Berkman has arrived
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jul 31, 2010 
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Lance Berkman has arrived in Tampa. He’s scheduled to meet with the media at 4 p.m. Still no word on a lineup, but it seems safe to say it will not be the one Harold Reynolds just predicted on MLB Network.
Why is Berkman batting cleanup tonight? someone must be resting right? is Arod not playing, or tex?
I don’t understand why he would be batting clean up, hopefully that’s incorrect.
“but it seems safe to say it will not be the one Harold Reynolds just predicted on MLB Network.”
No way Joe bats Berkman clean up
shouldn’t harold reynolds be watching game tape for the LLWS?
SJ, Lost
Do you have any more information as the deadline nears?
Tex has bad 3′s vs Garza.
We now have some flexibility.
Berkman at 1st batting 3rd?
Jeter
Swish
Tex
Arod
Cano
Berkman
Posada
Granderson
Gardner
It’s true that their financial resources made it possible for them to keep them together. But it’s extraordinarily rare to have assembled that much talent together internally. It just doesn’t happen.
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CB,
Generally true but I can’t think of anybody who outproduced the Braves and even the Expos of the 1990’s.
So, just did Reynolds predict, besides Berkman hitting 4th? Alex or Tex leading off?
I was looking forward to a Yankees/Expos WS in 1994.
Tex has bad 3’s vs Garza.
===================
3′s? meant to say ABs.
Cash is like Santa on Christmas Eve.
BobKlap #Yankees going down to the wire. One source says Cashman is “going through the lists” of available players.
Granderson and swisher are not expensive for the yanks. They’re contracts are very reasonable.
Rich in NJ July 31st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I was looking forward to a Yankees/Expos WS in 1994.
—————————————————–
So was I. 1994 seemed like a revelation after a half-decade of ineptitude and irrelevance.
who would be available as a backup 3B/SS right now?
I hope Berkman doesn’t issues hitting pitchers that he has never seen before…like the rest of the Yanks. He has probably never a lot of these guys in the AL or has very limited at bats during interleague.
Joe,
Harold’s lineup:
Jeter
Granderson
Tex
Alex
Berkman
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Gardner
Tomlin was really good today. 5.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. The only mistake was a solo homer…..to Jose Molina. 83 pitches on 3 days rest. No decision.
“trisha,
I’m glad you can celebrate the Berkman trade now that it was made official .
”
I refused, REFUSED, to even think about it – until it was made official. Now that it’s official I am delighted, tickled, thrilled, and even happy about it. Why? Because I think the Yankees walk on water of course.
The other guys on the show couldn’t believe Harold had Cano hitting 7th
Swisher and Granderson would be expensive for other teams, but not the Yankees, so they may be more valuable to the Yankees than other teams in that at their price other teams might expect them to be different hitters then they actually are, i.e. guys that carry a lineup in slumps etc. For the Yankees they are pieces fit in around their “core” producers Tex/Al/Cano, and they are excellent guys in that role.
BobKlap
Lol. I don’t know how Levine gets any work done, all he does is leak info to reporters all day.
3 minutes ago via txt
**************
Such as?
“Granderson and swisher are not expensive for the yanks. They’re contracts are very reasonable.”
That depends. Is Granderson going to be a platoon player? If so, that’s pretty expensive:
11:$8.25M, 12:$10M, 13:$13M club option ($2M buyout)
If the 2010 Swish is enduring, he’s cheap:
11:$9M, 12:$10.25M club option ($1M buyout)
pat July 31st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Cash is like Santa on Christmas Eve.
———————————————————————————————————————-
I’ve been very good, so that bum had better bring me something good….like a good relief pitcher.
repost:
It’s often argued that what made the “core 4 + Bernie” special wasn’t that they yankees developed those players but that they could keep them together. The implication being that other teams like the Indians, Padres, etc. haven’t had a “core” like that due to financial limitations. That’s a very commonly made argument. That’s may not be what’s being argued in this thread. But that’s frequently said.
That’s a specious argument because teams it’s not true that keeping the core together was the big trick. Developing the core in the first place was the hardest part. Since the rule 4 draft was started teams rarely if ever have 5 hall of fame caliber players developed internally. It doesn’t happen so the issue of money keeping them together is secondary. That was the only point I was trying to make there. That may not have been the argument in this thread, however.
Conversely, if it is so historically uncommon to have a core of internally developed players of that caliber, it argues that trying to repeat that pathway actually isn’t a good strategy because you are trying to recreate a black swan of sorts. It’s turning a historical aberration into a model but it’s not a model that is necessarily reproducible.
Pragmatically blending internally developed talent with outside talent is likely the best pathway forward and I think that’s the one they are taking. The key part of this strategy is of course talent evaluation as knowing which young players to keep and which to get trade is fundamental to success.
And Tomlin did that on short rest too at the last minute. Westbrook got traded minutes before the game
Good deals by Cash, IMO.
I was a little upset to see Melancon go because he was one of those guys I got attached to, as SJ44 would say. At the same time though, I agree with him that few of these guys ever work out – and given the poor results of Mark’s appearances in NY as well as a really subpar year in Scranton this year, I can see how NY would consider him expendable.
I was just as surprised as anyone by the Kearns deal, but I can say there’s a little part of me that likes this one for a personal reason: Kearns came out of the high school (Lafayette) I attended here in Lexington, KY., even if we were a few years apart. He was coached by Steve Chandler, who I believe went on to scout for the Yankees for a brief time in the 90′s. So I’m a little stoked to see a kid from my school wear the pinstripes, even if it’s a short-term rental.
I’d still like to see a little bullpen help, but otherwise I think this team looks really good for the stretch run.
Rosenthal: Sox won’t trade Lowell. BFD.
LGY July 31st, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Joe,
Harold’s lineup:
Jeter
Granderson
Tex
Alex
Berkman
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Gardner
—
If you flip that lineup it’s almost as good…
I highly doubt that 3/4/5 change unless one of them is out of the lineup. And I hope no regular is out of the lineup tonight as I’d like to see the full enchilada.
I think Thames should bat lead off…hey why not?
Did Levine leak the Lee stuff which kind of hurt Cashman’s effort.
Dustin Richardson is also on the way up to Boston, in addition to Ryan Kalish, trade coming, or Cameron to DL?
if Berkman bats 7th behind Posada and Grandy and Gardy follow, Reynolds wanted to break up the leftys.
Grandy and Gardy 8 and 9 would drive pitchers crazy on the bases.
“Generally true but I can’t think of anybody who outproduced the Braves and even the Expos of the 1990’s.”
They were great development organizations but neither put together the kind of internally developed core the yankees did. They produced all star caliber players but not 5 guys who have real arguments to be in the hall.
Thanks, LGY. I don’t think I’d bat Cano 7th, either. I think having Cano 5th is pretty good protection for Alex, that’s not why he’s still looking for No. 600. Personally, I’d go with Berkman either 6th or 7th, with Posada. They’re both SH. I’d also use Swish 2nd, Grandy 8th.
My goodness, that’s one heck of a lineup. And it doesn’t even include Austin Kearns.
Buster_ESPN
Heard this: The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood.
Eroc July 31st, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Now get one of Greinke, DeJesus, Soria, Marmol and call it a deadline
————————
DeJesus is out of the picture. He had surgery for the thumb injury he suffered against the Yanks in the last homestand.
In any order you put that, when nearly half of the hitters are good average, power hitting switch hitters, the managers and pitchers are in deep trouble.
Apologies if this posts twice, but my comments don’t seem to be going through…
Good deals by Cash, IMO.
I was a little upset to see Melancon go because he was one of those guys I got attached to, as SJ44 would say. At the same time though, I agree with him that few of these guys ever work out – and given the poor results of Mark’s appearances in NY as well as a really subpar year in Scranton this year, I can see how NY would consider him expendable.
I was just as surprised as anyone by the Kearns deal, but I can say there’s a little part of me that likes this one for a personal reason: Kearns came out of the high school (Lafayette) I attended here in Lexington, KY., even if we were a few years apart. He was coached by Steve Chandler, who I believe went on to scout for the Yankees for a brief time in the 90′s. So I’m a little stoked to see a kid from my school wear the pinstripes, even if it’s a short-term rental.
I’d still like to see a little bullpen help, but otherwise I think this team looks really good for the stretch run.
repost:
Yankees have done a fine job with their young talent. Better than in the past. Some folks here always seem to see the sky falling. Either today or in 2-4 years. I guess we need a replacement for Cano in 8 years too. Better start looking. And oh yeah, A-Rod is having an off year – only 85+ RBIs thus far. Big dropoff. Please.
Anyway, infield and bullpen haven’t been addressed yet, if they in fact are going to be. Sad to see Melancon go, but that’s life. Can’t hold on to everyone, and you have to give to get.
CB – excellent point. Maybe some here can start to understand how unnatural it was for 4 Hall-of-Fame caliber players to develop and stay with one team for just about their entire careers, in this day and age.
“The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood.”
This is the guy I thought they would target.
GB
How about this?
Buster_ESPN Heard this: The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood.
Kerry Wood? ugh. i dont know whether to be happy or sad.
Olny: Yanks closing on Kerry Wood.
Olney: Indians would eat most of Wood $$
Where would wood fit in?
a few thoughts , Luke Scott is a very good DH > Berkman, i am hoping Tampa does not get him.
I rather have Curtis Colin than Thames, unfortunately Thames hits lefties (his only assets)
I have rather yanks went after a John Buck or Chris snyder than Berkman , so Posada can assume majority of DH bat and leave some flexibility open in the DH spot. that said, I am hoping Berkman rake (that’s been question about his bat speed this season) and Kearn is wonderful addition on the bench and hitting LH instead of Grandyman. Finally, Ninja Cash please get utility man who can hit better pena so we can spell Arod and Jeter down the stretch.
Hm, I said yesterday that the Yankees should look to the Indians roster for relievers. But I never thought Wood.
Isn’t Wood on the DL?
“Buster_ESPN Heard this: The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood.”
Oh, Good grief. Is this so that he can keep Nick Johnson company on the perpetually injured bench?
It would be asinine to put Berkman in Cano’s spot when Cano is having an MVP type season there. In my opinion the lineup should go as follows:
1) Jeter
2) Swisher
3) Teixeira
4) A-Rod
5) Cano
6) Berkman
7) Posada
8) Granderson
9) Gardner
“The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood”
More evidence that the price of good relievers is too high.
GB7 & other blog pals-
/Can you say Kerry Wood to the Yankees-fresh off DL
Rosenthal: Wood done deal.
“Isn’t Wood on the DL?”
Wood is ALWAYS on the DL. He and Nick Johnson are kindred spirits.
“Where would wood fit in?”
The bullpen?
wood got activated today
Kerry Wood, fresh off the DL.
Since bodhi isn’t here, I will shed more tears for him for our former closer of the future, Mark Melancon:
Godspeed, Mark.
/Last year’s NY Times profile’d
SJ44 July 31st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Its not absurd at all.
Have you looked at how this team has changed in the last four years?
They have three OF’s now all under 30 years old and all are making less than what the
Red Sox are paying Cameron and JD Drew this year.
They have a 24 year old kid in their rotation they are developing to be a top end starting pitcher. He made the AS team in his first full year as a starter. They have to be doing something right.
Tex, Cano, and CC are cornerstone guys for the next five years. Name me another team that has three guys of that pedigree and talent locked up for the next 4-5 years.
We aren’t even talking about Arod and Jeter and neither one of those guys are done.
You seem fixated by the belief the only way the Yankees can stay competitive is to develop a homegrown core.
I’m saying the way they stay competitive is balance. Use free agency intelligently. Accumulate enough minor league assets to trade AND bring to NY, achieves that balance.
The last thing they should do is try and become the Rays. That’s a foolish allocation of resources because the fail rate with young players is much, much larger than the fail rate with free agents (especially if you sign the right one’s) and trading for younger talent.
——————————————————————————–
I must strongly disagree with your last paragraph. While I do believe FA is a valuable method for acquiring the occasional premium player (much better than trading for pending star FA’s), it should NOT be the cornerstone of roster creation. The problems with FA are: 1) it is ALWAYS expensive for good players 2) it USUALLY locks you into long-term contracts with premium players 3) the team generally sees the back half of a player’s career and thus their decline years although no discount is given for such fall in production. This is especially pronounced at certain positions with shorter prime years (catcher, SS).
Of course, I agree that the failure rate is greater with internal development, but this is a game of probabilities. The goal should be sound player evaluation and development whereas the farm system can be flooded with talent, increasing the competition for playing time and advancement and also as a means of hedging one’s bets against prospects who fail to live up to their promise.
Nobody suggested this team become the Rays, but some internal development is necessary even for a team with by far the largest financial advantage of any team in MLB.
Eh….Wood can still be effective if they can keep him on the field. This last thing was just a blister.
They just said “nothing was official” on the Yankee lineup for tonight but that Berkman will be DH.
Kerry Wood? Well, if it’s just about the $$$, what the heck? He can’t hurt – again, as long as the Yankees aren’t giving up any prospects. Cash is, at this point, taking risks – I have no problem with that.
“It’s often argued that what made the “core 4 + Bernie” special wasn’t that they yankees developed those players but that they could keep them together. The implication being that other teams like the Indians, Padres, etc. haven’t had a “core” like that due to financial limitations. That’s a very commonly made argument. That’s may not be what’s being argued in this thread. But that’s frequently said.”
My point was the opposite.
wood? The 33-year-old righty has a 6.30 ERA, 8.1 K/9, and 5.0 BB/9 on the season in 20 innings., I guess he is better than CHOP.
wood a replacement for park? another middle reliever?
lol Laura.
“Isn?t Wood on the DL?”
Activated today.
I think I saw Wood was ready to come off the DL. Depending on the price, he’d be a reasonable value; if he’s doesn’t perform, cut him.
Now, Heyman on MLB is reporting new Yankees’ news….and the connection went dead. Wood?
“excellent point. Maybe some here can start to understand how unnatural it was for 4 Hall-of-Fame caliber players to develop and stay with one team for just about their entire careers, in this day and age.”
Dasaint-
It just doesn’t happen. It’s the kind of thing the yankees could do back in the 1940′s and 1950′s when everyone wanted to sign with them. But that was much of the reason for why the rule 4 draft was started in the first place. To prevent the yankees from just collecting that kind of core.
One other point – it’s 4 guys now but an entire dynasty was built on 5 guys. Mo and Jeter are locks for the hall. Posada to me also is an absolute hall of famer and I think he’ll get in. Look at Bernie’s numbers – for a CF they are superlative. He’s more deserving of a hall of fame spot than Jim Rice is.
So in that initial phase when they were kids and developing they really did have 5 guys who were either lock hall of famers now or at least have a legitimate argument.
That’s just amazing. Not supposed to happen in the era of a rule 4 draft and international free agency.
“Where would wood fit in?”
PR mostly. He’ll be good for making Yankee blowouts interesting.
please tell me we are sending to Cleveland , the chop.
pat July 31st, 2010 at 3:22 pm
GB
How about this?
Buster_ESPN Heard this: The Yankees are closing in on deal for Kerry Wood.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Any chance that the Yanks can require them to send the 21 year old version of Kerry Wood?
Rumor has it that the Cleveland/Toronto game has to be over in 31 minutes or it will be called because of lack of players on the 25 man roster.
Pragmatically blending internally developed talent with outside talent is likely the best pathway forward and I think that’s the one they are taking. The key part of this strategy is of course talent evaluation as knowing which young players to keep and which to get trade is fundamental to success.
———————————–
CB,
You said this better than I and in alot less words. To argue a point of fact, I still wouldn’t have traded Montero for Lee.
The only other kind of Wood that doesn’t float?
What did people expect would be out there in terms of relievers? Wood or Farnsworth are the cream of the crop that won’t cost you Montero/Romine/etc., so if he is acquired it makes sense. He is worth a try considering what Park has given them this year.
I’d go after Marmol or Ardsma over Wood, as his situational stats suck. Better against lefties than righties. Go figure. Better with no one on base than with men on base. Just what we don’t need.
No, I’ll pass on Wood.
I’d take Farnsworth II over Wood.
Kerry Wood deal from #Indians to #Yankees is completed, awaiting Commissioner’s approval on dollars that Indians are sending Yanks
NEW POST==============>>>>>>
Wood will probably be almost free. He had a good June then got injured after only 2.1 ip in July. Worth a shot.
WOW. Duncan almost looked like Jim edmonds diving baface first towards the wall in deep left to make a catch. Well, not so much like edmonds as it was like Shamu The Whale, but, it was good.
I can see Wood being an upgrade over a few guy in the Yanks bullpen as it is currently constituted . hope that we did not give up too much for him. as far league and Aardsma goes, seattle prolly is asking the sky for them ( see Toronto), I would imaging it’s down to chop/gaudin , i am hoping for chop. the man makes me viscerally sick.
CB,
The Expos over about a 5-6 year period:
Delino Deshields
Larry Walker
Marquis Grissom
Mel Rojas
Randy Johnson
Brian Holman
Moises Alou (1/2 credit)
Cliff Floyd
Jeff Fassero
Darrin Fletcher
Rondell White
Mike Lansing
No credit for Pete Martinez and John Wettland
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