The week Posada acknowledged the inevitable
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Nov 13, 2011 
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Last week was not the week that Jorge Posada officially ended his career with the Yankees, but it was certainly the week that he admitted it’s over.
“I knew that was my last game after that playoff,” he said at Thursday’s night’s charity event for Joe Torre’s foundation. “That’s why I was so emotional. That’s why it was tough for me that day to really walk out of that clubhouse. I might never see it again… That was my last time being at home. It’s tough.”
Certainly Posada has built a legacy with the Yankees. How would he like to be remembered?
“I gave it all on the field,” he said. “Sometimes we’re not better than others, but to tell you the truth, I played to win. I wanted to win every game, and that’s the way I was taught.”
The rest of the week in review…
• A checkup by Dr. Christopher Ahmad revealed no more forearm strain for Ivan Nova, and he was given full clearance.
• The Yankees spring training schedule was announced. It finishes with a home-and-away series against the Mets.
• Cuban-born center fielder Yeonis Cespedes became an overnight internet sensation. “We’ve evaluated him in the workouts as well as any international tournaments he’s participated in that we could be in,” Brian Cashman said.
• Mariano Rivera, Dave Robertson and Gene Monahan were all given BBWAA New York chapter end-of-the-season awards.
• Cashman participated in a winter coat drive, Joe Girardi helped pack care packages for the military and Posada’s foundation celebrated its 10th year.
• The Yankees re-signed minor leaguers Ronny Marte and Reegie Corona.
• Former Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera was traded to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez. Cashman said he was never interested in a trade for Sanchez.
• The Orioles settled on Dan Duquette as their new general manager. Yankees amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer was considered a candidate.
Associated Press photo
It seems every winter and every trade deadline, Cashman loves to just dump a wet towel over the hot stove. He’s going to single-handedly bankrupt the New York newspapers and trigger layoffs of a generation of journalists. Chad, you’ll be joining Occupy Wall Street soon enough.
I’m teasing.
Joel Sherman sure believes the Yankees won’t do much this winter. It may be another year of watching other teams make moves. If so, big mistake. They cannot rely on Nova, Noesi and Hughes all to be acceptable.
I agree with Brett their is sure little in the papers about the Yankees. Give me a little bit to think about please.
Red Sox optimistic about chances to re-sign David Ortiz
The Boston Red Sox and free-agent DH David Ortiz have had steady talks about a new contract, the Boston Herald reports.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington wouldn’t disclose whether an offer has been extended to Ortiz, but he expressed optimism that a deal will get done.
The Red Sox are hoping David Ortiz will be back in Boston next season. (AP Photo)
“It was probably less likely to be a situation where (Ortiz) gets into the market and there’s something that he’s pushed on,” Cherington told the Boston Herald. “David knows we want him to be here, we want him in our lineup, and we’ve had a lot of dialogue to see if there’s a way to do that.”
Ortiz, who has been with the Red Sox since the 2003 season, hit .309 with 29 homers, 96 RBIs and a .398 on-base percentage this past season. He is a career .283 hitter with 378 homers, 1,266 RBIs and a .378 on-base percentage in nine seasons with Boston and six seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
Earlier this offseason, Ortiz created a bit of a stir when he said he would have to consider the possibility of signing with the rival New York Yankees, but he later backed off that statement and voiced a desire to return to Boston.
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ml.....z1davo7XWc
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Since the Sox have said that Papi’s status impacts RF, I wonder if his return means the Sox can’t land a big-name RF. I wonder if that means Kemp is not attainable.
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 9:18 am
It may be another year of watching other teams make moves. If so, big mistake.
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But then some fans argue that those other teams HAVE to make moves while the Yankees are just perfect the way they are (*ahem*, bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the 2nd straight year).
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Joel Sherman sure believes the Yankees won’t do much this winter. It may be another year of watching other teams make moves. If so, big mistake. They cannot rely on Nova, Noesi and Hughes all to be acceptable.
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I don’t think the Yankees need to make something big happen. Picking up another starter would be good, but they don’t need to make a blockbuster move (although I’d support signing Yu Darvish).
Even if we just resign Freddy Garcia I think that’s fine. Then we’re counting on Nova/Noesi/Hughes to fill two spots out of three.
But then some fans argue that those other teams HAVE to make moves while the Yankees are just perfect the way they are (*ahem*, bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the 2nd straight year).
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Yeah, and the Cardinals and the Giants won. Are you about to suggest they have better rosters than the Yankees have had these past two years?
Out with Chavez, in with Headley?
Headley could hit trade market in coming months
by JonPaulMorosi
Consider the batting splits for San Diego third baseman Chase Headley this year.
Home: .243/.348/.326 with one home run in 59 games. (Yes, his on-base percentage was actually higher than his slugging percentage. That doesn’t happen very often.)
Road: .330/.399/.465 with three home runs in 54 games.
This would be a good time to point out three important details: 1) Headley plays his home games at spacious Petco Park; 2) he will earn more than $3 million in salary arbitration next year; and 3) the Padres keep a modest payroll.
Add up those factors, and Headley is a trade candidate – if not this offseason, then leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline or at this time next year.
For now, sources say the Padres will be reluctant to move Headley. But the team is coming off a 91-loss season and has a new general manager. So stay tuned.
Despite Headley’s modest home run total, he’s intriguing for a number of reasons. He can play third base or left field. He’s a switch hitter. He will be 27 on Opening Day. And his power would play up if he left Petco.
More than half the teams in baseball are looking for upgrades in left field or at third base. And a number of them – the Orioles, Reds, Rockies, and Brewers – play in ballparks where the ball travels particularly well.
One reason a trade could be more likely in July than December: Headley’s potential replacement at third base, the 24-year-old Logan Forsythe, may need additional time at Class AAA before he’s ready for the everyday job. Forsythe posted a .568 OPS in 150 major-league at-bats this year.
– Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal
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What would the Padres want for Headley? Would they accept guys like Warren, Phelps, Joseph, Adams or Laird?
Really, Chad ?
Same old picture . Same old post .
Scraping the bottom of the barrel ?
apologies if this was already posted or discussed….
“I caught Posada in a much quieter moment in spring training, when we spoke about the concussions he suffered in September 2010. One episode in particular worried him a foul tip in a game against the Orioles that left Posada disoriented and dizzy.
“I remember telling (former pitching coach) Dave Eiland, ’something’s wrong with me, I just don’t feel right,’” Posada said. “I felt like I was about to throw up, I was dizzy, everything felt weird. The next day I was still having headaches. It was scary, I have to admit.”
The Yankees put Posada through a comprehensive memory test, called ImPACT, which is administered to players who suffer head trauma. Posada said the results were “not good.” In fact, two of the three tests he took in 2010 returned disturbing news.”
Read more http://news.bostonherald.com/s.....ion=recent
Bret,
Don’t you know the playoff losses were due to bad umpiring, bad luck, small sample size yadda yadda.
They need a quality starter and an outfielder, I believe. I believe cost will prevent it. The times, they are a-changin’.
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 9:26 am
But then some fans argue that those other teams HAVE to make moves while the Yankees are just perfect the way they are (*ahem*, bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the 2nd straight year).
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Yeah, and the Cardinals and the Giants won. Are you about to suggest they have better rosters than the Yankees have had these past two years?
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I’m suggesting the Yankees roster has weaknesses that have been ignored. I’m suggesting it’s smart to identify weaknesses and make improvements where necessary. The Cardinals made moves. Sabean has been a very busy GM.
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 9:29 am
Bret,
Don’t you know the playoff losses were due to bad umpiring, bad luck, small sample size yadda yadda.
They need a quality starter and an outfielder, I believe. I believe cost will prevent it. The times, they are a-changin’.
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That’s right Austin. Baseball is strictly a mathematical equation, determined by computer calculations. It’s pure luck. Nothing to do with skill.
That’s right Austin. Baseball is strictly a mathematical equation, determined by computer calculations. It’s pure luck. Nothing to do with skill.
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Whatever, Moneyball didn’t win Billy Beane his championship. You can line up everything perfectly and still not win it all in this sport.
We didn’t lose the ALDS because of our pitching, and suggesting we lost because of Nick Swisher is ridiculous. To suggest that we need another outfielder because Nick Swisher didn’t perform in the post season is ridiculous. What evidence do you have to say Matt Kemp would have done better?
If anyone comes up with the future-post season performance stat, I’d love to see it.
“I believe cost will prevent it. ”
Cashman said he has payroll flexibility this year if he needs it.
RadioKev,
And I’d love to see someone prove that baseball is a crapshoot.
Bret The Hitman November 13th, 2011 at 9:56 am
RadioKev,
And I’d love to see someone prove that baseball is a crapshoot.
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The Cardinals making the post season?
That’s not proof that baseball is pure luck.
A crapshoot isn’t pure luck
My point is, there is only SO MUCH a General Manager can do to set his team up for success. That’s from a strategic and statistical stand point. The Yankees were the best team in the AL last season. They were a better team than the Tigers. The Tigers won. You can’t win them all.
The pitching didn’t lose it. Our hitters went cold, and we still had our chances.
Of course I want the team to improve in the off season, I just don’t think Cashman is in a position were he has to make moves. That’s when you get in trouble and start making desparate moves, and doling out bad contracts.
90% skill and the other half is luck. The rest is a crapshoot.
And the rest of the teams are in a position where they have to make moves? Is that correct?
Can you manipulate a probability? Yes or no?
reason we lost in the 1st round this year: cano + arod + tex coming up empty the entire series.
is that a weakness that needs changes? not this offseason…
Since when is the off season wasted because Cashman hasn’t made any acquisitions by 13 November?
Keep in mind that they haven’t lost anybody yet, either.
Grady Sizemore
Grady Sizemore is looking for a one-year contract so he can re-establish his value for a longer-term deal next winter, reports Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Heyman makes the comparison to the one-year deal Adrian Beltre signed with the Red Sox before the 2010 season, which saw Beltre have a big season and earn a multiyear deal with the Rangers last winter. Sizemore won’t match the $10MM Beltre got from Boston, but a $6-7MM deal with incentives seems reasonable.
Heyman says the Athletics are interested in Sizemore but are worried about his health and his asking price.
Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal
Source: #MLB players, owners in near-agreement on draft-related issues, overcoming most significant hurdle to new labor deal. Story coming.
Season awards: Our expert panel picks the best of 2011
By Seth Livingstone, USA TODAY
A panel of 11 USA TODAY’s baseball writers and editors has rendered its verdict on the postseason awards, determining, if nothing else, that some of this year’s selections are extremely difficult . Feel free to compare these results to those of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which will be handing out the official awards beginning Monday; the announcements run through Nov. 22.
American League MVP
•Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: In the most-watched and possibly most contentious race of the awards season, Cabrera gets the edge, finishing ahead of teammate Justin Verlander and center fielders Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox and Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees.
The debate rages. Should a pitcher, in this case Verlander, be eligible for an MVP award?
In our house, it was a split decision: Cabrera, who led the AL in average (.344), on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48) and Verlander (24-5 with a 2.40 ERA) received four first-place votes.
Ultimately, the difference was that one voter left Verlander off his ballot completely.
Seems USA TODAY voters determined a Tigers player deserved the nod. Ellsbury (.321. 32 homers, 39 steals) and teammate Adrian Gonzalez (117 RBI, AL-high 213 hits) were doomed by the Red Sox’s swoon.
Granderson, who led the league in RBI (119) and runs (136) despite a .262 average, finished ahead of teammate Robinson Cano (.302, 118 RBI) on all 11 ballots.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista led the majors with 43 homers and a .608 slugging percentage but couldn’t sway our voters.
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National League MVP
•Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: This award was clearly a two-horse race a between pair of outfielders: Braun and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Going strictly by the numbers, Kemp might have earned the nod. He won two-thirds of the triple crown, leading the league with 39 home runs and 126 RBI. Kemp also collected a league-high 353 total bases, while playing Gold Glove defense and batting .324.
But Braun batted .332 with 33 homers and led the NL in slugging percentage (.597) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.994). Moreover, he helped power the Brewers to the postseason.
Braun received eight of 11 first-place votes. The other three went to Kemp.
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AL top pitcher
•Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers: Verlander won handily.
He led the majors with 251 innings pitched and 250 strikeouts on his way to an AL-low 0.92 WHIP (walks plus hits allowed per inning pitched).
Six of our 11 voters agreed that Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels (18-8, 2.41 ERA) deserved the runner-up vote and CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.00) of the New York Yankees merited a third-place acknowledgment.
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NL top pitcher
•Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: Kershaw was the choice, and it was not close.
Kershaw led the NL with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts.
One first-place vote went to Philadelphia Phillies ace and defending Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, who went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA for the NL East champs.
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AL top rookie
•Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals: Even in a deep rookie class, only four players received votes for the top three spots.
Hosmer, the Royals’ first baseman, carried the selection process. Hosmer batted .293 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI in 128 games. Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo batted .254 with 29 home runs and 87 RBI in 149 games.
Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.95), whose 6.95 hits per nine innings ranked fourth-lowest among all AL pitchers, finished third.
The only other rookie to factor in the voting was Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.70). Mariners All-Star right-hander Michael Pineda slipped in the second half and didn’t draw a vote.
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NL top rookie
•Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves: Of the 11 USA TODAY voters, seven ranked the top NL rookies this way: 1) Kimbrel, 2) Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, 3) Philadelphia pitcher Vance Worley.
Kimbrel (4-3, 2.10) took the Braves closer’s job and ran with it. He set a rookie record with 46 saves, tied for best in the NL, and led the league with 64 games finished.
Freeman batted .282 with 21 homers and 76 RBI. Worley worked his way in to the Phillies’ rotation and was 11-1 through Sept. 10. He finished 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA.
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AL top manager
•Joe Maddon, Rays: Maddon, whose upstart Rays rallied to qualify for the playoffs on the final night of the season, was a runaway winner, garnering nine of 11 first-place votes.
Jim Leyland of the Tigers finished second despite not getting a first-place vote. Manny Acta, who had the Cleveland Indians in contention through the first half of the season, and Joe Girardi, who managed the Yankees to the league’s best record, each received a top vote.
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NL top manager
•Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks: Gibson, who managed the surprising Diamondbacks to the NL West title, captured nine of 11 first-place votes. He led a team coming off two consecutive 90-plus-loss seasons to a 94-68 season.
Rookie manager Ron Roenicke, whose Brewers (96-66) won the NL Central by finishing ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, finished second. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel got one first place vote for the majors’ top record at 102-60.
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 10:09 am
My point is, there is only SO MUCH a General Manager can do to set his team up for success. That’s from a strategic and statistical stand point. The Yankees were the best team in the AL last season. They were a better team than the Tigers. The Tigers won. You can’t win them all.
The pitching didn’t lose it. Our hitters went cold, and we still had our chances.
Of course I want the team to improve in the off season, I just don’t think Cashman is in a position were he has to make moves. That’s when you get in trouble and start making desparate moves, and doling out bad contracts.
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The hitting didn’t just go cold–the slumping hitting was a recurring pattern throughout last year (actually since 2010), and in that sense, it was fairly predictable. The Yanks have never recovered from the loss in clutch hitting when Damon and Matsui left. Swisher (as well as Tex and Gardner) play a big part in the streakiness of the Yanks’ team hitting. However, the Yanks have a contractual commitment to Tex, as well as a reasonable expectation that he might solve his problems from the left side of the plate. Gardner is cheap, and he continues to show improvement, even if he does has some setbacks. I don’t think that we’ve seen Gardner’s ceiling yet.
For my part, I’m a lot less sanguine about Swisher’s prospects for improvement, and I’m ready to move on. I would like to see the Yanks make a run at landing Cespedes. Organizationally, the outfield is where the Yanks seem weakest to me. Cespedes could shore up that outfield weakness, and could press Gardner and Swisher for their spots in the lineup. The competition would redound to the Yanks’ benefit.
Are the Yanks good enough to win as they are currently constituted? Yes, I think that they can win at least 97 games next year. They also could steamroll their way right through the playoffs en route to number 28–if they get hot at the right time. However, the problem with this team is that they don’t score when they aren’t hot.
Thanks for the link Pat.
I still get angry when I think of the batting 9th debacle. The thing that bothers me is what was the motivation for it? I know what my answer is. And yes, I do know Jorge did not respond appropriately, but IMO he should have never been put in that position in the first place.
I wouldn’t mind taking a chance on Sizemore either. He could be a big shot in the arm if he can stay healthy.
The Yanks got bounced outta the Playoffs because of their Starting Pitching. Their offense is fine as is, and Montero improving and playing a full season should make it even better in 2012. The Yanks need to add 1 Starter and to bring back Freddy Garcia to give them some depth. Cashman has it pretty easy this offseason, especially if Hal gives him the $$$ to make Darvish that 1 Starter they need to add.
Bret and WCDB did the most whining of anyone on this board last offseason when Theo was making headlines and Cashman moved on to Plans B, C,D, and E when he missed out on Cliff Lee and Pettitte retired.
I don’t have to tell you which team imploded this past season finishing in 3rd place and which one finished with the best record in the AL.
Some people just want Cashman to make headline moves whether it makes a damn bit of sense or not.
Keep in mind that this is Swisher’s walk year so he’s going to be highly motivated to get his last big payday a year from now.
How many organizations have a better all around outfield than the Yankees?
DONNYBROOK November 13th, 2011 at 11:00 am
The Yanks got bounced outta the Playoffs because of their Starting Pitching. Their offense is fine as is, and Montero improving and playing a full season should make it even better in 2012. The Yanks need to add 1 Starter and to bring back Freddy Garcia to give them some depth. Cashman has it pretty easy this offseason, especially if Hal gives him the $$$ to make Darvish that 1 Starter they need to add.
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Exactly how was it the yankee pitching? The staff outpitched any other staff in the post season. Perhaps you was watching another team pitch? Like St. Louis or Detroit or Philadelphis?
The Yanks got bounced outta the Playoffs because of their Starting Pitching.
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Let’s see about that:
The Yanks won game 1 9-3.
They lost game 2, 5-3: Garcia took the loss.
They lost game 3, 5-4. The bullpen gave up the lead.
They won game 4, 10-4.
They lost game 5, 3-2.
In the games that the Yanks lost, they mustered no more than 4 runs, and they only scored two runs in the decisive game 5. Three of their losses were by one run. The starting pitching may not have been terrific during that series, but it was good enough to win, if the Yanks had mustered a couple of key hits here or there.
Sometimes I wonder if some people even watched the ALDS last year.
The Yanks clubbed the Tigers twice (19 runs) and lost three close games in which they averaged just 3 runs a game (the Tigers averaged a puny 4.3).
You cannot blame those losses on starting pitching when the offense managed to do so little.
The Yanks don’t need to do anything to be the favorite in the AL East next season. They do need to make some moves in order to be a better team, however.
I think it’s time to package up some of these almost ready arms to try and get a major upgrade for the rotation. An upgrade in RF wouldn’t break my heart either, but I don’t think Sizemore is likely to out produce Swisher in 2012.
Giuseppe Franco November 13th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Keep in mind that this is Swisher’s walk year so he’s going to be highly motivated to get his last big payday a year from now.
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Good point. However, I don’t fault Swisher’s effort; I think that his effort is fine. I just don’t like how he swings from his heels. I’m not sure how the walk year will help unless it gets him to shorten up his swing a bit.
Didn’t Swisher have the highest OBP on the team?
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Didn’t Swisher have the highest OBP on the team?
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How many runs did he drive in? How many runs did he score? High OBP is nice, but runs win games.
How many runs did he drive in? How many runs did he score? High OBP is nice, but runs win games.
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Ghostwriter, that’s just ridiculous. OBP is a stat that he controls. RBIs and Runs are dependant on the rest of the team. And he did have 85 RBI which is productive.
A majority of this board has gone Swisher crazy. He’s not the greatest player, but he’s pretty good for the price. He’s a good teammate too. Get over it guys.
86w183 November 13th, 2011 at 11:17 am
Sometimes I wonder if some people even watched the ALDS last year.
The Yanks clubbed the Tigers twice (19 runs) and lost three close games in which they averaged just 3 runs a game…
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This is exactly what I concerned me all year long with this club: The ALDS was a microsm of the season. In the ALDS, the Yanks averaged 5.6 runs per game, but only managed to score more than four runs twice. The high average runs per game that the Yanks scored in 2011 (and 2010) disguised the problems with the offense, i.e., its streakiness.
Swisher is a .260 hitter with 20-25 home runs. He is a good player. Did he lose the playoffs? No. However, RF is one position they could improve since it is not one with a long term contract.
The off-season should presumably be used to improve. It seems many disagree. Not improving means getting worse with aging and improvement of competitors.
Swisher has now had 38 playoff games and over 120 at bats. He is hitting .169 and has six RBIs in what amounts to 1/4th of a season. Yet, we are told that is meaningless. I think otherwise. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Players, Owners Close In On Deal
By Zach Links [November 13 at 10:18am CST]
Players and owners are in near-agreement on draft-related issues, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal could be struck as soon as today or Monday but other significant issues remain, making it possible that the negotiations will stretch into the latter part of the week.
The two sides would like to reach an agreement Sunday or Monday as the general managers’ meetings start Tuesday in Milwaukee, the owners meet Thursday, and the union is holding meetings for agents Monday through Wednesday. The new deal is expected to put a lid on the amount of money teams spend on draft picks and overhaul draft-pick compensation for free agents.
The current deal expires on December 11th but it would be a shock if the two sides did not hammer out a new five-year deal before then. Significant progress was made in the talks last week.
However, RF is one position they could improve since it is not one with a long term contract.
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So we need to have a long term contract?
All I want Cashman to do is to make smart moves: not sell the farm on a bad deal, and not dole out a Werth/Crawford contract. Those contracts are the examples of GMs “needing to make a move.”
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 11:30 am
How many runs did he drive in? How many runs did he score? High OBP is nice, but runs win games.
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Ghostwriter, that’s just ridiculous. OBP is a stat that he controls. RBIs and Runs are dependant on the rest of the team. And he did have 85 RBI which is productive.
A majority of this board has gone Swisher crazy. He’s not the greatest player, but he’s pretty good for the price. He’s a good teammate too. Get over it guys.
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It’s not ridiculous at all. (BTW, the namecalling doesn’t help your case.) He had the vast majority of his ABs in the fifth and sixth slots in the lineup (over 400 ABs) on the highest scoring club in the league, and he could only muster 85 RBIs. When he batted with runners on, he hit .250, and only drove in 75 runs. Granted, he had an high OBP in those situations. However, if he’s going to be a run producer for this club, he needs to be more productive when he swings the bat. He does have control over that.
Kev,
I didn’t say they needed a long term contract in right. I said try have options there. Please read only the black and not the white between some imaginary lines.
Do you believe Swisher’s extensive playoff failures mean anything or do you believe it is bad luck?
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Kev,
“Do you believe Swisher’s extensive playoff failures mean anything or do you believe it is bad luck?”
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In fairness, to Swisher, his postseason stats could be bad luck, statistically speaking. However, having seen the man play in those postseason games, I have a hard time chalking up his failures to bad luck. He has such a long swing, with such a huge uppercut that it’s not terribly surprising that he has poor results. Frankly, I think that he tries too hard, and that he would benefit a lot from shortening up his swing, and concentrating on making good contact. If he did these things, he could really be a terrific player for us, but he can’t (or won’t) do it.
Ghostwriter, if it’s that easy to just ‘shortening up his swing, and concentrating on making good contact’, why don’t you call Cashman and show him how easy it is for you to do that, so that you can get a contract on the spot, and have a terrific career ending in a first ballot HOF selection?
You’ve made it sound so simple!
There was no name calling intended. OBP is a pretty solid offensive statistic, you can’t just say “it’s nice.” That’s the kind of guy Swisher is, an OBP guy, not a strong average guy.
His batting average with RISP was slightly lower than his overall BA last season, true. I’m not raving about the guy, but saying that he only “mustered” 85 RBIs is a pretty skewed look at him.
I get that a guy like Matt Kemp is better, but Swisher is a fine option in the outfield and it’s never been intended that he would carry the team. First of all, I’m not sure if the price of acquiring Matt Kemp is worth admission on top of a contract extension/if he’s just a rental.
But for some people suggesting they’d rather have Sizemore over Swisher, that’s just illogical.
And Austin, my point is, the Swisher contract is pretty good. Keying on a short term contract and saying “this is the guy we can replace!” seems a bit reactionary to me.
In fact, just out of curiosity, did you select St. Louis to win the World Series at the start of 2011? I sure know that I didn’t, and in fact, don’t know too many people who did.
DaSaint007 November 13th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Ghostwriter, if it’s that easy to just ‘shortening up his swing, and concentrating on making good contact’, why don’t you call Cashman and show him how easy it is for you to do that, so that you can get a contract on the spot, and have a terrific career ending in a first ballot HOF selection?
You’ve made it sound so simple!
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Where did I say it was easy to do that?
And I would agree that Swisher’s results in the post season leaves something to be desired, to say the least. But the guy provides value over the course of the season. I think tweaking his approach in the post season would be helpful, and I think it is possible. That’s why I wouldn’t dump him.
I said it during the season too. The Yankees didn’t need to trade Swisher, they just needed Swisher to perform like his usual self. He did, and he provided a boost for several months in the second half.
I agree Swisher is a good player and good guy. The off season is a time to see if the team could be improved. My point is simply that RF is one position improvement is possible.
Ghostwriter November 13th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
DaSaint007 November 13th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Ghostwriter, if it’s that easy to just ‘shortening up his swing, and concentrating on making good contact’, why don’t you call Cashman and show him how easy it is for you to do that, so that you can get a contract on the spot, and have a terrific career ending in a first ballot HOF selection?
You’ve made it sound so simple!
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Where did I say it was easy to do that?
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It was implicit by your comment below:
Frankly, I think that he tries too hard, and that he would benefit a lot from shortening up his swing, and concentrating on making good contact. If he did these things, he could really be a terrific player for us, but he can’t (or won’t) do it.
Ghostwriter, you don’t think he ‘concentrates’ on making good contact? You think a professional hitter doesn’t try or ‘concentrate’ when he goes to the plate? Really?
Now some do guess, and some are more astute than others, and some are just so much more physically capable that they can successfully compensate even when they don’t ‘concentrate’ or guess well.
But to say he’s not concentrating is a bit unfair and frankly unfounded. Swisher isn’t a marquee player, but 85 RBIs is nothing to sneeze at. By your implication, would you want to get rid of Tex too due to his failures last season?
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
I agree Swisher is a good player and good guy. The off season is a time to see if the team could be improved. My point is simply that RF is one position improvement is possible.
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Sure, that’s true, but you could say that of almost every position on the team except CF & 2B. I’m concerned with the practicality. Is it practical to pine for a new RF? Who’s it going to be and how?
What do you think? Who’s a better practical fit than Swisher? Kemp? Do you think the Dodgers would trade him? Would you be willing to trade the top prospects that it would take? Would you be willing to sign him to a 6 – 8 year contract at top dollar?
If not Kemp, who else?
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
There was no name calling intended. OBP is a pretty solid offensive statistic, you can’t just say “it’s nice.” That’s the kind of guy Swisher is, an OBP guy, not a strong average guy.
His batting average with RISP was slightly lower than his overall BA last season, true. I’m not raving about the guy, but saying that he only “mustered” 85 RBIs is a pretty skewed look at him.
I get that a guy like Matt Kemp is better, but Swisher is a fine option in the outfield and it’s never been intended that he would carry the team. First of all, I’m not sure if the price of acquiring Matt Kemp is worth admission on top of a contract extension/if he’s just a rental.
But for some people suggesting they’d rather have Sizemore over Swisher, that’s just illogical.
And Austin, my point is, the Swisher contract is pretty good. Keying on a short term contract and saying “this is the guy we can replace!” seems a bit reactionary to me.
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I understand that OBP is largely predictive of run scoring for teams, on average. However, OBP isn’t determinative of run production. As time goes by, I’m less enamored of guys with .250 BA and .380 OBP, because the production is just so erratic. At the end of the day, runs are what win ballgames.
In the slot in which Swisher hits, he should have been able to drive in at least 100-110 RBis, with all of the opportunities that he gets on that club.
I’m not one of those fans that wants an AllStar at every position. I would just like to see Swisher put better swings on the ball. Even with his high OBP, I’m just not convinced that his approach at the plate is terribly productive.
I think that taking a look at Sizemore makes sense, because we’ve already seen what Swisher can do. The competition also might help Swisher (and Gardner). And we might catch lightning in a bottle with Sizemore.
RadioKev November 13th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
austinmac November 13th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
I agree Swisher is a good player and good guy. The off season is a time to see if the team could be improved. My point is simply that RF is one position improvement is possible.
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Sure, that’s true, but you could say that of almost every position on the team except CF & 2B. I’m concerned with the practicality. Is it practical to pine for a new RF? Who’s it going to be and how?
What do you think? Who’s a better practical fit than Swisher? Kemp? Do you think the Dodgers would trade him? Would you be willing to trade the top prospects that it would take? Would you be willing to sign him to a 6 – 8 year contract at top dollar?
If not Kemp, who else?
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I think that Kemp would be too expensive to acquire this offseason. I would make a run at gettin Cespedes. I also would bring in Sizemore on a one-year deal. Let Swisher, Gardner, Cespedes, and Sizemore fight it out for playing time/roster slots. Cuddyer also might be a possibility, but I don’t think that Cashman would go for it… at least not without trading Swisher, which I don’t consider likely.
Kubel also might be worth taking a chance on…
I think if you trade Swisher then you need to be sure of two things 1) that you can get a good return for him 2) you can get someone just as good or better to replace him.
Kubel and Cuddyer aren’t as good as Swisher, Sizemore is too much of an injury risk, and we don’t know what Cespedes is yet.
All except the outfield are bound by long term contracts that can’t be traded such as AROD and Teixiera. Therefore, any effort to improve the offense can only occur there. I feel every team has an obligation to try to improve. Whether it is possible, I don’t know.
I think Sizemore should be considered. The Yankees were far worse against right handers. Cespedes. Sure, if he is good. Hopefully, they will make strong run for him if they believe he is likely to be a top flight player. Otherwise, no. I have no input on whether he is.
“I think Sizemore should be considered. The Yankees were far worse against right handers”.
Id love to bring him on as a 4th outfielder…..but there is just too much risk attached to trade off Gardner or Swisher and make him a starter IMO. He just hasn’t been able to play enough recently. I would prefer Beltran if he’d accept a 2 year deal…..aside from the microfracture deal he’s been pretty healthy in his career and he was a good player again last year (and mashes RHP). Grady hadn’t shown what Beltran did last year yet…..
blake November 13th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
I think if you trade Swisher then you need to be sure of two things 1) that you can get a good return for him 2) you can get someone just as good or better to replace him.
Kubel and Cuddyer aren’t as good as Swisher, Sizemore is too much of an injury risk, and we don’t know what Cespedes is yet.
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It isn’t clear to me that Kubel and Cuddyer aren’t as good as Swisher. You give up a little power with either of Kubel and Cuddyer compared to Swisher, and you give up a little OBP. In exchange, you get a higher batting average and fewer strikeouts. From the number-6 or number-7 slot in the order, this should translate into more runs scored, which would be a net improvement, even if the OPS isn’t as sexy as Swisher’s.
Still, your point about not trading Swisher is well taken. It would be a mistake to move him if it wasn’t for somebody significantly better. Cuddyer and Kubel don’t qualify as significantly better, even if they would be a marginal improvement.
Guisseppi Franco did the most amount of whining about Cashman’s critics despite the fact that the Yankees got bounced from the playoffs in the first round for the second year in a row. He has wholly embraced deadline stalemate after deadline stalemate. The 2010 and 2011 Yankees teams were not even close to reaching the ultimate prize.
Why does G. Franco refuse to hold Cashman to the high standard that his critics do?
Why does G. Franco try to insult Cashman’s critics rather than talk baseball?
Why would anyone listen to G. Franco when he attempts to smother civil discourse?
I see Kubel and Cuddyer both as clear downgrades from Swisher ….JMO.
pat November 13th, 2011 at 9:29 am
apologies if this was already posted or discussed….
“I caught Posada in a much quieter moment in spring training, when we spoke about the concussions he suffered in September 2010. One episode in particular worried him a foul tip in a game against the Orioles that left Posada disoriented and dizzy.
“I remember telling (former pitching coach) Dave Eiland, ’something’s wrong with me, I just don’t feel right,’” Posada said. “I felt like I was about to throw up, I was dizzy, everything felt weird. The next day I was still having headaches. It was scary, I have to admit.”
The Yankees put Posada through a comprehensive memory test, called ImPACT, which is administered to players who suffer head trauma. Posada said the results were “not good.” In fact, two of the three tests he took in 2010 returned disturbing news.”
Read more http://news.bostonherald.com/s…..ion=recent
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Klapisch already wrote this story. He’s a presumptuous, small-minded a s s – obviously he has never done anything particularly well in his life that he suddenly had to give up, so it’s easy for him to chalk up Posada’s desire to continue to play as something suspect.
Gratuitous, mean spirited article, outside of the few facts he throws in there to make himself credible.
Now if you coukd trade Swisher for a Jurrjins or something like that and then sign Cuddyer to a one or two year deal…..then that’s something Id consider…….but you’d have to get enough value for Swisher to.make it worthwhile.
Reportedly, the Yanks are more interested in the other kid, Jorge Solaris or whatever his name is. I think he’s about seven years younger than Cespedes and they like his explosive bat…
Not sure either that an IFA can just be a regular out of ST…it’s possible, of course, but I don’t know that I would rely on such a thing. I don’t think they would, either, just leaving themselves open…
J. Alfred Prufrock November 13th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
“Klapisch already wrote this story. He’s a presumptuous, small-minded a s s – obviously he has never done anything particularly well in his life that he suddenly had to give up, so it’s easy for him to chalk up Posada’s desire to continue to play as something suspect.
Gratuitous, mean spirited article, outside of the few facts he throws in there to make himself credible.”
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Nice post. I had the same take on Klapisch’s article. I found it pretty offensive, and his mean-spiritedness undermined his credibility with me. I found myself not trusting his claims about Posada’s head injuries, because the rest of the article was so slanted.
blake November 13th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
I see Kubel and Cuddyer both as clear downgrades from Swisher ….JMO.
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How so?
I don’t like Kubel as a defender and Cuddyer, though versatile, isn’t ideal either. Pass.
Ghost, he sort of reminds me of Wally Mathews…guys who have a chip on their shoulder and feel marginalized by the athletes they cover.
Their revenge seems to be this passive aggressive swill they turn out. Look, if they don’t like covering sports jocks, who asked them to? Do they think readers can’t see through them? Or will sympathize with them? You resent your job, get a different one.
‘Frock, he’s probably one of a couple-dozen guys that thought Max Mercy was the hero in the “Natural” Oy!
EDIT:
Ghostwriter November 13th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
‘Frock, he’s probably one of a couple-dozen guys that thought Max Mercy was the hero in “The Natural” Oy!
Bret The Hitman November 13th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Guisseppi Franco did the most amount of whining about Cashman’s critics despite the fact that the Yankees got bounced from the playoffs in the first round for the second year in a row. He has wholly embraced deadline stalemate after deadline stalemate. The 2010 and 2011 Yankees teams were not even close to reaching the ultimate prize.
Why does G. Franco refuse to hold Cashman to the high standard that his critics do?
Why does G. Franco try to insult Cashman’s critics rather than talk baseball?
Why would anyone listen to G. Franco when he attempts to smother civil discourse?
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And the teams that made the most headlining moves last offseason (Phillies and Boston) didn’t fare any better than the Yanks did. BTW, the 2010 Yanks were two wins away from another pennant.
I’m wholly in favor of Cashman making moves that make sense for the Yanks. I’m not in favor of making headline moves for the hell of it.
Good grief. You’re the same guy who suggested Jon Flaherty would be a better Yankee GM than Cashman.
None of your ideas make a damn bit of sense so you get called on it. Don’t like it? Too bad.
Kubel:
2010: .249/.323/.427/.750
2011: .273/.332/.434/.766
Cuddyer
2010: .271/.336/.417/.753
2011: .284/.346/.459/.805
Swisher
2010: .288/.359/.511/.870
2011: .260/.374/.449/.822
Kubel is a bad outfielder and while Cuddyer is versatile and I like that…..he’s older and has been an 800 OPS player like 1 time. Swisher is .800 + OPS almost every season.
J. Alfred Prufrock November 13th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Reportedly, the Yanks are more interested in the other kid, Jorge Solaris or whatever his name is. I think he’s about seven years younger than Cespedes and they like his explosive bat…
Not sure either that an IFA can just be a regular out of ST…it’s possible, of course, but I don’t know that I would rely on such a thing. I don’t think they would, either, just leaving themselves open…
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You mean Soler… Remember how we were more interested in Sanchez than Sano when everyone assumed Sano was the guy we would go after? It’ll be interesting to see what moves we make and what our IFA budget is this year…
‘Frock, he’s probably one of a couple-dozen guys that thought Max Mercy was the hero in “The Natural” Oy!
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Ghost, LOL!
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Blake, I don’t want either guy, not as an everyday OF. But Cuddyer I think is a real natural sort of hitter…I agree neither is an upgrade, in a general sense, over Swish. Unless they’re looking for a starter through a trade, I don’t see the point in making changes in the OF just to make them, although much depends on how the rest of next year’s lineup is configured. We definitely need a contact/OPS guy to twin with Cano (IOW, Montero must be in there mostly every day).
Cuddyer is another guy who categorically cannot hit righties. He has a career OPS+ around 90.
You mean Soler… Remember how we were more interested in Sanchez than Sano when everyone assumed Sano was the guy we would go after? It’ll be interesting to see what moves we make and what our IFA budget is this year…
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That’s the guy, Yankeefem, thanks. Yea I remember and I’m glad if it was either/or we chose Sanchez. Speaking of IFAs, saw your comment on Jo-Ram…I guess they aren’t ready to bank on the slider being a keeper, or something? When I saw that kid, he was painting the black with his fastball (wasn’t anywhere near the velo he’s getting now, topped around 94) mixing with an awesome change. What stood out was how effortless he was and that the motion was the same on those pitches. He was always ahead of the hitters & I think he pitched like 7 innings. Haven’t seen him since his big spike and the advent of his slider.
Cuddyer is a career .794 OPS player with .272 BA;
Swisher is a career .826 OPS player with .254 BA average.
I see it as a tradeoff between BA and OPS: I’m willing to trade a 4-percent dropoff in OPS for a 7-percent gain in BA. Similarly so for Kubel….
yankeefeminista November 13th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Cuddyer is another guy who categorically cannot hit righties. He has a career OPS+ around 90.
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Wow, that’s dreadful. Always liked his swing though.
yankeefeminista November 13th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Cuddyer is another guy who categorically cannot hit righties. He has a career OPS+ around 90.
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Categorically cannot hit righties? Don’t you think that your exaggerating just a bit? Having a 90 OPS+ means that he is about 10 percent below average as a right-handed batter facing right-handed pitching. His numbers against righties aren’t bad, evn if they are unspectacular: .264/.326/.433/.760. Against lefties, Cuddyer is quite good with an OPS+ of 119, hitting .290/.378/.491/.869. Moreover, the Yanks had more trouble with lefties than righties last year
Ghost,
Swisher has improved in the last 3 years though…..
Point is that unless you are trading Swisher for something else that improves the team…..a Cuddyer/Swisher swap is a lateral move at best…..and to me a downgrade
Hey, I think that there is something WAAAY off on the OPS+ computations on baseballreference.com. I thought Cuddyer’s numbers looked fishy, so I tried looking up A-Rod’s splits and I found that he has an OPS + of 100 against righties and 99 against lefties. There is no way that correct. There is absolutely no way that a player with a career .955 OPS is a league-average player.
blake,
He showed a lot of improvement in 2010, but reverted to form in 2011. It would be terrific if Swish could go back to hitting around .288 like he did in 2010.
Swish led the team in OBP in 2011.
blake November 13th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Swish led the team in OBP in 2011.
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He hit .260 and his OPS was .823, which is a shade below his career average, and significantoly below the .870 that he had in 2010.
Still better than Cuddyer
blake November 13th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Still better than Cuddyer
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Not in terms of batting average, he wasn’t. (In fact, he wasn’t even as good in terms of slugging percentage in 2010.)
Look, the entirety of your argument rests on Swisher’s higher OPS, and most of that advantage rests on Swisher’s ability to draw walks. My point is that drawing walks and hitting the occasional homer isn’t enough. The team actually needs to score runs on a consistent basis. With a runner on second or third, drawing a walk won’t result in a run scoring unless the bases are loaded, but a base hit almost invariably will result in a run in this situation. It isn’t an idle coincidence that in 2010, Swisher’s best year, his walk total was well below his historical norms. While OBP (and OPS) are very handy summary stats, there is a lot that they miss. High OPS is not the same thing as high production at the plate. I find Swisher’s .823 OPS to be surprisingly unproductive in terms of actual runs scored.
No my whole argument is that unless you can trade Swisher for something else that helps the team then its a pointless move to swap him for Cuddyer. Cuddyer is a year older….has less power …..and gets on base less…..and he doesn’t hit RHP well enough to warrant the move. Swisher is a better player than Cuddyer IMO and we already know he can play on NY and its a one year commitment ……
Take a look at CC’s ALDS stats vs Detroit and you got exactly why the Yanks were eliminated in the Playoffs. If CC had pitched like an Ace, the Yanks would have advanced. An offense is gonna score fewer runs vs. playoff pitching. That is to be expected. You look at the 2011 Yankee team offensive stats over the regular season 162, and you got a powerhouse. The Yankee offense is fine. It’s the pitching that needs to be upgraded, and is exactly what Cashman alluded to with his, “Pitching, pitching, pitching” quote.
If I could trade Swish inna Jarrjens deal, and then sign Cuddyer and Darvish, I would do that. Swish’s numbers have been in decline ever since Girardi moved him out of the 2 Hole. He flourished in the 2 Hole, but that is Grandy’s now. Basically, I would rather have Jarrjens and Cuddyer, than hang onto Swish.