A look at the offense
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 28, 2009 
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The Yankees have scored 554 runs in 99 games, a pace that will give them 907 or so for the season. They scored 789 runs last season, so it would seem signing Mark Teixeira and trading for Nick Swisher worked out pretty well.
How well-balanced is the offense? Here’s a breakdown of home runs:
Teixeira 25
Rodriguez 19
Damon 17
Swisher 16
Cano 15
Matsui 15
Posada 13
Jeter 11
Cabrera 8
Gardner 3
The OBP is pretty well-balanced, too:
Jeter .402
Rodriguez .392
Teixeira .379
Posada .367
Swisher .367
Damon .364
Matsui .358
Cabrera .356
Gardner .354
Cano .348
The Yankees lead baseball in runs, home runs, OBP, total bases, OPS and walks. They probably could use a pitcher — starter or reliever — via trade. But don’t lose sight of the fact that their offense is going to produce a ton of runs and erase a lot of mistake that will happen on the mound.
The Yankees have 10 players with OBPs above the league average and they could end with seven players with 20+ home runs. They had three players with 20 home runs last season.
If this team stays healthy, it would win 100 games without breaking too much of a sweat.
Now thats some good old domination… haha
It is one heck of an offense.
That’s what I’m talking about, Lets go Yankees!
100+ win season would be awesome, Especially with new comers like Texeira, Swisher, Sabathia and AJ.
Kevin Long may become my nominee for team MVP…how many heads and swings has this guy helped this year? Swisher looks back on track, Robbie Cano might be on his way of having his best all -around season, etc.
“Jerkface
July 28th, 2009 at 10:42 am
“Free Hughes”
*He’s 96? Mo this year. Shaddup.*
—
No you. He could be 96 Andy pettitte instead.”
96′ Mo was better than 96′ Pettitte. LOL
Once again proving its offense that wins in the regular season. Still if Boston comes up with a package San Diego likes for Adrian Gonzalez, I think the Yankees need to at least try to keep him away from them.
offense good, starters solid, bullpen great
Don’t worry about who Boston gets or doesn’t get.
Worry about how the Yankees can become the best team they can be.
Artie,
Swisher worked with Long before yesterday’s game. They tweaked his mechanics and the Swish was quick to credit Long when he did the postgame with Suzyn.
And Hinske credits K. Long for his homerun burst in a such a short time after hitting only 1 dinger with the Pirates earlier this season. There’s an entry about it at Kepler’s NY Times blog. They made an adjustment and it seemed to do the trick.
Remember when a lot of people here were calling for Long to be fired? The players seem to appreciate what he does for them. He should be getting an extension hopefully.
I must be posting too much during games. I didn’t realize Tex hit 25 home runs already.
MPB Johnny Damon also has a lot more than I thought
Offense is exciting, but pitching wins in post-season. In playoffs hitters face a team’s top 3 SP and the best of the pen making it difficult to score. The NYY will bludgeon their way to the playoffs, then turn it over to CC and AJ for #27.
“96? Mo was better than 96? Pettitte. LOL”
Surely you realize that a guy who wins 21 games as a starter and comes in second in the Cy Young award voting > a relief pitcher.
Rebecca–Optimist Prime–Montero Fanaticus Primus
July 28th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Don’t worry about who Boston gets or doesn’t get.
Worry about how the Yankees can become the best team they can be
****
That is exactly right Rebecca. We are the division leaders and do not need to worry about chasing anyone. All the Yankees need to do is keep playing as well as they have been and all they have to worry about is themselves.
When we start beating Boston soundly I’ll feel better.
Looking ahead a bit. Looks like it’s Mitre Burnett CC Joba against the RS.
“ESPN – The Red Sox and Padres haven’t gotten very deep in negotiations on a trade involving first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
The two clubs haven’t even exchanged names of players that could possibly be involved in such a deal.
Boston doesn’t think talks will intensify until San Diego ownership shows more of a willingness to deal Gonzalez, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.”
I don’t even think you should give a damn Jeff.
SJ
What I guess people fail to realize is that every time Mo has to get up in the bullpen even and get ready to pitch it taxes his use as well. It was 7-3 in the 8th when Albie was replaced. Not 11-3. MM has a long future potentially with the Yankees, but you don’t want to go Chase Wright with him. He isn’t ready yet. He is learning by watching right now and he will take that back to SWB this week till probably Sept.
“Surely you realize that a guy who wins 21 games as a starter and comes in second in the Cy Young award voting > a relief pitcher.”
Any relief pitcher sure but not that relief.LOL
P.S. the poster is talking about taking Yusssse out of a situation he has taken to, I still want him in the rotation but not this season.
Yup the O has been great!
Yes, the Yankees will need another starter at some point.
They also need someone to fill in for little G. Bring up Ajax…
Amazing to think that if they were .500 against the Sox they’d be running away with this thing.
I love this team and wish we could keep playing at home so that we could see more pies!!
Worry about winning tonight’s game against the Rays before worrying about the Red Sox next week.
Last thing you want is for this or the ChiSox series to become a trap series.
“Jerkface
July 28th, 2009 at 10:42 am
“Free Hughes”
*He’s 96? Mo this year. Shaddup.*
—
No you. He could be 96 Andy pettitte instead.”
96? Mo was better than 96? Pettitte. LOL
—
96′ Andy Pettitte pitched 110 innings more than 96′ Mo. He was basically like *2* Marianos! At the same time!! IN A GAME!! ITS SO SHORT!! THE GAME!!
He also lead 96′ Mo in VORP by 2.
Andy Pettitte as a young kid in 1996 is the glue that kept the rotation together.
Seriously, if you haven’t, give Joel Sherman’s “Birth of a Dynasty” a read. It’s well worth it.
the #1 key to the remainder of the season is the health/performance of AJ and CC
as they go, so will this team. Regular season (and playoffs for that matter)
“They also need someone to fill in for little G. Bring up Ajax…”
either him or Colin Curtis. They provide defense, a bit of speed. I don’t want to start the clock on Jackson that actually decreases his value and isn’t a wise move for the 40 right now. Atleast Curtis can get DFA’d to AAA.
They need to be able to pitch. That “ton of runs” offense did nothing to get the team past the Tigers or the Indians in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 Yankees were the highest-scoring Yankees team since the 1937 world champs that had DiMaggio, Gehrig and Dickey — all Hall of Famers. But the ’37 team had Gomez and Ruffing (both Hall of Famers) pitch 27 innings, allow four runs, and win three games in the World Series.
The ’06 and ’07 teams (both were the AL’s highest scoring teams) had two quality starts in eight playoff games against what should have been inferior competition, scored 7 runs in four road playoff games, and failed. Offenses fade in the playoffs b/c the pitching is better. In other words, can’t pitch = can’t win. The Yanks need AJ and CC and Joba and Andy to not suck because they’re not going to bash their way through the Tigers/Angels and Angels/RedSax and then out-bang the Dodgers or Phillies for a World Series win. It just won’t happen.
Bodhi- (Continuing from the previous thread)
No one loves and supports Johnny Damon more than me. But even I am not deluded enough to think he could play CF at this point.
I am also curious to see how Ajax would do with a shot at CF. I can’t see how it could possibily be any worse than Melky’s first cup of tea with the team
Yeah Offense!
That being said, there were three 2-1 games last week and lots of close games that followed them. It’s about the pitching, always has been and always will be.
Adding Teixeira and Swisher and the return of Posada and Matsui has paid dividends. Think about where this team would be if they had Abreu in RF.
I would wait until rosters expand to bring up A-Jax. They should be able to survive a month with a worse 5th OFer if Melky continues to heat up a bit.
Is Colin Curtis on 40?
“Think about where this team would be if they had Abreu in RF”
all i know is Tampa should have signed Abreu instead of that scrub from the Phillies (P Burrell)
right handed bat or left handed bat. Who cares? Abreu has been the better player dating back to forever.
no the only other OF on the 40 is nady
The thing is, this year, unlike 2006 and 2007, the Yankees really are getting decent pitching.
Think about it.
CC, AJ, Andy and Joba have all been in the rotation since day one.
Only one spot has gone Wang –> Hughes –> Wang –> Mitre.
Besides one Aceves spot start, has anyone else started a game this season?
The lack of other pitchers to start games means that the Yankees’ rotation is staying healthy and by and large getting the job done.
Jackson is the perfect call-up. They lost a lot of speed/stolen base threat with Gardner on the shelf. Plus they can use a right handed outfield bat. Even Pena can provide speed.
One of them should get the call.
Its just a pleasure watching this team. Even in defeat, their body language is so different that years past.
When they lost that gam against Oakland this past weekend, the look in their eyes was almost anger. They came back from that 6-1 deficit and still almost won. That’s an amazing thing to root for a team who whole heartedly believes that they deserve to win every game.
Its a fresh of breath air and an honor. I haven’t seen this in so long that I forget what It looked like.
I am not one to get all sappy and poetic, but it is a beautiful thing. Keep it up, Yanks.
This team has WS potential.
“Once again proving its offense that wins in the regular season. Still if Boston comes up with a package San Diego likes for Adrian Gonzalez, I think the Yankees need to at least try to keep him away from them.”
What would the Yankees do with Adrian Gonzalez? The Red Sox would have to give up a ton of prospects to get him, why would the Yankees consider matching that when they’ve already got a great first baseman? You want to give up all those prospects to have a full time DH?
Mitre, CC, AJ, Joba vs the Sox…
If it stays lined up like that, I doubt we’ll see Mitre start this first game. Maybe Aceves gets the start, with Mitre as a “in case/piggyback” guy if Aceves gets bombed.
I can’t see throwing Mitre to the wolves like that, especially when this first game is so important..
Thoughts everyone?
Jeff
July 28th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Once again proving its offense that wins in the regular season. Still if Boston comes up with a package San Diego likes for Adrian Gonzalez, I think the Yankees need to at least try to keep him away from them.
——————————————————-
what a great idea, maybe we can package Teix with Igawa in exchange for a #5 starter, yeah, that’s the ticket…
CC, AJ, Andy and Joba have all been in the rotation since day one.
Only one spot has gone Wang –> Hughes –> Wang –> Mitre.
Besides one Aceves spot start, has anyone else started a game this season?
The lack of other pitchers to start games means that the Yankees’ rotation is staying healthy and by and large getting the job done.
—
Exactly right. This kind of perfect storm of health is what makes World Series champions. If we can go to the series saying that AJ, CC, Pettitte, and Jobe all made 30 starts (maybe 25 for Joba) then I would consider this season a success.
Mitre’s periphs as looked at by SG @ Replacement Level suggest he is nearly identical to Wang in terms of the types of hits he gives up (LD vs GB vs FB). If he can improve his command a bit then he should be a supremely adequate 5th starter. Kind of like ‘wang lite’. He’ll give up a few more hits, not walk as many, and strike out more.
“Is Colin Curtis on 40?”
I don’t think there is any OF’er available on their 40 man roster.
There are four minor league position players on the 40-man… Cervelli, Cash, Pena and Miranda. Unless Pena is ready for the OF they need to create speace. The best option would appear to be to transfer Nady to the 60-man.
Where is the 5th OF coming form if not Austin Jackson? I like the Andersons… one form Detroit and one from Chicago either of whom would provide excellent defense and pinch running potential. Neither can hit, but that’s not the biggest need.
Maybe Cash should call up Milwaukee and ask if that Mike Cameron ship has already sailed.
“Is Colin Curtis on 40?”
Nope.
P.S. I know what Andy did in 96′ Rebecca, 221 IP that was warrior like. CC Sabathia could very well do that. Maybe even AJ. Mo during the season was ridiculous 0.994 whip in pressure situations and lets not even get into the 96′ POs
monday is an off-day maybe they can skip mitre and keep everyone on normal rest.
“Mitre, CC, AJ, Joba vs the Sox…
If it stays lined up like that, I doubt we’ll see Mitre start this first game. Maybe Aceves gets the start, with Mitre as a “in case/piggyback” guy if Aceves gets bombed.”
If, last season, the Yankees let Ponson start against the Red Sox, and then this season they let a not-good-Wang make the start, there is no reason to suspect they won’t let Mitre make the start.
“Maybe Cash should call up Milwaukee and ask if that Mike Cameron ship has already sailed”
um, isn’t Milwaukee in a pennant race?
“The thing is, this year, unlike 2006 and 2007, the Yankees really are getting decent pitching.
Think about it.
CC, AJ, Andy and Joba have all been in the rotation since day one.”
That was the secret to Tampa’s success last year. Their top five starters made something like 150 of their 162 starts last season. Consistency and health of the starting pitching is the key to this run. Sure the run support has been helpful but the starting pitching has been the key. It has always come down to who pitches the best and the Yankees have had success in that area in June and July.
Why not DFA Cash because he’s probably out for the season in AAA and there’s no point in keeping 4 catchers on the 40-man.
CT23
July 28th, 2009 at 11:16 am
monday is an off-day maybe they can skip mitre and keep everyone on normal rest.
———————————————————
that is exactly what they will do, it gives them the top 4 starters against the Sox, all on normal rest.
“Why not DFA Cash because he’s probably out for the season in AAA and there’s no point in keeping 4 catchers on the 40-man.”
I totally agree with you on that one. I don’t think they’ll add Austin Jackson to the 40 man just yet though. It will be John Rodriguez or Shelly Duncan if they decide to add an OF.
If the team stays healthy.
Damon is a walking band aid.
We are approaching pitchers season inning limits.
Brett G is really proven valuable in a ton of different ways and sharpens Melky at the same time.
The suspense is killing me~!
Go Yanks!
“Why not DFA Cash because he’s probably out for the season in AAA and there’s no point in keeping 4 catchers on the 40-man.”
prbly b/c they are holding that spot after a trade.
Dr. Cox
July 28th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Its just a pleasure watching this team. Even in defeat, their body language is so different that years past.
When they lost that gam against Oakland this past weekend, the look in their eyes was almost anger. They came back from that 6-1 deficit and still almost won. That’s an amazing thing to root for a team who whole heartedly believes that they deserve to win every game.
Its a fresh of breath air and an honor. I haven’t seen this in so long that I forget what It looked like.
I am not one to get all sappy and poetic, but it is a beautiful thing. Keep it up, Yanks.
This team has WS potential.
****
I know exactly what you mean. I bought concert tickets for Thursday October 29th and it occured to me afterwards the Yankees could win the world series that night and I’d miss it.
Obviously, I will worry about that when that problem occurs
I agree that great offense usually gives way to good pitching in the playoffs and that’s how you win. I wonder though how many games the 2006/2007 teams won from behind or walkoffs? While they certainly should focus on pitching well, this year, I feel that they have the confidence, especially in the new YS, that they can come back from any lead, even if in the playoffs against good pitching.
Four catchers on the 40-man makes more sense than 22 pitchers on the 40-man or 13 pitchers on the 25-man, but let’s not open that can of worms.
Adding an OF who can play a decent CF needs to happen before an injury creates an OF of Swisher, Damon and Hinske.
The offense isn’t any better this year than last. It’s all of those “cheap home runs that would have been outs last year”. I know this for a fact because Accuweather and the media say so.
“The Yankees lead baseball in runs, home runs, OBP, total bases, OPS and walks. They probably could use a pitcher — starter or reliever — via trade. But don’t lose sight of the fact that their offense is going to produce a ton of runs and erase a lot of mistake that will happen on the mound.”
I don’t buy this for a second. For how many years have we watched our super slugging offense cover up the mistakes our pitching has made in the regular season only to go silent in the postseason.
CMW is not coming back, Joba is still learning and has predetermined limits, Pettitte is only quasi-reliable, and Mitre is nothing more than a temporary remedy.
Having said that, trade for a reliever and get Hughes back into the rotation immediately.
I’m tired of the first round exit and believe that this team is a healthy CMW away from going all the way. Unfortunately, he ain’t coming back.
the DEFENSE has been outstanding !
“That was the secret to Tampa’s success last year. Their top five starters made something like 150 of their 162 starts last season”
That’s been a key for a lot of teams over the years. Recently, 2004 Red Sox (157), 2005 White Sox (150), 2008 Rays (153) are good examples.
You guys are being silly just stop it. Way to to attack me. Adding Adrian Gonzalez to that lineup could put them over the top. I cant believe im the only one who is worried about that.
If Girardi wants to avoid pitching Mitre/5th starter against Boston he’ll have to flop Pettitte and the 5th starter next week like this:
Tue, July 28 vs. TB – CC
Wed, July 29 vs. TB – Joba
Thu, July 30 vs. CWS – Pettitte
Fri, July 31 vs. CWS – Mitre
Sat, August 1 vs. CWS – AJ
Sun, August 2 vs. CWS – CC
Mon, August 3 Off day
Tue, August 4 vs. Tor – Joba
Wed, August 5 vs. Tor – Mitre/Aceves
Thu, August 6 vs. Bos – Pettitte
Fri, August 7 vs. Bos – AJ
Sat, August 8 vs. Bos – CC
Sun, August 9 vs. Bos – Joba
GreenBeret,
I agree…you cannot rely on your offense to carry you.
For every 10 wins in 11 games there are those wonderful streaks of 5 wins and 6 losses.
CC and AJ have impressed the importance of top tier starters. They anchor the rotation but we need another starter, 4th or 5th.
If its possible to stretch out Hughes over the next few weeks and trade for a solid reliever, then you do that. Otherwise, stretch out Aceves and leave Hughes where he is.
How many more starts can we depend on getting out of Joba????!!! That’s the next pitching issue…
SJ, CB or anyone else:
How long would it take to stertch Hughes out to the point of being a reliable starter? Not saying I’m for it because his bullpen work has been beyond ridiculous, but assuming they could plug the hole he’d leave behind, how much time would he need?
I am also curious to see how Ajax would do with a shot at CF. I can’t see how it could possibily be any worse than Melky’s first cup of tea with the team
====
Erica,
I think AJax will be just fine. He’d be coming in under totally different circumstances.
Melky wasn’t coming in as a stop-gap – he was being handed the Yankees’ CF job at 21. “Here” – they said. LOL. Deer in the headlights.
The Yankees are a much better organization in terms of bringing youngsters along than they were a few years ago, even. It’s like night and day.
I mean, how is it that we never even heard the name of Robinson Cano uttered? It took the players at ST to say “man, who is this kid?”
Even though his MiL numbers weren’t attention-grabbing, how do you miss the correlation between that bat and great potential?
Cashman is like Elsa with her cubs when it comes to protecting these kids these days, lol.
BlueShirtBrawler,
Why would Girardi want to avoid using Mitre against the Sox?
IMO, if he can’t pitch against the Sox he might as well not pitch for the Yanks.
“You guys are being silly just stop it. Way to to attack me. Adding Adrian Gonzalez to that lineup could put them over the top. I cant believe im the only one who is worried about that.”
B/c they have give up a boatload plus one of either Pedroia or Youkilis to get it done. So this isn’t going to happen and shouldn’t worry you.
BlueshirtBrawler, why wouldn’t he just skip Mitre (“pitch him” in the off-day slot) and then let the rotation continue like it has been?
Fearless prediction
From the AL following will make the playoffs:
Yankees
Twins
Angels
Rangers (WC)
It may sound cocky, but Boston will not make it.
They have to fight Yankees and Rays.
Rangers have to deal with Angels only. The rest in that division are giving up.
What are your predictions?
It hasn’t been the offense that has carried the Yankee mail over the last month, despite the injury to Wang, it’s the rotation and bullpen that’s stepped up. The team ERA has dropped nearly a half a run in the last month.
Jeff —-
I don’t think any of us really thinks that San Diego will trade its most popular, reasonably priced home grown player no matter what the rumor mill is churning up.
Steve B,
A lot of people will say it takes several weeks.
Rob Neyer, if memory serves, said that he doesn’t buy into that theory and believes that Hughes could be stretched out properly within 2-3 weeks max. I believe someone on MLB Network said something similar.
I understand the value of these young pitchers but it really sucks having to baby them like this.
Who ever said they would have to give up Pedroia or Youkilis?
“Adding Adrian Gonzalez to that lineup could put them over the top. I cant believe im the only one who is worried about that.”
Might make their lineup more comparable with the Yankees, but would not say it “puts them over the top”. It’s not really something the Yankees can control anyway, so worrying about it is rather pointless. Plenty of things they do control that we can worry about.
GreenBeret,
I agree…the pitching has been outstanding of late.
The offense hasn’t been too shabby either though. We had those three consecutive 2-1 victories but apart from that, haven’t we been putting up roughly 5+ runs per game?
adrian gonzalez is NOT getting traded, so stop worrying.
“Who ever said they would have to give up Pedroia or Youkilis?”
Towers
“Who ever said they would have to give up Pedroia or Youkilis?”
They wouldn’t. Those guys are under real money contracts. Padres would never take them. Would require a significant chunk of the farm system though.
Hughes has pitched 40 pitches multiple times recently. Start 1 = 60 pitch limit. Start 2 = 80. Start 3 = 100.
I’d take that. And thats only 15 days.
There is no way Boston gets Adrian Gonzalez without giving up another important piece of their team. Keep this in mind everyone: Adrian Gonzalez’s contract is worth 9.5 million. Not per year. TOTAL.
Literally no reason to trade him.
Stretching Hughes out would take the better part of August to get him ready, and, then you hope tat he doesn’t forget to challenge the hittes and pace himself at the same time. He’s not going to throw a consistant 95-97 MPH as a starter. Then, NYY has to find a pitcher to do what he’s done in the pen.
If I am the Red Sox, I’d be a lot more worried about my starting pitching than my offense.
Beyond Beckett and Lester (who has been up and down) are they really all that imposing?
Matt isn’t going to like this thread.
Steve,
it would take Hughes 3-4 weeks to be stretched out at thus point. It’s not worth the risk.
That’s why he is in the pen for the rest of the year.
Steve B, Girardi recently said it would take 25 days. He has thrown 40 pitches twice in the past week or so, including Sunday (Mitre’s start). If he were to pitch on Mitre’s days he would throw 40, 55, 70,85 and 100 pitches. He’d hit the 100 pitch mark around 8/20.
But the point I made was, if they know the Red Sox are close to getting him then why not at least make a call and see what it would take? Thats all I said and everyone jumped all over me. Teams swoop in to keep players from their competitors all the time, so whats so crazy about what I said?
so whats so crazy about what I said?
–
The red sox are not close to getting him and won’t be.
“They wouldn’t. Those guys are under real money contracts. Padres would never take them. Would require a significant chunk of the farm system though.”
farm system plus ML talent, and one of either Youk or Pedroia via Olney. They aren’t trading the face and not getting one back.
Ok then.
Jerkface…I agree, but it could be more like 20 days.
I wonder though what kind of positive impact the increase in bullpen work might achieve to this effect. Perhaps it would be a negative impact if not conducted carefully…
Jeff
The Yankees have little control over who the Sox get in a trade and you have zero control over who the Sox get in a trade, so why worry about it?
If the Yanks focus on who they put on the field and the team plays up to their potential, what other teams do shouldn’t be of interest to them.
Brett G is really proven valuable in a ton of different ways and sharpens Melky at the same time.
====
Gardner is valuable and it’s incredibly unfortuitous that we miss out on his legs vs. Tampa Bay and Boston, especially, but while the competition is good for both players, it hurts both players’ bats by sharing time. They are both still in the development phase of hitting.
To help the offense, Melky is better off playing more – not less – considering he has two sides of the plate to keep sharp. A 24 year old switch hitter with some developing power needs to see pitches as much as possible from both sides of the plate.
He does need some relief, though, and I am on board for bringing up AJax for a spell rather than paying out in $$ and prospects to get one.
AJax can go and get it and has a pretty good arm, too.
“The red sox are not close to getting him and won’t be.”
it’s one of the worst rumors out there, just like the Doc to Boston one.
This is one heck of a team from Pitching — starters and bullpen to offense and the defense has not been too shabby either.
Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Lester, Beckett, Papelbon and Bard. That’s a solid core of players to build around.
However, I don’t see how the Sox have the prospects to add an Adrian Gonzalez to that group.
Stretching Hughes out would take too much time at this point in the season, and after Joba got hurt last season the Yankees probably don’t want to try.
That said:
Since the all star break, every starter not named Mitre has gone six innings and most have gone seven.
It’s not a coincidence the Yankees are 10-1 in that span.
Oh sorry I didnt hear that. Did Buster say that on tv or insider or something? They would never let go of either of those 2. Personally i’d say nice knowing ya Dustin if thats what it would take. Jump all over me for that if you like.
Does anyone have any idea how many more starts the Yanks can count on from Joba this year?
Surely management is accounting for this inevitable issue.
That’s why he is in the pen for the rest of the year.
====
The odds are, he is, but the Yankees are on record saying they wouldn’t rule out moving him back into the rotation.
For instance, if Joba continues to build and sustain velo and maintains command, he could replace Hughes as setup guy when Joba nears his innings limit.
Melky and Cano have been sharp and focused this year. They are growin’ up nicely
“Mitre, CC, AJ, Joba vs the Sox…
If it stays lined up like that, I doubt we’ll see Mitre start this first game. Maybe Aceves gets the start, with Mitre as a “in case/piggyback” guy if Aceves gets bombed.”
I don’t think that makes much sense. That would leave Aceves, the 3rd best bullpen arm, unavailable for the rest of the series.
It will be interesting to see what they do with that off day. With Joba’s limit starting to become a factor, I could see them skipping his start. That would keep everyone on regular rest and allow AJ, CC, Joba, and Pettitte to pitch the 4 games against the Red Sox. Makes the most sense, right?
Tue, July 28 vs. TB – CC
Wed, July 29 vs. TB – Joba
Thu, July 30 vs. CWS – Pettitte
Fri, July 31 vs. CWS – Mitre
Sat, August 1 vs. CWS – AJ
Sun, August 2 vs. CWS – CC
Mon, August 3 Off day
Tue, August 4 vs. Tor – Pettitte
Wed, August 5 vs. Tor – Mitre
Thu, August 6 vs. Bos – AJ
Fri, August 7 vs. Bos – CC
Sat, August 8 vs. Bos – Joba
Sun, August 9 vs. Bos – Pettitte
Melky is 24 and batting .290 with nearly an .800 OPS, not to mention above average defense in CF and 7 or 8 clutch game tying or winning hits. The launching pad should help him improve his power numbers into the future.
That said, he needs rest like any other player. Austin Jackson can be called up to help keep him fresh.
Bret,
If the Sox throw Buchholz into any trade proposal, it vastly increases the odds of them getting a solid player like Adrian Gonzalez.
Having said that, WHO CARES???!!! I told myself a few weeks ago when we were in second place to not worry about what the Sox do and to focus on winning games. If we continue to win games then all will work out. We can worry about Boston in the ALCS and when we play them. Apart from that, JUST WIN BABY!!!
One of the bad things about the timing of the Yankees big wave of momentum right now is that it almost forces the Red Sox to do something big.
Bucky thinks he’ll still be in Boston after the deadline. Unless they see Bucky as a fixture in the rotation for the next 5 years, Theo should trade him while his value is high. He’s getting pretty old for a rookie.
I dont think they want Jackson to platoon.
I’d still rather see the Yanks go out and get Justin Christian back from Baltimore. He’s been sitting in AAA all year and the Orioles aren’t likely to recall him. He gives you the same thing as Gardner with a better arm and hits from the right side. It gives Jackson that last month of developement to work on a few things.
“Does anyone have any idea how many more starts the Yanks can count on from Joba this year?
Surely management is accounting for this inevitable issue.”
Girardi putting Joba out there to start the 8th inning the other day would suggest that they are not…
Regardless, if Joba pitches like he has for the past 2 games the rest of this season, he will not be pulled from the playoff rotation because of his innings limit…
I dont get the obsession with keeping Buchholz… he doesnt look like a stud to me.
Red Sox arent trading Youkilis or Pedroia for anyone.I honestlt believe that AGonz would and should cost more than Halliday.
“You guys are being silly just stop it. Way to to attack me. Adding Adrian Gonzalez to that lineup could put them over the top. I cant believe im the only one who is worried about that”
don’t know if i am worried. More like intrigued.
the prospect of Boston making a large trade, is more intriguing to me then how many innings Melancon pitched this week.
Not for the sox though because the Jays are asking for more from division rivals for Doc.
check that: interesting
It would cost Boston too much to get Gonzalez. He’s a SD hometown boy; Towers is not going to get up lightly.
GB7, I like Christian when he got plugged in for a few games for us previously, but he’ll cost us something…probably not much, but he will cost something…sticking in one of the AAA guys for a couple of weeks doesn’t cost anything and will likely yield as much of a return as Christian…
“But the point I made was, if they know the Red Sox are close to getting him then why not at least make a call and see what it would take? Thats all I said and everyone jumped all over me. Teams swoop in to keep players from their competitors all the time, so whats so crazy about what I said?”
It will take a lot of prospects and the Yankees already have a 1st baseman. It doesn’t make sense to give up a ton of prospects for a guy that would end up being a full time DH. He’s obviously an upgrade over Matsui, but, 1, the Yankees need the prospects more than they need another slugger, and 2, the Yankees need the DH spot open for Posada and then Jeter.
Sure its intriguing. But its scary thinking of a youkilis-gonzalez-bay-ortiz 3-4-5-6.
joeydadjoe,
I completely disagree with you.
I’d take Roy Halladay over Adrian Gonzalez every day of the week.
An dominant Ace vs. a First Baseman? Its a no contest.
“I’d still rather see the Yanks go out and get Justin Christian back from Baltimore”
very good idea
if baltimore will co-operate
Yanks should get vernon wells, it will lower the price for Halladay, and save Phil and Joba.
Abreu is having a tremendous year with the Angels. .314 BA .410 OBP, 66 RBIs, He’s the reason they’re in first place. If we had just released Betemit and found a way to make Abreu happy with his contract, we’d be even better. And the Angels, a likely playoff opponent, would be weaker.
If he hits like that I dont really care if he plays the field.
OMG!!
This is what ARod is into!!
http://snipurl.com/o53to
“I dont get the obsession with keeping Buchholz… he doesnt look like a stud to me.’
He does standing next to Dice-K, Wakefield and Smoltz at this point…
Now that I think about it, Ricciardi’s not being ridiculous at all (well, except he’s listening to ownership about not dealing him to the Yankees).
Doc is worth it. He’s worth 2 birds in the bush and more.
Halladay>>>Holliday based on talent and the length of time left under control.
St. Louis set the bar very high, and really handcuffs Ricciardi because he needs to trade Doc, like now. But nobody’s willing to part with what he’s worth.
The Red Sox will have to include more than Bucholz for Adrian gonzalez. If towers is smart, and I feel like he is pretty smart, then he will realize that Bucholz is 25(or soon to be) and hasnt been good in the majors in a year.
Adrian Gonzalez is signed until age 30 for 9.5 million dollars total. He is a true middle of the order power hitter that gets on base and plays good defense at 1st base. To trade that guy you need a:
young proven player that isn’t making much money
2-3 prospects from a top 15 list, should be major league ready
Another 1-2 from a 15-30 list.
Gonzalez’s contract just puts him so far out of trade territory that the Padres would have to get multiple components back to make it worthwhile. There is no financial reason to trade him. There is no baseball reason to trade him unless they get an amazing package.
Theo is already trying not to trade Bucholz and Bard (both vastly overrated) for a guy like V-mart/Lee/Halladay. I doubt he gives up a better package for Gonzalez.
True Hokiehill
timo: We did release Betemit.
We gave him to the ChiSox for Swishalicious.
Regardless of what the Sox due, I really hope GM’s hold them to market standards. No Curt Schilling specials, please.
“bodhisattva – Destiny Wears Pinstripes – Melancon Watch: Seventeen Days
July 28th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Melky wasn’t coming in as a stop-gap – he was being handed the Yankees’ CF job at 21. “Here” – they said. LOL. Deer in the headlights.”
bodhi, you’re like clockwork. Someone criticizes Melky or doesn’t criticize him and you think they are and you have to come to his defense. I agree with Erica on Melky’s first stop in NY. This was in the summer of 2005, he was up for 2 weeks and struggled. He was lost at the plate and in the field. Not a big deal or a criticism since he was still 20 years old.
I don’t know where you get he was handed the job. What year was that? Not in ’05. Not in ’06 either, he started that year in the minors and was called up when Matsui busted his wrist. He wasn’t even the everyday starter in CF going into the season in ’07. So show me again where he was handed the CF job at 21?
“Abreu is having a tremendous year with the Angels. .314 BA .410 OBP, 66 RBIs, He’s the reason they’re in first place. If we had just released Betemit and found a way to make Abreu happy with his contract, we’d be even better. And the Angels, a likely playoff opponent, would be weaker”
with Abreu there would be no Tex. There was no way of knowing he would have to settle for a 1 year/million contract. Probably the most underpaid FA contract in the history of major league baseball
Irish Johnny, I just threw up on my keyboard…
No Wells
Again, this Gonzalez to the Red Sox nonsense is a creation of Peter Gammons. It just is.
Several weeks ago, the first mention of it was on Baseball Tonight he said that if the Padres did put him on the market that the Red Sox would give up four of five players for him.
That’s Gammons trying to facilitate the beginning of a negotiation for Theo Epstein.
Has any reputable news source ever reported that there were any substantive discussions between the two teams? No.
Would it make any sense for San Diego to trade their only reliable hitter, a superstar who is 27 years old, with an incredibly reasonable contract? Of course not.
And if such a trade were to occur, wouldn’t Kevin Youkilis have to be involved, given the log jam such a trade would create – Lowell, Youkilis, LaRoche, Gonzalez.
I find it highly doubtful that Towers would consider Lars Anderson, a guy who is not slugging .400 in his second season at Double AA – a reasonable offensive return depsite the pitching that could be offered in any potential deal.
Olney pretty much shot down the “rumors”,(Gammons wish)about Gonzalez. It’s not going to happen.
timo,
to keep abreu we likely would have had to have paid him upwards of 13-14 million.
that is too much for that guy.
for this very same reason, Johnny Damon will not be playing for the Yankees next year.
5 million
What is the deal with Bard? Is he gonna be a starter or reliever?
Boston isn’t getting ANY of these days – it’s to blow smoke to make the Yanks overreact & do something stupid.
BTW, didn’t we draft Bard but couldn’t sign him?
Hokiehill
July 28th, 2009 at 11:50 am
GB7, I like Christian when he got plugged in for a few games for us previously, but he’ll cost us something…probably not much, but he will cost something…sticking in one of the AAA guys for a couple of weeks doesn’t cost anything and will likely yield as much of a return as Christian…
————————————————————
I wouldn’t think that he’d cost more than an Albaladejo type talent in return.
any of those GUYS (whoops)
Jeff
July 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I dont think they want Jackson to platoon.
GreenBeret7
July 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I’d still rather see the Yanks go out and get Justin Christian back from Baltimore. He’s been sitting in AAA all year and the Orioles aren’t likely to recall him. He gives you the same thing as Gardner with a better arm and hits from the right side. It gives Jackson that last month of developement to work on a few things.
========
They don’t, ideally, but he can also sub for Damon and play some RF too, if needed. He has a good enough arm to play any OF position.
They seem against summoning him, though.
As for Christian, he’d be the perfect salve, really. Can’t imagine it would take all that much to get him. They could inquire, any way. Not like he’s a “name” guy.
Any word yet on who is being brought up as an OF
Was Abreu more hurt by the fact that the Yankees didn’t want him back, or that he was forced to take a huge paycut when the Yankees didn’t ask him back?
Abreu would make an excellent DH next season, but I’d rather like having that position open to spell the regulars.
“BTW, didn’t we draft Bard but couldn’t sign him”
I believe we drafted Kennedy (instead of Bard). And then drafted Joba with the next pick
Put Nady on the 60 day DL and bring up Ajax.
No trades for OFs, they need another SP to add depth.
Christian is not a prospect. He is an organizational depth player. We could trade him for a similiar organizational depth player of whatever the Orioles are needing at the moment.
Albaladejo is a bit much of a return for a 28 year old 5th outfielder.
Kotsay DFA’d by RS – wait for him maybe??
“Abreu would make an excellent DH next season, but I’d rather like having that position open to spell the regulars”
yes. We will have to, with Tex at 1st base. And Montero in the wings, with Posada catching
Buchholz, in my mind, is not enough alone to get any significant ML player. The guy is 25 already and still a AAA pitcher. Sure, he’d start on some ML teams, but not all.
Gotta have some promising talent in terms of other players for a team to really bite at a Buchholz deal. That’s even more true if guys like VMart and AGonz are being talked about. It’s gonna take a real, solid ML player + Buchholz to land that type of player – as it should.
Buchholz is nowhere near Hughes and Joba as a prospect – 25 year-old prospects usually aren’t. Considering that Joba and Hughes have planted themselves, both feet-in, at the ML level at ages 22-23 and Buchholz is up and down at 25. It just may be that Buchholz has been overvalued this whole time. What a crazy notion.
Buccholz is not even close to enough to get A Gonz. Think of the Halliday trade with MORE talent… I don’t think the RS can even match that.
Perhaps Buccholz + Bard + ?
Even then it’s shaky and they are down a stater
What is the deal with Bard? Is he gonna be a starter or reliever?
—
Bard is a reliever, he didn’t have the command or # of pitches to be a starter.
Prince
Adrian Gonzalez doesn’t need to be traded.Teams smell blood due to the Moores divorce.Also I believe he is under team control longer and cheap (see below)I could be wrong but he is a building block for any teams future as opposed to Halliday being a FA after 2010.
09:$3M, 10:$4.75M, 11:$5.5M club option (no buyout)Dirt cheap
Source:Cotts
In the short term Halliday is more valuable but Gonzalez should be more expensive to aquire
“Yanks should get vernon wells, it will lower the price for Halladay, and save Phil and Joba.”
LOL no.
“Adrian Gonzalez is signed until age 30 for 9.5 million dollars total. He is a true middle of the order power hitter that gets on base and plays good defense at 1st base. To trade that guy you need a:
young proven player that isn’t making much money
2-3 prospects from a top 15 list, should be major league ready
Another 1-2 from a 15-30 list.”
———–
Or you just sign one last offseason without giving up any prospects, named Mark Teixeira.
Oops, Red Sox
“Buchholz, in my mind, is not enough alone to get any significant ML player. The guy is 25 already and still a AAA pitcher”
ok. Didn’t know if it was just me. I don’t understand the value/hype associated with him.
and for anyone ready to bring up Hughes/Joba, both of these players have +++ more proven track records then Buccholtz. No-hitter withstanding
Jerkface
July 28th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Christian is not a prospect. He is an organizational depth player. We could trade him for a similiar organizational depth player of whatever the Orioles are needing at the moment.
Albaladejo is a bit much of a return for a 28 year old 5th outfielder.
————————————————————
Maybe they can expand the deal to include Sherrill. Of course, that all depends on what they’d want for Sherrill.
The Sox, after looking at their AAA roster really have nothing to create an elite package like the Yankees can.
The Yankees on the other hand have MLB proven chips like Joba, Hughes, Aceves, Melky, Gardner, etc which is unlike anything the RS have.
This is why I don’t see them making any blockbuster trades
“Buchholz is nowhere near Hughes and Joba as a prospect – 25 year-old prospects usually aren’t.”
——–
25 years old is not old for a young pitcher.
I guess Yanks fans are spolied with 23 year olds but that is not the norm.
I’m not disagreeing on the Joba/Hughes part… but everyone keeps saying “he’s 25 so he can never be good”
that’s just not the case
Theo also dropped the pie on trading Ellsbury. His peak value was 2007, and he held onto him thinking he’d be a superstar. Did/is doing the same thing with Bucholz.
The fact that Buchholz has been getting shelled lately and has been inconsistent dosent speak much to his abilities. Granted he did throw a no-hitter but Hughes was on pace for one last year before injurying himself.
The fact that Buchholz has been getting shelled lately and has been inconsistent dosent speak much to his abilities. Granted he did throw a no-hitter but Hughes was on pace for one last year before injurying himself.
Scoring runs is nice and will win you many games, but pitching wins in October. With Wang out and Joba and Hughes hitting their innings limits as the end of the season approaches, the Yankees will need another starter and another bullpen arm.
I have a feeling Joba and Hughes’ innings limits will be forgotten in the playoffs… just a thought
“ok. Didn’t know if it was just me. I don’t understand the value/hype associated with him.”
———
his changeup is plain nasty and his curve is pretty good.
it’s his fastball that’s holding him down so far, IMO. He needs to have great location on the fastball to set up those other pitches because his fastball is too straight and hittable.
Despite his struggles, he’s still striking guys out because of his offspeed stuff.
I hope Buchholz is horrible, believe me. But if Buchholz was a Yankee, fans would still be talking about his no-hitter and how he just needs to work on the fastball in order to be a solid #2 starter.
“Granted he did throw a no-hitter but Hughes was on pace for one last year before injurying himself”
the year before last, actually
“The fact that Buchholz has been getting shelled lately and has been inconsistent dosent speak much to his abilities.”
————-
he has started 2 games and has a 3.72 ERA this season.
shelled?
Buchholz unlikely to be moved in a deal. Matsuzaka is still in Florida. Wakefield on the DL until mid-August. Smoltz is wobbly.
Theo Epstein should consider himself lucky for picking up Adam LaRoche for 2 lower level prospects.
“I hope Buchholz is horrible, believe me. But if Buchholz was a Yankee, fans would still be talking about his no-hitter and how he just needs to work on the fastball in order to be a solid #2 starter”
very good point. And your probably right
my issue is Buchholtz ++ perceived value around the league. Based on rumors, it seems Boston could land a Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, or Halladay, if they give up Bucholtz. Doesn’t seem right…
“Buchholz unlikely to be moved in a deal. Matsuzaka is still in Florida. Wakefield on the DL until mid-August. Smoltz is wobbly.”
——–
that’s the key.
they can’t move Clay unless they find a way to get more pitching.
(if they give up Bucholtz in a limited/small package)
“my issue is Buchholtz ++ perceived value around the league. Based on rumors, it seems Boston could land a Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, or Halladay, if they give up Bucholtz. Doesn’t seem right…”
———
that is a fair issue to have.
The idea that Buchholz is on the same level, value wise, as Hughes and Joba is very questionable.
But it’s generally accepted by the NESPNs of the world that Buchholz and Bard is the same as Hughes and Joba.
Crazy.
“I have a feeling Joba and Hughes’ innings limits will be forgotten in the playoffs… just a thought”
It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.
Whats with all the Buchholz talk ?? Come on really.. Ok he had a no hitter . but he’s done nothing since .
Perspective is a wonderful thing.
Think back one year. Here is how the Yankees team was constructed going into the final two month stretch of the season: Offensively, there was no Posada and no Matsui; 1st base was anchored by the corpse of Jason Giambi; Cano was mired in a worthless season. The starting 5 were Mike Mussina, a gimpy Andy Pettitte, and an oddball assortment of Dan Giese, Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Darrell Rasner. Our bullpen mainstays (besides Mo) were Damaso Marte, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney.
Yet still, STILL, the team managed to win nearly 90 games! Frankly, playing in the AL East, they were fortunate to finish above .500.
Compare this year’s team to last year’s heading into the final stretch. Things look very good.
The 40 man roster …..
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....p?c_id=nyy
And why isn’t Nady on the 60 nday DL ?
“my issue is Buchholtz ++ perceived value around the league. Based on rumors, it seems Boston could land a Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, or Halladay, if they give up Bucholtz. Doesn’t seem right…”
Did it seem right when the Yankees got Cone for Marty Janzen? Or Abreu for the rights to a college hoops player? Lot of it is about $$$$.
Regarding those stats I would also venture to guess that having BOTH Posada and Matsui actually in the lineup would help those numbers increase from last year as well.
“Whats with all the Buchholz talk ?? Come on really.. Ok he had a no hitter . but he’s done nothing since.”
——–
which is why his value is much lower than it was entering last season…
but just like it made sense to be patient with Phil Hughes – because the talent was always there – it works the same way with a guy like Buchholz.
Not all prospects work out, but he has really really good offspeed stuff and he is only 24 years old.
Patience isn’t just for Yankee prospects.
(that said, i hope he stinks)
Jerkface,
Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?
I think Epstein was wise to hang on to him.
I don’t like the guy but I wouldn’t mind having him in our OF…
yeah. . good point dave
Torre said in the past (or was it Girardi?) that all bets are off for the post-season re: IP counts.
Extensive article on Jeter:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....8;c_id=mlb
OK, SERIOUSLY, can we all PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop talking about Red Sox trades?
Who cares??? We’re in first place and playing the best baseball we’ve played in recent memory.
Let’s worry about continuing to win and how WE can get better.
As I said earlier, let’s worry about the Red Sox when we play them and in the ALCS.
“Jerkface,
Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?
I think Epstein was wise to hang on to him.
I don’t like the guy but I wouldn’t mind having him in our OF…”
———
yet he’s still not good enough to be their leadoff hitter because his OBP is so low.
Ellsbury, at least this season, is only slightly better than Gardner.
OMG!!
This is what ARod is into!!
——————–
I just threw up a little in my mouth.
Jerkface,
Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?
I think Epstein was wise to hang on to him.
I don’t like the guy but I wouldn’t mind having him in our OF…
—-
Wise to hang onto him? He could have had Johan Santana for Ellsbury + , he could have probably had a lot of better players for Ellsbury +.
Ellsbury has a terrible arm. Is playing crappy defense this season because he takes bad routes. And the plate discipline hasn’t been as expected.
.700 OPS != superstar that he was predicted by ESPN/Red Sox media machine to be.
he is basically melky cabrera but older.
“The Mad Prince in Pinstripes
July 28th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Jerkface,
Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?
I think Epstein was wise to hang on to him.
I don’t like the guy but I wouldn’t mind having him in our OF…”
I’d take both Melky and GGBG over Ellsbury.
Melk .290 .356 .438
GGBG .275 .359 .400
Ellsbury .297 .343 .403
“Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?”
Gardenhoser is batting .275 w/ 20 stolen bases w/ 167 less plate appearances.
Boston Dave don’t discount the fact Buchholz got shellacked last year – wasn’t he 2-8 with about a 7 ERA – had him banished to Pawtucket until now.
Just the RS are good at overhyping – with the help of their best buds at NESPN
Ellsbury, like most speed guys, gets over hyped. He’s a nice player and an excellent defensive OF minus the arm. He is not bound for superstardom, however, as every Red Sox groupie/ESPN flunkey believes.
Best option for Boston series :
Skip Joba’s start on Aug 3 (off day), and you line up AJ, CC, Joba, and Petitte vs the Red Sox.
Lines up our best vs them, and gives Joba a bit of a break for innings limit that’s coming into play.
Joba will get to about 140IP in late AUG, and then he’ll get his final 20ip from the BP at the end of the year and in the playoffs.
“Ellsbury is second in the AL with like 44 stolen bases and he’s batting what, .280?”
.297 with not enough pop or OBP. He’s a guy who could probably be a monster if he got on base at a .380-.400 clip. But he has demonstrated no pop and his manager deemed it worthy to bat him in the lower third of the order because he doesn’t get on base enough. To his credit, he’s cut down the strikeouts that were so prevelent in the 2nd half last year, but if you’re going to slug .400, you better get on base at close to a .400 clip to. He’s at 45 or so steals but has only scored 45 or so runs. If a guy like Ellsbury isn’t getting you 100-120 runs a season, he’s not doing you much good.
At this point I hope the Red Sox keep Buchholtz and all their vaunted prospects. I don’t think they are all going to pan out like Gammons and the Red Sox mafia predict they will.
We’ll be beating the snot out of them for years if they are building around the guys mentioned as untouchables.
What I really loved reading this morning was Dice K accusing the Red Sox throwing program as the reason he’s injured.
The wheels are coming off the bus in beantown folks. None of the supposedly shrewd low cost moves Theo made in the off season has really worked out well for the red sox.
They either are going to ride these young unproven guys or trade all of them for high cost vets.
We’ve seen what can happen with both potential outcomes. It doesn’t always work the way it should on paper.
As for the Yanks, we need 1 starter from somewhere. If Cashman goes for Halladay at the 11th hour we should celebrate.
If he gets someone else, I know it won’t be an overpay so it’ll be low risk.
This team is so much fun to watch right now.
“Boston Dave don’t discount the fact Buchholz got shellacked last year – wasn’t he 2-8 with about a 7 ERA – had him banished to Pawtucket until now.
Just the RS are good at overhyping – with the help of their best buds at NESPN”
———-
you mean the same season Hughes was 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA
I’m not saying Buchholz will be great or that he’s better than Hughes at all.
I’m just saying the same rules apply. Buchholz has alot of talent. Just like Hughes required patience, Buchholz does too.
You can’t cast him off at age 24.
Boston is pinning a lot of offense on the shoulders of Youkilis, Pedroia, a slumping Bay, and the legs of Ellsbury.
Drew and Baldelli are iffy.
Basically dead wood with the aging Ortiz and Varitek, plus Kotteras and the shortstops are weak contributors since Green came back to earth.
only 45 runs for Godsbury
Gardenhoser has crossed home plate 36 times in 167 less ABs
Brandon-
PLEASE stop calling him Gardenhoser. It is not funny or cute. Nor is it bringing him good luck any longer!!!!!!!
Tex and Swisher replaced Giambi and Abreu, both of whom had fine offensive seasons last year. The gains are coming from Jeter acting like he just turned 25, not 35, Damon becoming a power hitter, Cano bouncing back, Posada replacing Molina, and the contributions from CF. Playing in a park that greatly boosts home runs doesn’t hurt either.
Dave not writing him off – but Hughes was hurt also. Buchholz was not (unless you count the broken fingernail).
Bucks will be a good pitcher, he’s their Joba, no?
It’s strange that the Sox chose to sign Penny & Smoltz and start Buccholz out in AAA.
The Yankees took the gamble with Joba in the rotation this season even though he can’t go the distance of a regular starter.
I mean signing those two vets worked out for them because of Dice-K and Wakefield’s injuries, but I think Buccholz’s development would’ve been better served if he had started out with the big league team.
Boston Dave 2.0,
I was not implying that Buchholz had no value or couldn’t be a solid ML starter one day, but that a prospect’s ceiling tends to drop quite a bit when he’s 25 as opposed to 23, especially considering that Buchholz has already been exposed to ML hitters and has had mixed results.
The guy certainly could turn it all around and become a solid #3, but it’s equally likely that he may never locate his fastball well and be doomed to a #4 or #5 job for the rest of his career.
There’s no way you give up a guy like Gonzalez or Martinez, two of the most valuable players in baseball (considering Vmart as an offensive catcher and Gonzalez as an offensive monster making very little money) for a guy like Buchholz. No way, no how. If there’s a sure-fire #2 or #3 starter and a good position player, then one may consider it.
A package of Buchholz, Ellsbury, and Bard + one or two others may get VMart, but it’s highly unlikely. AGonz would take a big bat with potential and a little ML experience + Buchholz + a B-level prospect to be worth it for the Padres. The Red Sox, however, cannot possibly make the package for AGonz and aren’t willing to make the package for Vmart.
Damon becoming a power hitter
—
Damon has always been a power hitter as a yankee B)
Jeter is clearly getting inspired by the way this team is playing right now.
I think we’re going to see some really vintage Jeter the rest of the way. The dude lives and feeds off winning.
Erica- until he hits above .300 his name shall be Gardenhoser
“Damon has always been a power hitter as a yankee B)”
Well, he currently has a career high in slugging %.
G Love, did Matsuzaka really accuse the Sox of causing his injury? LOL I love it – and somehow I doubt that Baseball Tonight mentioned it.
I’m thrilled beyond belief for Jeter. So many people wanted to throw the guy under the bus, concentrating on his flaws and not the many assets he brings to this franchise. I feel so much pride that this guy represents our franchise; the day he gets 3000 hits is going to be an awfully special moment. The guy could probably play until he’s close to 40.
Is it selective memory that Jeter was hit on the hand by Cabrera and then took a huge nosedive offensively? Jeter is hitting better because he is not playing hurt. He is better defensively because he isn’t playing in as far as he used to, so he can get to more balls.
The defense is better this year, even with the outfield having problems. The pitching is doing a decent job as well.
You need offense as well as defense as well as pitching. The Giants have pitching, yet their offense is poor and will make it tough to get to the post season.
I believe the RSox will make a play for someone and it could be Toronto for Halladay & Rios & Rolen. The only way I can see them doing it is to involve another team as well like I said yesterday for the Pirates 2B & SS.
Toronto gives up Halladay/RIOS/Rolen (Moves Hill to 3B) & gets Pedoria/Bucholtz/Lowrie/Ellsbury/Bard.
Boston then has to get Sanchez & Wilson from Pirates for ???.
Something else that came to mind looking at the HR stats so far this year. As great as that is for the Yankees it is even better for Children’s Health Fun and Johnny Damon HR Club.
I first found out about this organization from this blog and have been a part of the HR club ever since. Based on how things are going this year could be quite successful for them and with the way things are going with health care it is something greatly needed.
If you want more information on this organization below is the link. You can still sign up.
http://www.childrenshealthfund.....e-run-club
If we win 100 games, we win the divison
It shocks me that Pete says that. But cool.
don’t worry, other scouts and gms don’t fall for the smoke and mirrors that espn/BA rep in coordinance with RS prospects
At this point, without having read much of the other comments, I am disgusted that Pete would say the Yanks will will 100 games. Everyone is saying they had a great homestand and that is true, but last year they did as well. Besides, Girardi continues to have these brain cramps that lead to lost games and that will be awful come the playoffs. In Saturday’s game, I can’t understand why he brought in Aceves when he needed a Strikeout pitcher, not a finnese one. But more ridiculous was the fact that Posada was not bunting with two on and no one out in the bottom of the ninth. It is basic, fundamental baseball. I have seen Girardi make this mistake at least five other times this year and last and that is the reason we will not make it. It pains me to say this, and this team may have the best hitting stats, but when they get to October they will fail miserably again because, unbelievably, they still don’t know how to bunt after all these years. If they had bunted, you would have 2nd and 3rd w one out and Jeter due up. Even if he had flied out the way he did for the last out, that would’ve meant a run and a man on second for Damon to possibly drive in. If you have a chance to win 10 games and you win 9 becacuse of stupid strategic mistakes, then no one should be singing your praises.
What’s really great,is how well the Yankees spring back from a loss,lately.Their like a Timex,they take a lickin,and keep on tickin!
You are all crazy defending this team. They will fail unless they learn to play small ball. They won three straight 2-1 games, a lot of those can go the other way in the playoffs if you can’t manufacture runs in the late innings!
Pancho:
The Yankees don’t play much fundamental ball,and overly rely on going yard.
I personally hate leaving a man on 3rd with 1 or no outs,and the side is retired,leaving the man on 3rd.
The NL,is big on fundamental ball.Yankees had better incorporate this game play before post season.
I disagree with you on the Yankees,making post season,they will.believe mate!!
DJ is quietly building an MVP season. Not quite the monster of 1999/2000 but approaching 2006, when he was robed by Justin Morneau. Plus defense at SS (for real!) and a .402 OBP/ .861 OPS at age 35 is pretty outrageous.
The Swisher addition is probably a wash with Giambi’s performance last year. And although Tex is a big addition, don’t underestimate the HUGE impact switching Damon and Jeter at the top of the lineup has had on this offense.