The LoHud Yankees Blog

I had a lot of Yankees conversations with a lot of different people this week, and every time someone in the organization talked about Jesus Montero, I got the feeling that they were fully prepared to have him on the big league roster in April. Not a sure thing, of course, but very likely. It isn’t just bluster when Brian Cashman talks publicly about making the transition to his top hitting prospect. The Yankees are ready and willing to do it.

But Russell Martin is an interesting alternative, or at the very least an interesting combination. There are reasons to worry about him, but the Yankees have in-house options that they’re perfectly willing to use if Martin gets hurt or can’t hit.

Today, Buster Olney is reporting that the Yankees are “taking an aggressive approach in the Russell Martin conversations.” Martin’s agent has previously gone on the record to say the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all in the mix.

Doesn’t mean the Yankees are giving up on Montero or aren’t willing to give him a big league job, just means there’s a talented player on the market, and he plays a position where the Yankees have some questions. If it works, I’m sure the Yankees would love to have him. If not, they have enough talent to fill the spot.

Adding Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth would have improved the Yankees outfield, but I’m not sure those contracts would have been the best use of the team’s budget. I’m sure they’d love to have added Brett Lawrie to the farm sytem, but they don’t have an expendable piece that could have matched that Shaun Marcum trade.

In reality, I’m not sure there were many Winter Meetings moves that would have perfectly matched the Yankees needs. These three would have helped them, but all three are replaceable, which helps explain why Brian Cashman has been so patient.

Matt Diaz
Pirates
Two years, $4.25 million
Diaz was connected to the Yankees at one point this week, and at the time I wrote that I liked him as a fit on the bench. Even on a two-year deal, I think it would have worked. Most of the Yankees outfield talent is at least two years away, so they could very well be looking for a fourth outfielder again next year, and Diaz seems to match their needs (right-handed hitter, good vs. lefties, everyday experience). The price isn’t outrageous. Clearly there are plenty of alternatives, but Diaz seems like a fit. Might have been hard for him to pass on a starting job, though.

George Sherrill
Braves
One year, $1.2 million
There are incentives that could bring the contract up to $1.4 million, which is a lot to pay for a guy who really can’t get right handers out, but Sherrill is terrific against lefties. Boone Logan has shown he can give the Yankees a full inning or more. With Sherrill, Logan could become an early-inning left-hander, with Sherrill still available for a key at-bat or two late in the game. Like with Diaz, Sherrill is far from the only pitcher who could fit the Yankees need for a second lefty, but he could work in that role. And a $1.2 million deal isn’t going to hurt the Yankees chances of landing Cliff Lee.

Brendan Harris
Orioles
Four-player trade
Harris is going to make $1.75 million next season, and the Twins made him available in a trade that was primarily built around J.J. Hardy. If the Yankees could have traded for Harris only, the prospect cost would have been minimal. Personally, I don’t think it would have been a particularly worthwhile addition for the Yankees, but if they want someone who’s more experienced that Eduardo Nunez and a better hitter than Ramiro Pena, Harris would fit the mold. He’s coming off a down season, but he’s not a bad hitter for a utility infielder. Again, I’m not saying the Yankees should have traded for him, only noting that he’s one of the few players who changed teams this week who would might have fit on the Yankees roster.

At the airport yesterday, before I could ask Brian Cashman a single question, he asked me one.

“What do you think’s going to happen?”

Despite some earlier reports that a Cliff Lee decision might come this weekend, Bob Nightengale reported today that neither the Yankees nor the Rangers expect an answer from Lee for a few days.

That makes sense, and that was the feeling I got from the Cashman on Thursday. The offers are on the table, there are probably multiple offers from every team in the mix, and if Lee took his time getting to this point, why wouldn’t he take his time signing his name?

When Brian Cashman bolted from the Swan and Dolphin yesterday morning, I followed. Cliff Lee’s agent was already gone, now the Yankees general manager was also hitting the road. I decided to get to the airport five hours early and try to fly standby. It worked, and I shared a flight with … you guessed it … Brian Cashman. And as a perfect metaphor for the past four days, our flight was delayed two hours.

Cashman was once again forced to wait.

It’s hard to argue against the Red Sox being the big winners of the Winter Meetings. They got the best offensive players available on the trade and free agent markets, replacing and possibly upgrading on the losses of Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre. They needed offense, and they got it.

The Yankees, though, don’t need offense. They need pitching, and pitching is taking a while.

Before he left, Cashman once again reiterated that he was never a serious player in the Carl Crawford sweepstakes. But wasn’t Crawford a backup plan?

“That’s not true,” Cashman said. “We never made an offer. I’ve reached out to everybody and anybody, but that’s not a need for us. We have Gardner, Granderson and Swisher, and I have a certain amount of money I can spend. I’m going to be aggressive on the areas of need, not areas that aren’t of need.”

Yankees fans can be and probably should be worried about the Red Sox upgrades — no team made itself better this week the way Boston made itself better — but the Yankees have more important things to spend their money on than Crawford, and they have no need to trade for Adrian Gonzalez. Offense came off the board quickly, and the Red Sox took advantage. That’s why they won the Winter Meetings.

“We’ll do what makes sense for us in our world,” Cashman said.

The Yankees have to wait for what they need. And that’s why they came home with nothing officially accomplished.

Associated Press photo of Cashman. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired to posting pictures of him in that elf suit. Too funny.

Managed to get home from Orlando without anyone offering me an insane contract. It’s pretty disappointing.

Carl Crawford has been the story of the past 24 hours or so. Cliff Lee will be the story for the next 24 hours or more.

In the background, there’s Russell Martin.

The Yankees have been vaguely linked to a handful of players. Some left-handed relievers. Some role players. Some bits and pieces that have been caught in this “wide net” Brian Cashman keeps talking about. Martin’s name, though, seems to have weight.

George King reports that the Yankees are not only interested, they’ve made an offer. Martin’s agent went on the record saying the Yankees have said they view Martin as a starting catcher. There are at least three teams in the bidding, and there could be a fourth offering a multi-year contract. The Yankees have plenty of internal options, but with none of them guaranteed to be a productive everyday catcher, the Yankees seem to be interested in adding one more piece. Martin is no sure thing himself, but the combination of youth and talent has him firmly on the radar.

• The Rangers apparently feel pretty good after today’s meeting with Cliff Lee. What does that mean in the big picture? I have no idea.

• Good stuff from Ken Davidoff who has the complete breakdown of Derek Jeter’s contract.

• Over at MLBTradeRumors, the consensus seems to be that the Yankees are still the favorites for Lee.

• Baseball Prospectus breaks down the Rule 5 draft. I get the sense that the Yankees think Robert Fish is considerably more likely to make the team than Daniel Turpen, but obviously they’re both wild cards.

• Included in that Baseball Prospectus piece is the rumor that the Yankees took Turpen only because he was thought to be on the list of players to be named later in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Frankly, that might hurt the Padres more than the Red Sox.

Rule 5 picks don’t stick very often. Making a big league roster out of spring training is tough enough, and sticking through an entire season is even more difficult. There’s a chance one of these two — or both — will come back to the Yankees, but they’re both interesting Rule 5 selections who honestly might have a shot.

Truth be told, the Yankees might not miss them. There’s so much upper-level pitching talent that these two were easily lost in the shuffle, but there’s legitimate talent here. I’ve been a Kontos believer since I saw him in ’09.

George Kontos
Padres
25 years old
His first three professional seasons were good, but they never pushed Kontos out of the shadows of the Yankees pitching-rish system. He was beginning to establish himself with a terrific 2009 – including a strong series of starts in Triple-A – but his elbow gave out during a start in Gwinnett and Kontos needed Tommy John surgery. The injury got him through last year’s Rule 5, but he returned this season to post pretty good numbers out of the Double-A bullpen (his first relief experience). When healthy, Kontos has some life on his fastball and a good slider. Improved command was making a significant difference in 2009, and if that continues, he could stick with the Padres in some capacity, probably in the bullpen. Heading into the draft, Kontos seemed to be the Yankee most likely to go.

Lance Pendleton
Astros
27 years old
Very similar to Kontos, actually. Pendleton also had Tommy John – much earlier in his career than Kontos – and that’s kept him in the shadows of the Yankees pitching prospects. He’s been largely overlooked despite steady numbers at every level. There’s nothing flashy about Pendleton, and his age keeps him off most prospect lists, but he had 133 strikeouts, a .218 opponents batting average and a 3.61 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A last season. His 4.24 ERA in six Scranton outings is inflated by one six-run start. The Yankees have enough upper-level pitching that Pendleton might not be missed, but the Astros have enough holes that he could legitimately make the team as a starter or a reliever. As Patrick Teale pointed out at Pinstripes Plus, Pendleton missed enough time early in his career that his arm doesn’t have the mileage his age might suggest.

Major League Baseball sent out this press release announcing Curtis Granderson’s upcoming trip to New Zealand as one of MLB’s international ambassadors.

Three stars of Major League Baseball will be spending part of their off-season growing the game of baseball internationally as part of the MLB International Ambassador program. Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers will travel to China and Japan for eight days, C.J. Wilson of the American League Champion Texas Rangers will host clinics in South Africa and the New York Yankees’ Curtis Granderson will be in New Zealand on his fourth MLB International Ambassador trip.

Curtis Granderson will tour New Zealand from January 20 – 28. He will make appearances and host clinics for young ballplayers of all ages and abilities. In addition, Granderson will attend part of the BCO Under-16 tournament, which determines which nation will represent the Oceania region at the Under-16 International Baseball Federation World Championships. New Zealand’s first game on January 25th will be the opening game of the tournament and will be televised on SKY Sports across the nation.

Granderson first served as an MLB International Ambassador when he traveled to England, the Netherlands and Italy in 2006. In 2007, he made a trip to South Africa and followed in 2008 with a trip to Beijing and Shanghai, China.

“It is always an honor to be able to represent Major League Baseball while working to not only teach others the game of baseball, but to also help this great sport grow on a global scale,” said Granderson. “Baseball New Zealand has a strong foundation in place and has access to some of the greatest athletes in the world. I am looking forward to working with them and assisting in any way possible to make baseball a strong national sport.”
Granderson continued, “It is also exciting to see so many other young MLB stars given the opportunity to share their passion and knowledge of the sport with other nations as I have done in past years. These trips are important for the future of MLB.”

Prince Fielder will become just the second current MLB player to tour China promoting the game of baseball when he journeys to Beijing from December 10 – 14, 2010. Fielder will follow his trip to China with five days in Tokyo, Japan.
Throughout his stay in Beijing, Fielder will participate in grassroots initiatives, make several media appearances and attend various charitable events. On December 13th, Fielder will make an appearance at Wanquan Elementary School, 2010 Diamond Cup Champion of the MLB International Play Ball! Program. Play Ball! introduces the game of baseball into the school’s physical education curriculum.

While in Tokyo, Fielder will make a special appearance at a middle school to visit with baseball players and attend an event at the MLB Café, the first ever Major League Baseball-themed restaurant. He will also participate in a panel discussion for the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan where he will join Japan’s first-ever MLB player Masanori Murakami in a session titled “Two Countries, One Passion: A Look at Baseball in America & Japan.”

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to go to Asia to promote and share the game I love,” said Prince Fielder. “I went to Japan for the first time as a kid and have always wanted to go back. To also be able to see China for the first time and how baseball is viewed there is going to be special.”

C.J. Wilson will travel to Cape Town, South Africa in January. Wilson will host baseball clinics for players at both the grassroots and elite levels with the assistance of Mike Randall, the MLB Coach in Residence in South Africa. Clinics will be held on January 6 for 250 youth players and January 9, for 72 elite players, including eight members of Team South Africa from the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The clinics will feature both baseball instruction and an educational component where Wilson will provide off-the-field advice for the young players.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to travel to South Africa and spread some of the enthusiasm I’ve got for baseball to the kids there,” said C.J. Wilson. “Going to the World Series this year has opened my eyes to the reach and possibilities to expand the game into new global markets. Since I’m going to be experiencing Cape Town for a few weeks, I’d be let down not to see the baseball over there and hopefully my positive attitude as a player can be translated across the ocean.”

Wilson continued, “I’ve been blessed in life and any chance I get to interact with fans or youth players has always left me feeling happy and motivated towards furthering my career and off the field charity influences as well.”

In addition to the upcoming Ambassador tours, this past November, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rick VandenHurk led a group of Major League Baseball players on a tour of his native Netherlands. Players joining VandenHurk included John Baker (Florida Marlins), Jeremy Guthrie (Baltimore Orioles), Greg Halman (Seattle Mariners) and Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles). Former Major Leaguer Brady Anderson served as an instructor. The group hosted four baseball clinics, which reached more than 1,000 kids, in Eindhoven, Haarlem and Rotterdam in the Netherlands as well as Antwerp, Belgium.

The Major League Baseball International Ambassador Program utilizes the popularity of current and former MLB players to bring the game to fans all over the world. Past MLB International Ambassadors include Cal Ripken Jr., Bo Jackson, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Al Leiter and many others.

Associated Press photo

This craziness started on Sunday night when Jayson Werth got a seven-year deal with the Nationals. The market for premier free agents was set, and the top two were still on the board.

Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee were inevitably going to take Werth’s deal to the bank. Late last night, Crawford cashed in on the largest contract ever given to an outfielder. This morning, we learned that the Yankees were willing to go seven years for Lee. It’s entirely possible they were always willing to go seven.

Joel Sherman reports that Brian Cashman has actually presented Lee with a series of options ranging from five years to seven, with the average annual value getting smaller as the years grow longer.

Are they on the verge of overpaying? Maybe, but this is the market. Lee is a pitcher and thus carries more risk than a couple of corner outfielders, but he’s also the undisputed king of this winter’s bidding. The Angels have money to spend. The Rangers are still making a push. At various times the Phillies and suddenly free-spending Nationals have been mentioned as dark horse candidates.

The Yankees have a glaring need in the rotation, the market doesn’t offer an obvious alternative and every long-term, high-dollar deal involves considerable risk. The Yankees are going to take that risk with Lee.

“Our desire is the same today as it was prior to that (Crawford) signing,” Cashman said this morning. “I don’t think you can increase it any more. We have a significant interest in Cliff Lee, and we’ve communicated that.”

The Yankees added two and lost two in this morning’s Rule 5 draft. They were only active in the Major League phase. They did not select anyone, and they did not lose anyone in the minor league rounds.

Fair warning, the guys they did add are not going to jump out as overly impressive additions. That’s the way it works in the Rule 5. It’s all about taking a chance on talent and finding a cheap role player. The Dan Uggla and Josh Hamilton success stories rarely happen, and even then they’re wildly unpredictable.

This morning, the Yankees added two pitchers.

Robert Fish
Left handed
22 years old
A converted starter, 2010 was his first full season in the bullpen. The results were uninspiring with an 8.93 ERA and a .356 opponents batting average in Double-A. Baseball America notes that his fastball gets into the mid-90s, and as a former starter, it’s easy to imagine him as a second bullpen lefty with the ability to pitch multiple innings when necessary. He does have pretty good strikeout numbers, but clearly this pick wasn’t about the numbers.

Daniel Turpen
Right handed
24 years old
A reliever throughout his career, Turpen doesn’t generate as many strikeouts as Fish, but he gets plenty of ground balls. My friend Donnie Collins writes that Turpen throws with a kind of side arm angle, and has a fastball with good sink. He doesn’t seem to be a typically overpowering, but one report Donnie cites compares his upside to David Weathers. If that plays out, the Yankees will surely be thrilled.

Brian Cashman has left the Winter Meetings. He’s on his way to the airport and said there will be no unexpected stops. He’s not going to Texas to see Amdy Pettitte, and he’s not going to Arkansas to see Cliff Lee. Cashman is flying straight to New York.

He took two and lost two in the Rule 5, talked to the media and hit the road.

He’s done all he’s going to do here in Orlando.