Girardi: “Guys have to step up”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jun 28, 2012 
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The Yankees have gotten nine games out of Brett Gardner this season, which is nine more than they’ve gotten out of Michael Pineda. They’ve lost Dave Robertson for a month, and they’ve lost Mariano Rivera for the year. Nick Swisher’s been banged up, Mark Teixeira couldn’t stop coughing and Russell Martin missed three games because of a sore back.
But yesterday the Yankees were dealt a new kind of blow with CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte going on the disabled list on the same day.
“When I came to the park, I felt pretty good about the way we’ve been playing,” Joe Girardi said. “CC’s hurt and now Andy’s hurt, but as I said, no one’s going to feel sorry for us, and guys have to step up, that’s the bottom line.”
How can the Yankees make up for losing two starters on the same day?
Get more out of the lineup
Despite all of those runners left in scoring position, the Yankees still have one of the most potent lineups in baseball. They’ve hit more home runs than any other team, and there’s certainly enough talent to believe this team can hit with anyone. The Yankees could lean on the pitching staff a little less, and lean on the lineup a little more.
“I don’t know,” Brian Cashman said. “You really have to replace (them) with some quality pitching. You have to have guys give you some distance, give you a chance to win. Give you distance so you don’t burn the bullpen out. It helps certainly when you’re swinging the bats well, but this is an offensive ballpark. Both teams can swing the bats, and they can play catch-up real quick. Yes and no. Yes, having a deep offense is certainly helpful, but there was a period of time where Freddy didn’t pitch for 12 days because we (never) needed a long man and the games were close. There was a period when we were winning a lot, 6-4, 5-3, that type of stuff.”
Lean on the proven starters
Sabathia’s the ace and Pettitte has been outstanding, but Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova are also pitching pretty well lately. Kuroda has an ERA lower than Sabathia’s, Nova has nine wins and Hughes just pitched eight scoreless innings.
“The big thing is, what our guys understand is, Nova, Hughes and Kuroda can’t make the starts for CC and Andy,” Girardi said. “So just be yourself. Don’t try to do too much because if you do that, usually things go awry. So, to me, the big thing is just saying, just reminding (them to) go out and do what you do. We’ll take care of the other two days. It’s not your responsibility.”
Hope Garcia can rediscover 2011
Sabathia’s supposed to miss two starts. By the end of the all-star break, there’s a good chance the Yankees will need only one of Freddy Garcia and Adam Warren in the rotation. Warren’s got upside, but Garcia was terrific last season, and he’s pitched to a 1.56 ERA since moving to the bullpen. Both Girardi and Russell Martin have talked about Garcia’s improved arm speed leading to his improvement.
“I’ve been a starter all of my career,” Garcia said. “Now I’m in the bullpen, but I took my role in the bullpen really serious and I took it as a positive. That’s the way I dealt with that and tried to do my job. I’ve been playing this game for a long time, and I have to be ready for any situation. My arm feels good. We’ll see what happens Monday, but hopefully I pitch good with the way I’ve been pitching lately. … I’ve been throwing long toss almost every day and I feel great. I wasn’t pitching that much, but I was looking for any opportunity every time they put me out there. I’m glad I did my job when they asked me, and now I’m looking forward to starting Monday.”
Associated Press photo
If Freddie pitches like he did most of last year (12-8, 3.62) that would be great.
If he pitches like he did the first four starts this year (0-2, 12.51) that would be a problem.
86w183-
No argument from me on Rivera’s worth in the postseason. Soriano has done a good job, but still reminds me of John Wetteland when he was with the Yankees who would get the job done, but not before you had drunk so much antacid medication!
Problem is if garcia,and warren get lit up,what do you do.
Phelps came up a little short.
We will be ok,as long as it doesn’t get ugly.
Garcia,warren just have to keep us in the game.
Problem is,you lose a lot of distance.Chances are,garcia,warren won’t go very deep,most times out.
From the other post where Yankee Trader pointed out how well three of the four teams that lost their closers are doing:
YT —
I agree that closers are overrated and overpaid. A great closer will be successful about 90% of the time. A mediocre one 80%. That’s about 4 blown saves or so a year — not all of which will be losses.
Where a great closer IS extremely valuable is in the post-season. That’s what ends any discussion about Mariano and any other great closer. His post-season numbers are beyond ridiculous…
8-1 0.70 (42 saves)
Who is coming up to replace Garcias spot in the bullpen?
86w183-
See my comment just above yours. We were typing the same time.
Phelps pitched very well for the Yanks (2.94 ERA). They sent him down to re-build himself as a starter. No real long man on hand except maybe Ramon Ortiz in Scranton.
BP spot to be taken by Japanese pitcher (Can’t remember spelling) who was up for a couple games earlier. Hit 97 but kind of wild.
Ryota Iragashi has a great arm, bad sense of direction.
Im caustiously optimistic the Phelpss and Warrens can hold the fort. The Yanks should get reinforces all over thr place after the ASB with CC and Gardner comig back and then Aardsma and Joba following soon thereafter. Gotta weather the storm…….
The article from this weeks USA Sports Weekly just shows how, as Don Mattingly put it: “It seems like a ton of guys with that kind of [closers] stuff. And really,if a guy can throw strikes in the ninth, and he’s got power stuff, and you give him a lead,he’s going to save a lot of games.”
Can Wade rebound? Will the two side-armers still fool batters the next month?
Aardsma not due back until the 20th July if his 30 day rehab goes well.
“Can Wade rebound?”
Sure I think so…..hes just got to make better pitches…..
Blake
Was Wade throwing too many fastballs and not using his best pitch, the CU, enough?
- YANKEES BULLPEN REPORT -
(1) CLAY RAPADA – Appeared in 4 of the previous 6 games.
(2) RAFAEL SORIANO – Appeared in 4 of the previous 5 games.
“Was Wade throwing too many fastballs and not using his best pitch, the CU, enough?”
I think hes just leaving too many balls in the fat part of the plate and not really getting in counts where he can use his CU…..
I think the value for a particular closer, as opposed to closers in general, comes in how consistent they are and over how long a time.
I think Girardi has the right mindset with regard to his bullpen – it is a team unto itself in a way.
I think that as fewer and fewer pitchers give you 9 innings or even 8 on a regular basis, there’s the need to build a strong bullpen for all the previous innings, which should hold a team in good stead if their closer is not available for a time.
It’s the “save” statistic that drives salary, though, and I wonder if it wouldn’t behoove MLB to take a look at that stat and maybe redefine it?
‘I watched the whole kuroda thing,and had a feeling it would come back to haunt a few people.
His splitfinger was the reason for me,in addition to his other assortment of pitches.
You just can’t go throwing millions,and millions of guesses,and uneducated opinions around without a lot coming back to bite you.”
ron-
to tell you the truth i didn’t pay much attention at the time of the signing because i obviously didn’t like the montero/pineda trade, but it became apparent early on that kuroda could pitch. nothing pushes my buttons more than people who don’t now much up close about the game passing judgement on players from some pet fan theory they have.
it’s kind of fun watching these theories get exposed over time.
i’m extremely careful about making guesses that will come back”to bite you”. if for no other reason, having gb7 gum you to death would be a fate worse than death. though as far as i know killer still has his teeth.
It would certainly be nice to have another lefty starter to replace Pettitte until he returns. There is one, and no i’m not endorsing him, whose overal ERA is awful, but his ERA for the month of June is 2.87.He is holding lefties to a .155 BA, is currently healthy, is a FA making 5.5M this year and on a team going nowhere.
Are you interested?
Here are his stats:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/.....co-liriano
Are you still interested, and if so what would it take to get him?
YT-
What do you think it would take to get Liriano ?
I wonder how many folks who calles Kuroda an “NL pitcher” had ever actually seen him pitch?
“What do you think it would take to get Liriano ?”
Knowing the Twins……more than hes worth
Blake-
True.
What would you be willing to offer ?
The Yankees need to run the three – Phelps, Warren, Mitchell through the mill; just to establish some value. They’re 25 and ready. Sitting at AAA isn’t getting them any recognition. Some positive results in the Majors would make a hell of a difference in the trade market.
I’m not trading Phelps.
Keeper.
I saw video of Kuroda shutting down the Angels last year. He has been good for years and has not gotten much run support. I was pushing for Kuroda before he decided to come East.
“What do you think it would take to get Liriano ?”
A lot more than it would have cost before yesterday.
“What would you be willing to offer ?”
Not much….excess B listers……hes just too inconsistent and hes a rental…..I guess he couod help in the pen if he didnt hold in the rotation so hes worth a look but the Twins are just tough to deal with and I think theyll ask a lot more than hes worth.
Well, if Phelps is a keeper, he needs to start pitching.
The Yankees wrecked Noesi last year by doing the rinky dink with him and wasting a year and I would argue Noesi has more talent than Phelps.
In my mind the five spot should be reserved for the qualifiers, otherwise you’re wasting assets. Holding the three at AAA is not doing the Yankees or the players any favors.
Blake-
Sounds about right.
We’d be on the hook for around 3 mil.
If they ate some money they’d get a slightly better prospect.
If they want just salary relief they get little.
Me. I like guys who throw strikes.
That isn’t Liriano.
It’s why I prize Phelps so much.
Bo-
I do not think Noesi has more talent than Phelps but that is just my take.
Next to Pineda, Phelps had the best velo/strike throwing combo around.
He has presence out there.
Noesi is getting his shot in Seattle.
He’s pitched a few good ones but also quite a few clunkers.
I agree that Phelps needs a chance to pitch consistently.
If he gets it I think people will be very pleasantly surprised.
The one thing about Liriano though is that even if he didnt stay in the rotarion hed be an upgrade over Rapada in the bullpen most likely…..but would he accept that role? It depends on what they ask for him…..he can be dominant…..he can also be awful……
MTU-
First, I don’t know if I want Liriano. There is no compensation for trading for a FA anymore and not resigning him, so that is a factor.
What do the Twins need?
They look solid in the OF-Willingham, Revere, Span, they are solid at C with Mauer and Doumit. Their only other power, other than Willingham, is Pouffe at 3rd and Mourneau at 1st/DH. Their starters, besides rookie Scott Diamond are terrible and ther bullpen has Matt Capps as their closer.
So, if the Yankees are willing to eat the remainder of his contract, knowing there is no compensation if they decide not to resign Liriano, Maybe one player, a pitcher from AAA and a minor prospect gets it done.
Am I not being specific enough?
“What do the Twins need?”
A lot
Yanks are up by 5 in the loss column. Let’s see what we got in-house to replace Pettite, before jumping at inconsistent Chuckers like Liriano. A day off next week, and the All-Star break will allow Girardi to dance around the loss of Pettitte for the time being. To me, if your gonna be wrong, be dead wrong. Either go after the Big Fish\Hamels, or go with the Kids on the farm. Liriano just is Not worth gambling cheap, young, prospects.
Now expand the trade and get Josh Willingham.
“Yanks are up by 5 in the loss column. Let’s see what we got in-house to replace Pettite, before jumping at inconsistent Chuckers like Liriano.”
I agree…..and thats what they are going to do initially ……its up to Warren and Phelps etc….to seize the day and keep it that way.
Individual health care mandate ruled unconstitutional by supreme court.
Going for Hamels, Greinke, FA’s at the end of this season, wiil gut the Yankees elite prospects, and probably cost at least one current starter-Nova or Hughes. On top of that neither is a guarantee to sign with theYankees, especially Greinke who might not want to pitch in NY and Hamels who will get the $$$$’s he seeks from the Dodgers. Not to mention if the Yankees did resign one of them, either or both of Cano/Granderson for starters will likely have to be traded.
Not going to happen, nor should it.
Blake-
Not so fast. The law has been upheld Awaiting further digestion of the ruling.
You sign Hamels Before dealing. That’s how it’s done these days. I would have NO interest in Greinke. The anxiety thing rules him out in NY. If it came down to $$$, I go with Hamels over Granderson.
Trader,
Yup….jumped the gun….apparently itll be a tax
Blake-
Tune into MSNBC, CNN jumped the gun
How many people will choose to get health insurance knowing there is no criminal penalty/punishment if you ignore the mandate. Not like refusing to pay your taxes.
Unfortunate that we have to bring Warren and Garcia into the rotation when we are facing three of the stronger teams in the AL: the White Sox, Rays and Red Sox. To be honest, I think it will be a rough ride over these next 10 games. There is now increased pressure on Hughes, Nova and Kuroda to go deep in games, especially as the key members of our bullpen (with the possible exception of Robertson) are already overworked. Give me 5-5 now and I would bite your hand off. The only positive I can see right now is that if all goes well, Andy will return fresh and strong for the run-in and playoffs (providing we make them, of course!).
Why would Anybody tune into MSNBC??? CNN??? How the mighty have fallen.
Until later all. Have a great day.
Dodgers To Sign Yasel Puig
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [June 28 at 9:13am CST]
The Dodgers have a history of signing and developing impact players from Latin America, but their once-impressive methods of acquiring talent faded under the ownership of Frank McCourt. Now they appear to be back at it. The Dodgers have agreed to sign 21-year-old outfielder Yasel Puig to a multiyear deal worth more than $40MM, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports.
The Dodgers, now under the ownership of Guggenheim Sports Management, had publicly stated their intention to bid aggressively on the best available Latin American players. Puig, a 6’3″ outfielder from Cuba, fits the description. He agrees to terms two days after being granted free agency and four days before baseball’s collective bargaining agreement imposes spending restrictions on teams. Starting July 2, teams will work with a $2.9MM annual budget for international prospects.
Agent Jaime Torres represents Puig, who appears to be in line for a record contract. The outfielder has two seasons of experience in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. He’s more polished than Jorge Soler of the Cubs but less seasoned than Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics, according to Sanchez. The Cubs and White Sox both appear to have expressed interest in signing Puig.
Reports on Puig have been modest, Ben Badler of Baseball America reported this week. Teams are working off of limited information, as most scouts haven’t seen much of the prospect since last summer.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com
Spunds like he hot more than Soler
Got*
Crazy gaffe by CNN this morning, huh?
“Crazy gaffe by CNN this morning, huh?”
Fox News did it as well…..must have been some unclear info leaked out.
#dodgers sign speedy cuban OF Yasiel Puig, @DKnobler confirms @JesseSanchezMLB report.
Yankeesource @YankeeSource 44m $40 million for Puig? #crazy
Yankeesource @YankeeSource 29m Rafael DePaula GCL: Went 5 IP yesterday: 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 7K.
Dan Wolken ?@DanWolken
When you see politicians Tweeting smack at each other minutes after major policy decisions, it’s a wonder our democracy functions at all.
Didn’t realize that blake, I definitely don’t envy journalists in the Twitter age.
blake June 28th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Yankeesource @YankeeSource 44m $40 million for Puig? #crazy
——————
Oh wow.. I’ve barely heard anything about him until last week.
For the 2016 election we will probably have replaced the debates with tweet offs.
Legitimate debates ended a long time ago. As did having a Real choice.
Why would Anybody tune into MSNBC???
maybe because they are not a dumb ass and like hear a variety of viewpoints on all ends of the spectrum.