Chamberlain continuing to rehab, plus some notes and links
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jan 27, 2012 
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Joba Chamberlain’s rehab from Tommy John surgery continues, and today he used his Twitter account to announce that he’s throwing off flat ground with pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
Had an amazing day, threw a flat ground with Larry and felt great! Thanks for all the support!
Still hard to imagine Chamberlain being ready for the start of the season, but all indications are that the rehab process is going smoothly.
Some other notes and links…
• I had a press conference and a beat writers meeting at Yankee Stadium this week, each of which provided an opportunity to see the current state of the field. It’s kind of in between baseball and football right now, with the infield being installed for the upcoming season. That’s my cell phone photo on the right.
• Chamberlain isn’t the only Yankee using social media to talk about his offseason workouts. Russell Martin tweeted a picture of himself in the cage in Arizona. I talked to Yankees strength and conditioning coordinator Dana Cavalea this week, and he said he’s about to make the rounds to check in on a few guys — including Martin — before spring training.
• A released statement from Hiroki Kuroda: “I feel happy to be a part of such a storied franchise, which is always in contention for a World Series. I am also very proud to be a part of this current team, which boasts so many great players. As a member of the Yankees, I would like to do my part by doing the best I can throughout the season. I hope that I can make a difference in achieving the team’s ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series.”
• Speaking of Kuroda, Ken Rosenthal reports that he has a full no-trade clause.
• Although Brian Cashman says the Yankees are focused on the trade market, the New York Post reports that the team has some interest in Raul Ibanez as a potential designated hitter, at least as the left-handed side of a platoon.
• While the Yankees still have a spot for another backup infielder, Ryan Theriot came off the market with a one-year, $1.25-million deal with the Giants. Theriot wouldn’t have been a perfect fit for the Yankees — they don’t really need his up-the-middle defense — but he does help further set the market for backup infielders.
• Speaking of utility infielders, the Rays made their Jeff Keppinger signing official today. To make room on their 40-man roster, the team designated Russ Canzler for assignment. I don’t want to oversell him — he’s almost 26 and was never considered an elite prospect — but Canzler would be an interesting fit for the Yankees. He’s kind of a Brandon Laird type, a four-corners utility guy who, unlike Laird, had a tremendous Triple-A debut last season (his .314/.401/.530 slash line is more incredible given the league he was in). Given the Yankees search for a corner infielder and their need for outfield depth, claiming Canzler might not be the worst idea in the world.
Canzler’s last two years look pretty good. Not a bad thought at all Chad.
Damon should be the floor on what would be an acceptable DH. Getting a young bat with some upside would be even better, especially if he can be the heir apparent to Swisher next year.
With the offensive struggles that the Rays have, why are letting Canzler go? While he doesn’t sound like a starter, if he had any promise with the bat, wouldn’t they be keeping him? Or is it just a case of having others who are better for the bench?
Canzler is a DH who should never touch a glove.
Plus he does K a lot.
looks like oswalt is close to signing with the cards…
another tough day for boston
they simply cannot feel good about their starting pitching now
Oswalt is gonna “Cliff Lee” the Sawx.
Except Lee got 5/$120 and Os is looking at maybe $5-6M. Sorry Sawx
Damon ! ? Another guy who needs a rocking chair.
Canzler showed no platoon split at Triple A last year (.920 OPS vs LHP, .934 vs RHP) and I’d prefer him to the lefty bat retreads. But the Yanks will go for the latter.
If Jones and Canzler were both on the roster, Gardner would have to sit vs LHP and I don’t think Cashman wants that. He wants Gardner to play every day for his $2.8M. At least until he absolutely proves he can’t hit LHP.
“Damon ! ? Another guy who needs a rocking chair.”
He’s younger than Ibanez, who the Yankees reportedly have interest in. He had a 110 OPS+ last season, .280 .345 .463 .807 away from the TRop.
So for a one year deal, why would you care how old he is?
Give Vazquez his shot.
He can’t control the strikezone.
Has anyone else hear that AJ Burnett to the Senators / Nationals ??? The Yanks are squawking about their contribution on his contract…….Just something that was mentioned earlier today…..Maybe nothing to it….
Pat M., where did you hear that?
jacksquat….Can’t pass that on….
Ok, well I can’t find anything at all on the internet. Must be being kept away from the journalists if it’s true.
Nationals already have Strasburg, Gio, Zimmerman, Lannan and The Wanger, so I don’t know why they would want AJ. Except that AJ has area ties.
AJ for Bryce Harper
How funny will it be if the Sox traded Scutero for salary relief…..and then fail to sign any starting pitcher …..boy that would be a rough one for Bowls fans to swallow. It doesn’t make sense for either Oswalt or Jackson to go pitch Fenway for a year…….and I don’t know how we’ll they match up on a Floyd trade……I mean I guess technically they could do it…..but how ugh more ifbtheir farm so they want to trade away?
Bowls=Bosox
Joba to appear Sunday in Albany NY at the annual Cerebral Palsy Telethon.
I would expect hugh crowds to meet/greet him.
Morning folks
Blake,
That salary relief can be used midseason too when players become more available for trades.
“That salary relief can be used midseason too when players become more available for trades.”
True but I still think that’s kinda dumb as tight as the AL east coukd be this year…..April and May games count too……plus Boston can afford to spent the money…..they just wont.
Good Morning.
How goes it ?
It’s a damn fine thing that Pitchers and Catchers report in about a month.
Mighty fine.
plus Boston can afford to spent the money…..they just wont.
————–
Yeah, it’s gotta be disturbing for their fans that ownership is willing to go without a real starting SS to save some money.
IMO there a several teams to be more conerned about this season than the Sux.
For example:
Rays
Halos
Texas
Oops ! And the Tigers.
Those 4 teams represent some stiff competition whereas the Sux are just stiffs.
Oswalt doesn’t want to pitch in Fenway and wants to go to the Cardinals and stay in NL.
Don’t see Edwin Jackson taking a one year deal with them either.
They actually have enough starters with Lester, Beckett, Buchholz, Bard, Aceves, Padilla, and Cook [in the minors[, plus Matsusaka at midseason. Their bullpen is iffy.
The Angels need help in the bullpen as rookie Walden had 10 blown saves and now they have Hawkins to set him up. Could the Angels be tempted to take Soriano for one of their excess bats like Trumbo, Morales?
Achillies heels :
Tigers- Poor infield defense
Halos- Not enough O
Rangers- Young not fully vetted starting staff w/o a proven Ace.
Rays- Not enough O and a questionable pen.
Yankees- An O that is too power-oriented and streaky w. lot’s of risk built in on the health side.
MTU-
You’ll like this article about the Super 6 in the AL by Rosenthal:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/s.....a-bay-rays
Pat M. January 28th, 2012 at 2:32 am
Has anyone else hear that AJ Burnett to the Senators / Nationals ???
———————————
If the Nats had gotten Fielder, it might have made some sense for them to try and unload Adam LaRoche’s contract. Would they still be interested in doing some deal for Burnett ?
YT-
Yes. The subject is interesting but I think the analysis is wanting.
I would not even include Boston. Too many question marks in too many areas.
I don’t think the Rangers Pitching is fully established as of this moment.
The Halos O is not complete. Morales is a definite question mark, for example.
Just a few points of disagreement. There could be others.
I would think the Nats may have some interstate in AJ on a salary dumb type deal…..they coukd use his innings at the back end with all the youngsters and with Strasburg probably on an innings limit.
YT-
LaRoche is strictly a 1b, right ?
We need someone who can play some 3b as well as man the corners.
I do not think LaRoche fits our needs.
Just get Chavez and Damon and call it a day.
or
Chavez and Ibanez.
Blake-
The Yankees have appeared reluctant to eat enough salary.
Has that changed ?
MTU,
Im up this early to catch a plane….why are you up so early?
MTU,
How much salary they are willing to eat may depend on how excited they are to add whatever they’d be dumping it for……if they decide to just sign Ibanez or Damon for a couple million then it may not even be worth trading AJ….
MTU
I believe the Yankees would have enough room on the roster for both a DH and another infielder. LaRoche is a lefty 1B coming back from left rotator cuff surgery last June.
How many ABs will the Yankees primary DH get? Posada had 344 ABs last year?That’s probably the reason Damon will try and sign where he can get the ABs to reach 3000 in two years.
Blake-
I hope you enjoyed SD. The weather is idyllic.
I’m up because it’s a hike day and old people do not usually sleep well. I’m no exception.
Have a safe flight home.
You were less than 300 miles from MTUland.
Shoulda come and visit.
Blake-
Where are you off to?
Jeff Keppinger signed with the Rays for just $1.525 MM with incentives. Against LH pitchers he has .321 career average and .850 on base-plus slugging %.
A high contact hitter, with only 142 SO in 2,287 career plate appearances. A combo of him and Nunez is better than Ramiro Pena’s weak bat.
Correction: about 400 miles.
Duh.
MTU just answered that. Have a safe and quick trip home.
108 stitches:
The only thing with Jeff Keppinger, that might have not made him a match for the Yankees, is that he has played only 2B his last two years.
Per Chad:
The Rays designated Russ Canzler for assignment. I don’t want to oversell him — he’s almost 26 and was never considered an elite prospect — but Canzler would be an interesting fit for the Yankees. He’s kind of a Brandon Laird type, a four-corners utility guy who, unlike Laird, had a tremendous Triple-A debut last season (his .314/.401/.530 slash line is more incredible given the league he was in). Given the Yankees search for a corner infielder and their need for outfield depth, claiming Canzler might not be the worst idea in the world.
A couple of people above said that he can’t field and K’s too much.
I know nada about him.
In Ken Rosenthal’s article: how is the Rangers pitching depth their strength, yet Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz are the X-Factors? What?
Kev-
One of the reasons I found Rosenthal’s analysis wanting.
There were other areas of disagreement as well FWIS.
If the Yankees could trade Burnett for another bad contract, I like Blake’s proposal that it be for lefty Travis Hafner, if the medicals checked out.
The best cheap option, FA lefty DH type would have been Jim Thome, had the Phillies not snatched him up so quickly.
And “On the other hand, left fielder Carl Crawford can’t be any worse once he recovers from left-wrist surgery, and the additions of Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney should prove beneficial.”
Really? Carl Crawford coming back form wrist surgery, and Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney are going to make the team better?
Ken Rosenthal is sipping on some serious coolade.
YT-
If the Yankees are aiming high I hope they wind up with someone like Gordon, Headley, or Butler.
If they set their sights lower I’d settle for Damon and Chavez, or Ibanez and Chavez.
Carl Crawford’s issues in Boston, to me, some largely psychological. He was incredibley lost at the end of the season, even his defense was miserable.
MTU,
It was gorgeous weather…..I loved it. I need to come out sometime.
Trader.,
Back home to the land of winter
Kev-
He’s on the Elf juice Pedroia gave him.
He’s been tyin’ his bow tie too tight lately.
MTU January 28th, 2012 at 8:20 am
YT-
If the Yankees are aiming high I hope they wind up with someone like Gordon, Headley, or Butler.
If they set their sights lower I’d settle for Damon and Chavez, or Ibanez and Chavez.
————-
Yeah, agreed. I imagine they settle, beccause Hughes’ trade value isn’t high enough to land those other guys.
Yankee Trader January 28th, 2012 at 8:07 am
108 stitches:
The only thing with Jeff Keppinger, that might have not made him a match for the Yankees, is that he has played only 2B his last two years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, sign Russ Canzler to a minor league deal with an invite to ST. I still can’t see Ramiro Pena as a fit on this Yankee team. He’s had chances but continues to show he can’t hit.
MTU January 28th, 2012 at 8:22 am
Kev-
He’s on the Elf juice Pedroia gave him.
He’s been tyin’ his bow tie too tight lately.
———-
Blake-
When I lived there I used to make it a point to call home right after New Year’s just to rub it in.
I often called from poolside.
Actually I liked Rosenthal’s article about the teams most likely to be playing for a playoff spot.
The Tigers do have to be worried about their infield defense, especially the range on the left side, and they lack a lefty starter.
The Angels should be concerned about their bullpen, and how they’ll find enough playing time for Morales, Abreu and Trumbo to make them happy.
The Rays have the best starting pitching depth and two very tough lefties in the rotation. Their offense by BA was next to last with .244 average but they scored 707 runs, more than the Angels and White Sox. Now they have Jennings a full season plus Pena and Scott.
YT-
It seems to make sense for the Halos to trade Morales if he would get them something worthwhile.
If not consider moving Trumbo and keeping Morales as Pujols backup.
Too many 1B spoil the stew.
Ross and Sweeney are replacing Reddick and Drew.
Crawford’s injury could be a very big concern going forward.
If Buchholz can pitch a ful season their starting pitching can be tough. The bullpen is a big question mark.
Unless they find a replacement for the solid SS, Scutaro, who killed the Yankees, they are weaker there. Still have enough offense to tee off on teams that have subpar pitching.
YT-
There are even more questions.
Will Youkilis hold up playing 3rd FT again ?
Is Salty an acceptable everyday Catcher ?
etc.
And most of all, will Bobby V be fast enough to keep his team supplied with enough KFC and beer to keep them happy ?
MTU,
Yup….pretty much perfect. Now that Kuroda has signed maybe Cash will make his move soon…..we shall see.
Im really surprised that Boston apparently dealt Scutero without having a pitcher in the bag……
Personally, I would like Damon to return if the Yankees just wanted a DH to play against righties and lefties. The reasons Damon might not come to the Yankees are:
He has 2723 hits. Posada at DH had 344 ABs. If Damon signed here, it might take him 3 years to reach 3000. He made 5.5M last year. He already has multiple WS rings. He just needs enough ABs to achieve his remaining goal.
Blake-
Safe flight.
The Red Sox have made some strange moves this year
Rather than trade Hughes for a bat, is there any chance Soriano and $$$ could be dealt for a bat? I know his contract next year is for 14M. The Angels could use him.
Kev-
The Sux are back to being themselves.
YT-
I think the Yanks see Soriano as Mo insurance.
Trumbo and Alberto Callaspo for Nunez, Soriano and $$$.
Trumbo takes over as DH. Callaspo 3B, SS, 2B backup.Switch hitter with good average from both sides plate.
Nunez becomes their everyday 3B’man, and Soriano closes with Walden and Downs to set-up.
deal or no deal?
YT-
By the way, I have a friendly piece of advice for ya’.
The next time YOU attend a conference you should just meet Blake out there in SD.
I think the Yanks see Soriano as Mo insurance.
———————————
I hope not! Hoping a return soon of Joba to vie for the closer job and be that insurance.
Reality questions re: Boston Socks
- How do they expect Buchholz to double his innings count as a No. 3 starter coming off back surgery ?
- Can either Bard or Aceves be stretched out as starters after only pitching in relief ?
- A platoon of weak hitters in RF ?
- Will Crawford return from recent wrist surgery and fulfill his overpaid contract ?
- The farm system is depleted. What do they do in case of injuries ? Cross their fingers ?
- The starting pitching suggests an overworked bullpen. Where’s the depth ?
- Valentine is no genius. Why wasn’t he tapped as a big league manager in 10 years ? Trey Hillman was given a job after being in Japan during that time.
- Continuance of bad karma after the September meltdown ?
YT-
No deal. The Yankees and Halos are adversaries and not trading partners.
Next you’ll be telling me we should do bidness with the Sux.
MTU-
It would be easier for Blake and I to hop in a car and meet. I live in Atlanta.
MTU,
Going through Ohare so that’s always fun in January
MTU-
I’d trade with any team that would make the Yankees better.
New post——>
YT-
The thought of Joba with even less command is downright scary.
Especially to opposing hitters.
I’m afraid that’s the way they see Soriano. A Mo backup.
The only way the Angels do that deal is if they are concerned about Walden as a closer with pressure on. He did have a 2.98 ERA which is quite high for a closer.
Canzler is no better than Laird and was positively awful at 3B. He’s also a RH hitter and the Yanks should focus on a LH bat.
I expect that to happen during spring training as other teams see how good the Yanks pitching depth and prospects look. Worst-case scenario the bench is probably made up on Andruw Jones, Chris Dickerson, Francisco Cervelli, Eduardo Nunez and one player to be named later.
Blake-
I always hated O’Hare. My least favorite airport especially in Winter.
YT-
You need to get out West.
Change of pace.