The LoHud Yankees Blog

Thanks to everyone who emailed about the Yankees going primetime.

The first one seems inevitable. Nick Swisher will be playing himself in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. For about a year, my friend Cory tried to convince me to watch that show, and I had absolutely no interest. Finally watched it, and it cracked me up. If you’ve never watched the show, check out the Swisher episode on Feb. 1. The idea of Swisher and Barney (played by Neil Patrick Harris) in the same place could be over the top.

The second primetime appearance is technically a former Yankee, but he’s still on the market so it’s worth mentioning that Johnny Damon will be WWE’s Monday Night Raw in six days. I assume he’ll also be playing himself, and he’s apparently bringing “Secret Santas” with him, which could be absolutely anything.

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Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays edged Hideki Matsui for the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.

Lind appeared in 95 games as a designated hitter in 2009, batting .299 with 21 home runs and 74 runs batted in. Adam also posted a .539 slugging percentage and a .362 on-base percentage in addition to collecting 200 total bases, 60 runs scored and 26 doubles as a DH. Overall, the 26-year-old appeared in 151 total games this season, batting .305 with 35 homers and setting club highs with 114 RBI and 46 doubles. His 81 extra-base hits were second best in the A.L., while his 114 total RBI placed third and his 35 homers, his 46 doubles and his 330 total bases all ranked fifth.

Matsui took second place in the balloting after posting a .270 batting average, 27 home runs and 86 RBI as a designated hitter for the New York Yankees. Five-time winner David Ortiz (.235, 26 HR, 94 RBI as a DH) of the Boston Red Sox finished third in the voting.

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The New York Yankees will continue another great tradition this holiday season with their 16th annual Yankees Food Drive, presented by White Rose. On Thursday, December 17, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Gate 2 at Yankee Stadium (corner of 164th Street and Jerome Ave.), any fan bringing 30 pounds of non-perishable food will receive a voucher good for two Grandstand or Bleachers tickets to one of 20 designated games.*

All collected food will be distributed throughout the Bronx to those in need. Fans driving to the Stadium may pull up to Gate 2 to drop off their donation. Rice and bottled water will not be accepted. To help kick off the Yankees Food Drive, White Rose will donate 6,000 pounds of food. In addition, the Yankees will purchase $10,000 worth of food from White Rose for distribution.

*Designated Games: 5/3/10 vs. Baltimore; 5/4/10 vs. Baltimore; 5/19/10 vs. Tampa Bay; 6/2/10 vs. Baltimore; 6/3/10 vs. Baltimore; 6/29/10 vs. Seattle; 7/20/10 vs. Los Angeles-AL; 7/21/10 vs. Los Angeles-AL; 8/2/10 vs. Toronto; 8/4/10 vs. Toronto; 8/16/10 vs. Detroit; 8/17/10 vs. Detroit; 8/19/10 vs. Detroit; 8/31/10 vs. Oakland; 9/1/10 vs. Oakland; 9/2/10 vs. Oakland; 9/8/10 vs. Baltimore; 9/20/10 vs. Tampa Bay; 9/21/10 vs. Tampa Bay and 9/22/10 vs. Tampa Bay.

Major League clubhouses lost their “wow” factor for me a long time ago. Even when I was covering minor league ball, going into a big league clubhouse was part of the job. The thrill was gone, as B.B. King might say.*

That said, the first time I walked into the Yankees clubhouse in spring training, Yogi Berra was the first person I saw, and in that little moment, the thrill was back. I don’t know the man at all, but in a clubhouse of Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, Berra was clearly the coolest guy in the room. I thought of that when this press release landed in my email inbox.

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Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has been named the first-ever “Classic Ambassador” for the Bob Hope Classic. Berra, who played in the Classic 15 times from 1995-2009, will perform a wide variety of duties on behalf of the iconic PGA TOUR event at the 51st Classic, Jan. 18-24.

“In recognition of Yogi’s long-standing association with the Bob Hope Classic and his energetic and tireless contributions to extending the reach and impact of the Classic, especially to the many charities and fans the Classic serves throughout the Coachella Valley, we are delighted to be able to honor him in this way,” said John Foster, president and tournament chairman.

“It’s a privilege for me to be honored by the Bob Hope Classic, which has always been a wonderful tournament,” Berra said. “I thought the world of Bob, for all he’s done for golf and everything and everybody, and I cherish the times we spent. Playing this tournament every year over the last 15 years, I can honestly say has been a great experience. I can also say, being 84, not many can beat me in experience.”

Berra’s role as Classic Ambassador will encompass attendance at a series of special events throughout Classic week: the Classic Gala, Classic Kickoff Breakfast, Five-Star sponsor dinner, charity distribution ceremony, hitting the ceremonial first tee shot on Wednesday, Jan. 20, the VIP Celebrity Dinner, appearances at the four Classic courses to visit with celebrities, amateurs and professionals, the Amateur Awards reception, and concluding with the winner’s championship presentation on the 18th green at the Palmer Private Course at PGA WEST on Sunday, Jan. 24.

A World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy, Berra was a 15-time All-Star during a playing career with the New York Yankees from 1946-63 and with the New York Mets in 1965. He had a .285 career batting average with 359 home runs and 1,430 RBI and is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history. He won the American League MVP award three times. He led the Yankees in RBI seven consecutive seasons from 1949-55. He was a member of 14 World Series teams, 10 of which won championships, both records. He established seven World Series records and hit the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history off the Dodgers’ Ralph Branca in Game 3 of the 1947 World Series. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Berra managed the Yankees in 1964 and in 1984-85 and the Mets from 1972-75. He was a coach on world championship teams with the Mets in 1969 and Yankees in 1977-78. Berra is a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America’s highest adult award, the Silver Buffalo Award, and is active with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center at Montclair State (N.J.) University. During and after his playing days he has been one of America’s most iconic advertising symbols.

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* I don’t know whether it’s true, but I always heard that Will Clark’s answering machine played The Thrill is Gone. Even if it’s not true, it’s a great story.

During a conference call this afternoon — it’s actually going on as I type this — commissioner Bud Selig announced the formation of a 14-person committee that will review on-field baseball issues. According to the commissioner, those issues will include scheduling, postseason format, umpires, instant replay and the pace of the game.

“There are no sacred cows,” Selig said.

The committee is made of four managers, four general managers and team presidents and four owners. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and journalist George Will are also part of the committee.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: Selig said the issues that arose during the postseason — umpires, scheduling, replay — had no impact on forming this committee. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” he said.

UPDATE, 12:23 p.m.: Tony LaRussa, Jim Leyland, Joe Torre and Mike Scioscia are the four managers on the committee.

UPDATE, 12:32 p.m.: Selig said he believes this group could have an impact fairly quickly, within a year. “Hard to set a timetable,” Selig said. “But sooner than later.”

UPDATE, 12:36 p.m.: The complete committee:

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa
Dodgers manager Joe Torre
Angels manager Mike Scioscia
Tigers manager Jim Leyland
Braves president John Schuerholz
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail
Former Twins general manager Terry Ryan
Indians general manager Mark Shapiro
Mariners COO Chuck Armstrong
Blue Jays CEO Paul Beeston
Cardinals owner Bill Dewitt
Phillies owner Dave Montgomery
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson
Journalist George Will

After the flurry of moves in baseball yesterday, there were plenty – like, PLENTY – of Yankees fans who were angry. Livid. Apoplectic. They saw Boston making moves, they saw players signing and they saw the Yankees having a relatively quiet December day and it made them seethe. What was Brian Cashman doing? Why was he just sitting back as the Yankees did nothing?

Here’s the thing: I get that. It makes sense. I’m just not so sure all the moves that went down yesterday really hurt the Yankees all that much. Let’s take a look at them, one-by-one, and decide whether they hurt, helped or were a relative push.

• John Lackey signs with the Red Sox. OK, sure. No doubt Lackey is a stud and a solid addition. But the Yankees shelled out bucks for CC Sabathia last winter and, while I’d probably take Lackey over A.J. Burnett at about the same money, it’s at least debatable. Beyond that, let’s compare the rotations as they stand right now:

Top three: CC, AJ, Pettitte vs. Beckett, Lester, Lackey? Give the Sox a slight edge if you’re being fair.
Bottom two: Joba, Hughes vs. Dice-K, Bucholz? Call it even, mostly because, but Dice-K might be less of a certainty than even Joba. It’s also worth noting that the “swing-man” on both teams: Aceves vs. Wakefield might actually favor the Yankees.

Then there’s this: Is the Sox adding Lackey a good move? For sure. But it was a move they almost HAD to make given the state of their rotation and the state of the Yankees. It was their response to what the Yankees did a year ago and in the end, the Yankees were never really going to be players for Lackey anyway.

VERDICT: Call it a HURT for the Yankees, but not as much as it might seem. Given what happened a year ago, this was a virtual certainty.

• Roy Halladay traded to Phillies. This is the second part of what makes the Lackey situation more of a positive than it might first seem for the Yankees. Halladay was the one pitcher the Yankees didn’t want to see end up in Boston. By going to Philly, Halladay is a) no longer a threat to go to the Yankees’ biggest rival; and b) not even in the same league anymore.

Could the Yankees have been in on Halladay? I would have been willing to part with prospects plus money, but the Yankees always felt like the Blue Jays were asking for a premium from AL East teams and Brian Cashman just didn’t want to pay twice. Bottom line, if Halladay wasn’t coming to the Bronx, going to a team that wasn’t Boston and wasn’t in the AL was about as good as the Yankees could have hoped for.

VERDICT: Call it a HELP (and, by the way, look out for the Mariners – they’re making serious moves).

• Hideki Matsui signs with Angels; Mike Cameron signs with Boston. I put these together because they are two parts of similar situations for the Yankees and Red Sox. So far this offseason, the Yankees have lost Matsui (who seems set to go to L.A.) but brought in Curtis Granderson; the Red Sox have (almost surely) lost Jason Bay and brought in Mike Cameron.

Which gain/loss would you rather have?

Now sure, the Yankees technically have lost Johnny Damon, too, but the Matsui deal is now a further incentive for the Yankees to work out an agreement with Damon (which I believe they will do). Matsui, while a fantastic Yankee, just wasn’t a fit as a DH-only in 2010, while Damon – or anyone who could play the field occasionally – offers more flexibility.

Cameron is someone the Yankees did talk about but he wasn’t a great fit either. The Red Sox may well use him in left field – a position he’s hardly ever played and is particularly tough at Fenway – and the Yankees would have likely stuck him in left, too, neutralizing some of his defensive prowess.

VERDICT: PUSH

So, in summary, we’ve got one hurt, one help and one push. Was it a busy day yesterday? Sure. Would it have been nice for Yankees fans to see some Yankees news? Sure. But don’t forget that a week ago (with Granderson) and a year ago (with CC and AJ), the Yankees were doing plenty. Their holes, such as they are, remain smaller than most teams (hello, Mets) and there is still a ton of time left before spring training.

What kind of day has it been for the Yankees? Maybe not as bad as it first seemed.

A flurry of signings and one major trade significantly changed the offseason landscape on Monday. Today, the international market could take shape as Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to throw a bullpen session for several teams, including the Yankees.

Chapman is the top international player on the market. He’s a 22-year-old lefty who has hit 102 mph with his fastball, and he could be in the big leagues sooner rather than later, but I’ve talked to one executive who feels Chapman is still too raw to pitch in the big leagues right away. His command isn’t where it needs to be, and when Chapman defected from Cuba, the ESPN.com article announcing the move called his secondary pitches “average” and said there are questions about his maturity.

All of that might explain today’s bullpen session. Chapman is so highly touted and has pitched in so many international events, scouts have seen him plenty of times. If he were a sure thing to pitch in the big leagues this year, he’d almost certainly be signed already. I’m not knocking the guy — he may very well be the top prospect in baseball by the middle of next year – but he might not be an instant game-changer.

Brian Cashman has said the Yankees do not consider Cashman a target for next year’s rotation. It doesn’t mean the Yankees aren’t interested, just means — if they get him – they’re more likely to start him in the minor leagues than push him instantly to New York. Pushing Kei Igawa into the major league rotation didn’t work out so well in 2007. Neither did pushing Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes into the big league rotation in 2008, when they had only 11 Triple-A starts between them.

Keep an eye on Chapman because he has a huge arm and a ton of potential, but don’t count on him as a guy who can impact next year’s big league rotation. At least not in April. He’d be a great addition to the system, but he might not change much about the Yankees’ current starting pitching situation.

It appears several writers got the same email from Hideki Matsui’s agent, Arn Tellem. He wrote to Sam saying, ”I can confirm that we are in serious discussions with the Angels. I have no further comment.”

Tyler Kepner at the Times, though, is reporting that it’s a done deal with Matsui getting a one-year contract to become the Angels new designated hitter.

UPDATE, 8:47 p.m.: The Associated Press agrees that the Matsui deal is done.

It’s the latest in what has been a surprisingly eventful day, especially for the Red Sox.

• All indications are that the top free agent starter, John Lackey, is going to Boston on a five-year deal.

• A source of considerable love-him-or-hate-him debate here in the LoHud comments, Mike Cameron is also linked to the Red Sox on a two-year deal.

• Also, the Red Sox are said to have offered Aroldis Chapman a $15.5-million deal, but that appears to be a long-standing offer. Chapman is supposed to throw a bullpen for several teams, including the Yankees, tomorrow.

• Away from Boston, the top pitcher on the trade market, Roy Halladay, seems to be heading for Philadelphia, which will then ship its top pitcher, Cliff Lee, to Seattle.

• Somewhere, Jason Michaels is wondering why no one cares that he signed with Houston.

UPDATE, 9:23 p.m.: The Associated Press has also confirmed the Cameron deal. Also, Kyle Drabek is now said to be a part of the Roy Halladay trade. So the Phillies are giving up Drabek, plus one of their top outfield prospects — probably Michael Taylor — and it seems J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton and top prospect Dominic Brown all took physicals and could be part of the deal. A significant part of that group, plus Cliff Lee? Doesn’t that seem like a lot to upgrade from Lee to Hallada? Maybe not, but I assumed when Lee was in the deal, the Phillies would only have to include one prospect and maybe a solid big leaguer like Blanton.

UPDATE, 10:12 p.m.: Apparently one of the Mariners’ prospects is going to Philly. That makes more sense.

While the hot stove continues to churn and the Yankees – like all teams – work on adding players from outside their organization, they are also keeping tabs on players already on the roster to be sure that everyone is getting (and staying) healthy.

Along those lines, Alex Rordriguez has returned to Vail, Colo., where his surgically-repaired right hip was examined, according to sources. The sources said the examination was “routine” and that Rodriguez is fine – he recently was at David Ortiz’s charity golf tournament in the Dominican Republic. That said, it’s worth knowing that Rodriguez will have to continue to monitor the hip as his career continues.

Remember, it was originally believed that Rodriguez would need two surgeries to correct the problem in his hip but a few months ago his doctor, Marc Philippon, revealed that A-Rod had recovered so well that the second procedure likely wouldn’t be needed.

Now, as for Rodriguez’s heart? We’re not much for the gossip pages here at the LoHud Yankees Blog, but I was tipped off to this story and thought it was worth posting, if only because we all know how important Kate was to A-Rod being “in a good place” during his amazing October.

I know, I know – I thought they’d be together forever, too.

It’s not often that a player takes a physical without a contract being at least close to finished, and reports continue to pour in suggesting John Lackey has traveled to Boston for a physical. Jerry Crasnick reports that the Red Sox are moving toward a deal, but that a deal isn’t likely to be completed today.

Perhaps more significant, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Roy Halladay and his agent have checked into a Philadelphia hotel. Could that be to negotiate a contract extension as part of a trade that would ship Halladay to the Phillies? It’s possible. Philadelpiha certainly has the prospects to get the deal done.

Or, the Phillies and Blue Jays could turn this into a three-team blockbuster, with Cliff Lee also being traded.

UDPATE: Looks like Lackey is going to Boston on five-year deal, and Halladay might go to Philly in a three-team deal with the Mariners involved.

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The Angels might be close to a deal with Hideki Matsui.

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On an unrelated note, Major League Baseball has announced that next year’s season-opener between the Yankees and Red Sox will be played at 8 p.m. and shown on ESPN2. I’ll post that entire press release later. For now, let’s keep the Lackey and Halladay discussion going.

First Ed Price heard the rumor. Then Ken Rosenthal reported the same thing.

It seems John Lackey will undergo a physical for the Boston Red Sox, a move that suggests he’s close to a deal with the team. It’s a bit surprising considering the Red Sox seem set with a quality five-man rotation even without Lackey, but their pitching depth doesn’t go much beyond those five. And, as Yankees fans know all too well, it’s pretty easy to move one of those starters into the bullpen.

Put Lackey in a rotation with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and two of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz, and the Red Sox have an awfully good group with an extra arm in case of injury.

When Brian Cashman left the Winter Meetings four days ago, he said nothing was imminent. No trade was on the verge of happening, no free agent was about to sign. In that same media session, though, Cashman said he had met with the agent for Ben Sheets. The day before he told us he had met with the agent for John Lackey. He’s said many times that he’s already met with Johnny Damon’s agent, Scott Boras.

All of that is helpful information, but it doesn’t always tell us much.

Damon says he hasn’t gotten an offer from the Yankees. Doesn’t mean the Yankees and Boras haven’t talked enough to get a feel for where the other side stands. Just means there isn’t an offer. Nothing is close.

As we’re considering the Yankees next move, just know that things are fairly wide open. The free agent market was just finalized over the weekend. None of the three biggest free agents have signed to help set the market. We know Cashman has talked to a lot of teams and a lot of agents, but it’s hard to know which are legitimate options and which are conversations that will go no further.