The LoHud Yankees Blog

The Yankees held a press conference at PNC Field this afternoon to announce two things.

1. They intend to exercise their option to purchase the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre franchise.

2. The Yankees plan to keep the franchise in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“I wanted to come down so you hear from me directly,” Randy Levine said. “Let me say it on the record: the New York Yankees are in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, intend to be in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, love being in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and want to remain in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.”

My friends back at the Scranton Times-Tribune have the story.

There was considerable concern in the Scranton area when the Yankees were brought to town on a contract that included a purchase option. It seemed to open the door for relocation, but the Yankees seem to like it there, despite sagging attendance. The clubhouse and training facilities are top-notch, the playing surface is brand new and the location is near New York. The stadium itself is a mess and in need of significant repair — or a new place altogether — but Levine made it clear that the Yankees prefer to stay in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and not follow the Phillies out of town.

“They left,” he said. “We don’t intend to.”

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Marcus Thames DH
Austin Kearns LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner CF

When Kevin Towers joined the Yankees this spring as a special assignment scout, it was only a matter of time before his name was linked to a general manager opening. Right now there’s an opening in Arizona, and Peter Gammons has three sources saying the “D’Backs-Kevin Towers deal is set.”

Down in Phoenix, Nick Piecoro calls Towers one of two leading candidates along with interim GM Jerry Dipoto.

It’s hard to say what exactly Towers’ impact has been in New York. It’s always difficult to weigh the exact influence an individual has in the front office. Certainly Towers is well-respected, he’s a good friend of Brian Cashman and two relatively minor moves — waiver claims of former Padres prospects Chad Huffman and Steve Garrison — seem to have Towers’ fingerprints on them

• Speaking of Garrison, he’s listed on the Trenton roster, so that must be where he’s going. I didn’t find many mentions of him on Padres blogs, but did find this brief report that he’s coming back from rotator cuff and knee injuries, and that he’s built his reputation largely on his command.

• Speaking of Trenton, the Thunder won last night on a walk-off by Rene Rivera. As long as they win one more, the Yankees will definitely have a place for Andy Pettitte to make another rehab start.

• Speaking of the minor league playoffs, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also won last night on a 10th-inning single by Kevin Russo. They’re back home tonight with the series tied at 1.

• Speaking of the minor league playoffs and Kevin Towers, Huffman was one of three Yankees to go deep of former teammate Zach McAllister last night. Justin Christian and Eric Bruntlett did as well.

• I’ll wrap up this post with a quote from Austin Romine, who told Mike Ashmore: “I kind of knew what to expect (catching Pettitte), and then I was just blown away. It was just really fun. You could tell from the first pitch of the game…he threw a cutter and I missed it, because I was like whoa…I’ve never seen balls cut like that.”

Tonight
RHP Javier Vazquez (10-9, 5.01)
vs.
LHP C.J. Wilson (14-6, 3.10)
8:05 p.m., YES Network

Saturday
RHP A.J. Burnett (10-13, 5.15)
vs.
RHP Tommy Hunter (12-3, 3.99)
8:05 p.m., YES Network / MLB Network

Sunday
RHP Dustin Moseley (4-2, 4.83)
vs.
LHP Cliff Lee (10-8, 3.37)
3:05 p.m., YES Network / TBS

Because of a sore lower back, Cliff Lee hasn’t pitched since August 31. He was 1-4 with a 6.35 ERA in August… Josh Hamilton remains day-to-day because of sore ribs… Shortstop Elvis Andrus has been dealing with a sore hamstring and sat out the Rangers previous series in Toronto.

Associated Press photo of Vazquez with Jorge Posada

It’s Texas. Why not start this post with a picture of Andy Pettitte?

Down here in Pettitte’s home state — also the birth place of Kerry Wood, Lance Berkman, Greg Golson and Boone Logan — the Yankees are about to begin the final stage of their season. The last three weeks tend to take on added significance most seasons, but that’s especially true when the Yankees are two and a half games up with 22 games to play and a beast of a schedule ahead of them.

• Three games against Texas, the first place team in the West.

• Three games against Tampa Bay, the team chasing the Yankees in the East.

• Three games against Baltimore, the team that just took two out of three in the Bronx.

• Four games against Tampa Bay, possibly the most important series of the year.

• Three games against Boston, I’m sure those won’t mean anything.

• Three games against Toronto, a team that would be competing in any other division.

• Three games against Boston, in Boston.

The season ends with three games at Fenway. It’s that kind of year. These are big games coming up, but the division is in the Yankees hands.

“I know we’re in first place, so if we win our games, we don’t have to worry about anybody else,” Derek Jeter said this week. “That’s always the approach I’ve taken. If you’re trying to catch someone, then you look at the scoreboard and hope you get some help. In our situation, we play the teams that are close to us, so if we win our games, we’ll be fine.”

Associated Press photo from Pettitte’s rehab start last night.

I wanted to wait until the Triple-A and Double-A games were over to add a final post for the night, but the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre game is now in the 10th inning and the Trenton game is still going in the 12th.

The big news, of course, is Andy Pettitte. After four innings in Trenton, Pettitte reported no problems and said he’ll travel down here to Texas to meet with Dave Eiland and figure out what’s next.

A few minor notes from the day.

• As I write this, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has just taken a 5-4 lead on Kevin Russo’s RBI single in the 10th. Reid Gorecki scored the run after getting his third stolen base of the night. You think someone told him about Freddy Guzman getting that call-up last year?

• Trenton’s game is still scoreless in the 12th. Wonder how many people showed up for Pettitte and gave up long before the end.

• Team USA announced its Pan-Am qualifying roster. It includes Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lefty Royce Ring.

• Hideki Matsui says he wants to play again next year, but he probably won’t be in Anaheim.

• The Baseball Hall of Fame is going to host a screening of the movie 61*.

Andy Pettitte is finished in Trenton. I’d have to say this one was a success.

Pettitte went four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, both singles, and struck out four. According to Mike Ashmore, Pettitte threw 51 pitches, 37 of them strikes. Joe Girardi made it clear that he was going 65 pitches or four innings, whichever came first, so it’s no surprise he left with such a low pitch count.

As long as Pettitte says he feels good postgame, this must be considered a significant step in the right direction.

As I’m writing this blog post, the Trenton game is still a scoreless in the fifth with Adam Warren coming in to pitch.

Out in Columbus, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. Justin Christian went deep off former Yankees prospect Zach McAllister. Meanwhile, David Phelps — another of the breakout prospects from this season — is so far dealing. As my great friend Donnie Collins points out, with no Jesus Montero in the lineup, P.J. Pilittere has already reached twice.

UPDATE, 8:14 p.m.: Make that 3-0 Scranton. Chad Huffman just hit a two-run shot of McAllister.

UPDATE, 8:18 p.m.: 4-0. Eric Bruntlett solo homer. This is not the first time McAllister has let some balls out of the ballpark.

Thanks to Mike Ashmore for the Pettitte photo

Just landed in Texas, where my rental car might be nicer than my hotel room. That’s not a knock on the room, which is perfectly nice, but free upgrades are outstanding and this car is seriously the nicest vehicle I’ve ever driven.

Anyway…

Obviously the focus of tonight will be in Trenton where Andy Pettitte is making a rehab start for the Thunder. He should be good for four innings or 65 pitches. As long as there’s an opportunity for him to make a second rehab start, he will.

“If we run out of minor league games he could (come back after one),” Brian Cashman said. “If we have minor league games still going, no matter how good he is tonight, we’d like for him to keep going.”

That’s all a precautionary thing. This is a controlled environment where, to some extent, Pettitte can ease himself back up to game speed.

A few other tidbits from the minor leagues:

• Jesus Montero had surgery to clear out some infection in his ankle. “It’s minor, but I think he’s going to be out for the (Triple-A) playoffs,” Cashman said.

• Wilkin De La Rosa has been designated for assignment to make room for minor league lefty Steve Garrison who was claimed off waivers from the Padres. It’s basically a swap of one young lefty for another, but the Yankees are hopeful De La Rosa will get through waivers. Baseball America did not have Garrison among the Padres Top 30 prospects, but the Yankees have a guy who knows a little bit about the Padres minor league system. “Kevin Towers obviously was involved in that process,” Cashman said.

• J.B. Cox has been suspended after an altercation with manager Tony Franklin. I’ve always gotten along with Cox and was happy to hear he was coming back this season after considering retirement, but a dugout blowup doesn’t sound good.

Associated Press photo

While they’re trying to lock up the American League East, the Yankees have a little more three weeks to make some decisions about their postseason roster.

ROTATION
Big decision: Who else gets a start in the playoffs?
This is the most broad question the Yankees have to answer. CC Sabathia in Game 1, obviously. Andy Pettitte, assuming comes through his rehab start(s) as good as ever, takes Game 2 or 3. Another obvious choice. As it stands, I have to think A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes are the top candidates to round out the postseason rotation. Burnett because Joe Girardi has shown no signs of turning away from him despite his inconsistencies. Hughes because he’s given the Yankees a strong first full season in the rotation, which outweighs some some shaky outings lately.

Smaller decisions
• How do the starters lineup after Sabathia? It might make sense to put a pitcher between the lefties Sabathia and Pettitte. Hughes has won more games at home, but he’s actually pitched better on the road.
• How much consideration does Ivan Nova get? If the Yankees based the rotation on each pitcher’s first six appearances of the season, Burnett and his 1.99 ERA would be lined up for Game 1. Nova’s positioning himself as a possible fill-in should Pettitte suffer a setback or either Burnett or Hughes suffer an epic slide in the final weeks. Despite the small sample size, I’d probably take Nova over Javier Vazquez or Dustin Moseley at this point.

LINEUP
Big decision: Is Brett Gardner still the No. 9 hitter?
It’s actually a stretch to consider this a decision. Girardi has given no indication that he’s planning to stray from Derek Jeter at the top of the lineup, which means it’s probably going to be Jeter and Nick Swisher batting 1-2 in the playoffs. Truth is, given the Yankees lineup, there aren’t many tough decisions as long as the regulars are in there.

Smaller decisions
• Does Marcus Thames get any DH consideration against right-handed pitchers? Lance Berkman has been pretty good lately, but we’ve seen Thames get impossibly hot against both lefties and righties.
• Is Austin Kearns an automatic starter against left-handers? Curtis Granderson has made some strides, and the Yankees outfield defense is best with Granderson and Gardner both in there.
• Is there any chance Jorge Posada catches A.J. Burnett? Not likely.
• Is there any reason to give Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter a day off? There should be enough off days in the postseason to let both play every day.

BULLPEN
Big decision: Who fills the back of the bullpen?
Five spots are locked up: Mariano Rivera, Kerry Wood, Joba Chamberlain, Dave Robertson and Boone Logan. That leaves Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and the non-starters — let’s say Vazquez, Nova and Moseley — for two or three spots. Vazquez is probably in just because of who he is and how well he’s pitched in relief this season. If I had to take one more, I’d go with Mitre and leave Nova pitching in Tampa to stay stretched out in case the Yankees need another starter down the line. If there’s room for one more long man — an emergency guy at the very back of the bullpen — either Moseley or Gaudin would be fine in that role. They’ve both pitched well enough to earn it.

Smaller decisions
• Do the Yankees need a defined eighth-inning guy? If anyone has taken that job it’s Wood, but Girardi has been willing to mix-and-match with Wood, Chamberlain and Robertson, and the bullpen has never been better.
• Does someone take the Gaudin role? Last postseason, Girardi burned through relievers because he knew he always had Gaudin waiting to pitched until his arm fell off if necessary. There’s no shortage of guys who could fill that role this year.
• I have no reason to believe this would happen, but given the redundancy of three long relievers in the postseason, it would be interesting to see the Yankees find a way to get Royce Ring on the 40-man and give him a late audition as a second lefty. He could probably get through the same loophole that Freddy Guzman wiggled through last year.

BENCH
Big decision: Is there room for a fifth bench player?
If everyone is healthy, the Yankees should be able to carry a four-man bench and still have everything they need. That said: Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada have been banged up this season. If there are concerns about them being able to play consistently, the Yankees might have to carry a third catcher, second utility man or fifth outfielder. They might also choose to carry either Greg Golson or Eduardo Nunez primarily as a pinch runner. The Yankees can either carry an extra guy in the pen or on the bench. Either one is a luxury.

Smaller decisions
• If there’s room for only one, which utility infielder makes the roster? Ramiro Pena has the glove and the experience. Eduardo Nunez has the bat and might have more speed.
• Is there something about the individual matchup that affects the bench? It’s not impossible to envision a scenario in which an extra left-handed bat like Colin Curtis or Juan Miranda might make sense.
• If they do carry a pinch runner, is Golson or Nunez a better bet? Golson seems faster, but it was Nunez who led Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in steals.

Derek Jeter’s struggles have gone on for a few months now, but for whatever reason, this seemed to be the week to write and talk about them.

Anthony McCarron wrote about Jeter’s long-term future:  The slender, handsome Yankee icon who once seemed forever young, is now a seemingly-aging 36-year-old shortstop in the last year of his contract who has just four hits in his last 40 at-bats and is batting only .266, 48 points below his career mark of .314. Is it simply a slump, an off-year or the start of the inevitable twilight of his career? Questions swirl about his production, his contract and whether he may have to change positions at some point during his career.

Jon Heyman wrote about Jeter’s pending free agency: The Yankees won’t hand Jeter a blank check, but there’s no chance the historic franchise is about to nickel and dime an icon, either. The Yankees are the one team that can afford to pay iconic players for their past greatness. They are also the one team that doesn’t view all of its players though only a current business prism, and that’s because the Yankees’ business is so good it doesn’t have to look at things the normal way.

Dave Cameron at FanGraphs wrote about Jeter’s numbers: Jeter’s BABIP is the lowest of his career, and by a large margin. Before this year, he’d never posted a mark below .315, and he has more seasons with a BABIP over .350 than under that mark. While BABIP is a high-variance statistic, even for hitters, Jeter has a well-established skill at producing above the league average. That just hasn’t translated onto the field this year. Odds are pretty good that Jeter’s going to hit better next year than he has this year. He’s probably not done as a good major league player.

Ken Rosenthal wrote about Jeter’s offseason value:  …if Jeter took say, a three-year, $36 million deal, the Yankees could make it up to him by giving him a massive bonus for 3,000 hits and a lucrative post-career personal-services contract. Would $10 million a year for 30 years be excessive for this generation’s Joe DiMaggio? Perhaps, but by that point, Jeter would not count against the team’s luxury tax. In essence, he would be deferring money so that the Yankees could better compete while he was still active.

The topic is not going to go away between now and November. Even if Jeter surges through these final three weeks, he’s likely to finish with his worst offensive season. He’s not going to get any younger, and the Yankees aren’t going to sign him before the end of the season. Every topic discussed this week will be discussed again in two months. For now, I’ll throw in my two cents.

1. Jeter’s contract: Yes, he’s probably going to be paid more than his numbers suggest he’s worth, but he’s also worth more than his numbers. Also, let’s not blow it out of proportion. Jeter was third in MVP voting last year. Not last decade, last year. Even in a normal free agent situation, it’s not like he’d have to settle for a minor league deal. There’s still real value there.

2. Jeter’s position: Will Jeter eventually move away from shortstop? Maybe. But right now, the Yankees don’t have a better option. They have a pretty good outfield. The rest of the infield is locked up. Putting Jeter at designated hitter would mean trusting Ramiro Pena or Eduardo Nunez as an everyday player. Jeter’s their best option at shortstop right now, and he probably will be for at least the next year or two.

3. Jeter’s numbers: As FanGraphs pointed out, some of Jeter’s decline has been bad luck, some of it has been an overwhelming tendency to hit the ball on the ground and not turn those ground balls into hits. Amazing thing is, not only was Jeter a great hitter just last year, he was still an awfully good hitter just three months ago. On June 9 he had a slash line of .297/.347/.426. Those aren’t his career numbers, but they’re not bad from the shortstop position.

4. Jeter’s impact: His range doesn’t seem to be what it was just last season, but there is something to be said for the fact Jeter is as reliable as they come in the field. If he can make the play, he makes it. Also, Jeter’s on-base and slugging percentages are way down, but there’s a solid chance he’s going to score more runs and drive in more runs than he did last year. Clearly he’s not the same offensive player, but in terms of raw production, he’s been just as good.