The LoHud Yankees Blog

Several year’s from now, when this morning’s Pinch Hitter, Lucas, is telling his son about his first Yankees game, some of the details won’t matter.

Lucas will tell his son that Mariano Rivera pitched in that game, and why should it matter that The Greatest gave up a run? He’ll tell his son that Derek Jeter went 3-for-3, and why should it matter that the Captain wasn’t playing shortstop that day? He’ll tell his son that Robinson Cano hit a grand slam, and why should it matter that the Yankees nearly coughed up that four-run lead?

It was a 6-5 win in the middle of August, and most of us will forget all about it — if we haven’t forgotten it already — and all that will matter to Lucas is that his little boy saw the Yankees, in person, for the first time.

When I looked back at the box score, though, this is what I noticed: Not only was Jeter at DH, but Alex Rodriguez was also on the disabled list, leaving Eduardo Nunez and Eric Chavez to both step into the starting lineup that day. The way the Yankees are configured right now, that’s an impossibility this season.

Jeter and Rodriguez are going to need some DH days, and both spent considerable time on the disabled list last year. Once upon a time — before the DH spot was wide open — finding a backup corner infielder seemed to be a real priority for the  Yankees. It’s no less significant today.

If it’s not Chavez, it needs to be someone like him. The Yankees need to be in a position to fill more than one spot at a time on the left side of the infield. The team has a deep bullpen, more starters than it knows what to do with, a solid catching prospect to stash in Triple-A and four legitimate outfielders. But the Yankees infield depth chart is on name:

Eduardo Nunez (2B, 3B, SS)

Maybe Brandon Laird will have a bounce back year in Triple-A. Maybe Corban Joseph or David Adams will emerge as a big-league ready bat. Maybe Jayson Nix will be a viable fill-in if necessary. There are some possibilities out there, but the Yankees clearly have a left side of the infield that requires depth, and so far, that depth is uncertain.

Another infielder shouldn’t be as important as an everyday designated hitter. But what if it is?

Associated Press photo

I say this every year, but one thing I like about the Pinch Hitters series is the opportunity to present perspectives I could never bring to the blog. This is one of those moments.

Lucas Vanderwarker is a youth pastor near Indiana, PA and his grandfather played some minor league ball with the Yankees back in the 1930s. For his post, Lucas wrote about a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment: Taking his first-born son to his first game at Yankee Stadium.

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For most people, November 2, 2010 was just another day. Most conservatives (especially the Tea Party) remember it as a day of victory, as the Republicans regained control of the House and made up some ground in the Senate. For the people of San Francisco, it was a day of jubilation and raucous celebration of the Giants first World Series victory since they vacated New York. Many have long since forgotten the specifics of this day just 14 short months ago.

For me, it’s a day that was truly life-changing — it’s the day my son was born.
It was right about the time that pitchers and catchers were to report to spring training in Tampa when my wife and I learned she was expecting our first child. When I realized her due date was the beginning of November, I immediately thought to myself, “How amazing would it be for our baby to be born the same night the Yankees win the World Series?” She secretly was hoping the Yankees wouldn’t quite make it to avoid any conflict of interest, and ironically enough, it was while I was sitting on the couch watching the Giants put the finishing touches on their series with the Texas Rangers that my wife informed me it was time to go to the hospital.

Three hours later I was holding my little boy, flooded with the gravity of my new responsibility of teaching my son about the things that I love — Faith, Family, and the Yankees. I realized that watching baseball would never be the same.

Our first family vacation to New York City came in August. My wife didn’t insist on a Broadway show — though I know she wanted to — she instead insisted that we go to Yankee Stadium. Of course, there was no argument from me.

Thursday, August 11, was the highlight of the trip: An afternoon game against the Angels, front row of the upper deck, just past third base. We’d taken the subway to the stadium. We snapped some pictures, fed Brandt, and got settled into our seats. I soaked in every moment (and every sunray—it was very hot that day) of watching Brandt take in every detail from the huge, bright video screen to the yelling hot dog vendors to his daddy going nuts when Curtis Granderson tied the game at 2 with a mammoth home run, and even more nuts when Robbie Cano broke a tie game with a “no doubt about it” grand slam.

Brandt was so over-stimulated that it wore him out and he fell asleep for about an hour. When he woke up, he sat ever so contently on my lap and pointed to the outfield as “Enter Sandman” began to play and Mariano Rivera came sprinting in from the outfield.

Sitting there, with my son on my lap, telling him things I knew he didn’t understand and won’t remember, I didn’t want the day to end. We took our time leaving the stadium (when you only get there once every couple of years, you tend to treasure every second you get).

I don’t remember a whole lot about my first trip to Yankee Stadium other than they played the Royals and they got creamed. I remember being so excited to see Don Mattingly. But do you know what I remember? It was my dad who took me to that first game. I consider my dad to be one of my best friends. I have learned so much from him. I’m not naïve enough to think my 9-month-old son will remember this trip to Yankee Stadium, but I look forward to many more — all of which will always remind me of the day that changed my life forever.

I love you, Brandt! Go Yankees!

Photo of Lucas and Brandt

In the year Curtis Granderson emerged as an MVP candidate, two of the Yankees lowest-level center fielders emerged as elite prospects. It’s now a position of strength both at the big league level and in the minor league system.

In the big leagues
In his first several months with the Yankees, Granderson hit like an overhyped platoon player. He couldn’t hit lefties, his production plummeted, and hitting coach Kevin Long stepped in for a Texas intervention. The difference has been staggering. Suddenly a complete hitter against lefties and righties, Granderson has become both a top-of-the-order run scorer and a middle-of-the-order run producer. He led the American League in runs and RBI last season, and at 30 years old finished fourth in MVP voting. Signed through this season with a club option for 2013, Granderson is locked into the center field position for the near future, and an extension beyond the next two years doesn’t seem out of the question. Granderson is becoming a best-case scenario, the best the Yankees could have hoped for when they traded three young players to acquire him two years ago.

On the verge
The Yankees immediate center field depth doesn’t necessarily come from the minor leagues. Big league left fielder Brett Gardner is second on the depth chart in center, and out-of-options fifth outfielder candidates Chris Dickerson and Justin Maxwell have each handled the position at the major league level. Down in Triple-A, the Yankees should have Colin Curtis, Cole Garner and veteran Dewayne Wise capable of playing center, and the Double-A roster should have Melky Mesa and Abe Almonte as wild card prospects with plenty of tools but inconsistent results. The bulk of the Yankees young center field talent is lower in the minor league system, but the upper levels provide considerable depth at the position. There isn’t another Granderson in the group, but then again, there aren’t many Granderson types in baseball.

Deep in the system
Take your pick. Mason Williams, Ravel Santana and Slade Heathcott are each toolsy, athletic center fielders with a chance to becoming legitimate everyday options at the big league level. Heathcott is the most familiar name, a 2009 first-round pick with elite speed but also a series of shoulder surgeries that have delayed his development. He got off to a terrific start in Charleston last season, but shoulder problems ended his season just one game — and three hits — into a promotion to Tampa. Heathcotts injuries have opened the door for Williams and Santana to stake their claims as the system’s top center field prospects. Williams was an all-around force in Staten Island last season, and Baseball America tabbed him as the New York-Penn League’s best prospect. He should be ready for full-season ball this year. Santana was similarly impressive in the Gulf Coast League — more power, less speed — and missed the top spot on Baseball America’s GCL prospects list only because teammate Dante Bichette Jr. ranked No. 1.

Organizational depth chart
My rough guess. It’s too early for the Yankees to decide who will be where next season.
New York: Curtis Granderson
Scranton/WB: Dewayne Wise
Trenton: Melky Mesa
Tampa: Slade Heathcott
Charleston: Mason Williams

Triple-A should be a fairly steady rotation in center field, and Double-A should have both Mesa and Abe Almonte getting time in center (hard to say which one should get the bulk of the time there). If Heathcott isn’t ready to open the season, Eduardo Sosa could step into the Tampa job. The Yankees system has not shortage of players capable of handling center field (Austin Krum, Dan Brewer, Damon Sublett) and it’s become a position of both quantity and quality in the organization.

Associated Press photo of Granderson, headshots of Granderson, Dickerson and Williams

Sorry, I’ve been on a plane for the past couple of hours while the Yankees wrapped up two more inevitable bits of business, avoiding arbitration with Boone Logan and officially signing Hiroki Kuroda. Logan was the final arbitration eligible player without a contract, and he’s reportedly getting $1.875 million this season. Kuroda’s signing has been known for almost two weeks, and to make room for him on the 40-man roster, Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment.

YANKEES SIGN RHP HIROKI KURODA

The New York Yankees today announced they have signed right-handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year Major League contract.

Kuroda, 36, went 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA (202.0 IP, 69 ER) in 32 starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, establishing career bests in wins, ERA, games started, innings pitched and strikeouts (161). With runners in scoring position, Kuroda held opponents to a .194 (30-for-155) batting average, the fifth-best mark in the National League. He was also fifth in the NL in road ERA, posting a 7-7 record and a 2.85 ERA (94.2 IP, 30 ER) in 15 starts away from Dodger Stadium.

“I feel happy to be a part of such a storied franchise, which is always in contention for a World Series,” Kuroda said. “I am also very proud to be a part of this current team, which boasts so many great players. As a member of the Yankees, I would like to do my part by doing the best I can throughout the season. I hope that I can make a difference in achieving the team’s ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series.”

A native of Osaka, Japan, Kuroda has gone 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA in 115 career appearances (114 starts) over four Major League seasons with the Dodgers from 2008-11. He has made at least 30 starts and tossed more than 180.0 innings in three of his Major League campaigns (all but his injury-shortened season in 2009). Since the start of the 2008 season, the right-hander has averaged 2.10 walks per 9.0 IP, the third-lowest mark by a National Leaguer with at least 500.0 IP over the span, trailing only Dan Haren (1.64) and Ricky Nolasco (1.93).

Among all Japan-born pitchers ever to play in the Major Leagues, his 3.45 career ERA is the lowest all-time among pitchers who have made more than 12 career starts, while his 523 strikeouts rank fourth and his 41 wins are fifth. In 2011, he recorded the third-lowest single-season ERA (3.07) among Japanese-born pitchers to qualify for a Major League ERA title, behind only Hideo Nomo (2.54 in 1995) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (2.90 in 2008).

Originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on December 18, 2007, Kuroda spent 11 seasons (1997-2007) pitching for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Japanese Central League. In 271 appearances (244 starts) for the Carp, he went 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA (1,700.1 IP, 697 ER).

In a corresponding move, the Yankees designated RHP Kevin Whelan for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

YANKEES AVOID ARBITRATION WITH LHP BOONE LOGAN

The Yankees today announced that they have agreed with LHP Boone Logan on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, thus avoiding arbitration.

In 2011, Logan went 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA (41.2IP, 16ER) in 64 regular season appearances out of the bullpen. In three scoreless relief appearances in the ALDS vs. Detroit, he combined to strike out six of his eight batters faced (2.1IP, 1H, 0BB).

Originally selected by the White Sox in the 20th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Logan was acquired by the Yankees from Atlanta, along with RHP Javier Vazquez, in exchange for OF Melky Cabrera, LHP Mike Dunn and RHP Arodys Vizcaino on December 22, 2009.

Associated Press photos

Last night, MLB Network and MLB.com announced their Top 50 Prospects list, and as expected, former Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero and current Yankees top prospect Manny Banuelos finished near the top. What might have come as a surprise was the order of those two.

Montero ranked 13th overall, with Banuelos one spot ahead of him at No. 12.*

“Once (Banuelos) throws more strikes,” MLB.com wrote, “he has the chance to be an electric starter who can be a No. 2 or 3 starter.”

Montero was, naturally, touted for his “monster” power potential, but Banuelos finished a spot higher on the list.

Dellin Betances landed at No. 40, and like Banuelos, he was touted as a potential No. 2 or No. 3 starter if he improves his command. Back of the rotation or a setup role were also mentioned as long-term possibilities.

Ranking just outside of the Top 50, catcher Gary Sanchez landed at No. 53 overall, touted as a potential offensive everyday catcher in the big leagues. Center fielder Mason Williams ranked 73rd, earning praise for his bat, speed, defense and advanced approach at the plate.

* One spot ahead of Banuelos, ranking 11th overall, was Gerrit Cole, the right-hander originally drafted but unsigned by the Yankees. Now with the Pirates, he seems to have progressed exactly as the Yankees hoped. Former Yankees prospect Arodys Vizcaino — traded to Atlanta in the Javier Vazquez deal — ranked 36th on the list.

Associated Press photo

Another reminder that Bernie Williams is serving as host at the 10th Anniversary Gala for Hillside Food Outreach. Special guest for the evening is Don Mattingly.

Add this one to the great causes supported by past and present Yankees. If you’re curious, Hillside Food Outreach lists as it’s objective: To meet the needs of the poor and destitute of Westchester and Putnam Counties by delivering food and friendships. So, yeah, if you’re able to attend it’s a worthy cause.

The Gala itself is Saturday, January 28 at the Matrix Conference Center and Ballroom in Danbury, Connecticut. There will be a dinner and auction and the night ends with some dancing while Bernie’s band provides the music.

Go here for more information.

Two years before he became the Yankees closer, Mariano Rivera was a spot starter and middle reliever, and not an especially good one. The next year he became a dominant setup man. The next year he took over the ninth inning. Two years after that he led the league in saves.

Who’s next in line? It really is impossible to say.

Rivera has set the bar impossibly high for the next Yankees closer, and he’s also crafted his own cautionary tale about considering all possibilities and ignoring early expectations.

Two years before Rivera took over, would you have picked him for the job?

As Rob wrote in today’s Pinch Hitter post, Dave Robertson has emerged as perhaps the most legitimate heir the Yankees have ever seen. He’s young and he’s quickly gained legitimate big league experience (with legitimate big league success). I was covering minor league baseball when Mark Melancon was thought to be the Yankees future closer, but it never came together for him in the Bronx, and his greatest role might have been overshadowing Robertson, leaving the Yankees with something of a secret weapon.

Robertson’s not a secret anymore. Joba Chamberlain was never secret and Rafael Soriano is one of the biggest-name relievers in the game. If this really is Rivera’s last season, those three are the most obvious candidates to take ownership of the ninth. But what if Phil Hughes is crowded out of the rotation and thrives again the bullpen? What if some unforeseen circumstance forces Dellin Betances into the big league bullpen, and he dominates?

There will never be another Mariano Rivera. The best the Yankees can do is hope for another legitimate closer, and the best-there-ever-was has taught them to look everywhere.

Associated Press photo

Next up in our Pinch Hitters series is Rob Abruzzese, a reporter who covers high school football, baseball and basketball for ESPNNewYork. He’s been blogging about the Yankees since 2005, and in 2008 he created Bronx Baseball Daily. That same year, Rob graduated from Brooklyn College with degrees in journalism and political science, and he still lives in Brooklyn to this day. You can find him on Twitter: @BxBaseballDaily or @RobAbruzzese.

For his post, Rob wrote about D-Rob, taking a look at what’s made the Yankees setup man such an effective reliever.

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David Robertson has come along quite well as a reliever for the Yankees from when he broke into the league in 2008 to 2011 when he not only picked up some Cy Young award votes but also nabbed a place on an MVP ballot as well.

How did he get this good? Well, nothing happened overnight for Robertson. He is very similar to the pitcher that came up in 2008, but he has made slight improvements overall across the board that have made a huge difference.

VELOCITY: The most notable difference in Robertson is his velocity. His fastball averaged 90.8 MPH when he came up, but that number has gone up every season and reached 93.1 MPH on average last season. It’s not a huge difference, but it has increased his K% along with it, from striking out batters 27.5 percent of the time as a rookie to a whopping 36.8 percent last year (fourth-best among relievers in MLB).

LOB%: Robertson’s WHIP was a good but not great 1.125 last season, but his LOB% was a strong 89.8 percent for a couple of reasons, the biggest being his ability to strike out batters at a 13.5 percent rate last season. By striking out so many, he is keeping the ball out of play, which takes away the chances for seeing-eye singles, errors, or missed calls by umpires.

HR/9: It also helps that Robertson allowed a very low amount of home runs. Now his ground ball percentage is 46.8, nothing too special, but because he is allowing fewer balls put into play than a typical pitcher, there just aren’t as many chances for a hitter to pop one over the fence. It shows too as his HR/9 of 0.14 was the seventh lowest among all relievers.

ROBBIE’S CUTTER: This really didn’t get a lot of attention last year, but Robertson started to throw a cutter last year. After throwing fastballs at a 74.3 percent clip in 2010, that number went down to 49.6 percent last year, according to PitchFX. It gave him a different look and no doubt contributed to his K/9 increasing for its fourth consecutive year.

IMPROVED COMMAND: Along with all of this, perhaps the most important thing is his improved command. I’m not talking about his ability to keep from walking hitters. After all, his BB/9 of 4.7 last season is identical to his 4.7 BB/9 that he has over his entire career. No, I’m talking more about his ability to spot his pitches over the plate, particularly to right-handed batters.

Take a look at the two graphs provided by FanGraphs below:

On the left is his heat map tracking his fastballs against right-handed batters from 2010. On the right is the same graph from 2011. In 2010, he pretty much just threw his fastball over the plate to righties with no discernible pattern. In 2011 the story is much different, as he almost stopped throwing fastballs on the lower inside part of the plate. It’s not so much where he throws the ball that matters for this purpose, but the fact that the 2010 chart pretty much looks similar to his 2008 and 2009 charts and in 2011, for the first time, he shows the real ability to spot his pitches on the plate with accuracy.

CAN HE CLOSE? It’s great that Robertson had such a phenomenal season last year, but relievers come and go pretty quickly. Just having one good year doesn’t make him a closer in waiting. After all, most Yankees fans probably thought Joba Chamberlain would be their closer after 2007 and Phil Hughes after 2009 and neither seems like an obvious choice today.

Robertson is interesting because of his career progression. He came up in 2008 and made improvements each year. Most relievers who look promising and then disappear are the type that bounce around in different roles before being at the right place at the right time and are able to take advantage for a little while. Guys like Ryan Franklin are examples of this. There are also the Chad Qualls/Luis Ayala types that go their entire careers and then have one or two lucky seasons when most of their stats are outliers and don’t accurately reflect who they are. Other than that, age and injuries are what most often nail relievers.

D-Rob will only be 27 next season, so he has age on his side. He did have to be shutdown with pain in his elbow in September 2009, but since then he appears to be fully healthy. Should he be able to stay healthy then there is a solid chance he could be a great reliever for years to come. Hopefully Rivera doesn’t retire after the 2012 season, but if he does, the Yankees very well already have his replacement in house.

Associated Press photo

At 10 p.m. ET, MLB Network will reveal its Top 50 Prospects during an hour-long special. Already, MLB.com’s minor league guru Jonathan Mayo has announced his top 10 prospects at each position, with two Yankees making his position-by-position lists.

Left-handed pitcher
Manny Banuelos
Ranked: Second
Coming in one spot behind Matt Moore is pretty high praise. A year ago, Banuelos was 10th on MLB.com’s list of the top lefty prospects. This year’s he’s moved up on the strength of three plus pitches that are just waiting for improved command. Dellin Betances didn’t make the right-handers list, leaving Banuelos as the only Yankees pitcher to appear on either minor league pitching list. Not out of the question for Betances to still find a spot on the top 100 prospects overall.

Catcher
Gary Sanchez
Ranked: Fourth
We all know who’s at the top of the list. Jesus Montero is still considered the top catching prospect in baseball, but Sanchez is a legitimate prospect himself. After ranking third on this list last year, Sanchez moved down only one spot after a promising but inconsistent year in Charleston. His ceiling is high, but he’s also very young. All outfielders were lumped into one group, so Mason Williams didn’t make any sort of center fielders list, and Austin Romine fell off the catchers list. Sanchez was the only Yankees hitting prospect listed in the top 10 at any position.

A few other notes from today…

• Yoenis Cespedes has become a free agent. After gaining residency in the Dominican Republic, Cespedes has completed all the steps necessary is now a player on the open market. He can begin negotiating, but still has to clear one last step before actually signing.

• The Red Sox have reportedly made offers to two of the best free agent pitchers still on the market, extending one offer to Roy Oswalt and another offer to Edwin Jackson. 

• The Rays are reportedly close to a deal with utility man Jeff Keppinger. 
In theory, Keppinger might have been an option for the Yankees to fill that second backup infielder role.

Associated Press photo

Inevitably, a day like yesterday leaves a lot of bits and pieces that slip through the cracks. There are quotes that don’t fit conveniently into stories, and topics that become secondary because of the day’s bigger picture.

And so, here are a few leftovers from Jorge Posada’s retirement press conference…

On Posada staying in the Yankees organization in some sort of coaching capacity

Brian Cashman: “We’ll see. Jorge has been a great Yankee. There’s a lot of great Yankees. The one thing about this that George Steinbrenner setup a long time ago was keeping it in the family to the best of your abilities. And so I wouldn’t be surprised, clearly, at some point, that Jorgie will be working with us. I’m not saying anything in the near term, but he’s a Yankee for life, whether it’s a spring training format or something bigger. But right now, it’s not something anybody’s focused on.”

Joe Girardi: “I think Jorge can do what he wants. I do remember that feeling of wanting to spend that first summer at home with your family because it’s been so long. I did the same thing and after a while I got bored and had to go to work. The hardest part for me when I retired was when spring training started and you weren’t going, and then the season starts and you’re watching games on tv, not playing. It just feels kind of strange.”

Jorge Posada: “I don’t have any plans. I want to spend time with my family. I haven’t had a summer with them, so I really want to spend a summer with them, and have some fun with the kids.”

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On whether Posada belongs in the Hall of Fame

Joe Girardi: “I think he’s a Hall of Famer. When you look at his numbers and stack his numbers against the catchers who have been there, what he has meant to this club, and the championships – his numbers are incredible. And the longevity; this is not just a six or seven year career. It’s a long time. The fact that he was able to remain consistent for so long is amazing to me.”

Jorge Posada: “All I wanted to do was be in the big leagues, and when you compare me to people in the Hall of Fame, it’s like… we’ll see. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen, but that’s up to you guys. And hopefully we can talk about it five years from now.”

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On the way Posada was used last season

Joe Girardi: “When you’re a manager you’re asked to make some tough decisions. As a manager you’re always going to do what you feel is best to win a game. Maybe some of the things, when you look back you could have handled them differently. But the decisions you make are with the information you have that day. I was doing the best that I could. I don’t look back and say I have any regrets. I love Jorge Posada. Jorge Posada came up when I was a kid, and we shared so many great moments together. I’m not going to let one tough situation take away from the relationship that we have.”

Jorge Posada: “I don’t have an issue with (Girardi). I really don’t. It’s one of those things that, I felt like he was put there in front of this situation and he had to put me as a DH. I think it came from upstairs. I don’t have a problem with Joe… Talking to my wife during the season, and talking with Derek (Jeter) during the season, I knew that this was it. I told him and I told Laura that this was my last year, during the year. But that didn’t change my decision. If I would’ve caught, or I would’ve DH’d, that was probably it anyway.”

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On Posada’s struggles last season

Mariano Rivera: “It was hard, definitely, but as a teammate, I have to support him and just give him the best advice I could give him because it’s hard when you in the game for so many years and all of a sudden you’re not involved in the game as you used to be. So, I mean, I think that’s why he made the decision.”

Derek Jeter: “It’s difficult to see any teammate struggle. Jorge’s like a brother to me. Anytime you see a family member go through tough times. It’s hard. I was proud of the way he bounced back and especially the way he finished last season… I tried to tell him to enjoy it. You want to enjoy it. I don’t think you ever want to play for that long and have such a great career and leave with a bad taste in your mouth or a bad feeling. I just really stressed with him to try to have fun as best he can.”

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On not having Posada with the team next year

Mariano Rivera: “His fire, you know? His determination, his passion and his drive for the game. He always was pushing and pushing and pushing to get better. We’re definitely going to miss that, but also learn from that, that we had a guy who no matter what was the situation, whatever adversity he’s facing, he continued pushing. And that was Jorge.”

Derek Jeter: ”It’ll be tough. It goes without saying on the field, you know somebody for that long, but I’ve been with him every day for 15 years, 16 years off the field to eat. So if any of you guys want to go eat on the road, let me know. It’s going to be pretty odd.

Jorge Posada: “I think some of the young kids (will step up to fill the leadership role). I think Robinson Cano, I think he’s going to step up. CC’s great. CC’s a great leader on the team. Teixeira is a great leader on the team. You’ve got Alex and you’ve got Derek and you’ve got Mo still, so their team is well covered… It’s going to be hard for me to watch a game, period. I’m going to watch still because I’ve got friends on the team and I want them to do well, obviously.”

Associated Press photos