Welcome to the all-natural baseball blog
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 19, 2009 
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Good morning.
Starting right now and going until midnight, the LoHud Yankees Blog is a steroid-free zone.
There will be no posts or comments about steroids, the list of 104 names, Gene Orza, Dominican pharmacies, Jose Canseco, Primobolan, mysterious cousins or Selena Roberts.
Feel free to talk about who makes the bullpen, who plays center, whether Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher plays right field, how many pinstripes did it take to make CC’s pants or anything else having to do with the wonderful game of baseball as it is played on the field.
I’ll do my part by only posting about baseball. You do your part by minding the rules for a day within the comments section.
(Disclaimer: If the FBI suddenly raids Steinbrenner Field or the list is leaked and it’s 103 Yankees, I reserve the right to report that. Let’s hope not.)
I realize that PEDs are a hot topic and we all have opinions about it. But we’ve all been hammering this subject like a Arthur Rhodes fastball for a week now. We can stop for a day.
Thanks for playing along. Back later on with coverage of the second full-squad workout.
Hi guys:
Please play along. I think we can have a little fun with this. All baseball for 24 hours.
Thank god I’m so happy to hear that.
Pete,
How about a post on Chien Ming Wang and how he’s going to win 20 games this year? Also add in how he still somehow flies under the radar and is one of the best players on the team.
Baseball? What’s baseball? I’m all for it. How about The Kid going back to Seattle. Should be special when he steps up to the plate again. Should be even more special to watch CC mow him down!!!
Manny! Manny! Manny!
One more thing- Hopefully you’ll ask the players some baseball questions. You’ll stand out in the crowd, Pete! I’m sure they’d be thrilled to talk baseball again.
I think that CC pinstripe pants thing is a trick question.
It’s actually just one gigantic pinstripe that goes around and round for infinity.
No mention of Robbie Cano ….. I assume he’s there. How does he look?
woo hoo! Thanks, Pete – I feel relieved already!
Someone posted in the prior thread that Jon Heyman thinks the Mets and Phillies had better off-seasons than the Yankees? He’s out of his mind. The Mutts improved their pen, but their starting rotation is no great shakes. Is Ibanez THAT great of a signing? I guess Heyman is impressed because they locked down Howard and Hamels, but they were going to be on the team anyway…….. It’s all just hot air, though, until the games are played.
How about we sign Orlando Hudson to play CF? Just throwing it out there…..
Yeah, enough with A-rod. Here is some of the stuff I’d love to see debated/discussed more: 1) who will play cf, 2) who will fill out the bullpen, 3) and how the injured guys (mo, posada, matsui, and wang) are doing.
Thank you.
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090.....lma120.jpg
I like this photo – happy hour being celebrated a little early? LOL
This is probably an unbelievable time for Pete to ask for an exclusive interview with anybody – just promise no steroids questions and you’re in!!
Betsy -
Some good ol’ water cooler conversation.
SIGN MANNY!!!111!11!!
nothing to do with baseball but how many of you are excited about Conan taking over the tonight show?..but as far as baseball goes manny has got to be getting cheaper by the day right!
This Warrior team jesus christ thier style is like watching the Suns on offense and a prison yard team on defense.
Here’s my thoughts on CF. I think Melky (who regained his senses and dropped out of the WBC to compete for CF) and Gardner are going to get their shots.
But I have a sneaking suspicion that we might end up seeing Damon or Swisher starting some games out there and Melky/Gardner being the defensive replacements.
While this would hurt the OF defense a lot, I think the Yankees might take the chances when they have a strikeout pitcher on the mound like Joba, AJ and CC.
In that scenario too, by the time the pen comes in you hopefully have a lead and can put the better defender out in the OF.
Until I see Swisher play a little CF, I don’t know where I sit.
Is he that hideous out there? I really don’t remember him playing CF for the White Sox.
If so, then you have to go with Melky or Gardner and whoever has the best spring wins.
The thing I am concerned about is we have no legit backup to SS. Berroa doesn’t make me feel that comfy…
The interesting thing is the flexibility and insurance that Swisher gives the team. If Tex went down, we have a 1b.
If something catastrophic happened to Arod, you do have the doomsday scenario of moving Tex to 3b and Swish to 1b. While that’s not ideal, Tex strikes me as the type that would do that for the team in an emergency since he played some 3b before in Texas.
Betsy, Heyman is an idiot. Feel free to ignore anything he says (and yes, I’m embarrassed to be going to the same institution of higher education that he did).
As for CC’s pinstripes, Paul Lukas ran a piece after the signing about who had the most pinstripes ever, but from the pics I’ve seen of Carsten Charles, he’s looking pretty damn svelte!
I thought I’d have to stick to old programming on YES to avoid this stuff. Thanks Pete!
Yes … this is fantastic … and lets all talk about how Nady will easily be our right fielder and how he is underrated.
G. Love, Swisher was not very good in center, and I know he disliked it. With Damon, it’s an issue of keeping him on the field for 145 games. You’re right though, they could probably get away more with a mediocre defender behind the strikeout pitchers. Sabathia, in particular, is appealing because he also gets a goodly number of ground balls, in addition to the sweet K-rate. If you were going to sneak Damon into center once every five days, you would do it behind CC.
‘Brandon – Speaking of looks, how much does Belinelli look like a young Rocky-playing Stallone? Especially with the poofy hair.’
He can definitely do the Rocky sequels if the NBA doesn’t pan out, he defending Kobe and stopping him
Time to hold our Yankees Manny rally!
I really hope no one is thinking in their heads that this is a difficult task as that would just be sad. There are about a million things to talk about right now.
I guarantee that if they put Swish in CF, not only will he do his bestest, he will love every minute of it.
I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to play for a psychotic manic of a manager like Ozzie.
m -
You been watching the game?
iM reposting this with brandon’s additional suggestions. Prospects are always a great topic of conversation around here:
AAA: Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, Coke, Igawa
AA: Hacker, Garcia, Kontos, Dunn, Horne?
A: Brackman, Betances, Mccallister, De la Rosa, Pope
There are not in any real order and I have no idea whats going on with Horne. Heredia, Bleich and Banuelos may also play into that Tampa mix.Coke could also start in the pen and betances could start in AA.
The bullpen options are vast with the mlb and AAA we have Mo, Marte, Bruney, Robertson, Ramirez, Melancon, Veras, Albadejo, Geise, Cox, Jackson, Sanchez, Claggett, Johnson, Whelan.
rodg,
Yes. Nice finish. Lucky to escape with the win.
Mihm traded?
m -
Yeah, definitely. Trevor’s 2 three’s were HUGE. Turning point in the game, IMO. Nice to see Kobe show he’s still got the hops tonight, too. 360 dunk. 3 blocks. Alley-oop finish.
Thank God Pete…..Great idea.
Yeah, that Mihm trade was weird. Pretty much just gave him away. Save a little coin and Mihm probably gets more PT. Also, there were rumblings that he and Dbenga got into a skirmish at practice the other day and that might have had something to do with the trade.
Alright, I’m out for the night. Hopefully we have some good baseball discussion tomorrow.
it’s about damn time… so can we get a good close up pic of cc without the beard.
my thoughts on cf is Gardener wins it in a landslide. the one thing the guy needed to work on was his hitting, you don’t think that’s the main thing he worked on in the offseason. he’s faster has better range goes 110% after any fly ball around him. the melk man needs to really step up the game to win cf back. I’m sure by July/Aug we get a glimps of Ajax and that’s going to settle everything once and for all.
who’s gonna be in the 5 spot matsui, posada or a mystery player.
m,
Swisher flat out said he did not like playing in center. I dont think the yanks will switch him to center after he said that was probably a big reason he did so poorly IMO. Although it would be nice to be able to do that – the lineup improves and nady and swish could both play every day which is better than one of them and gardner/melky most likely. iTS just not a very realistic scenario. I think by midseason nady will be traded for something that we need like a CF.
Seriously.
Wang is going to whip out a helluva season. lest we forget how good this guy is when his health/control issues are non-issues.
92-94 mph sinknasty.
95+ high cheese
the slider we only got to see a little bit of’ll be nice.
this guys a beast and will show cc a thing or two.
how many games will CC win?
Can anyone give me some info on christain garcia? I have never heard of him before his mention in the earlier post today.
I was shocked to find out that people believe he has a higher ceiling than hughes or any other of the top yankee pitching prospects.
What’s his story?
The worst thing for a solid pitcher is to have a poor defense behind him. One bad play here or there can really get under a pitcher’s skin and mess him up. Gardner/Melky are the only two guys who qualify for CF in the new brand of Yankee baseball.
You either go for pitching and defense or you don’t. The Yanks should not sacrifice defense for offense unless the team isn’t scoring any runs.
The Yanks have made a commitment to winning games 4-2 instead of 10-9. Defense matters!!
u guys want a story? i just called nypd bc a squatter was in my hallway. what is this the dallas green yankee years?
gmen21,
Garcia has a plus fastball (93mph but can hit 97-98 if he wants to). He also has a plus curveball (though prob not as good as Hughes). He also has a pretty good circle change that keeps hitters off balance (I imagine it is an out pitch against lefties). Command used to be an issue for him but he may have straightened that out.
Only issue: his health. He cannot stay healthy.
He has the talent to win Cy Young awards but he is a long way from even reaching NY. It doesn’t matter how good someone is if they are hurt. If he can put up a couple healhy seasons, then we can talk.
(this is just my opinion – I could be off)
What’s the over/under on # of games that Swisher starts in CF?
really good point boston dave
Peter will you be live-blogging Key Igawa’s news conference?
gmen,
Betances has an equally high ceiling (IMO) but he needs to work on command and being able to repeat his delivery.
The Yanks have several guys with really high upside but their are “buts” in each case.
If just one of Brackman, Betances, Garcia, etc works out, they will have a(nother) staff ace.
That’s the benefit of having a deep farm system of pitchers. You know they’re not all going to pan out but if you have enough guys, you’ll take the odds.
Nick,
I’ll go with 3 starts in CF as the O/U. He may shift over mid-game if he enters as a pinch hitter but I don’t see him starting too many.
Maybe that’s wishful thinking (hope Melky or Gardner steps up) but I believe they’d turn to Damon before Swisher in CF.
Of course, what do I know…
fumbed,
The funny thing is Wang can throw in the mid 90s and somehow people still say that he is not a power pitcher. IDoes joba, CC and burnett have that much more velocity on their fastball than wang that any one could defend that? Wang sits at 92 to 95 and I believe he has even reached back and thrown harder than that at 97-98 on occasion. AJ throws between 92 and 96 and has been clocked at 100 a few times.
CC averages anywhere between 91 and 95 with his explosive fastball. Joba throws between 96 and 97 sometimes reaching 100 as a reliever but he wont maintain that for 7 innings likely sitting around 95. Thus, all four of them should be considered power pitchers. All I know is four guys in the rotation all with the stuff of an ace looks pretty damn sweet from where I am sitting.
thanks boston dave
can we put this ban in place all year
this is unbelievably refreshing
I’m thinking they might occasionally go with an outfield of Damon-Swisher-Nady sometimes when Wang starts. If 3 is the O/U number, I’m taking the over.
no prob gmen.
I don’t know if this site is any good but here’s a list of some of the Yanks top prospects:
http://www.scoutingbook.com/prospects/NYY
Boston Dave,
Betances has the high upside but what about Zach Mccallister. He doesnt have the upside of betances but his control was oustanding in tampa and at his age, that is a pretty good sign. He was a third round pick in 2006 out of highschool and just finished off an outstanding season. I know that was just A ball and i dont know a heck of a lot about him- maybe you or someone else can discuss his pitches but i do like the numbers he put especially the walks. 21 walks in 144 innings is downright spectacular for a 21 year old and particularly, while giving up 14 less hits than innings pitched. Do you know what he throws?
Nick,
I can see that but IMO they’d put Swisher in left and Damon in CF. Damon is obviously more familiar in CF and Swisher has said he doesn’t like CF (and from what I read he was absolutely horrible in center). Why would Girardi mess with that if Damon is better defensively (minus the arm) anyway?
I dunno. We’ll see. I think one of Melky/Gardner will come through and win the job (with Damon as the primary backup) so I’m biased.
I think Melky/Gardner will win the job too, but maybe they’ll want to put the best offensive team on the field sometimes when Wang is pitching. 3 seems like a low number. Maybe it’s a sucker bet and the answer will be 0.
I wonder if Aroid’s cousin is coaching the Dominican Ball team at the WBC ? More boli, Aroid ? Sure cuz, we’re all young and naive right ?
LOL.
dave,
I believe Pete posted that Girardi really liked McAllister but I could be wrong about that.
I could be wrong but I don’t see his upside as that of Brackman, Betances, or Garcia… but what is “upside” anyway?
The Yanks have a large pool of guys who could end up being solid major league pitchers. IMO, Betances, Brackman, and Garcia are the guys (Hughes + Joba excluded of course) who could compete for Cy Youngs but nobody ever knows with prospects.
Regardless, it’s pretty wonderful that we are looking at 10+ Yankee pitching prospects that all have a chance to be quality major leaguers. I can’t remember that in a while, if ever.
p.s. I’m still holding out hope for JB Cox. I thought he had a great chance to be a great reliever. He has fallen pretty far fast but I think he could pick himself back up this season if he can get/stay healthy.
two things:
How does the rotation set up?
and who is the bridge to mo this yr.? Im not so sure i like marte there.
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Nick,
3 is definitely low IF they decide Swisher is better off in center than Damon.
I think the best offensive lineup includes Damon and if Melky/Gardner aren’t playing, I see Damon in center.
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LOL.
michelle b,
I’d like to see
CC
Wang
AJ
Andy
Joba
I think the only real question is whether or not Wang is ahead of AJ.
I think Bruney will get the chance to be the 8th inning guy though I do like Marte. He is not just a lefy specialist. He has been a closer at times and can handle the 8th IMO.
It will also be fun to see how Melancon does in the coming weeks. If he lives up to the hype, he could be “the guy”.
I also want it to be:
CC
Wang
AJ
Pettitte
Joba
Bridge to Mo? An evolving role.
I think we’re all forgetting to talk about the most natural thing that baseball has ever experienced: KEN GRIFFEY JR.
Pay attention to the moment Griffey puts a Mariners jersey again. If you look closely you will notice that he will transform back into his 23 year old self and then proceed to hit 900 home runs! You may also notice how handsome he is? I wouldnt be surprised if the economy starts to pick up because of this.
Nice insight, Pat!
Rotoworld.com lists their top 10 Yankee prospects:
http://www.rotoworld.com/conte.....&pg=3
(the rest of the AL East is included in the article)
Boston Dave,
I think Girardi will rotate guys in the pen, including for the 8th. I agree that Bruney may be the best option. I think the depth chart in the pen would go something like:
Mo
Bruney
Marte
Ramirez (except against the Angels)
Robertson/Veras
With Melancon waiting in AAA for the first call up. That assumes they stick to the plan to have Coke start in AAA.
I don’t know if this site is any good but here’s a list of some of the Yanks top prospects:
http://www.scoutingbook.com/prospects/NYY
Looked at the site briefly…it kind of lost all credibility with me when it ranked Eric Duncan # 11 (ahead of McAllister) and said he was Shelley and Chris Duncan’s cousin (which he’s not)…..
It’s great that we have some exciting prospects, but I’m really interested in the 25 man roster and those in line to step up if any issues should arise.
I want to think about tomorrow tomorrow.
rodg,
Did you see that sick block by Shannon Brown last night against Atlanta? They have the video up at Ball Don’t Lie. Sick.
Clare,
You’re prob right. I also like Albaladejo. I think he’s a sleeper this season.
According to Melancon, he is under the impression that he has a chance to make the team from the get-go if he performs in spring training. I suppose that’s a real possibility. If he’s as good as advertised, and he’s certainly motivated, he may force the Yanks hand.
Boston Dave,
I think the reason i LIKE mcallister is because while not having the amazing pure talent of some of these guys, he already seems like at the age of 21 in A ball, he has completely harnessed his control. Betances on the other hand has to make such gigantic strides to actually ever make it to the majors that while he does have enormous upside there is also a huge chance he will never make it because of how far he still has to go. I feel that is not so with mcallister. Although i will admit that I barely know anything about the guy outside of his stats and that he is a legit prospect in the farm.
I dont even know what his ceiling is – i remember reading a mid rotation starter which doesnt seem all that optimistic. Either way, that kind of impeccable control at the age of 21 is the kind of thing that really impresses me. It takes a ton of time to be able to have that kind of walk to strikeout ratio and still have a whip close to 1 giving up less hits than innings pitched. Just another guy to add to the already large list of pitching talents.
While jb cox certainly has talent, I dont think any one placed on him the kind of expectations that melancon has received. If you are waiting for the best reliever in baseball someday to come out of th e yankees farm system – look no further than melancon. JB was said to be like a scot shields if everything worked out for him and he reached his ceiling. Instead, he has hit a wall and at his best, he would have been a solid eighth inning guy. He might still pan out but I would transfer some of that jb anticipation over to excitement for melancon. Not only is he far more likely to pan out and reach his ceiling but his ceiling is quite a bit higher than JB’s ever was.
steroids
Nick, I put the over/under on Swisher starting in CF at 15 games and I still take the over.
I think they are going to find it hard to keep him on the bench unless he plays CF worse than Damon.
I also have a strange feeling Melky doesn’t leave camp with the Yankees. I think his banishment will be Cano insurance. Just a hunch.
I think they’ll let Melky build his value up with a good spring and trade him.
Otherwise, if he tanks this spring I doubt he leaves for NY.
Can they still send him down?
Melky is out of options, if I recall correctly. 15 seems like a more realistic number than 3.
Also, David Letterman is breaking blog rules in his monologue!
Nick.
23.5
-dennis
With Griffey signing with the M’s will we flip Nady or Swisher to the Braves?
dennis, I think your number might be the one that gets the most action on both sides, which is of course the idea.
Insomnia?
Why does pete have the ability to ban people from this site but not use it on any commentators like the ones above? Dont they deserve to be banned for that nonsense they wrote more than I do for writing long posts at times? At least I contribute and i have been reading and writing in this blog for years. What do these people do? They come in here and annoy us for a little while and leave adding nothing to the conversation whatsoever. Shouldnt they be banned from the site?
Insomnia, yes.
I am still stunned you did not respond to my CAL plug yesterday.
-dennis
dennis: I missed a CAL plug??? I didn’t see it. I have a policy to respond to all CAL plugs.
Sorry you can’t sleep. It’s just approaching midnight out here, I’m still too hyped up from LOST to sleep. Yikes.
Nick in SF
February 19th, 2009 at 2:40 am
Melky is out of options, if I recall correctly. 15 seems like a more realistic number than 3.
Also, David Letterman is breaking blog rules in his monologue!
————————————————————
Cabrera’s last option was used last year when he spent more than 21 days in the minors. Players have 4 options. They can be optioned 50 times in one year, but, that still counts as just one option.
I guess everyone here is just a little too intimidated by the awesomeness of the signing of King Griffey Jr. It’s ok people. Let your feelings out because everyone else is feeling the same way you are. This is the greatest day in modern history. Speak your joy of the glory of Griffey. Everything will be ok.
Nick.
I thought Arod did OK but stated he just isn’t very articulate and after all he “didn’t go to Berkeley”..
I thought I hit a triple with the line but then realized I was born on third base…
Thanks on the sleep thing. I trade crude oil so sleep is for the weak these days.
-dennis
If Griffey stays healthy enough to play in 100 games, he may hit 15 homers and drive in 65, with a .245-.250 average, especially in that airport.
How many words can we make from the forbidden word?
-diet
-side
-toes
-dress
-riot
-rest
-dirt
-sir
-stir
Ah, somehow that gem of a line got past me. I hope your recounting of that blog anecdote didn’t run afoul of the temporary rules. I think it should be.
Crude oil trading, eh? I hope you have your blood pressure checked regularly.
I Griffey stays healthy enough to play 30 games hell end poverty.
Boston Dave,
I can certainly see Melancon heading north with the team instead of Robertson or Veras, depending on how they each do. IIRC, Albie looked good last year before the injury.
I think Melky did well enough in winter ball to get another shot (unless of course, he tanks in the spring).
Dennis,
You realize your name appears on the top of the box right? You still felt the need to type it on the bottom? just curious
Clare, unless Veras and Ramirez completely crash and burn or get traded, they’ll go north, regardless of what Melancon does.
Michael Emerson just revealed on Jimmy Kimmel that LOST is an acronym that stands for:
Lamar Odom Shoots Two
And he was fouled.
Spooky!
Of the group, Veras is the one I think is the shakiest.
I know Ramirez can have spectacular meltdowns, but I think Veras is more erratic more often.
My blood pressure is fine unless I have a play on the over in a meaningless MAC game in November..
The only good thing about trading is that my wife and I live here in Savannah until May and then head up to a Maine island from May until Dec 1st. I can do the job from any location.
Sorry about the potential blog violation. I was quoting an idiot.
-dennis
Clare,
I think melancon could easily take Geise’s place in the pen. What is the point of having a guy to come in and pitch games that we likely already lost when we have a huge number of arms anyway. Long relief pitchers are just to send out there to pitch in blow outs for the most part. I dont think we will have many of those (at least not on the losing side) and we have such an abundance of bullpen arms we really can keep everyone fresh without sending someone out there to get rocked for a few innings. Plus, with our offense, even being down by six runs should be a burden that could be overcome.
I also dont think albadejo has proved a thing yet and unless he has an amazing spring, I dont think he should be taken up before any of the other guys yet. He should be one of the first called up if he is doing well though. And that still leaves us eight guys if coke is involved in the mix – Mo, Marte, Bruney, Melancon, Ramirez, Veras, Coke and Robertson. At that point, I think we could send coke down to try as a starter, send melancon down if he needs more time or send veras down because he is probably the least talented of that group.
dave.
I always sign my name. Thanks for the heads up.
-dennis
The MAC truly is the Conference of the Damned. I still get cold sweats remembering Toledo’s whale of a coach grinning as he made some boneheaded call that killed a spread 3 years ago.
::shudder::
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....ef=writers
brilliant article by tom verduci. good read.
LOL. He makes me feel thin and handsome. Actually so does Francessa.
-Have a good night. Later.
-dennis
Clare
February 19th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Of the group, Veras is the one I think is the shakiest.
I know Ramirez can have spectacular meltdowns, but I think Veras is more erratic more often.
————————————————————
I still think that now that Griffey is out of the picture, Atlanta reopens trade talks with NYY about Swisher or Nady, and either or both Veras or Ramirez is included, with a preference to moving Ramirez. Veras has too much upside/value to be just a throw-in. All depends on what the other team is offering. The Braves, in particular, though prefers a left handed bat to platoon with Diaz, unless they get tired of Francoeur. They might need to go with Nady, for the power and protection for Jones, and that would be Nady.
bardos,
I should have known better than to click the link when I saw brilliant and Verducci in the same sentence. But really, it is just a space-filler from last year – a trite, snarky article that says nothing, and violates the rules of the day.
I agree about veras – stuff wise, he just doesnt appear to be as good as the others. Also, something to consider is that by and large this bullpen walks hitters by the truck load. For the most part, they have excellent stuff but the control seems a bit shaky. Robertson walked 15 in 30, Veras walked 29 in 57,
Edwar walked 24 in 55.Bruney walked 16 in 34 and albadejo walked 6 in 13. All together, that is probably over 4 walks per 9 or close to it. Mo and marte help with their control but adding two guys like coke and melancon would really boost the overall control numbers. The last thing we want to see is a reliever coming in during a tight spot in a game and immediately surrending a walk.
We need those guys in the pen that can get a strikeout on command and we need guys that we know will not surrender a walk no matter what. I dont think we have any need for geise and albadejo and veras could just as easily go back to scranton to improve. If we add melancon and coke to mo and marte we have four guys with good to impeccable control and 3 guys in bruney, edwar and robertson that can get a strikeout on command. Thats also two lefties which is nice. I also that gives us the most talent and the least question marks.
Welcome to the all natural blog. I will now proceed to mention drugs in 4 paragraphs of this opening post.
It is like watching Basil Fawlty trying not to mention the war!
Really? Sorry dennis for some reason I just noticed it now. Maybe because there is almost no one in here so it is pretty obvious to me. Its like a trademark as long as you enjoy it why not?
GB7,
I hope you’re wrong – I’d like to see both Swisher and Nady in the Bronx. But I think the Yankees will hold on to Swisher for an emergency 1B.
I also agree that both Veras and Ramirez will be surpassed sometime soon by the arms in the minors, so either or both could be trade bait at some point. Don’t see quite the upside to Veras that you see, however.
I think melancon could easily take Geise’s place in the pen. What is the point of having a guy to come in and pitch games that we likely already lost when we have a huge number of arms anyway. Long relief pitchers are just to send out there to pitch in blow outs for the most part.
——————-
Melancon couldn’t replace Giese because they are vying for completely different roles.
Giese would be a spot starter/long man whereas Melancon would support the setup trio like Bruney, Veras, and Marte with the bridge to Mo.
Now Aceves could be interchangeable with Giese because he’s a guy who could spot start or pitch 3-4 innings at a time to save the other arms in the pen.
Melancon did pitch 3-4 innings several times last season but it was to build up his arm strength because he was only averaging 10-11 pitches an inning.
But Giese and Melancon are not interchangeable. Two completely different roles.
dave.
It is my way of showing sincerity on a rival’s blog. Right or wrong. I have been posting here for well over a year and always try to be consistent.
Have a good night.
-dennis
Pete never said he wanted to stop talking about it, he just said he wanted us to stop but he did but it to a semi-vote which was nice.
Dennis,
I have no problem with it. I actually like it. I just thought it was odd at first but it makes more sense to me once i thought about it. Have a good night.
I dont know how into franceour I would be – He looked great in 06 but since then, has taken a nose dive off a big cliff. In 2007, his power numbers fell off but his average improved so it could be inferred that he changed his swing to hit for less power and more contact but then, both his power and average fell to hell last season and now, it is very disconcerting.
Guisseppe,
My whole point was why exactly do we absolutely need a spot taken up by someone specifically there for long relief – ie the blowout games that we either definitely cant win or def cant lose.
First off, there is really no game we definitely cant win with this offense so putting in a guy like geise for mop up duty isnt ideal and we have so many arms we really dont need a pitcher specifically to pitch when we are up by many runs. Now, there will be a few games where a pitcher has to come out early for one reason or another but a guy like coke could actually serve in that role if need be and also be used for short stints as well or we could just mix and match for a few innings. I know melancon is a setup guy and geise is just a poor starter that could pitch the innings merely to eat up innings but its really a waste of a spot IMO.
Frankly, Geise is one of those guys that is there to pitch innings that you dont want anyone with actual talent to pitch. But this team has enough depth and talent especially to start the year that this role is not needed. We have enough pen depth in AAA to keep everyone fresh and girardi is excellent when it comes to that. We also have enough talent that we dont need a roster spot to be taken up by a pitcher who just needs to get us through the innings.
Finally, coke is just so versatile that if anyone should take the rule of potential long man, it should be him and he could serve dual roles by having the ability to pitch effectively for several innings or come in for one inning and strike out the side without letting up anything. Maybe Im giving geise too little credit and he could do multiple things but the main point is we should not have a guy on the team to come in for to pitch inconsequential mop out duty innings.
Clare
February 19th, 2009 at 3:39 am
GB7,
I hope you’re wrong – I’d like to see both Swisher and Nady in the Bronx. But I think the Yankees will hold on to Swisher for an emergency 1B.
I also agree that both Veras and Ramirez will be surpassed sometime soon by the arms in the minors, so either or both could be trade bait at some point. Don’t see quite the upside to Veras that you see, however.
————————————————————
I agree that of the two outfielders, I’d prefer to keep Swisher. Nady has power, but, he just doesn’t appear to be an AL type hitter…zero patience and strikes out way too much. I just think that NYY may have two very unhappy outfielders in Swisher and Nady (especially, Nady). Nady will be going after a big contract and less at bats won’t help that at all. Swisher, just given the type of hitter he is, won’t be as productive as a platoon type player.
Veras, while he has some command and control issues, just has more talent than Ramirez. Ramirez makes too many mistakes because he’s really only got the one pitch. You just can’t throw five change-ups in a row to hitters and he’s got limited control of a fair to mediocre fastball.
NYY got a lot of mileage from both, though, last year. Ramirez is really just a good throw-in in a deal. Veras could actually bring back a fairly decent return to a team that’s close (Detroit/St. Louis/Texas) needing relief help. Keep in mind, this is just the ramblings of a amateur speculation.
I didn’t say anything about NYY acquiring Francoeur. I said that Atlanta’s not happy with him and the contract demands with his up and down career. Lots of talent, but, not a good mix for NYY. Kansas City maybe, for Teahen.
GB7,
I like your amateur speculation, especially on the kids.
I’m clinging to your assessment that Montero can stick as a catcher over all the “experts.” Did you catch any of the multiple times I’ve commented that I saw his one and only AB last spring training?
And I don’t disagree at all with anything you’ve said about Veras and Ramirez, it’s just a feeling I get with Veras – he makes me more nervous.
Can Mike Francessa have an all natural program tomorrow too?
RGR
No.
As Atrios would say, this has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
Veras does have very good stuff. In fact, he has three pitches (FB, curve, and change) – and two of them are plus pitches (FB and curve).
It’s true Veras has a problem with allowing too many walks – but the same argument is true for everyone in that Yankee pen not named Mo or Coke (albeit a small sample) at the major league level and Melancon in the minors.
Bullpen walk totals in 2008 (per 9IP):
Mo: 6 BB in 70.2 (0.76 per 9 IP)
Coke: 2 BB in 14.2 IP (1.2 per 9 IP)
Farnsworth: 17 BB in 44.1 IP (3.5 per 9 IP)
Joba: 14 BB in 35 IP (3.6 per 9 IP)
Marte: 26 BB in 65 IP (3.6 per 9 IP)
Hawkins: 17 BB in 41.0 IP (3.7 per 9 IP)
Edwar: 24 BB in 55.1 IP (3.9 per 9 IP)
Albaladejo: 6 BB in 13.2 IP (4.0 per 9 IP)
Bruney: 16 BB in 34.1 IP (4.2 per 9 IP)
Ohlendorf: 19 BB in 40.0 IP (4.3 per 9 IP)
Veras: 29 BB in 57.2 IP (4.5 per 9 IP)
Robertson: 15 BB in 30.1 IP (4.5 per 9 IP)
And for the sake of argument:
Juan Cruz: 31 BB in 51.2 IP (a whopping 5.4 per 9 IP)
I cant say I have seen jose up close but he has never really looked impressive when i have seen him pitch. Further, his minor league numbers are really very mediocre across the board. The only innings in which he looked impressive were in scranton last season and that is a tiny sample size of just 13 innings. Outside of that, its all very unimpressive and mediocre as are his scouting ratings In 442 innings and 7 seasons in the minors, compiling a 1.42 whip which equals his whip in the bigs.
He is averaging nearly 4 walks per 9 which is pretty terrible while giving up a hit per inning. The positive is the strikeouts but we have plenty of arms with more talent stuff-wise than veras who are wild but can rack up the strike outs.Veras is 28 and has yet to show true talent and amongst the other guys he finishes out of the top of the list. Edwar not only has better numbers but also racks up Ks and adds a different look to the pen with his change.
apology time:
for anyone who accused ARod of lying about his cousin injecting him
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....NHeadlines
I don’t know if anybody here did but ESPN kept putting “his cousin” in quotes as if ARod was full of it.
Of course, the people who refuse to believe Alex under any circumstances (and are enjoying the witch hunt) will suggest that he paid his cousin off to corroborate the story.
Giuseppe,
I agree. Veras has nasty stuff. If he ever learned to command it, he would be filthy.
Of course it seems like a longshot that at this point in his career he’ll make much progress.
Juan Cruz is the Daisuke of relievers.
living on the edge…. walk a guy or two, strike out two
over the past 2 seasons he’s had 158k in 112 innings with 63 walks.
my apology in advance for the ARod post even though I think it’s an update… I completely forgot about the mandate.
Pete, please delete my post!
You were discussing trading guys and you dropped franceours name at some point. I just assumed you meant trade for him.
I totally agree (for a change) with you about nady and swisher . Nady is definitely not in the mood to platoon in a contract year and swish is looking to turn his career around. He doesnt want to do that playing part-time. I think we should wait until the market gets fired up for a little added offensive production and then, sell nady off to the highest bidder. It wont be much midseason but it will be something useful.
I never thought either veras or ramirez were all that great. Neither of them seems to have amazing stuff, both of them have a fair amount of control issues and neither of them instills confidence in me when they walk out of the pen. I dont exactly see what veras has done or shown to make you think he is any better than edwar but frankly, I wouldnt be suprised if both of them flopped eventually. Whatever decent return we could get out of veras (if we actually could) we should do it.
We dont need him and we have similar kinds of pitchers who have far more talent. I was hoping the yanks could send off veras, nady and aceves or kennedy ages ago when we needed starting pitching before pettitte re-signed. I still wouldnt mind packaging those three together as I think combined that would net a very sweet return.
Frankly, Geise is one of those guys that is there to pitch innings that you dont want anyone with actual talent to pitch. But this team has enough depth and talent especially to start the year that this role is not needed. We have enough pen depth in AAA to keep everyone fresh and girardi is excellent when it comes to that. We also have enough talent that we dont need a roster spot to be taken up by a pitcher who just needs to get us through the innings.
——————
After what happened last season, there’s not a chance that Girardi doesn’t take a long man with him up north.
Bet your arse on it.
Guys like Ohlendorf, Albaladejo, and Britton were pitching 3-4 innings quite a bit last year, especially early in the season, and they weren’t very good in that role.
He got burned not having a long man in April last year and he’s not going to make that mistake again. Even though he doesn’t pitch all that often – it’s better to burn your long man once or twice than a few of your setup men.
Keep in mind that Giese was excellent in that long man role last season and he has no more options left. If Aceves or Coke becomes the long man, then Giese will get DFA’d.
They thought enough of Giese to keep him over Chase Wright (another young lefty in the organization), so it seems like he has the inside track of getting that long man role unless he falls on his face in ST.
That said, Giese is 32 years old and had never really excited anyone with his ability until last season. It’s entirely possible that last year was his Aaron Small moment and he could revert back into a pumpkin.
Boston Dave,
Amnesion or alcohol? (Re: forgetting the ban) I saw that about an hour ago but restrained myself. (pats self on back)
BTW – why are you still up? No work tomorrow?
ummm, that should be amnesia
Clare,
hah, it was just a memory lapse coupled with the mild excitement of seeing you-know-who’s story backed up.
I’m taking the winter off. I quit my job in Boston and came out to San Diego for a bit. Yes, I’m enjoying it
what are you doing up??
Clare
February 19th, 2009 at 4:14 am
GB7,
I like your amateur speculation, especially on the kids.
I’m clinging to your assessment that Montero can stick as a catcher over all the “experts.” Did you catch any of the multiple times I’ve commented that I saw his one and only AB last spring training?
And I don’t disagree at all with anything you’ve said about Veras and Ramirez, it’s just a feeling I get with Veras – he makes me more nervous.
————————————————————
Any time Veras or Ramirez comes into the game, I start going into epilectic fits, including, foaming at the mouth.
I spent all last summer watching the kids in Charleston (about 70-75 games) and those kids could pitch and they could hit. Fielding was the issue. Montero has unreal power….high line drives…not high fly balls…much like Rodriguez’ power. Now, before everybody claims that that I’m saying he’s Rodriguez…only saying that’s the type of power….high line drives. His defense is better than Romine’s.
Everybody drools over Matt Wieters, but claims that Montero’s to big to be a catcher. He’s not as big as Wieters or Mauer, for that matter. He’s not a fat slob…just a big kid, but, a proper diet will turn him into a perfect physique.
Insomnia.
And I do have work in the morning.
Lucky you for having the winter off. And San Diego is beautiful. Hope you’re having fun.
I can appreciate that, but I wanna say this. Now that the dust in settling I wanna know who in MLB channels, media channels and or other team management released ARod’s name and not the others? Who tried to nullify the Yankees with the possibilty of having a great pitching team and a one two punch of ARod and Tex? Yes who? Someone needs to investigate this and do it now. If not, release everyone’s name NOW….
GB7,
I wanted to make a trip to Charleston last summer after hearing your reports, but couldn’t swing it.
I didn’t think Montero looked that big last year. I’m sure I’m repeating myself, but when he came to the plate in spring training I started telling my dad all about him (best power prospect in the organization, only 18, etc.) and then he hits a monster HR to right field. It was great. I hope I get to see him this year too.
Lots of fun… and I am dealing with the insomnia as well. Good luck with work… in a few hours.
Guiseppe,
Its no secret the pen had massive and pervasive control issues last year but it is not every single one of them. There are just so many with major issues that it seems like it is. Guys like Mo Marte, Coke and Melancon if all in the pen at the same time will counteract guys like ramirez, bruney, robertson and veras. First, i think albadejos 6 in 13 last year was a complete fluke and he average less than 2 per 9 in his career (550 innings) so you can add him to the four guys with control and thats five. Also, those five guys have superb control for the most part so they counteract the others nicely.
Aceves also has some tremendous control if the yanks would consider using him in the pen late. Also, we should take Edwar or veras in order to reach seven so we will have four great control guys and three power-stuff guys who can rack up the Ks. With Albadejo, melancon, Mo and marte we are talking about really limiting the walks. And while i dont hold any delusions that veras, ramirez or robertson will ever really be able to really limit their walks, i do think Bruney has progressively improved his control each season falling from almost 1 per inning to about 4/9 and will continue to improve even more
Green Beret,
I think Montero will get more credit for playing catcher if he gets better defensively. Word on the street, right or wrong, is that he is struggling. He obviously has time but if he were playing better behind the plate I think people would be less likely to dismiss it as a long term position.
Not to mention, the Yanks have Austin Romine who could end up being an excellent catcher and ideally they’d find a spot for both guys I guess.
Wow, lot’s of people up. For the second thread in a row, Dunn is a relief pitcher now, dave. McAllister has conquered A and will be in AA unless it’s too cold in Trenton. Heredia will be in Tampa and so will probably Bleich.
I’m not in support of this hunger strike, the issue *is* a part of baseball… by 1pm you guys will crack, and Pete will crack by 3pm.
GB,
I missed the line that his D is better than Romines. Is that correct? I’ll certainly yield to your opinion because you’ve seen them in person but from what I’ve read it’s the opposite.
Guys,
Notice the capital D in front of this other Daves name. That is not me just in case anyone got confused.
for the record, I’d stay as far away from Francoer as possible. It’s Gorkys or better… or no deal.
Giuseppe,
excellent points re: the long man
Alby and Ohlendorf were clearly affected by the extra innings. I didn’t realize Giese was out of options either.
Boston Dave,
GB7 has consistently had a contrarian view on Montero, which I like much better.
As with Posada, it’s such an advantage to get real offensive production out of a catcher, so I hope GB7′s right.
Meanwhile, I think I’m out of here. Goodnight Boston Dave, goodnight dave, goodnight GreenBeret7, goodnight John-boy. (yes, I’m dating myself).
Yea phil, it was difficult to get anyone to make me a list so i made one haphazardly and figured people would correct what was wrong and then, I would know. Thanks for the info. I must have missed that discussion about dunn. This is the first I am hearing of it this week. Now, that you mention it though, i DO vaguely remember someone saying that at some point. Dunn was pretty terrible last year so its not much of a surprise anyway.
I figured mccallister would move up as he was dominating last year in A ball. I just didnt know whos spot he was taking. its a little messy right now trying to figure the rotation for the three levels out. Not even triple A seems very clear cut with no one really knowing where coke is going at the end of ST or what he will end up being.
I did mention heredia and bleich as the first to take over as people moved up or out right under the post though but what happened to alan horne and steven white? And is betances also moving up to AA this season? Im sure de la rosa needs more time though. And is anyone getting a promotion in double A? I imagine there is no room to move up.
I do agree – franceur is a disaster waiting to happen.
goodnight Clare… I like GB’s analysis better too.
Joba scoring some points with the ladies (and a very lucky lady indeed)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5_d7Y0kfuc
Dave,
Like most diehard Yankee fans, I love Melancon and I hope he makes the team out of ST.
I just don’t think it’s going to happen because they may want him to spend a little more time in Scranton to start the season and the other reason is that he’s not on the 40-man roster.
It’s also not out of the question that because the organization is so high on Melancon that they may want to keep him in Scranton for a few weeks to delay his free agency one more season (ala Evan Longoria last season).
That’s why guys Edwar, Veras, Coke, and even Robertson may have the edge over Melancon coming out of ST.
No matter what happens, though – Melancon will be part of that bullpen by June or July if not sooner as long as he continues to progress and stay healthy.
Frankly, I’ve never been a fan of Edwar Ramirez and Veras scares me every time he comes into the game.
But Veras does have a better arsenal than Ramirez. Edwar is dust if he can’t spot his essentially fastball – which is often.
Veras throws in the mid-90s and has an excellent curve ball. His change isn’t bad either.
But neither of these guys are going to return much in a trade by themselves. They’d have to be part of a package deal and I’m not so sure the Yanks are going to trade Nady or Swisher at this point.
Cashman isn’t going to give them away and I don’t think he’ll trade either Nady or Swisher unless it really makes sense. Given the Braves’ budget – the Yanks may have to pay a large portion of his contract and it may make more sense to keep them both, especially given Matsui’s health issues.
“They thought enough of Giese to keep him over Chase Wright (another young lefty in the organization), so it seems like he has the inside track of getting that long man role unless he falls on his face in ST.”
I dont mean to knock your post but why did you say another lefty? Geise is a righty.
Also, if the reason they are bringing geise to ny is because they think he will do well then, thats fine but if they are bringing him because they feel they may need a long man after last years many disasters, that is just dumb. Mainly, because they could call a long man up when they actually need one. And our starting rotation is 100 times stronger than it was on opening day last year when pavano was starting.
However, your post had some validity because I did not realize he was completely out of options until you just said so. That definitely does change my opinion and i now think that geise should be brought up most likely unless he really does terribly this spring. But he should not be used solely as a long man and he should not be retained if he is doing badly just because the yanks could lose him. I hate wasting roster spots like that. Geise is not fantastic but he certainly is far from bad so this could work out.
The problem with this whole argument is that most people who say montero is not a great catcher do not say he is not a great catcher defensively because of his size. I hear people say that he just is not that athletic and not nearly as athletic as weiters. Therefore, he is having much more trouble learning the foot work and everything that goes along with being an average defensive MLB catcher.Weiters is apparently supremely athletic like brackman and montero while also very big is not nearly as athletic as they are. I dont know that for sure but that is the reasons I have heard primarily for why people think weiters will succeed at catcher yet, everyone believes montero will eventually be forced to move.
Giuseppe,
“It’s also not out of the question that because the organization is so high on Melancon that they may want to keep him in Scranton for a few weeks to delay his free agency one more season (ala Evan Longoria last season).”
(another) very good point.
I also agree on Veras. His stuff blows Edwar’s out of the water IMO. But Veras needs better control and Edwar needs a better fastball. I still feel like Edwar is going to give up a HR every timehe goes out there. Just me…
I’m guessing the Braves have around $4-5M in their budget for the right guy (though I’m sure they would try to get as much $ as they could. The Yanks would possibly only need to pick up a small amount of Nady’s contract (assuming of course that the Braves pony up the right prospect(s))
Montero’s defensive issues are mechanical. He needs help on his footwork, which is what Tony Pena fixes. He has good, quick hands. Romine’s issues are also mechanical as far as footwork goes. That can be corrected. He also has slow hands. That can’t be taught. Ask PAT M. He’s seen Romine and Higashioka catch since high school and says the same thing. Romine is athletic and has pretty decent footspeed. He’d be a candidate for a corner outfield, especially left field. His arm would be a weapon and he can cover that big left and left center area.
Dave,
Long men tend not to be used often but can be extremely valuable.
For instance, suppose Burnett comes up lame after pitching a couple of innings and then the next night Pettitte has a rough outing and comes out of the game early after just a few innings himself.
That’s a lot of innings your pen has to burn when you don’t have along man. The long man could pitch 4 innings one night and guys like Robertson, Edwar, and Veras could split the other innings.
It doesn’t take much to overwork a bullpen and Girardi certainly learned that last season.
Every team, no matter how strong their rotation – will have a guy designated as the long man in that pen.
As I said, they may not be used all that often – but they can really save the other members of the pen a lot of wear and tear.
It’s a much more important role than you think.
Guiseppe
The yanks only need to keep him in AAA a few more weeks to delay his FA an entire season?
I think melancon has spent long enough in AAA last season and proved enough while there to warrant a promotion but for all the other reasons you mentioned, i think there is a decent chance he wont be up in april but it has nothing to do with him not being ready i dont think.
Veras may have the better arsenal but ramirez must do something because he has the beter results and all with only one effective pitch. I like ramirez because he does add another loook to the long line of power guys coming out of the pen. Its nice to be able to change it up a bit for the hitter literally and figuritively. Alone – neither of them would net us anything i agree. I also dont think either of them will turn out to be anything special athough I would rather see ramirez start the year in the bronx if i had to choose.
I never said or meant that they would make that trade now. I said that they should do it midseason and throw in one of the younger pitchers too to get a little more value. Nady plus veras plus aceves would land us something pretty useful i would think.
Somehow with edwar’s complete lack of control and lack of any secondary pitch he gets it done. He had a whip of 1 for his minor league career of 277 innings and an era of 2.37. He also displayed much better control than he did last year. Although they appeared similar control wise last season ie both were terrible with walks per nine over 4.5, veras complete lack of control is more of a trend while ramirez displayed much more control in the minors. In fact, while ramirez was sporting a whip very close to 1, veras was more around 1.4. So while it would appear that veras could be the more effective pitcher, their career stats show otherwise. In the end, I dont think either of them will be all that effective major leaguers this year but i still think ramirez has the better shot at success based on past performance
Guiseppe,
I think it could be helpful to have a guy who can pitch multiple innings when the starter gets knocked out or leaves early but i dont think that should be the sole purpose of one guy in the pen. He could play that role but I dont think that is the only role that pitcher should play. That is why I like coke as the long reliever/spot starter/middle innings guy. He has the ability to form many roles with only one spot on the roster being taken up. But if geise either makes the team or gets put on waivers, id rather he make the team as long as he is pitching alright. He will definitely get picked up and I think we should keep him as geise has not really given us any reason to think he cant pitch in the majors.
The yanks only need to keep him in AAA a few more weeks to delay his FA an entire season?
————–
Yes, here’s what a Tampa columnist wrote last season about Longoria. This effected the Rays a lot more than the Yanks business-wise simply because they are in a different financial planet.
But the Yanks could still keep Melancon in Scranton a few weeks for this reason if everyone else is pitching well.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports.....423269.ece
Sometime in the next few days the Rays have to choose whether Longoria is going to be their starting third baseman on opening day, or whether he will return to Triple A for another month or two.
Will an extra 100 at-bats in the minors benefit Longoria?
Probably not.
Will that extra time in the minors benefit the Rays?
Immensely.
You see, shipping Longoria back to Durham would certainly not be popular, but keeping him on the opening day roster would probably not be wise.
This is a long-term business decision, pure and simple. No, it is not fair to Longoria. And, no, it is not going to go over well on the airwaves. But it is a fairly logical choice for a team with limited revenues.
There are lots of rules, procedures and technicalities involved, but reducing it to the most basic of truths:
If Longoria is on the roster on March 31, he will probably be eligible for free agency after 2013. If he is in the minors until late April, he won’t be a free agent until after 2014.
That means the Rays could either keep Longoria for a month in 2008 when he is just beginning his career and the team is not a contender, or they could hold on to him for an entire season in 2014 when he will be in his prime and the team might just be in better shape to contend.
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Obviously, the Yanks can pay anyone they want to keep so they are not at all in the same financial predicament that the Rays were a year ago (although they did end up signing him to a long term deal anyways).
But this delay in FA eligibility could be one of the reasons why they keep Melancon in Scranton for a few weeks.
I started yesterday getting my baseball fix without the S word. Can’t make it to Tampa, so I settled on a day in Cooperstown. That was good enough for me!!!
Can’t…. do…. it….
Need… drugs….
(help)
Thanks Pete!
. . . I feel so clean.
Didn’t some team trade for Arthur Rhodes last season/offseason and that was supposed to save their bullpen? Yikes.
Didn’t some team trade for Arthur Rhodes last season/offseason and that was supposed to save their bullpen? Yikes.
Giuseppe Franco – good point guy.
The Rays HAVE to keep him on the farm and get that extra year. Since they won’t be able to afford him as a FA, it gives them an extra year of Longoria. If they manage to sign Longonia before he’s a FA, it will save them $5-$10m.
Is it fair to the fans? Sure is! Another year of their best player and another year they might contend.
It is fair to Longoria? Well, withing the context of MLB, I think so. Barring Injury, he will probably be a millionaire by his first arb year. Down the road he is looking at a Tex-like deal. I can’t feel too badly that he will have to wait a ‘whole extra year’ before he signs a $100m contract.
We see so many sick salaries in baseball, we forget to put this in perspective. At 23, he will ONLY ge making a 1/3 of a million dollars. Yes, he is talented, but maybe so is our quasi-literate Dave, who at 23 will be pole dancing at some Gay Club to try and pay his way through Med School, so he may one day be a brain surgeon, and maybe, in 10 years, make 10% of what Longoria is making.
$350k is not really a terrible amount of money for a 23 year old to make. Perspective. There are many more talented people who will be homeless soon.
I think its great that we have all the options in the outfield that we do, but one thing i would like to see the yankees do is have a set group that can get comfortable playing there all year. having backups is good in case of injury or if someone needs rest but the one thing the yankees do that bothers me lately is juggle their outfield.
but who would they pick? and im i one of the only people that really likes nady?
thanks, pete.