Pinch hitting: Daniel Czlapinski
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 11, 2012 
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Up next in our Pinch Hitters series is Daniel Czlapinski, a 27-year-old from Bristol, CT, where he lives with his girlfriend “and muse” Angie while working in the insurance industry. “I am a musician and actor first and foremost,” he wrote, “but the Yankees and baseball in general is my other passion.” If you’d like, follow him on Twitter: @cubenbee.
For his guest post, Daniel took out his crystal ball and looked into the future to compare two potential free agents, making a surprising choice of which one he’d prefer to see in pinstripes.
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Let me start off by saying that I’m not going to mention anything about the Yankees recent transactions. I’m also not going to mention anything about the Giants or the Patriots and that extremely important football game. No, I’m not going to talk about that stuff, because I’m a man of the future. I am a man who is always thinking two steps ahead, always planning, always scheming.
Well, OK, maybe I’m not any of that stuff. But I am going to talk about the future for a little bit, as a kind of respite to the buzzing of twitter trends and whatever the hottest hot-off-the-press story of the day happens to be.
What I would like to present is a comparison of two pitchers. Not just any two pitchers, though. These two pitchers are none other than Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke. Yes, the very same Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke who should be headlining next year’s harvest of free agent pitchers. Should be, I say, because who knows when one of these guys might sign an extension with their current team? Not me, that’s for sure. Maybe Jon Heyman knows, but not me. Anyway, the angle I’m taking here is which guy should the Yanks go after if both of them hit the market next year?
Oh and for the sake of brevity, we’re going to pretend that Matt Cain, Anibal Sanchez and Francisco Liriano don’t exist.
When I first started to prepare for this piece, I decided to ask around and see what other people thought. Nothing formal, just wanted to get some opinions. As I expected, pretty much everyone’s reaction was “HAMELS ALL DAY!!!” and I’ve got to say, I completely agreed with that sentiment. I mean, Hamels has the postseason numbers. He was a World Series MVP, He’s performed in a major media market (whatever that means). It’s almost too perfect. I can already see the headline in late December 2012 — YANKS GET COLE IN THEIR STOCKINGS. Add to that the fact that Greinke has supposedly had issues with anxiety, so that instantly makes Hamels the odds-on favorite to don the pinstripes next year. Right?
Not so fast.
First lets tackle the issue of Greinke’s “anxiety.” People seem to go there right away and say that it would be a big issue in New York, but it probably won’t. Think about it. He’s an All-Star caliber pitcher who was drafted sixth overall in the 2002 draft. Have you ever been drafted in the first round of the MLB draft? Have you ever pitched in the MLB All-star game? Didn’t think so. He’s also won a Cy Young award. So if he can deal with the stress that comes with all of that, I’m pretty sure he can handle answering a few extra questions from reporters in the clubhouse after games and out on the street in between games because, really, that’s the only thing that’s different about playing in New York. So excuse me if I scoff when you say that his previous issues with anxiety, which have had no discernable effect on his performance thus far, would somehow cause Greinke to fail in New York.
Now that we have all the psychoanalysis out of the way, let’s get to some actual, statistical comparison. Greinke looks pretty good there too. I compared some statistics taken from the past five seasons. I did this somewhat arbitrarily, it just seems like the most recent performance is what we really want to compare here. Hamels has started 17 more games than Greinke over that span, so advantage Hamels there. That’s about 3.5 starts per season more than Greinke. Over these past five years though, Greinke has had a higher K/9, lower HR/9, and a lower FIP. Add all that together, and Greinke has been worth 25.9 fWAR to Hamels’ 20.4 fWAR over the past five years.
Oh, and don’t bother looking a B-ref’s version of WAR because that doesn’t help my argument… I mean… Ok, ok, fine. Greinke’s bWAR 2007-2011 = 19.9, Hamels = 20.6 so hooray for Cole, looking good there, except that Hamels needed 83.2 more IP to get to that number. Hamels does have the lower ERA over that duration, but everyone knows all the cool kids are completely disregarding ERA these days. If you’re not a stats person, then just know that ERA doesn’t compensate for the fact that pitchers have very little control over what happens once the ball is put in play. So stats like FIP and xFIP attempt to take defense out of the equation, accounting only for what the pitcher has control over – strikeouts, walks, hit-by-pitches, and homeruns. It’s pretty widely accepted these days that this is a better way to measure a pitcher’s performance than ERA. And FIP says that Mr. Greinke has been the better pitcher over the last five years.
In closing, I want to say that no matter which way the dice roll, I will support Brian Cashman’s wisdom. Hamels is a hell of a pitcher and I would be glad to have him in the rotation. The truth is that when the time comes, one or both of these two may already have themselves a long-term contract with a team not named the Yankees. I just think that in all likelihood, Greinke will be cheaper, and will probably be available. And if I’ve read the tea leaves right, then maybe he’ll actually be a better pitcher than Hamels. Or maybe the Yankees should just be happy with Michael Pineda?
Naaahhhhh.
Associated Press photos
If the Pirates want to give him to me, I’d absolutely take back Tabata and his natural stroke.
Forget ‘em both.
We have Banuelos.
P.S. I want a 2nd lefty. Forget Greinke.
Top 10 Baseball Mangers Gone Wild Moments:
http://www.sportsmemorabilia.com/blog/?p=21
Bobby Cox sings “Take me Outta the Ballgame.”
Gotta go for a haircut. Looking Joba-like shaggy.
Until later, when I’ll check back to see the Yankee news and thoughts on the Burnett likely trade!
I think Greinke would be fine in NY….I don’t buy the anxiety stuff either…..and he may have more upside than Hamels….but still give me Hamels every time because of the consistency, the playoff experience, the big market experience…..and the left handedness.
My guess judging from the trade they just made though is that the Yanks are hoping they need neither next winter.
YT-
Clean up your act dude.
Have a good day.
Hopefully things will go right.
Time for me to hit the trail too.
Later.
Greinke is much more likely to be available though I think….even if Hamels hits the market the Dodgers and everyone will be all over him.
The Yankees themselves have had public doubts that Greinke would be right for NY.
Anyway I’m not sure either Greinke or Hamels fit in the Yankees budget if they in fact intend to be under $189 mil in 2014.
Neither
If Hamels is available, then NY needs to pull out all the stops to sign him. My sense though is he winds up with the LAD to front that staff for the next 5-7 years. I believe he is a California guy and once LA gets their new owner you got to assume they will be all in to restore LA as an elite franchise.
In so many words, didn’t Cashman also say 4 or 5 years ago that NY would embark on a pitching development program that would alleviate the need for NY to constantly go to the FA market to re-load on pitching? And didn’t he just trade their best hitting prospect in years for two pitchers? So at what point does Cashman become accountable for pitching development?
No to Grienke. Over-rated. Did anyone watch this guy in the playoffs this past year? Aside from his CY year, when has he even demonstrated consistent #2 performance?
Hamels wouldn’t front the staff if Kershaw is on it – JMO.
And as long as Hamels stays in the NL it’s cool with me.
yankee21,
The Yankees are set to have one of the better pitching staffs in the league for the next 5 years. Cashman and the Yanks scouts have turned one of the worst farm systems in baseball into one of the best.
Anything could happen… but theyre moving in the right direction.
Could be Grienke’s willingness to discuss an extension without an agent indicates he’s not as interested in hitting the market…
The Yankees and everyone else will be in on Hamels, who I think is most likely to hit FA. Question is whether the price is right. Not sure the Yanks want another $20+ M player with Cano extension decision looming.
BD, from a pitching standpoint they are positively moving in the right direction in terms of drafting prospects but IMO not in terms of development.
At what point does Cashman become accountable to ownership regarding developing pitchers to negate the need to constantly go to the FA market to re-load?
“a few extra questions from reporters in the clubhouse after games and out on the street in between games…”
Spoken like someone who’s never seen the 30 extra reporters in a NYY clubhouse after the game. This isn’t your normal small town media presence you know.
But I am going to talk about the future for a little bit, as a kind of respite to the buzzing of twitter trends and whatever the hottest hot-off-the-press story of the day happens to be.
——-
So, this post is not about Jeremy Lin?
If they need either of these guys than the Montero trade gets worse.
“At what point does Cashman become accountable to ownership regarding developing pitchers to negate the need to constantly go to the FA market to re-load?”
Wonder how the Yankees measure up as far as % of 25 man roster pitchers that are “homegrown” compared to the rest of the league?
I’m off for a hike.
When I come back I expect AJ Burnett to be a Pirate.
Have a good day people.
I think we have to see what this next wave of pitching prospects does before we can judge the Yanks development of pitchers…..they are on the right track now I think so let’s see what happens……they are super deep in pitching prospects now…..chances are a couple pan out you’d think.
Have fun MTU….not exactly hiking weather around here
Thanks blake.
You can fill me in when I get back.
About 300 days of sunny weather a yr. out this way.
Blue sky so blue it will break your heart.
Later amigo.
Don’t the Brewers ban media from talking to Greinke in the clubhouse?
While I don’t say with any certainty that his anxiety could cause him problems in NYC, I do think that if he is shielded by the media in Milwaukee that is not going to play well in NY. The beat writers will turn on him like they did Mussina and Mussina would at least acknowledge their existence. Sometimes.
After trading Montero, I hope the Yankees solved their rotation issues going forward and they don’t run out and dump 140 million on either of these guys.
I’d rather they have the money available to fix the lineup because that looks more problematic going forward than the pitching.
If Pineda busts this year though, the Yankees will dump a bag of cash on one of these guys to cover up the stink from that trade not working as planned for them.
I hope Pineda comes in and pitches well for his sake and the Yankees. Larry Robinson saying they aren’t going to automatically slot him #2 in the rotation was a good thing. Let him feast on 3 & 4 starters while he breaks in and let Nova and Kuroda do the heavy lifting with CC out of the gate.
Their pitching is fine. I am more concerned about offense going forward.
Sounds like the Pirates are willing to eat 10 million and the Yanks want them to take 16.5….maybe they meet in the middle and settle at 12 or 13
===================================
I think going to $10M was the Pirates compromise.
pat February 11th, 2012 at 10:09 am
“At what point does Cashman become accountable to ownership regarding developing pitchers to negate the need to constantly go to the FA market to re-load?”
Wonder how the Yankees measure up as far as % of 25 man roster pitchers that are “homegrown” compared to the rest of the league?
———————————————————————————
I would say that by signing him to a new contract shows how they feel about his job performance.
As far as the % goes wouldn’t you have to also consider where in the draft they choose?
“I think going to $10M was the Pirates compromise.”
Could be…..I still think AJ and 2/12 would be a pretty good deal for the Pirates….if the yanks just want to dump as much salary as possible then maybe they should include an expendable prospect to try and get the pirates to take on more…..
If Pineda pitches like a #2, I still find it hard to imagine the Yankees passing up Cole Hamels. As a second lefty (third if you count Banuelos), the Yankees have the arms to neutralize Boston’s lefty heavy lineup for the next 5 years and they would feature the kind of frontline pitching capable of winning 5 of the next 5 world series. it’s a long shot because of the 2014 issue and it’s an impossibility if they lock up Swisher in RF.
..I still think AJ and 2/12 would be a pretty good deal for the Pirates
===========================
Tribe is paying $5M for Lowe. Fish paying $3M for Zambrano. 2/$10M is the appropriate neighborhood.
“Tribe is paying $5M for Lowe. Fish paying $3M for Zambrano. 2/$10M is the appropriate neighborhood.”
Aj is better an younger than Lowe and less crazy than Zambrano……probably a lot better chance that AJ goes to Pittsburgh and has success than Lowe going back to the AL and habit success IMO.
Zambrano doesn’t count because the market fir him was essentially one team
Two free agents dying to be Yankees next year will be BJ Upton who wears #2 in honor of Derek Jeter and Melky Cabrera.
Upton, Granderson, Cabrera would be the best OF in baseball.
AJ @ 2/12 is or should be reasonable, but if the Pirates are willing to walk at that price (who knows?), it doesn’t matter.
West Coast Yankee Fan = DJS = Ghost of West Coast Yankee Fan = Ruby Wenesday = buh buy now! (and probably = many other sock puppets currently operating here)
Sad that posters who are kicked off the forum – and you really have to go some to get kicked off this forum – have such overbloated egos that they feel the need to continue to “reinvent” themselves and keep reappearing here! And they are apparently stupid enough or lack self control to the degree that they need to keep up the ugly acting out that got them dumped in the first place!
*********
LGY – What’s amazing about Lin is that nothing about him appears amazing! He has Mariano Rivera hands and moves.
Aj is better an younger than Lowe
=========================
No he’s not. He has more talent. He’s not better though. Burnett has more talent than 70% of pitchers out there, but he’s not better than 30% of ‘em.
“No he’s not. He has more talent. He’s not better though. Burnett has more talent than 70% of pitchers out there, but he’s not better than 30% of ‘em.”
At this point in their careers…..AJ is both younger and better IMO….similar numbers ….AJ did it in a much tougher league and has a lot more left in the tank….Lowe is jus about done.
Lin does have or seems to have amazing court vision and basketball IQ. The Knicks Blog guy has a very interesting post about how the dominance of the AAU has caused hs kids with his skillet at PG to be overlooked by major college programs.
Only advantage for Lowe is its 1 year ……but id bet the pirates get more value from 2 years of AJ than the tribe gets from 1 of Lowe
IMO, everything the Yankees need is securely located in the Yankee vaults.
And why people think the Phils are going to let go of Hamels – or that he will want to go away – is beyond me. Not everybody wants to play for the Yankees. Geesh!
I admire Greinke. I’m a total realist here. The Bronx is not the place for Zack Greinke. I would never want to throw someone like him into the lion’s den, and I would hope he knows himselff well enough where he wouldn’t want to subject himself to that kind of pressure.
The Bronx is like nowhere else. Seriously. Ask Ricky Ledee, Jeff Weaver, Ted Lilly, and Raul Mondesi, amongst others. Not comparing talent level, just personal makeup.
And why people think the Phils are going to let go of Hamels – or that he will want to go away – is beyond me. Not everybody wants to play for the Yankees. Geesh!
=======================================
Only because they may be getting close to the point where they are going to need to sign some bats, which would be more difficult with $65M-$70M going to 3 starting pitchers. Many seem to believe he has an affinity for the left coast as well.
Oh yeah, and add Javy Vazquez to that mix.
Before 2014 you can subtract Burnett’s salary, Rivera’s, R. Soriano’s, Swisher’s.
There is plenty of room to sign either
a) Cole Hamels
b) BJ Upton + Melky Cabrera
It will be interesting to see how it shakes out. The Yankees should be open to either path.
dogface – okay.
Lilly was good here; Weaver was never good anywhere for long (2 pitches aren’t enough); Mondesi was done; Ledee was ok here at times. NY had nothing to do with any of it.
Only advantage for Lowe is its 1 year ……but id bet the pirates get more value from 2 years of AJ than the tribe gets from 1 of Lowe
===========================
Could be right. Of course the real value is in not having to pay either guy in the 2nd year.
Almost every FA the Yankees gave signed struggled early on as they adjusted to playing here. In 2004 in April, Vazquez was great. Vazquez struggled later on because he was hurt. If your FB velo drops by a lot, you probably won’t pitch well anywhere.
“Could be right. Of course the real value is in not having to pay either guy in the 2nd year.”
Aj coukd be pittsburgs best pitcher next year…..certainly the most likely to throw 200 innings.
Rich – respectfully disagree. Lilly ended up with the 5th inning yips. Weaver fell apart here, Mondesi ended up taking steroids to try to keep up with the Bronx mystique, and Ledee certainly was okay but started having difficulties in the field was quickly traded away.
If you don’t agree that the pressure in the Bronx is inordinate and that not all players are psychologically built for it, I will think you are definitely a robot posing as a human and then there is no need to continue the discussion because I deal better discussing things with entities who understand that there is such a thing as the human condition and that baseball players are not exempt from owning it.
Uh, Greinke wouldn’t be the first person who couldn’t handle the NY media attention. That’s not to say he’d definitely succumb to the pressure, but I think it’s more likely than not that he would.
I’m hoping the Yankees stick to their guns and don’t just give away AJ. I think if we’re given a good proposal, close to half the contract or so, they’d have to get it done. But we don’t need to dump him. He can clearly still be a productive pitcher. Having the depth, if we could manage it, would still be a positive.
Vaqzquez was great with Atlanta, struggled in the Bronx, and had a very good year right after that with the Marlins. Velo? Not thinking so.
RadioKev – agree.
And you know I still believe in AJ so would be glad if he still got the chance here – though I don’t know if it’s going to happen at this point.
**********
Later y’all.
Trisha
They used to say that about Nova. It passed. Lilly wasn’t here long enough for that to happen. It is purely a development issue.
Weaver fell apart almost everywhere. Hitters adjust to 2 pitch pitchers.
Mondesi was done by the time he got here.
I think the pressure of playing here is overrated, especially while the team has been so good for 16 years.
They said Clemens couldn’t handle the pressure here, but he also adjusted.
” But we don’t need to dump him. He can clearly still be a productive pitcher. ”
Yea…but the problem is that these rumors have become pretty public now and its obvious the Yanks have been trying to trade him all winter….usually when there is this much smoke about a trading a player it usually happens (ubaldo….all the guys traded this winter).
Also…..if the Yanks are really sticking to this “we only have 2 million to spend” nonsense….then they really might have to trade him to fill the team out the way they want to.
Before 2014 you can subtract Burnett’s salary, Rivera’s, R. Soriano’s, Swisher’s.
There is plenty of room to sign either…..
=================================
Not that simple, Brett. Look at it this way.
Rodriguez ($27.5M), Sabathia ($24.4M), Teixeira ($22.5M) and Jeter $14M) add up to $88.4M against the $189M. Let’s say they give Cano his much deserved bug deal. Let’s call it $22M. That’s $110.4M going to 5 guys. That’s less than $79M for the other balance of the 40 man and benefits. Not a lot of room for more big contracts.
Look at Vazquez’s career. He has never had two good seasons in a row since 2003, the year he led MLB starters in Abuse Points.
*big deal for Cano, not bug deal.
Javy Vasquez fastball velocities
2010: 88.7
2011: 90.4
Firmly believe he was hurt in 2010 in some way….
Greinke K’d hitters nearly 4x as much as he BB’d them in 2011. He would do well in the AL or the NL in any market with that kind of control and stuff.
Yeah, Tex needs to hit RHP at a high level again or that contract really will be an albatross.
It would take some sort of miracle makeup flaw to counteract a 4.5 SO/BB ratio.
Have a good day people.
Love Melky, but he’s not the answer.
Now however unlikely, if you had an outfield of Gardner, Granderson, and Justin Upton….
Yea…but the problem is that these rumors have become pretty public now and its obvious the Yanks have been trying to trade him all winter….usually when there is this much smoke about a trading a player it usually happens (ubaldo….all the guys traded this winter).
Also…..if the Yanks are really sticking to this “we only have 2 million to spend” nonsense….then they really might have to trade him to fill the team out the way they want to.
————–
Yeah, but at the same time…what’s an extra $10 million buying us with this market? No one commands anything close to that.
I don’t think the Yankees feel pressured to deal AJ, is all.
I think the main reason why you trade AJ is to clear a roster spot for a better pitcher. Having the extra $$ helps not only fill out the roster in 2012 but also gives them a little more wiggle room to spend after this season is over. Next year’s free agent group is pretty decent.
“Yeah, but at the same time…what’s an extra $10 million buying us with this market? No one commands anything close to that”
Probably Damon and Chavez….or it coukd give then room to add at the deadline or take a chance on Cespedes, Soler, etc…..look I’ve said that if the Yanks cant save a lot of money or get something decent in return for AJ then they should just keep him for depth…..but they don’t appear to be willing to sign the players they need without clearing some money and my guess is that they probably don’t want the AJ situation being a distraction in ST now if he’s not dealt.
Speaking of Javy…..I think Law ranked Viscaino higher than Teheran in his rankings this year….stating that he thinks he should start and he’s not taking into account that the braves have him as a reliever in his rankings….
The Happiest Place on Earth ! !
Not really interested in BJ Upton in the Yanks outfield. His brother, on the other hand, would be a welcome fit.
I’ll say it again.
Until the players the Yankees theoretically “need” sign with other teams at figures the Yankees are theoretically unwilling to pay, this is all conjecture.
If Damon has $5m somewhere I have no doubt he’d call the Yankees and say “hey, do you want to beat it by a buck.”
But that hasn’t happened. He hasn’t signed anywhere, and neither has Matsui or Ibanez.
I still don’t get the desire to spend money that maybe doesn’t need to be spent.
blake -
That was some game Duke vs. UNC.
Word outta Pitt is that they have agreed to eat $10Mill of AJ’s remaing $33 Mill. Pitt prefers paying some extra $$$, instead of including Jones in the deal. I would do that deal before the ink dried. Now, who’s gonna be the Yankee DH in 2012????
stuckey -
Any team, and I mean any team, that gives Damon $5M is crazy, and the Yankees FO is not crazy, yet.
“That was some game Duke vs. UNC.”
Horrible….payback is a ….you know though….
blake -
It’s more fun being the underdog. I see the possibility of UNC, Duke and Kentucky in the final 8.
Horrible….payback is a ….you know though….
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Catch me if you can ……………….
Unc could win the whole thing….but they ain’t getting past the 2nd round if they don’t get tougher mentally.
It has been reported by ESPN that randy l. has been spotted picking out a head stone for Brian Cashman, more to follow.
blake -
My dream team, combine the UNC / Duke teams, and Coach K in charge.
I would pay Damon the $5Mill and get ready for ST. The Chavez situation is Not of any serious concern. Utility If’ers are cut at the tailend of Every ST. The Yanks can take a look at what’s available then, and make their choice. Chavez contributed little last season, making his possible loss of no great consequence.
BIG AL February 11th, 2012 at 11:52 am
stuckey -
Any team, and I mean any team, that gives Damon $5M is crazy, and the Yankees FO is not crazy, yet.
—
He had a 110 OPS+ last year. The trop hurt his numbers. He is worth 4-5 mil.
DONNYBROOK February 11th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Word outta Pitt is that they have agreed to eat $10Mill of AJ’s remaing $33 Mill. Pitt prefers paying some extra $$$, instead of including Jones in the deal. I would do that deal before the ink dried. Now, who’s gonna be the Yankee DH in 2012????
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep in mind that the Yankees have a lot of flexibility with the DH slot in the lineup. Any and all of Alex, Jeter, Teixeira, Swisher, Granderson and Cano can be used as DH’s when Girardi gives them a 1/2 day off.
A somewhat regular DH can come from Damon or Ibanez if the $$$ is right and pending a Burnett to Pittsburgh deal.
Donnybrook -
I agree about Chavez, but not on Damon. Damon is not worth that much money, and if he holds out for that kind of a pay day, he may find himself on the outside looking in, JMO.
I believe Cashman is looking to add a bat through a trade, and not by signing an FA.
As to Damon, if I were willing to sign him, it would be at $2.5M, + incentives. If he wanted more I’d wish him well when he signed elsewhere.
Later folks.
“About a week until pitchers and catchers report”
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Mine report …. TODAY!
Not only that but, there is baseball on TV right now! They are showing a replay of Game 2 of the Australian Baseball League Championship Series on MLBN right now.
I don’t think there are any Yanks org players in ABL but, nice showing by Mariners farmhand, James McOwen, for Perth yesterday…
http://tinyurl.com/7egdbfw
Damon just has that Luster that goes with being a clutch\class player\ individual. I like the incentive laden deal for him. You get a team fulla guys with the character of Damon, and your gonna go deep into Oct. Same goes for Matsui. Even though their production is gonna drop due to age, their Character will compensate in areas not revealed onna spread sheet.
KenRosenthal
Sources: #Pirates 1 of 4 teams on Burnett; 1 team, tho, is on his no-trade list. #Yankees view Pirates as partner making “most sense.”
Burnett is as good as gone.
There is no going back at this stage.
Oh, and right on cue…
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-yo.....s-has-legs
“The source also said freeing up money from the dumping of A.J.’s contract would have no bearing on whom the Yankees sign as a DH, or even if they will, whether it is Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui. “Whoever it is is going to have to play for $1 million to $2 million,” the source said. “(The Yankees) are already over budget, so it doesn’t matter how much they save on Burnett. One thing has nothing to do with the other.” “
stuckey -
I rest my case.
Would be interesting to know what the so called “budget” figure is. Just how much are the Yanks over that figure already? The Yankees gotta be able to expand that figure come July 31, in order to keep up with the Jones’s\Texas, Det. etc. I’m still banking on Ichiro at that point in time. Of course, that bank also included The Freak a while back.
That is Wallace Matthews you’re quoting. By the way, money not spent this offseason doesn’t mean it won’t be spent midseason via the trade route.
My head is saying trading AJ makes sense but my gut is saying trading him is gonna be a mistake.
I’m on the empty bandwagon but I want AJ to stay.
Despite Hughes and Garcia, the Yankees have too many young pitchers at SWB for it to be a mistake trading AJ.
pat -
AJ is like the tale of 2 ball players. On one hand he looks good, then falls apart, and you lose all faith in him. Then comes a big game in the PS, and he looks close to being an ace. As a person I think AJ is great, as a pitcher, not so much.
Crawdaddy -
You are correct. We already have 2 or 3 guys that could step up and be as good, or more likely better than AJ, without the drama.
DONNYBROOK February 11th, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Would be interesting to know what the so called “budget” figure is. Just how much are the Yanks over that figure already? The Yankees gotta be able to expand that figure come July 31, in order to keep up with the Jones’s\Texas, Det. etc. I’m still banking on Ichiro at that point in time.
___________________________
You keep posting about trading for Ichiro at the deadline. You do realise he has 10/5 rights and therefore a full NTC, right?
Also with his season last year I am not certain why Cashman would want him.
BIG AL February 11th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
stuckey -
I rest my case.
—
Your case was that Damon isn’t worth 5 mil, not that the Yankees were only spending 1-2.
If Damon signs for 1-2 mil I’d he would have to have zero other options, and I’d imagine there would be other teams interested at that price.
Ichiro, no thank you! He is on the down side of his career, and picking up speed on the wrong side of the hill.
aj, as the saying goes, is what he is – a very inconsistent and frustrating major league pitcher. he’s been that at every stop in his big league career. why, now that he’s older and has less pop on his fastball, would anyone think he’s going to be any different?
if pittsburgh, or anyone else, wants him to “stabilize” their rotation and staff – good luck to ya. the yankees should take the deal and run, imo. free up that roster spot.
jacksquat -
Those that judge talent, and offer contracts seem to agree with me, Damon is not worth $5M, or anything close. If teams thought he was worth the money, he would already be signed. At DH position, it’s a buyers market, and the Yankees have no glaring need to be pushed to over pay for Damon, or any other DH.
These trade talks with the Pirates have been so public I fully anticipate AJ to end up somewhere else.
The Yankees rarely do business this open.
no to ichiro, for the reasons big all gave.
Damon may get forced into taking a low contract due to an overabundance of dh types, but based on his performance last year, he is probably worth 4-5 mil (he made over 5.25 last year). He is definitely better than Ibanez, and probably Matsui (Damon can still run). It will be pretty disappointing if the Yankees with all their money cheap out on a player that may get 400 at bats, over a few million.
Big AL
It’s not that I even think AJ is going to change. I just have sellers remorse if all they are getting for him is a couple of million in salary relief.
G. Love February 11th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
These trade talks with the Pirates have been so public I fully anticipate AJ to end up somewhere else.
The Yankees rarely do business this open.
—
Not only that, but they’ve been publicly shopping him since the GM meetings. This dance should end soon.
If thre really are 4 teams in the mix the Yankee should be able to get fair market value. That could be 10 -15 M$ of salary relief or it could be a combination of salary relief and a player. Wherever AJ ends up I hope he finds sucess. Except of course when he faces the Yankees.
Joe from Long Island February 11th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
no to ichiro, for the reasons big all gave.
————————————————–
Be carefull you don’t post anything dripping with sarcasm.
:
Wonder why the other 3 teams interested in Burnett are not being leaked. The Pirates are the only team we’re hearing about.
Is it maybe because the Pirates are furthest along in negotiations and most serious of the bunch?
MaineYankee –
Got to go grocery shopping now, but that one put a smile on my face.
Later.
Or more likely, the media leaks are coming from Pittsburg.
Hi everyone,
On the main story of this post, i’ll have to say that i rather have Hamels, even though i would think that Greinke might be as good, because he is a lefty.
On AJ, i think he should be traded, at this point in time the Yankees have plenty of arms that could do what we are getting from him, without the drama and the damage to my stomach every time he takes the mound, but i wish him well because i think he is a good person and always tried his best regardless of the results. I would take Pittsburg’s offer in a heartbeat.
On Ichiro, no, he is declining fast.
Damon, yes but at the two million range suggested.
Bret- or cash is trying to move Pitt along
No doubt, the other three teams interested came from the Yankees to push Pittsburg.
Joe,
That’s what it sounds like. If Cash had anything substantial with even one of the other 3 teams then he would be at liberty to leak the team. Those 3 other teams are most likely a very weak threat to the Pirates. Otherwise, we’d be hearing names.
I’m guessing the Pirates and Yankees will settle on Burnett with the Pirates taking on 12 million tops.
I’ll start saying this now…the next player I want to see the Yankees acquire is either Asdrubal Cabrerra or Bryce Harper. Not interested in anyone else.
Once a team signs Oswalt and another starting pitcher drops off the market, it will move along negotiations centered on Burnett. The Yankees gain slight leverage with one less option out there for pitching starved teams, many of which are probably holding out hope for Oswalt.
For example, I would think the Cards would be interested in Burnett if they miss out on Oswalt.
Bojo,
I like the way you think
I’m ok with Eduardo Nunez and Bryce Harper is a long ways away. The team will need plenty of help filling other needs before Harper is a twinkle in the Yankees eye.
Bret
Many times the moves the Yankees make come out of the blue.
The Pirate talk could be out there to spur on the team that is actually the one most involved.
It’s always possible but I like the chances of the Yankees and Pirates finding an agreement that works because the teams have a history of dealing together. And the Pirates current offer of 10 million for Burnett is pretty close to what Burnett is worth. I think they’re close.
CC Sabathia@CC_Sabathia It’s time for me to go to Tampa because I’m watching australian baseball league on @MLBNetwork
Ichiro would be a rent-a-player, so no great risk involved. The guy issa pretty good situational hitter and still has the speed that makes defenses “jumpy” when he bats. He also has a very good hose, and plays better defense than Swish in general.
DONNYBROOK February 11th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Ichiro would be a rent-a-player, so no great risk involved.
___________________
Ichiro makes $17M this year. A deadline trade would cost about 33% of that or nealy $6M. Plus more $ in the luxury tax hit. Not going to happen. Doen’t make sense even if Cashman wanted the guy.
Also why would Ichiro waive his NTC?
GB7,Anywhere around?
Yank 97 February 11th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
KenRosenthal
Sources: #Pirates 1 of 4 teams on Burnett; 1 team, tho, is on his no-trade list. #Yankees view Pirates as partner making “most sense.”
—–
So wouldn’t the Yankees immediately inform the 1 team on the no-trade list that they are not an option for a trade.
“So wouldn’t the Yankees immediately inform the 1 team on the no-trade list that they are not an option for a trade.”
Burnett can waive the clause if he wanted to.
He most likely wouldn’t, the team was on the list in the first place afterall, but it’s 3 years later and he could decide at this point he’d prefer to go there than stay in NY.
I read an article where Jim Bowden predicted that Hamels would get 90m/5yrs (I think would be a steal) on the open market next year. He had Cain getting 132m/6yrs.
To me this prediction is short changing Hamels and a bit higher than I would want to go on Cain. No?
Stuckey – Great point, I didn’t think about that. Makes sense. Doesn’t matter to me, wherever he goes is definitely addition by subtraction.
Hamels is probably minimum 5/100, and he’ll probably be looking for a CC type deal, assuming he pitches well again in 2012.
nothing is more boring to me than pirate and yankees trades. they always sound good and seem to turn out to be no big deal.
though i did like the wilie randolph trade. loved it at the time too. you could tell willie was going to be a keeper.
So wouldn’t the Yankees immediately inform the 1 team on the no-trade list that they are not an option for a trade.
============================
Lot of players use the NTC as leverage moreso than closing the door to a trade. As an example, a player can agree to waive the NTC in exchange for the trading team picking up an option or a contract extension. Probably doesn’t apply to Burnett in this case though. As nobody will be looking to extend him beyond the 2 years he has left, he will likely pass on going to a club on his no trade list.
blake February 11th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Speaking of Javy…..I think Law ranked Viscaino higher than Teheran in his rankings this year….stating that he thinks he should start and he’s not taking into account that the braves have him as a reliever in his rankings….
///
I heard that the Braves like Vizcaino’s changeup development and are rethinking his role. I also heard that the relief thing was not something they considered permanent, but starting indeed was incumbent upon developing that third pitch, which is coming along.
I’ve read elsewhere that some view Vizcaino as having a higher ceiling than Teheran. Wish The Viz was still in the house. It’ll be fun to see what Viz, Teheran and Delgado have got this season.
Damn, the Yankees done good in the last couple of years drafting. Mason Williams #2, Tyler Austin rated #5 according to K Law and Bichette #7
On Austin, kudos to GB7 as first on this board.
Both Austin and Bichette look to stick as third basemen and hit the snot out of the ball. Austin also stole 18-0 bases, so could profile into RF as well. Mason Williams is better known.
Considering the strength of the Yankees farm system to have three of the top ten in effectively rookie ball – GCL, Staten Island, pre full season Charleston rated this highly is mind boggling
Then BP arms per RAB
http://riveraveblues.com/
The horde of power bullpen arms is just silly — Mark Montgomery (11th), Zach Nuding (37th), Graham Stoneburner (14th), Whitley (15th), Dan Burawa (12th), and Matt Tracy (43rd) among others — and it’s all by design. I don’t know if I’d call it a gift, but Oppenheimer & Co. have done a good job of maximizes those often forgotten late draft picks.
DeSaint, just out of curiosity, regarding Cabrera not “being the answer”…
What was the question?
Regardless of what it was, I have to agree. The Yankees certainly couldn’t use a player who hits for average from both sides of the plate, can wait on breaking pitches, and who has some pop that would translate even better in Yankee Stadium.
Nah. We could not have used that guy in the postseason. (Of course, we had an exponentially better one, but sadly, he remained on the bench and is now out of the organization
).
Looks like the Marlins offered Cespedes about 6/40.
MLBTR
though i did like the wilie randolph trade. loved it at the time too. you could tell willie was going to be a keeper
————————————-
Willie looked good from the get go. Just a true professional. And to be politically incorrect made our All-White team as in non hotdog, where Expo Carter didn’t.
Maybe Zoilo Almonte, who is a SH with some power, can undergo a fast-tempo developmental jump and be in the OF by 2013
.
Zach Links [February 11 at 1:54pm CST]
Yoenis Cespedes met with Marlins brass this week and returned to the Domincan Republic with an offer worth roughly $40MM over six years, a source close to the negotiations told Eric Reynoso of Cafe Fuerte. Cespedes, according to the source, still doesn’t have any immediate plans to meet with other teams.
GB7,
There you are! A Tough Mudder preview on local news last night: http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2012.....r-3210629/ .Watch to the end. Interesting that the sponsor for the clip is an Augusta hospital.
Five of our guests were running today, 42 degrees, winds to 30 mph. The clip shows only four or five of the 20 obstacles, and none of the 11 miles of running trails.
Pruf,
I hear ya. Big Melky fan, but he had his opportunity, and thankfully started to focus and produce once he was away from his buddy. Happens sometimes. Don’t think a return would be a good idea though long term. For a long term replacement of Swisher – presuming you had to – I’d much rather have Justin Upton than Melky Cabrera, and I’d much rather pay Upton big bucks long-term than pay Melky big-bucks long-term.
Not often do 4th outfielders turn into superstar RF, and don’t think Melky will ever be a Justin Upton.
BTW the question was:
Bret The Hitman February 11th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Two free agents dying to be Yankees next year will be BJ Upton who wears #2 in honor of Derek Jeter and Melky Cabrera.
Upton, Granderson, Cabrera would be the best OF in baseball.
‘t will be interesting to see what adjustments Ichiro makes and whether or not he is moved from the lead-off spot…
http://tinyurl.com/6lkt5fs
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/l.....FqG316IM/1
Meanwell says a bartender at one of the places she and Cashman hit on their first date asked her what she was doing with an “old man” (I’m only guessing the bartender asked this because Cashman was/is bald – I’m soooo glad I am not!!!)
Um, Cashman’s 44 now. If this first date happened in 2008, 2009, or 2010, that means Cashman was 40, 41, or 42 then. How is that an “old man” when Meanwell would’ve been at least 30 or 31 (since she was 29 in 2006 when she first met Cashman) when she went out on this first date with Cashman? A man in his early 40s is too old to go out with a woman in her early 30s – HUH? If Cashman first went out with Meanwell when he was 40 and (Meanwell) was 31 assuming her birthday was on or after the first date, the unwritten/unofficial formula for the youngest a date can be for a 40-year old man is 40 divided by 2 = 20 + 7 = 27. This wackadoo was 4 years older than that minimum age.
“For example, I would think the Cards would be interested in Burnett if they miss out on Oswalt.”
——–
??
Miss out?
Oswalt is practically begging St Louis to sign him but they’re not interested – they have a full rotation and no money to spend.
If Oswalt would drop his $ demands and sign with one of the teams that actually wants him, he’d be signed already.
“I’m on the empty bandwagon but I want AJ to stay.”
Not so empty, I’m with you Pat.
CC, Pineda, Kuroda, Nova, Garcia, Hughes, and AJ.
7 pitchers – 5 slots. But ST hasn’t started, and injuries do happen.
If I’m not getting back a position prospect, an arm, or a DH bat, but only ‘salary relief’, then I keep him. You don’t give away 200 innings.
I’m joining the bandwagon too Tar & Pat.
DaSaint007 February 11th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Pruf,
I hear ya. Big Melky fan, but he had his opportunity, and thankfully started to focus and produce once he was away from his buddy. Happens sometimes. Don’t think a return would be a good idea though long term. For a long term replacement of Swisher – presuming you had to – I’d much rather have Justin Upton than Melky Cabrera, and I’d much rather pay Upton big bucks long-term than pay Melky big-bucks long-term.
Not often do 4th outfielders turn into superstar RF, and don’t think Melky will ever be a Justin Upton.
BTW the question was:
Bret The Hitman February 11th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Two free agents dying to be Yankees next year will be BJ Upton who wears #2 in honor of Derek Jeter and Melky Cabrera.
Upton, Granderson, Cabrera would be the best OF in baseball.
///
Cabrera’s hitting talents have always been there, but superstar wasn’t in my thought process. He didn’t do anything last year, however, that wasn’t predictable. It just took him a little longer to get there than I thought it would. He got a chance to hit 2nd in a lineup every day and his bat took off.
He’s a much better LHB than Swisher, so I’d make that swap. Better glove, better arm, too. Although I thought Swish gave a good account of himself as a defender this past year.
Justin Upton is a free agent? His brother will be.
Any way, all things being equal, if they re-signed Melky for the 2013 season, that’d be fine with me. Contact switch hitter with pop is just what they could use.
saint – but, those 200 innings aren’t what one could call league-average. not even close. i hear what you and others are saying, but the question, i think, should be, can the yankees get better production for those 200 innings from other pitchers under their control.
if hughes, garcia, warren, phelps, and mitchell can’t equal aj burnett, then that’s a pretty bad situation, don’t you think?
tomingeorgia February 11th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
GB7,
There you are! A Tough Mudder preview on local news last night: http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2012…..r-3210629/ .Watch to the end. Interesting that the sponsor for the clip is an Augusta hospital.
Five of our guests were running today, 42 degrees, winds to 30 mph. The clip shows only four or five of the 20 obstacles, and none of the 11 miles of running trails.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Tom,
Thanks for the video. It makes me cringe just thinking about doing it, now. A while back, it would have been torturous fun. I’m curious about the overhead bars (funky monkey). Do the bars roll as you grab ahold of them? That could be trouble if the bars or your gloves are wet. Remember doing a lwcrawl in the sawdust pits? always fun when it’s full of water. How far into the competition was the muddy mile? Didn’t see “The Skyscraper” or “The Stairs”. If it’s near the front, those shoes are going to be heavy. all in all, though, it looks entertaining for the watching fans, near murder for the contestants. Thanks again for the video.
Pruf,
No Justin isn’t a FA unfortunately. But all the arms the Yankees have amassed, plus some of the catching depth, won’t make it to the big team. If you can’t use them yourself, then you may as well trade some of them for key pieces, and JU would be a nice target to focus on as a potential RF upgrade for years to come. I’d pass on his brother, BTW.
Melky is a good contact hitter, agreed.
Melky has a great arm, agreed.
But would I rather sign Melky for 3 or 4 years than trade for Justin Upton? Not even close.
On a 1 year deal, sure, but something tells me he’d be going for a long-term contract.
GB7,
I think the monkey bar does have loose bars, and the run is in the shape of a flat inverted V. The first half of it rises two or three feet, then descends. I think there are 50 bars.
I remember low crawls in every sort of substance, but not a slip-and-slide while taking 10,000 volts of static electricity. Did you hear the reporter grunt?
The very first obstacle is designed to get you wet, cold and muddy, then you go the distance. If a video of the real race shows up, Ill post it for you.
30 or 35 years ago, I might have considered it. But I don’t think the course is mandated to be “handicapped and aged accessible”, so I’ll pass, too.
I think the issue with trading Burnett is not settling on knocking off just $5-$6 mil a year off of the payroll, but, getting at least a fair return back in trade. Jones will get between $2.5-$2.75 mil in arbitration. He’s basically a platoon player. He played in 148 games last year but only had about 400 at bats. That’s before picking up Casey McGehee from Milwaukee for the same amount. Will he play third over Alvarez or move to first base? If they cough up Jones, I believe Cashman raises the amount NY is willing to kick in by a little. That team need everything but outfield help. They could also expand the deal somewhat to include cheap bullpen help like Whelan and or Kontos, either decreasing the amount Cashman khicks in or Pittsburgh sending a minor leaguer along with Jones.
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette …………………
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg.....574-63.stm
Thanks, Tom. Looking forward to the videos. Best of luck to the contestants. How many women are entered? any idea?
Wally Matthews is saying even if the Yankees trade Burnett they still are only spending 1-2M on a DH?
@BloggingBombers: I’m told by a source there’s “a good chance” that Burnett-to-Pitt gets done.
“if hughes, garcia, warren, phelps, and mitchell can’t equal aj burnett, then that’s a pretty bad situation, don’t you think?”
That’s not how I look at the situation. What are you going to get back in return?
RE AJ: The best case scenario ( for the Yankees ) is for AJ to pitch well next year ( for the Yankees ). Not being a salary dump. I am rooting for the best case scenario.
CC I am very confident in, Kuroda somewhat confident in, Nova and Pineda I have my fingers and toes crossed. Out of Hughes, AJ and Garcia I am rooting the hardest for Phil.
I do not believe AJ is done as a pitcher. He had a really bad month, in the midst of a bad couple of years. I also believe AJ is going to out-pitch Garcia next year. As I stated, that would be a best case situation for the Yankees.
Now if they could receive someone decent that’s a different story, I just don’t see that happening. I would rather see them roll the dice with AJ.
Just finished watching game 2 of the Australian Baseball League Championship.
13 innings of torture!
AJ is the number 7 starter and he is not well suited for a releif role. If the yankees can get fair market value from the Pirates or anybody else they should take it. It would be in both the Yankee’s and AJ’s best interest to make the trade. 10-15MM$ of salary releif is probably fair market value. It is hard to imagine he would get more than 9-11.5 MM$/y as a free agent and his value to the Yankees as a spare part is considerably less than that. I think the Yankees will take 10MM$ salary releif but they are holding out to see if somebody will bid more
Hey GB, hope all is well. Sounds like you’re dreaming of some competitive activities. Don’t hurt yourself! Nurse you know who is still out there.
“Wally Matthews is saying even if the Yankees trade Burnett they still are only spending 1-2M on a DH?”
Unless they’d be spending 1-2 million on a DH and also signing Cespedes then what’s the point in trading AJ then?…..I don’t buy that….Wally is dumb.
DeSaint,
J-Up would cost way too much, IMO. Plus, he’s had a shoulder problem. I don’t want to see the Yankees let Sanchez and one of the B’s go in such a package, and even that wouldn’t be nearly enough to land The Justin. I’d rather see Ravel Santana and Mason Williams get to the Bronx and keep the hitting catcher and the swing-and-miss B’s on schedule, too, but you never know.
He’s a great talent, though.
His brother’s offense disappoints, so does his swing mechanics. But boy can he go and get it. Maybe K-Long could help fix him.
Unless they’d be spending 1-2 million on a DH and also signing Cespedes then what’s the point in trading AJ then?
——–
Well…he’s taking up a roster spot, and if he’s not going to be in the rotation…why pay him more than they have to?
DaSaint007 February 11th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Hey GB, hope all is well. Sounds like you’re dreaming of some competitive activities. Don’t hurt yourself! Nurse you know who is still out there.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Hey, Simon.
Hope all is going well with our future switch hitting shortstop with power and speed. That obstical course looks nasty. I got hurt just looking at it.
Wally is dumb and also vindictive and petty. He’s as bad as that guy in New England.
am i crazy or didn’t aj burnett have about a five era last year which is way better than the average #5 pitcher in the league ?
why did the yankees make a 7 deep rotation where there is not room for everyone without dumping someone at a loss ?
and creating a hole in the dh spot while they were at it
if it was a card game, i’d say the yankees misplayed their cards.
i guess maybe the card player had his mind on other things.
GB7,
An ex-Ranger who just checked in just checked, ran the Mudder last year up in Rome. He says that the Funky Monkey bars not only rotate, but they’re also greased. Another reason to stay by the fireside.
GB7,
Also said the balance beam pivots 20 degrees either way. The green water, by the way, was derived from the pond’s bottom slime.
Ouch randy!
if it was a card game, i’d say the yankees misplayed their cards.
———-
The Yankees have an inarguably better rotation now than they did at the beginning of the off season. Maybe they’ll trade AJ at a loss, but is that surprising? They’re still the Yankees, they can eat a contract.
i guess maybe the card player had his mind on other things.
—–
C’mon. Any analyst, any fan of baseball, will tell you that Cashman made the best value trade for pitching this off season compared to the other GMs out there.
What’s on their minds? Running prostitution rings?
Pruf, I’ll pass on BJ Upton.
Will be interesting to see Swisher’s performance in the last year of his contract.
“The Yankees have an inarguably better rotation now than they did at the beginning of the off season. ”
You could have wrote that after the Kuroda signing without the trade. Now they also have an inarguably worst batting order.
They’re still the Yankees, they can eat a contract.”
Of course they can. But if the past is any indication, they have not exactly shown a propensity to do it.
tomingeorgia February 11th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
GB7,
An ex-Ranger who just checked in just checked, ran the Mudder last year up in Rome. He says that the Funky Monkey bars not only rotate, but they’re also greased. Another reason to stay by the fireside.
tomingeorgia February 11th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
GB7,
Also said the balance beam pivots 20 degrees either way. The green water, by the way, was derived from the pond’s bottom slime.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Tom,
That’s a tough course. Booby traps everywhere. Greased, rolling bars can’t be fun. The slanted balance beams would be perfect for the ridge runners. It would be like being at home. Thanks for the updates. It’s one thing to do that course for the fun and competition, but, quite another to pay $180.00 for the priviladge. Dedication. Hope they make millions from the event. great cause.
“Any analyst, any fan of baseball, will tell you that Cashman made the best value trade for pitching this off season compared to the other GMs out there.”
oh really?
they had no problem with pitching and no problem with the dh spot
and now they are scrambling trying to figure out what to do with burnett or hughes or garcia.
and who’s the dh?
of course we have a gm totally focused 24/7 remedying that.
yup, makes sense to me.
thanks for explaining things.
One thing about the weather up there, Tom. it’s too cold for the gators and snakes. Don’t mind gators….hate snakes, though.
You could have wrote that after the Kuroda signing without the trade. Now they also have an inarguably worst batting order.
——–
Sure. But I’d said it’s a fair net gain. I’d bet the WAR of Kuroda + Pineda + Mysterious DH will be higher than the WAR of Montero + Burnett + Garcia/Hughes. I’d bet the pitching staff is increased far more than the offense has decreased.
randy,
They probably acted too quickly on Garcia, but jumped at the chance to get him for $5 mil after his work last year and to prevent him from going to BOS (where he’d be a great fit).
I think what it comes down to is, they were not sold on anyone other than CC and nothing has changed. Even now, can anyone predict what kind of year Pineda will have? Will he be a co-ace with CC, a solid #2, a solid #3, or take a step back and be mediocre? Kuroda is a pro, but it is still an AL-NL adjustment that must be answered.
They might have sexier names for the rotation now than they did before the off-season started, but the tangible production that we can expect from anyone other than CC is still a question mark.
randy l. February 11th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
“Any analyst, any fan of baseball, will tell you that Cashman made the best value trade for pitching this off season compared to the other GMs out there.”
oh really?
they had no problem with pitching and no problem with the dh spot
and now they are scrambling trying to figure out what to do with burnett or hughes or garcia.
and who’s the dh?
of course we have a gm totally focused 24/7 remedying that.
yup, makes sense to me.
thanks for explaining things.
——
“No problem with pitching” – I mean, what constitutes a problem?
I’d suggest having Nunez/A-Rod/Jeter/Teixiera/Jones rotate the DH spot is similarly not “a problem” compared to our former pitching staff not being “a problem.”
And rotation depth, really isn’t a problem as long as you’re creative. Rotation depth is a strength. Ask any number of teams.
Traded for a 23 year old high upside pitcher with 5 seasons left of team control and some people think they traded for him solely to sure up the 2012 rotation.
Some crack baseball minds we have here…
The offense is going to be a serious concern as the years go on, not as much this year. They are still going to be tough to watch against good RH pitchers in the playoffs, but it’s the 2013+ where the loss of Montero is really going to manifest itself. This is probably the last year that this core can be effective and not a liability.
The Yankees offense at this point is just names that look good on paper – throw it into a blender over the course of the season and they’ll churn out good RS totals. But watching them, we all know it is not a vintage Yankees offense and will be a huge question again come October.
GB7,
Nearest gator is about 50 miles, snakes are here (upland moccasins and copperheads, and an occasional timber rattler), and a sheriff’s deputy just reported seeing a cougar (the feline kind) crossing the highway by the high school.
The Ranger and his girl friend arranged to come back after the run tomorrow to shower and warm up. Promised to tell me all the details over a bottle of beer, so I’ll have a report tomorrow.
“Unless they’d be spending 1-2 million on a DH and also signing Cespedes then what’s the point in trading AJ then?”
Addition by subtraction.
The Yankees appear not to want to go into 2012:
1.) Having to hold their breath every 5th day.
or
2.) Having to constantly deal with questions about Burnett’s role, who gets the 5th rotation slot, etc…
They were NEVER eating $10 a year just so they could go give $5 to Damon.
They want to divest themselves of Burnett for the sole sake of divesting themselves of Burnett.
I don’t know or care about Matthews past history, but if he has a team source confirming what’s always been perfectly obvious, I tend to believe him.
“But watching them, we all know it is not a vintage Yankees offense and will be a huge question again come October.”
Please don’t say “we all”.
In 2011, they scored the most runs of any of the 8 PS team in the first round.
I’d argue the bar is unfairly high when ‘more than EVERYONE else’ is a problem.
Thanks, Tom. Cougars are great, except for the feline types. Figured that you guys might have had a few escaped gators running loose. Looking forward to the updates and hopeful videos.
“1.) Having to hold their breath every 5th day.
or
2.) Having to constantly deal with questions about Burnett’s role, who gets the 5th rotation slot, etc…”
I can buy the 2nd one….but they could fix the first by just not putting him in the rotation…..now of course they could be worried about the aftermath of that and that’s understandable…..but my point is that if they are salary dumpting AJ then I would hope they’d actually use that money to improve the club either now or at the trade deadline….otherwise it’s really nothing to get excited about. I think they’ll sign Damon if they trade AJ…..they may spend the money to do so otherwise.
“1.) Having to hold their breath every 5th day.
or
2.) Having to constantly deal with questions about Burnett’s role, who gets the 5th rotation slot, etc…
——————————————————————————————-
I buy 1 and 2. I hope Yanks can trade AJ.
I’d suggest having Nunez/A-Rod/Jeter/Teixiera/Jones rotate the DH spot is similarly not “a problem” compared to our former pitching staff not being “a problem.”
have you watched nunez play in the infield?
you’re going to dh jeter against righty pitching. teixeira?
montero could have hit righties because they couldn’t work outside to him successfully for long because he’s so strong in that direction.
the yankees would have easily made the playoffs as they were without the pineda/montero trade.
now they have to dump a pitcher to create cash to get a dh. it’s all the blog talks about .
they already were in the playoffs. is pineda just for the playoffs then?
if so, why not give him 6 weeks to throw the change and make some significant progress perfecting it?
this allows the yankees to use the other pitchers and see if one gets hot during april and may who is expendable like burnett, garcia, or even hughes. why not sell when a guy is hot and get way more than now?
someone will surprise and pitch well. that’s the time to trade him.
of course, that makes too much sense giving pineda the best possible chance to master the change up at the minor league level. it’s of course a new yankee tradition to have young guys learn pitches while they are also told they better be good and win games while they are at it.
“And rotation depth, really isn’t a problem as long as you’re creative. Rotation depth is a strength. Ask any number of teams.”
lets get more then.
more , more , more
trade cano
get and ace
hitting is overrated.
pitching wins playoff games.
more pitchers, more pitchers.
good idea.
Why are people doubting that the Yankees will spend as much money as they need to put a quality DH on the field this year. They just don’t want to overpay. They bought cheap insurance in Russell Branyan and Bill Hall as alternative Damon/Matsui etc and Chavez in case they wait too long. But surely they are looking for better options. In my opinion it is very likely that beter options will open up near the end of spring training when teams need to make difficult roster decisions. If they are wrong they may have to fall back on somebody like Vlad or they may be secretly interested in somebody like Cespedes. but there is still plenty of time to get a DH. The Yankees are not likely to ener the season with Nunez and Jones as their only DHs.
“In 2011, they scored the most runs of any of the 8 PS team in the first round.”
The same team in which their best hitter that post-season retired? Or is it the team that scored 1 run of Doug Freaking Fister? Oh yeah that team.
“now they have to dump a pitcher to create cash to get a dh. ”
Someone isn’t paying close enough attention.
Burnett + one of the upper level catching prospects or pitching prospects (not the Bs) to Pirates…
Pedro Alvarez + $11-13 million to the Yankees?
Doubt it, I know its crazy, but Cashman thinks big and sly. Perhaps a 3 way deal?
“Nunez/A-Rod/Jeter/Teixiera/Jones”
2011 v. RHP:
Nunez: .259 .313 .360 .673
A-Rod: .276 .361 .487 .848
Jeter: .277 .329 .338 .666
Tex: .224 .325 .453 .779
This would an very suboptimal way to use the DH v. RHP.
Some people just cannot let go of the Montero/Pineda trade. It’s time to get over it and move on, please.
1.) Having to hold their breath every 5th day.
or
2.) Having to constantly deal with questions about Burnett’s role, who gets the 5th rotation slot, etc…”
——
)1 is the definition of the vast majority of # 5 pitchers in the league.
)2 is a joke. Oh yeah lets trade a pitcher so we don’t have to answer questions about his role.
“The same team in which their best hitter that post-season retired?”
How’d that “best hitter” do during the regular season?
Is the concept that teams and players get hot and cold during 5 game tournaments really that elusive a concept?
Another play-off team had a key bat come close to having a relapse that could jeopardize his career.
The WS winner lost the best bat they EVER had.
Another play-off team lost their two best hitters, one to a suspension and one to free agency.
Another lost a key hitter to a season ending knee injury.
EVERY team got a year older.
This panic is ridiculous.
“Or is it the team that scored 1 run of Doug Freaking Fister? Oh yeah that team.”
I admit I do enjoy the frame of mind that the Yankees dictate all postseason play and the other teams are only there to for the Yankees hitter and pitchers to impose their will on.
NO pitcher can have a good game against the Yankees? AJ Burnett can go out and have a good game against the Tigers and all is right with the world, but Fister can’t have a good game against the Yankees?
Blake-
I finished up 9 miles worth today.
Why is Burnett still here ?
You promised me he’d be gone when I returned to check in.
TAR
“)2 is a joke. Oh yeah lets trade a pitcher so we don’t have to answer questions about his role.”
If the answer to the question is “He has no role ” that is a very good reason to trade him
“Oh yeah lets trade a pitcher so we don’t have to answer questions about his role.”
Too funny.
“is the definition of the vast majority of # 5 pitchers in the league.”
Genuine question – you don’t think the attention surrounding Burnett’s unpredictable Jekyll/Hyde performances gets more heightened negative attention than most other team’s 5th starters?
I’d gladly pay for AJ to get a Pirate tattoo.
If there really are 4 teams in on Burnett you can color him gone.
Red Sox pitchers and Tampa pitchers were intentionally walking (or pitching around) Montero in must win games in late September. Other teams viewed him as a legit threat after a couple of weeks. He was going to be a big part of our offense as the older, streaky players fade into the background. Now we’re back to relying on the old, streaky players…. who are a year older.
People can cling to the “motivation/character” issues all they want, but that bat-speed was immensely special and something we’ll be looking tirelessly to acquire in the not-so-distant future.
Good luck to a 38 yr old Jeter, 37 yr old A-Rod, .250 hitting Tex, Martin, Gardner, whatever old, non-impact bat they get to DH, Swisher, etc. against good pitching in October.
Genuine question – you don’t think the attention surrounding Burnett’s unpredictable Jekyll/Hyde performances gets more heightened negative attention than most other team’s 5th starters?
============================
Sure does, but it wouldn’t if he were making $5M per season.
Genuine question – you don’t think the attention surrounding Burnett’s unpredictable Jekyll/Hyde performances gets more heightened negative attention than most other team’s 5th starters?
——————————————————————————————————–
Only because AJ is paid like a #1/2 and performs like a #5.
If there really are 4 teams in on Burnett you can color him gone.
===============================
I’d guess the reason the Pirates are being cited as the best fit by some, is because they’ll go to $10M for 2 years.
DF-
We are gonna need an alternate pie-thrower.
MTU:
Well, their current one will be gone, IMO. Pie thing was all that original. They’ll have to come up with something new.
“I’d guess the reason the Pirates are being cited as the best fit by some, is because they’ll go to $10M for 2 years.”
Plus, I think Yankees would prefer to send him to a place where even if he pitches well, they won’t look bad.
DF-
I say we bring back the belt, and the Mo Kangaroo court.
Yeah, Rich. That too.
MTU,
Impressive …..now if you were able to watch my two rugrats for a couple of hours and then have the energy to hike 9 miles Id really be impressed
I think AJ will be on another roster by mid week next week…..maybe sooner.
“Good luck to a 38 yr old Jeter, 37 yr old A-Rod, .250 hitting Tex, Martin, Gardner, whatever old, non-impact bat they get to DH, Swisher, etc. against good pitching in October.”
Good luck to any “fan” that thinks ANY team can be made immune to dropping 3 out of 5 games to another postseason eligible team.
I mean, does anyone actually know who won the last 2 World Series?
Plus, Pitt is Not on AJ’s no trade list.
randy l :
I have to agree with you about pineda going to AAA to master a changeup.
He will probably do it quick,just to get back to the majors.
Blake-
I’d be glad to but you have to bring them to Utah.
I think the genie might be out of the bottle on AJ.
Probably past the PNR.
Pineda already has a CU.
I want him to add a “split”.
Ultimate ninja move by Cash would be if he flipped a Pineda centered package for McCutchen then signed Hamels next year……of course that’s very unlikely
It’s not about who won any given WS; that’s partially the result of luck. It’s about putting yourself in the best possible position to win the WS. Having a bat that can wreck a game, who scares the crap out of a pitcher, helps the entire lineup. Montero was 2-2 in the postseason, and might have done more, if the manager wasn’t so freakin’ inflexible.
blake February 11th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Ultimate ninja move by Cash would be if he flipped a Pineda centered package for McCutchen then signed Hamels next year……of course that’s very unlikely
*******
Naaah – the upside and potential impact of Pineda is greater. Just wonderful K rate – low bb and hits allowed rate for his first season. . . .
A last post before heading out for the evening, then I’ll leave some of you guys to fan each other’s anxieties.
Tonight is the end of one of most enjoyable NY sports weeks ever and certainly most uplifting since 2009 (and hopefully it ends on a good note against the Wolves).
It’s a shame more fans can’t embrace the pure joy of sports – of being surprised – of not know how the story is going to end.
Easily a majority of the dialogue here is expression of lament and anxiety that the Yankees have not used their financial leverage to field the best team on paper bar none and worry that the regular season and postseason won’t just be a coronation formality.
Being a Yankee fan for some of you seems to be an exercise in joylessness, and the constant looking for relief of insecurities rather than the genuine appreciation of performance and competition.
Just seems so backwards…
I’d flip Pineda for any young impact hitter under 27 because they have a far better chance of being healthy over the next five years and it fills a bigger need.
Here’s an interesting tidbit from Rothschild on Pineda and Nova :
In an Interview with ESPN New York on Friday pitching coach Larry Rothchild stopped short of declaring Michael Pineda as the Yankees’ No. 2 starter.
”He’s a young kid so I don’t know if we want him coming out second or if it’s beneficial to have somebody else do it,” Rothschild said. “[Ivan] Nova had a fine year for us, so he could be in that spot.” Pineda, 23, posted a 3.74 ERA and 173/55 K/BB ratio over 171 innings as a rookie with the Mariners last season. He is not expected to begin the year as the No. 2 starter, as the Yankees will want to temper expectations of being traded for Jesus Montero. Feb. 11 – 8:53 am et
Source: ESPN New York
Guess Michael isn’t going to AAA.
It’s just staggering how some people think that they can judge what other people think and feel.
yankee21 February 11th, 2012 at 9:24 am
No to Grienke. Over-rated. Did anyone watch this guy in the playoffs this past year? Aside from his CY year, when has he even demonstrated consistent #2 performance?
—————————————
Look at his advanced stats and peripherals – he has been very dominant most years, this included. His FIP and xFIP this year were 2.98 and 2.56, despite an ERA near 4. He also had 201 strikeouts in 171 innings this season. Not bad.
“Naaah – the upside and potential impact of Pineda is greater. Just wonderful K rate – low bb and hits allowed rate for his first season. . . .”
I agree with those things about Pineda…..but id trade him for McCutchen without thinking twice.
“Being a Yankee fan for some of you seems to be an exercise in joylessness, and the constant looking for relief of insecurities rather than the genuine appreciation of performance and competition.”
Nah….to me looking at the season as some random simulation where the Yankees will make the playoffs and then flip a coin for a WS is joyless and not very much much to look forward to……
“I admit I do enjoy the frame of mind that the Yankees dictate all postseason play and the other teams are only there to for the Yankees hitter and pitchers to impose their will on.”
when God made the yankees He/She needed to make the rest of the league so the yankees had someone to play and beat.
…and He or She made the red sox to be especially bashed.
Being a Yankee to some means blithely agreeing with every move they make. To me, that truly exposes one’s insecurities.
Is AJ still a Yankee ?
“Is AJ still a Yankee ?”
Technically….but id be surprised if he still is a week from now.
“It’s just staggering how some people think that they can judge what other people think and feel.”
there’s not much i like about mike tyson, but i like that quote where he says:
” they all have a plan, until they get punched in the head “.
” they all have a plan, until they get punched in the head “.
Or I simply bite their ear off.
I’ll eat your children.
Bret-
I like mine with fava beans and a nice Chianti.
I think if the Yankees want the Pirates to get near 50/50 on the money they are going to have to part with a decent prospect (not top 10 in org).
Jack-
I’ll give ‘em Kontos or Whelan.
Thanks, Blake. Just waiting to throw the going away party.
Tank February 11th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Red Sox pitchers and Tampa pitchers were intentionally walking (or pitching around) Montero in must win games in late September. Other teams viewed him as a legit threat after a couple of weeks. He was going to be a big part of our offense as the older, streaky players fade into the background. Now we’re back to relying on the old, streaky players…. who are a year older.
People can cling to the “motivation/character” issues all they want, but that bat-speed was immensely special and something we’ll be looking tirelessly to acquire in the not-so-distant future.
Good luck to a 38 yr old Jeter, 37 yr old A-Rod, .250 hitting Tex, Martin, Gardner, whatever old, non-impact bat they get to DH, Swisher, etc. against good pitching in October.
///
Tank, indeed.
Rich in NJ February 11th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
It’s not about who won any given WS; that’s partially the result of luck. It’s about putting yourself in the best possible position to win the WS. Having a bat that can wreck a game, who scares the crap out of a pitcher, helps the entire lineup. Montero was 2-2 in the postseason, and might have done more, if the manager wasn’t so freakin’ inflexible.
///
SOSOSO f***king inflexible!
“When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of
convincing those who do not know it…but for
the sake of defending those that do.”
–William Blake
“Genuine question – you don’t think the attention surrounding Burnett’s unpredictable Jekyll/Hyde performances gets more heightened negative attention than most other team’s 5th starters?”
Sorry it took so long to respond. Everything is heightened in NY, so yeah he gets more negative attention. The attention part however has nothing to do with winning games.
And as far as the attention goes— people (cough a lot of posters on loHud cough) have very short memories. Let AJ string together 3 or 4 good quality starts together and watch that bandwagon start to fill up.
JAP,
“A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.”
-William Blake
Excited to see Pineda and Kuroda report to camp here in another week. . . .
20 minutes until Linsanity vs. Rubio. . . . .
Nice quotes
I find some of these NFL SoundFx videos mesmerizing. In case you’re interested:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-.....iant-drive
“I’m on the empty bandwagon but I want AJ to stay.”
“Not so empty, I’m with you Pat.”
“I’m joining the bandwagon too Tar & Pat”
Hey hey hey! Let’s not forget who’s been driving this baby around!
To No One in Particular:
Truth is truth to the end of reckoning.
– Ultimate Dead White Male
How dare a 22 year old kid not have the maturity of a seasoned veteran!
Derek Jeter really spoiled the organization… that isn’t how most young players from the moment they enter professional baseball. They mature.
They said the same thing about Joba, and Hughes last year, and Kennedy the year before we traded him, and Melky, and Cano, and Vizcaino after they traded him, and Gary Sanchez last year, Chris Garcia, etc.
The better question is, why are so many of our prospects even attached to questions about their effort/conditioning/etc. That reflects worse on the org. than it does on the players if so many of them have had questions raised at sometime or the other.
I think it’s boloney anyway – they traded away the next Manny and they want to try to justify it, and it is weak of them to do so.
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Cirrcuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—
—Emily Dickinson
I think it’s boloney anyway – they traded away the next Manny and they want to try to justify it, and it is weak of them to do so.
///
Very like, very like.
just checking in for the first time today, anyone know the three other teams in on aj?
When I came on this blog during the Jeter stuff I said I don’t root for Randy Levine.
And I don’t.
Forget desire and sentiment, does anyone think AJ is not going to be traded?
Nick and his need to bet on something!
Does anyone know if there’s internet feed for the Knick’s game? I don’t get MSG and it’s not on the NBA channel tonight.
“just checking in for the first time today, anyone know the three other teams in on aj?”
I don’t know…..but the mystery team almost always wins…..
Okay I’m biting. I think AJ is not going to be traded.
JAP,
“The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths”
-William James, “Pragmatism”
“Forget desire and sentiment, does anyone think AJ is not going to be traded?”
In a straight up salary dump–no.
If they get somebody decent back with salary relief, yes.
I wasn’t actually trawling for a bet that time, though I would listen if you or anyone else would like to bet on it.
Any by “listen” I mean “accept”.
thanks.
my best guesstimate:
aj to the bucs for a mid level prospect, maybe even someone 7 to15 on their prospect list. yankess eat 24 of the 33 left on his deal
Not sure but I think I may have found something. Not sure if this is a paying website. Couldn’t quite figure it out.
http://www.nbaliveonline.com/n.....mberwolves
@ trisha
http://www.firstrowsports.eu/w.....nicks.html
should work. if not that site usually has links to the game.
Tar, so you’re on the record as saying AJ might get traded?
I heard one of the four teams is San Diego. Which is on A.J.’s no trade list.
Nick
Of course he is getting traded but not necessarily to Pittsburgh. Mostly a salary dump the will probably get a low to mid level prospect depending on how much salary the other team is willing to accept.
thank you antisocial scrooge! To tell you how over the moon I am about Lin, I actually considered re-upping with DirecTV to watch the games (I shut DT down during the off season because I have Verizon VIOS and so get to watch what I want outside of baseball) but it was going to cost me another $90 a month. So to just get to watch MSG for $90, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Tar, so you’re on the record as saying AJ might get traded?”
Is this a tricky Nick question? A trap? A gotcha? Of course he might get traded.
I am also on record in saying I think he is going to have a bounce back year and don’t think he should be traded. Unless they get somebody decent back. Which i don’t think is likely.
Sounds like the Pirates would rather eat more money than include anybody good prospect wise…..if Im the Yanks and including a decent but expendable prospect would make them take more money then id consider that.
Tar,
I think they have basically already decided that AJ wont be in the rotation next year….and I would guess they are trying to trade him for their reasons but also to be fair to AJ and give him a fresh start ……I really think its best for both parties….
“Some people just cannot let go of the Montero/Pineda trade. It’s time to get over it and move on, please.”
That’s what boards like this exist for, to talk endlessly about baseball topics that never go away. It was like that before this trade and will remain so, after the final results of this trade is known to all of us.
Not a trick question, just teasing because you didn’t give a straight answer to my real question.
tomingeorgia February 11th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
JAP,
“The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths”
-William James, “Pragmatism”
///
tom, in the spirit of the multiplicity of truths, I look with eagerness to your truths on the Charleston River Pups. I won’t get to see them this year unless I take a loooooooong drive. But it sounds like you’ll get out to a few games. Please post your thoughts in this space about what you see.
“I think they have basically already decided that AJ wont be in the rotation next year”
You may be right.
All this trade rumor stuff is so not the Yankee way. I wonder if any of it is true? If so, why is Cashman playing this out in public? I don’t like it.
“Not a trick question, just teasing because you didn’t give a straight answer to my real question.”
I gave the best Nick like answer that I could.
WOW COOL!!!!
THANK YOU ANTISOCIAL SCROOGE!!!
WOW Whitney Houston dead at 48. RIP Whitney!!!!
“I think they have basically already decided that AJ wont be in the rotation next year…”
If so, and he is informed of that, it’s not unreasonable to think that it would motivate him to agree to be traded to any team in MLB. If not, then it’s probably reasonable to think that he would willingly accept pitching out of the pen for the NYY.
Wow…what happened to Whitney? Very sad if true.
Tar,
Its really not….my guess is that its either a negotiating ploy…..or the leaks aren’t coming from the Yanks.
“If so, why is Cashman playing this out in public?”
Just a guess, but one possibility is that it is far preferable to a public discussion of his private life.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/.....zcS4OSt27s
Whitney story
This whole thing is a ally foreign to the Yankees anyway…..when was the last time they salary dumped a player…..its usually the other way around.
Whitney had one of the best voices ever when she was young…….incredibly sad…..probably best national anthem of all time at the super bowl that time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupsPg5H6aE
Whitney at the super bowl
RIP Whitney
blake,
You are right on that National Anthem. Best of all time. RIP, Whitney.
‘I gave the best Nick like answer that I could.”
Pffffft. Whether we want AJ to go or not — and I have mixed feelings about it — the writing really does seem to be on the wall. Sometimes you have to look at the evidence even if you don’t like where it’s leading.
I think with Whitney it was just a matter of time. Her descent started with her relationship with/marriage to Bobby Brown, and she just never recovered.
What a sad loss of and waste of talent.
Whitney Houston R.I.P.
trisha – true pinstriped blue February 11th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
I think with Whitney it was just a matter of time. Her descent started with her relationship with/marriage to Bobby Brown, and she just never recovered.
What a sad loss of and waste of talent.
———————————
There was some thought that it started before her relationship with Bobby Brown.
You learn about a lot of deaths on the hud.
Didn’t know that. If so, Bobby Brown definitely didn’t help.
After Hendrix’s version of the National Anthem, Whitney’s was probably my favorite.
I hope she’s at peace now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df5aaUbRx_s
Listening to her sing this live brings tears to my eyes.
Her daughter was busted for snorting coke sometime last year.
What a mess.
True he didn’t help at all.
“the writing really does seem to be on the wall.”
But who’s doing the writing? Right now it all looks like graffiti to me.
AJ to the Pirates ? ? ?
Cheese Steaks, potato salad, beer, wine, brownies, party hats and favors, Come one come all. At the Stadium parking lot.
exiled, I just listened to that link from the Letterman show. I think I can say unequivocally that Whitney Houston was one of the most physically beautiful women walking this earth. Stunningly gorgeous. And her voice was pretty much unparalleled.
Rest in peace Whitney. We’ve lost an incredible talent.
trisha, I was always a big fan of hers and all I can say is I feel like a piece of me has died with her. Yes she was one of the most beautiful women that ever lived.
I thought the quote from AJ’s agent was especially telling.
http://www.carltonjordan.com/2.....lopves-me/
Whitneys last performance was apparently last night and she sang Jesus Loves me….RIP….very sad and tragic
I don’t think anyone has any doubts that the Yankees are attempting to trade AJ.
The question remains whether or not they will be able to at a price they find acceptable.
What exactly do you find so telling about his agent’s statement?
Lin just make it look so damned easy.
AJ leaves who becomes the new whipping boy ? ?
It sounded like AJ has already accepted that he’s going to be leaving the Yankees.
I know these things don’t always go the way the teams want them to, so AJ’s Yankee career may yet stagger back into the room, a la Rasputin.
But if I had to say one way or another, I’d say he’s gone.
blake – link doesn’t work. (At least I couldn’t get it to work.)
And AJ I have to believe would totally understand and probably feels grateful that it didn’t happen sooner. The Yanks really stuck by him.
I really flip-flop on this one. I have to think that it’s the emotion that keeps pulling me back in, because logically it would seem that the Yankees want to get a deal done and therefore will.
I guess I won’t be surprised either way. Total crap shoot at this point.
If I had my druthers, he’d be back. On the other hand, if he can really get the job done for another team, I would feel good for him. With the Yankees AJ is seen as a burden. With another team, he could well be seen as their leader.
AJ is somethign of an expert on ink; he can probably distinguish between writing and graffiti.
Knicks just got screwed out of a possession for the second straight night.
Horrific officiating.
Love’s pretty sick too, hey?
I remember, as a very young woman, being amazed by her talent. Now that she’s gone, I realize she was three years my junior. So sad that one once so bright and beautiful can succumb to the dark and ugly.
Rest In Peace Whitney.
What an awful shame.
May you find the peace you could never secure in this life.
She won 6 Grammy’s and the Grammy’s are tomorrow night. It’s gonna be a sad award show.
Sorry to continue with a ‘downer theme’ but, I found this rather touching and am thinking most baseball fans will as well. Mariners pitchers and catchers (and many others) reported today with heavy hearts but, are doing their best to keep Greg’s spirit alive…
http://tinyurl.com/726ygxs
No Grind, No Shine.
Death of Whitney drug related ? Likely I’d say. 6-5 in favor.
Wow. It wasn’t their prettiest win, but it’s so great to see how the Knicks have come together. Tonight it was Novak when it counted. Team effort.
But they need a night off! They look so tired!
In some way, tonight’s win was more impressive than last night’s. Gritty Knicks.
RIP Whitney. Beautiful woman, beautiful voice.
Nice win for the Knickerbockers..
Huge thanks to Antisocial Scrooge for supplying the link.
Night all.
With the AJ-Pittsburgh dealings taking place you have to wonder who Cash is spending more time with on the phone, his lawyer or the Pirates.
If AJ leaves, I hope he leaves the pie throwing to Cervelli, if he makes the team.
RIP Whitney.
Looks like the Knicks are Linvincible.
Nate Silver on Lin (before tonight’s game):
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.n.....-no-fluke/
R.I.P. Whitney Houston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
‘After Hendrix’s version of the National Anthem, Whitney’s was probably my favorite.
I hope she’s at peace now.’
——————————
I’d go Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, then Whitney.
Regardless
Regardless, tragic how she spiraled. She was THE diva of the 80′s.
Jose Feliciano.
Will Burnett be gone before P and C’s report ?
Will it be a straight salary dump of 10-12 Million ?
How will the savings be used ?
Inquiring minds want to know.
MTU -
Good morning.
At this rate, it would probably be distracting if he’s not traded by then.
The Yankees don’t usually operate with this much transparency in player dealings.
I have mixed feelings.
And one thought, has anyone discussed how this just might have been Burnett’s request? To my mind, the situation for him here has gotten so toxic and predictable. He’s always on the defensive, even when he did pitch well – what did you differently, could you do this again, etc., etc. He was always accountable (well, 99% of the time anyway) after his games, and some of that (most of that) probably wasn’t any fun. If you’re not having fun, how can you do well playing a game? Change of scenery (and a lot less media) could do him a world of good.
And I think if AJ goes, so will the pie throwing….
VN-
I agree on the accountability and effort part.
He deserves credit for that.
Problem was that overall he just wasn’t very good.
If he had been signed as a #5 guy at the appropriate salary no one would be complaining.
We do not need the kind of innings he offers.
I also agree that the genie is out of the bottle and a change of scenery might be a good thing.
Hopefully, Cashman and Huntington can get ‘er done this week.
I was looking at the Pirates roster and they have a few guys who might help us but I do not know
if they are available.
I believe the Yankees are looking for at least 6/yr in salary relief w/o anyone coming back.
Less if the Bucs give us something worthwhile.
No idea which path this might take but I hope it happens.
We’ll see soon enough.
VN-
And by the way, Good morning to you.
We shall see, indeed.
I hope they are able to get a body back, and not just salary relief. Out of our hands, though.
VN-
I hope it is true that Cashman might have alternatives.
Just in case the Pitt thing falls thru.
It always made the most sense to move Burnett. Just was a difficult task.
My guess is that Cashman has been at it all Winter and the market has finally formed.
Not sure what they do with Garcia if Hughes outpitches him for the 5 spot ?
I do not see Freddy as a particularly good BP guy.
Not only that. He would need to stay stretched out in case someone in the Ro goes down.
How do they accomplish that if he is the one in the pen ?
If he had been signed as a #5 guy at the appropriate salary no one would be complaining.
——————–
On the other hand if he was getting paid like a # 5 he might have been put in the pen or cut a long time ago.
Jeers-
This is true. The whole thing would have been much less of a problem if that were the case.
I think a fresh start is best for AJ also…..maybe a chance to revive his career a bit in a weaker division ans under less scrutiny.
If Hughes wins the 5th spot then Freddy goes to the pen…..I don’t think he really fits in that role though so it will be something to consider…….honestly I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world to start Phil at AAA and then see how things go….
Blake-
If Garcia happens to outpitch Hughes (which I doubt) it would make sense to keep Phil stretched out at AAA rather than throwing him back into the pen IMO.
We both believe that this is a particularly important year for Hughes.
I hope gets a chance to re-establish himself. He is still young but the clock is ticking.
The thing is we all know Freddy is not good in ST.
MTU,
Yup….the best case for the Yanks would be for him to come to ST and give the Yanks no.choice but to out him in the rotation…….
Jeers-
I guess that’s just how the Taco crumbles then.
Let them compete and the winner gets the spot.
Garcia is a great guy but he has no future as a Yankee. Hopefully Hughes does.
Yea I thibkbthe Yanks pretty much know what Garcia will give then……so the decision will probably come down to how Hughes looks moreso than howto Garcia throws.
Blake-
Let’s just hope Hughes is healthy and on a mission.
He’s worked hard this OS.
Show us the money now.
Garcia does not need to outpitch Hughes in spring training. Last year Garcia had a 6 ERA in spring training and 3.62 ERA for the regular season. Hughes needs to show in spring training that he could be at least as good as that regular season performance.
The competition for Ro spots on the Yankees is only gonna get tougher going forward.
By next year the 2B’s, Phelps, and/or Warren could be competing for a spot.
I hope Banuelos has an outstanding year. I want that 2nd lefty in the Ro, or a 3rd one.
mtu-
here’s the perfect look for gb7 whether he’s out for a hike with you or playing golf with me.
actually it comes in handy hiding from nurse karloff too
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....bble_Beach
Hughes is already working out in Tampa.
As are Nova, and others.
The motivation is definitely there.
I’d like to think that foreshadows good things to come.
Randy-
I like it but you can still see the face.
I think a “cloaking” device would be even better.
Like the one GB used in “Predator”.
Indeed, that last spot is Hughes’ to win, although I think we’d all be comfortable with Freddy in the 5th spot. These are good problems to have, plus no five man rotation stays in tact all season.
New thread —->
Good morning.
Randy-
That picture of Bill Murray-That’s Karl Spackler from Caddyshack 30 years later. Wonder if he was hunting gophers at Pebble Beach?
“Hopefully, Cashman and Huntington can get ‘er done this week.
I was looking at the Pirates roster and they have a few guys who might help us but I do not know
if they are available.”
mtu-
brian has decided to make lemonade out of lemons and has hired louise meanwell to pound on huntington’s door until he relents and takes aj burnett off his hands.
louise has been instructed to start off slow and get some low level minor league players but to slowly make more demands until huntington relents and starts to come up with some better players.
if he refuses, meanwell will move on to staking out his home calling his wife and family and saying she’s pregnant.
huntington will eventually cave under the pressure and take aj off cashman’s hands.
people underestimate cashman.
he always has a plan.
and remember , what he says to the press isn’t necessarily what he’s really doing.
that’s stealth
Randy-
If Meanwell can’t help to git ‘er done then we’ll bring out the heavy artillery.
We’ll use a Ratchett bomb.
That would scare anyone into submission.
If Burnett gets traded, then it seems likely the loser between Hughes and Garcia will go to the pen. As it exists now, their is no long man. Even if that is true, their is still an opening as the 7th guy in the pen. I wouldn’t be surprised if Okajima or Cabral pitch well in the spring they could make the tea.
I did see Okajima said his goal this year is to pitch against the Sox at Fenway.