Bruney’s rehab stint continues
-
- July
- 24
Brian Bruney threw another inning for AAA Scranton today, allowing one run on three hits in the first game of a doubleheader.
Bruney has now appeared in nine minor-league games, throwing 11.1 innings. He has given up nine hits, 4 earned runs, seven walks and 12 strikeouts.
His AAA numbers: 5 4 3 2 3 4.
Without knowing his velocity and how his pitches are moving, it’s impossible to say from afar whether he’s ready to come back to the majors. But Bruney has told all who will listen that he feels good physically.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, July 24th, 2008 at 10:51 pm by Peter Abraham.
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I thought you were taking a break, Pete? So much for that?
The act that he’s pitching at all is impressive.
CJ had Bruney at 93. Earlier in the season when he was hot before getting hurt Bruney was in the mid to high 90s blowing his FB by people. The Yankees will be best served to wait and build his velocity back to that level. At 93, Bruney needs to command his FB which I don’t see that happening. Better of waiting.
Rays lose! 3 games back!!
Rays lose!
THREE games back!
That’s it! THREE!
is jose tabata going to be another jackson melian? overhyped at a young age, traded at 20 as a throwin, never plays in ml, released at 27
Who do you think Rays fans are rooting for this weekend?
This could mean the Rays make a splash at the deadline. God knows they have the talent.
Things are getting tight and cozy in the AL east!
SonofaYES !!!!
Melian was hyped before teams really developed their IFA scouting. Sure the Yankees saw Tabata a lot more. He’s still young at the AA level. Melian never advanced as quickly.
Gayle: Probably the Sox. It’s easier to race one than it is to race two.
BAck to Bruney, he needs to be throwing 95-97 or he won’t be successful. His stuff is just not good enough w/o the added velocity. Could Strickland be a stop gap if we need someone? He must be thinking what else does he have to prove. Just about any other org and he’s back up.
and strickland struck out the side to get the win! when does he get his shot?
“Gayle: Probably the Sox. It’s easier to race one than it is to race two.”
The entire Tampa area is full of Yankee fans.
Jackson Melian is the worst comparison to Tabata that I ever heard. I’ll let someone else respond to that.
lol i was referring to the fact that people here already want him traded off for garbage! i think he has good potential IF not rushed to be a savior!
Jackson Melian had the grave misfortune of seeing his parents get killed on the highway as they were following the Yankee team bus after having come to see Melian play. He didn’t really develop as expected after that.
“is jose tabata going to be another jackson melian? overhyped at a young age, traded at 20 as a throwin, never plays in ml, released at 27″
I know there’s a lot of folks on here who are really high on Tabata, and while there’s good reason for that I keep thinking about Ruben Rivera when I hear the hype about him. For those that might not remember, Ruben was labeled a five-tool, can’t-miss prospect. He ended up getting busted for stealing a glove of Jeter’s, and then went to San Diego and never amounted to anything. I’m not trying to knock the kid (Tabata) and I hope he can end up being the real deal - but I get a creepy sense of deja vu with him.
On the flip side, I’m amazed at how quicky IPK has gone from someone that Yankee fans were excited about to a guy that they are eager to trade. Even if he doesn’t project to be an ace, you still need guys in your 3-5 slots of the rotation. If he gets thrown out there as trade bait, so be it - but I hope he doesn’t get traded for some over-hyped player that is riding the crest of a career year in the middle of a mediocre career. That’s how I feel about guys like Nady and Fuentes.
btw erick threets called. he’s 1-4 with a 4.11 era, but he still misses you!
Melian development cam to a healt when he got traded to Cincy and was in an minor league OF with Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn. He was overshadowed to say the least.
Big Bad Brian Bruney will join the best bullpen in baseball.
Life is good.
btw erick threets called. he’s 1-4 with a 4.11 era, but he still misses you!
I don’t get your point(Erick Threets so what). Your still wrong, And you sound like a 14 yr. old too.
rememeber earlier in the season all the ray bandwagonners..
where have you all gone?/ It hought there speed, athleticism, and talent would make them a team that will be there all season….
they seem to not be able to hit recently, interested that guys like Floyd, Hinske, and others have come back to earth..
Crawford the next superstar in like his 6 season is hitting 270 with limited power.
were are all the Crawford groupies or Upton.. Yeah they are talented(whatever that means) but there results are just OK……
Imagine is Cj howell and Balfour came back to earth?????
Call me crazy, but I feel like IPK has more of a potential upside for 2009 than Washburn does. For his price, anyway.
Hey, 3 games back!
“Big Bad Brian Bruney will join the best bullpen in baseball. Life is good.”
I love how Bruney becomes a key piece of the bullpen after 11.3 great innings. That’s such a huge sample size. He was bound to fall to Earth. He just got hurt before that could happen. What about the career 4.69 ERA? He’s throwing 93. He gets shelled at that velocity.
Still think they Rays dive in at the deadline. Price could be pitching in the majors but they should continue to be cautious. He has Cy Young written all over him.
rays cant seem to buy a win on the road
who knows how good Bruney will be but the guy also is 25 or 26, not a 33 yr. old retread….
This might be sacriligious, but David Price = lefty Joba.
“He’s throwing 93. He gets shelled at that velocity.”
velocity doesnt matter, 93 is hard enough if he knows how to pitch it will benefit him next year when he gets his 97mph fastball back then he will really be good
“This might be sacriligious, but David Price = lefty Joba.”
Lol. Pedro Martinez was singing his praises after facing him in A start earlier this year. He was in awe of his talent. The dude knows how to pitch.
lets just w8 until price pitches a game in the bigs, no one can match what joba did last year
I’m with you Nick in San Fran, I believe Kennedy will pay off big divedends over the years….His stock in LoHud land has taken a crap lately…..Buy lo, it’s going to rise real soon……Cashman has some decisions to make, but he’ll not give up much for a short term need…
forget about his velocity.
7 walks in 11 innings?!?! 7 WALKS? Are you kidding. The knock on Bruney coming into this season was his lack of command and high walk totals. He seemed like he may have kicked that problem this spring and April but now apparently that’s not the case. His command is too much of a liability. Let him finish the season on AAA and work on it there.
“velocity doesnt matter, 93 is hard enough if he knows how to pitch it will benefit him next year when he gets his 97mph fastball back then he will really be good”
I agree that velocity generally doesn’t matter but have you ever watched Bruney. Lesser velocities require more location. Not exacly Bruney’s strength. Why do you think the Yankees will not promote Bruney at 93? They know he needs to throw hard to do well. He’s a liability in the pen at 92-93.
Lol. Pedro Martinez was singing his praises after facing him in A start earlier this year. He was in awe of his talent. The dude knows how to pitch.
Yeh but would you rush this kid up ?
Post allstar break AA is hitting .311 off him, he’s allowed 4 HR after the break. It’d be wise for them not to throw him to the fire.
“lets just w8 until price pitches a game in the bigs, no one can match what joba did last year”
Be careful buzz. If Tampa decides to go for broke and promote Price, he very well could do the same as Joba if they cap his innings as a starter and move him to the pen. Could happen! Lefty reliever hitting 98, scary proposition.
Wow, tim boat. The d00d just came back from injury. I definitely don’t want him in the majors right now, but give him some time, man.
on the Bruney front we are talking about replacing Hawkins..
Hawkins is atrocious(means terrible) so it is a relative situation.
Then try srickland or g-d forbid melancon….. the good news is they have many chances which they never make but they have viable candidates.
the muts are starting a 33 yr old former yank farmhand on saturday.. that was the yanks a few yrs ago with darrl may, redding(who actually has pitched Ok for the Nats), and Terence Long..
yeah Ponson is a retread but he was pitching well for Tex. and rasner is 27…
David Price in AA: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=David%20Price&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=456034
6 starts, 2.19 ERA, 37 IP, 33 hits, 12 BBs, 31 Ks.
That’s pretty damn solid. If he were a Yankees’ prospect, you’d be demanding he be moved to AAA, lol.
It’s not as though Bruney’s going to come back and all of a sudden close out one run games in the ninth inning at Fenway.
I still don’t like this lineup, or pitching staff the Yanks throw out there. Seems there doing it with bailing wire, rubber bands, and paper towels. Sooner or later the thing is going to fall apart. They need to make a trade if they are serious about competing for a playoff spot this year. Personally, I would welcome a trade for more youth. I am still holding out for next year to be special, but I haven’t given up on this year either.
Price is the real deal. If anything Joba’s season last year, provided a roadmap for allowing team’s to develop young arms that are near their inning cap.
If Bruney’s able to get back into the flow and is healthy enough, he will probably be back in the ‘pen before too long. It would just be a good idea for Girardi to bring Bruney in to start an inning instead of bringing him in during the middle of an inning with guys on base. Stranding inherited runners isn’t always his strongsuit.
“It’s not as though Bruney’s going to come back and all of a sudden close out one run games in the ninth inning at Fenway.”
Agreed. My point is that he can be a big guy in the pen but he’s proven over his career that velocity does matter. Our pen is in good shape but he would be a huge boost if he can regain his FB velocity.
Given that our bullpen is a strength and that Bruney is not liable to pitch in leverage situation for a while, I’d rather see him in AAA getting consistent work, building his arm strength and command up to what it was in spring training.
I’m rooting for him, but I don’t think it makes sense to rush him before he is 100% confident and in command.
As far as Price’s home run total, he throws gas. You catch up to it and he provides the power.
can Price hit??? If you have not noticed Tampa can pitch but is having a tought time scoring runs..
looks like bartlett at Ss, Hinske in RF, and 220 avg. 1b is not transalting to a lot of runs….
You think Navaro will be over 300 35 games from now????
the yanks need a SP and a righty bat that is it.. If Damon can play the field that helps a ton………The SP can come from internally or not as long as they do not give up too many or there top prospects I can care less..
NO Washbum…
As far as Price’s home run total, he throws gas. You catch up to it and he provides the power.
Bingo he leaves alot of pitches up and in the middle, he provides the strikeout power but ML hitters can run into a HR at anytime vs him right now.
Price is a stud. And that’s all there is to it. Like any young pitcher, he will struggle. But those who say he can have a Joba like effect on Tampa’s bullpen have every right to believe it.
Before we count the Rays out and declare them dead…..even if they lack the experience factor to get them through 162 games AND the playoffs this year, I think they’re officially serving notice that they’re no longer pushovers. They’re also going to get better from here.
If we’re not fighting tooth and nail at the end with them this year, we’re going to be next year, and the year after, and the year after.
“As far as Price’s home run total, he throws gas. You catch up to it and he provides the power.”
Am I missing something? 4 HRs in 6 starts (37 innings) doesn’t suck. Joba gave up 4 HRs in 7 starts (40.1 innings) at AA in 2007.
Sorry, 7 starts+relief appearance for Joba in 2007.
Not sure if anyone saw the article from the Star Ledger, but Ed Price reports that the M’s aren’t sold on Igawa (how could they be?), but are interested in Melky or Gardner and a deal is in the works.
Washburn is due to pitch on Sunday against Toronto, the same day as Ponson is in Boston. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could somehow get Washburn to Boston by Sunday and have him start over Sidney? Who knows what kind of adventure Sunday night will be with Sidney’s WHIP in Fenway.
Is Tampa too cheap to start the ML service clock on Price? Or are they going to do what they can to win now?
Neil: Unpleasant memories from the last time Ponson started for us in Boston…
I’d rather the Yankees trade Gardner than Melky, but alas, I have no say in the matter.
“Is Tampa too cheap to start the ML service clock on Price? Or are they going to do what they can to win now?”
He was drafted last season. This is his first professional season. He’s made a grand total of 12 professional starts (6 A and 6 AA).
He appears to be on the fast track to the majors, and could possibly be up before September.
Ialso hope that Melky stays…..If Kennedy makes another strong outing he will spell Rasner very soon….He needs to hit the corners on strike one….That’s what killed him back in April
Joba made 15 professional starts (7 A, 7 AA, 1 AAA) before being converted to a reliever and joining the major league team. (he also pitched in the Hawaii Winter League, which is where he first showed a 98-99 mph fastball).
Rebecca,
Tampa just lost their 7th road game. Ironically, their record was “mediocre”, but are now 7 games under .500 on the road.
oops, that’s 7th consecutive road loss.
Its odd how many teams are not playing all that well on the road. Guess Starbucks isn’t quite enough to wake ‘em up.
David Price definitely seems to be rising very quickly. The Rays probably just need to guard against it being too much, too soon for him. He has the tools to have a sensational career in the majors. I just dread the headlines after he throws a solid start- “Price is Right,” “(Losing team) Pays the Price.” We may have to put up with a lot of those.
How can you want Melky to stay? HE IS USELESS, I TELL YA, USELESS!
Bruney’s control looks off. I realize that his time off from pitching might have caused this but his control has always been iffy.
BRING BACK CHRIS BRITTON!!!!!
Price expected to be moved to AAA as soon as this week.
http://rays.scout.com/2/771700.html
What does Joba have in common with Madonna, Bono, Kobe, and Pele?
We’ll be waiting for ya Price
All 5 are washed up?
mel: Aside from the one name thing?
Name ends in a vowel?
Thursday - September 4th
Yankees @ Rays - Rubber game before a long trip to Seattle
Joba vs. Price for sole possession of 1st place
“Joba vs. Price for sole possession of 1st place”
That would be cool and all but chances are the Rays will be in last place by then.
mel-They’ve all thrown something at Kevin Youkilis’ giant head?
Rebecca,
You got it. Superstars with a singular nomenclature.
How about Cher? Mick? Babe? Marilyn? Elvis? Jackie? Popeye?
I actually like Pat’s answer better.
The single name thing is arguable, everyone knows Joba’s and Kobe’s last names and they are frequently used. As for Bono and Madonna and Bono, I didn’t even know their real names until I just looked it up.
Not nearly the same category.
mel- Don’t forget about Tiger, unless you want to use his given name, Eldrick. Gatorade Tiger sounds much better than Gatorade Eldrick.
“How about Cher? Mick? Babe? Marilyn? Elvis? Jackie? Popeye?”
It’s pretty simple. Cher is a yes, and that’s pretty much it. Elvis would be a no because everyone knows his last name and it is frequently used.
You can test by going into Google, putting the name in, and you should only get results about that specific person. And if you put the name in and most of the results also contain the last name, then it doesn’t count.
I’m glad Brian Bruney is finally taking this chump Liz Frank down a peg. She’s been killing the Yankees this year.
Tabata for Randy Wolf?
Can someone explain to me why the Scranton game tonight was supposed to stop after 7 innings?
The POINT is, that Joba’s known as Joba. In a broadcast you don’t hear them say “Chamberlain’s throwing 97 in the 7th”. They say Joba. Who else? Pedro, Manny. No nickname necessary.
Just saying that he’s like the rock star of baseball.
(And DFox, Joba’s not his given name)
Joba Chamberlain is the Elvis Costello of baseball?
His aim is true.
Fortunately Bruney has 1 more option (his 4th) because he got to the majors at such a young age, so he can be sent to the minors. His rehab 30 days ends at month’s end, so he will have to be returned to the 40 man roster (meaning another transaction, maybe Shelly will replace him on the 60) then optioned. Or brought up. If he comes up and stays, that last option isn’t used (DL assignments don’t count), so it would help future flexibility if he was ready to at least take the last pen spot.
Speaking of such things, Sanchez’s 30 day rehab should have ended too - he first pitched in GC on 6/24. Meaning he too needs be put back on the 40, another transaction made, and optioned to whatever level the Yanks want him to work next. But I haven’t heard anything about that. Brandon or anyone?
“Just saying that he’s like the rock star of baseball. ”
Oh well if that’s what you’re saying, then yes, I agree. But to this statement: “Chamberlain’s throwing 97 in the 7th” I do hear that all the time… You DO know his last name and see it used often. How many times have you seen Madonna or Cher’s last name used? I don’t think I ever have.
“(And DFox, Joba’s not his given name)” I’m not sure how it works, but it was legally changed from Justin so Joba might be considered his given name now.
Tabata for Randy Wolf?
Jorge sure ? not Jose.
Nick,
That’s write, he rote the book.
Speaking of such things, Sanchez’s 30 day rehab should have ended too - he first pitched in GC on 6/24. Meaning he too needs be put back on the 40, another transaction made, and optioned to whatever level the Yanks want him to work next. But I haven’t heard anything about that. Brandon or anyone?
He’s still in GCL until futher notice but the Yankees made a roster move that might correspond w/ his promotion to A ball, they traded Bo Hall to move thier pitchers spots, after this deadline I’d expect Humberto to be in A ball.
ML: When minor league teams play a double header, the games are usually seven innings long.
It’s awesome though–I had tickets back at the end of April for a Syracuse/Scranton game, it got rained out so the next day I came back for the make up and my ticket was actually good for both games!
I paid for nine innings of baseball and got to see fourteen! Second row behind home plate, for $8 a pop.
Minor league games are amazing.
Oh, and Rasner pitched for Scranton.
further* (eh you know what I mean)
Brandon: Wolf was traded to the Astros.
“my ticket was actually good for both games!”
Too bad they don’t do MLB double headers like that how the used to
mel,
We’re hoping his posteason ERA for 2008 will be Less Than Zero.
From the mlb.com preview:
And while the Yankees were 6-3 in Chamberlain’s starts, how has their bullpen suffered without him? The answer is they haven’t missed the flame-throwing righty: New York relievers enter this series boasting a collective 1.65 ERA for the last month;Kyle Farnsworth, the replacement Mr. Eighth Inning, hasn’t allowed a hit since June 22, covering 10 appearances.
Mel, The Yankee bullpen has two No-hitters going. Farnsworth and Ramirez are both over 9 innings hitless.
Brandon: Wolf was traded to the Astros.
I know that I was playing along
ML - the game was only 7 innings because they also played a make up 7 inning game for a rain out yesterday. That wwas the gmae Bruney pitched in.
In the minors, since there are so few days off, they reschedule rain outs for the next day the same 2 teams are scheduled, in the same park if possible. “Rain out double headers” become 2 7 inning games, unless the game rained out had already begun. If it had, it is played at the earliest convenience as a suspended game, starts up again at the point of suspension, and is played to 9 innings. The regularly scheduled game it precedes then becomes a 7 inning game as in the previous scenario.
Hope that was clear.
“New York relievers enter this series boasting a collective 1.65 ERA for the last month;”
This is the Yankees bullpen?!?
Seriously, I can’t get over the bullpen’s transformation. Say what you want about Girardi and the media, but he’s been like a friggin’ prohpet to the bullpen.
Seriously, I can’t get over the bullpen’s transformation. Say what you want about Girardi and the media, but he’s been like a friggin’ prohpet to the bullpen.
Never in my life would I have thought this. I mean I.. I.. I.. still can’t believe it.
Rebecca,
And everyone bitched and moaned over every move and pitching change in the first half of the season. Putting them in situations to succeed.
He was building the pen the way it’s supposed to be built. Who’d he learn it from?
The starters going 6+ helps, too. But this kind of bullpen is so foreign to us.
I hope Joba attacks these hitters, he can’t be getting pulled in the 5th.
Bruney needs regular work, he won’t get that in New York. I’d keep him down until he’s all the way back to form.
Brandon an Mel: It’s so weird, isn’t it? It happened right before us, no one knew it, and the one day all of a sudden, someone looked at some stats and went… DUDE! CHECK THIS OUT!
But seriously. There are still doubters–Keith Law among them if you saw the chat–and I get tht people don’t htink Farnsworth will last…but even if Farnsworth has a problem, the rest of the bullpen is pitching so well that I’m not nervous about it!
Robertson has been a real find, Giese thrives as a long man, Edwar’s been taking lessons from Mo on confidence, and he’s turned into an A student…
Our starting pitching doesn’t even need to be great any more–you can have Rasner and Ponson pitching only into the sixth inning and still be reasonably sure the team has a chance to win.
Amazing.
Rebecca what are you talking about giving up on gardner for Washburn!!!!!!!
Seriously the guy is 24 and has potential 1 guy is 33 overpaid and at best a decent pitcher. .That is at best… Stop listening to these knuckleheads on the site…
If Cashman traded Melky or Gardner in a trade for washbum and vidro he would be fired and the commis. should void the trade for malpractice..
Jarrod Washburn, who the hell is he????He is a little better then sidney ponson 2 junkie pitchers.. But Ponson gets paid league minimum the other guy gats $10 mill…
Jarrod washbum is 97 and 95 on his career with a 4.12 era.
his ERA ovr the last 3 yrs is in the mid 4’s…HIS WHIP the last 3 yrs is 1.5 or so.
this is not bob gibson, this is junk……..how the hell can he be someone they desire??????????
By the way, a Tampa minors minute, since the strings were IPK and Bruney’s rehab.
Ivan Nova, who’s been a bit inconsistent this season, threw 8 innings, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K, in a 2-1 win. Coolest part is the winning run scored in the bottom of the 8th on a steal of HOME on the back end of a double steal by 1B Kevin Smith.
Can’t make this stuff up.
DH Josh Kreuzer (a minors FA signed about a week ago) stole 2nd on the other end of the play. Can’t make this stuff up. A double steal by the DH and 1B. Imagine Matsui and Giambi pulling that off!
I don’t think Bruney should come up until he throws some zeroes up and pitches on consecutive days effectively.
While Hawkins is just filling a space, I’d rather see a guy like Strickland get Hawkins’ spot and see what he could do with it.
As for all the trade madness, as much as the team is playing well right now are we supposed to believe that this season is a repeat of last season and everyone is going to turn on their jets in the offense the rest of the way?
I hope that’s so, but I think we still need a bat who can mitigate the days where the offense goes cold.
On the Nady/Bay front I’d much rather get Bay. I feel like Nady is a nice player, but I don’t feel the track record is there. I won’t be pissed if we get him for prospects though.
And if Cashman trades for Padilla from Texas, I don’t know what I’ll do. That guy should never be a Yankee.
I’m cool with the Washburn thing as long it’s Igawa going. I think going into next season with Joba, Wang, Washburn already committed to the rotation is a nice safety net since none of us know what Pettitte or Mussina will do and more importantly, we don’t know if we can land CC.
Let’s say we can’t land CC. A rotation os Joba, Wang, Pettitte, Mussina and Washburn is ideal to start the season with kids like Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, etc. in the minors waiting for their shots. Someone always gets hurt in the rotation so grabbing some depth there is a good thing.
Washburn is not a bum. Anyone in here saying that he is looks foolish. The guy is a quality pitcher and perfect for the 4-5 role we’d be asking him to fill here. He can throw big games and looks to be a gamer.
I think he’s better than Rasner and Ponson and he’s a lefty.
Even if we dealt for him, we still could trade him next season if there’s a logjam or one of the kid pitchers is ready for prime time.
To get anything of value for Igawa is a masterstroke in my opinion since he’s shown no major league ability. You’d be getting another organization to pay him 4 million a year not knowing if he can even throw in the majors. He’s an expensive project.
At least Washburn can pitch in the majors and help a team win.
The only team Igawa can help is Scranton.
And Washburn’s WHIP for the past 3 years has been in the 1.3 range. Not 1.5. For this season he’s at a 1.4 and dropping of late.
He doesn’t walk a lot of batters, but he gives up hits. Perhaps pitching in Yankee Stadium with the big LF helps him give up less hits.
Our bullpen is fantastic. We don’t need Fuentes.
Kevin Smith is another to add to the distinguished list of youngsters from the OC (Orange County, CA) in the Yanks org, including tonight’s hero Ian Patrick Kennedy, Mr. Philip Hughes, today’s new ‘08 7th round draft signee Kyle Higashioka, new unsung hero of mine OF Matt Carson in AAA (one of only 3 players in the Yanks minors system under age 30 with 10+ HR this season), the other Charleston stud C and ‘07 #2 pick Andrew Romine, Charleston 1B Brandon Laird (another with 10+ HR), ‘08 #1 pick Gerrit Cole, AA All Star and emerging utility candidate Chris Malec, etc.
G. Love -
I’m not in favor of picking up Washburn. I don’t think he’s a bum. But I don’t think it would be a good acquisition.
Hear me out.
My predominant reason isn’t whether he’s better or worse than Ponson or Rasner.
But I don’t think at this point he is much better - this season’s key basic performance stats (ERA, WHIP, K/9, GB rate, SLG.) show that. The argument about his recent success (last 8 starts) has to take into account the competition - 7 of them were against teams in the majors bottom 10 in run scoring. The other was against Boston - it was his shortest outing of the 8, though not his worst. He’s the one pitching in the most favorable pitchers park (Safeco is like Yankee Stadium with deep alleys, but longer down the lines), though his ERA is slightly better on the road. A larger OF is not going to help lower hits. It will suppress HR’s, but our OF isn’t really larger than theirs, and since Washburn isn’t a big fastball pitcher, and a flyball pitcher, the shorter lines in Yankee Stadium could hurt him against pull power hitters. And Washburn’s statistical trends are worsening - his ‘08 .1 rise in WHIP can be an anomaly, but it is a large increase in that stat. He’s turning 34 in 3 weeks, so I’m not expecting him to improve, though Moose shows us its possible.
I don’t have faith in Sir Sidney either, and think Rasner’s future is as a long reliever. But unlike you I have confidence in Kennedy and think he has a chance to outperform Washburn this season, and an even better one next year. Pitchers that perform like Kennedy did last year in going from A ball to the majors in 1 season in a winning organization are very rare. His numbers as a starter were very comparable to Joba’s, even better in some key measures, in the minors. He was MiLB’s, and one of Baseball America’s, Minor League pitcher of the year. And if Hughes returns in late August - and I expect something more approximating his performance last season than early this, which would be much better than what Washburn has done this season - that could diminish the need too.
I think Washburn is a competitor, but I think many people in his corner are flashing back to the Angels’ version. He was very good then. But those days are gone. I also think folks heard Kei Igawa as part of the return and got all jazzed. But for Melky or Gardner instead the situation changes dramatically. I’ve also heard virtually every poster here that has watched him repeatedly this season say it would be a bad idea.
But most of all it’s about the cost and the committment for next season on top. And the proposed add-on of Vidro just makes that all the worse. I think next season Wash could just be in the way, and I can’t see carrying him as a $10 mil lefty reliever. I just don’t think the possible improvement - it’s not a given - is worth the very significant cost. I’m sure there’ll be few lower cost free agent pitchers or trades available and we’ve got quite a few prospects that could fill in too if we feel the need for back end rotation depth for next season.
Leave Bruney where he is. If his speed is down, and his control maintains suspect, then that’s a recipe for disaster. Let him regain his pre-injury form before moving him. I like our bullpen as is (minus Hawkins).
Of course, Bruney has had attitudes problems in the past, so let’s see how well he deals with staying in AAA if Cash keeps him down there longer.
Bruney has a LONG track record of not throwing strikes. He had a decent stretch at the beginning of this year with a fastball 95 and above. There is no reason it should be a foregone conclusion that he will be called up after a few appearances given his velocity is down AND he isn’t throwing strikes AND he isn’t getting minor league hitters out as consistently as he should.
Strickland and Patterson (in a couple weeks when healthy) are better choices.
One of the things about the Yankees bullpen this season that such an improvement over last season, and I don’t know the exact number, but just anecdotally, is that they aren’t walking the ballpark this season. It makes such a difference.
That being said, I don’t think Bruney is needed right now. I say let him work some more things out, get his velocity up a bit, get his location sharpened a bit. The Yankees can afford to take their time here. I also don’t believe they need a lefty out of the pen right now, but if they were able to get someone very, very good who could also impact next season, that would seem to make some sense.
Congrats to Ian Kennedy on a very well-pitched game.
I generally don’t get too into the trade talks, though it is interesting to see y’all’s take on things, because the Yankees will do what the Yankees will do. And we’ll be cheering the Pinstripes on no matter who’s wearin’ ‘em.
I don’t want to say it out loud, but if everything falls just right this weekend…..
“[Girardi] has done a great job of using a lot of people in a lot of situations,” Mussina said. “He hasn’t grabbed hold of one guy and ridden him until he couldn’t do it any more. He hasn’t used two guys in winning situations and two guys in losing situations. He’s used everybody in every situation. So anybody out there thinks he can pitch the seventh inning, the eighth or close a game out. And when you have seven guys all feeling that way, it’s pretty good. We have a team now that feels pretty good about itself, no matter who we’re playing.”
That is a glowing praise for Girardi and kind of incrimination of Torre’s mishandling of the bullpen.
i think you cash in gardner now for washburn. i don’t think gardner will ever hit in the majors and will be a 4a player at best. washburn is an average LH starter and an upgrade over sidney or rasner. its not a huge move, but one you make if you have a chance to make the playoffs.
i think ppl on this board rate gardner way too highly. to me he doesnt look like he’ll ever be an mlb hitter and his stock is probably as high now as it will ever be.
Another difference between earlier this year and now is the starters are going at least 6 innings. When that happens, the bullpen has a better chance of success because they are being used in reasonable and more defined roles.
jon heyman reports that the rockies may not want to part with fuentes b/c they feel they still have a shot at the nl west. they are 13 games UNDER .500 but that division is so pathetic that the rocks are only 6 GB.
ive been saying for several years that if a division is won by a team under .500, that team should not qualify for the playoffs and instead a 2nd wild card team from that league should replace them.
The Yankees can still get Washburn, move Rasner or Ponson to long relief / spot starter and still have enough to get Nady without stripping the farm system.
Gardner, Kennedy, Ohlendorf, Marquez and Betemit can be used as trading chips with Hawkins as a throw in.
Igawa, Jeff Marquez, and Gardner or Betemit to Seattle for Washburn.
Ohlendorf, Kennedy, and Betemit or Gardner to Pittsburgh for Nady and Marte.
“jon heyman reports that the rockies may not want to part with fuentes b/c they feel they still have a shot at the nl west. they are 13 games UNDER .500 but that division is so pathetic that the rocks are only 6 GB.”
i could see that… i actually said yesterday that i dont see Holliday really being available because of the same thing. the DBacks and Dodgers stink, and if the Rockies can get their offense rolling, maybe actually pick up a pitcher rather than break the team apart, they could very easily make a run.
if the Yankees make a move for a corner OF, i think its gonna be Bay. i just dont see Cashman moving prospects for anything less than about as sure a player as possible, and while Nady is a solid player, he doesnt have the track record to make you real comfortale for what the price may turn out to be.
Crazy story!!
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080724&content_id=3191085&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb
I’ll bet there were Pittsburgh scouts in the stands that saw Kennedy’s outing last night.
Gotta love Moose
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/yankees/Steinbrenner_considers_Bonds_promising_trades.html
Lefty-
To get Washburn, if the Mariners won’t take Igawa, they should give us Washburn, pay half the remaining salary, and get a lower level prospect in return! On top of that Washburn should not get an extension or compensation for the deal!There’s no Marquez and Gardner in this deal.
Yankees would look elsewhere!
The Pirates will never make your other deal. They have overpriced their players.
Bruney needs more time to work on his command. Let him stay in AAA until August. If Hawkins is moved, there’s nothing wrong with bringing up Scott Strickland to work some innings out of the pen.
Trader ;
Reports have Pittsburgh lowering their demands and they could get lower by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week if they’re serious about dealing.
It’s nice to see Kennedy doing so well and it may be too early to tell if he has the gut to pitch in the big ballpark in the Bronx but…. I would hope if he does get traded it’s to get younger in the outfield and not for another past prime pitcher.
i agree adding marquez to the washburn trade would be too much. id give the igawa and gardner and thats it, no extension for washburn.
While the Rockies are only 6 GB, I am not convinced they wouldn’t be sellers. Yes it is terrible in their division, but I don’t see them making a run. This may be more about driving up the price for some players.
The Yankees aren’t the only ones who would use disinformation in order to help their market.
im sure washburn is keeping his mlb veteran cool on while this plays out but he’s got some bulldog in him and ill bet inside he’s just praying that the yankees pull this off and he gets into this pennant race. him and his agent may play for some compensation in order to drop his ntc but no way he’ll nix the trade over it. he probably loves living in Seattle, who wouldn’t, but ill bet his baseball self want really bad to become a yankee in a pennant race.
Being in a pennant race is compensation enough. If he wants money than fhim. Let him play on a team that will finish 50 games out.
Hey Peter !!! ( or anyone, for that matter ) How many hits does Jeter now have ALL-TIME at Yankee Stadium, compared to Gehrig ??? ( who I am pretty sure is the leader ) I saw somewhere that Jeter was pretty much a lock to become the all-time leader at some point this season ( his last chance, of course with this being the stadium’s last year ) My dad just asked me and I couldn’t find the answer anywhere and I was under the impression that I was a KING Computer Geek. ( shows how much I know, huh ? )
These players can live in whatever state they wish. While the Baseball season is on, they are traveling so much that it really doesn’t make that big a difference where they live in the off season.
actually, i see washburn’s a wisconsin boy and still lives there with his family, so that won’t hold him to seattle either.
I like Washburn as an upgrade on Rasner/Ponson, but Igawaste must be a part of the deal. But we gotta first get a RH hitting outfielder…. fill needs first, then you can fine tune, tweak, upgrade or whatever you want to call it, but the Yanks NEED a Rh hitting outfielder.
I can’t wait for Bruney to come back. I love the power arms. The only thing I believe he needs to work on is limiting the amount of walks.
Kevin
Good morning Vito! I look forward to a good competitive series with you guys this weekend.
“fill needs first, then you can fine tune, tweak, upgrade or whatever you want to call it, but the Yanks NEED a Rh hitting outfielder.”
id argue they NEED a starting pitcher first and foremost. supplanting Rasner with a more proven and capable LHP would be in the Yankees best interest, as long as the price remains right.
bruney has been awful in the minors, no way he gets called up any time soon
“Its odd how many teams are not playing all that well on the road. Guess Starbucks isn’t quite enough to wake ‘em up.”
I call it the “Fenway Park Complex.” Where your team gets racially profiled and insulted beyond the norm to the point where you just want to leave and never come back.
fenway park is not good for the black community. Im surprised Jesse and Al havent protested that cesspool
TurnTwo, I agree the larger need would be for a decent starter that would upgrade Rasner/Ponson, but there really isn’t much out there that provides that.
Washburn isn’t bringing much. Burnett isn’t likely to be traded to the Yankees (even though he may be gone for whatever team has him after this season).
If the Yankees can upgrade the offense a bit, it may be enough to cover for the back of the rotation. Once playoffs are secured you need less pitchers for the rotation, Joba, Pettitte and Mussina could be enough at that point. If Wang can come back and be effective, it makes it that much better. Hughes is another question mark, but he could help then as well.
I think the pitching rotation has a flaw, but Washburn just doesn’t do it IMO.
Russell, its not only coming to Fenway that causes losses though.
The Rays aren’t winning on the road. Most teams aren’t. The Angels are, but their home record isn’t great.
Its just weird.
With all the Starbucks that are supposed to close, this might get worse!
Russell NY - -
I call it the “Fenway Park Complex.” Where your team gets racially profiled and insulted beyond the norm to the point where you just want to leave and never come back.
*******************************************************
Little else can be expected from a college cowtown with NYC and Yankee hate dating back many decades.
It’s the inferiority complex factored in.
Uh Oh! Cashman might be jumping up and down now… another need filled through picking through the castoffs!
“To make room for Lastings Milledge, the Nationals designated catcher Johnny Estrada for assignment yesterday. Estrada, 32, signed a one-year $1.25MM deal with the Nats in January. He hit .170/.200/.170 in 55 plate appearances, hobbled by a right elbow injury much of the season.”
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/07/estrada-designa.html
“TurnTwo, I agree the larger need would be for a decent starter that would upgrade Rasner/Ponson, but there really isn’t much out there that provides that.
If the Yankees can upgrade the offense a bit, it may be enough to cover for the back of the rotation.”
i agree in the sense that if there isnt a pitcher who can be had for a reasonable/realistic price compared to actual value, the offense should be upgraded to cover yourself and be able to continue to outslug teams in hopes that Kennedy, Aceves, Wang, or (enter unhealthy pitcher’s name here) can help in August or September.
but, the difference lies in what we both think Washburn can provide the team. for minimal cost, you can bring in a pitcher who is better than Rasner, and more than capable to provide decent innings for a minimal price.
and because of the price, you can make your prospects available to upgrade the offense at the same time.
” I seriously doubt he’d be having the kind of year he is if Torre were still running the show,”
i think moose’s career was turned around by how he handled being benched by torre last year and being told early this year unless he recaptured the inside of the plate by girardi in a closed door meeting the same thing was going to happen again.
mussina stubbornly for years let hitters move up on the plate and look only for the outside pitch. it was a stubborness that came from being disabled by an intentionally hit batter who charged the mound while still mussina was still in baltimore.
mussina was so gifted that he got away with it until his fastball left. then he threw away victories for years because of his refusal to pitch up and in. he cost the yankees so many wins it was ridiculous. i hated him more than any baseball player alive.
to me he was the ultimate coward who put his personal feelings above the team.
but torre and girardi together gave him a wake up call that to mussina’s credit he responded.
of course if he hadn’t been so stubborn and self indulgent he’d have about 25-30 more victories by now and be a lock for the hall of fame.
better late than never.
… and torre had a part in in by being strong enough of a manager to send him to the bullpen.
the problem that the red sox have is that baseball loyalties are passed down from parent to child and until recently the overt racism in boston made it impossible for fans of color to root for the red sox.
parents of color of past generations would have had to be crazy to root for the red sox. they would have been rooting against themselves. it’ll change , but it’s going to be the kind of time that generational time takes.
Randy, I agree with all you say on Mussina. I think part of his problem was also denial of how much decrease his stuff has gone through.
Torre is probably the largest reason for his turn around, as his being benched let him know in no uncertain terms something had to change.
TurnTwo, I just don’t think Washburn is going to be an upgrade, I guess, over what the Yankees already have. Of course I would welcome anything that has Igawa leaving for good. Who knows, maybe he can be effective enough elsewhere, he did show some brief flashes of being able to pitch.
It doesn’t really help that Washburn is around for another season as well. As we’ve seen, the Yankees aren’t letting go people who are high salary.
i dont see us making the PS with rasner AND ponson in the rotation but we could get by with rasner OR ponson. a #4 guy could really help and i like the lefty since he could be a bullpen option for the playoffs. also washburn has always pitched well at YS.
the race sox
ray….I look forward to kickin’ your butt !
Have a great day, friend. But face it, you want a Boston Sweep and I want a Yankees sweep…. now I need to go back to sticking pins in my Beckett VooDoo Doll ! LOL
While our BP had been great, it is still a relatively small sample size for these guys. I don’t expect it to continue at quite this good a rate.
Bruney can be an effective pitcher when he has his best command. If he is walking AAA batters above a 3/9 rate, he is not ready to face MLB batters. Bruney’s issues have always been command. Velocity is always nice, but earlier this year Farns was throwing 95+ and giving up a HR every 2 innings. The key is not how hard, but WHERE you throw the ball.
redsox trade for fuentas and he ends up like gange
Washburn does stink, and these proposed trades of 3 or 4 players for him are to put it midly insane.
the guy is slightly better then Ponson, HE STINKS..
Yeah shrewd move Einstein give up on Gardner after 60 AB’s… PLEASE get a friggin brain……
It is too bad that Big Papi is back in the lineup for the Sawx - does this mean that we won’t plunk ManRam on each of his plate appearances like we did last time we faced him?
I heard tonight is noose night at fenway…the first 10,000 fans will receive a noose.
Don Vito - Gehrig has 2721 hits, while Jeter has 2464…
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?c_id=nyy&baseballScope=BLA&teamPosCode=all&statType=1&sitSplit=&venueID=&timeFrame=3&timeSubFrame2=0&Submit=Submit&timeSubFrame=0&&sortByStat=H
3 or 4 prospects? what r u smoking? i’d offer them gardner and they have to take igawa, take it or leave it.
“the guy is slightly better then Ponson, HE STINKS..”
Actually, he’s a significant upgrade over Ponson. Ponson’s been walking a tightrope all season.
That said, with Washburn’s contract, if it costs much more than Igawa and dollars, I don’t want to do it.
“Yeah shrewd move Einstein give up on Gardner after 60 AB’s… PLEASE get a friggin brain……”
Nothing about Gardner’s play all year has convinced me that he’s a legit big leaguer. I’m not giving up on him after 60 ABs, I’m looking at his entire career and deciding that he’s probably never going to drive the ball enough to make MLB pitchers give him anything good to hit. He’ll take walks against guys who can’t throw it over the plate and strike out against anyone who can.
y’s guy.. you are a fool. gardner a 24 yr old prospect for garbage..being the brain surgeon you are you an tell Gardner will never be anything..
you are a moron, flat out…
“i’d offer them gardner and they have to take igawa, take it or leave it.”
What are u smoking?
so i take it you have seen the future, stuart and it’s brent gardner’s. it’s a nice thought but many of us dont share it.
i’d even go as far at to predict that gardner’s value will never be higher than it is right now. i may be wrong and so might you. obviously others on here have similar feelings both about washburn’s value and gardner’s. time will tell.
they only wanted igawa for washburn and vidro why would you give them gardner? get ur facts right
“i’d even go as far at to predict that gardner’s value will never be higher than it is right now. i may be wrong and so might you.”
you are wrong gardner is batting around .150 how is his value going to drop? you are a moron
“they only wanted igawa for washburn and vidro why would you give them gardner?’
That’s not true and never was. The YANKEES were reported to be offering Igawa for Washburn, and the M’s were reported to counteroffer with the idea of them getting to dump Vidro as well.
Now, reports are that Igawa is no longer involved, probably because the Ms don’t really want him. If there is to be salary relief for the Yanks, it will be from the M’s eating some of the contract. If Igawa’s not going, and the M’s aren’t eating a good chunk of money, I’m not really down with Washburn anymore. If Ian has another good outing and Ponson tanks this weekend…I bring Ian up and leave Wash in Wash.
ESPN is reporting Yanks about to pull trigger on Bonds
“gardner a 24 yr old prospect”
He’s a fringey prospect. His value was reasonable when Cash could sell him as Juan Pierre + Walks. But…his performance in the bigs has undeniably damaged Cash’s ability to spin him like that. Teams see a guy who does little but strike out and provides no pop to offset that.
“ESPN is reporting Yanks about to pull trigger on Bonds”
Man, I hope so. It just makes too much sense not to.
ESPN is reporting Yanks about to pull trigger on Bonds
Where? Link? Or are you talking about the “Bonds, trades among topics at Yankees meetings” article?
If Ian Kennedy’s really been doing well in AAA maybe he has his mojo back and it’s time for another shot at the big team. No doubt he can pitch, it’s just a matter of being ready and making the step successfuly. Out of spring training he wasn’t ready yet, so he didn’t make the step successfully. Maybe its time. If he does better than Raz, then keep him up.
You can’t have enough pitching.
There was all the talk about trading him and/or Hughes for someone who’s established now, but I like the approach of holding onto real talent until its ready.
To trade both of them for someone like Santana or Sabathia would’ve been a mistake in the long run. Especially if they were packaged with another player or more. Trading either one with another good player was already a stretch. You only trade those two together for someone like Joba, Felix or David Price. Even then, you still have to get something else in return like a young non-pitcher who has a good shot at becoming a reliable player.
Luckily we already have Joba in our arsenal.
Luckily we’ll only face Felix a couple times a year too, as long as he stays in Seattle.
Price? Anyone know where Jeff Gilooly is these days?
“Where? Link? Or are you talking about the “Bonds, trades among topics at Yankees meetings” article?”
I figured he meant on TV.
why do the yankees think they can turn players from the WORST team in baseball into viable starters?…there is a reason why seattle sucks and its due to their overpaid, old players
players that the Yanks seem to want
I figured he meant on TV.
Yeah, that’s what I realized after I posted. I’m not near a TV, so I only have what the Internet tells me. Bonds at a league minimum salary would be a good deal. Maybe after all the stuff he went through trying to find a job has humbled him to the point where he’ll just play baseball and stop running his mouth?
i like washburn but if the M’s dont take igawa or pay off a big chunk of his salary, i’d look elsewhere.
“why do the yankees think they can turn players from the WORST team in baseball into viable starters?”
Yes. They have certainly tried to turn Richie Sexson into a viable starter.
As for Washburn…is it really a stretch to think “Hey, this guy is better than Sidney Ponson. And lefties almost always get a boost pitching in the stadium, especially lefty flyball pitchers…which is what Washburn is.”
We can debate Washburn’s contract and the potential impact on the 2009 rotation, sure. But to say that swapping him in for Ponson wouldn’t make the 2008 team better?
“i like washburn but if the M’s dont take igawa or pay off a big chunk of his salary, i’d look elsewhere.”
Yes, this I agree with. I don’t think it’d be worth tacking on 12-13 mil of payroll for the next year+ in order to bring Washburn here.
Linzar …I am looking for CAREER hits AT YANKEE STADIUM…the numbers you gave me were ALL HITS….Thanks for looking though….I still can’t find the stat….DANG !
“ESPN is reporting Yanks about to pull trigger on Bonds”
HELLS TO THE YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I argued this with whozat yesterday (me against bonds), but last year he has 28 hr, 480 obp, and 1045 ops.
those numbers are crazy. just hope if it does happen, he doesnt become a distraction from what looks like a team coming together.
Don Vito,
I’m pretty sure if you look at the splits on Baseball Reference.com they have hit totals at different ballparks.
where is this bonds thing from??
They aren’t going to sign Bonds - Buster Olney was on all morning shooting down that story.
You’ve just gotten your chain pulled.
why do the yankees think they can turn players from the WORST team in baseball into viable starters?…there is a reason why seattle sucks and its due to their overpaid, old players
players that the Yanks seem to want
Washburn and Vidro are both 34. While they’re not rookies, trading Igawa to get two veterans is a great move. Especially since Washburn has been doing a lot better lately. I would rather see them give Kennedy another chance (he almost threw a no-hitter in AAA for god’s sakes), but if a trade exists that..
A) Gets Igawa out of the Bronx
B) Gets the Yankees an established 4th/5th starter down the stretch
C) Improves the bench with Jose Vidro
It’s very difficult to not make that move.
this bonds thing is jsut getting stupid it isn’t true.
yanks will not rest until they have all the molinas
http://deadspin.com/5029050/yankees-will-not-rest-until-they-have-all-molinas
this bonds thing is jsut getting stupid it isn’t true.
Anything can happen. You saying that it isn’t true might be correct, but in 5 minutes that might be different. You can’t expect people not to wonder if rumors/speculation are true. Especially if ESPN is showing it on the ticker.
Even at the major league minimum wage, I would not like seeing Bonds play for the Yanks.
It has nothing to do with the inevitble ‘Yanks spend money and buy their titles’ attitude every other team’s fans would take on, even though it’d be minimum wage.
It has nothing to do with egos on the team. Again other teams’ fans have no idea what A-Rod’s really like, but they presume everything about him is egocentric and negative. They’d have a field day with Bonds plus A-Rod, but I don’t care.
The anti-Yank presumptions before Bonds would come are nothing but fluff. People used to say all that crap about Jeter when he was reaching his prime, but he’s risen above it all. They need someone else to say the same crap about, so they choose someone … A-Rod? Bonds? Whatever. I don’t worry about it.
I think A-Rod’s unfairly judged by many. Is he a saint? No. Neither are many pro athletes. A lot of what people hear on many of them has been twisted, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse.
I just despise everything I’ve read on or seen from Bonds. So, I don’t want him on the team. Again … they need someone else to say the same crap about, so they choose someone. Bonds? OK so they’d say the same anti-Yankee crap about Bonds even though he’s probably more of a butthead than all the crap they blindly presume about the Yanks already. So by saying all the usual crap, technically they’d be making Bonds out to be nicer that he might actually be. The haters will say the same crap about the Yanks whether he’s on the team or not.
So I’d still ignore all the crap. And I also wouldn’t like Bonds on my favorite team.
I’m just saying how do you even know it was on the ticker on ESPN, wouldn’t it then also be on their website.
The Barry Bonds on ESPN thing is a lie. Posters are starting rumors again.
This stuff is so stupid. The front office says one thing people say anohter and the news says another.
I’m just saying how do you even know it was on the ticker on ESPN, wouldn’t it then also be on their website.
You’re right. I’m just going off of what other people said. Never say never though :-). (Frankly, I don’t see it happening either, but I do get excited whenever moves are made)
“This stuff is so stupid.”
Then don’t pay attention until things are official.
Whozat -
normally I’d agree with you on a flyball lefty in Yankee Stadium, but coming from Safeco means little change. It’s 390 in LCF (YS 399), 386 in RCF (YS 385), 405 CF (YS 408) there. Not a huge difference from YS. But its also longer down the lines - LF 331 (YS 318), RF 326 (YS 314). So I don’t think there’s a park benefit for Washburn between the 2. In fact, given that he’s not a power pitcher, the ability of pull hitters to turn on him could hurt him in NY.
I just think we’re looking at a guy who could be nearing the end - his stat trend, particularly WHIP largely due to increasing BA against, is worsening. He is turning 34 in August. Now I’ve got no real confidence in Ponson, his WHIP is troubling, but he at least is a big GB pitcher giving him more DP opps and limiting the XBH damage. Kind of a (very) poor man’s Wang. Not sure Rasner is reliable either, but I think we’ve seen his worst as well as his best - control is his key.
Washburn might be better than “a wash” this season, but he might not. That better 8 game string lately came with 7 games against 6 teams in the bottom 10 in MLB scoring. While the Yanks have plenty of cash, there’s no reason to waste it, and I think the salary is a big issue here. Hell he’ll make nearly what Moose is making this year next - don’t think he’s another Moose. But there’s legs to this deal, so I’ll hope for the best.
And Brent -
what is it about Jose Vidro that improves our bench? Is it his .229 BA, lack of power, .607 OPS? Or is it his inability to contribute defensively?
As the smart saying: “The amount of success is in inverse proportion to the effort in attaining success.” (Felix R. Paturi) - I would like to see more of your texts