Silent night
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Dec 25, 2009 
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As we expected, not a whole lot going on in baseball land tonight which leaves you free to watch Kobe vs. LeBron and/or the NFL (if you happen to live in one of those places that actually gets the NFL Network). I’m headed out to see “Up in the Air.”
It seems that the Mets are taking a chance on rehabbing Kelvim Escobar, the former Angels starter/reliever who is trying to make a comeback. With him headed to Queens and Justin Duchscherer apparently going back to California, that leaves Ben Sheets as the obvious “reclamation project” pitcher still out there.
Sheets is someone we’ve all talked about since the offseason began, and my thinking on him is this: Great idea, would love to have him but not at anything close to what he’s asking. At this point, it’s hard to imagine Sheets getting anything close to the $12 million he was reportedly seeking earlier, but even if it dropped considerably I’d still be hesitant. Big upside, to be sure, but given his injury history, big risk, too.
The Yankees don’t figure to be players for Sheets, but it’ll be interesting to see which GM decideds to spend big and roll the dice.
“Can you imagine a 17 year old kid coming up today and striking out 15 batters in his first ML game, 18 strikeouts 3 weeks later and then leaving to return to finish high school? This country would go crazy”
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no. I really can’t. Directly off the farm to major league baseball, at age 17.
by the way, did you see his interview with Costas?
Merry Christmas to all! Here’s hoping Santa has some left over left fielders in bag for late delivery.
Peace to all..well, except Red Sox fans
Just checking in. Merry Christmas everyone.
I had a bad dream that Cashman was dreaming of a Rondell White Christmas, just like the ones he used to know.
I’m blaming it on bad Chinese food.
“Sheets is someone we’ve all talked about since the offseason began, and my thinking on him is this: Great idea, would love to have him but not at anything close to what he’s asking. At this point, it’s hard to imagine Sheets getting anything close to the $12 million he was reportedly seeking earlier, but even if it dropped considerably I’d still be hesitant”
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yes. Thankful to have Vazquez, instead
Is it ridiculous to consider Garret Anderson in LF? There’s a guy who would sign a one-year contract (he did it this year) for not a lot of money. Meanwhile, we could go after someone next offseason. Could be a nice stopgap at 1 yr/$1.5mil.
vinny-b (NJ and Granderson – thank you Cashman!)
December 25th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
“Can you imagine a 17 year old kid coming up today and striking out 15 batters in his first ML game, 18 strikeouts 3 weeks later and then leaving to return to finish high school? This country would go crazy”
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no. I really can’t. Directly off the farm to major league baseball, at age 17.
by the way, did you see his interview with Costas?
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Oh, yeah…I saw it twice and recorded it. Great interview….one of the best Costas has done, and that’s saying something. He’s not a braggart, but, he also doesn’t mince words on any question.
Right after it was shown on tv, people here were talking about it and deriding him over the 107 MPH claims. Keep in mind that there were no radar guns and he could only go by what the yechnicians at Aberdeen Proving Grounds told him. They used photo electric cells to time him. He was also throwing from flat ground. There’s no real way of telling, but, that’s not much different now. You can’t find two radar guns that read the same. He was and is, just an amazing guy. And at 90 years old, no wavering in his voice and what a memory.
I too like Garret Anderson, pro hitter. Maybe a platoon of Dye and Anderson.
no way it is Gardner in left….my money is on anybody else,,,,
Between them they hit 40 HRs last year.
I’m waiting to see what fool signs Bay for a boat load of dough!
Could prob get Dye and Anderson for 3m total.
2 vets.
going to be interesting too see if we can get lee & an outfielder next year
cash just tried to get lee before vasquez i hear
man would that of been sweet
cc
lee
burnett
pettitte
joba/hughes
what happens if joba & hughes have a tough year & pettitte retires?
vasquez & pettitte trims less than 24 million
lee & crawford will add about 36 million
There’s no way NYY would allow Anderson and Dye split left field. Dye’s a right fielder and not that good in the field anymore and Anderson has never been that good of a defensive player even 10 years ago, and neither could cover that bid geft field.
They could give them walkers to help patrol the bid geft field.
more egg nog anyone?
Say what you will about Tiger Woods …
although he’s an Adulterer,
he is still a Saint
compared to Kobe “The Rapist” Bryant.
And on that note I’m outta here and a merry happy doo dah to y’all…
I live in Atlanta and watched garret Anderson play all year. We don’t want any part of that guy. Joyless and at the end of his career are two ways to describe him
“compared to Kobe “The Rapist” Bryant”
Sorry, Kobe never raped anyone. Was he found guilty of those charges?
But if we are into slanderous attacks, Kendrick Perkins of the Celts sure has the face of a murderer, and Paul Pierce the face of a whiny cry baby who needs to be coddled via foul calls in his favor.
What about this Sarnataro guy the Yankees signed? Anyone know anything about him?
“what happens if joba & hughes have a tough year & pettitte retires?
vasquez & pettitte trims less than 24 million
lee & crawford will add about 36 million”
I guess this is what Cashman means when he discusses payroll flexibility. Last year they had major flexibility with all the expiring contracts. This year they also had a few expiring contracts, but used those coming off the books to trim and gain some flexibility for the future.
Other than these two, what other contracts expire from players making decent money? There is obviously Jeter and Mo, but they don’t provide flexibility since the team HAS to offer them contracts that are attractive.
“Oh, yeah…I saw it twice and recorded it. Great interview….one of the best Costas has done, and that’s saying something. He’s not a braggart, but, he also doesn’t mince words on any question.
Right after it was shown on tv, people here were talking about it and deriding him over the 107 MPH claims. Keep in mind that there were no radar guns and he could only go by what the yechnicians at Aberdeen Proving Grounds told him. They used photo electric cells to time him. He was also throwing from flat ground. There’s no real way of telling, but, that’s not much different now. You can’t find two radar guns that read the same. He was and is, just an amazing guy. And at 90 years old, no wavering in his voice and what a memory”
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100%. Feller is a living gift.
you know Costas is a perfect person to give the interview. Able to tell how much he values to sit with him. Costas is like a little boy in the interview, yet keeping himself in check.
btw, in a segment the day before, when promoting the upcoming interview Plesaac referenced the motorcycle experiment. Plesaac said, if it were Mitch Williams throwing that pitch, the person on the bike had better have a helmet. Said Mitch would have probably hit him in the back of the head. Almost fell down laughing
Yeah, I saw that with the motorcycle. Again, flat ground, white shirt and tie and street shoes. I could listen to him talk about baseball anytime. He has some great stories to tell. It will be a pity when he goes. He’s one of the last pitchers to face Gehrig, Dimaggio and Mantle.
A player I would love to see the Yankees acquire for LF would be David DeJesus from KC. Send them Gaudin and Hoffman and maybe McAllister or some other prospects. DeJesus was tright behind Crawford as a superior defensive LFer, had an insane OBP the second half of last year, and is a very good ball player at a low salary.
I would even be willing to trade Gardener in that deal.
If not that, I would be happy with Reed Johnson platooning with Gardner.
Getting DeJesus instead of Crawford also gives Yankees flexibility next year to acquire Lee…
Mitch Williams is really just a clown on that show, and that’s about all he adds. Plesac is just funny, but, he’s really informative. He was on with Reynolds, Verducci and one of the others and when talking to Reynolds, called him Heather instead of Harold. it took him a few seconds to realize what he said, after the rest of them and especially Reynolds started were rolling on the floor.
Dejesus isn’t worth Gaudin and others and especially not McAllister.
I am not a horse trader, so I don’t know exaqctly what it would take to get him, but I do know that the Yankees inquired last season and were told it would take quite a package.
He’s a good ball player and would be a very good piece for the Yankees–offensively and defensively.
repost
tom tresh 15
December 25th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Nick in SF,
Sorry for not answering sooner. I am just outside of Charlotte, in a small crossroads town of Midland. If you are interested google Reed Gold Mine. That is the area I live in
Just got back from Up in the Air…hope you liked it as much as I did, Sam…great movie!
“Mitch Williams is really just a clown on that show, and that’s about all he adds. Plesac is just funny, but, he’s really informative. He was on with Reynolds, Verducci and one of the others and when talking to Reynolds, called him Heather instead of Harold. it took him a few seconds to realize what he said, after the rest of them and especially Reynolds started were rolling on the floor”
——————————————————
yup. It were a trip.
following Plesac’s fine rookie season, i was the Brewers spring training batboy the following year. Bein from wisconsin, they were my team. Anyway, day before spring training initated at an event, i approached Plesac and let him know he was my idol. He was kind, talked with me and signed the cards i had. It is a moment which will remember. Another one being, the first day i walked into the clubhouse and Paul Molitor walking up to me and introducing himself.
really enjoy Plesac on MLB, very funny and non-pretentious.
For me, I’ll be watching some Sherlock Holmes on Turner Classic Movies……
Fran, if you’re out there – I had an absolutely delicious meal. First I started out with fried shrimp w/ chiles and garlic. It was a very light breading – not heavy at all – and so yummy. Then I had chili garlic noodles – spicy, which I love. They are very accomodating, though, so for folks who don’t love spicy food, they’ll moderate the spcies. Of course I had Indian bread (naan : plain, potato and onion); Indian bread is very poofy and light (yummy). Then I ended with kulfi, which is like an Indian ice cream. There’s no parking – ordinarily, people park on the street. I couldn’t do that because of the snow – I got permission from a deli owner to park in his lot.
Brad, it’s easy to say just send KC Mc Allister (a solid pitching prospect) and other prospects to KC, not so easy to do. The Yankees have depleted their farm system a bit (not a huge deal, but enough so that I do not think they’re going to want to do that again). IMO, they have to sign a FA – unfortunately, outside of Holliday (or Bay), there’s no one really appealing.
Anderson is terrible now. He sulked his way through last season in ATL and except for a 3-4 week stretch towards the end of the season he looked awful at the plate.
I’m not sure if I’m overly interested in Cliff Lee at $20 million ……..If JV pitches well, why not re-sign him? The Yankees clearly like him. I expect Andy to be gone next year, so the rotation would be CC, AJ, blank, Joba and Phil. However, I think if Joba is not good this year, he’ll go to the pen and it will probably be permanent at that point. Phil just can not be a short man in the pen this year…..
GB, I’m sorry I missed that Feller interview. I just love old baseball history. When I went to the HOF, it took me hours just to get to the 1930′s – I spent so much time on the early history of the game and the 1900′s to 1920′s. I was really fascinated by Christy Mathewson (still am actually, he’s my favorite from that time). Bob Feller must be a living history book – I hope MLB repeats that interview.
Vinny, wow – that’s a cool story.
I like Vasquez as a regular season pitcher, he should help get the Yanks into the playoffs. What worries me is how we match up once the playoffs start- we’re better than most, but against the Mariners this year, Lee and Felix or the Phillies again with Halladay and Hamels (if Hamel’s figures it out)or even Boston with Becket, Lackey, Lester etc… I give us the edge but it’s close enough they could out perform us.
If we could upgrade to Lee next year (or better) I’d say do it.
Betsy,
Thanks for the review. Sounds delicious. I had Chinese food which was good, but this sounds a lot better! I wrote the name down and I will definitely try it. Let you know when I do.
Fran, if you go – let me know and maybe we can meet up!
Betsy,
That sounds like a good idea. I would love to.
Great……well, I’ll be back later. Time to indulge in some Sherlock Holmes.
Hope everyone absolutely enjoys the rest of their Merry Christmas!!
Betsy–
I don’t think McAllister will ever have a psot here, as he is projected as a #4-5 type starter. I also believe that Santa Cash will want to unload either Gaudin or Mitre to get more budget room. And finally, either Gardner or Hoffman could easily be sent to KC as they want young players under control. They had already inquired about Gardner.
I like the idea of DeJesus because he is a solid player whose numbers and splits are very similar to Crawford’s exccept for the stolen bases. His OBP was 402 in July?August and over 370 in Sept! He has power similar to Crawford, great defense and range in LF, a very good arm, and reminds me of a younger Damon.
Finally, his contract will be about $4M this year. A very attractive player to target.
this blog couldn’t possibly be nerdier. why pete, why did you have to leave!?
Finally, his contract will be about $4M this year. A very attractive player to target.
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2010 $4.7 m. 2-11= clb option $6 m.
akamgkrebs December 25th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Finally, his contract will be about $4M this year. A very attractive player to target.
———————————————–
2010 $4.7 m. 2-11= clb option $6 m.
=================================
A great bargain compared to the $15-16M that Crawford will get.
A great bargain compared to the $15-16M that Crawford will get.
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agreed
Hope everyone had a great Holliday as of midnight EST, it’s the 90th anniversart of the day we got the Babe.
I wouldn’t trade McAllister for DeJesus. He would be a one year rental. He doesn’t have great skills. You need prospects like McAllister to fill in if an emergency arises, or as an asset to be traded if a hole develops if a key player gets hurt.
Thank God the Holiday’s over and we can get back to talking Baseball
I don’t mind Gardner getting a chance to prove himself, but I also like the idea of having him as a pr. Late and close, Johnson gets on base, and GGBG comes in and steals his way home
Being how it is Christmas and it’s a “slow” sports day, this is good opportunity for a regular like myself to say Thank You to Sam and Chad for the continued great work on this blog. I check it first of all the Yankee blogs out there. I think Pete did a great job here and when he announced he was leaving it was a tough blow, but I’m very happy to see that the great work here has continued.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Now let’s REPEAT!
Erica – always OPPC – Bring Johnny Back!!! December 25th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
new thread
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mick December 25th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
nuevo thread or =================> for those who dont know spanish
=================
Erica, mick, and others….
Why do you insist on diverting people to a new thread?
Every thread is interesting and valuable in its own right.
Yes there are some times when it makes sense to divert to a new thread- like during a game, when one thread becomes “full”, and Chad or Sam creates a new thread for the same game.
Maybe today’s threads might be worthy of a diversion, since they were mostly generic “Happy Holidays..” threads, but one thread was started by Chad, and the other by Sam.. and there were some interesting and enlightening discussions underway in each thread.
Please let threads stand and let them continue… People are free to read every thread they want, and should be encouraged to post whereever they want.
Thanks
December 26, 2009 at 1:02 am
Erica, mick, and others….
Why do you insist on diverting people to a new thread?
Every thread is interesting and valuable in its own right.
Yes there are some times when it makes sense to divert to a new thread- like during a game, when one thread becomes “full”, and Chad or Sam creates a new thread for the same game.
Maybe today’s threads might be worthy of a diversion, since they were mostly generic “Happy Holidays..” threads, but one thread was started by Chad, and the other by Sam.. and there were some interesting and enlightening discussions underway in each thread.
Please let threads stand and let them continue… People are free to read every thread they want, and should be encouraged to post whereever they want.
Thanks
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Sports Geek-
With all due respect, I think you’re missing the point of the “new thread” posts.
They are done as a courtesy.
Sometimes when people are so engaged in conversation, they don’t realize a new thread has begun. As a result, they don’t realize that everyone has moved onto the new thread and their post will not be read.
When we are notified of a new thread, it helps keep people on the same page so nobody’s thoughts are overlooked.
You may notice that conversations from one post tend to carry onto the next. There’s no rule against that. And if a topic ends prematurely, there’s nothing wrong with bringing it back up again with a simple “regarding what we were talking about last post…”
They should correct me if I’m talking out of turn, but I don’t think Chad, Sam or Josh mind the topics blending into each other.
Personally, I appreciate the new thread heads up so I don’t post into oblivion.
Yanks aren’t trading for a leftfielder, they’ll be signing one Johnny Damon ,now that it appears they’re not going to make a deal for the underpriced Matt Holliday……No, it’s bery unlikely Brett Gardner is the starting LF, They’re going free agent for this player
# Rich in NJ December 26th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I wouldn’t trade McAllister for DeJesus. He would be a one year rental. He doesn’t have great skills. You need prospects like McAllister to fill in if an emergency arises, or as an asset to be traded if a hole develops if a key player gets hurt.
==============================
DeJesus has an option for seconf year. As for McAllister, I totally disagree. We’ll leave it at that.
Brad S77
December 26th, 2009 at 6:21 am
# Rich in NJ December 26th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I wouldn’t trade McAllister for DeJesus. He would be a one year rental. He doesn’t have great skills. You need prospects like McAllister to fill in if an emergency arises, or as an asset to be traded if a hole develops if a key player gets hurt.
==============================
DeJesus has an option for seconf year. As for McAllister, I totally disagree. We’ll leave it at that.
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McAllister is the #8 starting pitcher on the organizational depth charts. He’s not going anywhere for a slightly above average left fielder. Not when there are better options.
Frankie Piliere:
Depends what they go and get I think. Unless they go land a big player for LF though I think they both stay. Don’t sleep on Jamie Hoffman either. The Yankees don’t just waste Rule 5 picks. They think he can really help
(via fan house)
Pat M, I also think it’ll be Damon unless something changes with Holliday. Damon will lower his demands and they will work something out when/if Holliday totally is out of the equation. I also like that you used he work underpriced to describe Holliday and I’m still not convinced that they aren’t in on him at this price, no matter what Cashman babbles to the media….
Left field for 2010 will work itself out. It will be interesting to see Christian Garcia stays healthy at Trenton this year. He had surgey in late June for a bone chip, bone spur and scar tissue removal in his elbow. He made 5 outstanding starts at Trenton last year before surgery and should have started his rehab in October. The next decision is whether he’ll return as a starter or reliever. He could follow the Phil Coke route and go to the pen.
Next is what NYY does if Pettitte has a sub 4.00 ERA and 15-17 wins and wants to return.
The Scranton pitching staff should be loaded, and to a lesser degree, so should Trenton. Tampa could be thin, but, Charleston should be outstanding. Offense up and down the system should mash. Trenton, especially.
GB7
Glad to see a positive post so early in the morning.
I hope this day finds you felling better.
I like the idea of converting minor league starters into relievers. You just have to pick the right ones to do it with. Its worked well the last couple years with the Yankees and has saved them money that they could spend elsewhere.
As for Andy, as long as he’s pitching well and will accept one year deals then I think you keep doing them..I really think this will be it for Andy though.
feeling
You might not be able to read it without a typo/
i love johnny damon, but please, he’s not an everyday OF anymore. the yankees have made great strides in improving the defense over the past couple of years, i dont want to see them take such a huge leap backwards. i would have been ok with johnny coming back to dh, but he was terrible in LF last year and theres no reason to expect him to get any better. also i just cant see him taking a one year deal and i dont think the yankees will offer him more. its just time to move on…
Ham, I see your point about Damon but I don’t like the other options floating around either. At least we know that Damon fits in the clubhouse and can still hit. If Damon could get a DT (designated thrower) then he wouldn’t be nearly as bad in LF and Gardner could be used in the later innings. As for whether he would take a one year deal, thats yet to be determined (he has no market at the moment). I still think they should sign a wholesale Holliday and forget about LF for a few years.
MaineYankee
December 26th, 2009 at 7:32 am
GB7
Glad to see a positive post so early in the morning.
I hope this day finds you felling better.
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Thanks, Maine. I’m doing well and things are looking up.
I haven’t heard much on their plans for Garcia, but, he’s suffered from the same series of continuous injuries as Coke. Unlike others, I hated seeing Coke get dealt. He’ll rebound from his late season struggles. If I had to make a guess, this will be NY’s best option. Imagine him teaming up with Robertson and the others in the pen. That’s just a nasty scenario for the rest of the league. I wish that I felt as confident about Alan Horne going forward.
Pettitte’s an interesting case. He could easily reach 240+ wins by this coming season’s end.
MaineYankee
December 26th, 2009 at 7:33 am
feeling
You might not be able to read it without a typo/
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I assumed that you were typing in a secret code….either that or trying to imitate me. You’ll need to do much better than that. Nobody’s going to be fooled by just one typo in 11 words.
i like horne alot, his injury left him forgotten in the flurry of young arms making thier way up. i only saw him pitch once, and was impressed (that and $2.50 gets you on the PATH train)…chad has seen alot of alan and i’d love to see his take on the guy. my memory is that he was regarded along the same lines as kennedy, a guy who didnt project at the top of the rotation but seemed to produce at a higher level than was projected for him. in other words, a winner w/o eye-popping stuff.
Having had his surgery mid-season last year probably means that he’ll be in recovery all this season and we probably cant expect to see the real horne back until next season. but my impression is that he’s got the makeup and work ethic that will bring him all the way back barring physical setback.
What’s the holdup with teams signing Holliday, Damon, or Bay ?
Are they waiting until Christmas ?
NYY has at least four pitchers that may be better off in the bullpen….Horne, Garcia, and probably Betances and DeLaRosa. DeLaRosa has done really well and moved fast since converting, As well as he’s done in his few starts, he was deadly in the pen, since he gets out both left and right handed hitters well. I’m hoping that he can stay healthy as a starter. Strictly a swing and miss with nearly 10 strikeouts per 9 innings. His walks are a bit high, but, he’s only been pitching for 3 years.
They are waiting for someone to give them more money..none of them like the offers they have gotten so far.
GB7, have you seen Betances pitch?
blake
December 26th, 2009 at 8:44 am
GB7, have you seen Betances pitch?
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Yeah, for Charleston and Tampa. Top of the line stuff, but, a bit wild. Not unusual for a young pitcher as tall as he is. The surgery wasn’t a total surprise. Most people thought it would have been done earlier.
Here’s an organizational pitching chart.
http://www.baseball-reference......hing.shtml
GB7, I had high hopes for him when they signed him. I know hes still young, maybe he would be better suited for the pen as you said
I’m still hoping that both Betances and DeLaRosa make it as starters, but, those would be two impressive arms in the pen, with DeLaRosa being the lefty.
The good news is the organization is developing their own Bullpen talent, so the days of FArnsworth & the like are over for the time being. The bad news is that we haven’t developed a reliable starter since Wang.
With regards to Damon: Would have liked to have kept him in the DH role as his offer of 7M was generous for a FA DH. IMO he would be more valuable in the two spot than Nick Johnson.
Gardner really doesn’t need a righthanded platoon hitter as he hit .302 against lefties, albeit a small sample size. Is his arm really any better than Damons? I don’t remember seeing him play LF last year.
Ideally, if the price were right, DeRosa would be helpful in that he could fill many roles without much dropoff on offense, but he’ll take the best offer from the Giants.
I’m just throwing this out there, but is there an infielder FA, who might be able to take over left field and play good defense while offering some offense,perhaps hitting in the 2 spot while moving Johnson down in the order, not necessarily power-switch hitter Orlando Hudson for example?
Have some concerns in the bullpen with all the young arms, as Robertson, for example, had to be shut down late in the season for what sounds like elbow tendinitis. If FA Kiko Calero was available on a one year reasonable contract, would there be any interest?
It’s beginning to seem to me that the high-risk pitchers that the Yankees sign may never end up starting for the major league team – that the stockpile is full of potential relief pitchers.
That’s not a horrible thing – they will never have to overpay for mediocre relief pitching from other teams and can save some money in that regard.
But the money they’re saving there is mere nickels and dimes compared to being able to develop starting pitchers. If those minor league arms don’t get to be ML starters for the Yankees, the Yankees are still going to be paying high salaries for a starting rotation, whether they get those pitchers via trade (Vazquez) or FA (CC, AJ).
I think it’s important that they figure out the Joba/Hughes situation. It seems like they spent all this time and energy, especially on Joba, that they really need to once and for all find out if he can start. I know it’s not a popular opinion, but I’m beginning to think it’s not a terrible idea if Joba is the #5 starter with Hughes in AAA (to manage his innings better and allow him to use all his pitches) to begin the season. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But I think it needs one last college try.
If in ST, however, one of those pitchers is clearly more ready than the other, whichever that one is, should be in the rotation to open the season.
Joba should be glued to Mariano’s side next season.
To add to my thoughts a bit, if the contracts are times well, they really only need to develop one or two starters every few years. It’s not like you need one a new one every season. So you just have to strike gold with a couple of them. That’s why if Joba and Hughes can start, they’re set for a while and can be patient with some of the others that are there now, or can use them to trade for other pieces, and carefully mine their future draft picks.
GB7–Thanks for the pitching depth chart. Very helpful one stop minor league pitching review.
I was advocating Dejesus as an alternative to Holliday some time ago, but now the Yanks are, in my view, weaker against left handed pitching. Dejesus gets on base against LHPs, but with no power at all. They need a right handed hitting outfielder who can use his power to right and right center. Sounds like Holliday.
With New Years approaching can we still use the word holiday and Holliday interchangeably?
what’s Kevin towers status.. Its not official he’s coming to the Yankees is it? That would be a great addition.
Austin, not a problem. I’ll link the organizational hitters chart. Both of these charts are for the end of 2009.
http://www.baseball-reference......ting.shtml
Doreen, what I’d posted earlier is only my thoughts and not based on anything that I’ve heard or read. My apologies if I gave the impression of inside knowledge.
All of the Yankees switch hitters are better from the left side. The lineup is very Left hand dominant which is good at Yankee stadium but can be a disadvantage in a playoff series against a good lefty as Cliff Lee showed last year. Holliday is perfect for their needs. I understand not wanting to lock into another longterm deal but if they are planning on doing that wih Crawford next year then I don’t see the logic..maybe they aren’t.
New thread—->
The Yankee switch hitters may hit better from the left side, but, they’re not bad from the right side. They also have two of the best right handed hitters in baseball.
GB7,
Thanks for all your great insights on the farm. I too believe that Horne has been forgotten. And in answer to an earlier question, he is nto a guy with mediocre stuff. When healthy, he was a genuine live arm, with crackling breaking stuff and movement on just about everything. I wouldn’t say he was a sure-fire prospect but he was a very good one, and if he can get back to what he was could still figure,
What’s the story, GB, with Humberto Sanchez? Any hope for him? Also would be interested in your view of Kontos and where he might fit in. My guess is that this will be the year when several of our young injured pitchers re-emerge.
And count me with those who feel Gardner will be a major asset hitting out of the nine hole in the line-up. We may need more than Hoffman as a righty option, but Gardner can handle the brunt of the workload. His speed and defense will more than compensate for his lack of power.
doreen -
jon lester emerged in his 24th year as a really good starter. that’s about when i look for it to happen with pitchers. joba is ready and hughes is right there too almost. joba will be 25 next sept and hughes 24.
25 is no magic age, but it’s an age when the body ,mind, and training start to come together. i believe in a long minor league apprenticeship simply because i think there are lessons that need to be learned slowly.
pitching is a craft and learning a craft takes time. but these have have paid their dues at this point. no matter which one of hughes or joba gets the fifth starter role, there is little chance that these five won’t miss 15 starts between them or more.
that’s just probability. so the one who doesn’t get the job at first needs to stay stretched out if both are thought to be starters. that’s where it gets problematic. how do you keep joba or hughes stretched out if they are in the bullpen.
the yankees always rush a guy when they have a need and they ” ease” him back into the rotation. they say they are doing it right, but hey don’t.
so the question to me is how does the starter who doesn’t get the 5th starter job keep their length for the 15 starts that will likely be there for that starter if he’s ready ?
bottom line
December 26th, 2009 at 9:42 am
GB7,
Thanks for all your great insights on the farm. I too believe that Horne has been forgotten. And in answer to an earlier question, he is nto a guy with mediocre stuff. When healthy, he was a genuine live arm, with crackling breaking stuff and movement on just about everything. I wouldn’t say he was a sure-fire prospect but he was a very good one, and if he can get back to what he was could still figure,
What’s the story, GB, with Humberto Sanchez? Any hope for him? Also would be interested in your view of Kontos and where he might fit in. My guess is that this will be the year when several of our young injured pitchers re-emerge.
And count me with those who feel Gardner will be a major asset hitting out of the nine hole in the line-up. We may need more than Hoffman as a righty option, but Gardner can handle the brunt of the workload. His speed and defense will more than compensate for his lack of power.
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Not sure that H. Sanchez won’t end up being much more than a throw-in in a trade. Can’t get healthy and he’s wild. As far as Kontos, I haven’t seen much of him in a few years, so, I can’t give a fair opinion. The organization likes him, though. Maybe the once highly rated Jason Hirsh can provide some good starts in NY this coming year.
MAUER! MAUER!! MAUER!!!! Did I mention Joe Mauer? The Twins will never pay him what he is worth—wait till next year! Maybe even mid-season.