Wrapping it up at the Trop
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Podcast on Jul 13, 2007 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
First some good news. I exchanged a few e-mails with Phil Hughes tonight and he said he felt great after his second rehab start. He will start for Trenton again Wednesday then make a start for Scranton (probably on July 23) before joining the Yankees around July 27.
“Everything is good,” he said. “My fastball command was there.”
Brian Cashman was at the game in Trenton and said there would be no rushing Phil Franchise.
“There is nothing he could do to get (immediately) back into our rotation,” Cashman said. “We are not looking for shutdown results – it will be the follow-up starts that will obviously allow him to get closer to doing what he needs to do more consistently.”
As for the major-league team, there wasn’t much to say about this game. Scott Kazmir had not won a game at home since last July and he pitched well tonight. They Yankees were lucky he lasted only six innings.
Roger Clemens is 2-4 after seven starts. If you’re the Rocket, you can’t let Josh Wilson crunch a two-run triple off you.
Here is some audio from The Rocket:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Here is Joe Torre’s take:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Meanwhile, I will leave you with this: At least you don’t root for the Devil Rays. As I sit here in the press box, there are 12 people sitting in left field (I counted) watching Night of the Living Dead on the scoreboard. The Devil Rays are celebrating Friday the 13th.
Tomorrow, you can catch Carlos Pena at Checkers in Pinellas Park at 10:30 and James Shields at the Wal-Mart in Tampa. It’s also “Festival Latino” night at the game and Mexican wrestler Blue Demon will be on hand.
I’m not kidding about any of this.
Pete, this is why I love your log so much. No one gives us the crazy scene stuff like you do. Love it. Thanks…
Hi Folks. I posted this just a little while ago on the previous thread. Just FYI.
I just got some not-so-great news from a buddy who interns at a sports agency. Take it for what you wish, but I hope it is wrong. REALLY hoping this is just an unsubstantiated bit of conjecture.
Basically, the word is that the Yankees leaked the team’s “desire� to negotiate an extension with A-Rod. As was discussed earlier today, this may have been in order to pre-empt negative public opinion if Alex walks. The front office saves face. But according to my former classmate (we graduated U of C in 2004), the story developing from chatter in the industry was to determine whether or not A-Rod will be shopped in a blockbuster deadline deal. He brought up some good points. At this time, nobody in the Yankees heirarchy from ownership to the manager and coaches believes the team is capable of a playoff berth. They apparently reached a consensus a week prior to the AS break that the program will be to sell this year.
Boras’ reaction is what they expected, but on a practical level in both the front office and in the arena of public opinion, it’s also what they needed. Bottom line, A-Rod will be moved this July. Your guess is as good as anyone else’s at this point as the Yanks’ scouts are heavy into researching the farm teams of contenders in both the AL and NL.
Of course, if A-Rod agreed to open up talks to extend the Yanks would have apparently been all ears since it would have been a win-win situation for them. Even if A-Rod’s salary climbed upwards of 30 mil per year, Texas would have been on the hook for 30 of that.
My friend laughed when I mentioned the no-trade clause and said it’s a non-issue. He said that any player given the opportunity to not only move to a contending team but also leave a personally contentious situation with the media, clubhouse, etc. is likely to agree and waive the clause.
Like I said, I hope it’s wrong. Please don’t kill me for a “my friend’s uncle who knows Cashman’s mechanic� report, it’s the truth. He’s a close friend from my undergrad years and he’s just telling me what they’re hearing over in his offices and apparently in alot of sports agencies as the deadline push nears.
If the Yanks did trade A-rod they better get something sick in return and I’m talking Kershaw, Loney, Laroche and Broxton sick, cause otherwise it isn’t worth it.
You think a team would the Yankees all those players with no gurantee that A-rod in not opting out and he isn’t even willing to talk contract extension….in your dreams buddy
I think Phil Hughes will play a big role in the second half. Happy to know that he is doing well in Trenton.
harlan atget’s post:
I wouldn’t doubt if it was true. if the team was playing a lot better and had more flexibility to move people, they’d be in a better spot. In their minds, he’s already decided to leave and the Yanks exist strictly to drive up the price. Better to get something now than to wind up with egg on their faces come november. Of course, if they turn things around and make the playoffs, he can always change his mind and consider staying (after renegotiating).
At the same time, working out a trade for him does a couple of other things. They can keep him out of Boston’s hands (as much as I agree with Pete’s post, I don’t think you can truly rule out Boston) and they might get a better idea of how he feels about staying in NY. Longshot, I know. Question is, how likely is Boras to keep his mouth shut while a trade is being worked out?
Unless he agrees to an extension with the other how does a mid-season trade keep him from Boston?
They’d have to work out the extension for the other team. I’d think the yanks would be fools to not cover their butts on this. It’s going to be hard to do a trade –how many teams can a) afford it and b) want to help out the yanks when they can just wait till winter?
I’m guessing Cashman and co. are counting on a contending team that badly needs that one big bat. In effect, they’re trying to “create” their own market and they probably figure they’ve got nothing to lose by exploring. Hope he stays.
Not to mention that by the yanks acting now, Epstein has none or little time to move contracts to free up some money for A-rod. Again, it’ll be tough.
But this is all assuming A-rod agrees to extend his contract with the other team. Why would Boras not want to negotiate with the Yanks but would do with another team (unless A-rod truly wants to play for that team) It just doesn’t make sense for A-rod to agree to a trade now especially considering the year he is having. Pardon my skepticalness but after all the talk last offseason of hearing A-rod dealt supposdely to the Cubs, Dodgers, Angels and nothing happpening, I”m a bit skeptical about these A-rod trade rumors….it just seems it’s more fodder than substance.
Well, in regards to the so-called impending trade of A-Rod, I don’t really buy it.
However, this could be a sure blessing in disguise.
First off, A-Rod’s value is as high right now than it’s ever going to get. If there is any indication among the Yankee brass that A-Rod is going to walk anyways after the season, they would be crazy not to trade him.
This way, they would get high value in return instead of waiting until the off-season and risk getting nothing.
I would prefer to see A-Rod stay, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to trade him for some prime beef.
This could be their modern day Herchel Walker deal.
It’s Friday the 13th, not April 1st.
WAIT A MIN?UT?E – I just got an IM from Nostradamus, he says
“when the clock strikes twelve, the tavern is closed.” There’s only one way that can be decoded, ARod for Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, and Jackie Chan.
If we are going to trade A-Rod, we won’t get 4 top flight players. If we did, that would be the second biggest hiest in MLB history, right next to Carl Pavano stealing $40 million from the Yankees. Anyway, I’d trade A-Rod to either the Giants or Dodgers, preferably the Dodgers because of their farm system. Maybe Kershaw, Betemit, and Andre Either for A-Rod? I don’t know if that would work. I can’t believe I’m actually entertaining this idea.
Trade A-Rod and Abreu for Chone Figgins and Vlad Guerrero.
Concerning the 72 hour window to work out an extension, I brought this up with my friend as well, but he told me this would not take place. True, Alex and Boras would not agree to the 72-hour window. But he did mention that if someone like Alex is on the market, and you are a team on the cusp or are already there in your division and are looking for something extra to guarantee you potentially getting over in the WS, you make the deal regardless. To a lesser extent, I think of Cone in ‘95(where have you gone Marty Janzen?) and Beltran in 2004. Guys do get traded mid-season without the window for an extension being an option.