Berroa gets a shot at the bench
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jan 06, 2009 
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Ken Rosenthal of Fox is reporting that the Yankees have signed Angel Berroa to a minor-league contract.
The AL Rookie of the Year in 2003, Berroa has been on a one-way trip to palookaville since.
Berroa is a shortstop with limited experience at second base. The Yankees will see whether he has the versatility to be a backup.
Heard today that the Yankees have signed several guys to minor-league deals. The typically wait to announce them all at once. Most of these players will end up with Scranton.
UPDATE, 9:32 p.m.: For instance, Joel Sherman of the Post is reporting that the Yankees have signed OF John Rodriguez to a minor-league deal.
————
Jason Giambi has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Oakland worth $4.5 million. It includes a $5 million option for 2010 or a $1 million buyout. He and Matt Holliday should give the Athletics the pop they were looking for.
Good luck to The Big G. He had his ups and downs with the Yankees but at least he was an original.
I’ve seen Berroa be very good and not so good.
I’m sure the pinstripes will find a way to bring out the very best in him.
Repeat from before -
Betsy I sure hope you’re watching this. It’s absolutely beautiful. (Ken Burns history of baseball on mlb.tv)
What a waste of paperwork. Wilson Betemit without the odd homerun. Didn’t we just rid ourselves of Wilson Betemit?
Dude, minore league deals are minor league deals.
They don’t necessarily mean we’ll see Berroa at the major league level.
***
I will always remember that I was at the Stadium on Mustache Day =D
Don’t mind the signing …. However .. i’m not happy with the 5th slot . Hughes isn’t ready . .Coke needs major innings to be ready for a full time slot … I hope Cash can land Perez .
I just don’t understand what we were hoping to accomplish here. Best case scenario, he plays like Angel Berroa and goes away after Spring training. Worst case scenario, he has a deceptively good spring and he becomes Betemit 2.0. The horrible, horrible player that somehow manages to get into two games a week.
Watching Oliver Perez walk 100 people a season would age me ten years for every one he pitches.
Get Randy Wolf to be the 4th starter.
Rebecca: ME TOO!
According to the BaseballReference.com link, Berroa has 3 times finished in the top 10 in the hit by pitch category.
It’s the bottom of the 9th against the 2nd place Rays. Berroa gets hit in the buttocks just as he was sent up to to do. Gardner pinch runs for him and steals second and then third. Johnny Damon hits a fly ball to Pat Burrell and Gardner crosses the plate with the winning run. The Yankees win.Thhhhheeee Yaaaankeeees WIN!
wow.
2nd post.
this could be a new LoHud record for complaining about something that absolutely doesn’t matter.
well done.
you’ll have to catch trisha sleeping if you want to break that record though.
we’ll have to wait until the next completely meaningless minor league deal is announced to see who will be the first to piss and moan!!
As Rebecca said, it a minor league deal. Jason Lane was signed last year at this time and he didn’t play above aaa.
Somebody has to replace Cody Ransom in Scranton.
Yankees also signed John Rodriguez a former St louis Cardinal Outfielder to a minor league deal.My co worker played on a baseball team in Staten Island this past Fall with him.
Played 8 or 9 season in Yankee Farm system.
Oliver .. granted will walk a alot .. BUT he’ll also throw alot of innings . Which we need ..He’s healthy most of the time .. Which we want …. and he can k alot of men .. I think he’ll do fine and be a solid 4 or 5 . .
Berroa is MUD!! i thought Cashman might of picked up Alex Cora.he still might
Drive, He could be the Yankees Roger Dorn.
Andrea:
OMG I KNOW!
UR IN MY PICTURZ!!!!!!!1!!!!!!1
BRING BACK MIGUEL CAIRO!!!
Good point Tom, I like the Randy Wolf signing also..
Rebecca: whoa. Take it easy.
Berroa on a minor league deal is a good signing. One major priority they have for a back up utility type guys is someone who can truly field SS. Jeter is not getting younger.
Berroa is the exact opposite of Betemit – he hits for no power but is a decent fielder.
I’ll never understand why so many yankee fans get bent out of shape by no risk minor league deals – especially when they are for utility/bench players.
The more players they have to select from for marginal positions the better off they are.
I’m a bit surprised Berroa had to accept a minor league deal. I thought he’d get a low money major league deal to be a utility guy somewhere.
Utility Man: I Was JUST thinking the same thing the other day! I really miss Miguel Cairo!
The bench players on the team can be of plenty of importance.
I was also at Mustache Day. We Lohuders (Lohudites?) should come up with some sort of hadshake like, like the free masons…
who is the other players signed to minor league deals Pete?
Angel Berroa
Jason Johnson
John Rodriguez
?
So Berrora can be our Ogilvie from the Bad News Bears!
Tom: where were you? We were in the Loge. We also learned how to pronounce Loge that day. But I already forgot.
Mr Torre
Kevin Cash
Justin Leone
Doug Bernier
I was down by the third base line.
Hey, look, the latest story involving the Yankees that Pete couldn’t break! What competence! Sheer competence!
Many times a player will shake out at the end of March as teams pare rosters for the season’s start.
If Berroa doesn’t show anything and Cashman feels Ransom is not the answer, he’ll be looking.
We were in loge on the 1st base side. If you heard some crazy lady yelling “Come On Sidney!!!!” that was Rebecca.
Andrea
Cairo has been a personal favorite,just like Sojo was,and Wayne Tolleson,Enrique Wislon,Randy Velarde,Clay Bellinger,etc.
Hence the nickname—-UtilityMan——
Rodriguez can actually hit some. he will hang out in AAA and come up and not kill them if they need a 4th OFer for some reason.
not a bad move.
Can Rodriguez play center?
J.Rod also has a WS ring (2005)
Guys with Minor league deals. They are looking for fillers if any of the big guys get hurt or have to miss anytime, also look at this way say theres some players the orginzation feels isnt ready for triple A with these minor league deals they can keep them at a lower level for reasons they have. Also they may be looking for some of these guys to be lightning in a bottle and maybe restablish themselfs for some of them. Also I think the Yanks should take a flyer on Chad Cordero it wouldnt hurt at all and it would help are pen alot and also he could close once a blue moon just incase. I like the Wolf idea
I think he is more of a corner OF.
By the way, since when is Berroa a good defender? He’s pretty horrible at everything, IIRC.
Donnie Baseball ure a genious
Thank you. Brandon mocked my Reese Witherspoon comparison and I feel vindicated now that others agree. Take that Brandon!
He should have never won the Rookie of the Year award over Hideki.Almost as bad as when Palmeiro won Gold Glove over Tino a few years ago with the Rangers.
Ransom is a better defender and can cover the whole infield.Berroa is rubbish,i was surprised the Dodgers didnt give Hu a look over Berroa
Thanks Aaron, have to say your baseball knowledge is on a higher level than some I know..
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01.....148960.htm
HARDEE HAR HAR HAR!!!!!
This certainly validates the poster who said he was upset the Yankees had offered Andy $10 mil – because he felt they should have only offered $8 mil!!!
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out Andy my boy.
and if Andy signed Trisha you would be praising him. and Mr.Torre is all bent out of shape about Berroa. haha
Wake up Aaron. I started saying I didn’t want Andy back during the season.
And I already said that I will root for anyone the Yankees sign. But it doesn’t mean that I would be praising Pettitte if he came back.
Personally I am pleased the Yankees didn’t capitulate to his ridiculous demands.
I’ve been up for awhile now thanks..
I know because if Andy signed he would make our rotation so bad?? come on, Hughes has to be in the minors. He’s still real young.. Andy would be a perfect 4.. As would John Smoltz, Randy Wolf and Mike Mussina(But he retired).. Yanks need a veteran at the end of the rotation to keep Jobas innings low.. You wouldn’t know that, because you don’t understand baseball like 79% of this blog..
“Hey, look, the latest story involving the Yankees that Pete couldn’t break! What competence! Sheer competence!”
You do know that Pete is on vacation, right? He’s just posting new threads to keep the blog going.
Man, to bad there aren’t any semi-decent knucleball pitchers anymore. He’d be the perfect 5th starter on this team.
I can see it now………… It’s the middle of summer and I hear ‘Oh my golly goodness gracious, Andy Pettite is in the Steinbrenner’s luxury box and’………..
Couldnt say it better Aaron, Trish doesnt really go into detail who she wants and reasons why. If she was a Yankee fan she would upset that Andy did take that $$ because he “WAS” a YANKEE and meant alot to this franchise.
they also wouldn’t want bobby valentine bc he wore a mustache..
Aaron – he didn’t make our rotation so great during the second half of the season did he? And at the age of 37 you’re expecting him to get better?
I had hoped the Yankees didn’t sign him again. I’d rather see some of the kids tried out in the 5th spot, or a younger established pitcher.
At the very least I am happy the Yankees aren’t offering him outrageous money.
In the final analysis, I respect the decisions of the organization, whatever they are. If they brought him back I’d root for him, as I root for every Yankee.
“Couldnt say it better Aaron, Trish doesnt really go into detail who she wants and reasons why. If she was a Yankee fan she would upset that Andy did take that $$ because he “WAS” a YANKEE and meant alot to this franchise.”
Sorry I can’t figure out what you’re saying.
With Swisher and Nady backing up 1st, it looks like the utility infielder will need to be able to play 3rd in addition to SS and 2nd.
You dont go into detail and give us names and reasons who you want, and You should see how much Andy had meant to the Yankees and be mad at him for not taking the $$ and not putting him down, is that better for you.
That makes no sense Trisha so you wanna put Joba and Hughes/younger pitcher as the 4/5 so if they strugle you run into the same thing as last year?? Pettitte was our 2 last year, and he would be our 4.. Who could argue with a guy like that as your #4.. No one would argue in baseball… You don’t know what your talking about..Look what Jamie Moyer’s doing over in Philly.. I would love to have a guy like that, Andy’s 37 not 43.. He’d be ok and wouldn’t pitch as many innings in the 4 as he did last year in the 2..
Of course I’ve given names. I said I wanted AJ Burnett, I said I wanted Bobby Abreu back. I don’t see the need to go into detail since these things speak for themselves! And I certainly did go into detail about the things I liked in Abreu.
I’m someone who typically trusts the organization’s judgement so prefer to sit back and let them do the worrying and make the decisions and not pretend I have better answers and knowledge than they do.
So I give my opinion on certain players I’d like to see back and one I would rather not have back.
And by the way, the last time I gave my reasons for not wanting Pettitte back, grown men here were basically in tears and raging, calling me the most delightful names and telling me I had it wrong – when indeed I didn’t and they did (some specifics I mentioned)!
So I see no percentage in reiterating that stuff again and having some demons conjured up and having to listen to some indignant posters who don’t seem to realize that we are all entitled to our opinions, even when they differ from their opinions.
Is all.
Aaron she wanted Abreu back for 16$ million dollars.. no way you can justfy that no way. come on now.
You dont Andy back then give us names to be that other starter come on please I would like to hear who you want to be the other starter?
Aaron, let me just say this. I believe I do know what I’m talking about, but much more importantly, the Yankees not giving in to his demands seems to mean that they also don’t see him as valuable as, say, you might.
No need to get overly upset about it. He’s not related to either of us so it’s nothing personal. It’s a game and it’s a business. Nothing to get in a twist about.
AGAIN – if they decide to bring him back, I’ll cheer for him the way I cheer for every Yankee. But you just might have to get used to the idea that he may not be coming back.
P.S. I am FAR from the only poster here who doesn’t think that Pettitte is a good bet.
Donnie Baseball23, do you have any credentials here that should make me think I owe you explanations about anything? Put someone else here on the cross.
If you can’t deal with people having opinions contrary to yours, there’s not much I can do about it.
I said I didn’t want Pettitte back. I don’t think I really need to say anything beyond that.
P.S. I didn’t mention any dollar figures surrounding Abreu. I said I would love to have him back. Period. I don’t play let’s pretend I’m a GM. I find that rather ridiculous.
Anytime you wanna go head 2 head bout baseball Ill run bases around you I just asked for options other than Andy and you cant give them me. So I dont think you have any honestly knowledge on what to do. I dont have a problem with you not wanting him back just some opitons. and its no pretend GM to talk dollar amounts you said you want Abreu back all I ask is to back your statments thats it.
Sign Mulder!
DonnieBaseball23 –
Have you watched Ken Burns film on the history of baseball?
It’s amazing. It’s what I’m doing right now.
Be good.
haha whats thats suppose to mean. Ive asked for your thoughts on who they should get and you still cant give any, so go watch your film so you can try to learn some baseball.
“you still cant give any,”
Don’t confuse that with my not caring to waste any more time on you.
And here’s a thought. Andy Pettitte might not be coming back to the Yankees. Hope you have some pills to help you sleep slugger!
Trisha can you name all the other teams in Baseball with out going to MLB.com??
Seriously, are you being serious? I’ve probably been watching baseball longer than you’ve been alive.
So yeah, I can do that without any problem.
You have wasted more time saying dumb things and in that time you couldve gave at least one name. You are classic, and Im not saying I want Andy back for 16 million or anything in that nature. I actually said b4 Id like to have Perez,Sheets,Lowe,and maybe Sheets. Smoltz and Wolf would be options also. Ive wasted my time talking to someone with hardly any knowledge of baseball. Watch your film and you may learn a thing or 2 bout this great game.
I doubt that by a long shot. Ive coached Varsity baseball longer than you prolly been a Yankee fan.
Yes im being serious, you don’t know what your talking about.. You really don’t I feel bad actually..
I wish you watched the Yanks in the late 90′s and early 00′s when they won world series it was a great time.. Really it was..
Trisha who were the Yanks before the Yankees??? and where did they play?
Donnie I have done everything in my power to be as respectful as I can to both you and Aaron when I feel like telling you both to go crap in your hats. I have not told you who to want back and who not to. I haven’t told you who you should want to pitch, and who you should not.
I seriously don’t care to debate any issues with you. Last I looked that’s my right. Do you have a job? I do. I work pretty hard. So when I get home and there’s great stuff on television, I really prefer to watch that as opposed to getting into debates with posters over meaningless drivel. Your desires aren’t going to matter a whit, and neither are mine.
I gave you my opinion. Now PLEASE get off my case.
“Yes im being serious, you don’t know what your talking about.. You really don’t I feel bad actually..”
You are a true whack job.
They were the Highlanders, twit.
Now why don’t you go find a castle to haunt.
Actually I am a teacher and coach Varsity Baseball and JV basketball. My life revolves around sports and the NY YANKEES. In my free time I watch sports all day and night. I love to talk sports to people who can actually hold their own and back their thoughts with some knowledge. When it comes the Yankees I could talk all day and night
They were actually the Orioles.. Nice try
Well I’m an attorney and maybe my days are a little more pressure-filled than yours because when I get home the last thing I feel like doing is having someone yammer at me and lecture me and demand answers from me the way you’re doing.
And this Ken Burns documentary is amazing. Maybe you’ve watched it before – I have not. And my desire is not to get into some cat fight with someone who doesn’t like my opinion and therefore gets his back up and wants to try to challenge me.
And you are looking to have a real discussion and not just impose your views and put down any other thinking, I am more than up to that challenge. I just don’t care to do it this minute.
Can you possibly understand that?????
I prefer Kim Jones over Angel Berroa as the utility infielder!
Gee no Aaron. I’m sorry. You got that wrong. You asked who they were before they were the Yankees. They were the Highlanders. And before they were the Highlanders, they were the Orioles.
Wow, remind me not to pay ANY attention to your posts.
Its not that I dont like your opinion. You havent expressed anything to back your opinion on not signing Andy. I only asked for names to try to understand why you dont want him. If you have other names that make more sense than Id listen and respect your thoughts. You cant give names and that makes no sense like alot of other people on this, that just say things like I dont like that guy, We shouldnt sign him, we should trade this guy. Back up your thoughts and Im fine. Glad your taking interest in that film, I was raised with basically having to listen to those types of stories
Well, someone’s got to say it – I for one will miss Giambi… just not enough to watch the A’s.
I’ve been reading this blog avidly for months but have never posted. Seriously, dudes, you ought to lay off Trisha! Those personal attacks are totally irrelevant and mind-bogglingly inane.
DonnieBaseball23 then let’s continue this discussion another time. I will be happy to go over all the reasons that I don’t care to have Pettitte back and I will also be happy to mention other pitchers I would be happy to see pitch here, including some of the kids from the minors.
Willie no personal attacks calm down. Ive only asked if she doesnt want Andy then who. People on this blog do not back up their comments with any knowledge of baseball. They make blanket statments.
Willie are you her husband/boyfriend who lives at home who just made a name?? The girl tried proving us wrong, and had no idea what shes talking about.. I apologize to you, but I REFUSE to apologize a Kyle Farnsworth fan..If she liked football she’d probably like RW McQuarters too.. I’m done with her actally, well at least tonight, I feel bad for proving kids wrong.. Night all..
By the way Yanks had some good signings today. If you know who Berroa and Johnson are they add depth to our minor league squad..
Thats fine. I love to talk baseball. Ive said b4 that there are opitions besides Andy. I just dont like people who give blanket statments and cant back them with knowledge. people on here just seem to follow trends and piggy back others thoughts and dont back their own.
Willie in GN thanks.
Donnie I didn’t mean to direct that at you. It was more in reference to the whole “Can you name the 30 major league teams?” and “What were the Yankees before they were the Yankees?” nonsense.
Just out of curiosity – does anybody, ANYBODY here think Kei Igawa should get a start or two in spring training? He’s done great in AAA, and I think it’s possible for him to do better.
No Willie, Kei Igawa should leave the USA
And this is the level of silliness you deal with here. I tried to prove you wrong Aaron? Why because I don’t want Pettitte back. I personally don’t care how you feel about it so I didn’t try to PROVE you anything.
You did prove yourself wrong, however, when you got the answer wrong about the Highlanders.
Donnie if you’ve read my stuff enough you know that the LAST thing I do is piggyback on other peoples’ opinions! I’ve taken some very controversial positions here but they’ve been my own and I’ve always articulated the reasons for the positions.
oh my.
Is there any particular reason for that? Are his peripheral stats bad? Is his control inconsistent? I don’t really see any reason for him to be considered a complete bust. Sure, he was absolutely horrific for all of ’07, but maybe he’s found himself?
You probably had no idea that they were the Orioles before.. So relax, you STILL have yet to name someone.. Come on, its been an hour, you could have googled someone… Joke fan you are..
“It was more in reference to the whole “Can you name the 30 major league teams?” and “What were the Yankees before they were the Yankees?” nonsense.”
And I too found that to be pretty outrageous and insulting – not to mention real bush league.
Aaron-
YAWN!
Ill give you stats, but really we shouldn’t have to explain…
Willie I have always felt that way about Igawa. The problem is that he seems to lose his composure once he makes it back to the big dance. I too have argued that the guy really has great stuff because we’ve seen him throw some filthy pitches. I personally think he probably starts to overthink when he plays in the majors and then he gets into trouble.
The best game we ever saw him pitch was the game against Boston that he pitched when Rasner (?) got injured and Igawa had to come in, I believe, the second inning. He was absolutely incredible in that game. It’s like he had no idea he was going to pitch and therefore didn’t have time to think too much.
Im done with you too
It’s about time the Yankees had someone on the roster with the letters “B,e,r,r,a” in their last name. It’s been too long!
Hopefully, Berroa gets a shot at some point. He was a great player in his freshman year but has declined of late.
Willie, I don’t think you’re going to get many takers on Igawa. I’ve always been a holdout.
Please though do join baseball discussion here (people are on the latest update thread now.) There really are a lot of knowledgeable people who love to discuss the Yankees.
Although it’s really more of a grudge I hold toward baseball writers who ignore rules, I’ve unfairly held it against Berroa for winning the Rookie of the Year award over a far-more deserving Hideki Matsui.
That said, good luck to Berroa now that he’s in the Yankee organization.
Dale B,e,r,r,a —-
Wow! That’s a “dusty” memory from the past !!!
Long live all .230 hitters !!! (sniff, sniff)
Big G really going full circle. I’ll miss him, he was a class act even though he didnt come close to earning that contract. I bet he grows out his hair and goatee once again.
Berroa is a low risk, high reward signing. If he can play anywhere near his potential he will be a capable improvement to a relatively weak bench. However, I don’t expect him to do so. He has steadily trended downward since his rookie year. Additionally, the guy is an error machine at short and has limited experience at second base. But it was a smart move, worth a shot excepting the following: If the Yankees trade Swisher they go back to having the weakest bench of all the teams looking to contend for the playoffs, please don’t let this move be a sign they will trade Swish and think that the Berr is of anywhere near equal value coming off bench.