The LoHud Yankees Blog

Russell Martin did it again last night. He tweeted another message about his offseason training routine, and this time he capped it with a “getting better” hashtag. Clearly the Yankees like the attitude, and they like the bravado. It’s the same kind of “follow me” approach he showed in the clubhouse all season.

“We thought he was Thurman Munson-like,” Brain Cashman said, offering his most eyebrow-raising comparison of this week’s conference call. “I wasn’t here in the ’70s, but you know what Thurman Munson stood for and represented how he played the game and the leadership he provided in the clubhouse. That’s what projected from Russell from L.A. When he was a Dodger and when he was healthy. He came in here and kind of lived up to everything that we’d heard.”

Cashman never came right out and said it this week, but it would be a significant surprise if the Yankees didn’t bring back Martin. Yes, Jesus Montero is ready, and yes, Austin Romine is on the verge, but Martin proved to be a legitimate leader in the clubhouse and with the pitching staff. He’s continued that leadership this offseason, leaving no doubt that he’s working hard and staying in shape.

“We are deep catching-wise, and we do have people who are going to be everyday catchers in the big leagues, I have no doubt about that,” Cashman said. “We have, what I believe is a great acquisition in Russell that provides us with a strong everyday catcher both last year and this year, at the very least if we want it. As well as the ability, if we want to go further than that and they were willing to find common ground, to even do more than one year. I don’t know. I’m not in a position to answer that other than to say we could go a number of different routes there, and the depth of this franchise allows us to play it up for one, and if we want to put all our eggs in the Russell Martin basket, maybe have a conversation there too.

“I don’t know, I’m not in a position to tell you. We haven’t entered the winter really yet. I think that our discussions and conversation and with other clubs will direct that on the planning side of that. But I’m a big fan of Russell Martin. I really like what he does in our clubhouse, on that field, with our staff, with our pitching coach, in that clubhouse. Real proud to say he’s a Yankee.”

Associated Press photo

Curtis Granderson has been named the Players Choice Award winner as the American League’s Outstanding Player. Justin Verlander was named the overall Player of the Year, but Granderson was recognized as the American League’s top hitter.

From a Players Association press release:

New York Yankee Curtis Granderson was honored as the American League Outstanding Player. With his 2011 offensive power surge, Granderson led all American League hitters with 119 RBIs and a Major League-best 136 runs scored, as well as placing second in home runs (41), third in triples (10) and fourth in extra-base hits (77).

Granderson is just the seventh Yankees slugger in history to score 130 runs and hit 40 home runs in a season, joining pinstriped legends Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, as well as teammate Alex Rodriguez. The speedy All-Star was also solid in center field, posting a .992 fielding percentage and 11 outfield assists to lead the Yankees to the AL East crown.

The rest of the Players Choice Awards:

Player of the Year: Justin Verlander
Marvin Miller Man of the Year: Michael Young

American League
Player of the Year: Curtis Granderson
Pitcher of the Year: Justin Verlander
Outstanding Rookie: Mark Trumbo
Comeback Player: Jacoby Ellsbury

National League
Player of the Year: Matt Kemp
Pitcher of the Year: Clayton Kershaw
Outstanding Rookie: Craig Kimbrel
Comeback Player: Lance Berkman

Balloting for the Players Choice Awards was conducted in September, and winners in all categories will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust.

Associated Press photo of Granderson in Taiwan

Here’s the latest from the Associated Press about the second game of Major League Baseball’s exhibition tour of Taiwan. Curtis Granderson had the big home run in the first game. Robinson Cano had the big hit in the second game. 

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Robinson Cano doubled in a run in the seventh inning to help an MLB All-Star team beat Taiwan’s national team 5-3 Thursday in the second game of a five-game series.

The New York Yankees’ second baseman also singled and scored in the sixth inning in the game in Taichung.

“They got a great team,” Cano said. “They played a pretty good game.”

The Taiwanese went ahead 3-2 in the fifth, scoring twice on three hits and a walk. The MLB squad tied it in the sixth and added two more runs in the seventh.

Relievers Rich Thompson of the Los Angeles Angels, Ramon Ramirez of the San Francisco Giants and Bill Bray of the Cincinnati Reds kept the Taiwanese scoreless from the sixth inning on.

In the series opener Tuesday, the MLB team won 7-0 in a game halted in the sixth inning because of rain. The teams play in Taichung on Friday before closing the series with two weekend games in Kaohsiung.

• Chien-Ming Wang is heading back to the Nationals. The Washington Post reports that Wang got a one-year deal worth $4 million to return to the Nats’ rotation.

• Don’t count on the Yankees keeping scouting director Damon Oppenheimer just yet. The Orioles still haven’t picked a GM, and the Baltimore Sun reports that Oppenheimer is among those who could still interview for the job. We learned earlier that Yankees pro scouting director Billy Eppler was apparently the runner-up for the Angels GM job.

• Yankees prospects Mason Williams and Dante Bichette Jr. were named the Topps Player of the Year in the New York-Penn League and Gulf Coast League.

• Former Yankees outfielder Juan Rivera was one of the first significant free agents to sign with a new team, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Dodgers. 

• Outfielder Jordan Parraz, who had a terrific season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, has signed a minor league deal with the Braves. It includes separate language if he makes the big league club.

• After his one-year stint in the Yankees front office, it took Kevin Towers just one year to land an extension as the GM in Arizona. 

Associated Press photo

Trying to build on a solid but injury shortened Triple-A season, David Phelps first three Arizona Fall League starts were uninspiring. He allowed three earned runs each time, never throwing more than 3.1 innings. His past two outings have been more what the Yankees were hoping to see.

In his past two starts, Phelps has pitched nine innings, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven. And that’s without throwing more than 67 pitches.

Phelps is one of those guys who was brought in to observe late in the season. The Yankees clearly believe he can play a role next season, and his Fall League stint is about building a few more innings before shutting things down for the winter.

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• Speaking of young starters: Hector Noesi keeps getting better in the Dominican. After two not-so-great outings, Noesi pitched six innings without an earned run in his most recent start. He struck out five, walked one and dropped his winter ERA to 3.38 through three starts.

• Ronnier Mustelier, the utility man from Cuba, continues to hit in the Fall League. He’s batting .390/.405/.610 while playing third base (played mostly outfield and second base in Tampa this season). He’s new to the Yankees farm system, and a little old for a low-level prospect, but so far he’s been a steady hitter.

• Jorge Vazquez, the Yankees slugging Triple-A first baseman, is hitting .320/.400/.587 through 75 at-bats in Mexico. He has 21 RBI and 23 strikeouts. That’s pretty much the kind of hitter he is.

• Outside of the Arizona Fall League, there are only four Yankees with more than 20 winter at-bats. One of them is Vazquez. The other three are Jose Gil (an organizational catcher), Luis Nunez (an organizational infielder) and Jose Pirela (a borderline shortstop prospect). Pirela didn’t do much in Double-A this season, but he’s hitting .389/.421/.500 in Venezuela.

• Corban Joseph has a modest four-game hitting streak in the Fall League. He’s been kind of up-and-down in Arizona.

• Ramiro Pena has played in one game in Mexico. He went 1-for-4.

• Reliever Chase Whitley is a fast riser in the Yankees system, and he has nine strikeouts with one walk in his past seven Fall League outings. That’s a total of 9.1 innings in those appearances. Opponents are hitting .178 against him, and that’s usually an offensive league.

• Class-A reliever Dan Burawa is getting knocked around in Arizona. He was charged with five earned runs today and has a 9.00 ERA through 10 appearances. He’s been charged with multiple runs in each of his past three outings.

• Nine of Pat Venditte‘s 12 appearances in Mexico have been scoreless, but he’s twice allowed multiple runs, pushing his ERA to 4.15. More telling is the fact hitters are batting .238 with 11 strikeouts and just one walk against him.

Former Yankees all-star Allie Reynolds is among the 10 candidates for Hall of Fame induction on this year’s Golden Era Ballot.

Candidates were selected by the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee, and they were chosen from eligible players, managers, umpires and executives whose most significant career impact came in the the 1947-72 time period.

The Golden Era electorate — a 16-person group that includes current Yankees advisor Gene Michael — will vote on the ballot during next month’s winter meetings. Short-term Yankees Jim Kaat and Luis Tiant are also candidates.

Here’s the full ballot, with bios from the Hall of Fame.

• Buzzie Bavasi spent 17 seasons as the Dodgers general manager from 1951-67, leading his team to four World Series titles and eight National League pennants. He then served in similar capacities for the Padres (1968-77) and Angels 1978-84).

• Ken Boyer played 15 seasons as a third baseman with the Cardinals, Mets, White Sox and Dodgers, earning seven All-Star Game selections and winning the 1964 National League Most Valuable Player Award en route to leading the Cardinals to a World Series championship.

• Charlie Finley owned the Kansas City/Oakland A’s from 1960 through 1980, building an Athletics team that won five American League West titles, three AL pennants and three World Series titles between 1971 and 1975.

• Gil Hodges was named to eight All-Star Games in an 18-year big league career as a first baseman with the Dodgers and Mets, winning three Gold Glove Awards and leading the Dodgers to seven National League pennants and two World Series titles. As a manager, Hodges led the 1969 Miracle Mets to the World Series title.

• Jim Kaat pitched 25 seasons with the Senators, Twins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Cardinals, winning 283 games over the course of four different decades. Kaat was named to three All-Star Games and helped the Cardinals win the 1982 World Series.

• Minnie Minoso played 17 seasons with the Indians, White Sox, Cardinals and Senators, earning seven All-Star Game selections and three Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder. A native of Cuba, he blazed a trail for Latin American players in the big leagues starting in the 1950s.

• Tony Oliva played 15 seasons for the Twins, winning three batting titles and leading the American League in hits five times. He was named to eight All-Star Games and won the 1964 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

• Allie Reynolds pitched in 13 seasons with the Indians and Yankees, winning 182 games while earning five All-Star Game berths. He pitched in six World Series, leading the Yankees to six Fall Classic titles in seven years while posting a 7-2 record with four saves and a 2.79 ERA in 15 World Series games.

• Ron Santo played 15 seasons at third base for the Cubs and White Sox, earning nine All-Star Game selections and winning five Gold Glove Awards. He hit 342 home runs and drove in 1,331 runs while leading the National League in walks four times.

• Luis Tiant won at least 20 games in four of his 19 big league seasons with the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels, finishing his career with 229 wins and a 3.30 ERA while earning three All-Star Game selections. He won two American League ERA titles and led the league in shutouts three times.

I know Jeff Passan. Met him a few years ago, and he’s lways been a remarkably friendly guy. Easy to talk to, easy to get along with. Seems perfectly reasonable and well adjusted.

Turns out, he’s a little bit insane.

Jeff ranked every free agent on the market. Not the top 50. Not the top 100. He ranked all 182 free agents, with Albert Pujols at the top and Pat Burrell at the very bottom. As a logical follow-up to this morning’s post, here’s where he has all of the Yankees.

43. Bartolo Colon
Between Hideki Matsui and Mark Ellis
Surprised to see him as the first Yankee on the list. His second half will surely scare a lot of teams, but his first half will also give some reason for hope (and reason for a big league contract).

56. Andruw Jones
Between Joe Nathan and Wilson Betemit
Jones isn’t what he used to be, but he’s good at being what he is. Could help a team — including the Yankees — as a power-hitting platoon outfielder.

63. Freddy Garcia
Between Aaron Harang and Kosuke Fukudome
Passan notes that scouts “expect a return from orbit.”  The more people doubt Garcia, the easier it is for the Yankees to keep him on a reasonable one-year deal.

96. Jorge Posada
Between Laynce Nix and Mike MacDougal
Strange to see Posada’s name in the bottom half of this list, but it’s hard to argue with the placement. Hard to know what to expect or what role he could fill.

98. Luis Ayala
Between Mike MacDougal and Aaron Cook
The last man on the Yankees roster out of spring training had a nice season which could land him a big league deal with a team looking for bullpen help.

101. Andrew Brackman
Between Wily Mo Pena and Shawn Camp
Forgot all about him on my list this morning. As Passan writes, team’s will be excited about his potential.

113. Eric Chavez
Between Lyle Overbay and Casey Blake
Of course, this is assuming he wants to play again.

143. Damaso Marte
Between Vicente Padilla and Jose Molina
The fact Marte ranks one spot ahead of Molina says something about the perceived value of left-handed relievers vs. backup catchers.

155. Sergio Mitre
Between Mark Kotsay and Ross Gload
Ahead of Tim Wakefield and Brandon Webb. Behind Jamey Wright and Andrew Brackman. Not much intrigue here. He’s a long man.

Associated Press photo

Last winter, when Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter became free agents, there never any real doubt they’d end up back with the Yankees. This winter, there’s no guarantee that any of the Yankees free agents will be back. Several would be logical fits, but none is a slam dunk for the Yankees to re-sign.

Today is the first day free agents are allowed to negotiate with every team — not just their previous team — meaning it’s suddenly open season for these eight Yankees.

Luis Ayala
Signed as a minor league free agent late last winter, Ayala landed the last spot on the big league roster out of spring training, then stuck with the team all season. He was surprisingly effective, and for a short time — when Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain were hurt — he settled in as a key late-inning reliever. He may have pitched well enough to earn a big league deal, but should the Yankees be the team to give it to him? Most of their bullpen spots are accounted for as it is.

Eric Chavez
From superstar in Oakland to role player in New York, Chavez is still deciding whether he wants to keep playing. Injuries have taken their toll, and if he’s going to play again, it’s almost certainly going to be in a situation similar to this season. The Yankees have a place for a player like Chavez. Whether that player is Chavez himself may depend on whether Chavez decides to play again.

Bartolo Colon
Maybe the biggest surprise of the season, Colon clearly faded in the second half, and that may be cause for enough concern that the Yankees won’t want to bring him back. It would be impossible to count on Colon to be effective through an entire season, but keeping him in a relief role might keep him fresh and effective. Certainly Colon opened some eyes, but what kind of deal would it take to bring him back, and has all of the lightning escaped the bottle?

Freddy Garcia
The Yankees No. 5 starter out of spring training was their No. 3 starter in the playoffs. Garcia is what he is — he doesn’t throw hard and gets by on guts and savvy — but he’s proven he can be effective in this form. The Yankees have a large batch of young starters climbing through the system, and Garcia might be a perfect short-term commitment for back-of-the-rotation depth. He’s not the only fit, but he could be a good fit.

Andruw Jones
After a slow first half, Jones was exactly what the Yankees hoped for in the second half, and they’re once again going to have a spot for a right-handed outfielder who can be a platoon starter in the corners. Jones is in the same boat as Garcia and Chavez: He’s the type of player the Yankees will want for next season, but he’s not the only one who could fill that role.

Damaso Marte
At this point, I’m not sure anyone knows what Marte could provide. He hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since July of 2010, and he’s coming back from shoulder surgery that limited him to just a few minor league innings this year. The Yankees could use another left-handed reliever, and there’s a chance Marte would accept a minor league deal to prove himself in spring training. If not, it’s hard to see him coming back to the Yankees.

Sergio Mitre
The Yankees didn’t have room for Mitre last spring, and they shipped him to Milwaukee for Chris Dickerson.  When he came back to the Yankees mid-season — this year’s version of Chad Gaudin — Mitre lasted all of four outings before he was on the disabled list and lost for the season. Obviously the Yankees like Mitre, but his time might have come and gone with plenty of in-house options to fill a long-relief/spot-starter role.

Jorge Posada
Nothing new to be said. Even before his career-worst season, it was unclear whether the Yankees would have a place for Posada next season. They clearly no longer view Posada as a catcher, and they have need to give DH at-bats to Alex Rodriguez — not to mention Jesus Montero — and if Posada’s no longer a catcher, he’s limited to DH and a few backup appearances in the field. It’s not a comfortable situation for either side, but Posada’s time with the Yankees might have ended.

Yesterday’s Brian Cashman conference call didn’t start with discussion of his contract, or discussion of CC Sabathia’s contract. It started with Cashman discussing his upcoming Solidarity Sleepout with Covenant House. Cashman is on the board of direction for the foundation which works to fight homelessness among young people.

“I’ve had a chance to meet some pretty inspiring kids who are fighting for, obviously, a lot,” Cashman said. “They’re fighting homelessness. They’ve obviously had a curveball thrown their way, in many cases not by their own fault… Nobody is obviously trying to compare one night of sleeping in the streets to what a homeless child goes through, but the effort here is to try to raise up to a half million dollars to benefit the programs as we move forward.”

It sounds like a pretty powerful event with some pretty powerful people in the New York area. Here’s the bulk of a press release with details of the event.

New York – On November 17th at 6 pm, the 21st Anniversary Covenant House Candlelight Vigil in Times Square, sponsored by Aviva USA life and annuity company, will feature the first-ever Covenant House CEO Solidarity Sleepout, with over 40 influential leaders sleeping outside in the shadow of the Covenant House New York Crisis Shelter in solidarity with homeless youth.

“On November 17th and 18th, we are going to transform Times Square and our crisis shelter into centers of hope and solidarity for homeless youth,” says Covenant House President Kevin Ryan. “Natalie Grant will light up Times Square with her inspirational performance. And after the vigil, we will march back to our crisis shelter with 300 of our homeless kids and an incredible group of CEOs and business leaders will sleep in cardboard boxes outside our crisis shelter.”

“These are leaders who have selflessly decided they want to walk in our kids’ shoes, and experience, if only for one night, some of what our kids go through,” said Ryan. “We will sleep out to show our support and to raise awareness that thousands of young people are struggling to survive every night on our streets.”

The vigil will also feature homeless youth from Covenant House, who will share stories of their journey through homelessness to independence. Following the Vigil, Covenant House will host the CEO Solidarity Sleepout on the concrete near the shelter at 460 West 41st St. with high-ranking executives hoping to improve this corner of the world, including Philip Andryc of Berens Capital Management; Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees; Bill Donahoe of Allegiance Retail Services/Foodtown; Gary Dubois of Crum & Forster/Seneca; Dave Eklund of Aeolus Reinsurance; Tom Glocer of Thomson Reuters; Jeff Kaplan of Deerfield Management; Geraldine Laybourne, co-founder of the Oxygen Network and chairman of Alloy Entertainment; Julio Alfonso Portalatin of Chartis Growth Economies; George P. Reeth of Companion Property and Casualty; Adam Silver of the NBA; and Strauss Zelnick of Zelnick Media.

Associated Press photo

Curtis Granderson was just announced as a Silver Slugger winner.

And now Robinson Cano has been announced as the American League’s Silver Slugger at second base.

Both were easy calls.

UPDATE, 7:23 p.m.: The Yankees passed along some of the details about Granderson and Cano’s Silver Slugger wins. It’s the sixth time in the past seven seasons that multiple Yankees have been named Silver Sluggers in the same year.

Granderson
• First career Silver Slugger Award.
• Batted .262 with 136 runs, 26 doubles, 10 triples, 41 home runs, 119 RBI, 85 walks and 25 stolen bases in 156 games, including 150 starts in centerfield. He set career highs in runs scored, homers and RBI.
• Led the Majors with 16 home runs off left-handed pitching, while becoming the first player in Major League history to record at least 40 home runs, 10 triples and 25 stolen bases in a single season.
• One of five Yankees outfielders to win a Silver Slugger, joining Dave Winfield (1981-85), Rickey Henderson (1985), Bernie Williams (2002) and Gary Sheffield (2004-05).

Cano
• Third career Silver Slugger Award. Previously won in 2006 and 2010.
• Batted .302 with 104 runs scored, 46 doubles, seven triples, 28 home runs, a career-high 118 RBI, and 38 walks in 159 games, including 150 starts at second base. His 81 extra-base hits ranked second in the Majors and his RBI total ranked fourth.
• Did not go more than two consecutive games without recording a hit.
• Since the award was first presented in 1980, Cano has won more career Silver Sluggers than all other Yankees second basemen combined. The only other Yankees second basemen to win the award are Willie Randolph in 1980 and Alfonso Soriano in 2002.
• Cano is the first Yankee to win Silver Sluggers in consecutive seasons since shortstop Derek Jeter won three straight awards from 2007-2009.

Associated Press photos

There’s a lot to like about Alex Gordon as a left fielder. He learned the position after flopping as a third base prospect, had a breakout season at the plate, and coupled that offensive production with 20 outfield assists, the most in the American League. He made just three errors.

But that doesn’t mean he was the league’s best defensive left fielder.

Most of the standard defensive statistics are limited at best — misleading at worst — but the fine folks at ESPN Stats and Information make a strong case for Brett Gardner as the league’s best left fielder. From the article:

Where Gardner is statistically strongest is in the area that is probably the toughest to fully understand — turning batted balls into outs. He makes catches that other left fielders don’t make. This is hard to fully evaluate using basic stats because if a fielder just misses a ball, he isn’t charged with an error. The batter is credited with a hit.

The ESPN article goes into the heavy statistical detail, and it’s overwhelming evidence. It’s statistical evidence that supports what those of us who watched Gardner every day already knew to be true: That it’s hard to imagine someone playing a better left field.

For what it’s worth, the Fielding Bible Awards agree that Gardner was not only the best left fielder in the American League, but the best left fielder in baseball.