The LoHud Yankees Blog

I’m about to walk out the door and make my way to Citi Field for the Mets introduction of Jason Bay. I’m writing a story about it for tomorrow’s newspaper, but as far as the Yankees and the blog are concerned, there’s not much connection.

Bay is being introduced as a Met, Adrian Beltre is the Red Sox new third baseman, and Matt Holliday seems closer than ever to a deal with the Cardinals. Those are three pretty big names in this free agent market, but none seemed particularly likely for the Yankees. Brian Cashman has said for weeks that he wouldn’t go after another “big piece” this winter, and Beltre plays the same position as a guy named Alex.

What these signings might do for the Yankees is loosen the rest of the free agent market, setting the stage for other pieces to come off the board. At this point — assuming the Holliday rumors are true — Johnny Damon is probably the top position player available.

Is everyone growing restless waiting for something new to happen?

Look out Cleveland. The storm is coming through. And it’s running right up on you.

Turns out, The Band had it right all along.

Shelley Duncan has signed with the Cleveland Indians. Their depth chart lists two young players — Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley — as the top left fielders, and those two have combined for 35 home runs in their careers.

Duncan hit 30 last year alone.

At the very least, he brings a different look into the Indians outfield mix. It seems like a good spot for him. Best of luck, Shelley.

• Adrian Beltre has signed with the Red Sox. It’s a one-year deal worth $9 million, plus an option for a second year. With Beltre in the mix, the Red Sox might not have given up on trading Mike Lowell. Jerry Crasnick says they’ve talked to the Mets about a Lowell-for-Castillo swap.

• Matt Holliday seems to be moving closer and closer to a deal with St. Louis.

• Ken Rosenthal reports that Chien-Ming Wang’s latest check up was positive. He could throw off a mound in six to eight weeks.

• Here’s an Atlanta report wondering if Johnny Damon might end up with the Braves. David O’Brien writes that Damon is asking for a two-year deal and was never looking for a four-year contract.

It’s become something of a tradition here at the LoHud Yankees Blog, and we want to keep it going.

Sam, Josh and I are looking for guest posts to run later this month. Maybe it’s your take on the Yankees offseason moves, or your expectations for a certainly player next season, or maybe you want to write a few hundred words about Francisco Cervelli. Whatever you have to say, if it works for the blog, we’d like to post it.

Email your ideas to me – a few sentences explaining what you want to write — and we’ll start organizing all of the guest posts into a schedule. Once the schedule is in place, we’ll start letting people know when we need the posts themselves. Please, no more than one proposal per person. It’s not necessarily first come, first serve, so take your time coming up with what you want to write.

We need all proposals by Sunday, January 10. Keep in mind that the actual posts should generally be around 300 words.

We talk all the time about what a fantastic community has formed here and, as we head into 2010, I wanted to give you an idea of just how big (and interactive) all of you are:

At 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2009, the LoHud Yankees Blog had received exactly 25,004,559 page views over the past 12 months. Twenty-five million! The questions, comments, debate and lineup-guesses are what make this place special, and a number like that is a real tribute to your unbelievable passion as fans.

On behalf of Chad, Josh and everyone at LoHud: Thank you, thank you, thank you (25 million times over).

Now here’s to making 2010 even bigger.

The Mets deal for Jason Bay is complete. Press conference tomorrow morning at 11.

Let’s focus the debate here a little bit. Both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are going to spring training as starters. Both will surely work as starters until the Yankees are reasonably convinced they have a healthy five-man rotation. If that five-man rotation goes as planned — CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javy Vazquez are all healthy — that leaves room for only one of Hughes and Chamberlain. We know all of this already.

Which Plan B do you prefer?

1. Send Hughes/Chamberlain to the bullpen
Pro: No doubt this makes the big league pen better. Both Hughes and Chamberlain have pitched well in a setup role, and the Yankees have no obvious eighth-inning reliever at the moment (though Dave Robertson seems to be knocking on the door).
Con: No matter how much work Hughes/Chamberlain does in spring training, moving to pen would leave him no longer stretched out to start if and when the Yankees need a sixth starter. Also, it’s difficult for a reliever to throw more than 100 innings in a season, which means Hughes/Chamberlain would not be stretched out to start without an innings limit next season.

2. Send Hughes/Chamberlain to Triple-A
Pro:  When has a team ever gone through an entire season needing only five starters? Chances are, at some point, the demoted right-hander would move into the big league rotation, probably for more than one or two starts. Even if he stays in Triple-A, at least he would build up innings for next year.
Con: The big league bullpen would be weakened, and really, what is there for Hughes or Chamberlain to learn in Triple-A? Maybe Hughes could throw his changeup in a low-stress environment, and Chamberlain could work a little bit on both his changeup and curveball, but at this point they have too much big league time to expect them to get much out of the minors. Plus, it’s kind of a kick in the gut for either pitcher.

Maybe it’s because Mariano Rivera makes everyone feel safe in the late innings, or maybe it’s because Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain have proven relievers can come from almost anywhere. Whatever the reason, the Yankees bullpen hasn’t been much of a focus this winter. I don’t even remember the Yankees being closely linked to a reliever in free agent rumors.

The Yankees have traded away four relievers (Brian Bruney, Phil Coke and Mike Dunn) and lost another potential major-league-ready reliever in the Rule 5 draft (Zach Kroenke). They have added one lefty (Boone Logan) and put two Triple-A pitchers (Ivan Nova and Romulo Sanchez) on the 40-man.

This is where the bullpen stands at the start of the new year.

The closer
Mariano Rivera
Set in stone. Not going anywhere. Jonathan Albaladejo could show up in spring training throwing 122 mph fastballs for strikes, and Rivera would still be the closer.

Heavy favorites
Dave Robertson, Damaso Marte, Alfredo Aceves
No one is guaranteed a job like Rivera is guaranteed a job, but these three are probably next in line: Robertson in some sort of late-inning role, Marte as a go-to lefty and Aceves as a long reliever or possibly in some sort of setup-type role.

One or the other
Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes
There are other fifth starter candidates, but these two seem to be the heavy favorites. Whichever doesn’t make the rotation could go to Triple-A, but the bullpen — in my opinion – seems much more likely. It obviously won’t be a small bullpen role either.

Specific roles to play
Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre, Boone Logan, Wilkin De La Rosa
Two long relief/spot starter candidates. Two left-handed specialist candidates. De La Rosa is included here only because he’s on the 40-man, and if he were to somehow make the big league team, it would certainly be as a second lefty. He’s an extreme long shot, though. How many of these make the team probably depends on how the Yankees structure their bullpen.

This year’s Dave Robertson?
Mark Melancon
Whatever last year’s struggles in New York, I believe Melancon going to be a very good major league pitcher. Remember that Robertson also struggled a bit in his first big league exposure, but as he adjusted, he lived up to his billing. Same could, and I think will, happen to Melancon even if he opens the 2010 season in Triple-A (much like Robertson did in 2009).

Been there. Done that. Still plenty to prove.
Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo, Romulo Sanchez
Ramirez was good in 2008 but never seemed 100 percent healthy after a spring training injury in 2009. Albaladejo made 32 big league appearances last year and allowed an earned run in only eight of them, but six of those were multi-run outings. Sanchez’s 26 games of big league experience came spread across two seasons with the Pirates, but he pitched well enough last year in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to earn a chance to prove himself in spring training.

Upper-level minor league starters
Ivan Nova, Zach McAllister, Kei Igawa, Alan Horne, Chris Garcia, Jason Hirsh
If the Yankees were willing to make Hughes a reliever, they’re willing to make any starter a reliever. Horne and Garcia have great stuff but are coming back from injuries. Nova raised his stock with a strong 2009. McAllister is perhaps the top upper-level starter in the organization. Hirsh has pitched in the big leagues with Houston and Colorado. Igawa is Igawa.

Upper-level minor league relievers
Kevin Whelan, Grant Duff, Eric Wordekemper, Josh Schmidt
None of these four is on the 40-man, and all would be extreme long shots to actually open the season in New York. Whelan and Duff are probably closest to the big leagues, especially Whelan if he can throw strikes. Wordekemper doesn’t have much if any prospect buzz, but his numbers have always been good in the minors. Same for Schmidt, who was terrific last season and now leads the Venezuelan Winter League in strikeouts.

So, it’s cold in the New York area today. Like, really cold. Like, zero degree wind-chill cold.

I went for my run this afternoon and, within five minutes, began to feel my fingers getting numb through my fleece gloves. By the time I finished, that ‘my-face-might-crack-if-I-smile’ feeling had arrived in full and I was silently giving thanks for the planners who opted to make the Giants Stadium press box glassed in. Sitting here, about 20 minutes from kickoff in the big Jets-Bengals game, I’m literally in awe of the fans who will spend the rest of the night outside.

Anyway, the big chill reminded me of a few cold-weather notes I wanted to pass along (as well a reminder that, regardless of how cold it might be today, there are only 46 days until the first workout in Tampa):

• The NHL had its New Year’s Day outdoor game at Fenway Park this year, and there had been talk that the Yankees might play host to the event in 2011. That seems a little more unlikely now, however, since it was originally announced Yankee Stadium would be hosting a college bowl game sometime between Christmas and New Year’s – thus making it impossible to give the NHL its required one-week lead time to set up the rink. It remains to be seen if the football game could be moved up to accommodate both. There’s also the possibility that the hockey game would move across town, as the Mets have apparently expressed interest.

Knowing the Yankees – and their interest in making the Stadium a year-round sports venue – I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow find a way to do both.

• Winter ball leagues are starting to wind down and, among the young players on the rosters, is a familiar name to Yankees fans: Orlando Hernandez. I’m not quite sure if Duque is really trying to make (another) comeback or is just keeping his 75-year-old body in shape, but check out his stats page. (Old buddy Anthony McCarron had a nice retrospective on Duque the other day).

• In non senior-citizen pitching news, it seems a new player has joined the Aroldis Chapman bidding: The Blue Jays had Chapman do a private workout for them and, according to ESPN, Chapman’s agents are in Florida which could be a precursor to a deal. Last I heard, the Yankees are only mildly interested in Chapman, believing his price is too high for his immediate value.

One of the wild cards for the Yankees bullpen seems to be hard-throwing right-hander Romulo Sanchez, who was added to the 40-man this winter after a strong finish in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He worked primarily as a starter with Scranton, but most of his career — including all of his major league time with the Pirates — has been out of the bullpen.

Sanchez can get his fastball into the high 90s, but he’s never been an especially overwhelming strikeout pitcher. He’s actually never finished a season with more strikeouts than innings pitched, but that trend seems to be changing.

In his last four regular season appearances with Scranton, Sanchez had 22 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. During the Triple-A playoffs, he had 17 strikeouts in 10 innings. This winter in Venezuela, Sanchez has 47 strikeouts in 33 innings (his previous three winters combined he had just 22 strikeouts in 34.1 innings).

In a few weeks, Sanchez will report to Tampa with the rest of the Yankees pitchers and catchers. It will be his first spring training with the Yankees, and you can bet he’ll open some eyes with that fastball (he has a pretty good changeup too). He’s a long way from being a bullpen favorite, but Sanchez belongs in that group of pitchers who could make enough of an impression to break camp with the big league club — let’s call it the Albaladejo group – especially if he can cut down on the walks and continue to impress with the strikeouts.

The New York Historical Society has an on-going series called Yankee Stadium Forever, bringing notable speakers to discuss specific parts of the old stadium’s history. Back in November, Pete Dawkins was on hand to discuss college football at the stadium. In the next installment, in February, Frank Gifford and others will talk about pro football at the stadium, including the 1958 NFL Championship Game.

Here are the details.

Yankee Stadium Forever: Pro Football
Tuesday, February 9, 6:30 pm

The Yankee Stadium Forever series continues with a lively talk about the famous 1958 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts at Yankee Stadium. The game — commonly known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played” — was a watershed moment for professional football, boosting the sport’s profile and setting the stage for the modern NFL, the most popular sport in America.

Frank Gifford played in the 1958 NFL Championship as a member of the New York Giants and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster who spent 27 years as a commentator for Monday Night Football. Dave Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter and has been a sports columnist for The New York Times since 1971. Tony Morante is the New York Yankees Tour Director and historian. Bert Sugar, a former college football player, is an award-winning sportswriter and the author of more than 60 books on sports, including boxing, baseball, horse racing, and football.

Presented in collaboration with the New York Yankees.

Price: $24; N-YHS members: $12. Tickets for this program are sold through SmartTix. To purchase tickets, call SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or visit http://www.smarttix.com/.

For the past few weeks I’ve been listening to almost nothing but The Frames, a great Irish band that’s massive back in Ireland but remains fairly unknown in America. For whatever reason, they left me wondering, who of the Yankees is huge in this fan base but remains unappreciated elsewhere?

Obviously Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are more beloved in New York than anywhere else, but all of baseball is well aware they’re Hall of Famers. Don Mattingly was pretty popular everywhere (I knew a minor league pitcher who grew up a Red Sox fan, but his favorite player of all time was Mattingly). Curtis Granderson and CC Sabathia have come to New York with their reputations already established.

I suspect, though, that Robinson Cano might be lost in the shuffle for some outside observers. I think most baseball fans are well aware he’s one of the best second basemen in baseball, but they’d be surprised to learn he’s twice finished in the top 25 of MVP voting. I certainly think Scott Brosius fits the profile. He throws out post-season first pitches at Yankee Stadium, but most everywhere else he’s just a vaguely familiar third baseman.

Oddly enough, Andy Pettitte might be the best example on the current roster. I say that because I’m not sure I knew just how good he was until I left Missouri.

Are there Yankees you’ve seen who leave you feeling like you’re in on the secret, that you see greatness where the rest of the baseball universe isn’t paying attention?