Now, lets see what the yanks can do with that extra 9.5 million. After this cameron trade which helps lineup speed and outfield defense but further hurts team obp and pitches taken, we need someone with a great eye. Additionally the cameron deal still leaves us without a complimentary third or fourth hitter to wherever arod hits. So ideally we need a guy with power and high obp. Since arod is a righty, it is the obvious choice to pick a lefty bat who can bat fourth with solid power and a great eye. Further, the best place for them to take on the field would be to replace swisher – swisher can serve as the backup OF, Backup first baseman, backup DH and pinch hitter. He can also platoon with nady in right field if nady continues to struggle in NY. Swisher is a switch hitter (try saying that three times fast) and nady is a righty so technically they would make a good platoon. And although they are similar types of players, we cant bank on a comeback year from swisher and bank on nady over-performing from last year along with all the other ifs surrounding the team like posada, matsui and cano.

Now, who do we pick up to bat fourth thats a lefty and can play first base decently with tremendous power and high obp. Its only the least talked about player in the free agent market adam dunn. Arizona declined to give arbitration to dunn which would have given him around 14 million in salary in 2009. Since i have not heard a single rumor about a possible offer and have no idea where dunn is valued i am going to start with a value less than 14 million. It is possible Dunn is looking for a short-term deal due to the complete lack of interest in him this off season and i would go with 3 years with a possible option. The yanks could offer 12 mil over 3 years to dunn and he may very well accept it. Dunn just turned 29 years old so a 3 year deal would take him to the age of 32 – Additionally, a three year deal likely wouldnt block the way for montero if he can no longer catch and is forced to move to first base or if someone like jeter had to move to first base in a couple of years. Dunn also has the ability to play left field making him somewhat versatile in the field in case someone needs to move over to first base.

Dunn is as conistent as they come and relying on him to have an obp in the high 380s with 40 homers and over 500 at bats is money in the bank. In Dunn’s last five seasons since 2004, he has only failed to have an obp over 380 once – always falling between 386 and 388. He has never had less than 40 homeruns in the last five seasons hitting 46, 40, 40, 40, 40. Now that is what i call consistency. Yes, he will strikeout and was fifth in the NL in strikeouts last year but he can also walk and he walks alot – he walked 122 times last year and that ranks first in the NL. He also grounded into only 7 double plays last year and has had an ops plus of 129 and 136 in the last two years. He ranked 10th last year in offense winning percentage. He is a career 247 hitter but the obp for his career is at 381 which ranks 21st among active players – jason giambi is seventh and bobby abreu is tenth thus, the stress on obp. Avg is irrelevant when the obp is that high and the homers are that high – he is also a shoe-in for over 100 rbis and on the yanks, probably good for 120.

The lineup would shape out to be: Damon – L, Jeter – R, Arod – R, Dunn- L, Posada- S, Matsui – L, Swisher/Nady – S/R, Cano – L, Cameron – R. A very solid mix of lefty, righty and switch. And where do we get the money to pay Dunn’s 12 mil next year -HOW about signing sheets and pettitte for 13.5 and 10 mil? That gives us about 12 mil left for offense and there you have it. Arod and Dunn both give us a legitimate three and four hitter and both can easily hit over 40 homers and have an obp over 380. Swisher gives us an extremely capable replacement should matsui, damon or dunn go down. Meanwhile swisher is very useful as a pinch hitter and platoon. This also gives us speed on the top and the bottom while still maintaining a better than league avg obp which cameron drops dramatically. And posada, matsui, nady/swisher and cameron could easily give us over 20 homers from the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth spot making it a pretty intimidating lineup. Im just saying this is a perfect fit – cashman has to get it done.

Funny out of the list I was thinking the same thing.

Does Jake Peavy fit the description you’ve written above?

Not at all.

And based on your numerous posts you feel that Peavy is a not doubt top of the rotation guy.

Peavy’s average fastball velocity last season was 92.1. In 2005 when Peavy was 24 it was 91.5 For his career it’s been 92.1.

Hughes average fastball velocity in the pros has been 91.

I’ve seen those reports from Sherman and Callis from the AFL. As I said before opinions on Hughes vary wildly largely because his performance has varied wildly.

What both those Sherman and Callis pieces have in common is that they are referring to games the scouts saw in which Hughes had a split nail and couldn’t grip his curve ball. He was rested for 10 days or so and afterwards finished the AFL strongly.

If you took out that one awful start he had with the split nail in which he only lasted 2 innings his era for the AFL was 0.9. That’s an ERA+ of 667 as the average ERA in the AFL this season was 6.0.

What I was addressing was your suggstion that you’ve discerned what the majority of people think about him.

I don’t know if there is any majority consensus on him because his performance has varied largely due to injury.

i wouldnt be too sure about that. the Dbacks are strapped for cash as it is, so to lock up Webb long term might not be as feasible as it looks a year or two ago.

Webb would make ridiculous money on the open market if he ever made it there.

This is one of the big reasons why they are going after a second free agent starter this off season.

Take a look at that list of free agent pitchers next year. People expects Lackey to sign an extension – it’s been reported in LA that he already is planning on signing an extension before spring training – or at least that’s his goal.

Every other attractive pitcher has an option that will be picked up.

That leaves Rich Harden – if you think AJ is injury prone forget about Harden.

Burnett and Lowe and even perhaps Sheets may be better than any starter who hits the market next winter.

A big reason why they don’t want to put Hughes in the rotation this year is that they don’t seem too eager to try breaking two young arms into the rotation at the same time, especially when one has a low innings cap like Joba does.

2009 they’ll try to slot in Joba. 2010 Hughes. But unless they have 4 other starters going in to 2010 they’ll have to take a gamble on a rookie or go trolling out in the free agent market again. It’s just too expensive to trade for pitching.

Not a lot of choice in free agents. And right now there is no other young pitcher you can count on to even theoretically slot into the 2010 rotation other than Hughes. Can’t count on Kennedy. And McCallister, Brackman, Betances aren’t going to be ready by 2010.

The yankees are lucky in that during an off season in which they are desperate for pitching – there is a lot of pitching talent on the market.

They are taking advantage of the supply this off season to brace for the lack of supply next off season.

Thanks for that. Sounds like we’re pretty set if we get AJ & one more short-term starter. When you’ve got kids pushing guys like Veras out, you’ve got depth.

I can’t believe CMW will be 29. Where have the years gone?”

29? Gee Whiz! Yeah guys like Melancon need to get a shot next year. He has been a stud closer his entire pro-career no doubt could be part of a solid bridge to Mariano.

ive watched the games. he pitches afraid to me more than he shows command over his stuff and the strike zone.

when the yankees farm system was barren of top of the rotation guys, maybe he looked like a #1 or 2 compared to everyone else in the system.

but then you look at what real top of the rotation prospects look like, like the potential ceilings of Joba and Betances and Brackman, big arms who throw gas in the upper 90′s, have great secondary stuff, and you compare Hughes to them, and he’s just not on the same plain.

again, you mention KLaw and BP, and i dont disagree.

but just because he’s got more value in KLaw’s eye’s than Joey Votto doesnt mean he’s a number 1 or 2.

here’s a scout from a Jim Callis report:

“I just don’t see how he dominated the lower levels of the minors so thoroughly,” a second scout said. “He’s not overpowering at all. But he has a solid fastball and the curveball is OK. I don’t see what all the fuss was about, but he’s probably still a No. 3.”

and another scout, familiar with Hughes, in a Joel Sherman article:

“According to scouts Hughes’ delivery, command and array of stuff have not been impressive. He started the Rising Stars game and permitted four runs (one earned) in three innings, allowing two homers and walking two. One scout who has seen multiple starts in the AFL by Hughes offered this report from the Rising Stars game: “His velocity was fine. He threw some at 93-94 (mph), but mostly he was in the low 90s, but the problem was that they were straight. He gave up two bombs and even the outs were mostly hard hit. He couldn’t command his fastball to the corners at all. Only about half his curves were good and only about one in four were in the strike zone. He is working to add that changeup (to use against lefties), threw three and all were up and out of the zone. “I think the problem is that his elbow is too low so he is not commanding because he is not throwing downhill. His command stinks because his motion stinks. For example, his curve has good rotation and break, but I think because of that delivery it breaks early and so hitters pick it up.”