Up and down through the middle of March
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 19, 2012 
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The off day seems like a good time to take a look at some of the players making an early impression — one way or another — in Yankees camp. In some cases — Jose Gil hitting .667 or Robinson Cano hitting .185 — the numbers up to this point mean absolutely nothing. Gil isn’t likely to play his way onto the big league radar, and Cano isn’t going to play his way out of the big league lineup. But in some case, players are making an impression that just might matter at some point.
THREE UP
Curtis Granderson
.333/.385/.667 with five doubles
Seems like not much has been written about Granderson’s spring, but he’s been driving the ball consistently, which seems to be a good sign that he might be able to pick up where he left off. Obviously spring training numbers don’t mean much, especially when a lot of these at-bats have come so early in camp, but Granderson has at least given reason to believe last year’s breakout season wasn’t a fluke. So far, so good.
Phil Hughes
1.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, five strikeouts, one walk
Andy Pettitte might complicate things down the road, but for now, the Yankees are still trying to pick five starting pitchers from a group of six. And right now, Hughes is making a strong case that he belongs. With fastball velocity that’s much better than last spring, and fastball command that seems to be improving every time out, Hughes has been a very effective starter this spring, with the lowest ERA and lowest WHIP of any rotation candidate. Freddy Garcia’s hand injury did nothing to hurt Hughes’ cause.
Clay Rapada
0.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, seven strikeouts
A fairly late addition to Yankees camp, Rapada is trying to win the one open spot in the Yankees bullpen, and he’s making a pretty good case for the job. Through 5.1 innings, the lefty specialist has allowed just two hits while striking out seven. He has a track record of getting out left-handers in the big leagues, and depending on what the Yankees want from that last bullpen spot, might have emerged as a favorite to win a big league job.
THREE DOWN
Raul Ibanez
.065/.121/.097 with seven strikeouts
I’m a real believer that spring training numbers — especially at this point — don’t mean much. But there were plenty of fans who weren’t sold on Ibanez in the first place and his slow start has done nothing to ease those concerns. A lot of his spring at-bats have come against lefties, which he will hardly ever face in the regular season, but he’s admitted that his timing is off right now. Results in spring training might not mean much, but there are certainly plenty of people who would like to see some results at some point.
Adam Miller
54.00 ERA, four walks, no strikeouts
Two spring outings. That’s it. It’s a tiny sample size from a pitcher signed to a minor league deal, so it shouldn’t be even a blip on the radar. However, Miller is an intriguing possibility as a former elite prospect trying to work his way back from a series of injuries. He’s still just 27 years old with a past that makes people wonder “what if?” but his early spring impression did nothing but make him one of the first cuts. Not many pitchers have thrown particularly poorly in Yankees camp, but Miller certainly did.
Russell Branyan
Zero games played
He was always a long shot to make the team, but with Raul Ibanez struggling, Branyon might have been able to open some eyes and at least give the Yankees something to consider. Instead, he’s missed most of camp with soreness in his back. His situation wasn’t particularly good to begin with, but it’s only gotten worse as the injury has lingered.
NOWHERE TO GO
D.J. Mitchell, David Phelps
0.54 combined ERA, 16 strikeouts, six walks
Adam Warren and Dellin Betances have also pitched well this spring, but Phelps and Mitchell have been true standouts. Problem is, it’s hard to know what these numbers mean from two guys who are clearly no higher than eighth and ninth in the rotation pecking order. The addition of Andy Pettitte does nothing to help open a door for them, but they’ve been impressive.
Justin Maxwell
.368/.455/.474 with three stolen bases
The only problem with Maxwell is what to do with him. A shoulder injury robbed him of last year’s second half, but he was productive when he played, and he’s been terrific this spring. The toolsy outfielder might be a great fit on the bench if the Yankees had a spot for him. Instead, his big spring might only help his trade value because he’s out of options and the Yankees don’t seem to have room for him.
Alex Rodriguez
.292/.370/.625 with two home runs
No doubt about it, Rodriguez has been good this spring. But unlike Granderson, the questions surround Rodriguez have little to do with his ability to hit. They’re all to do with his ability to stay healthy. So far, Rodriguez has shown no signs of injury, but he showed no signs last spring either and wound up on the disabled list. There’s very little Rodriguez can prove this spring. His only test is whether he can stay on the field through the end of October.
Associated Press photos
Shame Spencer March 19th, 2012 at 11:46 am
stuckey – You’ve earned plus points!!
____________
Sorry Shame, but you said “undying love” and I aim to collect…
What about Zoilo ?
I think he made a positive impression. At least with the stick.
Guess you can’t mention everyone in a short article.
I think its becoming more obvious that the Rockies were shopping damaged goods like summer with Ubaldo and that they likely knew it…..bad form and buyer beware when dealing with them.
LOL stuckey – Don’t worry you’ve got that too, but I thought that was already understood! I don’t debate with anyone else nearly as often lol.
How crazy is it that Glenn Close dressed up as a pirate? I always remember that beard looking a little funny when I was a kid but I didn’t for a second think it was a woman!
blake-
“caveat emptor” for sure but I agree that’s below the belt.
You wonder how the Indian’s Physician’s didn’t catch it if it is as serious as it appears to be ?
Another player that shoulda been listed above is Chavez. I’ve seen him in 3 games, and offensively he looked lost and the same goes for his play at 1B. I like what I have seen outta NIX. Hall looks like his best years are FAR behind him. Good guy supposedly, but his tank is just about empty.
J. Al – Good stuff on Williams from the last thread.
I wanna get excited about the kid but much like Jessie Spano I’m also “so… scared!”
The way these prospects toy with my emotions is nothing short of scandalous…
Caveat emptor doesn’t override the implicit requirement of dealing in good faith, especially among what are, in effect, business partners.
MTU,
Yea I don’t know….the Indians gave up a lot to get him too.
payton to the broncos…
Shame, this is utterly safe for work, but may freak you out.
http://timeentertainment.files.....038;crop=1
“caveat emptor”
————
Ubaldo’s centaur name.
when you combine ibanez’s inability to hit with alex’s questions about ability to stay healthy, i think you get pointed in the direction i’ve been expecting since ‘the trade’, which is arod is going to be the dh most of the time. i expect he will get more starts at dh than 3b
I still am a little puzzled as to why the Yankees took Ibanez over Damon.
It sounds like JD was very flexible in his demands this time. He still doesn’t have a job.
And I do not for a second believe that Ibanez is a better OF’er than Damon ‘cept for the arm.
Oh well. The leash for Raul is gonna be a short one.
peyton on the broncos probably means tebow to the dolphins or jaguars.
I don’t think A-Rod will DH all that much.
Tebow time may have to continue elsewhere
“I still am a little puzzled as to why the Yankees took Ibanez over Damon.”
I really think it’s a distorted view of the ability to look good wearing a glove.
i dont want anything to do with damon. i think it could get real ugly about ab’s as he tried desparately to get to 3000. also he’s done as a fielder. pass…
Make Tebow a RB.
Would love to see Alex Smith go to the Dolphins, but SF probably just has to overpay for him now.
“March 19, 2012 at 12:01 pm I still am a little puzzled as to why the Yankees took Ibanez over Damon.”
They said its because they like Ibanez’s terrible defense better than Damon’s terrible defense….but in reality I think its because they didn’t want drama with Damon if a better option came along.
Rich-
I’m not excusing the possibility of underhanded tactics.
Just saying that you have to do your DD very carefully in any case.
Baseball is a small community and when you fail certain kinds of tests the word gets round.
These guys don’t necessarily skate.
No one complained about Jeter’s pursuit of 3000. To the contrary, they rightly celebrated it. There is never been a scintilla of evidence that Damon is anything but a professional who plays the game with integrity. This other stuff is nonsense.
I know MTU.
“I still am a little puzzled as to why the Yankees took Ibanez over Damon.”
My guess is the Yankees feel after 2010 the Yankees feel a reunion just wouldn’t be best for either party.
blake-
Yeah. you made that point in the past. It’s a good one.
I forgot.
MTU,
I just feel like they probably thought that if they brought Damon in and it didn’t work….then it would potentially be a messy situation during the season…..they can release Ibanez no problem and move on if they need to….
MLBN reporting a settlement in the Wilpon case.
Fred will pay $162m – if I got that right- no payment for three years, and might receive as much as $70m from trustee as a net loser. Fred still owes about more than $100m more to various creditors this year, plus payroll.
It looks like he will maintain control if the team, for now. However, it appears that the mets will remain in a crippled, debilitated state for the foreseeable future.
Shame Spencer March 19th, 2012 at 11:59 am
J. Al – Good stuff on Williams from the last thread.
I wanna get excited about the kid but much like Jessie Spano I’m also “so… scared!”
The way these prospects toy with my emotions is nothing short of scandalous…
///
Shame, you can probably rest easy with this one. He’s an up the middle player who is also left-handed, has an advanced approach already at the plate, and already is 3-tool and maybe 4 and could wind up with five when all is said and done. Plus they think his “makeup” is off the charts.
He’s pretty safe, but then again, I thought a sick hit tool would have saved……the Savior himself…..so there are no iron-clad guarantees
.
If you don’t want to fall hard, stay out of the goofy miL parks
blake-
Yup.
blake
Why was it ok to see if it would work with Pettitte at about $10m, when there is a reasonable risk that it may not given the year off, and not Damon at far less?
stuckey – You’re messin me up today… I planned on working diligently until I started Google-ing Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs, Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan, and Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena just to compare.
Who thinks Swisher is gonna be our RF’er next year ?
Opinions welcome.
My own take is that it is less than 50/50. Maybe signifcantly so.
Shame really because he loves being a Yankee.
Rich,
Damon isn’t coming out of retirement…and he’d want a major league deal and spot in the lineup….Andy himself admitted he just wanted to try….so I think its understood that it may not work out and Andy apparently understands that…..I see your point but I think the circumstances and personalities involved are different.
“Mason reminds me of Jeter when he came up.”
i can see that.
“March 19, 2012 at 12:15 pm Who thinks Swisher is gonna be our RF’er next year ?”
I think someone else will be.
Good thing Mason’s last name isn’t “Jar” because if it was all he would good for is canning fruit.
OTOH having Williams as his last name as an OF’er almost guarantee’s success.
MTU,
If Almonte can take off this year, I continue to go with him as the darkhorse replacement (although maybe I now change my original ‘darkhorse’ to ‘on notice’ replacement after his camp).
Someone could emerge, but its ZA’s SH power potential and OF versatility that makes him particularly viable.
With the plus OFers they have on the horizon, Mason/Ravel/Heathcott, plus their self-imposed financial goals, I don’t see getting locked in to Nick Swisher.
blake
But they were willing to give Pettitte a ML deal at something like $10m according to reports, right?
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t understand the perception that Damon is any less self-effacing than Pettitte.
Blake-
Me too.
I just can’t see them making the cap with the cost of cano, grandy, martin, and swish.
maybe I’m wrong ?
Thanks JAP.
Much as I like Swisher that’s how I see it too.
Too pricey under the current restraints.
The other 3 are more of a necessity for now.
I think GGBG needs to have a big season too.
MTU-
Hope you’re feeling better. Watched Dateline last night. They did a segment filmed around Zion National Park in Utah. The Mexican Drug cartel has been growing and harvesting marijuana there, armed and dangerous. Is there any danger around the areas you hike in? The DEA has been tracking them.
damon needs to go to a place that’s not competing for the playoffs and go for three thousand.
it’s not complicated.
- TOP FANTASY BARGAINS TO DATE -
(1) ALEX RODRIQUEZ – Been going for $20-$22 in the 18 Mocks I have done. 3B being on the thin side, only adds to this steal.
(2) JOHN MAYBERRY JR – Qualifies at all 3 OF Positions, and on-the-come. If your inna deep League, you need this guy. He goes for Under $5.
(3) FELIX DUBROUNT – Lefty R\Sox Chucker that made the Yanks look sick early last week. If Valentine tabs him for the 5 Slot, he’s a $1 “unknown”, that instantly becomes a “must have”.
randy
Again, why was that ok for Jeter (and soon A-Rod) and not Damon (and that’s not a diss of Jeter or A-Rod at all)?
YT-
We have had some issues with some of them growing pot in our remote areas.
There have been some very high profile busts and I think that has really slowed them down.
I personally have never had any issues or run-ins (thankfully) because these are some bad dudes-
MS13 types.
And thanks for thinking of me. I am feeling much better.
Hope your back is better too.
damn, just watched live slow mo of tiger’s new swing.
really good.
YT-
I better be extra careful.
I’m headed out to Zion on Weds.
rich in nj-
i’m all for damon going for it.
just not with the yankees.
jeter was never in danger of not getting it.
damon is going to be on fumes if he crosses the finish line.
it could very well affect how he plays.
of course that was the rap on boggs too.
MTU, we also have Abe ALmonte this year down here, another one to watch.
I’d like to see Gardner take a step re hitting for average this year. Getting back to .270-ish would do it, especially if he can get on base and use his legs once he gets there.
I slightly understand why Ibanez is getting at bats against lefties, but is it really all that important that the majority of his work this ST is against lefties when his primary use will be against right hand starters?
I get it that you want to see how he might handle getting in a situation with a lefty reliever brought in and no alternate bat to put in his place, but that shouldn’t happen all that often. Why not see what he does against the type of pitching he was brought in for?
I was not for Ibanez, I’d have rather them sign Damon, but being that they signed him shouldn’t their biggest concern be if he can perform in the role they have laid out for him? It also might help his timing more by getting the type of pitching he can hit better against.
It just seems a really odd way of going about things with Raul.
Rich,
Yea but I just see if as a different situation….maybe im totally off base.
Randy,
Tiger’s swing was a mess for years….I think Haney messed him up and he continued winning in spite of it until he got hurt and the scandal……recently he’s started looking more like his old self…..if he can stay healthy and get the putter going again he will be back as good as ever.
randy
Except nothing other than a one year contract has ever been publicly mentioned for Damon, any necessity to “be on fumes” won’t take place this year because he can’t hit 3000 this season no matter what.
If anything, it may make him more productive because he wants 3000 and he isn’t that close yet.
Meanwhile, he is the best DH option (along with Vlad) of any publicly discussed, but instead the signed the ghost of Ibanez.
JAP-
I was talking to GB about this the other day.
It would be great if one of our guys breaks out and surprises us.
Otherwise, if we do not re-sign Swisher we are gonna have to make a trade I would think.
Much better if it could be an in-house guy.
Even if it was just to hold the fort until guys like mason, ravel, or Heathcott can arrive.
We do have a lot of trade chips though.
rich are you suggesting that the yankees gave jeter more ab’s in order to facilitate his getting 3k hits or that they will bat arod more in order to get him over? the problem is that damon needs alot of ab’s that he wouldnt necessarily get on this team in order to reach 3000. this wasnt true of jeter and wont be true of arod.
rich did you see vlad last year, he was terrible. statistically he was one of the worst cleanup hitters in the majors and even o’s fans were screaming for him to be benched at times.
Blake-
Didn’t Tiger always have his putter goin’, and wasn’t that what got him into trouble in the first place ?
damon also has 2 full months last year where his obp was under .300. this isnt the johnny damon that played for the yankees.
I’d rather have the guy pushing for playing time and 3000 hits than the guy who can’t hit.
MTU,
“I personally have never had any issues or run-ins (thankfully) because these are some bad dudes-
MS13 types.”
mtu -
i’ll check with gb7 and see if he can spare nurse karloff for
your hikes.
she’ll scare the scales off a rattlesnake.
you’ll be safe.
no drug cartel would mess with her.
If Swisher performs like he did in 2010, in this walk year, his numbers will be hard to replace. The FA market for OF’ers is slim this offseason, and the Yankees migh want only a one year stopgap until hopefully one of their minor league players are ready.
Their big decisions will be whether to extend Cano and Granderson this offseason, rather than let them get to FA. Some younger than 30 FA OF’ers that might be available, but all have issues-Delmon Young, BJ Upton and Melky Cabrera.
Rich,
As you know I think they should have signed Damon…..but that’s the only way I can rationalize it….saying you signed a platoon DH/5th outfielder because of defense doesn’t even make any sense.
Thanks Randy. Appreciate it.
Maybe GB would loan me his Blunderbuss ?
“rich are you suggesting that the yankees gave jeter more ab’s in order to facilitate his getting 3k hits or that they will bat arod more in order to get him over? the problem is that damon needs alot of ab’s that he wouldnt necessarily get on this team in order to reach 3000. this wasnt true of jeter and wont be true of arod.”
No, I’m not.
Damon knows the role he would be playing and he has publicly stated that he is interested.
Rich in NJ March 19th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
randy
Again, why was that ok for Jeter (and soon A-Rod) and not Damon (and that’s not a diss of Jeter or A-Rod at all)?
///
My off-the-cuff conjecture is Jeter’s being homegrown make his accomplishments along the path ours as well; Alex was chasing Bonds when he was ‘pristine,’ and even though this is post all that, his quest is for an all-time mark and HRs are just sexier for most people (plus greater merch potential?). Damon’s quest seems more an individual thing, and while it’s dumb to consider a guy collecting hits in your uniform as running counter to the team goal of winning games, they might choose to view it as being an individual “egoic” concern. To me, it just would increase your gate to have a guy chasing that, and it would also add excitement to games, but maybe they just don’t really embrace Damon in that way.
donny, im with you on arod, i drafted him 77th in a mock draft last night, but the other guys will be on the waiver within the first month.
“…recently he’s started looking more like his old self…..if he can stay healthy and get the putter going again he will be back as good as ever.”
blake -
it’s the first time i’ve liked his swing in a long time. i’d like to see him get back to where he was.
i think he changed the game of golf , and he deserves it to himself to get back on track and make a run on nicklaus.
The Yankees have shown over the years you needn’t be drafted by them or be a lifer or even spend a lot of time with them to become part of the Yankee inner circle.
Damon, despite him getting a ring with them, didn’t seem to endear himself to the team.
That’s not a knock on Damon, not everyone clicks as it may be as much about the yankees than it is about Damon.
But 2010′s break-up was a little messy and it seems like as good a guess as any that the Yankees are just not interested in a reconciliation.
How much more evidence does one need that this was/isn’t about stats?
My problem with Vlad has Always been his base running. The guy runs the bases like one of the Marx Bros.
“Damon’s quest seems more an individual thing, ”
Why, JAP? When has Damon been anything other than the consummate team player?
Damon’s OPS+ last year was 110, his career is 105. He played in a pitcher’s park. It seems many don’t understand that, including the Yankees. Either that or it was something personal.
rich in nj
It could have to do with Damon turning down a good 2yr. offer.
Cashman had said he wasn’t interested in signing guys that were using the Yankees to enhance their value somewhere else.
It appears like Damon has no offers. Why do you think that is?
“it’s the first time i’ve liked his swing in a long time.”
Seemed like he was always coming across the ball before……and his swing was like old man flat……
best sleeper in fbb drafts right now is justin smoak (mdc adp #262 20th ranked 1B) imo.
This Damon pursuit of 3000 thing is a media created issue. From what I have Seen, the guy has ALWAYS been a team player.
“Maybe GB would loan me his Blunderbuss ?”
yes, good thinking.
nurse karloff will protect you from the bad guys, but the blunderbuss is a good idea to protect you from nurse karloff. just bring enough raw meat along and keep her well fed to increase your odds.
I’m going with Lind at 1B in my Fantasy Mocks.
Damon’s 2011 walk rates were significantly down, his OPS+ vs. righties was 92, he can’t field well, and the Yankees probably could care less about his quest for 3000. They let him walk in 2009; therefore, why would they re-sign him in 2011. Also, they probably have plans to improve the DH slot if Ibanez fails. As for re-signing Pettitte, they likely think he can still pitch; he’s a lefty, and he’s Andy Pettitte, a homegrown Yankee.
“Either that or it was something personal.”
Ding!
YS Guy-
Vlad, when I last checked hit .290 and his average was good against righties and lefties. I remember his spray chart as being able to hit to all fields. He struck out less than Ibanez and Damon, and of course never walks. I’m not saying he’d have been a pure DH better option, but Ibanez, who will make the team, will not get many DH chances if he soon doesn’t start to hit.
Maine
“Cashman had said he wasn’t interested in signing guys that were using the Yankees to enhance their value somewhere else.”
The last two times taht Cashman’s contract was about to expire, his friends in the media quoted sources that said that he was ready to move on. Why? Because he wanted to increased his leverage? That’s part of life
You really believe that Damon has no offers? I don’t.
Boras is likely holding out until someone goes down thereby raising his client’s price.
“Seemed like he was always coming across the ball before……and his swing was like old man flat……”
i think both tiger and alex both lost their A swing when they started having leg problems.
hopefully they both get their games back.
Randy-
Razors blades and shaving cream seem to be good repellents too.
A real turnoff to “it” from what GB says.
in the later rounds of an fbb snake draft (im also doing an auction) im not looking to fill a position, i’m just taking flyers on who could potentially jump up like berkman did last year. smoak is a good candidate for that. i’ve been all over the place in mock drafts, mcab, pujols, tex, konerko, lind…
It appears like Damon has no offers. Why do you think that is?
———————————-
It could be that not one AL team needs a DH, unless the A’s want to sign him to a 50 game contract while Manny is serving his suspension!!
Much better if it could be an in-house guy.
Even if it was just to hold the fort until guys like mason, ravel, or Heathcott can arrive.
///
Yeah, I do think Almonte, though, would have to sustain a leap he’s apparently in the process of making throughout the year, and if that happens, I don’t see him as a hold the fort type. He’s got some serious talent. If he can really harness it, and learn to identify and deal with breaking stuff better, he’ll look more like a guy who could become a significant contributor, at least until the Big 3 are ready. Of course, Almonte has to do it at the plate for that step to be a genuine one.
“Razors blades and shaving cream seem to be good repellents too.
A real turnoff to “it” from what GB says.”
you can’t have too many defenses against nurse karloff.
if she gets through them, the mexican cartels will be the least of your worries.
JAP-
Then let’s hope it happens.
I like pleasant surprises.
yankeefeminista March 19th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
his OPS+ vs. righties was 92
—
Likely a fluke. He has historically been better vs rhp.
MTU -
Good morning/afternoon. I don’t see Swisher as the RF after this season, unless there are zero options available. Cashman may package some of the excess AAA options to deal for a younger, better bat and glove. JMHO.
Granderson always flies under the radar, which is amazing. The guy had a phenomenal year last year and he was hardly covered by the NY media. He’s near the top of my list of favorites and I hope he’s here for the long haul.
“Boras is likely holding out until someone goes down thereby raising his client’s price.”
Risky calculation, considering most teams probably don’t see him as an everyday OF option and only 13 other teams besides the Yanks have a need for a DH.
Then, because it’s now March 19 and Damon is probably 3 weeks behind everyone, the someone that would need to go down with need to go down long-term for Damon to be of any use.
Long-term injury to one of the AL’s 13 everyday(ish) DH’s.
That’s pretty long odds.
Randy-
I used to carry garlic cloves, a cross, and silver bullets too.
Man. What a serious case of ugly.
I hope she stays in Maine.
In the very Northern part.
Rich in NJ March 19th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
“Damon’s quest seems more an individual thing, ”
Why, JAP? When has Damon been anything other than the consummate team player?
///
Just using your comparison with Jeter and ARod. I agree he’s a good team guy, and I don’t think Yankees who played with him would disagree. There was even emotion in his voice after Jeter’s 5-for-5 day that babbed the 3K, as he was on the opposing bench that day.
I also don’t know that the Yankees harbored an aversion to him questing for 3k in the uniform, just speculating off the given theoretical premise that if they did, why that might be.
Mason reminds me of Jeter when he came up.
that *bagged* the 3K
# J. Alfred Prufrock March 19th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
mick, I see it. He’s got a certain innocence, boyishness, earnestness, but also an unflappable confidence (this was apparent in Brooklyn as well; he just has a way of wordlessly asserting that he’s “somebody” like Jeter does, and like Jeter, without strut or arrogance).
He also seems to have Jeter’s alertness to what’s going on around him, and his brand of respectful, old world charm.
JAP
And he looks alot like the young Jete
just because we don’t always hear about things while they are happening or ever in some cases doesnt mean nothing’s going on. we didn’t know about damon’s depression and thoughts about retiring while with the yankees when that was going on, nor did we hear much about the yankees helping him with money when he was in a financial bind. there’s alot that happens behind the scenes. i think the yankees disinterest with damon is mostly rooted in non-baseball related matters that we don’t know much or anything about.
rich in nj
Just my opinion but I think if Damon wanted to play he should’ve signed already.
I think he loses leverage the longer he waits.
Thanks Al.
It would be nice if one of our in-house guys breaks out.
If not I suppose it’s the FA, or trade route.
Hope things work out well for you.
Anyone know the scheduled pitchers?
Mon-off
Tues-Pineda
Wed-?
Th-CC in a minor league game. Phelps vs Boston
Fri-?
jacksquat March 19th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
yankeefeminista March 19th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
his OPS+ vs. righties was 92
—
Likely a fluke. He has historically been better vs rhp.
____
Hard to say though. He is after all 38 years old; maybe his bat has slowed down. And what about his walk % dropping 3.4%. That’s a big drop. I didn’t watch him hit that much, so don’t know what his issues were, be it bat speed decline, injuries, etc. but those numbers are a little troubling.
Was this already posted?
Vladimir Guerrero intends to play this season, agent Fern Cuza confirmed to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). If the 37-year-old doesn’t have a job by the time Spring Training ends, he’ll explore opportunities in Japan.
Betsy, it depends on what Granderson wants in years an $$$ I guess, but the Yankees would be foolish to let him walk.
Where else are they getting a plus CF with true left-handed power who can also amass triples and doubles? Also, off last year, he’s one of the few true non “platoon” types we have. When he came here, he said he was willing to move to LF (almost like a second CF in NYS). If Mason really kicks butt to get here, they can always move Grandy to left. With his speed, I’m sure he will handle the LCFG just fine.
of course that was the rap on boggs too.
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speaking of boggs…was watching the 96 WS game 5 yesterday and noticed torre had charlie hayes at 3b up 2nd against smoltz….where was boggs?
MTU -
Thanks my friend.
So I read you’re going to the bad lands this week. Hope you have a very fast ATV, lots of gas and water, plus a brick of ammo.
????????????
Where else are they getting a plus CF with true left-handed power who can also amass triples and doubles?
=====================
Mason?
sorry, lohud apparently couldn’t handle the japanese characters for “goodbye and good luck, vlad!”
m,
Tuesday: Michael Pineda
Wednesday: Phil Hughes
Thursday: David Phelps (CC Sabathia in the minors)
Friday: Hiroki Kuroda (home), Ivan Nova (road)
Maybe his hit chart in Tropicana didn’t help Damon win any jobs. No power to left field.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/p.....hnny-damon
Just my opinion but I think if Damon wanted to play he should’ve signed already.
======================
Johnny might have to hit 3000 in Japan.
Say?nara vuraddo to k?un
mick March 19th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
JAP
And he looks alot like the young Jete
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Yeah, there’s a little bit of a resemblance. He could even have biracial parents; same skin tone.
matsui, vlad, damon and ibanez can all charter a flight to tokyo together!
I’m not saying Damon would come with no concerns, I’d just much rather have him than Ibanez.
mick, I see it. He’s got a certain innocence, boyishness, earnestness, but also an unflappable confidence (this was apparent in Brooklyn as well; he just has a way of wordlessly asserting that he’s “somebody” like Jeter does, and like Jeter, without strut or arrogance).
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and like jete he looks like he could pepper that RF wall
Al-
you’re welcome. I hope the twins are doing well too.
I have those things but this trip is to the civilized portion of Zion. Not needed. No backcountry stuff this time. Just getting back into the swing of things. Slowly.
mick March 19th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Where else are they getting a plus CF with true left-handed power who can also amass triples and doubles?
=====================
Mason?
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Williams does not have Granderson’s power. Granderson has conventional COF type power as a CF, and he’s a lefty.
Williams does not have Granderson’s power. Granderson has conventional COF type power as a CF, and he’s a lefty.
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as is our future cf williams…he looks like he can reach the porch
he won’t stay at 150 lbs, if he hasn’t already…
J Alfred, if the Yankees decide that winning is less important than making a profit and they want to treat this like a business like every other team, then I don’t want to hear Hal complain if the Yankees struggle. You don’t find CF like Granderson every day; when they traded for him, you hoped for something like this. So then what, you let him go because he’s too good and too expensive? Good players are expensive – that’s just how it is.
Andy and Mo both need a ring this year.
Betsy-
unfortunately, the 189 cap has put a crimp in the yankee’s style.
They are gonna get under for ’14 and ’15.
After that they will spend big again is my bet.
IMO the 2 most likely candidates to be affected are swisher and martin, in that order.
I expect them to keep cano and grandy.
Grandy is a little less certain but I’m pretty sure he stays.
Who doesn’t like Mason so far ?
He is still a long way from the ML’s though.
Let’s see what he does at a higher level than the NY Penn league this year.
that should tell us a lot more.
as is our future cf williams…he looks like he can reach the porch
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yes I agree he can hook some shots in there. He’s the CF of the future. But the Yankees have a rare combination of glove, speed, plus triples, doubles and HR power in Granderson. He’s the reason they’ve been able to carry Gardner’s complete lack of slug in left field, and Granderson is really going to have to hit for average and power this year with Martin now the C.
Granderson has such legit power that he can swing over to LF to make room for Williams in center, so it isn’t either/or.
I imagine since the Yankees have an off day today, that they’ll be announcing the first round of cuts
MTU-
If Mason Williams starts the year at high A Tampa, and ends up moving to Trenton later in the year, is there an outside chance he might be an option for the big league club sometime in 2013?
MTU, I hope you’re right. I don’t expect them to blow up a budget and just spend spend spend spend like money is going out of style, but if you want to win, you need to accumulate good players. Going with cheaper options who are not as good does not help the standings and perhaps not the bottom line if the team doesn’t make the playoffs.
YT-
I don’t think so.
I’m not even convinced he’ll get to Trenton.
He is very young.
GB usually has a better handle on these things.
You might ask him.
If I remember correctly he thought Mason’s earliest possible ETA was 2014, and that is if everything
broke just right.
MTU -
This is the way to go out by you.
http://www.canamoffroad.com/si.....tails.aspx
If Granderson is still this player in two years and will do a reasonable contract then I think they’ll sign him to play LF maybe…..we just have to see how it goes and how much money they have left in the budget….ans what he asks for……if they send Mason to Tampa and skip Charleston all together then you’d have to assume they are fast tracking him and that perhaps they believe he might be big league ready by 2014……that seems really ambitious to me but we shall see.
Anybody see Cabrera take two-hopper just below his right eye? Out of the game.
Betsy-
I think they are going to be forced to prioritize a little more than they used to for a while.
They are going to be relying heavily on in-house options for the Ro, pen, and bench.
Even doing that I don’t think they can’t afford all 4 of Cano, Grandy, Martin, and Swisher.
IMO of those 4 the one who is the most expendable from the Yankees POV would be Swisher.
Maybe I’m wrong ? we’ll see.
Miggy just got hit in the face with a ball I think and was bleeding pretty bad.
Betsy March 19th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
J Alfred, if the Yankees decide that winning is less important than making a profit and they want to treat this like a business like every other team, then I don’t want to hear Hal complain if the Yankees struggle. You don’t find CF like Granderson every day; when they traded for him, you hoped for something like this. So then what, you let him go because he’s too good and too expensive? Good players are expensive – that’s just how it is.
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They are. They let a great young hitter go in the trade for Pineda, so Granderson and his bat speed have become even more important for the next little while. I think Granderson is a little under appreciated, and part of it are the dubious defensive metrics that rate him so low as a defender. This is why I never get into WAR discussions; I don’t buy the defensive metrics that are figured into that rating. Really, the Yankees would be hard-pressed to do better in CF than Granderson. He’s not a great for average hitter, but his slugging is great, and he slugged .597 against LHP last season. His .309/.377/.631 against LHP was ridiculous, considering how he came to us. His slug is over .500 against RHP as well.
Cabrera bleeding like he just went a few rounds with Ali. Ugly.
Al-
Oh Yeah. That is one nice machine. That’s stylin’
MTU, I don’t want to re-sign Swisher, so I’m fine with him leaving.
They are going to have to prioritize, but I think having an all-star CF is something that should be priority – that is, letting him leave would be a mistake.
Blake, I think that’s extremely unrealistic. Even if Williams proves to be major league ready in a few years, he’s not going to be what Granderson is now.
No point in worrying about it now though.
blake -
I tend to be a bit more cautious, ever since I thought A-Jax was our next CF.
Hope Mitchell is able to play soon, the Tar Heels looked good. Henson does make a big difference to their team play.
J Alfred, I pay zero attention to alphabet soup stats. Defensive metrics that diminish either Tex or Granderson are a joke…….and really, I just don’t care about these newfangled mathematical figures. Give me HRs, RBIs, etc…any day. I’ll take Granderson’s BA along with his power/RBI numbers any day of the week.
Ok, back to the office. Later!
Betsy,
If Grandy is still this player I think they’ll keep him…he fits the organization and he’s really good.
Al,
Having Henson back is great….but if Marshall can’t play they are done…..they might coukd win the next game but I doubt they’d make it any farther without him.
isnt mitchell due for surgery?
It’d be one thing if they reflected reality, but they often don’t. Even their creators apologize for the technology and keep trying to improve them.
I’m also out. Good one, all.
And think planning on Mason in 2014 is unrealistic as well….there are just rumors out there that he may start at Tampa this year and I can’t really think of another reason why you’d skip him an entire level at his age……unless they think he’s that type guy that can move that fast.
Marshall was having surgery today…from what I’ve gathered if the fracture is displaced then he’s done …..if its not and they can stabilize it securely then there is a chance he can play.
I’ll catch you all later too.
blake, you never know, but they certainly can’t count on it. The last thing they need to do is rush any of these guys to avoid paying out for someone like Granderson. Even if he does really soar, the ML season is a grind and then there’s playoffs. Better if he’s not here as The Man right away. Granderson isn’t a bad mentor, either.
Later.
blake -
I find it strange Marshall played 10 minutes after the injury, so it might not be as bad as first thought. He’s good enough to play right handed only.
“I hope you’re right. I don’t expect them to blow up a budget and just spend spend spend spend like money is going out of style, but if you want to win, you need to accumulate good players.”
______________
The issue is more complicated than just spending to some arbitrary level of what’s enough but not too much.
If the Yankees aren’t under $189m by 2014, then they’re spending an extra $50 cents on every dollar they spend over that. A $220m budget (for example) isn’t $220m, it’s REALLY $235.5m.
Then there is the revenue share rebate, which is tens of millions more.
The question is, should the Yankees ownership expect the Yankees to be a TOP-TIER with a $189m dollar payroll, which is 2014 will likely still be the highest payroll in baseball, likely a substantial margin?
I think this forum could also benefit from some of the critics of the 2014 plan to be more specific.
Criticism most often comes in the form of frustration over the IDEA of them not retaining certain players due to budget.
I’d like to see some of the more vocal critics go on the record as to what you think the Yankees spending ceiling SHOULD be?
Let’s hear some real figures?
Things to do, catch y’all later.
“And think planning on Mason in 2014 is unrealistic as well….there are just rumors out there that he may start at Tampa this year and I can’t really think of another reason why you’d skip him an entire level at his age……unless they think he’s that type guy that can move that fast.”
I think we may have all gotten used to the idea of slow-moving prospects given Montero, Romine and pitchers have been the only real big-time prospects of note the last several years.
Non-catching hitters can move quick through a system, particularly of they have defensive tools as well.
Hell, AAA entirely is increasingly being seen as just a pit stop for a top hitting prospect.
You don’t want a prospect to be overwhelmed, but you also want him to be challenged.
If any of the young hitters are for real, a couple could easily be knocking on the door by the end of 2013.
Which Brett Marshall is injured-the Tarheel?
So Peyton is going to sign with the Broncos.
Stuckey,
I agree….but it comes with the caveat that the guy be physically mature …..Im not sure Mason is there yet….maybe he will be kn two years who knows…..maybe they just want to challenge him and see how good he really is. Position players can move faster though so we will see.
AL,
He said it hurts every time he dribbles with his right hand……I think it just depends….im hoping he can play…..even at 70% he’d give then a chance.
broncos will ship tebow out as soon as they can. elway wants no part of the guy. dolphins and jaguars can sell luxury boxes if they get him.
It’s Kendall Marshall, not Brett-my bad. Is it his non shooting hand?
“It’s Kendall Marshall, not Brett-my bad. Is it his non shooting hand?”
Yes…..its his right hand….he’s a Lefty.
Sickels or Baseball Prospectus mentioned this some time ago … the level of competition in short-season A (NYPL) and long-season A (SAL) is comparable. The real difference is that the longer schedule in long-season league requires a player to show more stamina and strength.
If Yanks think Williams is strong enough right now, A+ ball shouldn’t be a big leap for him.
YF,
Thanks!
sure you’ll see Wayne sign soon with Denver & why not Dallas Clark also
anyone miss me?
Gardner didn’t miss you, joeman!
J’ville would kill to have Tebow.
Tom,
I saw the Cabrera play. Ouch!!! It appears to hit right under his eye.
• The Michael Kay Show will have Andy Pettitte on ESPN New York 1050 today at 5 p.m.
Well, Kay makes me ill, but I probably will listen if free.
wayne signed with colts
Wayne signed back with Colts…shoot
I saw the Cabrera play. Ouch!!! It appears to hit right under his eye.
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back to dh?
m March 19th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Gardner didn’t miss you, joeman!
————————
I’m off that he’s here to stay….
Austin,
That was a real bad hop. Could happen to anyone. Wish im well.
The biggest mistake the Yankees could make with Mason Williams is to let his look at the right field stands. Let him hit the way he’s always hit. When he’s a little smarter and a little stronger, Long or Piniella can teach him to pull the ball like Piniella did with Mattingly. First, he needs to be smart enough to know that not every pitch is meant to be pulled. Guys like Giambi and lately, Teixeira forgot that as soon as they saw right field.
Dear Brian – please, I beg you, stop the Ibanez experiment and realize he is terrible. You can say “it is just spring training”, but that only goes so far when someone is this horrendous.
Personally, I want to see them hang onto Maxwell and see how he works out as an extra outfielder. I am almost certain that he has a better season than Ibanez, and that is all that matters at this point in the season…
Maxwell strikes out 33% of the time – IF we are going to put up with strike outs I’d rather have Baby Jorge Vasquez instead…
HC
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports.....JxUA09oW0K
Freddy Garcia needs to shut up considering he will be the most expensive mopup/ swing-man in MLB unless there is someone else making more than him and he will be in the rotation if someone gets injured unless he’s so good in the bullpen the Yanks want to keep him there (and/or someone in AAA is doing so well he earns the callup.)
Sabathia/Kuroda/Pineda/Nova/Hughes will be the rotation to start 2012, Pettitte will replace one of the starters after Sabathia (most likely Hughes because Hughes has the most MLB experience in the bullpen), and that’s that.
If Garcia doesn’t like it, he can request a trade to an NL team (as no way the Yanks should trade him to an AL team) and maybe the Yanks can accomodate him.
His reply to a question about whether Pettitte’s return is good for the team is BS.
I think the Yanks are indeed going to fast track Mason and start him in High-A as they believe he can handle it and at the same time the OF in Charleston is going to be crowded with Ravel Santana in RF, Eduardo Sosa CF, Daniel Lopez LF Kevin De Leon and Ben Gamel all needing regular playing time.
Mason will be in Tampa with J.R. Murphy, Gary Sanchez, Anderson Feliz, Slade Heathcott and maybe Ramon Flores….That Tampa team initially won’t be as stacked as the Charleston team will be with the likes of;
Eduardo Sosa CF
Cito Culver SS
Ravel Santana RF
Dante Bichette JR 3B
Rey Nunez DH/1B
Tyler Austin DH/1B/3B
Angelo Gumbs 2B
Isaiah Tejada C
Daniel Lopez LF
but could still be very good prospect-wise if they do something like this in Tampa
Mason CF
Anderson Feliz 2B
Slade Heathcott RF
Gary Sanchez C/DH
Ramon Flores LF
JR Muprhy DH/C
Kyle Roller 1B
Rob Segedin 3B
Jose Mojica SS
On second glance that Tampa lineup may actually be better than that Charleston lineup!!!
Lots of high ceiling guys in the system poised to make names this season…
If Ibanez keeps hitting like crap, the Yanks may have to seriously consider signing Damon for DH on the cheap.
Or how about this?
Andruw Jones RF (defense and arm upgraded)
Swisher the DH or dual RF-DH with Jones (DH upgraded from 2011 Posada and 2012 spring training Ibanez)
Dickerson #4 OF (#5 OF if Jones and Swisher share RF)
The Yanks don’t need Ibanez, Branyan, Damon, or any other outside guy for DH.
They have a perfect DH in Swisher who is the worst Yankees defensive outfielder and the third-worst Yankee defensive everyday player after #1 Jeter and #2 Rodriguez.
I guarantee you Swisher will be a full-time DH in 2014 if not sooner.
Jones is a ten-time Gold Glove outfielder with over 400 career HR and a small chance at 500 HR. Let’s see what he and Swisher can do at RF and DH respectively.
Wouldn’t you rather have Jones in RF and Swisher in DH than Ibanez, Damon, or Branyan at DH and Jones wasted on the bench? I would. Jones isn’t a kid anymore but he isn’t ancient either and he is hands-down a better all-around player than Ibanez, Branyan, and Damon.
here’s another reason to watch out for the orioles:
rick peterson on his new director of pitching title with the orioles.
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/.....-peterson/
very good audio interview
this is what the yankees need.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYY1kYrR8g
rick peterson using pitch FX analytics to fix john axford