how it pans out. However, for now, we don't really need to worry about it.

Realistic expectations for Mariano if this is his last year

2012-02-22T10:59:00.004-05:00

(Fox Sports)

Mariano Rivera has decided when he will retire. As of now, he will not publicly say whether this is his final season or not, said New York Times writer Lynn Singer.

If this is indeed the end of the road for the greatest closer of all time, I will be the first to say I am happy that I was along for the ride and that I saw Mo pitch hundreds of times. Mariano is the type of player you tell your grandkids about. In an era defined by "trying to find the story that sells the most", Rivera found a way to avoid it all in the media capital of the United States.

Enough of my rambling, after all, we do not know for sure that this is Mariano's last year. I think Mo will have a great year regardless of his decision. However, I also believe we may see some more experimenting with other relievers (read: Rafael Soriano/David Robertson) if he informs Yankees Management that this is his final go-around. After all, if Rivera is gone after 2012, the Yankees have a hole to fill at closer.

Would this be a way of "showing" Mariano the door? Yes, of course.

But, is baseball a business? Yes.

Does Mariano want to see the Yankees succeed in the future? I hope so.

Does this mean Mariano will lose out on 20 possible save opportunities? Probably not, unless he is underperforming.

All I am saying is that Mariano has to be very careful with his decision. If he makes his decision public during the year, he may see his saves go down.

Even if he does not make his decision public, we may still see his saves go down. As much as we like to believe it, he is not invincible.

Regardless of whether Mo misses out on a few saves, it will make little difference because even if this is his last year, he has already booked his ticket to Cooperstown and Monument Park.

Yanks, Chavez Agree on Deal

2012-02-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Per Jon Heyman, the Yankees and Eric Chavez have agreed to a major league deal. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the deal if one year (obviously) and worth $900,000 with incentives. This was expected any day once the AJ Burnett deal was made official and I'm glad they finally got it out of the way. It seemed to be the last thing needed to be done. I know Chris will be happy.

2/21 Camp Notes

2012-02-21T19:00:00.001-05:00

(Bryan Hoch)

Another day and another post of notes. Here they are:

David Robertson was asked about Mariano Rivera's comments from yesterday and he responded that, "You never know. He might Favre us." (Link)
The Raul Ibanez signing was made official today, thus filling the 40-man roster. Luckily, pitchers are now allowed to be placed on the 60-day disabled list and the Yanks have two guys eligible (Pedro Feliciano and Joba Chamberlain). This will help when/if the team signs Eric Chavez. (Link)
George Kontos sustained the first injury of camp with a tweaked oblique. That always seems to be the big injury in Spring Training, if you remember last year. Anyway, Joe Girardi said that Kontos will miss hopefully a few days, but possibly a few weeks. I like Kontos a lot and think he has a shot to make the MLB bullpen in the same spot Luis Ayala occupied last season. (Link)
The Yankees will have their team bonding session on March 1, which is the day before their first exhibition game. (Link)
Eric Chavez may not be a Yankee yet, but Joe Girardi slipped in saying that he would be in the mix for back up Mark Teixeira at first base. I'm sure we'll see him soon. (Link)
As far as players working out today David Adams was working out at second base and Justin Maxwell in left. (Link)
Andruw Jones feels great and ready to go he says. His knee was drained six times last year before having surgery this off-season. (Two Links)

Four Yankees Crack BA's Top 100 List

2012-02-21T16:50:00.004-05:00

After a long wait, Baseball America finally released its top 100 prospect list. The Yankees to make the list were Manny Banuelos (No. 29), Dellin Betances (No. 63), Gary Sanchez (No. 81), and Mason Williams (No. 85).

Manny Banuelos

lhp, Yankees

Age: 21.

ETA: 2012.

Yankees player-development boss Mark Newman compared his poise to Whitey Ford—when Banuelos was 18.

Dellin Betances

rhp, Yankees

Age: 24.

ETA: 2013.

Last year he became the 10th member of New York's 2006 draft class to reach the majors.

Gary Sanchez

c, Yankees

Age: 19.

ETA: 2014.

Took hits for his defensive ability and makeup in his first full season, but dished them out with his bat.

85	Mason Williams	of, Yankees	Age: 20.	ETA: 2014.
Heads up a deep, athletic group of Yankees prospects headed to low Class A Charleston.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Williams make the list. He definitely deserves it and is on his way to being a top 50 prospects next year at worst. I really have no complaints on where anyone was placed. They all seem like fair assessments.

The Baseball America crew answered some questions to go along with the list and answered this regarding the Yankees:

:Jay (Illinois): Can you give us 10 names that just missed the top 100? Thanks!
Jim Callis: Giants C Tommy Joseph was No. 100 until Yoenis Cespedes signed. Others who just missed, in no particular order: Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn, Astros SS Jonathan Villar, Rangers RHP Neil Ramirez, Marlins OF Marcell Ozuna, Royals RHP Kelvin Herrera, Nationals RHP Alex Meyer, Padres C Austin Hedges, Yankees RHP Jose Campos, Pirates RHP Luis Heredia.

Joel (KCK): Until Boston or the Yanks can actually develop a prospect and have them have sustained success at the major league level, is it that off-base for the majority of baseball fans to feel that ALL Bos/NYY prospects are overrated by the majority of the industry experts?
J.J. Cooper: Sorry Joel, you're missing something here. Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester would seem to qualify as homegrown talents with sustained success as do Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon. On the Yankees side, Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, Ivan Nova and others would like to differ with your assessment.

Andrew Brotherton (Atlanta, GA): We all know about Mason, Manny, and Dellin, along with newly acquired Jose, who are the next wave of Yankee prospects to make the Top 100 prospects? Could you see Montgomery, Bichette, Ravel Santana, Jake Cave, Murphy, Flores, Austin entering the list?
John Manuel: Glad to see a Yankee fan so giddy about their prospects; it's so rare ... Ravel Santana and Dante Bichette Jr. are my picks to click out of that group to jump into the Top 100 next year, but Austin is a good sleeper. I like Mike Montgomery a lot but he's likely a future setup guy, and there are really no setup guys (in terms of realistic ceiling) in this top 100. That's what kept Lance Lynn, for example, out of the top 100. Check today's podcast when it's posted to hear some more discussion on that point.

Chris (Hicksville, NY): Is Gary Sanchez from the Yankee system a Jesus Montero situation all over again in terms of can Sanchez play another position if he can't make it as catcher? I love the podcasts by the way.
John Manuel: Thanks for the kind words on the podcast. We're excited about the fact that they are going well. I think JJ Cooper deserves a lot of credit for that; I'm proud to work with him. As for Sanchez, I think the safest thing to say is yes, he's similar to Montero, though he's more of a pure hitter in terms of his swing. The makeup or maturity of Sanchez is more in question than it was for Montero at a similar stage. But he's not as big as Montero; I wouldn't give up on him as a catcher just yet. He can grow up; Montero couldn't stop being 6-foot-4, 225.

A Look at the Yankees Starters Through Pitch F/X

2012-02-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back I posted about the new break throughs in pitch f/x and how much easier it is analyze pitchers with the new player cards they have on Brooks Baseball. They've broken down the movement, trajectory, and speed of each pitch thrown by every pitcher since 2007, which makes life for players, teams, and writers a lot easier. In this post I'm going to take the six Yankees starters and look at each of their numbers pitch by pitch. Here we go (you can click on each chart to enlarge):

CC Sabathia

Michael Pineda

Hiroki Kuroda

Ivan Nova

Phil Hughes

Freddy Garcia

I know it's a lot to digest so I'll just point out a few things. First of all, the best pitch in the rotation according to whiff rate is CC Sabathia's change up which comes in at 21.88%. That's followed by Ivan Nova's slider (21.65%), Michael Pineda's slider (19.45%), and Sabathia's slider (18.51%). This isn't a perfect comparison because of the sample size (ie. Sabathia has obviously thrown more sliders over the last five years than Nova has). Remember, this is only MLB data so there's only one year for Pineda and Nova.

There's not much else I can say about, but I urge you to look through the graphs because they're very interesting. If you have time, you should go to the Brooks Baseball website that I linked to above so you can check out the more in depth stuff like trajectories, speeds, etc. I hope to be using this stuff more going forward and especially during the season.

The Back-Up Catcher Situation and Austin Romine

2012-02-21T11:15:00.001-05:00

Jesus Montero put the Yankees in something of a bind when it came to roster flexibility. The bat was obviously very real and could play anywhere, but Montero's defense was a serious question mark and he couldn't be trusted as a legitimate back up to Russell Martin. Combining this with the fact that they needed to get his bat in the lineup every day, the Yanks would have had to carry three catchers in 2012. Now that he has been shipped to Seattle the picture is a little bit clearer.

Since the big trade, I feel like Gary Sanchez has been getting a lot more attention. This isn't to say that it's unwarranted, after all, Sanchez may have the most upside of any position player in the system and he has power that rivals Monteros. But in the process Austin Romine, the catching prospect that is closest to the Majors, has been getting overlooked. However, this may not be a bad thing.

(Bus Leagues Baseball)

Heading into the 2011 season, a lot of people were expecting Montero to be the long term designated hitter/first baseman and Romine to be the legitimate catcher of the future. I kind of feel like this put a lot of pressure on the latter, especially since he was repeating Double A. In other words, big things were expected from the young backstop. Even with a concussion that kept him out for a chunk of the season, he still hit .286/.351/.378 with six homers before getting short stints with Scranton and the big league team.

I thought these numbers were pretty good, but with all the buzz surrounding Montero's imminent call-up, Sanchez's attitude problems, and JR Murphy's improvements with the glove and the bat, he got overshadowed. But now with Jesus gone, the path is clear and Romine will have the first crack at the bigs among the remaining catchers in the system. The question is when.

Many will want him to be the back up behind Russell Martin, but I'm not sure that's the best idea. Romine only had 15 plate appearances in Scranton and didn't hit too well in his small sample sizes in Triple A and the MLB. I think the bat can use some time back with Scranton before he gets a permanent call up. That's where Frankie Cervelli comes in. Cervelli can serve as a very viable back up until either an injury occurs or the Yankees brass feels he's ready.

Obviously this isn't that pressing of an issue, but it does play into Romine's development so it shouldn't be taken too lightly. I, unlike many others, think that he can still be a solid MLB regular and I expect a solid year out of him.

Girardi Speaks: 2/20 Camp Notes

2012-02-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

(Bryan Hoch)

Today was the first day that pitchers and catchers had to participate in baseball activity so there were a lot of pictures circulating Twitter (most of them pretty bad) of pitchers throwing bullpen, players stretching, and people just standing around. However, a lot of notes came from today because Joe Girardi spoke to the media for the first time. Here are today's happenings starting with what the Skipper had to say:

Girardi said that he envisions Phil Hughes as a starter long term, but that the right-hander would have to battle with Freddy Garcia for the number five spot in the rotation. (Link)
As for the front of the rotation, Girardi said that CC Sabathia will get the ball on Opening Day, but after that he will be keeping an open mind. He also said that he wants CC to stay at his current weight (or at least close to it). (Two Links)
When asked about the bullpen, he said that as of right now, nothing has changed since and that Rafael Soriano will pitch the seventh innings, David Robertson the eighth, and of course Mariano Rivera in the ninth. (Link)
AJ Burnett was of course the main topic of conversation for Yankee fans over the last week or so and Joe believed that the team may not have won the World Series without him in 2009 and that he did everything the team asked him to. (Two Links)
Joe also says that he thinks Alex Rodriguez will have a big bounce back year, although he's not sure how much DH time the third baseman is going to get. He says that he will play it by ear. (Two Links)
Girardi anticipates that Frankie Cervelli will be the back up catcher on Opening Day, although Austin Romine among others will get a look. (Two Links)
As for the lineup, the Skipper thinks he's gonna go with Cano-A-Rod-Teixeira in the 3-4-5 spots while having Jeter and Granderson bat 1-2. He's "not married to that" though. (Two Links)
Lastly, a story that seemed to get blown a little bit out of proportion was Mariano Rivera saying he has already made up his mind about his future. The 42 year old closer's contract runs out after this season so retirement could be very possible. Many of the beat guys were saying that it sounded like he was going to retire, but you never know. Let's worry about that when the time comes. (Link)

Goldstein on Moreno and Cayones

2012-02-20T16:27:00.001-05:00

Today over Baseball Prospectus, Kevin Goldstein and RJ Anderson examined the AJ Burnett trade and broke it down from both sides. Goldstein took a look at the prospects that the Yanks got back. Here's what he had to say:

Diego Moreno ranked ninth on the Pirates’ list 15 months ago, but his career has been hampered by injuries, suspensions for immature behavior, and lack of development. He's a wide-bodied right-hander with plus-plus velocity touching 98; he can throw strikes with the pitch, but that remains the sum of his abilities. For every plus slider he throws, he'll deliver three that just sweep across the plate, and his fastball lacks much in the way of deception or movement. He'll likely get to the big leagues at some point on his fastball alone, but it will take an unexpected step forward for him to make an impact.
20-year-old outfielder Exicardo Cayones belongs in a scene from Moneyball. What does he do? He gets on base. He has an advanced approach at the plate and a line-drive swing that should produce good batting averages, but it's hard to figure what he'll do around those skills. He has well below-average power and lacks the speed for center or the arm strength for right. Even if he puts up good numbers at Low-A Charleston this season—and that is a distinct possibility—his upside is limited.

Obviously neither guy is a top-of-the-system caliber guy, but they are a little intriguing. Moreno will probably start the season in Trenton while Cayones will join an already prospect-heavy Charleston team. It won't hurt to at least keep tabs on these guys. If you want to read it, here's the whole piece.

Yankees Have $4.2 Million to Spend on Draft

2012-02-20T14:02:00.001-05:00

If scouts didn't already think their job was hard enough, thanks to the new CBA it just got harder as the days of getting Dellin Betances type players in the 10th round are almost all, but over.

The new rules assign teams with a "bonus pool" that they are allowed to use on their draft picks. Should they exceed that pool by up to 5% then they have to pay a 75% tax on the overage. If they exceed the pool by 5-10% then they have to pay the 75% tax and forfeit a first round pick. For 10-15% over the pool they pay 100% tax and lose a first and second round pick. Finally if a team exceeds the pool by more than 15% they pay a 100% tax and lose two first round picks.

It is a pretty steep price to pay and will prevent those late round bonuses that helped teams like the Yankees steal prospects like Betances.

Jim Callis put together a listing of each team's draft pool for the 2012 draft and the Yankees have $4,192,200 to spend. The figure is the seventh lowest in baseball.

The Yankees spent just over $6.2 million on last years class. If this rule was in place last year then the Yankees would have been over the 15% mark and had to pay a 100% tax, while forfeiting two first round picks. What this means is you can definitely expect a decrease in the quality of prospects the Yankees bring in this year.

Stirring Straw Live Chat

2012-02-20T13:24:00.000-05:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=8560f6782d" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Stirring Straw Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Chat Reminder

2012-02-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that we'll be chatting today at 1:30. We'll be talking AJ Burnett, the lefty bat situation, and anything else that's somewhat relavent to the Yankees. See you all there.

Cashman told C.C. to lose some weight - Is this a long term solution

2012-02-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

According to espn.com, the Yankees were not using C.C. Sabathia's weight as a bargaining chip this offseason when he decided to opt out of his old contract - they simply wanted their ace back.

After C.C. signed a 5 year, 122 million dollar extension, the Yankees sat down with C.C.. Something of a much greater weight was on Brian Cashman's mind.

In that meeting, the Yankees told Sabathia they wanted him to lose weight because they needed him to perform at a high level as he gets older. He is 31.

Well so be it, here we are, towards the end of February with pitchers and catchers set to report soon. According to multiple sources, C.C.'s weight is down approximately 10-15 pounds. Matt reported this earlier.

C.C. insists this is a long term solution. I am not so sure. Wallace Matthews reported earlier C.C. has always had trouble losing weight because of his body type. I do not discount this even though it seems Matthews is picking on Sabathia. Body type does matter with weight loss.

Besides this, weight, as we all know, is one of those things that is very easy to lose when you are focused on it all the time. For C.C., he is not going to be weight-watching as he gets ready for a big start against Boston in the dog days of summer.

To be positive, if Kendrick Perkins, NBA big man (big man highlighted for emphasis that he was big) proved anything, it is that weight can be lost by big guys.

But will C.C. keep the weight off over the course of his 5 year contract? That's where I'm not so sure.

Breaking News: Yankees sign DH/OF Raul Ibanez

2012-02-20T10:11:00.009-05:00

(Babes Love Baseball)

With pitchers and catchers working out in Tampa, Raul Ibanez will be among the position players reporting in the coming days. The Yankees have finalized a one year deal worth $1.1MM with the 39-year old. With incentives, his deal could be worth $4MM.

With the Burnett trade to the Pirates finalized, the Yankees freed up some money to follow through with their signing of Ibanez. The front office chose to go with him over Johnny Damon over thoughts that the former Yankee would have been too caught up in his pursuit of 3,000 hits and concerned with plate appearances. Ibanez is in decline, but his bat still has pop with a home-run to flyball ration better than Damon's. Not to mention if they ever needed one of them to play outfield for a short time, Ibanez has the better arm.

The Yankees now look towards signing Eric Chavez at their price. The veteran infielder has expressed interest in returning to the Bronx or retiring.

February 19 Camp Notes

2012-02-19T18:09:00.000-05:00

Hiroki Kuroda. (David Waldstein)

Today was the first day that pitchers and catchers had to be at camp. This is the day I had circled on my calendar and it makes me happy, but nothing really happens. The players just need to alert the team that they are in Tampa. But despite that, it's a glimmer of hope and it's only a couple of weeks until Spring Training games begin. Here are some notes from today via David Waldstein:

It was confirmed today that CC Sabathia has lost weight apparently 10-15 pounds, but Waldstein said it looked like more. (Link)
Even though pitchers had to report today, Mariano Rivera was not around and Brian Cashman said that Mo will show up when he wants to. Such a boss. (Link)
Obviously expectations are gonna be high for Michael Pineda since he was the biggest acquisition of the off-season and the Yanks had to trade their top prospect for him. Cashman tried to temper those expectations by saying Pineda will more than likely not be the Bombers number two starter due to his two pitch arsenal. The General Manager said the young righty needs to work on his change up. (Link)
As for a lefty bat, Cash said he wants the hitter to be able to play some defense. Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez seem the most likely although Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon are still waiting to see what the Yankees do also. (Two Links)
Frankie Cervelli was cleared of concussion symptoms in November and is ready to go. Cervelli is slated to be the back up catcher. (Link)
As far as other injuries go, Andruw Jones had arthroscopic surgery done on his knee to repair a partially torn ligament and Alex Rodriguez had blood cycling treatments done on his shoulder and knee. Both are expected to be 100% and will have no limitations. (Two Links)
In his meeting with the media today, Cashman also said he likes the extra Wild Card team because it puts more value in winning the division. (Link)

2012 Mock Draft: The Yankees Select...

2012-02-19T00:23:00.003-05:00

30. New York Yankees: Travis Jankowski, CF - Stony Brook
Someone not picking the Yankees to take a prep player. Shocking, right? There are enough prep arms left on the board to take a look at, but the Yankees lack depth when it comes to top outfield prospects. Jankowski is someone playing right in the backyard and could have easily gone earlier than this. He is a true plus athlete with tremendous speed that he knows how to use. He doesn't have great power, but speed is his calling card and it will allow him to stick in center field with no problem. The Stony Brook season has yet to get underway.

If you would like to see the rest of the mock draft just click here and read away.

(Update by Matt): I like Jankowski a lot and he fills a need in the Yankees system. With the loss of Jesus Montero, the Yankees don't have any impact bats at the upper levels, especially outfielders. Most of their big bats are only in A-Ball which means that they have a long way to go. Here's what BA has to say about him:

After hitting .355 with 30 steals in 34 tries during his breakout sophomore year at Stony Brook, Jankowski exploded onto the prospect landscape this summer, hitting .329 with 15 steals and a league-best seven triples to win the Cape's MVP award. "He was one of the best players in the Cape," the AL scouting director said. "He's a guy that jumped out. He took really good at-bats, had really good barrel control, the ability to stay behind the ball and drive the ball. He could run, had a little bit of pop and a good-looking body." The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Jankowski is a live athlete with plus speed that plays on the basepaths and in center field, where he has good instincts, excellent range and an average arm. His swing is a bit uphill, but he still showed a knack for squaring up a lot of hard line drives and sharp grounders. He made enough adjustments to hold his own against premium stuff, and he flashed a bit of pull power during batting practice, though he figures to have below-average power. He doesn't give away at-bats and could be a plus hitter down the road, particularly if he can flatten out his swing just a bit.

As Nick pointed out the Yankees have been very high school heavy in the early rounds of recent drafts so I'm not sure how they would feel about changing up that philosophy. The big question for me is whether he'll still be on the board by the time the Yankees pick since he is ranked the 24th best prospect in the draft class.

Yanks Close to a Deal With Rapada

2012-02-18T18:15:00.001-05:00

Update (6:43pm): Per David Waldstein, the deal has been completed. Not a bad depth move.

Original (6:15pm): Per Bryan Hoch, the Yankees are close to a minor league deal with south paw Clay Rapada with an invite to MLB Spring Training. This is probably in response to Hideki Okajima not being able to join the team after failing his physical. Rapada, 30, pitched to a 6.06/4.49/3.57 ERA/FIP/xFIP line with the Orioles in 2011, but only logged 16.1 innings in 32 appearances. He did spend most of the year in Triple A where he was actually pretty effective, but did record a K/9 rate north of nine. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'll sign anyone to MiLB deal so I'm all for it. I'm just happy they're not spending $8 million over two years on a lefty reliever (again).

Okajima Will NOT Join the Yankees

2012-02-18T09:06:00.001-05:00

Hideki Okajima failed his physical, according to MLB official who knows about it. Looks like his short Yankee career is over.
— David Waldstein (@DavidWaldstein) February 17, 2012

Over before it started. Waldstein had a follow up tweet that said it was Okajima's left shoulder that Yankees doctors did not like on the MRI.

Taking a look at MLB Trade Rumor's free agent list, the only left-handed relievers left unsigned are Mike Gonzalez, Arthur Rhodes, and former failed Yankee Damaso Marte.

Based on talent alone Gonzalez is the best conventional choice left on the market, but the Yankees will need to act fast if they want him with the Oakland Athletics going after him and the Rangers interested in bringing him back.

A Small Tribute to AJ

2012-02-17T15:47:00.000-05:00

Allen James Burnett was traded to the Pirates today. His time with the Yankees was...well interesting to say the least. In his three years in pinstripes, Burnett went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA while logging 584 innings. For someone with his type of stuff, it's so frustrating to see what it translated to. Coming off a career year in Toronto, he signed the big five year deal worth $82.5 million with the Bombers that started with so much optimism. To see it end like this is sad.

Say what you want about Burnett, but I'm gonna miss him a little bit. Through his time in New York, we could always trust him to take the ball when he was called upon and he was always a stand up guy. No matter how badly he pitched, he was always standing by his locker after the final out to field questions from the media. Obviously he let his emotions catch up with him at some points and he was pretty horrendous, the last two years, but if you ask anyone, he really cared about the way he pitched and always tried his hardest. As far as I'm concerned, there's no way you can lump his name in with the Carl Pavanos and Kei Igawas.

As much hate as we have built up toward AJ, we have to consider all of these things. There's also Game 2 of the 2009 World Series. That was a series-changer and Burnett pitched the game of his life. He was a big part of that team and the Yanks may not have gotten that ring without him. So I leave you with this video from his defining moment as a Yankee. Feel free to leave some of you favorite (or least favorite) moment of AJ as a Yankee.

It's Official: AJ Burnett Traded to the Pirates

2012-02-17T14:23:00.001-05:00

Update (2:41): Per Jonathan Mayo, the other prospect is outfielder Exicardo Cayones. Cayones, 20, is really just a lottery ticket who will start 2012 in Extended Spring Training and then go on to Short Season-A.

Original (2:23pm): Per Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have traded AJ Burnett to the Pirates in return for two minor leaguers. The Bucs will also take on $13 million of the remaining $31.1 million left on his contract. It is assumed that the Yanks will use this money to sign Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez.

In my opinion, I didn't think the move was all that necessary and it would have been nice to have the extra depth around, but AJ was pretty bad these last two years. I definitely understand it, however, and I don't have a big problem with it at all. Since the day he signed, I have never been a fan. Anyway, I wish him the best in Pittsburgh and thank him for 2009.

As far as the players the Yankees received back, Joel Sherman is reporting that one of them is relief pitcher Diego Moreno who ended 2011 in Double A. He apparently has a big arm, but is also very raw. The other player is apparently an A-Ball guy who's a marginal prospect. Not a bad haul at all considering I thought he was untradable at the start of the off-season.

Yankees News and Notes: Okajima, AJ, CC

2012-02-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some notes from Yankee Land today:

The Yankees signed lefty and former Red Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima to a Minor League deal a while back, but he reportedly failed his physical and his contract has been voided. This gives Matt O'Connor and Rule 5 selection Cesar Cabral a better chance of making the team out of camp as the second lefty out of the pen. (Link)
The Yankees and Pirates have agreed that the Bucs are gonna pay $13 million of the $33 million left on AJ Burnett's contract in a trade that'll send the righty to Pittsburgh. The only thing left to work out is the players the Yanks will get back. (Link)
CC Sabathia has apparently lost some weight is hoping to maintain it through the season unlike in 2011. (Link)

Rant: I don't like the word depth

2012-02-15T10:34:00.004-05:00

Begin Rant:

Depth is one of those words that means a lot but says very little in baseball.

If a team has a certain number of effective pitchers, they have good depth. If a team has a good lineup, they have good depth. Ultimately, if a team struggles, it's because certain players are not performing - a lack of depth.

In realistic terms, I measure depth by a team's ability to succeed if, and when, injuries happen.

Recently, I have heard from many media outlets that the Yankees have depth in pitching.

What does this mean? If the Yankees end up trading Burnett, they have 6 potential starters - CC, Kuroda, Nova, Pineda, Garcia, Hughes.

To me, this does not mean anything because you have a 5 man rotation; one of these guys is going to have to sit out anyway.

If one of these pitchers is hurt then yes, the Yankees do have the depth to replace this pitcher with a major-leaguer.

However, I do not believe a strength of the Yankees is that they have good depth.

If this were the case, then they would be able to sub out players and receive a similar type of impact from the bench. I do not think Andrew Jones will be as effective in the outfield as Curtis Granderson.

Thank you for listening.

End Rant.

A Quick Look At Jorge Soler

2012-02-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt that Yoenis Cespedes stole the Cuban spotlight this off-season and rightfully so. If you saw his recruiting video, you know exactly what I'm talking about. He was a great athlete and he apparently tore up the Cuban baseball league. However, now that he has signed with the Athletics and his show is finally over, we can move on to another defect.

If it weren't for Cespedes, Jorge Soler would definitely be getting more media attention. Soler, 20 in two weeks, is also a toolsy outfielder who declared for free agency this off-season, but is still looking for a home. Here's a scouting report via Baseball America.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds at Thunder Bay, Soler stands out for his thick, physical build and strength. Power is Soler's best tool, as he shows great bat speed, the ability to hit balls out to all fields and the potential to hit 25 home runs per year. While scouts like his power and some like his swing, he bars his front arm and the stiffness in his stroke is a concern for some scouts. Scouts have offered differing opinions on his ability to hit breaking balls, but he has a history of laying off pitches outside the strike zone in international competition and has more on-base potential than Cespedes.

Soler is athletic for his size and there are reports of him running the 60-yard dash in 6.5 seconds—a time that grades out as well above-average speed—but several scouts have said he's really an average runner at best, running better underway than down the line. Soler was a tall, slender guy back in 2008 when he played third base for Cuba at the 16U COPABE Pan American Championships in Mexico, but he's blown up physically since then. Depending on how much bigger he gets, there's a chance he could end up at first base down the road, but he should be able to handle right field for the near future. Scouts are mixed on his outfield instincts but he does have an above-average arm. He would likely begin his career at one of the Class A levels.

To add to this report, Kevin Goldstein said that Soler would have ranked 38 on his top 101 prospects for 2012. That is below Manny Banuelos, but ahead of Gary Sanchez, Dellin Betances, and Mason Williams. There is no doubt that Jorge would boost the Yankees system and he is the one thing that the their farm is missing: a big bat somewhat close to the top. But we need to remember, he is very young and still has a ways to go. He is asking for a lot of money and with a lot of risk involved, it may not be worth it.

The Cubs and the Yanks are apparently the top two teams interested in Soler's services and I would love to see the latter ink him. If this is the case, we're gonna have to be patient because he'll probably start in Tampa. However, if all goes well, they'll have a legitimate all-star for years to come.

AJ Burnett: Tuesday's Latest

2012-02-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

Update (4:30): Per Bryan Hoch, the Yankees and Indians trade talks have come to a halt since the offer is not on the table.

Update (3:31 pm): Per Jon Heyman, the Indians have also checked in on Burnett and those talks have revolved around Travis Hafner, who would be a perfect fit for the Yankees DH situation. That leaves one other team who's interested, although it is still believed he will land with the Bucs.

Original (12:02 pm): Just like we hinted at in our podcast on Sunday, there is a West Coast team interested in AJ Burnett's services. The Angels have interest, but find themselves on the right hander's no-trade list, according to Ken Rosenthal. The Pirates are still seen as the favorites to land Burnett as the two teams look to finalize a trade in the coming days.

There is little progress to report on the Yankees selection of prospects to receive from the Pirates.

Talks are also stirring about possibly holding onto him and dealing the starter at the trade deadline, where he could be worth more.

Vladimir Guerrero wants the Yankees; Ibanez still considered

2012-02-13T15:56:00.003-05:00

This headline would have been great for the Yankees, when Vladimir Guerrero was starting off as an Angel in Anaheim. Now at the age of 37, the former most valuable player is looking for a job and expressed interest in signing on to play designated hitter in the Bronx. Buster Olney first reported the news and adds that Raul Ibanez is still considered the favorite to sign.

After hitting .290/.317/.416 in 590 plate appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, he will definitely be looking for a bounce back season wherever he plays. The only question is how much pop is left in the bat for him.

If the Yankees were to sign him, it would primarily be used for his bat. But it would be nice to see a few throws like this from time to time. (Note: This was 2004. His MVP year.)

Stirring Straw Live Chat

2012-02-13T13:22:00.000-05:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0603906ae8" &amp;gt;Stirring Straw Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Yeonis Cespedes Signs With the Athletics

2012-02-13T12:50:00.003-05:00

The mystery team wins again. The Oakland Athletics have signed Yeonis Cespedes to a four year deal worth $36MM, according to Yahoo Sports. The Yankees were never fully engaged in talks for the slugger. Due to their monitoring of money and their current roster.

AJ Burnett Latest: Sunday Edition

2012-02-12T19:02:00.004-05:00

The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees are still working on the final framework for a trade that could send AJ Burnett to the National League. The blueprint has been set, it is all a matter of balancing out how much each team is willing to pay and what other players are involved in the deal.

The Yankees are double checking also to make sure that there aren't any other bidders for the right hander's services, where they could get a better deal. Once a trade is completed, Joel Sherman states the obvious of using free money to sign Eric Chavez or another designated hitter.

If a deal gets done, it could be early this week. The trigger will not be pulled this evening, because the Yankees are still discussing players from the Pirates farm system that they would like to acquire in the exchange. It's looking like $13-15MM of Burnett's remaining salary will be payed by the Pirates, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Heyman goes on to tweet that this compromise on money could be due to the focus on prospects by the Pirates. The Yankees have that same focus, because Brian Cashman has openly said that he doesn't want to just give away AJ Burnett.

Talks started off fast and are now moving slow. There is no deadline for a deal to be made. Hate it or love it, AJ Burnett is focused on coming into Spring Training to pitch like he did in the American League Divisional Series for whatever team he is on.

AJ Burnett, Recent Signings, Tyler Austin

2012-02-12T18:50:00.002-05:00

After taking a few weeks off, Nick and I are back at it with a good amount to talk about. We start with the main story and that is AJ Burnett and the trade rumors surrounding him. After talking about how we feel about everyone's favorite Yankee, we move on to the recent signings of Bill Hall and Russell Branyan. Obviously, there's not much we can say about them, but we do discuss possible impacts they can have on the team. And then lastly, Tyler Austin has gotten a lot of praise from John Sickels and Keith Law, so we talk about why that is. Listen here:

You can also download it here.

Or you can go to our iTunes page and download it there. Be sure to rate and review us.

Rumor Mill: Yankees want Garrett Jones for Burnett

2012-02-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

Per Mark J. Miller at Yahoo Sports, the Yankees are trying to acquire Garrett Jones from the Pirates in exchange for AJ Burnett. Check out the article here

Jones is a 30 year old power hitting lefty that could fill the DH role but plays outfielder/first base.

The Pirates say that they are not interested in moving Jones - my guess is that they would be willing to, but that they need the Yankees to sweeten the deal. After all, no team is going to fill another team's biggest weakness (DH for the Yankees) without trying to see how much the other team would give up.

For now, the Yankees 5th starter, and DH situation, are still unresolved.

Tyler Austin - The Next Mega Prospect?

2012-02-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

When Matt and I compiled our top 20 prospect lists earlier in the off-season Matt named Tyler Austin the Yankees 16th best prospect, ahead of Dante Bichette Jr., and when I was making mine he simply slipped my mind and I mistakenly left him off. If I went back to adjust my list I would probably also have him in the 16/17 range.

Not to far after, John Sickels released his list and we were both moderately shocked that he ranked Austin in the top 10. Then things got even more interesting when Keith Law came out with his top 10 prospects and placed Austin at No. 5, ahead of Jose Campos, Bichette, and J.R. Murphy. Law upped the ante when he named his top "sleeper" prospect (he defined it as someone who has a chance to rank in the top 100 prospects next year) in each organization and called on Austin's name with this to say:

Third baseman Tyler Austin has turned himself into a pretty good defender over there, defying earlier predictions he'd have to move to first; he has a whole-field approach to hitting with pull power right now, and runs well for his size with a perfect stolen-base record in the pros.

They key to Law's blurb is the fact that based on what Law is hearing Austin will stick at third base. That is huge news. It was widely believed Austin would be regulated to first base, being that he was drafted as a catcher and was not seen as athletic enough to play the hot corner, which that would really have limited his bat.

Austin was known as a "bat only" prospect for good reason. He is already very strong for a teenager, has very simple mechanics at the plate, and uses a level swing to get on top of the ball and drive it hard to all fields. He also has a fairly advanced approach at the plate with good pitch recognition that allows him to pick his spots.

His line of .360/.424/.589 is something special when you consider he was on the younger end of all prospects in the league while playing in a notorious pitcher's league for most of the season. Consider this, the average line in the New York-Penn was .250/.328/.354 and at 19-years-old Austin posted a .323/.402/.542 line.

Sickels and Law's idea of putting him top ten can certainly pay off big. He is still extremely far away so they were ranking purely on upside, but if he has able to play adequate defense at third base, with his offensive potential, he could develop into the next big thing in the Yankees prospect circle.

New York Yankees Latest on AJ Burnett Trade Rumors

2012-02-10T14:27:00.004-05:00

The New York Yankees may be looking to shut one door in order to open up a few others. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is feeling very optimistic about a possible trade between the Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates that would include AJ Burnett.

The deal is not yet close to being finalized, but it appears that Brian Cashman and the front office have agreed to eat up a large chunk of Burnett's remaining salary. The first offer asked the Pirates to pay $11MM of the deal. Both teams are still engaged in talks.

The main purpose of this deal for the Yankees would be to open up cap space to sign a free-agent for their designated hitter role, which is currently vacant after the Jesus Montero trade. The current options on the market would be Eric Chavez, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez, and Hideki Matsui. Chavez provides depth for the infield, when Alex Rodriguez needs time off. While, Ibanez could serve as an additional outfielder.

Burnett's agent said that his client is focused on pitching in 2012 for whoever it may be. He does have a no-trade clause and it includes all teams on the West Coast.

The forecast for a deal is looking bright. The next few days will be busy for both front offices.

Law Rates The Yanks System

2012-02-09T14:41:00.002-05:00

We already saw John Sickels rank each farm a few weeks ago and yesterday Keith Law of ESPN did the same. The Padres, Rays, and Blue Jays took the top three spots and the Yanks came in at ten. Here's what he had to say about it:

I might be jumping the gun here, but I see a lot of star potential on their bottom few affiliates, including new acquisition Jose Campos from Seattle, to go with the two power arms from their Scranton club (Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances). The flaw in the system is the lack of near-in talent, especially position players, who could either help the big club soon or provide more fodder for trades.

That's some pretty high praise for 19 year old who has yet to pitch above short season ball. Also, Law makes the point that the system lacks impact bats at the top of the system. Today, he released his list of the top 100 prospects in baseball which included Manny Banuelos, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez, and Dellin Betances (in that order). Since it's an Insider piece and requires a subscription, ESPNNY has the scouting reports for each of these guys here. He does mention that Sanchez has the potential to be a 30-35 homer guy which I thought was a bit much and also says he needs to work on his receiving skills in order to take his game to the next step.

Along with these lists, Law also published the top ten prospects for each team. Following the first four mentioned above came Tyler Austin at five, Jose Campos, Dante Bichette Jr., Austin Romine, JR Murphy, and Slade Heathcott. That is definitely the highest you'll see Austin on any list. I was very shocked because although he may have the most raw power in the system, he is still very young, far away, and may not stick at third base.

YES Network's Bob Lorenz Faces DUI Charges in Connecticut

2012-02-09T10:44:00.006-05:00

New York Yankees' pre-game and in-game host, Bob Lorenz of the YES Network, was arrested yesterday morning in Connecticut after police found him passed out over the steering wheel of his car, according to Westport's local newspaper.

When he awoke, he tried to drive away slowly. In doing so, Lorenz almost hit a utility pole. This led to, police questioning Lorenz on his behavior and finding that he smelled of alcohol and was slurring his words.

On his arrest report, he listed his occupation as "actor" and said that he was not an anchor on the YES Network when he was asked.

He very soon may not be. The YES Network has refused to comment on Lorenz's current predicament.

The three time Emmy award winner is scheduled to appear in court on February 29th, which is ten days after Yankees' spring training starts. His future should be determined within the next few days.

Yanks Ink Russell Branyan

2012-02-08T13:11:00.001-05:00

Per the NY Post, the Yankees have signed Russell Branyan to a minor league deal with an invite to ML Spring Training. We knew that they were trying to sign a lefty to be the designated hitter against righties, but we were Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui, however, Branyan wasn't getting much press.

I personally like this move a lot. Branyan has a lot of power from the left side and although he is coming off a pretty awful 2011 campaign (.197/.195/.370), he hit a combined 56 homers in 2009 and 2010 and has a career batting line of .242/.346/.500. I've always remembered him for this bomb off of Javier Vazquez, a place where no one else has gone. All in all, good low-key move and I look forward to see what he does in camp.

Yankees look better than the Red Sox right now

2012-02-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

I was glancing over the Yankees and Red Sox depth charts yesterday - I believe the Yankees are better right now.

What do you think?

Rotation - New York

Sabathia

Kuroda

Nova

Pineda

Burnett/Hughes/Garcia

Rotation - Boston

Lester

Beckett

Buchholz

Matsuzaka

Bard

Advantage - Yankees

Hitters - Yankees

Martin - C

Teixeira - 1B

Cano - 2B

Jeter - SS

A-Rod - 3B

Gardner - LF

Granderson - CF

Swisher - RF

A. Jones - DH

Boston Hitters

Saltalamacchia - C

Gonzalez - 1B

Pedroia - 2B

Aviles - SS

Youkilis - 3B

Crawford - LF

Ellsbury - CF

McDonald - RF

Ortiz - DH

Advantage - New York - slightly (Boston always hits well because of the Green Monster)

Bullpen - New York

Rivera - Closer

Soriano

Wade

Logan

Chamberlain

Bantances

Bullpen - Boston

Andrew Bailey - Closer

Melancon

Aceves

Jenks

Albers

Morales

Advantage - Yankees

What do you think? Injuries change things during the season, but to me the Yankees are much better than Boston right now.

Bill Hall Officially a Yankee

2012-02-07T15:55:00.002-05:00

Update (3:58 pm): According to Erik Boland, the deal is of the minor league variety and comes with an invite to ML Spring Training. Not a big deal to me, although I'm sure people will make a big deal of it.

Original (3:50pm): Per the man himself, Bill Hall has officially signed with the Yankees. We heard a few weeks ago that the Yanks were very interested in him and Hall has broken the news himself. I'm hoping it's a minor league deal, but we'll see. I'll update when more info comes in.

Yankees Announce Madonna Concert; Did They Not Learn From Super Bowl XLVI?

2012-02-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

Unlike Mario Manningham, the Yankees have really dropped the ball on this play. It seems to me like the team completely disregarded all of the negative feedback that blew up the Twitter universe during Sunday's Super Bowl half time show featuring Madonna. In the early hours of Monday morning, the Yankees public relations' Twitter account announced that the Queen of Pop will be performing at the House That George Built in September.

Whoever's idea this was, should be fired on the spot. A few weeks ago, I released a list of rebound options for the Yankees after they decided to host a Roger Waters concert in the Summer. Some of the options suggested Lil Wayne, Lady GaGa, Wu-Tang Clan, and Bruce Springsteen. Any one of those would be better than what they decided to go with in a 50 year old singer past her prime.

Simply put, the half time show at the Super Bowl was a tribute to Madonna by Madonna. She would bring out other artists like Nicki Minaj, MIA, and CeeLo Green – Note: I did not use the word "stars" in that last statement, because I do not believe any of them would be able to sell out Yankee Stadium for a concert alone – but that did not make what was going on stage any better. LMFAO was also on stage with Madonna and their current hits like "Sexy and I Know It" or "Party Rock Anthem" would be able to get a nice dance party going in a stadium, but it just wouldn't be much of a musical concert.

Had the Yankees been able to get Lady GaGa instead of Madonna, they would've instantly sold out their tickets, once they hit the market. GaGa has the upper hand on Madonna in today's musical industry and she isn't looking back. More hit songs and more popularity. Madonna's reign as the Queen of Pop ended after she released her album Confessions on a Dance Floor. That should've been her final hurrah. Lady GaGa is currently sitting on that throne.

My prediction is that tickets for this concert will be available for days and possibly even months after going on sale in February. If you have any interest at all, there isn't any reason to rush. Instead take time to go to the doctor and have your ears checked to make sure that you're still listening properly.

Yankees Looking to Add Left-Handed Bat

2012-02-06T17:46:00.002-05:00

Update (7:17pm): Per Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are in serious talks with Raul Ibanez. Rosenthal says that he is willing to take less money to come to New York than he would other teams. As a platoon guy for just right-handed pitchers, I really don't mind him. He posted a .322 wOBA with the Phillies last year and here's how he stacks up with some of the other candidates the Yanks were considering. More to come.

Original (5:45 pm): All three are coming off pretty productive seasons, but if I am the Yankees this comes down to Ibanez or Damon and it comes down to what you are looking for more.

Ibanez had a bit more power and was able to play in the field on a consistent basis, while Damon had a more complete offensive year and has shown he can handle playing in New York as a Yankee.

If I am the Yankees I look to bring back Damon because while Ibanez was playing defense, it was some awful defense and I'll take Damon's bat over Ibanez's bat right now.

Stirring Straw Live Chat

2012-02-06T13:23:00.000-05:00

Stirring Straw Live Chat

Live Chats Every Monday

2012-02-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

We've had a few live chats before and they've gone pretty well so we're gonna make it a regular thing. Every Monday at 1:30 pm I'll be hosting a every week. We'll be talking Yankees, baseball, and anything else you guys wanna talk about. See you tomorrow.

Humor: Reasons why Cashman's wife filed for divorce

2012-02-05T11:08:00.002-05:00

The not-humor part: Brian Cashman's wife has filed for divorce. All the details are very "mushy" right now, but apparently it has something to do with a woman extorting money from him. Read the actual story here.

The humor part: Here are some "other" reasons why she filed for divorce.

1) She has to put up with the Nets on the YES Network. She has been complaining to Brian for years about this - the Nets have not been good since 2007 and yet she still has to watch their disgraceful play on a day-to-day basis. She especially hates the early morning Nets rewind shows which play the entire Nets games over, even when they lose. What has Brian done about this? NOTHING.

2) No Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder or C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle to the Yankees. Here is a sampling of that conversation:

Brian: Honey, we already have Mark Teixeira and Arod and Derek and C.C., we will be fine.

Brian's wife: You don't love big-money free agents the way you used to earlier in our marriage.

3) Trading Jesus Montero. His wife couldn't understand why you would trade a guy named Jesus.

4) Games aren't as full as they were in the old stadium and his wife wants ticket prices lowered. He and his wife had a fight about speaking with Hal or Hank about lowering the prices just a little bit. Brian refused.

5) Only 1 World Series in 11 years. Cashman's wife described the 2009 Yankees championship as their "second honey moon", but it was way too short. I mean, their first one (1998-2001, Cashman was signed in 1998) ended up with 3 World Series rings. Brian just isn't providing the way he used to.

A Break Through in Pitch f/x

2012-02-04T13:03:00.000-05:00

Pitch f/x and pitch analysis has become more and more impressive as years have gone on. I personally find it fascinating and so helpful, but I really don't know the inner workings of it. Luckily, there are experts for that. Over at The Hardball Times (a site that I contribute to), three guys got together and they classified every pitch thrown since 2007 and have put the data on Brooks Baseball. The information was never perfect since machines were always doing the classifying, but now everything has been corrected. You can now see each type of pitch thrown and how often it was thrown, the horizontal and vertical movement of each pitch, the trajectory of each pitch, and more.

If you head over to the Brooks Baseball site, you can look up and pitcher and look at their data. You can look at it by year, by batter faced, and by the pitch count. Here's a look at Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, and Hiroki Kuroda. We'll be using more of this info in our posts and I hope you go check it out. It really is something.

BA Releases First of Draft Coverage

2012-02-03T14:55:00.001-05:00

I know it's only February, but Baseball America has already started its coverage of June's amateur draft. They have released their top 100 prospects for the draft as well as a breakdown of each position in the draft class. Along with this, they have also ranked the top 50 college seniors and juniors. Each list is good and they're all free so give them some looks if you're interested. If you have a subscription you get to see scouting reports.

As we get closer to draft day we'll be profiling some possible targets, of course it's tough to say right now. last year they only had one pick in the top 100, but this year they have three, including an extra thanks to not signing their 2011 second rounder Sam Stafford.

Bounce Back Candidate: Mark Teixeira

2012-02-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

(AP Photo)

We've already covered AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes, and Alex Rodriguez as possible bounce back candidates. If you want us to write someone else up, let us know by tweeting at us (@stirringstraw), letting one of our writers know via Twitter, or email us at stirringstraw@gmail.com.

The 2008-2009 off-season was a big one for the Yankees. Not only did they add CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett to the top of their rotation, but they also signed Mark Teixeira to a long eight year deal. It was a great move for the Yanks; they got a guy who could hit for average and power to plug into the middle of their lineup along with a Gold Glove. Yet, in 2011, he had something of a down year.

Now don't get me wrong, Tex was still very productive posting a .361 wOBA and a .246 ISO, but it's just not what we've come to expect out of him. His batting line only read .248/.341/.494 which was much lower than his career line of .281/.373/.532. He was still getting on base and hitting for power, but just not at the rate that he has in the past and I'm sure part of the on base problem stems from his batting average falling off a cliff.

The problem comes from the left handed side in which he hit .224 (he hit .302 as a righty). A lot people think it's because of the amount of fly balls he has hit, but that rate has basically stayed the same from 2010 to 2011. The amount of infield fly balls he has hit, however, has gone up 4%, which may not seem like a lot, but it has to do with his approach. The short porch in right is obviously very tantalizing for him and he is starting to aim for it.

Part of the solution will be to hit to other fields. It's clearly something that is easier said than done, but apparently Kevin Long has worked with Tex on it this Winter. Staying back will allow him to go opposite field and will also help him hit change ups and other off speed pitches that give him so much trouble. This is going to be a tough transition for him though since all his power comes when he pulls the ball.

Teixeira did say that he was gonna try to bunt some more just to keep the defense off guard and get some cheap singles. Of course, ESPN took this as a cue to blow a quote way of proportion, which they seem to do way too much. I'd expect it once in a blue moon if that, but nothing more. Apparently he has been too stubborn in the past with his approach, but now that it is becoming a more serious problem, hopefully he works to fix it. If all goes according to plan, we could see Tex back to his usual self in 2012.

Link Dump: Eppler, Nuding, Cespedes, Cuban Defects

2012-02-01T14:54:00.002-05:00

(Rumors and Rants)

Here are some links from Yankee Land and beyond to get you through the rest of your day:

Yesterday the Yankees hired former Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry to be a Special Assistant Scout for Brian Cashman. There were other Front Office move also including Jean Afterman being promoted to Senior Vice President from Assistant GM and Billy Eppler was promoted from pro scouting director to Assistant GM. Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues does a great job of explaining what this means going forward. (Link)

Axisa also wrote a profile on pitching prospect Zack Nuding, who's a personal fave. He's a big power arm who's still trying to figure it out and will start the year in High-A. Definitely a sleeper to look out for in 2012. (Link)

A lot of people have been covering Yoenis Cespedes and why not? The video sensation has the raw athletic ability to someday be a star. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, who originally introduced us all to Cespedes, wrote a piece for this morning on how MLB executives feel the Cuban defect will match up against some similar players. It's a great read, but unfortunately it's a subscriber-only piece. (Link)

Speaking of Cuban defects, Baseball America did a write up of several players from Cuba that are looking to land with Major League teams. It includes guys on the Yankee radar such as Gerardo Concepcion (who Nick wrote about here) and Jorge Soler. Give it a look for good scouting reports, but once again it's subscriber only. (Link)

So there you have it. Also, 18 days until pitchers and catchers. Who's excited?

Don Mattingly Makes Cameo In Video; Shows He's Still Got It

2012-02-01T12:21:00.004-05:00

Don Mattingly may be the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he will forever be remembered as a Yankee from his playing days. In recent days, Mattingly has appeared in a viral video of people doing trick shots with footballs, baseballs, and basketballs for charity.

Donnie Baseball's son, Preston, recently signed with the Yankees and is expected to report to Spring Training with the team. Preston Mattingly recruited his father to be a part of the video, which stars several of his childhood friends. The ultimate goal of the video was to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Indiana.

At the very beginning of the video, Don Mattingly hits a Giants hat off the head of a bear mascot and replaces it with a Dodgers one. If only Preston would show up his father by doing the same thing and replacing it with a Yankees cap.

The feat is impressive by the Dodgers' manager, but definitely took several takes to shoot. Evidence of that is at the very end of the video, when a blooper is shown of him nailing the bear in the head by accident.

Check out the video for yourself below. The Yankees need another bat off the bench. Mattingly is 50 years old. You never know if a crazy stunt like signing two members of the Mattingly family in one offseason could happen. We can only dream of seeing Donnie Baseball in pinstripes again...or re-sign Eric Chavez since he pulls off the closest look.

How many games will Jeter play at shortstop this year?

2012-01-31T17:48:00.004-05:00

Derek Jeter is in decline. Not so much at the plate - he probably has at least one more .300 season in him - but in the field.

During his career, he has only "started" at DH in 29 games - pretty incredible if you think about it. However, he has been the DH 20 times in the past three years, including 10 times last season.

I get it, Derek Jeter will always be a shortstop. However, if he wants to be an everyday player, he may have to sacrifice some time in the field.

Derek played in 122 games last year and was injured at times last year. Assuming he stays healthy (no major injuries), and plays about 140 games, I could see him only DH'ing 15 times.

Here is why:

1) Shortstop takes a toll on your body. Other than catcher and pitcher, no position requires more movement in the field than shortstop.

2) DH is thin. After Jesus Montero was traded to Seattle, it left a hole at DH. As of right now, it looks like DH will be a "by-committee" approach featuring A-Rod and Derek as leading candidates to split some time there.

3) Derek's contract. Jeter will turn 38 in June and is in the middle of a 3 year deal (with an option for a 4th season). Do the Yankees want to overuse him this year, of take a more conservative approach and go for longevity. For a guy who most likely wants to play past his contract, I'm starting Jeter at DH more than a few times!

Yanks Ink Manny Delcarmen to a MiLB Deal

2012-01-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Per Joel Sherman, the Yankees have signed relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen to a minor league deal. You may remember him from his days in the Red Sox pen (when he was actually not that bad) before he was shipped to the Rockies. In 2011, he spent time with the Triple A affiliates of the Rangers and Mariners. He put up some good strikeout numbers, some decent walk numbers, but got hit around quite a bit. Let's not overreact to this because it is just a milb deal and it's only for depth purposes. I'll take practically anyone on that type of deal since there's so little risk.

Bounce Back Candidate: Alex Rodriguez

2012-01-30T13:53:00.001-05:00

He's easily the most criticized player on the Yankees. Maybe it's because of the contract, maybe it's because of how good he was at such a young age, or maybe it's something else. Whatever the reason may be, he's the one fans love to hate and the one that all of the team's troubles fall on. If you ask me, it got absolutely ridiculous during the playoffs last season when he wasn't hitting and everyone wanted his head; as if he were the sole reason the Yankees were losing. But that's not what this is about and that's another topic for another day.

(The Cardboard Connection)

Because of the knee injury Alex suffered in July and the poor end to his season, people forget that he was almost a .300 hitter through the first three months of the year. Right before he went under the knife he was hitting .295/.366/.485 with 13 homers, which if you ask me, is pretty darn good. Maybe it's not what we've come to expect out of A-Rod power-wise, but he was still hitting and the loss of power could easily be attributed to the partially torn meniscus in his right knee.

Sure he wasn't the same hitter when he came back (.196/.369/.353 in September), but at least he was still getting on base. It's not like he completely lost his ability at the plate. A lot of this can be put on the shoulders of rust and not being 100%. Remember, only a few days after he came back from injury, he hurt his thumb and had to be sidelined for about another week. It's not like he had plenty of reps heading into October.

Another reason I feel Alex can easily bounce back is because he still looks like he can move pretty well. Despite his bat going cold in the ALDS, he still looked very good at third base. He moved laterally and forward and back pretty well for a guy who had knee surgery just a few months prior. It may not be something that's objective, but it's definitely worth noting. As old as he is, he still has ability left; we shouldn't be saying that he has nothing left because that is absolutely not true.

Obviously the big issue with Alex is his health, and maybe he won't be able to stay healthy, but he has entire off-season to rest up and prepare for Spring Training. The Yankees aren't exactly set at designated hitter so with some flexibility there, they could use him there which could help keep him stay on the field. Say what you want about Alex and his contract, but he can still produce for the middle of this order and I think he can have a big year in 2012. Do I think he's still that 30 homers/100 RBI guy? No, but he can still be a big piece of this offense.

Yanks In Serious Talks With Bill Hall

2012-01-30T13:02:00.001-05:00

Per MLB Trade Rumors, the Yankees are in serious talks with Bill Hall. When I first saw this, I just thought, "Why?" But after a little more thinking, it can't be a bad thing to take him in on a minor league deal. Hall does have some value in the fact that he can play all over the diamond and that he's a veteran (if you're into that sort of thing).

In 2011, Hall hit .211/.261/.314 in 62 games with the Astros and Giants and also spent some time in Triple A. Once again, as long as this winds up being a MiLB, I really don't mind.

Curtis Granderson's 2012 season will upset Yankee fans

2012-01-29T19:38:00.005-05:00

Last year, Curtis Granderson had a career year. He finished 4th in A.L. MVP voting with 41 home runs, and 25 stolen bases. Other than Robinson Cano, he was probably the most consistent Yankee hitter.

Despite all of this, I expect Granderson to disappoint us in 2012.

Here is why:

1) Regression to the mean. For all of you statistics fans out there, you know that anytime there is an outlier, the next result should deviate toward the mean. For Granderson, who is coming off the best year in his 8 MLB seasons, there is no reason to expect otherwise.

Sure, some may say Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has done wonders for Granderson and helped him "rediscover" his hitting prowess. I say otherwise. For a player that hit 41 homeruns (per season average of 28) and drove in 119 (per season average of 81), it is unreasonable to think "The Grandy Man" can put up similar numbers.

2) The Yankees lineup is older and weaker. Last season, Granderson was often batting anywhere between 1 and 7 in the Yankees batting order. This season, I expect him to remain in the 1-5 range (if you think the order will be Jeter, Granderson, Cano, Tex, and A-Rod). In my opinion, this is as good of a top five as any team will put out right now. However, Tex and A-Rod are not as good as they used to be, and batting in front of Cano means that pitchers are going to pitch safely (more walks?) so that Cano has less of a chance to drive in runs. I cannot see 119 RBI's for a guy batting second.

3) Not as much to prove. Granderson is not in a contract year and has not been for a few seasons. That said, he is in the 2nd to last year of a deal that has an option for next year and will be making $10 million this season. Curtis has already shown the ability to play in New York, so what does he have to worry? After all, he doesn't have to show the same ability he did last season because he does not have as much to prove.

I hope that Granderson puts up 2011-like numbers this season. I just cannot see it happening.

Yankees Grade "C" Prospects to Watch in 2012

2012-01-28T16:32:00.000-05:00

I was reading this article by John Sickels over at Minor League Ball and it got me thinking about the grade “C” of the Yankees who I really like for 2012 and think could have potential breakouts, or in other words some pretty deep sleepers to keep an eye on.

1. Claudio Custodio, SS/2B: .325/.433/.414, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 22:40 BB:K (GCL)

Custodio has tremendous speed as displayed by his swiping of 26 bags in just 39 games. I am not sure if I would classify it as game changing speed, but it is very close. It is kind of strange that he struck out so much because the scouting report says he has a good eye, and he did walk a lot, so I don't know what to make of that just yet. I love his ability to get on base and create runs, the only questions I have are about his defense. He posted solid to slight above-average range factors at both shortstop and second, but was VERY error prone at short because of his arm. Still, even at second base he could be an extremely valuable piece.

2. Jose Rosario, SS: .311/.354/.492, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 7:22 BB:K (GCL/Charleston)

The diminutive shortstop does a little bit of everything and showed some surprising power this year. If you take out his five games in Charleston his stat line looks phenomenal, .331/.372/.529. He doesn't strike out a lot (but doesn't walk a lot either), has shown the ability to swipe bags (13 in 48 games), hit for average, and hit for power (18 extra base hits in 48 games). The stats on his defense are a bit odd, but with his size and the numbers he has posted it looks like he has a good chance at sticking at the shortstop position.

Hasn't received a whole lot of love from anyone, but my eye will be on him very, very closely in 2012.

3. Gabe Encinas, RHP: 3-0, 5.08 ERA, 51.1 IP, 18/46 BB/K (GCL)

Not the prettiest ERA in the world, but Encinas showed that he could do some things well in 2011. He has a nice low-90's fastball, a solid curveball, and a pretty good changeup considering his age. He definitely pitched better than his ERA shows and could post some pretty nice numbers if he spends 2012 in Staten Island.

He seems to be a bit behind the development curve of the other top high school guys the Yankees took in 2010, which could possibly have been because the Yankees wanted to take extra time to help him work on his mechanics that were shoddy coming out of high school. Note: this is complete speculation on my part.

Isaias Tejeda

4. Isaias Tejeda, C: .331/.402/.563, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 11:20 BB:K (GCL/Staten Island)

Another catching prospect with some pop is exactly what the Yankees needed. It doesn't sound like he will have close to the power of Jesus Montero or Gary Sanchez, but it should eclipse that of J.R. Murphy. His pitch recognition is also very advanced for someone is the lower levels, which is something I like in my catchers. He has a lot of things working for him offensively.

Tejada's defensive reports say he has good receiving skills and footwork behind the plate with an average arm, but he threw out just 14% of runners so I can't buy that just yet. He did throw out 34% in the DSL in 2010 so hopefully this year can show us which of the two was a better representation of his defensive ability.

5. Bryan Mithcell, RHP: 1-3, 4.09 ERA, 61.2 IP, 31/59 BB/K (Staten Island)

Mitchell has been okay over the last two years, but has been held back because of his command. There is no doubting his stuff and the reports even say his fastball has improved a tick since signing and I just have a gut feeling the overall package will improve in 2012. He is probably the most well known "sleeper" on this list, but he is also the one who has the biggest chance to take a major leap in the prospect world.

P.S. I wanted to include Vidal Nuno because of his WHIP, but I know absolutely nothing else about him (sorry inside joke).

Bounce Back Candidate: Phil Hughes

2012-01-28T15:09:00.002-05:00

(ESPN)

Last week, Nick brought up AJ Burnett as a possible bounce back candidate and for the next couple of weeks leading up to Spring Training and the season, we will highlight a few more of these guys. These are players that had a down year last season that have a good chance of rebounding. I'm gonna stay in the starting rotation for this one and talk about Phil Hughes.

To say that Hughes' 2011 was a disappointment would be a pretty big understatement. Once ranked as the best pitching prospect in baseball, he had something of a break out year in 2010 pitching to a 4.19 ERA while striking out about seven and a half per nine innings and walking less than three per nine. A lot of people slated him to be the Bombers number two starter in 2011. Many thought he was going to finally realize his potential and take that next step forward and represent young Yankees starting pitching. He would finally be the guy that the Yanks 'developed correctly.'

There was one problem however. Hughes threw around 90 more innings in 2010 than he did in 2009, which is quite an increase to put on him. As luck would have it, he would have a case of dead arm early in the season. Instead of resting him right away, they decided to keep pitching him and hopefully as the weather warmed up, so would his arm. This was not the case. Not only did Phil lose a couple of mph off his fastball, but he also lost his command. Also, without the extra velocity, his cutter became essentially useless making him a two-pitch pitcher. It was a recipe for disaster from the beginning.

So they DLed him and gave him a ton of rest to get the inflammation down in his arm. When he came back, he was better, but the same. It is clear that Hughes wasn't healthy last year so we can't expect him to be that bad going forward. That being said, we also can't expect him to return to 2010 form. His fastball and cutter should be back along with a much tighter curveball. A pitcher doesn't just lose two strikeouts per nine innings in a year.

(Click to enlarge)

You can also make the point that if he is given the number five starter job, he won't have much pressure on him due to the new front-line depth that the team has acquired this off-season. I'm sure if this will actually have an effect on him, but it definitely won't hurt. There is also the point that Hughes was a bit out of shape when he reported to camp last Spring. That definitely couldn't have helped his performance and he has reportedly been working out all Winter long which should give him an edge right from the get-go.

Of course, the one thing I haven't mentioned is the fact that a lot of this hinges on the fact that he will be the number five starter in the upcoming season. He has the most upside of any of them candidates and can be a part of the rotation for years to come. There is a chance that he does wind up in the pen and if so, it will be harder to consider him a bounce back candidate.

Yanks DFA Kevin Whelan

2012-01-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

Per Jon Heyman, the Yankees have designated relief pitcher Kevin Whelan for assignment to make room for Hiroki Kuroda on the 40-man roster. The Kuroda signing was made official today. This isn't that much of a surprise as Whelan seemed like an obvious candidate to get the axe. He saved 23 games for Triple A Scranton while striking out more than nine per innings and a little more than two per nine. Control has always been the issue with the 27 year old as he walked five in 1.2 big league innings.

The Number Five Starter Conundrum

2012-01-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

The dust of this off-season is starting to settle with the hot stove stuff all but done, most arbitration cases being settled, and everyone looking forward to Spring Training. The most exciting thing to watch this Spring will be who will wind up getting the number five starter job. With the first four slots in the starting rotation essentially locked up, three guys will be fighting for one spot. Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, and AJ Burnett will most likely be pinned up against each other to see who will get it.

(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

If you listened to this weekend's podcast, you heard me and Nick talk a little bit about this. I feel that AJ Burnett will get the starting job, Hughes will be shifted into the bullpen, and Garcia will be traded. Brian Cashman did say that he was going to look to see if he could move one of his extra pitchers for a bat before testing free agency. Garcia makes sense because he could fill in the back end of a rotation for a contender and give them quality innings. I feel like Burnett's contract in not movable unless the Yanks are willing to eat a substantial amount of it, which doesn't look to be the case and Hughes doesn't have much value at this point.

Many Yankee fans want Phil Hughes to be the starter just because so much has been invested in him and they want to see him live up to the hype. However, that is no reason to give him the job. He has his fastball velocity and command of all his pitches back, then that's another thing, but that should be the only reason he should get a rotation spot. If he does not get his stuff back though, he will probably be banished to bullpen where he had success in 2009. If put there, hopefully, he can re-capture that magic and contribute.

That leaves AJ Burnett. And I know all of you think you have seen this show before, but this time it has a different cast. In the past, AJ has been relied on as a front line starter and hasn't lived up to it. However, with the acquisitions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, he doesn't need to to be that guy. He can just be the durable guy he has been the last three years who has given the team 30+ starts and 185+ innings each season in Pinstripes.

Sure the walks and homers are a problem, but he doesn't need to be great. Over the weekend, Nick wrote him up as a bounce back candidate and one of the things he brought up was his HR/FB rate and how it skyrocketed in 2011 from around 11% (about his career % to 17%). This probably isn't sustainable and should regress which should help him out quite a bit.

If no moves are made and Garcia stays with the team, an interesting decision will have to be made. Freddy's stuff doesn't project well to the bullpen and he has the track record for the job. These things do, however, have a way of working themselves out on their own so let's not complain about having a surplus of pitching.

Recapping the Yankee Career of A.J. Burnett and why this season may be his best in Pinstripes

2012-01-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

A.J. Burnett's three seasons in the Bronx have been interesting. He signed a 5 year, $82.5 million dollar deal prior to the 2009 season. You may remember that offseason because the Bombers also inked C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira to mega deals and then proceeded to win the World Series that year.

When the Yankees signed Burnett, he was considered a safe signing because of his experience in the A.L. East (Toronto) and also because he would never be expected to carry the load as a top 2 starter (at the time, the rotation was C.C., Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, and even Joba Chamberlain).

When Wang was sent down to the minors after starting the 2009 season about as badly as any pitcher in MLB history, and Joba did not meet high expectations the Yankees moved Burnett into the top 2. He performed well, but not much better than the season before (similar innings pitched, similar era, similar WHIP, strikeouts close to 200, close to the same number of walks). In many ways, the Yankees got what they wanted out of A.J.

What happened after 2009? Well, for one, the Yankees re-acquired Javier Vasquez (which was a disaster - again). Joba showed he was not able to start (but his rotation spot was eventually taken by Phil Hughes), Andy Pettitte got hurt (after starting the year 11-3) and then retired.

In other words, the Yankees started to rely more heavily on A.J. going into 2010. It's no surprise that a 33 year old pitcher who never won has more than 18 games (only did that once, in 2008) did not perform up to the high standards. In fact, A.J. had an awful year - He went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA (more than 1 run above his career average).

Going into 2011, it was obvious the Yankees needed to make some upgrades at pitcher. They did not sign anyone of note during the offseason (though Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, the two Yankee signings, pitched very well during the season). Phil Hughes pitched well in 2010, but after having a terrible start to 2011, A.J. was still expected to be the number 2 starter.

You may be wondering why I am making such a big deal about a pitcher's place in a rotation. In my opinion, a pitcher's state of mind is most important to his performance. Well, in the case of Burnett, who has high expectations and often puts too much pressure on himself, being 2nd in the rotation behind C.C. was not a good situation for him. It is no surprise that A.J. did not have a good 2011 (ERA over 5.00 again).

The past two seasons have led much of baseball to doubt A.J. In my opinion, going into this season, A.J. has the least amount of pressure of any Yankee pitcher. Why? Because nobody expects much of him. He was in a similar mind-set going into 2009. Sure, he had just signed a big contract with the Yankees, but he was still the 4th starter (and was even considered a 5th by many pro-Joba Chamberlain fans). As the 2012 season approaches, the Yankees rotation will most likely be: C.C., Pineda, Kuroda, Nova, and then either A.J., Phil Hughes, or Freddy Garcia. I caution the Yankees to not give up on A.J. in the coming weeks. They have been rumored to be in trade talks for a DH, and most Yankee fans would like to see A.J. out of the Bronx before spring training. Why not trade A.J.? If history repeats, this may be A.J.'s opportunity to regain the form that has escaped him over the past two seasons.

Yankees Avoid Arbitration With Russell Martin

2012-01-24T19:18:00.000-05:00

After the Yankees said farewell to one catcher, they locked up another for one more year. Russell Martin has decided to avoid arbitration by agreeing to a one year deal. He is expected to be the full-time catcher. He settled at $7.5MM and can make up to $100K more with incentives, according to David Waldstein.

The Yankees have settled with Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Brett Gardner already. Boone Logan is the last remaining player that negotiations need to be finalized with.

John Sickels Ranks Yankees Farm System 16th

2012-01-24T00:10:00.000-05:00

For the first time ever, John Sickels of Minor League Ball has released a formal ranking of the 30 minor league systems. He put the Yankees right in the middle of the pack as the 16th best system saying this:

16) New York Yankees: You can make a case to rank them as high as 12 or 13. Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances are strong Grade B prospects for me and there is a nice balance between hitting and pitching.

Matt won't agree with this, but it is hard to argue the Yankees should be any higher than this looking at the teams ahead. Bryce Harper alone has the Washington Nationals ahead of the Yankees (not bothering to even count Anthony Rendon or the rest of that terrific 2011 draft cast), the Colorado Rockies would probably be below the Yankees had they not snagged Drew Pomeranz from the Cleveland Indians, the Mets top to pitchers edge out the Yankees top two and then I think the Mets just have a bit more upside which is what got them the edge, and then in my opinion the Pittsburgh Pirates begin a new tear of top level talent.

I was actually a bit surprised Sickels put the Mets above the Yankees, but that would have definitely been different had Jesus Montero still been apart of the farm.

Sickels links to two rankings of farm systems that fans of the site formulated using Sickels's grades and they had the Yankees 8th (counting Montero) and 16th (not counting Montero).

Yanks Will Try Trading For A Bat First

2012-01-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

Per Marc Carig, the Yankees are going to be checking the trade market for a bat before anything else. Brian Cashman was quoted in the article as saying that he might use his excess pitching to acquire someone. To me, it could be anyone of AJ Burnett, Freddy Garcia, or Phil Hughes. Let the speculation begin. Who do you think gets the axe if anyone?

Joba Chamberlain: It's Now Or Never

2012-01-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

Last week, the New York Yankees avoided arbitration with relievers David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain. If there is any year for Chamberlain to prove his value at the back end of the bullpen, 2012 is his last chance.

He missed the majority of the 2011 campaign due to a elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Before he was put on the disabled list, the Yankees would never know which reliever would come out of the bullpen. There would be very few appearances made by the ace reliever seen when he first came into the majors and other times games would quickly turn around in favor of the opposition.

Consistency is the key for Chamberlain and should be at the heart of his focus entering Spring Training. When the "Joba Rules" were put in order in 2007, he appeared to be a more relaxed pitcher. Then the rules were put aside and his arm was never the same.

The blame game can be played and put on Joe Torre for having a history of blowing out reliever's arms and making the "Joba Rules" public to the media or even Chamberlain himself for being in a rockstar mentality after his stellar debut.

Mental mistakes can get to you and so can gaining weight. Chamberlain entering 2011 Spring Training noticeably overweight and was annoyed by the questions as opposed to being open about getting back into the workout swing of things. His demise and fall from the graceful start in 2007 can be attributed to many things.

The Yankees have Chamberlain on the payroll for 2012 and 2013, before he hits the free agent market. This is the same pitcher that the front office refused to package in previous blockbuster deals. He still has some value and the front office still has hope he can pan out the way they wanted him to. A trade will definitely be imminent by July or next winter, if his performance is subpar to "Bridge to Mariano" standards.

Crazed fans would go out on a limb and say that the rotation is still an option for the right-handed pitcher. Bouncing him back and forth again will only do more damage than good for his mental game. Sure, his numbers are similar to Gio Gonzalez as a starter. Coming off Tommy John surgery, the last thing needed is to push him for more innings.

Early on in his career, Mariano Rivera returned strong after his Tommy John surgery and now stands as the all-time saves leader in Major League Baseball history. If Chamberlain can turn himself around, the Yankees could be in for a treat they haven't tasted since 2007.

I'm not sold on Nova

2012-01-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

A pitcher with a 16-4 record is often considered dominant - when he takes the mound, his team has a better chance to win than with an average pitcher.

However, if I told you this pitcher, on average, received 4.42 runs to work with per game (through mid-September of last season) and only went 4-4 in games he received less than 4.42 runs per game from his teammates, would you still believe he was a star?

The pitcher I am talking about is Ivan Nova. And, quite frankly (to quote Stephen A. Smith), I am a little bit sick of hearing what an great year he had in 2011. Statistically, Ivan Nova's year was, at best, good.

I know what you're thinking: Any 24 year old who wins 16 games is destined for stardom. I am not one of these people. Here are the facts about Ivan Nova's 2011 season:

1) He struck out less than 100 batters last season (98 to be exact).

2) He, on average, pitched only slightly over 6 innings per game in games he started.

3) He walked about 3 runners per game last season.

4) He threw 11 wild pitches, 9th worst in the AL (at least he wasn't A.J. Burnett, who led the league with 25 - yikes!).

In my opinion, these are not the stats of a bonafide ace, or even a number 2 starter. In my mind, these stats are befitting of a good rookie pitcher.

To be fair, here are some of the bright spots of Nova's 2011.

1) He only allowed 13 home runs in 165.1 innings pitched

2) He allowed slightly less than 1 hit per inning.

3) He had a 3.70 ERA, which is very good for the AL.

Nova is not the guy whose stats jump out at you. He is a good control pitcher with a lot of room for improvement. I hate to make this comparison, but his stats are very similar to Chien Ming during the 2006 and 2007 season. Wang posted a 3.63 and 3.70 ERA (compared with Nova's 3.70) respectively and won 19 games both years. When a pitcher posts this types of ERA and wins 19 games, it is obvious his team is scoring (and scoring early in the game) to give the pitcher a chance to pick up a win.

There is a particular word that scouts and fans so endearingly tag to players whom they expect to succeed, or improve, eventually. That word is "potential". In my opinion, potential is an empty word because it only tags expectations to players. It is clear Nova has potential. It's just up to him to prove whether he lives up to his reputation as the "Super Nova".

Yankees Interested in Gerardo Concepcion

2012-01-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports that Cuban defector Gerardo Concepcion has officially declared for free agency and the Yankees are one of the five teams expressing the most interest in the 18-year-old left handed pitcher.

Rojas also says Concepcion will put on a training session Thursday at the Yankees facility in the Dominican Republic.

The 64,000 dollar question is who is Gerardo Concepcion?

There is not much out there about him so I am guessing we will find out a lot more come Thursday, but what we do know as of now is he is being described as a finesse lefty. His fastball is reportedly at 89-91 mph, which if true is actually pretty good considering his age and his 6'1", 175 lbs frame, that leaves some room for projection.

According to this article Concepcion described his best tool as control and goes on to say that he has a good curve and efficient slider. His stats as seen below don't necessarily back this claim 100%.

Stats:

Age	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	H/9	BB/9	SO/9
18	10	3	3.36	21	16	101.2	103	42	38	6	43	53	9.1	3.8	4.7

For someone who is supposed to have great command and a great curveball he walks a fair amount of batters and doesn't really strike out anyone. Granted he is extremely young so he does get the benefit of the doubt, but I would hope the Yankees don't commit too much if they choose to go after him. He definitely has potential winning the Rookie of the Year award in Cuba, however, I am not getting ready to jump all aboard the Concepcion bandwagon just yet.

Bounce Back Candidate: A.J. Burnett

2012-01-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the podcast Matt and I briefly talked about who was going to ultimately win the Yankees No. 5 starter job. We both pretty much agreed that A.J. Burnett would win by default, but a deeper look shows that Burnett is actually poised for a nice bounce back year.

I mentioned that Burnett’s 17% HR/FB rate last year looked extremely fluky and was way off his career average. A deeper look shows that was the highest home run rate in Major League Baseball since 2007 when who else, but A.J. Burnett posted a 17.7% HR/FB. Burnett followed that year up by going 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA over 221.1 innings. The year was fueled by a much, much better 9.6% HR/9.

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

A big difference since that 2008 season, however, is the fact his fastball has dipped 1.6 mph and the decreased velocity has seemed to really have an affect Burnett. He tried to adjust by throwing his fastball an astonishing 10% less than average and rely more on his changeup. He attempted to become a three-pitch guy for the first time and it failed. If he gets back to throwing primarily fastball and curveballs he could return to being a decent pitcher.

The reason I actually see him having the bounce back is because his peripherals where no different last year than normal. His 8.18 K/P and 3.92 BB/9 were a little worse than his average, but not by much. The hits allowed were also no different; the only major change was the home runs. A inch here or an inch there and things could look very different.

I am not trying to say Burnett will be a miracle and carry the Yankees, but there is every chance he performs like a No. 3 starter in the No. 5 slot. That is something that cannot be taken lightly. His FIP last year was 4.77 and his xFIP was even better at 3.86. Assuming he is healthy I don’t see why he can’t win 10+ games and throw a 190+ innings with an ERA in the low-to-mid 4’s.

Pineda/Montero, Number Five Starter, DH

2012-01-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

This was our second podcast and I think it went a little better than the first time. This time we talked about the MLB team and we had a lot to discuss. Nick and I talked about the Montero/Pineda trade, the Hiroki Kuroda signing, what we think will happen with the number five starter, and what we think will happen with the designated hitter situation. Give it a listen and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Or download it here.

Or you can download (and subscribe to) the podcast iTunes here.

News and Notes: Posada, Gardner, Pena

2012-01-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

Here are just some Yankees notes from today:

Mark Hale reports that Jorge Posada will announce his retirement on Tuesday. We had heard rumors that it was going to happen and it finally has. Thanks for a great career, Jorgie.
Brett Gardner and the team were able to avoid arbitration today with a one year deal worth $2.8 million. He originally filed for $3.2 million, which I didn't think he was gonna get. It's always nice to avoid the arbitration process. (Link)
Carlos Pena was signed to a one year deal worth $7.25 million. This was pretty far out of the Yanks range so I'm surprised they didn't wind up with him. Johnny Damon is looking more and more likely. (Link)

A Small Look At The Budget And The Next Few Winters

2012-01-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote a response to a post written by our own Matt Guilder and an article written by the NY Times Tyler Kepner. Both said that the Yankees were gonna stand pat for the rest of the winter and wait to punce on next year's abundance of free agent starters. I decided to attack the topic from the other side. I said that the Yanks should get someone now so they weren't forced to next off-season and possibly closed out like they were with Cliff Lee. As we all know, they traded for Michael Pineda last week, which gives them a little more flexibility for next year.

With what should be a pretty strong rotation coming out of 2012, the front office won't need to sign a Cole Hamels or a Matt Cain. The one point I forgot to bring up was how this effected the budget. Bringing in a guy like Pineda who is going to be very cheap for a long time, allows the Bombers to have a realistic chance to stay below the $189 million payroll threshold that we've heard so much about. If they didn't get him and they had to sign a Hamels to $20 million annual contract, they would have had virtually no chance to get below the cut off.

Rafael Soriano and AJ Burnett coming off the books will help, but we also know they're going to have to re-sign Robinson Cano and possibly Curtis Granderson. This allows them to be a little more liberal about paying them and therefore helps them keep them.

When I first saw that the Yankees wanted to cut payroll by this much in only a few years I scoffed at the idea and thought there would be no way. But this trade shows me that they are taking this very seriously. The amount of money they can save by getting under this amount is a lot and I'm sure they'll be able to inject it back into the team. I hope I can see the day when the Yankees are no longer paying a ton of money in luxury taxes.

Pineda's Future

2012-01-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

You can find several types of reaction to the Jesus Montero/Michael Pineda swap on the internet. Whether it says that the trade is good or bad, or whether it looks at it through a different view point, you can read just about anything about it. What most seem to focus on is how the Yankees have re-vamped their rotation for the 2012 season with the acquisitions of Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. But what about the future?

There's no doubt that Pineda was a great move for the future of the rotation because he is cheap and can slide right behind CC Sabathia, but also because he still has some room for improvement. A lot of people have been talking about how he doesn't get enough ground balls (36.3% in 2011) and how he gives up too many fly balls (44.8% in 2011), but not about the good he has done. His 2011 home/road splits, his numbers against the AL East, and 2011 second half aren't the only things that should be looked at when looking at this trade.

As a 22 year old rookie in the big leagues, he struck out more than nine per nine innings while walking a little more than two per nine in 171 innings. Those are some sick inputs for someone so young and with his mid 90's fastball and knock out slider, there's no reason to doubt that it's sustainable.

On Jim Bowden's XM radio show, Brian Cashman said that if Pineda doesn't develop into a number one, the trade would not have been worth it. While I can see his point, I don't think this is necessarily true. If Pineda thrives as a number two behind CC over the next five years, I think it will be a successful move. However, there is one thing in particular I think he can do to take his game to the next level and that is improving his change up.

As I said before, Pineda features two very good pitches in his fastball and slider, but a third pitch will be necessary if he wants to be an ace. He threw a change up last season only 6.3% of the time as a show me pitch at 87-88 mph. He's gonna have to take it up a level in 2012 and beyond. I'm not saying it has to be a plus pitch, but it needs to be average and it needs to be able to make a few bats miss. It could turn out to be a nice weapon against lefties (since he already has the slider for righties) and since change ups are usually thrown down in the zone, it could help raise that ground ball rate in the smaller confines of Yankee Stadium.

At age 23, Pineda isn't what he's gonna be yet. He had a very good year in 2011 and hopefully he can build off of the K/BB ratio and work on his change up. As excited as I was to see Jesus Montero develop into a great hitter, I'm just as excited to see what this new front end of the rotation can do.

Top 5 Artists That Should Perform At Yankee Stadium Other Than Roger Waters

2012-01-19T17:20:00.000-05:00

In September of 2010, Yankee Stadium opened its doors for its first ever concert by bringing Jay-Z and Eminem to River Avenue for an epic rap concert that featured more than 30 chart toppers in the genre. The Yankees did it again in 2011 with a rock concert featuring Metallica, Megadeath, Anthrax, and Slayer to the likes of heavy metal fans. Today, it was announced that Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd, will be performing "The Wall" in the Bronx over the Summer.

Yet another alternative concert? I think it is time to pitch a few ideas for next fall's concert in the Bronx to rebound after a not-so great choice for this summer concert.

5. Lady GaGa or Adele

Where's the love for the female Yankee fans with these concerts. Lady GaGa would rake in so much money, because of her following. Adele tops the iTunes charts with so many of her songs. The Yankees love their money and it would not be a bad show, since the audience will be filled with so many of GaGa's "monster" followers.

4. Wu-Tang Clan

Why not?

3. Lil Wayne, Drake, Tyga & Young Money Entertainment

Alright, it's another rap concert. Drake and Nicki Minaj are among the members of YMCMB that performed at the last Yankee Stadium concert. Lil Wayne was in jail. Had he been present for a performance of "Drop the World" with Eminem, the Yankees' home would be in shambles after fans would have gone nuts. This concert would draw the same audience or even bigger from the Jay-Z/Eminem Home & Home tour.

2. Avicci & David Guetta

Dance and techno music has become one of the most popular genres in 2011 and 2012. These artists are at the forefront of that. Yankee Stadium would be one heck of a party if they were to attend. With Guetta, the audience is in for surprise guests as most of his hits feature other pop stars.

1. Bernie Williams & Bruce Springsteen

You have a New York Yankees fan favorite and the Boss. Springsteen has sold out Madison Square Garden before, which means he can fill up Yankee Stadium with ease. You also have the home town factor to add into this equation. He's from Hoboken, New Jersey which will have some of his most devoted followers hopping on the PATH train and then the New York City subway to see him live. This sounds like a dream for many Yankee fans.

Worst Idea Ever: DayGlow at Yankee Stadium. The field will never be in the same condition ever again. Don't know what it is?

Reps Contacting Yanks About DH Spot

2012-01-18T18:23:00.000-05:00

Per Ken Davidoff, the representatives os Vladimir Guerrero, Raul Ibanez, and Jack Cust have contacted the Yankees about their now vacant DH spot. These three names aren't that attractive, I didn't mention any of them in my post about possible solutions. Cust just signed a deal with the Astros last night, which leaves the older guys. I'm not a huge fan of either at this point, but if I had to pick one, I would go with Ibanez.

Hiroki Kuroda: A decent fit for the middle of the Yankees' rotation

2012-01-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

When I heard Hiroki Kuroda had been signed to a one year, ten million dollar contract by the New York Yankees, the first thing I thought was "That old guy from the Dodgers? Why?".

However, I now realize my initial thinking of Kuroda was wrong. Here's why:

1) Rotation Flexibility. Prior to signing Kuroda, the Yankees' most likely starting pitchers were C.C., Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, and two of the following three: A.J. Burnett, Freddy Garcia, and Phil Hughes. Not too impressive. C.C. and Pineda are solid, but I am still not convinced Nova will be as dependable as he was last season. I would like to see Nova play an entire season and be a regular in the rotation before I make conclusions.

Now, with Kuroda, the Yankees will most likely start C.C., Pineda, Kuroda, Nova, and then either Burnett, Garcia, or Hughes. Can you say depth?

2) Playoff depth. In the postseason, having three or four solid pitchers is important. Signing Kuroda allows Girardi, depending on how the rotation's regular season success, to choose whether he wants to use a three man or four man rotation.

3) Postseason experience. Though Kuroda has only pitched in three postseason games (1-2 record in those games), having pitched in the playoffs is always important for if you play for the Yankees.

4) Expendibility. When a team signs a 36 year old pitcher (37 when the season begins) to a one year deal, both parties are not exactly expecting a long term solution. In all likelihood, if Kuroda is unhappy in New York, the Yankees will not regret his signing because he is very tradeable (with only a one year deal) and also brings a veteran presence.

Though I am not expecting anything special from Kuroda (moving from the pitcher-friendly N.L. West to the home run-happy A.L. East is never easy), I, like any Yankee fan, hopes he provides the depth and stability needed to lead the Yankees to a 28th World Championship.

The 2012 Designated Hitter

2012-01-17T17:51:00.000-05:00

When the Jesus Montero-for-Michael Pineda deal went down on Friday night, most people started to talk about the long term implication and how the Yanks had a pitcher who controlled for the next five or so years while the Mariners received a big bat for the future. However, it initially seemed to slip through the cracks that the Yankees now had a hole to fill. They need a new designated hitter.

This spot in the lineup combined to hit .256/.336/.450 for the team last year, which is respectable, but there is room for improvement. With only a $1-2 million budget to add a piece they will probably wind up going for a platoon guy. The already re-signed Andruw Jones has proven that he can mash lefties, posting a .400 wOBA against them last year, so all they need is someone who can hit righties well. Let's take a look at who's out there.

Reunion? (New York Magazine)

We know by now that the Bombers have been linked to Johnny Damon, who has been essentially a DH only over the last two seasons. In 2011, he hit .261/.326/.418 and logged a 109 wRC+ for the Rays. Damon, 38, was able to play in 150 games for Tampa last season, but at his age a big decline is just waiting to happen. Of course, he does have the old 'True Yankee' thing to his credit which is why fans want to see him come back, but I'm not sure if he's the best option out there.

(Franklin Baseball)

Hideki Matsui is the other guy that's beloved by Yankees fans on this list. For Oakland last season, he only posted a .306 wOBA and a 93 wRC+. At 37, he would be risk for any team with such fall off from last season, but if he can be had on a minor league deal, it would definitely be worth considering. Maybe decreasing his at bats and only letting him face righties would help him out a bit.

Next and my favorite option is Carlos Pena. Pena has gotten a bad rep from fans because he doesn't hit for a high average, but the guy is very productive. Last year for the Cubs he had a .354 OBP and a .237 ISO. He draws a lot of walks and as we know from his days with the Rays, he can hit the ball far. The short porch in right field would probably only help the power production. The problem is that he will probably cost more than $2 million and that's all the Yanks are willing to spend. He's definitely someone to keep your eye on though.

Another guy who is attractive because of his power is Russell Branyan. He had an awful year in 2011, splitting time between the Diamondbacks and Angels which yielded him 146 plate appearances. He is only one year removed from a very good season in 2010 in which he had a .250 ISO. His splits also show that he has killed righties for his entire career as he has a .259 ISO and .360 wOBA against them for his career.

Buster Olney tweeted the other day about the Yankees possibly using the in-house Jorge Vazquez to fill the vacancy. While Vazquez has shown he can rake in his few years with the organizations (63 homers in three seasons) he strikes out a ton (33.2 % in 2011) and doesn't get on base enough (.314 OBP in 2011). I'm sure he'll been given a chance to fight for the job, but in the end, he is your stereotypical Quad-A hitter. I can only seem him being effective in the big leagues in a small sample before pitchers figure him out.

There are other options that I have omitted such as Casey Kotchman, JD Drew, and even Nick Johnson, but the above handful are the ones that I see as the most likely. I like Branyan and Pena the best just because of the power they can bring to the table. If one of them can come cheaply, that would be my choice. Whatever the front office does, this needs to be a small, low-risk contract.

Latest from the Stove: Yankees Avoiding Arbitration & Looking at DH Candidates

2012-01-17T14:54:00.000-05:00

Monday night the New York Yankees agreed to terms on a deal worth $3.2MM with pitcher Phil Hughes. He could earn more based on performance bonuses, yet it has still not been decided whether he will be starting or coming out of the bullpen in 2012. 2011 was a season plagued with time on the disabled list, but he will be ready to compete for the fifth starter's role in Spring Training.

Two pitchers that will be a part of the bridge to Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson, avoided arbitration by accepting similar deals. Chamberlain will receive $1.675MM. After a stellar season, Robertson will make $1.6MM with $25K in incentives.

The Yankees have been speaking to Hideki Matsui about possibly offering him a deal to come back as designated hitter. There is very limited money left for the Bronx Bombers to use, which leaves them out of contention for hitters like Johnny Damon or Carlos Pena. After the Jesus Montero trade, it looks like the Yankees are going back to their old ways of being in action in the winter. The only difference is that, for once, the Yankees are watching their spending.

Prospects are overvalued in trades

2012-01-15T22:18:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, the Yankees could have acquired Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners. The trade bait? Jesus Montero.

In 2007, the Yankees almost snagged Johan Santana from the Twins. The trade bait? Phil Hughes.

If the these two scenarios have not suggested that general managers overrate their prospects in trades, it will be tough to convince you otherwise. In the first possible trade, the Yankees almost acquired reigning Cy Young winner Cliff Lee for a catcher who had never played an inning of big league baseball. In the second possible trade, the Yankees nearly acquired a pitcher who, at the time, was in his prime and a top-five pitcher of his generation.

Now, I get it, people get older, and guys like Johan Santana are not sure-fire bets to stay healthy and produce at high levels throughout the durations of their careers (as the old saying goes, trade high, buy low). Same goes for prospects who are dealt almost every season for an all stars. That's how trades work - one team may be trading a guy who they believe is on the decline, while the other team may be giving up the next "sure fire" thing who turns out to be nothing special. It's the hype that is placed on guys that makes their value higher.

For a team like the Yankees, who are driven to win a world championship every season, proven commodities are the future. Yes, it is important to have a farm system, but the chance to acquire guys who could hit 40 home runs, or pitch 200 innings may be a better choice then waiting 3 years for a player to crack the big leagues. It's all about knowing your prospects. In my opinion, the Yankees strong organizational depth at catcher, and now designated hitter (Jeter and A-Rod --- that's the truth people!), drove them to acquire Michael Pineda.

Let's just hope the Pineda trade works out for the best. After all, he could be better than Cliff Lee.

Startin' to Sizzle: The Latest On the Yankees' Hotsove

2012-01-15T15:27:00.001-05:00

Quiet is a word that is not in the dictionary for the Yankees front office. Ever since they decided to package Jesus Montero to Seattle and sign Hiroki Kuroda, the wheels have started moving this offseason in the Bronx. Here's the latest:

With the opening at designated hitter now, there are questions as to who will replace Montero in the line-up. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Johnny Damon has been in talks with the Yankees of a possible return to the pinstripes he wore from 2006 to 2009. (Anyone else miss that smile, seen on the left, in a Yankees uniform?)

UPDATE: Heyman says that the Yankees don't see too much money left to make a high priced deal for a designated hitter, so Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon could be back in pinstripes for next year. It will be entertaining to see who they decide to go with. Stay tuned.

Jorge Posada's name has also surfaced, but the catcher still intends to retire within the upcoming days. Heyman says his chances of returning are "1 percent".

Starting pitcher Bartolo Colon saw his chances of returning to the Bronx vanish with the flurry of moves made this past weekend. He has decided to sign a one year deal with the Oakland Athletics. Jayson Starks first reported the deal on ESPN.

Brian Cashman is really sticking by his trade of Montero by speaking out on Jim Bowden's radio show, saying that the deal is a mistake if Michael Pineda never develops into a No. 1 starter and develops his fastball.

Musings On Trading Montero

2012-01-14T16:19:00.000-05:00

It was the last thing any of us expected. Even in our first podcast, when Nick and I talked about how the Yanks would have to deal at least one of their young catcher, we totally threw out the possibility of trading Jesus Montero. But six days later, he was going to Seattle and not for the guy every Yankee fan has been hoping for, but for their number two starter. So the question becomes, did the Yankees pull the trigger at the right time?

At first glance, I wasn't a real big fan of this deal. This is when I thought it was Pineda for Montero straight up. The one thing that I've noticed about the Yankees farm, despite it being very good, is that they lack impact hitters in the upper levels. Sure they have Mason Williams and Dante Bichette Jr., but both of them still have a ways to go. Montero represented the Yankees top notch hitting prospects. He is one of the best, young hitters in the game and was able to make an impact in the upcoming season.

Montero was not only a young hitter, which is a breathe of fresh air on a rather old team, but he was also cost controlled through 2017. He was gonna be making practically nothing over the next couple of years and a right impact bat is something they could have used in this time. Alex Rodriguez is becoming older and more fragile, Derek Jeter is not what he used to be, and Andruw Jones is a platoon guy. Monty could have stepped into an aging Yankees lineup and picked up some of the slack. This lineup is not going to be as potent as it has been for much longer if they don't have guys willing to step in and what better than someone that's very young cost-controlled.

This was what I felt when I first saw the news. However, after a little more thought I warmed up to it. The Bombers got a young, cost-controlled, front-line starter back, something that is very rare. It's easier to find an impact bat than it is to find an impact arm. Also, the Yanks have three other catchers down the pipeline in Austin Romine, JR Murphy, and Gary Sanchez. They traded from abundance and got something they needed in return. They had a very good trade chip and used it well, something that other teams have trouble with. All in all, I think I'm gonna be able to live with this.

Yankees and Angels Make A Perfect Pair

2012-01-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week the Angels and Kendrys Morales avoided arbitration by agreeing to a 1 year, $3 million dollar deal that solidified the logjam at the Angels first base position. With Albert Pujols signed for the next decade, one of Morales or Mark Trumbo will have to go sooner rather than later. There were some reports the Angels were going to try Trumbo at different positions, but that is just not going to happen. He does not have the athleticism to move somewhere else, and neither does Morales, meaning someone is going to have to go.

The Yankees just got a glaring hole in there designated hitter position with their mega deal to acquire Michael Pineda for Jesus Montero, so who better to turn to than a team with a lot of surplus power.

Morales hasn't played a game in over a year and a half, but last time he saw the field he was in the midst of being on pace for a second consecutive 30+ homerun 100+ RBI season. He is signed cheap and could be gotten for far less than what he is capable of producing, he just comes with a ton of risk. No one knows how his ankle is going to hold up over the course of the season. He would be a boom or bust pickup, but if he is able to hold up he would put the Yankees over the top.

The other, and likely more available, option is the 26 year old slugger Mark Trubmo. Trumbo showed some excellent power last year belting 29 homeruns with 31 doubles in his rookie season. He doesn't walk nearly enough, but with the lose of Montero's power from the right side of the plate Trumbo would fill that void. I really wouldn't expect his average to ever get above .270, but then again he is a power guy.

If trading is the course the Yankees decide to take a deal with the Angels for one of these players could easily be done. Because these are the Yankees, however, there is always the chance they try and make a much bigger splash by dipping into the free agent market for a big bat. Stay tuned on the DH situation.

Yanks Interested In Carlos Pena

2012-01-14T13:26:00.000-05:00

Per Jon Heyman, the Yankees are interested in first baseman Carlos Pena. Yankee fans should be familiar with him from his days with the Rays and he is actually is pretty good fit. He's a power lefty who can play good first base if need be and can platoon at designated hitter with Andruw Jones. This isn't totally unexpected and if he can be had at a cheap price.

Yanks Trade Montero For Pineda

2012-01-14T04:45:00.000-05:00

Update (7:56pm): It looks like it's a four player deal. Montero and Noesi for Pineda and Jose Campos. Have fun with it.

Original (7:45pm): Via Jon Heyman, the Yankees have traded catcher and top prospect Jesus Montero to the Mariners for 23 year old starting pitcher Michael Pineda. This is very shocking and most of us thought Montero was not going to be touched this off-season. Pineda is a very good pitcher and is under control through 2016, I believe. The one thing that is scary about him is that he has a very high fly ball rate and doesn't get many grounders and in Yankees Stadium that could be a problem.

This trade presents as many questions as it answers. First of all, why? Secondly, who is going to be the Yankees designated hitter? And lastly, who gets bounced from the rotation? Have some fun with it. Here's the excitement everyone has been waiting for.

Added by Nicholas Pugliese: I love how with all the "rumors" that are thrown out there these trades always manage to come out of thin air.

I must admit Cashman is one of the first GM's I've seen get the better of Zduriencik. Unless you think Montero is a catcher long term (and there aren't many people who believe that) you have to be ecstatic about this deal from the Yankees perspective.

As good of a prospect as Jesus Montero is, Pineda was just as good of a prospect and has shown his stuff translates to the Major League level over a full season. He gives up fly balls, sure, but he K's batters at an unreal rate finishing third in the league in percentage of batters K'ed. And remember that was in his rookie season of just 22 years old. Even if Montero turns out as well as expected he will be equal to what the Yankees already have in Pineda. And with the Yankees' seemingly constant struggle to lock up a solid rotation, Pineda will help anchor this staff for at least the next five years.

Then if we briefly get into Jose Campos, this kid has the chance to be an absolute stud. He instantly ranks in the Yankees top 5 prospects and has the chance to really rise to the top this year. He used a fastball that gets into the mid-90's and superior command for such a young pitcher to dominant the lower levels in 2011. Considering the present command and fastball his ceiling is through the roof. Like most young pitchers the reports have long been that his off-speed pitches are what is holding him back, but the most recent updates said he saw tremendous improvement by the end of the season. A great sign.

Yanks Sign Hiroki Kuroda

2012-01-13T20:26:00.000-05:00

Per Jack Curry, the Yankees have now signed Hiroki Kuroda to a one year deal worth between $10-11 million. This came as shocking news because they have just traded for Michael Pineda. I have been endorsing signing Kuroda for a while now so I'm pretty happy. So how about this new rotation?

Asking Prices For SP Coming Down

2012-01-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

Per Buster Olney, the asking prices for the three big starting pitchers left on the market have come down. Roy Oswalt is down to $8 million and Edwin Jackson and Hiroki Kuroda are down in the $10-11 range. He didn't specify if Jackson came down in years also, but I would imagine he did. Out of these three guys, I want Kuroda the most, then Jackson, and then Oswalt, taking into account the they all want one year. Kuroda and Jackson aren't separated by much for me, so if either gets signed to one year, I wouldn't mind. Who do you want?

Yanks Eye One Year Deal For Starter

2012-01-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Per Joel Sherman, the Yankees are only looking to sign a starting pitcher if they can get them on a one year deal. He says this goes for Hiroki Kuroda, Edwin Jackson, and Bartolo Colon and makes sense because a long term deal would only hurt their chances of keeping the budget under $189 million by 2014. He said that Hal Steinbrenner did meet with Scott Boras (Jackson's agent last night), but they aren't close to anything. Sherman does believe that they will wind up signing one of the pitchers mentioned above to a one year deal or nothing..

I've made it clear that I like Kuroda the best out of any pitcher left on the market, but the Yanks seem unwilling to shell out the extra cash. In his last tweet, Sherman wonders who will get bounced from the rotation. There's no point in really wondering this because it shouldn't stop them from getting a starter nor is it a bad problem.