The LoHud Yankees Blog

On the day news broke about the Curtis Granderson trade, I emailed Bill Ferris. I’ve never met Bill, but he runs a terrific Tigers blog and I wanted his perspective on the deal. He had already written a great post about his emotional response to the trade, and I thought his perspective could be welcome here at LoHud.

Bill agreed and wrote 350 words that I planned to post during the Winter Meetings. But then the Yankees signed Andy Pettitte. Then Brian Cashman made the trade official. Then Cashman finally talked about it. Then Granderson talked. Then the Yankees took an outfielder in the Rule 5. Basically, Bill had to wait, but here’s his take. It’s a great fan perspective on a new Yankee.

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With a player as popular as Curtis Granderson there is always going to be a strong emotional response. I have certainly been hit by that response. Granderson’s popularity comes not only from his on field accomplishments but from his total package. He is a model citizen who went out of his way to establish himself in the community starting the Grand Kids Foundation which promotes education in Detroit and Flint.

One of the other things about Granderson is that he’s a smart guy and a hard worker. He’s been described as very coachable, and when there is a deficiency in his game he works hard to resolve it and is usually successful. He also does all those little things that fans love. He never takes a play off, he never gets down or complains. He’ll likely excel in Yankee Stadium and seeing him put up 40 homers wouldn’t surprise me at all (most of Granderson’s homers came on the road last year).

The last thing that elicits this emotional response is that Granderson was part of the core of players that helped make baseball relevant again in Detroit after a decade of just awfulness.

With such a strong emotional response many fans won’t even want to consider what the Tigers got back which is a shame. The Tigers got a nice package of players and I feel like the Tigers did OK with the deal. Still, even with all the big deals that Dave Dombrowski has pulled in this town, his legacy will likely be tied to this one if it doesn’t work out for the Tigers. Fans will moan every time they see a Granderson highlight on SportsCenter and think of what could have been.

Granderson does have some limitation. His arm is probably his weakest tool and he has regressed in terms of his ability to hit lefties. I do think a new hitting coach will help him resolve some of those issues. Despite the home runs last year, many considered it a down year as his batting average and OBP were dragged down by a low BABIP.

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Thanks Bill!

Also, check out Joe Posnanski’s take on the Granderson trade. Posnanski might be my favorite writer — not just baseball writer, I enjoy reading him more than I enjoy reading Mark Twain – and he’s at his best when writing about baseball. Spoiler alert, he loves the deal for the Yankees.

Just for the record, there are still 69 days until the first pitchers and catchers workout at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. In other words, we’ll probably have a few of these mailbags to help pass the time until baseball returns. Let’s get right to it:

Frank asks: If the Yankees don’t bring Matsui back who do you see as the No. 5 hitter to protect A-Rod?

Frank, assuming Damon comes back, I think the Yankees will primarily go: Jeter, Damon, Tex, A-Rod, Granderson/Posada, depending on who is hotter at the time. With no Damon, I think Granderson will hit second and Posada will be the primary No. 5 hitter.

Tyler asks: With the names being floated around to land Roy Halladay, would you rather see the Yanks go for the real long ball, call the Mariners and say “pick 2 or 3 of our top 5 and 3 or 4 of our 10-20 top prospects and send us Felix?”

There aren’t many players in baseball who you’d even think about giving up multiple high-end young players for, Tyler, but The King has to be one of them. Even so, I wouldn’t hold your breath. Seattle should do everything it can to keep him.

Chrissa asks: Did Mo pick “Enter Sandman” for his song or was it picked for him and stuck? He doesn’t seem like the Metallica type.

You’re right, Chrissa, Mo is very much NOT the Metallica type. It was picked for him and just stuck. Actually, I remember when Metallica singer James Hetfield came to a Yankees-Mets game in 2005 as a guest of Randy Johnson – who is a huge fan of and friendly with the band – and several players were excited to meet him. Rivera, on the other hand, had no idea who he was (though he did chat with Hetfield after being introduced to him just before BP).

Andy asks: Do you think Mike Cameron is a viable option for the Yanks?

I don’t, Andy, mostly because at age soon-to-be-37 he doesn’t fit the “let’s get younger” concept that Cashman seems to be pushing. That said, if the Yankees did get him, the most excited people around would surely be the media – Cameron is one of baseball’s ultimate good guys.

Ben S. (and many, many others) asks: The Blue Jays have said they would like an established hitter in return for Roy Halladay. What established Yankee bats could you see the team including in a deal for Halladay?

Start with Jesus Montero, Ben, and keep going from there. Word is that the Jays very much like Montero (though perhaps not at catcher long-term), but would also want young arms in a deal – figure on Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, plus at least one more mid-level prospect to even get in the conversation at this point. As we saw with Johan Santana, though, the longer this thing drags on the lower the price may drop. I’m not so sure Halladay will ultimately bring in the haul the Jays want, especially since he’ll likely be demanding an extension to drop his no-trade clause.

Kevin asks: In your opinion, who defines the years ’96-’09: Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter?

Kevin, I love Mo as much as anyone, but it’s got to be Jeter. He’s the guy who will be associated with this Yankees run for years and years to come.

Dan asks: Will Chad be taking over the blog exclusively next season or will it continue to be run by the two of you? Hope to see both of you!

Dan, I – and Chad – appreciate that and it’s safe to say you’ll see both of us. Chad is our Yankees beat writer and so, obviously, that’s 100 % of his focus. I’m a general columnist and still write about other sports, too, (Giants/Eagles on Sunday, for example), but I’ll be doing plenty of Yankees both on the blog and in the paper. The hope is that our different styles and insights make the blog even more enjoyable for you guys.

Robert asks: With Coke/Bruney gone and Joba/Hughes (potentially) starting, who are the most viable in-house options to fill the void in the pen?

It’s impossible to forget the work Dave Robertson did during the playoffs, Robert, and I’d be surprised if the Yankees don’t give him a chance to stick in 2010. Girardi, in particular, loves Robertson’s high strikeout rate. Obviously there are other young relievers who showed glimpses in 2009 (Mark Melancon, Jonathan Albaladejo) but I’ll be curious to see how Mike Dunn develops. He’s 24, a converted outfielder and throws in the mid-90′s as a lefthander. How much do the Yankees like him? A turning point in the Granderson trade was when the Yankees got the Tigers to take him out of the deal.

Doug asks: Now that the Yankees have added a new CF and gotten Andy to agree to return, is there a big move left this offseason? Do you think there is a surprise move that gets made by the team before winter ends?

I don’t see anything like last year’s sneak attack on Teixeira, Doug. Well, except for that tiny Roy Halladay press conference in late January …

Don asks: If you could invite three living or deceased Yankees to breakfast tomorrow (pancakes for the table, of course), who would they be?

Ruth (just because), DiMaggio (in hopes he’d bring Marilyn) and Bobby Murcer (because he was, literally, among the nicest men I ever got to meet and I’d love to hear him talk baseball with the other two).

Ward asks: If Damon signs elsewhere, what about re-signing Xavier Nady to play left (assuming he has healed from his surgery)?

I don’t see Nady returning, Ward, though supposedly he’s doing well in rehab and hopes to be ready for spring training. The Braves are interested in him, as are his former team, the Pirates.

Patrick asks: If the moon were made of spare ribs, would you eat it?

Uh … well, no, Patrick. But I’m not a pork guy (or, you know, an astronaut).

Patrick asks: OK, that’s not my question, but who doesn’t love a Will Ferrell/Harry Caray quote during the offseason?

(Scratching head …)

Patrick asks: That was also not my question for the mailbag! Seriously, how has the Lohud Yankees Blog experience been thus far compared to what you expected? What do you like best about it? What do you like least about it? What are some of your (and Chad’s) goals for the blog for 2010?

Well, Patrick, it’s been about as I expected, mostly since I had the pleasure of stepping in for a few weeks when Pete was still here, so I had a pretty good idea how it would go. It was then, and still is now, a fantastic community of incredibly passionate readers, and that makes all the work worthwhile.

We know that we can’t make everybody happy all of the time (even though we do try), but I think our goal is to continue to grow the site and bring as many people as we can inside the Yankees world. As you can tell, there’s a lot going on in there.

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Thanks to all the readers who sent in questions. The response was overwhelming and we’ll be sure to do more of these as the offseason goes on.

Yesterday was a long one. It was the shortest day of the Winter Meetings, but when it suddenly included a cancelled flight and an unexpected connecting flight through Washington D.C., I thought it would never end.

But, of course, it did end. And so did the meetings.

This was an overwhelmingly successful week for the Yankees. Far more successful than I think anyone could have expected. Let’s look back on four days in Indianapolis, each of which included a significant decision by the Yankees.

Monday: Trading Brian Bruney 
The Yankees entered the Winter Meetings with a wealth of solid pitching, but a thin big league bench. Trading Bruney let them deal from a position of strength to address a position of weakness. Why should Bruney be the one to go? His salary should be around $2 million next year, he was expendable enough to keep off the roster through most of the playoffs,  and the Yankees have plenty of other right-handed options on the roster. Plus, Bruney carried enough weight on the trade market to bring back something of value.

Tuesday: Adding Curtis Granderson
The Yankees held out for roughly a month. Initial Granderson proposals called for more than the Yankees were willing to give, but eventually the price came down and the Yankees were willing to move. Brian Cashman doesn’t move prospects easily — he previously turned down an offer of Jarrod Washburn for Austin Jackson — but in this situation, he essentially replaced Jackson’s role in the organization with a more powerful, proven alternative. I’m a big believer in Ian Kennedy — more so than most — but the package of Jackson, Kennedy and Phil Coke was a fair price for Granderson. The Yankees addressed a hole in their outfield and gained some leverage for free agent discussions. I hate trading away prospects, but I like this move.

Wednesday: Signing Andy Pettitte
The move wasn’t much of a surprise. I think everyone expected this deal to get done eventually, but the key was doing it sooner rather than later. In case anyone needed reminding, Pettitte proved his worth in the postseason. The one-year deal is worth slightly more money than I expected, but not significantly. The rotation was the Yankees primary concern this winter, Pettitte was their No. 1 target and the deal was done hardly a month after the World Series. That’s a very good thing.

Thursday: Choosing Jamie Hoffmann
There might have been some higher ceiling players available, but the Yankees aren’t in a position to hold a roster spot for a Low-A reliever, being patient while he works toward becoming a legitimate major leaguer. They need a guy who can contribute right now. They also need some help on the bench, and a right-handed outfielder is a plus. That’s why Hoffmann made so much sense. “In our roster situation and where we’re at in terms of competing, he’s a guy we’re hoping can be number 25 on the roster and give Joe some choices,” Cashman said.

The cliche in the headline is one that we’ve all heard many times over. And it’s true – there are some things in life that almost always turn out better if you can contain yourself and wait. I’ve spent much of this week shopping for a new car – always a brutal experience – and, as anyone who has done it before knows, jumping at the first offer is silly; you wait, talk some more, look around some more, negotiate, hem and haw, and if you have enough patience the price usually drops. Patience pays.

Same thing with latkes. With Chanukah starting tomorrow, my wife and I were making latkes (potato pancakes) tonight and the key is to wait before flipping them – do it too soon and they’ll fall apart. If you wait, though, you get golden brown goodness (especially when topped with apple sauce, sour cream or sugar).

In baseball, there’s a fine line between patience and pushing the envelope. One of the things that changed when Brian Cashman got full autonomy as GM in 2005 was a steady (and healthy) decline in the “now-now-now” aspect of the Yankees universe. Cashman’s patience was critical in landing Mark Teixeira a year ago and again this year in working the Tigers for Curtis Granderson. The first conversations on Granderson happened at the GM meetings back in November; by waiting, Cashman got a very (very) fair price for his new center fielder.

Thing is, Cashman also knows when to push. The Yankees haven’t set a firm deadline for Johnny Damon (yet), but they’ve made it clear they’re ready to move on without him – a savvy move that will put Damon, who wants to remain in New York, to the test. No room for patience here.

Same with Andy Pettitte, who marinated for months last year over whether to play again or not. The Yankees worked it out with Pettitte a year ago, but this time they had no interest in waiting around. Either Pettitte was leaving a big hole in the rotation or he was filling it himself; turned out he filled it. Again, no room for patience there.

Now, with the winter meetings done and spring training still a few months away, patience again has value. Is there a Roy Halladay deal to be made for the Yankees? Not as it stands right now. But rumblings around baseball are that the price for Halladay is dropping, and despite Halladay’s assertion that he’ll only approve a trade if it happens before spring training, the general consensus is that it isn’t exactly a hard deadline.

We saw it happen with Johan Santana. The longer a team waits for the perfect package, the more likely they are to take a lesser one. In this case, the longer Halladay stays in Toronto, the better the chances for the Yankees to swoop in and get a deal.

Will it happen? Who knows. But with the offseason moving past its first big milestone, Cashman has shown yet again that he knows the value of patience.

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Last chance on the mailbag. E-mail me to ask your question on anything and everything. It’ll go up tomorrow around noon.

Those of you in the New York area know how windy it’s been today so hopefully Chad’s flight back to The Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of (trademark: Jay-Z) isn’t too delayed. Now that the winter meetings are over, I’d expect things to quiet slightly but there are still some moves to be made. Here are a few things to keep an eye on:

• By getting Jamie Hoffmann in the Rule V draft, the Yankees will likely have a spring training competition for the final spot on the roster between Hoffmann and Brett Gardner — unless Gardner gets traded before then. Word is the Royals checked in on Gardner after the Granderson deal, and certainly The Grittiest One would be a cheap outfield option for a low-budget team.

Is that likely? Who knows. But it’s possible. And I wouldn’t rule out Melky Cabrera being shopped either (at one point the Cubs were said to be intrigued).

• Like everything else in this world right now, the free agent market isn’t nearly as lucrative this year as it has been in the past. With Granderson now in hand, the Yankees will use that obvious depression to put the screws to Johnny Damon, whose agent – Scott Boras – has claimed there’s money out there to be had.

Giving Damon a deadline – and knowing that New York is his first choice – could push this process along quicker. The Yankees don’t want to wait for Boras to shop and shop and then ultimately come back to them.

• Speaking of money drops, remember when Aroldis Chapman was going to get Dice-K money? Not so much. Now it seems like he’ll struggle to get $20 million, though the Cuban defector will have a workout for teams next week in Houston. The Yankees will attend, but one person I spoke to said the team is very leery; they don’t see Chapman as helping anytime soon and don’t want to get stuck with the bill if he doesn’t pan out.

• Reclamation project update: Rich Harden went to the Rangers for one-year, $7.5 million guaranteed. Instant reaction: Way too much. Ben Sheets is still out there and his agent has met with the Cubs and the Rangers (who were obviously checking out the reclamation project scrap heap).

The Yankees have talked about Sheets, as have the Mets. I still like Justin Duchscherer as a low-risk option. The Red Sox inquired about the 32-year-old, who is not only making his medicals available to teams but also his therapist (should teams want to ask about how he has handled his bout with depression).

• If Damon or Matsui doesn’t work out, don’t be surprised if the Yankees look closely at Mark DeRosa. I’ve always liked guys who can play – literally – anywhere and DeRosa is well-respected by players around the league and is a local guy (grew up in New Jersey). Like Mike Cameron, he’s a player who has been linked to the Yankees a few times in the past.

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Don’t forget to send in e-mails for the mailbag. I’m hoping to post it tomorrow and am taking your questions on anything – the Yankees, me and Chad, pancakes for the table, you name it – right here.

Since I know this is always a hot topic on the blog during the season, I figured we could pass a little time by considering just what the typical Yankees lineup will look like in 2010. GTLU December Edition?

Scott Boras thinks that Curtis Granderson is a “lower in the lineup” hitter, though that’s obviously because he believes Johnny Damon should still be the Yankees No. 2 hitter. For what it’s worth, Brian Cashman said he currently sees Granderson hitting second (unless Damon should return or the Yankees are facing a particularly tough lefty).

Me? Here’s what I think, assuming the Yankees do bring back Damon as a DH/occasional outfielder:

Jeter SS
Damon DH
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Granderson CF
Swisher RF
Cabrera LF
Cano 2B

If they don’t bring back Damon and end up with someone else at DH – Matsui? – I’d go with this:

Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui/Other DH
Posada C
Swisher RF
Cabrera LF
Cano 2B

One other thing I’d think about: Moving Swisher to No. 2 and hitting Granderson fifth or sixth. If Swisher is seeing pitches and working walks, he’s more of a weapon in front of Tex – lots of RBI opportunities for your best hitters if he’s getting on – while Granderson’s power makes him a fine fit in the 5 (or 6 or 7) holes. That plan only works, though, if Swisher is more regular-season Swish and less post-season Swish.

For the second time in as many years, Zach Kroenke is a Rule 5 pick suddenly lifted out of the Yankees organization. The Diamondbacks drafted him sixth and felt lucky to get him that low.

As a second-time draftee, Kroenke has options. The best-case scenario is making the Arizona bullpen, but if the Diamondbacks don’t keep him, Kroenke can elect free agency rather than return to the Yankees minor league system.

“I’ve talked to my agent about it,” Kroenke said from his snow-covered home in Nebraska. “We’re trying not to mention it. It’s probably bad luck. We’ll take it as it comes, see what the Yankees say if that comes. I’ve always enjoyed being with the Yankees.”

There were rumors that the Yankees might take Kroenke with the first pick, use him as a replacement for Phil Coke, and Kroenke was excited by that possibility. But Arizona isn’t a bad situation for him. The Diamondbacks just traded one of their top young left-handed relievers in the Curtis Granderson deal, and they currently have only one other lefty who seems likely to open with the big league club. that lefty, Clay Zavada, is a changeup pitcher who’s been tougher on right-handed hitters than left-handed hitters.

“They assured me that I’d get a better shot with them,” Kroenke said. “Not like I did with the Marlins.”

Florida took Kroenke in last year’s Rule 5 but hardly used him in spring training. He threw a bunch of bullpens, got into two games and was offered back to the Yankees. He became Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s Pitcher of the Year, but remained overshadowed by Coke and hard-throwing Mike Dunn. Kroenke didn’t get a call-up in September, wasn’t added to the 40-man in November and now he’ll try to take advantage of his big league opportunity with the Diamondbacks.

“It’s one of those things where you want to stay even keel,” he said. “You can’t put too much of yourself, too much emotion out there into it. You just have to stay focused. Just take a little page out of the front office’s book, just call it business. You come out and try to do your job and exceed expectations.”

Right about now, Brian Cashman is boarding a plane out of Indianapolis, literally putting his active four days of the Winter Meetings behind him. This was the storm before the calm.

“I am definitely not in a position right now where I feel like I’m ready to do anything,” he said. “The next step isn’t ready to happen now, based on my conversations. There shouldn’t be another shoe to drop immediately.”

Cashman has options, and he has little need for urgency. He has to act, obviously, but the past four days have surely eased any need for desperation. Yesterday, Cashman acknowledged having talked to John Lackey’s agent. Today, he acknowledged talking about Ben Sheets. He’s met with the agents for Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. He’s been engaged with multiple trade talks. As soon as something makes sense, he’ll be ready to move.

“Patience can benefit you, (or) it might not,” Cashman said. “You can wait something out and see if it falls in your lap, but by doing that you risk losing something that you want. It’s a little riskier for us to play that game. If we really want something and it fits in our criteria at some point, waiting it out to see if it gets cheaper, I’m not sure that’s the way we go about it.”

• Contrary to some reports, the Yankees were never going to take Zach Kroenke with the top Rule 5 pick. “That was not a consideration,” Cashman said.

• Cashman met with reliever Rafael Soriano’s agent — Soriano ultimately accepted arbitration and was quickly traded to Tampa Bay — but the Yankees were never serious players for the right-hander.

• Would the Yankees enter the season with Juan Miranda as their primary designated hitter? I don’t know, but I honestly believe the Yankees are not going to be overly aggressive in trying to upgrade the position unless it means a DH who can also play the field. “I’m not trying to oversell anybody,” Cashman said. “Juan Miranda will do a nice job against right-handers as our DH, if that’s the way we have to go. Is that the right way to go? We’ll check the market. Like with backup catcher. I have Cervelli. Is that the right thing to do? We’ll see.”

• Cashman said he fully expected to lose both Kroenke and Kanekoa Texeira in today’s Rule 5. “There are at least two other guys I thought were going,” he said. Cashman didn’t say who those other two were. My guess: Kevin Whelan and Colin Curtis.

• By the way, Cashman confirmed that Kroenke can elect free agency if he’s not kept by the Diamondbacks. That means there’s a solid chance the left-hander is gone no matter what. “Kroenke’s probably toast,” Cashman said.

• Not sure how I forgot to include this quote in the original post, but anyway… Cashman was talking about his reluctance to trade away young players, and he once again said that losing three young players in the Granderson trade does not change his willingness to make another trade if the situation is right. This line is sure to scare the (heck) out of a lot of people, but Cashman said, “For the right player, I’ll move anybody.”

The Rule 5 draft is a bit of a crapshoot. The Yankees (essentially) had the first pick in today’s draft and took Jamie Hoffmann, a guy who was generating absolutely no media buzz until 15 minutes before the selection. I talked to another executive who said his team didn’t even have Hoffmann on its list of targets. Baseball America didn’t list him among its top 20 candidates. But that’s not unusual. This is all about teams going after a specific need. Maybe that’s a left-handed pitcher or a utility infielder or a speed guy off the bench. It’s often high-ceiling, not quite ready talent for a team that doesn’t expect to contend. For the Yankees, it was a right-handed outfielder who can hit lefties.

Jamie Hoffmann
Outfielder
25 years old
6-3, 235 lbs 

Drafted: He was never taken in baseball’s amateur draft — that’s the Rule 4 draft, by the way – but he was an eighth-round pick in the NHL. The Dodgers signed him out of high school as a non-drafted free agent.

Career: Hoffman’s power numbers have actually gotten better as he’s advanced through the minor leagues. Just a guess, but that might be the result of him improving by playing more baseball and less hockey. Last year he opened in Double-A, went to Triple-A after 29 games and went to the big leagues eight games later. He stayed in Los Angeles for a month, got just 22 at-bats, and finished with solid numbers in the Pacific Coast League.

Defense: Baseball America rated Hoffmann as the best defensive player in the Dodgers system, above average across the board. He’s played 325 minor league games in center field, 258 in right and 13 in left. He was primarily a center fielder during his time in Triple-A. Baseball America notes that he “gets good jumps and runs good routes.”

Offense: Hoffmann is a career .283 hitter with a .401 slugging percentage, but his slugging was .455 in Triple-A this year. He’s not a huge strikeout guy either. He had 37 strikeouts and 32 walks in 257 Triple-A at-bats this season. While his power has improved, he’s never hit more than 11 home runs in a season. That was this year. He hit 10 in 2008 and nine in 2007. He’s reached double digit steals every season, but he’s only gone above 20 steals once.

Why he was available: When the Dodgers made their September call-ups this year, they took Hoffmann off the 40-man roster, but the story is a bit more complicated than that, at least according to Brian Cashman. ”The Dodgers last year reduced him from their roster, and teams put claims on him throughout the game,” Cashman said. “But (the Dodgers) had a deal with him of signing him back. They gave him a $25,000 signing bonus, so he rejected the claims and went to Triple-A for them. It was a smart deal by the Dodgers to try to protect their assets when they got into a roster crunch. They knew he wouldn’t get through the outright, and he didn’t.” I honestly had no idea a player could reject a claim, but there you have it.

Where he fits for the Yankees: He’ll have a chance to win a bench role in spring training. “He’s got a lot of talent,” Cashman said. “Right-handed hitter. We’ll see what he does. He has great makeup. He’s got ability. We project him, in the future, as an everyday-type player. We’ve got all those left-handed bats, we’ll see how he mixes in.”

Add a new name to the rumor list. Not 30 seconds after another club official told me he thought the Yankees were going to take Zach Kroenke with the first overall pick, Joel Sherman is reporting that Dodgers outfielder Jamie Hoffmann will be the Yankees choice in the Rule 5.

Hoffmann’s minor league career has been more or less split between center field and right field. He hit .282/.390/.553 against left-handed pitchers last season in Triple-A and got a little bit of time with the big league club. His splits against right-handers are actually pretty good as well. He was taken off the Dodgers 40-man roster on September 1 when the Dodgers made a series of call-ups and activated Jon Garland.

UPDATE, 9:05 p.m.: Jamie Hoffmann is officially the first pick.

UPDATE, 9:07 p.m.: Back to back lefties with the third and fourth picks, Ben Snyder and Edgar Osuna. Not Zach Kroenke, kind of surprising.

UPDATE, 9:08 p.m.: There’s Kroenke. The Diamondbacks just took Zach Kroenke with the fifth pick.

UPDATE, 9:09 p.m.: Padres pass. Could have taken a pick but chose not to. Really Padres? You’re all set? Not worth the risk?

UPDATE, 9:10 p.m.: Brewers took pitcher Chuck Lofgren from the Indians. I’ve seen him quite a bit.

UPDATE, 9:11 p.m.: Second Yankee taken. Seattle just took Kanekoa Texeira, the guy the Yankees got in the Swisher trade.

UPDATE, 9:14 p.m.: Boston passed.

UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.: Yankees passed on their official pick.

UPDATE, 9:16 p.m.: Major league phase is over. No team selected in the second round. Kroenke and Texeira were the only Yankees taken.

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Hoffmann wasn’t getting much buzz coming into the draft. In fact, I don’t think he was getting any buzz coming into the draft. But he hits left-handed pitching and that seems to be what makes him so appealing to the Yankees. Right now he’s hitting just .235 in the Dominican Winter League, but against lefties he’s hitting .368 with a .478 on-base percentage. He doesn’t seem to have Brett Gardner-type speed, but he can steal a bag.

Basically, he could play a role off the bench, and that means he has a chance to stick on the big league roster. It’s not an all-or-nothing pick — the Yankees could have taken a big young arm or some other wild card — but Hoffmann is pretty much big league ready. As far as the Rule 5 goes, it’s a pretty safe pick.