Yankees DH search seems limited to Ibanez
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 19, 2012 
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Brian Cashman never said Raul Ibanez’s name this morning, but he seemed to eliminate every other candidate from his search for a designated hitter.
“The preference would be to find someone from the left side that can do some damage against right-handed pitching,” Cashman said. “But at the same time, in the event we have injuries that hit in season, (I’m looking for a player) that my manager could put out for defense. I’m not saying a quality defender, I’m saying someone that, for an extended period of time, can still provide some kind of defensive component to protect us in the event we have injuries as we move forward. That would be the criteria we’re looking at.”
The Yankees stopped seeing Hideki Matsui as a viable defensive player years ago, and Vladimir Guerrero is a right-handed hitter, not a lefty. Johnny Damon would seem to fit the profile, but Cashman acknowledged that he’s already told Damon that there’s another candidate at the top of the list.
“I’m going to look at something else first and see where that takes me,” Cashman said, relaying his conversation with Damon. “And if that doesn’t work out, I’ll get back to you.”
Eric Chavez is a left-handed hitter who can provide a defensive component, but Cashman said he doesn’t consider Chavez to be part of the DH market. Cashman would like to bring back Chavez in a bench capacity, but as of right now, he doesn’t view Chavez as a regular DH candidate.
“I guess it depends on how my conversations go with the DH candidates, where they go,” Cashman said. “Going into this right now, he’s not (a DH candidate), but could it work out that way if we signed him and didn’t do something else? It could. That’s not how we’re approaching this thing. I also don’t want to mislead anybody, there’s a possibility Chavez isn’t even here. I just don’t want this to make it look like, ‘I’m signing him, don’t worry, it’s going to happen, guys.’”
“I’d like to see him come back for us, (and) I’d like to get a left-handed DH here to complement what we have on our roster and give our manager a number of choices that make him feel comfortable matching up on a daily basis. But we’re not in a position yet to do any of that. All in due time this stuff will be working its way through.”
Well o-kay!
And so we wait and watch.
Have a great day y’all. I’m going to tune into the Linsanity for which I have paid dearly (literally).
He’s just not that into you.
Bret, wish I had known that before I signed up for NBA League Pass!
Eric Chavez………Ugh ! Can he even make 150 AB’s if signed without landing on the DL ?
Jeremy Lin cool. Must have read that here 6 times already today. We will see what he’s got when he faces a Rose / Rondo type defender.
Typical Cashman. Always something cryptic, “look at something else first”, in his responce. First Ibanez is put on hold till $$$ is freed up inna AJ Dump, and now this. Ibanez must have very few options at his disposal.
“We will see what he’s got when he faces a Rose / Rondo type defender.”
It may end up that he was just a flash in the pan. I’m hoping it isn’t that, and he sure has been fun to watch in the process. I’d say he is still learning. Don’t forget, he hasn’t had the same kind of experience that a lot of those other guys have. So the learning curve is still in play. But he sure has had some sweet games.
“Tar – when I was battered about from time-to-time, it wasn’t from being nasty to people. More often than not it was because I expressed what may have been an unpopular opinion and stuck to my guns. I took lots of heat for that.”
I probably didn’t express myself well, but that’s exactly what I was trying to say. You didn’t deserve the heat you got.
So your point is that he had some good games and is fun to watch…………
I’m also wondering if he’s a little intimidated playing with people like Stoudemire and Anthony. Maybe it makes him more self-conscious about his game and makes him less effective?
“So your point is that he had some good games and is fun to watch…………”
At this point what else could it be?
The other thing is that he’s playing a lot more than he was used to playing and so he might be a bit tired.
Oh yea fatigue is definitely a factor.
They all have limited options. Matsui, Damon, Guerrero, Ibanez. Bunch of old mares in a pasture and you get to take your pick.
How many teams need DH’s besides us? These guys might need to sit by the phone in case of injury/poor performances.
It may end up that he was just a flash in the pan
==========================
As is often the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Not a flash in the pan, but not an all star either. I think in the end, we’re seeing a competent NBA point guard.
One’s opinion here (me) Lin needs to turn out to be great because I believe the Knicks will never, ever win a championship with Carmelo Anthony as a main part of the team.
Those Mavs have some really big guys! How the heck do you defend 7 footers?
randy l. February 19th, 2012 at 11:31 am
“I think its easy to worry about Pineda’s CU and miss how rare it is for a guy to throw 97 with command and have a plus slider at age 22.”
blake-
you played at a high level. you’re a left handed hitter at yankee stadium with the bases loaded in the 6th inning with no one out with pineda pitching.
the count is 1-0. the first pitch was a fastball that missed away. what are you looking for as a hitter if pineda only has two pitches even if they are plus pitches?
you have to be looking fastball. if it spins you let it go. if that spinning pitch is a strike. you are still 1 and 1. so you look fastball on that second pitch.
you think that a good left handed major league hitter can’t hit a 97 mph four seam fastball when he’s guessing fastball and it’s 50/50 he’s going to get it?
—
In this situation, if I’m the catcher, since the hitter is probably looking to mash a fastball into the RF porch, I call a two seamer on the lower, outside part of the strikezone and either the hitter rolls over it or it’s a called strike.
That was very pretty by Fields!
Certainly a better start than the last game.
The other thing is that he’s playing a lot more than he was used to playing and so he might be a bit tired.
===========================
True, but that’s a 2 way street. When he entered the scene on February 4, he had played only 50 minutes all season and thus was considerably more fresh than those who had been playing regularly over the 1st 22-23 games of a condensed schedule. The true test for Lin will be how he fares when he’s 25-30 games into his season .
dogface, I’m thinking that he’ll be a lot better.
OMG, he is definitely a fast learner!
I’m a believer. He definitely has some cool skills!
Shawn Marion is excellent at defending PGs. Great start from Lin.
“I’m going to look at something else first and see where that takes me,” Cashman said, relaying his conversation with Damon. “And if that doesn’t work out, I’ll get back to you.”
how do we know for sure he was talking about Ibanez?
dogface, I’m thinking that he’ll be a lot better.
===============================
I think it’s far more likely that he flat lines, but wouldn’t discount any possibility.
Sorry but that is some beautiful ball-handling and passing from Lin.
I’ll stay with my guess that he’ll just get better.
I’m excited to watch in any event.
JR!!!!
The Knicks are soooo good and soooo deep. They just have to get everyone healthy and put it all together.
The Yankees also want Hughes to build up his trade value. Here is why: He is a free agent after the 2013 season. For financial reasons tied to the new collective bargaining agreement, the Yankees are prioritizing having a payroll under the luxury-tax threshold of $189 million. To get there, the only expensive starter the Yankees probably can have is CC Sabathia, especially if they intend to keep Robinson Cano and/or Curtis Granderson long term.
This is why the Yankees have been stockpiling young starters, hoping their 2014 rotation looks something like this: Sabathia joined by Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova (both of whom are not arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season) and prospects Manual Banuelos and Dellin Betances.
AP
Johan Santana
Of course, even talented young arms are unpredictable. Just look at Hughes: a big contributor to a 2009 championship as a setup man, a 2010 All-Star as a starter and a 2011 bust. Now he has to fight just to win a rotation spot this spring. He is 31-20 with a 4.46 ERA since he was not traded to Minnesota in 2007. But he has cost just $4 million total in that time. He is due $3.2 million this year. His cost is rising, and his clock is ticking.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....z1mqyOvD2L
It’s all about the knicks right now for me. OMG!!!
Blake,
Told you so.
Lock – isn’t it unbelievable to watch?! Their passing game looks unbelievable today!
Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher enters the walk year of his contract. And we have seen this work both ways with players — the lure of huge free-agent dollars motivating excellence or excrement.
Swisher has emphasized this season. In preparation for contract negotiations, last year he fired his long-time agent, the amiable Joe Bick, toyed with hiring Scott Boras and settled on hard-charging Dan Lozano, who took Albert Pujols from the Cardinals to the Angels this offseason.
But we also have seen what happens when Swisher puts too much pressure on himself: He is a career .169 hitter in 124 postseason at-bats, which includes a staggering one hit in 31 at-bats with runners in scoring position. So what happens if he turns his April-to-September walk year into one long October?
Enter Andruw Jones. It hardly was noticed, but from June 20 on last year, Jones had a .945 OPS (142 plate appearances), even doing some damage against righties (five homers in 47 at-bats). He left the 2011 season vowing to friends on the team that he was coming back to take someone’s job in 2012. And one of the Yankees’ mantras this offseason is how good Jones looks following knee surgery he underwent, in part, to be able to play the field more.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....z1mqz321Cz
- BLAKE -
That’s what makes the Cashman responce “cryptic”.
Just as I feared. The saved AJ money being spent on new blue blazers and boat shoes for Hank. In this case the apple did fall far from the tree.
http://johnsterling.blogspot.c.....-raul.html
?”Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.”
..very excited for tomorrow
Bret,
I don’t doubt that they’d trade Hughes for the right deal….but first he has to re-establish his value….and also the Yankees have to decide if he’s a long term solution in their rotation….if he reaches his potential over the next 2 years then that changes things.
By the 7/31 trading deadline, another LH hitter will shake out as some teams wave white flags in reducing payroll in the event that Ibanez doesn’t cut it.
trisha – Exciting! I really believe this team could get it done this year.
DYING!!!!
Talk about fast-pass!
Lock, makes me think about teams getting up to play the Yanks and the Yanks not always bringing their A game (the psychological thing.) So the other day the Knicks play one of the lesser-rans, and Okalahoma came out loaded for bear! In the end the Knicks almost pulled it off, but it was a fight all the way.
Today the Knicks play a tough opponent and they come out fighting!
You have to wonder if they automatically play harder with tougher teams.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Yankiverse ecstatic over impending Raul Ibanez signing
Posted by el duque at 8:13 AM
Power wash the Canyon of Heroes! Boob job for Lady Liberty! Electrically reanimate Rudy Giuliani. The secret is out: Raul Ibanez, our long-awaited LH-DH, is almost in the fold.
Raul Ibanez…
Raul. Ibanez.
If you were still wondering if Old George is truly dead – that he might be living on some remote island where his plane crashed with a bunch of TVgenic mystery characters – give it up. We now have the satellite photos that prove the Yankees have gone from a passion-fueled franchise to a soul-less, spreadsheeted corporation that would build an army of orcs, if it could save ten dollars on Purina Orc Chow.
George loved to bring old Yankees back for a last chance. Try to imagine him telling Johnny Damon – as Brian Cashman did this week – that his great games for the Yankees means nothing, that on the basis of some scouting report, or some memo, the Yankees prefered a National Leaguer over an old teammate, one who helped lead us from a dark period.
I recognize it’s a business. Also, as has been often stated, this blog is about Yankee Ids – we don’t pretend to be scouts, or analysts, or sportswriters, or mathematicians. It’s a passion blog. And the Yankees right now – being led by an executive clearly trying to keep personal passions to a minimum – look like a joyless and brutal organization.
Well, maybe it’ll work. Maybe we’ll win. I promise not to root against Ibanez, or Pineda, or anybody else we bring in at the expense of old friends. But George Steinbrenner, for all his foibles, would never have let Brian Cashman take the phone call from Johnny Damon. He would have taken it himself, and we’d have Johnny on a plane to New York within an hour. Moreover, Johnny would make damn certain – as we all suspect he will in 2012 – that he outhits Raul Ibanez, to show the Yankees who they should have signed.
Wait a minute. Lady Liberty would look incredible with a boob job.
http://johnsterling.blogspot.c.....-raul.html
kinda funny
Barring Swish having an MVP type season, I let him walk at seasons end. Just too iratic offensively come Playoff time. The Yanks are also gonna have to let Martin walk. Anybody heard anything new concerning Soler????
This Knicks team really shaping up to be something special.
JR Smith’s shooting ability is going to be enormous in this offense.
LINSANITY LIVES!!!!!
Geeze Louise he’s looking great. It’s that Harvard education that causes him to “get it”.
- 108 -
Your scenario fits Ichiro To-A-T.
When Baron Davis can get Lin some rest all while keeping the Knicks in games look out. Add Carmelo Anthony’s offense in this scheme. There is no weakness.
“Your scenario fits Ichiro To-A-T.”
except that Ichiro isn’t any good anymore
trisha – “You have to wonder if they automatically play harder with tougher teams.”
That does seem to be the case & very common. They’re playing much better today. also, It’s hard for the knicks & their fans when teams come into the garden to strutt their stuff
Just look at some of the reggie miller highlights
blake February 19th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Yankiverse ecstatic over impending Raul Ibanez signing
Posted by el duque at 8:13 AM
Power wash the Canyon of Heroes! Boob job for Lady Liberty! Electrically reanimate Rudy Giuliani. The secret is out: Raul Ibanez, our long-awaited LH-DH, is almost in the fold.
Raul Ibanez…
Raul. Ibanez.
If you were still wondering if Old George is truly dead – that he might be living on some remote island where his plane crashed with a bunch of TVgenic mystery characters – give it up. We now have the satellite photos that prove the Yankees have gone from a passion-fueled franchise to a soul-less, spreadsheeted corporation that would build an army of orcs, if it could save ten dollars on Purina Orc Chow.
George loved to bring old Yankees back for a last chance. Try to imagine him telling Johnny Damon – as Brian Cashman did this week – that his great games for the Yankees means nothing, that on the basis of some scouting report, or some memo, the Yankees prefered a National Leaguer over an old teammate, one who helped lead us from a dark period.
I recognize it’s a business. Also, as has been often stated, this blog is about Yankee Ids – we don’t pretend to be scouts, or analysts, or sportswriters, or mathematicians. It’s a passion blog. And the Yankees right now – being led by an executive clearly trying to keep personal passions to a minimum – look like a joyless and brutal organization.
Well, maybe it’ll work. Maybe we’ll win. I promise not to root against Ibanez, or Pineda, or anybody else we bring in at the expense of old friends. But George Steinbrenner, for all his foibles, would never have let Brian Cashman take the phone call from Johnny Damon. He would have taken it himself, and we’d have Johnny on a plane to New York within an hour. Moreover, Johnny would make damn certain – as we all suspect he will in 2012 – that he outhits Raul Ibanez, to show the Yankees who they should have signed.
Wait a minute. Lady Liberty would look incredible with a boob job.
http://johnsterling.blogspot.c…..-raul.html
kinda funny
—
This is what I’ve been thinking.
Ibanez and Chavez may not be the greatest signings. In particular, their age creates uncertainty as to how healthy they’ll be and how well they’ll perform. However, if the two of them can be signed for a total of $1 million to $2 million, that could leave some money available to pick up a trade deadline person in an area where need shows up as the season plays out.
- BLAKE -
Got you down for putting a fork in Ichiro. You must enjoy crow.
The Knicks need Baron to be healthy. The offense grinds to a halt with Lin on the bench.
Also need Amare to play some defense once in a while.
“Got you down for putting a fork in Ichiro. You must enjoy crow.”
if the Yankees trade for him and he turns in to Ichiro that can hit again then I’ll gladly have some.
Please don’t be hurt Tyson.
Tyson is tough he’ll be fine
Lin doesn’t look like a fluke or a guy playing over his head to me….how does a guy like this go unnoticed for that long?
This is make or break time for Hughes. He has two years before free agency, and he needs to put together two consistent, injury-free years if he expects to secure a decent contract.
It was disappointing that he came in out of shape last year. He is clearly in better physical condition this year. Some tried to explain away his year last year as the Verducci effect. But the Verducci effect does not prevent a player from getting in shape in the offseason.
That said, I expect a better year from him this year. Hopefully he can figure out a way to put away hitters with two strikes and get 15 or so wins. It’s possible he could be the second best starter in the rotation if everything falls into place this year.
I think it was more that he needed to adjust to certain things, probably due to his lack of experience with the different teams/defenses. Want to talk about a quick study? Holy sch-moly!
LG – definitely a different look with Lin on the bench!
blake February 19th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Lin doesn’t look like a fluke or a guy playing over his head to me….how does a guy like this go unnoticed for that long
—————-
Numbers crunch on other teams
Skills probably didn’t jump off the page
Not given enough mins to show what he
blake February 19th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Lin doesn’t look like a fluke or a guy playing over his head to me….how does a guy like this go unnoticed for that long
—————-
Numbers crunch on other teams
Skills probably didn’t jump off the page
Not given enough mins to show what he could do
Sorry for the double posts I hate typing on the phone.
I’m so tired of hearing Johnny Damon’s name, without any mention of his reverse splits the last two seasons. Nor about his defense issues. What’s up with that?
OMFW!!!
Jeremy Lin!!!!
4 turnovers. Much better than his previous games!