Tune in tomorrow
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 29, 2009 
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This should be fun. I’m scheduled to be on WFAN at 8:05 a.m. tomorrow with Kim Jones and Adam Getstenhaber, who are filling in this week for Boomer and Carton.
We’ll be talking the Yankees and other stuff. So give a listen.
————
With that, I’m closing up the shop for today. Might go see The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Thanks to everybody for reading today. Mariners-Yankees tomorrow night.
Before seeing the Denzel/Travolta version of Pelham 123, go see the 1974 Walter Matthau/Frank Costanza version.
I’ll be tuning in – thanks for the heads up, Pete!
I forgot, no Boomer and Crazy this week. Maybe I will listen in to WFAN in the morning now
Nieve 3.1+ 11 hits 3 er so far
Tampa and Boston winning again… what else is new
Aaron Hill has .300 avg 19 Hr 56 rbi he should be the starter over Ian kinsler and Dustin pedoria
Please don’t see that movie.
Why?
Because if people stop going to these re-makes maybe Hollywood will stop producing them.
Also Tony Scott will give you a major headache with his music video quick cuts.
And Travolta’s a crappy villain.
Anyone see the movie hangover?
The Hangover is a amazing movie. I couldnt stop laughing.
I saw the Hangover. Its a amazing movie, i couldn’t stop laughing. Deff one of the best comedies i have ever seen
This year’s Tampa team is even more talented than last year’s, aside from the pen.
Shields and Garza are picking up right where they left off. Niemenn replaced Sonnenstein. Price replaced Jackson. Kazmir is healthy again. Crawford is having an amazing year after a down yr last year. Longoria is up for the full year. Pena leads the AL in HRs. Burrell is a nice bat they added.
They are for real. Like the Angels, they are surging now they they are healthy. The scary part is, a team like that built on speed and athleticism is not going to go through much of an offensive slump. As long as their pitching continues to be strong, they are going to be a force. We have our work cut out for us this summer.
I saw Pelham 123 and it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. Not my favorite Denzel flick, but Transformers Imax was awesome!
SA- I listened this morning Kim is pretty good on the radio.
I think we’re better than Tampa though. Our pitching is better and our offense is not far behind.
If Tex and Arod go on a tear at the same time then we could see the Yanks take off with the good pitching!
I saw the Hangover too. HILARIOUS.
I’m waiting for Bruno. That’s going to be awesome.
the one thing about the Rays, man they steal bases, they literally send everyone, it must drive pitchers and catchers crazy pitching out of the stretch but their bullpen is still very shaky and can be hit
I agree Erica. I was hysterical for the entire movie. Not sure how they got away with the ending of the movie though where they were showing the pictures.
Kim is much different on the radio gig. She more than held her own opposite Francesa a few months ago; probably why she wasn’t hired for that spot.
I suspect her instructions for questions on the postgame are much different than FAN, where she gets to play the role of analyst/journalist moreso than on YES. But then, in fairness to Kim, a lot of the questions on the postgame seem a bit silly.
Hangover is the funniest movie I’ve seen in years
Christina-
I read in Entertainment Weekly that when they were finishing up the movie, they knew it was so funny that the studio immediately started planning a sequal to possibly be set in Atlantic City. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing more Bradley Cooper.
Joe
What did you think of the question.
“Jorge were you upset when AJ lost the no hitter”?
jennifer June 29th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
SA- I listened this morning Kim is pretty good on the radio.
====================
Cool!
Though anything has to be better than that crazy Carton.
I read about that interview he had with Jennifer Capriati the other day. What an ~bleep~
Try to do something about all the nervous stuttering and stammering before you hit the air, Peter…
And if you have the chance to ask any question, try your best to spit it out in less than 5 minutes, will ya?
“BTW CB I went to Barnes and Noble last week and they didn’t have DeLillo’s ‘Underworld’. I went with ‘Americana’ as a substitute, it seemed interesting enough. It’s been great so far.”
Rob,
Let me know how Americana is. Haven’t read that one. I’m sure it’ll be very interesting to read that as that’s his first novel and to then read his later work. After you read it you have to read Underworld.
For the record, the Rays look GOOD tonight.
I really dislike Carton – really
From Pete Caldera’s blog:
“The Yankees have announced that Mark Teixeira will conduct an on-line chat on their Web site – yankees.com — tomorrow (Tuesday, June 30) at 3 p.m. So, get your questions ready.”
The other teams in the AL East should be very relieved that Tampa traded Edwin Jackson for Matt Joyce. That’s turned out to be a horrible trade for Tampa. Jackson’s having that breakout year everyone’s been waiting for and doing so in a big way. Tampa could really use him. Joyce doesn’t play much and they’ve scored a lot of runs.
Ivan Nova made his AAA debut and picked up right where he left off at AA. 5 2/3 IP/ 0 runs/1 hit/ 3 walks/ 5 K/ 7 ground outs to 5 flyouts. The game was only 7 innings long as they’re playing a double header tonight.
That’s a very impressive debut. Scouts have always liked Nova and to date his production hasn’t been there. But he’s having a very nice break through season. He’s becoming a valuable trading chip. He might be a better prospect than Kontos at this point.
I love Carton. He’s hysterical.
Redemption for McGehee. Castillo doesn’t feel bad for him anymore.
Erica -
Christina-
I read in Entertainment Weekly that when they were finishing up the movie, they knew it was so funny that the studio immediately started planning a sequal to possibly be set in Atlantic City. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing more Bradley Cooper.
—————————-
Thats great. Hopefully it comes close to being as good as the first one.
The Yankees official twitter account had that too Ed.
I really dislike Carton – really
========================
I’m with ya Uncle E
https://www.travelthatsfun.com:444/Tours.aspx/1004|GPC111309
Go on vacation with Nick Swisher.
http://www.savetheyankeegate2.com/images/show.jpg
There is an event tomorrow at Foley’s to save gate 2.
CB – I’ve noticed that Nova is starting to come on. Do you think he could become a part of a deal for Street?
Carton and Russo used to ride the same bus to school as kids.
It was short and yellow.
Hughes, 23, has helped solidify the bullpen since he was moved there in early June. He pitched 11/3 innings Sunday without giving up a hit and has allowed two runs, five hits and three walks in 12 innings (seven games) as a reliever, striking out 15. Cashman made it clear that Hughes’ future still is as a starter – like Chamberlain – but as of now, the bullpen is where he’s most valuable.
That’s not to say a trade can be ruled out. Two relievers the Yankees might be interested in are the Rockies’ Huston Street and the Astros’ Jose Valverde. But the Rockies, who entering last night were 22-7 since Jim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle, have played their way into wild-card contention and Astros owner Drayton McLane, whose team is playing better, isn’t a fan of conceding in midseason.
Though not always attention-grabbing, staying within the organization has its merits. Cashman said there was a catcher, whom he declined to name, “with a little money attached” he could have acquired earlier this season when Jorge Posada and Jose Molina went down. But Francisco Cervelli instead was moved up from Double-A, and he has handled pitchers superbly and held his own offensively.
Said Cashman, “The answer was right there in front of us.”
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....?track=rss
Adam Schein >>> Everyone else, except maybe Francessa
ajax hit his third homerun tonight…2 days in a row
Joe,
Scouts have always liked Nova’s stuff. But he’s been a guy for whom the production hasn’t matched his talent – until this year. And he’s having a big year and is only in 22 and in AAA.
He’s moved very fast over the past year to the point where he is now relatively young for his level. To put that in context – he started last year as a 21 year old in Tampa.
The Padres picked him in the rule V draft this year despite the fact that he never pitched above high A. That says a lot. Nova is the classic case for the kind of guy that one was worried the yankees would be forced to lose in the rule V do to their 40 man roster issues. Most teams would have protected an arm like that – the yankees couldn’t because they have so many young arms.
But fortunately Nova was bad in spring training for the Padres so they sent him back.
And he’s really having that huge breakout year. Tonight he had a no hitter into the 5th inning in his AAA debut. He throws in the low 90′s, has good control, and throws multiple good secondary pitches. He gets strike outs but his big calling card this year is inducing a ton of ground balls.
If he continues to pitch well in AAA he will have significant trade value. Arms like his are exactly what major league teams are putting a premium on.
I don’t know if street will be available, but I could see Nova being extremely attractive to the Rockies. They’ve very actively over the past several year really looked to acquire/develop pitchers that induce a lot of ground balls. They should have done this from the get go but the past few years they’ve focused on it and have had success getting those ground ball pitchers.
Nova fits their profile very well.
Schein is such a moron, but I think of him like Carton. Hilarious.
Tampa is a very good team. We need to play up to our potential every night and not go into another extended slump where nobody hits. If we do, Tampa will cruise right past us. As it is, they picked up 6 games on us during our slump last week. We won 5 in a row, so did they– about to win their 6th in a row tonight.
And Boston, as usual, silencing the Orioles.
Boston and Tampa are hot. But they won’t stay that way. They’ll go cold like we did.
It’s been hilarious watching the SNY shows at 5 everyday for the past 2 weeks and seeing how distraught they are… begging Omar for trades everyday…. etc.
guys…. gardner is NOT an everyday cf. he is a 4th outfeilder. he is 0 for his last 8 after his 5 hit game.
cashman must go out and get someone like a mike cameron or andru jones or someone to play cf for us
I don’t think two no hit games prove anything conclusively, just like the five hit game didn’t prove anything conclusively.
david wright went 0-11 in that series. I don’t see any mets wanting to find a new 3B.
0-8 is nothing.
CB
I saw Nova pitch a few weeks ago in Portland.
His FB seemed to be in the high 80s according to their gun but his change up and curve really seemed to have the hitters off balance. They were lunging at it quite a bit.
Carton can be a ass sometimes but he is really funny and thats why his rating is very high
“guys…. gardner is NOT an everyday cf. he is a 4th outfeilder. he is 0 for his last 8 after his 5 hit game.
cashman must go out and get someone like a mike cameron or andru jones or someone to play cf for us”
in case you didnt know…many players go 2 games with out getting a hit..even great player can go 5-6 games with out getting a hit…andrew jones and mike cameron are nothing but 1 year fixes…jones might not even be that
Randy Choate is doing a nice job suddenly
MaineYankee,
From what I know of Nova he usually around 90-92. Might not be accurate or perhaps on that day he was a tick slower. His fastball is effective more for it’s movement than it’s speed. And your observations are right – his secondary stuff is very good and his overall strength. Not many guys have a good third pitch in the minors (actually most decent prospects don’t even have a good second…). Nova has a very good second and third pitch. That makes his floor for success very high coupled with his control.
He looks like he’ll be a major league pitcher. That has a lot of value in a trade even if he only projects as a back end guy. He seems to have a reasonable probability of meeting that expectation.
“His FB seemed to be in the high 80s according to their gun but his change up and curve really seemed to have the hitters off balance. They were lunging at it quite a bit.”
He was sitting 93-94 mph tonight
CB
I know he’s young but whats your guess as to what he projects to, a #3 or #4?
I’m gonna miss the segment. Work. Get them to post it on the website Pete.
ajax another hr.
nice.
he is making a push to be called up.
Eyes and ears are sometimes are a better judge of velocity than a speed gun. They seem to vary alot from place to place.
Sox win again.
I don’t want him called up.
When he’s up he will struggle of course, and then you’ll never hear the end of the complaints.
The fan should be interesting as Kim Jones obviously has the Hots for our Peter
“Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail gets the sense that the Jays are ready to move Vernon Wells and/or Alex Rios for just about anything to free up enough money to keep Roy Halladay after next year. ”
=============
Rios??
here’s the link:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com.....le1200104/
MaineYankee,
I think he’s probably a 4-5. Maybe a 3 if everything worked out.
He’s had good control this year against advanced competition but not great. Given that he doesn’t strike a lot of guys out his control would have to get significantly better for him to profile better than that, IMO. I’m assuming he’ll continue to improve his control as his control was much better last year. It might be an adjustment period. That said, he’ll have to show that same plus control against advanced competition before you can factor that in.
And I’m saying this in no way as a knock on Nova. This was a kid who was in High A ball a year ago. He’s suddenly put it together and he’s clearly on the up swing. He’s not improving in a linear fashion so it’s still unclear how high his ceiling will go.
But just given what he’s doing now (rather than looking at his rate of improvement and trying to project) I’d say back end guy.
RalphieD (OPPC)
June 29th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
“guys…. gardner is NOT an everyday cf. he is a 4th outfeilder. he is 0 for his last 8 after his 5 hit game.
cashman must go out and get someone like a mike cameron or andru jones or someone to play cf for us”
in case you didnt know…many players go 2 games with out getting a hit..even great player can go 5-6 games with out getting a hit…andrew jones and mike cameron are nothing but 1 year fixes…jones might not even be that
——————————————————–
Gardner had 2 walks yesterday its amazing people are expecting him to hit in every game now. He is hitting 327 in May and 333 in June. He and Melky have been doing a good job. They are good role players on this team. I like having some younger players on this team instead of just a bunch of aging players.
I want Rios!
Jackson shouldn’t be called up until sept. He’s not ready yet and he needs to play every day
so, Red Sox up 4-0, bottom of the 9th, 2 runner on, 2 outs and they bring in Paplebon for the save…
Rios value is completely dependent on where you think he can play.
His value as a RF is entirely tied to his glove. He’s below average in RJ by a fair margin at the plate as a RF.
As a CF his bat is probably slightly above average. But I don’t know if he profiles as a full time CF anymore.
As a whole I think he’s an over rated player. For a corner he’s very over rated.
I’d take him as a CF’er.
Rios is owed a ton of money, so it would certainly be a straight salary dump.
I think you’re right that he’s slightly overrated but had his contract not been so bad it might have been worth looking at. I didn’t realize he’s signed through 2014 for big $ too.
Rios is overrated why do you think Toronto is trying to dump him. Melky is having a better season than Alex Rios.
CB
Trenton will be in Portland again thye first of Sept. and I plan to see them then.
They only come twice a year so I don’t get to see them much.
I did see Matsui when he was coming back from his broken wrist a couple of years ago. He was real good about giving autographs. Real classy.
Alex Rios:
10:$9.7M, 11:$12M, 12:$12M, 13:$12.5M, 14:$12.5M, 15:$13.5M club option ($1M buyout)
From Cots
Blog Shout Out from Neyer:
You can’t root against Mo
June 29, 2009 8:38 PM
From Pinstripe Alley’s mini-roundup of what they’re saying about Mariano Rivera’s 500th save, this little gem from Peter Abraham:
If you’ll permit me a personal aside, I’ve been doing this job since I was 17 and Mariano is the best athlete I have covered. He is the model of professionalism in how he approaches every aspect of his job, how he treats his teammates and how he treats those around the team, including reporters.
A few years ago, he blew a save and was not around after the game to talk to the writers. It turned out he had left the clubhouse quickly because one of his children was sick. The next day, he apologized and said he would be willing to answer any questions about the blown save. It’s easy to be gracious in victory but the true measure of a man is how he handles defeat and Mo always is there, win or lose.
If at some point, God willing, I’m an old man telling stories on a porch somewhere, the first thing I’ll say was that I got to cover the great Rivera. It has been a tremendously fun part of this job.
I’ve been rooting against the Yankees for as long as I’ve been a baseball fan, and not just on principle; when I was 10, the Yankees made me cry. But I’ve never been able to root against Mariano Rivera. I’ve never had anything like the connection with Rivera that Abraham has. I just can’t root against a player who displays such class, and carries himself with such dignity.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/swe.....st-Mo.html
CB, Edwin Jackson….GB & I mentioned his trade to Detroit with a raised eyebrow…This kid was lightening when he was pushed along by the last Dodger administration….We are going to be hearing alot about him for years to come….The plate isn’t moving around like it once did for him….As for Street, The Yanks have a posse of scouts following the Rockies, and don’t think they’re going to still be in the hunt for a Wild Card in 2-3 weeks…..He’ll be traded….
Alex Rios.
Matt Thornton.
Juan Cruz.
Available and obtainable ?
Better or easier targets ?
DB
June 29th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
The Yankees official twitter account had that too Ed.
———————
Maybe I’ll do twitter in around 10 years, DB. For now, I just don’t understand what it would add to my life.
Rios OPS and wOBA so far this year are both lower than Melky’s and Gardner’s.
It’s not an easy move to digest. He has an awful contract. I’d stay away.
The problem I have with Rios is he hasn’t really played to his ability. A bit to laid back. He looks like he has the talent but not the desire.
From Pinstripe Alley’s mini-roundup of what they’re saying about Mariano Rivera’s 500th save, this little gem from Peter Abraham:
If you’ll permit me a personal aside, I’ve been doing this job since I was 17 and Mariano is the best athlete I have covered. He is the model of professionalism in how he approaches every aspect of his job, how he treats his teammates and how he treats those around the team, including reporters.
A few years ago, he blew a save and was not around after the game to talk to the writers. It turned out he had left the clubhouse quickly because one of his children was sick. The next day, he apologized and said he would be willing to answer any questions about the blown save. It’s easy to be gracious in victory but the true measure of a man is how he handles defeat and Mo always is there, win or lose.
If at some point, God willing, I’m an old man telling stories on a porch somewhere, the first thing I’ll say was that I got to cover the great Rivera. It has been a tremendously fun part of this job.
I’ve been rooting against the Yankees for as long as I’ve been a baseball fan, and not just on principle; when I was 10, the Yankees made me cry. But I’ve never been able to root against Mariano Rivera. I’ve never had anything like the connection with Rivera that Abraham has. I just can’t root against a player who displays such class, and carries himself with such dignity.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/swe.....st-Mo.html
Boston Dave 2.0 – the kinder gentler version
June 29th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Alex Rios:
10:$9.7M, 11:$12M, 12:$12M, 13:$12.5M, 14:$12.5M, 15:$13.5M club option ($1M buyout)
From Cots
————————————————-
That is way too much money. The yankees would be insane to trade for that contract.
“10:$9.7M, 11:$12M, 12:$12M, 13:$12.5M, 14:$12.5M, 15:$13.5M club option ($1M buyout)”
Will Matt Holliday get this much money as a free agent this off season? I don’t think he will.
That’s an awful deal. I forgot just how horrible it is. That’s completely out of whack for the current economic climate.
Romine hit his 10th HR and 20th double today
Pat M
What was Oakland’s reason for trading Street? I wondered if it was because of concern about his health but he seems to be doing well this year.
now the mets are gonna make hoffman get a save after being down by 7 in the 9th….damn them!
“That’s an awful deal. I forgot just how horrible it is. That’s completely out of whack for the current economic climate.”
———
I forgot as well.
Add in Vernon Wells contract (from Cots as well):
10:$12.5M, 11:$23M, 12:$21M, 13:$21M, 14:$21M
Ouch.
Two decisions to give these guys big deals has backfired.
Both seemed like young budding superstars too.
It goes to show you how risky a top contract is even for guys who seem like they’ll be great.
“What was Oakland’s reason for trading Street? ”
———
he was the most popular player on the team (among the majority of fans) too.
Carlos Gonzalez/Street for 1 yr of Holliday = Worst trade ever
Pat M,
When Hughes was on the block for Santana I did some digging to see what the fate of other pitchers ranked as the #1 pitching prospect in baseball turned out to be after they’d been traded.
Found out something interesting – as far as I could tell – over the past 15 odd years only one pitcher ranked by BA as the #1 pitching prospect had ever been traded before completing his first full season in the majors. That’s how unusual it would have been for the yankees to trade Hughes at that point in his career (and why Bill Smith not jumping on that deal was amazingly foolish…).
Who was that 1 guy? Edwin Jackson.
The dodgers did a terrible job with the guy.
And last year the Rays outthought themselves a bit. The general take on Jackson from the sabermetrics point of view was that Jackson’s improved performance last year was a mirage. That his peripherals hadn’t improved enough to support the improvements seen in his ERA, wins, etc.
So the conclusion was that Jackson’s success was highly influenced by the improvements in the Rays defense and luck. So it was thought to be a great “sell high” move by Friedman because he understood that Jackson was a product of the Rays defense rather than his innate pitching skills.
Now – not so much.
Man could they have used him this year. They either could have put him in the pen as their closer or used him as depth in the rotation.
Big mistake. Meanwhile the guy they traded jackson for – Matt Joyce – is 25 and hitting .266 in AAA.
The Rays scored big on the Garza-Young deal. A year later they may have repeated that deal only this time they came up on the short end.
Great movie. Even better than the original.
“Carlos Gonzalez/Street for 1 yr of Holliday = Worst trade ever”
——–
I wouldn’t go that far.
Street had lost his closers job at the time. It was a “sell-low” situation though.
# Boston Dave 2.0 – the kinder gentler version June 29th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Alex Rios:
10:$9.7M, 11:$12M, 12:$12M, 13:$12.5M, 14:$12.5M, 15:$13.5M club option ($1M buyout)
From Cots
*************
Ouch, Wonder if they’ll find takers. That is a ton of dough.
Brett Gardner: .289 BA, .788 OPS, 3 HR, 17 SB
Dustin Pedroia: .288 BA, .748 OPS, 2 HR, 13 SB
“Ouch, Wonder if they’ll find takers. That is a ton of dough.”
———
they’d have to pay for 40-50% of the deal and pretty much get nothing in return to even have a chance, IMO.
Sorry to intrude, just wanted to respond to some comments from an earlier thread….
~~~~~~~
“These games vs. the Mariners should be pitcher’s duels.
I say this w/o knowing the Seattle starters. only that all of their wins (and a lot of their losses) are pitcher’s duels.”
========================================================
Well, the M’s have definitely played a LOT of one-run games – 32 to be exact (19-13) but they haven’t necessarily all been pitcher’s duels (several 9-8, 6-5, etc.)
It should be interesting to see how the M’s arms (ERA leaders) perform vs. Yankee bats (top homer club) in that new stadium…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Remember last time we faced Brandon Morrow (tomorrow’s starter)? September last year… he took a no hitter into the 8th inning and it was broken up by Betemit.”
=========================================================
Rest assured, this is NOT the same Brandon.
Well, technically he’s the same person, but definitely NOT the same pitcher. You can read about his saga here…
http://compassrosy.blogspot.co.....andon.html
In a nutshell he had VERY little ST, started as the closer (even though he was slated for the rotation) was on the DL early and then was “demoted” after a couple of back-to-back outings otherwise know as the “Nightmare in Arlington”. He’s been being stretched out (not in the minors as one would suppose) in the big leagues – his first stint coming in – Colorado. Anyhoo, long story as short as it can be, he’s made two starts since then, steadily building up his pitch counts (and reducing his walks).
So, while it’s possible Brandon may resemble the pitcher you saw last September, it’s unlikely.
At least not yet.
“The Rays scored big on the Garza-Young deal. A year later they may have repeated that deal only this time they came up on the short end.”
I guess if you’re the Rays, you’ve just got to look at it as swapping Garza for Jackson and Young for Joyce. They still win because they got Bartlett in the Garza deal.
Tim Lincecum of the Giants just pitched a complete game,only 95 pitches 10-0,and Shut out the Cardinals.Giants had 12 hits,the Cards had 2 hits the entire game.
Wells contract is unreal. Mind boggling. A franchise ruining event.
Toronto is in a lot of trouble with their cash flow. I don’t see how they move Wells contract in any way unless they pay a huge chunk of the deal and paying up destroys the reason for trading him.
Rios won’t be easy to move either. He’s owed roughly 70M on that deal.
That’s the kind of money people are saying jason bay will sign for this winter.
http://www.bostonherald.com/sp....._hot_corne
———————————————————
Interesting take on the perception of how the RS and Yankees handled their injured 3rd basemen.
It isn’t to hard to see the bias. What a suprise.
“I guess if you’re the Rays, you’ve just got to look at it as swapping Garza for Jackson and Young for Joyce. They still win because they got Bartlett in the Garza deal.”
I don’t know. They weren’t compelled to make that Jackson deal. They did it in part because of financial constraints but ultimately it was an enormous mistake in talent evaluation.
They could have had Garza and Jackson in their rotation – it would have been better than the yankees and sox staff.
“Rios won’t be easy to move either. He’s owed roughly 70M on that deal.
That’s the kind of money people are saying jason bay will sign for this winter.”
———-
I hope Bay gets that because it prob means he isn’t still with Boston.
Bay is a very good player but a team is taking a pretty big risk if they give him 5/70.
One good thing to have come out of the struggles/injuries is that the Yankees have found some keepers in their youngsters. Cervelli may or may not be a starting catcher in the majors, but he’s at worst a terrific backup. The fact that the vets just love pitching to him speaks volumes about him. Ramiro Pena can play – he’s likely just utility player, but hey – those guys are very valuable. I really think both need to be sent down for more playing time. Naturally, the best news is about Phil….I still wish he was going to have a chance to work on his 3rd pitch because next year he’s going to have the same problems. I agree, though, that he belongs up here……tough spot for the Yankees. How do you find the balance between winning and developing youngsters?
One thing that will play into Tampa being able to continue to succeed is how well they do in the draft now that they won’t be drafting so high. Also can they keep these players when they need to resign them.
CB, I thought the Yankees (well, just Hank) were absolutely foolish to put Hughes on the table for Santana……simply because he’d struggled some after his injuries (I know Cash didn’t want to do it). Bill Smith could be fired for making a “mistake” like that. Mistake? I’m not even sure that word is strong enough. They had a chance to get a potential #1 for Santana and Smith got greedy (this after insisting on Hughes)……What a dope
Maine Yankee…Street rebounded from his injury in 07, but never got untracked in 08 and was moved to Colorado….He’s young ( 25 ) and is real good……Even if they decide to work Hughes every other day, and do the same with Bruney, there still is a hole in the pen……Yanks have come too far and have spent too much dough to come up short in 09…..10-15 Million dollars means far less than having a World Championship flag waving on top of their new Stadium…..
I’d take Rios over Wells in a heartbeat. Wells still has about 90 mil on a contract, is older, contiues to have odd injuries and hasn’t had a good season in about 3 years.
Rios is owed 65.1 mil thru 2014, with a 15.5 mil club option or 1 mil buyout.
Wells is ower 100 mil thru 2014. Opt-out in 2011, but a no trade.
Rios is also 3 years younger.
Boston Dave 2.0 – the kinder gentler version
June 29th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
“Rios won’t be easy to move either. He’s owed roughly 70M on that deal.
That’s the kind of money people are saying jason bay will sign for this winter.”
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I hope Bay gets that because it prob means he isn’t still with Boston.
Bay is a very good player but a team is taking a pretty big risk if they give him 5/70.
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The question will be how many teams will be willing to pay him.
I would expect the economy will continue to play a role in that regard next year.
This division is scary – the Sox aren’t just hot, they are darn good. When you’re that good, you’re not going to lose that many games (yes of course they will lose – they aren’t the 1998 Yankees – but it’s going to be very difficult to make up ground on them. Their SP is excellent and unfortunately Beckett is having a fantastic year – and their hitting, IMO, is better than the Yankees…..it’s just a terrific, clutch offense. Ortiz, by the way, doesn’t appear to be done). I knew Tampa wasn’t going away, even when the Yankees led them by 7 games and Toronto is a keeper. There is a very distinct possibility the Yankees don’t make the playoffs.
“Brett Gardner: .289 BA, .788 OPS, 3 HR, 17 SB
Dustin Pedroia: .288 BA, .748 OPS, 2 HR, 13 SB”
Been meaning to ask this …WTH is up w/ Pedroia this season ? those aren’t MVP numbers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06.....ref=sports
Rivera is 39, but his stuff remains so sharp that since April 21, 2007, he has converted 87 of 91 save opportunities, the best ratio in the majors. More than his pitches, though, Rivera has an unwavering ability to compartmentalize every game, to never let one outing bleed into the next. And he knows his body, conserving pitches in the winter and the bullpen, throwing just enough to be ready for maximum effort when needed.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever see another Mariano Rivera,” Girardi said. “I really don’t believe we will.”
“I thought the Yankees (well, just Hank) were absolutely foolish to put Hughes on the table for Santana……”
Betsy,
I can’t even imagine what your posts would have been like during the santana-hughes craziness! That might have been the height of frenzy on lohud.
It’s amazing how little flack Smith has gotten for the the two trades he made that winter. The Santana deal has been an utter disaster. They are in danger of not getting even one good major league regular for him. An utterly awful deal.
And the Garza for Delmon Young trade may have been worse given that Garza was still cheap and cost controlled. Horrendous.
Pat M
I wasn’t against Street but I was just suprised when Oakland traded him. Just made me wonder if there was a problem.
I agree with you that he could be a big plus.
Pat M, though I think the pen is an issue, I have a real problem with the offense. It’s good in a stat-oriented way (they score runs, hit HRs, etc……), but they are way too inconsistent and they are terrible with RISP. They waste tons of opportunities – and they will have fewer opportunities against the better pitchers. This is why I fall on the pessimistic side when it comes to the Yankees. It’s not something that can be improved, either – this is just who they are. Also, I love Tex, but does it seem that he depends on Alex for his stats? Of course he was bound to go into a slump after his torrid stretch, but it’s not too comforting to know that he absolutely needs Alex to be hot in order for him to be hot. I guess Vlad protected him in LA – not sure which of Texas’ big hitters protected him in Texas and Chipper protected him in Atlanta…..The Yankees need him to be good independent of Alex.
“Bay is a very good player but a team is taking a pretty big risk if they give him 5/70.”
Very bad knees. Poor defensive player. He’s a very good hitter.
Sox are in a real pickle with Bay. They really don’t have any good power hitting OF prospects in their system that are anywhere close to MLB ready.
Papi and Varitek are only one year older.
Bay is the only one of their right handed hitters who is actually hitting better on the road than at home.
I don’t see how they let him go unless they feel that Holliday is a better option or could be had at a better value. At the same time, Bay has all of the leverage. I’m not sure if Theo’s been in this kind of situation before with an impending free agent. They could afford to let Damon go. I don’t think they can do that with Bay.
They have to have production from that LF spot.
CB, I post on another board and it was truly manic – 11 separate threads of over 70 pages each, lol. I was really upset – of course, I would have liked Santana, but by that time I was already attached to Phil. I just didn’t think it was wise to trade a 21 year old for a 28 year old – a very talented, cost-controlled 21 year old. What bothered me was that this was a kid the Yankees had groomed as the jewel of their system……then, Joba comes along and Phil (because of his injuries) gets completely forgotten. Santana was never going to guarantee anything (absolutely not his fault because no player has the ability to do that in baseball), so I felt that it was foolish to trade a huge part of their future. As it turns out, Santana pitched great and the Mets still didn’t make the playoffs. It wasn’t his fault – but that’s the point. He did as much as he could do and it wasn’t enough. What I saw in Phil against the Indians in the playoffs was a kid who looked like he was born to pitch and I thought it was a mistake to trade him, even for Santana. Did the Yankees really want to see another organization reap the benefits of a young pitcher that they had developed?
Betsy
If you had a chance to listen to listen to RS fans call in on the radio you might be suprised at the panic there. You might thimk it was some of the same ones that post here when the Yankees are behind.
This Yankee team is a good team and are getting better as they get players back. It’s way to soon to be conceding the division to the RS or anyone else.
To me Rios has always been a tease… you see the phenomenal athletic ability and talent but you don’t see phenomenal results. Still he’s a very good ballplayer.
If the Jays fade he’s certainly worth a conversation, but that’s a lot of money he has coming. Still on a per year basis if you could plus him into the salary slot of MAtsui that’s a helluva upgrade. He has a full no-trade.
No one on earth will trade for Vernon Wells.
Yep, the Garza deal must still sting to Twins fans. I guess Smith is on the side of the angels because ownership still seems to like him…….I didn’t realize that Garza was that good……..
MaineYankee, I don’t mean to make it sound as if I am conceding the division……..I guess I fall on the pessimistic side of realism. That said, the Yankees have plenty of games with their main rivals and plenty of time to assert themselves.
Charleston shut out Savannah behind Manny Banuelos. 6.2 innings, 7 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. 6-3 record. Not bad for an 18 year old. 15 walks and 61 strikeouts in 67 innings.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....x_savafx_1
CB
From what I was hearing the RS were trying to use the FA market last year as a base for what they wanted to sign Bay for. That was at the beginning of the season so they may have realized by now that that won’t work.
Hughes, Chamberlain, Robertson, Coke, and Aceves are all key contributors to the yankees staff. All were in the minors or out of the organization the season before last.
Despite that the yankees still have tremendous depth in pitching in the minors, especially in the lower minors.
Banuelos is having such an impressive season in the sally league. 18 year olds don’t do this all that often. What a year. DJ Mitchell also had a terrific game tonight – 11:2 GB to FB. They pushed him but he looks to be settling into the challenge of high A ball.
The yankees have become an outstanding pitching talent evaluation organization. What a difference.
Betsy, My concern with the Yanks offense is their trouble with situational hitting….O
Betsy, In closing once Alex gets going and Cashman fine yunes the pen, not only will the Yanks make the Postseason, they’re going to to win the division and have a solid line on playing into the late October nights….
Bay could be the big fish this winter and it looks like he will test the waters. He’s not a Boras client so that may be good.
I don’t know how he would do patrolling death valley.
Regardless, the Yanks will have some money to spend. I don’t think they’ll spend all of what’s coming off the books but a corner outfielder should be their # 1 priority.
Of course they need Wang to come around otherwise they’ll also need a mid-rotation guy as well.
Is it impossible to believe that Rick Knapp, the Tigers pitching coach saw something in Jackson’s delivery, changed it and the rest is history.
That plus the change in voices may be just what happened.
To think Manny could make his YS debut at age 20 or 21 , that’s just unbelieveable, not bad for a throw in from Mexico.
Depending on how much money Toronto wants to unload, would they take Swisher and 7 mil for Rios? That saves them about 53 mil. Swisher would allow them to recall Travis Snyder and unload Lyle Overbay. He’s owed about 10.5 mil thru 2010. San Francisco, maybe?
MaineYankee,
The sox definitely tried to use the lousy corner outfield market to try to extract a sweet heart deal while at the same time offering Teixeira $170M.
That wasn’t going to work. And now the Sox will need to come back to Bay on his terms. Holliday’s awful season has put him in a position he likely never thought he’d be in. I think it was Amelie Benjamin who wrote recently that the sox will revisit talks with Bay before the end of the season. Clearly they don’t want him to hit the market.
Given how far he’s come to free agency he and his agent would have to give up enormous amounts of his value to sign before he hits the market – especially knowing that the yankees will desperately need a LF and DH as well and will have $40M coming off the books.
And now that the Sox have offerred tex $172M that offer is out there. It doesn’t go away. And every free agent they’re interested in will know that the sox have that kind of money.
GB7
If the Yankees signed a player that was released from the minors from another team where would they be placed?
Why I ask is because a friends son was released by the Twins and he told me the Yankees had talked to him. I haven’t talked to him lately to know if he signed or not. I think he was in the low minors.
Pat, that’s my concern as well and I’m just dumbfounded. We’re talking about really good or great hitters – this is not a lineup of pure sluggers (like Rob Deer) or scrubs. I don’t get it……..
As to the pen, I don’t see the Rockies trading Street and, like every other team, if they do…….they will demand more from the Yankees than from any other team. I would not give up the farm for him…….
CB, I want to wait before I praise the Yankees for their pitching acument. Joba and Hughes, should they pan out, were sort of obvious, high-end talents. Even so, I don’t think they’ve handled Phil all that well (he was definitely rushed in 2007 – Cash was quoted as saying that Phil was not going to see NY until September of that year at the earliest). Then, there were the mechanical issues Phil was having – others would know more than I would, but people on other boards puzzled over the fact that they changed his arm slot from what it was in 2006 (when he dominated the minors). Robertson looks like he could be decent and Aceves was a terrific pickup, but that’s the extent of it. The Yankees just do not have a good record when it comes to developing pitching….
MaineYankee
June 29th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
GB7
If the Yankees signed a player that was released from the minors from another team where would they be placed?
Why I ask is because a friends son was released by the Twins and he told me the Yankees had talked to him. I haven’t talked to him lately to know if he signed or not. I think he was in the low minors.
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I would think that would depend on what level he was when released, but, most importantly, his position. Low minors? Like low A ball? If he’s been playing at Ft Myers, I’d think Charleston or Tampa.
Rockies will not trade Street. I almost positive about that.
Bay and Holiday are going to get overpaid by some sucker.
(Prbly us)
CB
The RS seem to be developing a history of trying to low ball players and I think it will start to catch up to them.
I’m sure players saw how they made Veritek grovel before they signed him. Nice way to treat the captain.
If the Yanks are going to look into the free agent pool this winter, think Chone Figgins….He’s younger than what Damon was when the Yanks inked him, and he’s still a very productive top of the order ballplayer….He’ll cover leftfield….
GB7
Is there a site for those teams to see their rosters?
I believe he played ss & 3rd.
“The Yankees just do not have a good record when it comes to developing pitching….”
Of the 12 pitchers on the yankees 25 man roster 8 were developed in the yankees own farm system.
That is amongst the highest in all of baseball.
For comparison –
3 of the 12 pitchers on the Rays staff were developed in their minor league system.
5 of the 12 pitchers on the Sox staff were developed in their system.
“The RS seem to be developing a history of trying to low ball players and I think it will start to catch up to them.”
I think Bay will be the test case for that. They were fortunate that Youkilis signed such an undermarket deal.
But their minor league system really lacks power hitters (and lars anderson continues to struggle in AA).
If they can get Bay to also sign a favorable deal while he’s so close to free agency – with Bay knowing how much the Sox need him – that would be quite a coup.
But it’ll be tough for them to lose him. They’d almost certainly have to trade Buchholz for a bat if that were to happen.
It’ll be interesting to see, especially if the yankees get involved – which they most certainly will. I’m sure that the sox worst nightmare after tex and I guess they’ll put up a big full court press on bay to sign before he hits the market.
Betsy
The Yankees aren’t the only team that rushes players.
The RS had a kid named Hansen that was going to be the next stud closer. They brought him up to soon and he wasn’t ready.
He never recovered and was in the trade when they got Bay. Pitt. had him in the majors for a while but had to send him down. Not sure how he’s doing now.
Maine, here’s a link to all the the Twins minor league team rosters. I’ll get you a link to the Yanks in a minute, but, MILB.com has all team stats.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.....e#Triple-A
Yanks are:
Scranton, AAA, International League
Trenton, AA, Eastern League
Tampa, A (High), Florida State League
Charleston, A (Low), South Atlantic League (Sally League)
Staten Island, A, Rookie League (Half Season), NY-Penn League
Tampa, A, Rookie League (Half Season), Gulf Coast League
CB
I think the RS might hesitate to trade Buchholz.
They will have 3 question marks in the rotation next year. Will Dice K be okay. Penny and Smoltz are on one year contracts and Wake is getting old.
If George was still involved you could guarentee the Yankees would be in on Bay.
Boy, I hope the Yanks don’t go after Bay. I don’t want another long-term contract on the books…..Maine Yankees, I do remember that with Hanson. I don’t meane to imply that the Yankees were the only ones to rush kids, but that didn’t make what they did right. It was a mistake, but fortunately Phil is talented enough and young enough where it didn’t really hurt him.
“I think the RS might hesitate to trade Buchholz. ”
I agree. But that’s part of the reason why they’ll really need to sign Bay.
If they don’t they’ll be put in a tough position of needing to make a trade they really don’t want to or take a flier on a LF. They don’t have any viable internal replacements.
I think they went all in on Tex last winter because they looked forward to where things were going and it wasn’t particularly favorable to them.
If Lowell’s health (hip condition) continues to deteriorate or fails to improve, Boston may be put in the position of being at the mercy of either Holliday or Bay. They’ll be looking at finding either a third baseman or first baseman, or promoting/rushing Anderson to the Majors and signing an expensive left fielder.
For all the qualities that define JD Drew, it’s only a matter of time before his back lands him on the DL…The BoSox are not as good as their record indicates…..They have holes, some serious holes that are going to surface soon…..
It makes you wonder if they had a suspicion that Ortiz was going to struggle with the way they went after Tex.
If they had gotten him they could have used Lowell as a DH and helped keep him fresh.
I’m sure the Red Sox were already concerned about Ortiz given his major wrist issues the last couple of years.
But they probably didn’t expect Ortiz to completely fall on his face they way he did and without the recurring wrist injury.
So the concern was certainly already there. It just didn’t happen the way the anticipated.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that can see that the RS aren’t such a perfect team.
To many are wearing their red colored glasses about them.
They also have some contracts that are problems.
Lugo at 9mil for another year and Ortiz at 12mil aren’t good. Not sure about Drew but that could get bad also.
GreenBeret7
June 29th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
If Lowell’s health (hip condition) continues to deteriorate or fails to improve, Boston may be put in the position of being at the mercy of either Holliday or Bay. They’ll be looking at finding either a third baseman or first baseman, or promoting/rushing Anderson to the Majors and signing an expensive left fielder.
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Not sure where but I thought I heard Anderson may be a couple years away.
Doesn’t Beckett have one year left on his contract? The Sox are going to have to figure out what to do with him also (I heard they’re starting negotiations with him and Ortiz, along with Bay).
On one hand, I’d love it if the Yankees could sign Bay this offseason just to stick it to RSN and John Henry, but at the same time, I realize they’d have to really overpay for that to happen, and that’s probably not the best idea long term.
RS
June 30th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Doesn’t Beckett have one year left on his contract? The Sox are going to have to figure out what to do with him also (I heard they’re starting negotiations with him and Ortiz, along with Bay).
On one hand, I’d love it if the Yankees could sign Bay this offseason just to stick it to RSN and John Henry, but at the same time, I realize they’d have to really overpay for that to happen, and that’s probably not the best idea long term.
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Ortiz has 1 more year. I think they have an option for Beckett for next year.
Wow. People on this board seem to know every last tidbit about the sawx. Remember when we didn’t have to pay so much attention to that team?
If they resign Beckett it will cost them. I believe he’s at 10mil now.
pdid
June 30th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Wow. People on this board seem to know every last tidbit about the sawx. Remember when we didn’t have to pay so much attention to that team?
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When you live in enemy territory it’s hard not to know.
103 players steroid list is out http://tinyurl.com/mjqay8
Unconfirmed.
Go look at the career numbers for Rios, as well as the numbers for the last 4 years. About the same as Swisher’s, even a little worse by most metrics. Obviously a better baserunner and fielder, but these are players of similar value, Rios just looks better doing it, but gets paid a lot more. And still some here would bring in Rios but want Swish on the bench.
I hear you Maine Yankee. I lived in Rhode Island for a few years. The media barrage was relentless!
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:08 am
GreenBeret7
June 29th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
If Lowell’s health (hip condition) continues to deteriorate or fails to improve, Boston may be put in the position of being at the mercy of either Holliday or Bay. They’ll be looking at finding either a third baseman or first baseman, or promoting/rushing Anderson to the Majors and signing an expensive left fielder.
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Not sure where but I thought I heard Anderson may be a couple years away.
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Anderson is at AA Portland and his numbers are considerably lower than last year’s, but, it is a pitcher’s league. It makes it difficult to judge whether it’s just a nornal adjustment (my guess) or whether it’s over estimating the player. He should be a good one, but, doubtful that it’s next year and he’ll only be 22 in September.
pdid, I really don’t view this as knowing every little tid-bit about the BoSox at all….It’s just knowing a little about baseball and seeing past the fragile amd thin ice that they skate on…..They are a good ballclub, but certainly noat as good as some of the talking heads would have you believe….
If NYY had Rios, there would be no need for Swisher.
GB7
I saw him play against Trenton. Only thing I saw was when he connects he has alot of power. He crushed one that I think went out to I 95.
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
GB7
I saw him play against Trenton. Only thing I saw was when he connects he has alot of power. He crushed one that I think went out to I 95.
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I live in Georgia, about 10 miles off of I-95. Are you saying that I should go out there and get te ball when it stops bouncing?
GreenBeret7
June 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
GB7
I saw him play against Trenton. Only thing I saw was when he connects he has alot of power. He crushed one that I think went out to I 95.
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I live in Georgia, about 10 miles off of I-95. Are you saying that I should go out there and get te ball when it stops bouncing?
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Depends on how good you are at dodging traffic.
Maine, did you look at the Twins rosters that I linked and find what you needed?
GB7 I’d feel bad if I saw on the news where a Vet got runover on I95 in Georgia.
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:34 am
GreenBeret7
June 30th, 2009 at 12:32 am
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:29 am
GB7
I live in Georgia, about 10 miles off of I-95. Are you saying that I should go out there and get te ball when it stops bouncing?
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Depends on how good you are at dodging traffic.
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Hopefully they’ll slow down when they see my walker.
Huh? Why would you bring in Rios when he is a net wash with Swisher? He kills the Yankees, but I was quite surprised when I looked at his stats and saw that they were not anything near what you would expect.
GreenBeret7
June 30th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Maine, did you look at the Twins rosters that I linked and find what you needed?
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I looked but I didn’t see him on the roster. I’ll have to ask his Dad if he sighned with anyone. Thanks.
Rios is a career .290 plus hitter, he steals about 20-30 bases a year and would hit 18-20 homers a season with Gold Golve defense in right or center. That would outweigh Swishers 3 or 4 additional homers and 80 walks. I’ll take Rios for the next few years at only 5 mil a year over Swisher’s slumps and bad defense.
MaineYankee
June 30th, 2009 at 12:38 am
GreenBeret7
June 30th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Maine, did you look at the Twins rosters that I linked and find what you needed?
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I looked but I didn’t see him on the roster. I’ll have to ask his Dad if he sighned with anyone. Thanks.
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Go to http://www.baseball-reference.com and look for minor leagues, press, and type in his name in the block at the top right corner.
His additional points of batting average are outweighed by Swisher’s lead in OBP- the extra hits are not leading to extra RBI’s. Rios may steal bases, but they score about the same amount of runs, with Swish actually leading in that category as well, so there is no real gain there either. Basically, Swisher is the better offensive player, while Rios is better defensively. Also, Rios is not a Gold Glove in CF, so he’s just a better corner outfielder. Also, ask a Jays fan about Rios and slumps- he is about as streaky as Swish. They are about a wash, but Rios is signed longer and is pricier.
I don’t think the Red Sox can let Bay go and sign Holliday.
Number one, Holliday is a Boras guy and you know that if Bay signs with another team he will pound on Boston because they will be desperate and Boston doesn’t give in to Boras kindly.
I think the Red Sox are going to, thankfully, overpay for Bay and I hope the Yankees drive the price and years up enough to make it hurt.
If Bay wusses out and signs a deal before the end of the season to be a good Boston soldier than Theo deserves executive of the year because he’s figured out a way to trick players into taking less.
As for Holliday, I think his best play is to get traded soon and show he still can hit. If he doesn’t show some of the old ability, then he has to take a one year deal with a team like the Yanks, Phils, Rockies who play in launching pads and can help him rebuild his value.
If I were Colorado, I’d trade back for Holliday for pennies on the dollar and then lowball him a multi-year deal to stay there…but I understand Colorado has no money so they are unable to do that.
Let me just add that I would probably take Rios due to his excellent defense, but not with the disparity in cost and length of deal.
I don’t see Toronto sending Rios to us ever, even with the contract he’s signed to.
Thinking long term about the OF is smart now. Damon and Matsui will go next year. We’ll be left with Swisher, Gardner, Melky and possibly Austin Jackson.
We’re going to sign or trade for a corner OF.
I think it’s going to be Holliday. He wants the Yankees and the park will play to his offensive abilities.
It’s just a question of trading for him now or waiting for the off season and possibly getting him on a 1 year rebuild his worth kind of deal.
I’ll say it again, think Chone Figgins for left field next season….
If people dont like Swisher’s inconsistency from month to month, they will hate Figgins inconsisitency from year to year. He’s also turning 32 and having trouble staying healthy in recent years. I’d pass unless it was for a bench role.
Alex Rios, the Jaguar of baseball…
Chone Figgins, the knock-off Swiss Army knife of baseball…
I’ve been a little out of the loop while traveling, but I wanted to check and and find out if Gardner has been DFA’s yet. I heard he went 0-8. That won’t cut in in Yankeeland!
I’d love Figgins.
He’d essentially be replacing Damon so you want a guy with speed that can hit at the top of the order. He can also play the infield. IMO, a guy like Figgins is way more valuable than a guy like Holliday when you look at the current construction of the team.
I also would love to see Bay stay in Boston, with the Sox paying through the nose.
Maybe I’ll do twitter in around 10 years, DB. For now, I just don’t understand what it would add to my life.
Actually, I thought the same thing. I opened an account never post in it, like anyone would care anyway, but to get updates. All the beat writers, the Yankees themselves, and just about any other genre you like post interesting little tidbits all the time. Including our very own Pete. I have the Twitter app on my iPhone and with a simple click can see all the updates at once. Pretty cool if u ask me
They’re actually in pretty good shape going into 2010. With Matsui finally unclogging the DH spot, guys like Posada, A Rod, Tex, Swish can all have 1/2 days off as a DH.
The infield is set.
Maybe you let Molina go and have Cervelli as the backup catcher.
Starters you simply replace Pettitte with Hughes, hopefully McCallister slides into the 6th starter role, with Kennedy coming back, the ghost of Kei Igawa tearing up AAA for depth.
The outfield needs one guy. Damon and Matsui…gone. Nady…gone. The fact that both Gardner and Melky have proved to be at worst servicible OFs is huge. Add in Swisher and hopefully call up Austin Jackson and you only need one guy.
Maybe its Figgins. Maybe Holliday on a short term deal. Maybe a lesser guy. Who knows?
Totally agree miggs- they are in solid shape- they should go into the offseason looking at most for a corner outfielder (I dont want Figgins, but would consider Damon on a one year deal) and possibly a reliever (depending on the trade deadline, and the development of Robertson, Melancon, Coke, and what Bruney does). Signing two in the prime starters and having two young guys develop really can do wonders.
I checked figgins splits on fangraphs. He hasn’t played the OF since 06 and his defense ratings were abysmal there. He’s a darn good utility infielder though. Personally, I’d like to just get an arm in the pen who can get you some quality outs. I’ve got faith in their lineup and bench for the most part.
I agree, miggs.
Prefer not to take on any big contracts just yet. The Yankees are like a snake, molting big contracts every year. Haha.
Save the bullets for the big ones. The Mauers, Pujols of the world. That’s if they ever leave their teams.
Why can’t we pick up a veteran OF bat for $5M? Everyone else is doing it. Of course those veterans already made tons of money playing for the Yankees. haha.
I was on the fence about resigning Damon. Not anymore. His fielding is suspect, and he’s all of a sudden susceptible to injuries after years of staying off the DL.
What about Ankiel, if he bounces back this season. He is a good outfielder and has a lefty swing tailored for this ballpark.
Doesn’t Ankiel have injury issues?
Anyone but Mike Cameron. He’ll be a year older than he was last winter.
Outfielders
Bobby Abreu LAA
Garret Anderson ATL
Rick Ankiel STL
Rocco Baldelli BOS
Jason Bay BOS
Marlon Byrd TEX
Mike Cameron MIL
Frank Catalanotto TEX
Endy Chavez SEA
Coco Crisp * KC
Carl Crawford * TB
Johnny Damon NYY
David Dellucci TOR
Jermaine Dye * CWS
Darin Erstad HOU
Cliff Floyd SD
Ryan Freel BAL
Brian Giles SD
Ken Griffey Jr. SEA
Vladimir Guerrero LAA
Matt Holliday OAK
Geoff Jenkins * PHI
Reed Johnson CHC
Andruw Jones TEX
Austin Kearns * WAS
Hideki Matusi NYY
Jason Michaels CLE
Xavier Nady NYY
Magglio Ordonez * DET
Manny Ramirez * LAD
Dave Roberts SF
Gary Sheffield DET
Randy Winn SF
_______________________________________
How many years left on Ichiro’s contract?
It would be too embarassing if we signed Ankiel and then his name popped up on some bad list.
Oh wait!
How old is Vlad?
Couldhe be had for a 2 year deal? would the team want him?
Good morning!
Interesting posts today. I am glad the Yanks won yesterday as today would have been brutal otherwise.
-dennis
“If Lowell’s health (hip condition) continues to deteriorate or fails to improve”
They found fluid that need to be drained and he was given a lubricating injection in the joint today. He’s played 3 days in the last 10 and there’s a chance he is headed for a trip to the DL until the hip calms down.
NYYanksfan.
I do not see any way that Lowell does not land on the DL. Sox would seemingly have to make a move IMO.
-dennis
JD Drew is not that far behind Lowell…..As stated earlier, the BoSox are far from being this perfect ballclub that has been rallied about since the Yanks visit to Fenway….They are not as good as their record would indicate….
Pat M. -
After this week the Sox will have played the fewest home games in the AL and are starting a stretch against teams under .500 for a few weeks. Is their record going to get worse in your opinion?
The Sox are not perfect. They are flawed in many ways.
-dennis
dennis-costanza, It should be interesting as this stretch is the most favorable part of their 09 schedule….I do not see them playing the .600 ball that they’ve been enjoying as of late…..Watch for a stumble as the season approaches the All-Star break…..They’re not a .600 + club…..
Pat M.-
OK. Thanks. Have a great night.
-dennis
miggs,
It doesn’t even matter how old Vlad is (I think he’s early-to-mid 30′s). He’s a shell of his former self. I’m sure Rosy would have more info, but he’s been out quite a bit. Even last season, he barely made it back for the playoffs and as we saw, wasn’t much help.
Off the top of my head, I think he has 1 homerun and RBI’s in the teens?
Vlad was a batter to fear in the day, but sadly those days are gone.
Hey Mel.
Hope you are well.
-dennis
dennis,
I’m well, how about you? Insomnia?
Yes. I wish it was not so but I am who I am.
I am trading crude right now so I at least I have an excuse for being up.
Good 5 days for the Yanks.
-dennis
***HERE COME THE RAYS***
Are they for real after winning 6 in a row, or will they fade back? I’d like to hear Pete discuss the surging Rays…
“I love Carton. He’s hysterical”
Carton is human debris.
I would meet him under the O’Neil banner.
by the way,
Adam the Bull, and Kim Jones, are both wonderful
I sure wish I could stay awake for some of these late night discussions. You all had a good one last night.
I think the Yankees are in a pretty good position this coming off-season. Their needs appear to be few and distinct. Having pitching surely helps that. Getting Matsui and probably Damon off the books will be helpful financially. If Austin Jackson is ready for prime time next season, then they are truly in good shape. They should be able to target “the” guy for the OF (whoever “the” guy turns out to be) and they shouldn’t suffer too much financially in doing so.
As for this season, it is troubling that their situational hitting isn’t consistent. If Matsui can come along, I think that will help, and as was discussed yesterday, putting Cano in a spot in the order that is more conducive to his success will help (especially if Matsui is hitting). I like how Girardi manages his outfield rotation, and the bullpen has shaped up recently. It would be nice if they could get Street or a comparable. Time will tell.
The Rays may or may not be problematic. Aside from the injuries they had earlier which slowed them down, they also have some bullpen problems. So, while I think they will be in the mix somewhat, I still think it will ultimately come down to RS and Yankees. Toronto has me scratching my head, as I’m sure it has just about everyone else doing the same. Halladay lost last night – maybe that’s a sign.
“I do not see them playing the .600 ball that they’ve been enjoying as of late”
Of late??? They’ve played at a .662 clip over their last 68 games. That what you mean by “of late”?
Joba and Hughes will reverse roles sometime in August to balance their workloads. When that happens this team will ignite and dominate through the playoffs. You heard it hear first.
here
Hey gang! I was out of town on business and didn’t have access to the blog. I’m going through blog withdrawal.
Glad to see the Yankees turning it around a bit. We need to beat SEA. They stink!
What is this rumor I’m hearing about PHI wanting us to trade them Wang? I say no to that deal.
“Hey gang! I was out of town on business and didn’t have access to the blog. I’m going through blog withdrawal.”
Ditto. Watched the Mets series through a haze of illness and medication all weekend. Had blog access, but not in bathroom. Impressive little streak the Yankees have going here. Timely too with the Rays finding themselves a little. It’s going to be an exciting 2nd half.
Great interview on WFAN today Pete.
Good article on Mo:
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....tml?page=0
Good job by Pete – I wouldn’t mind seeing an AJ/CC wrestling match, lol
I NEVER listen to Boomer et al but gave Kim Jones and Adam Getstenhaber a listen while you were featured.
Pete – you were the best! In one word … informative!
Thanks.
Betsy -
Thanks for that link. Really nice to keep reading all the great things about Mariano.
Marc Carig at the Star Ledger had this nice article on Brett Gardner today:
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde.....g_new.html
You’re welcome, Doreen! Mo’s my favorite, so any glowing article about him makes me feel good, lol
Another good one, this time with lots of quotes from the first guy to get a hit off Mo, Tim Salmon:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06.....f=baseball
You’re welcome, Doreen! Mo’s my favorite, so any glowing article about him makes me feel good, lol
Another good one, this time with lots of quotes from the first guy to get a hit off Mo, Tim Salmon:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06.....f=baseball
Fast forward to Hughes, who in 28 career starts is 8-9 with a 5.22 ERA. In the past offseason, the Yanks gave CC Sabathia the largest pitching contract ever and also signed A.J. Burnett to work with Pettitte, Chamberlain and Chien-Ming Wang. There was no job for Hughes.
So when Wang returned from the disabled list, he was handed a long relief role, but he has quickly gained a more important designation. And would anybody be surprised if in the not too distant future it is Hughes — not Brian Bruney — who is doing the main set-up work for Rivera? And is it possible that it will be Hughes, rather than Chamberlain, who is the heir apparent to Rivera?
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06.....176766.htm
Oh brother.
Heard Kim mention that she checks out the blog. Said Pete has the best one, he can post the pitching match ups and have 400 comments.
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