Players continue to trickle into Yankee camp this week, but they all have to officially be there by Sunday, when Spring Training will really get started. The final group of players to take a look at are the outfielders. The Yankee outfield in 2013 will look, and probably play, much different than the one that started last season. Nick Swisher is gone, replaced by the re-signed Ichiro in right field, and Brett Gardner returns to left (or possibly center) after missing pretty much all of last season. The backup OF spots are not as clearly defined as they were last spring, and one of the main roster battles in camp will be for that coveted 4th outfield bench spot. Let's meet our contestants.
Picture this. It's sometime around the All Star Break, and the Yankees are floundering. Andy is on the DL again; CC has had issues with his surgically-repaired elbow and spent a 15-day stint on the shelf as well; Hirok has regressed after his heavy 2012 workload; Phil and Nova are pitching about the same as they did last season. Jeter's return from his ankle injury has been tough and he's still having to take days off to stay healthy enough to play; Youkilis is underperforming and on the DL with Andy; C-Grand is still striking out a lot, Teix continues to decline, and Ichiro is pre-trade Ichiro and not the post-trade version. The team is hovering around 3rd or 4th place in the AL East, 13 games out of the division lead and 10 out of the last Wild Card spot. It's the worst worst-case scenario imaginable, but one that honestly has a non-zero chance of happening. If that were situation at the ASB, would that be enough to inspire the front office to trade Robbie Cano?
With Mo making his customary late arrival yesterday, all the pitchers and catchers who were invited to participate in Spring Training are now in camp. And believe it or not, they're actually pitching and catching. The remaining members of the ST invite list, the infielders, outfielders, and designated hitters, are scheduled to arrive on Sunday to complete the squad and get ready for the first Grapefruit League game of the preseason a week from Saturday. Continuing our rough run-through of the players participating in big league camp this year, here are the infielders we can expect to see on Sunday.
It wasn't a move to re-acquire Jesus Montero as some people have suggested, and it wasn't the dream trade for Felix Hernandez that many still desire, but the Yankees and Mariners hooked up again today in a minor deal. The Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley from Seattle for MiL outfielder Abraham Almonte.
Kelley is 28 years old, has good size at 6'2"/220, and is actually a pretty decent relief pitcher. In 44.1 IP last season over 47 appearances, Kelley pitched to a 3.25/3.55/4.20 tripleslash with a 9.14 K/9. He's almost exclusively a fastball-slider pitcher, and can dial the heater up to mid-90s when he needs to. Kelley spent small parts of the last 4 seasons in the Seattle 'pen, but could never break into a regular role. He likely won't do that with the Yankees either, but he'll be right there with Cody Eppley as an early call-up candidate if he sticks.
Almonte was a fringe prospect at best in the Yankee system, and removing him from the outfield equation helps clear up a bit of the overcrowding problemthat was creeping up in the Minors. He didn't have much of a future as a Yankee, and may not have a much better chance of upward mobility in Seattle with all the OFers they've added.
Not a bad move for the Yankees, but if Seattle is interested in dealing it would have been better to try to make a run at Casper Wells.
** UPDATE 7:32AM- Neglected to mention this last night, but another added benefit of trading for Kelley is the years of team control remaining. Kelley is a Super Two player and has 3 years of arbitration eligibility remaining. If they want, the Yankees can keep him through 2015 before he hits free agency. **
With the 2012-2013 offseason now squarely in the rearview, the Yankosphere is collectively getting its last licks in this week and putting the finishing written touches on what was universally regarded as a boring, unproductive, "bad" offseason. There are a million ways to paint that picture, the best of which involve statistical analysis and comparison, and some of which have been done in bits and pieces on this blog as part of other posts. But with so much still to happen that will ultimately determine just how successful or unsuccessful this past offseason truly was, it's almost more hassle than it's worth to try to dig through the numbers and analyze the projections. Here's all anyone really needs to know about this offseason:
Joe met the media for the first of many times this season yesterday, giving his take on the most important and newsworthy talking points surrounding the team as they come into camp and setting the tone for what the important talking points will continue to be as Spring Training ramps up. As usual, he was positive and optimistic when evaluating his team and their chances this year, saying he felt they were capable of winning 95 games and the World Series this year and citing the strong returning pitching staff as a reason. There was plenty more where that came from and plenty to take away from what Joe had to say.
"Sabathia said he lost about 10 pounds over the winter and is down to 290. He said that’s what he was last spring, and that seems about right. He looks about the same as last spring. 'This is the ideal weight,' he said. 'I was probably about 300 by the end of last year, so I probably gained 10 pounds.'" (via Chad Jennings)
Either CC is wearing Shaq's shorts and t-shirt in that picture or he lost more than 10 pounds this offseason. Seriously, what is going on there?? Is that a camera trick or something? Dude looks fucking SVELTE. If that's CC at 290 then I can say with 100% certainty that he looks better at 290 than I look at 200. I'm also not 6'7" but you get the point. The big fella is looking lean and mean.
One of the more fun parts of Spring Training is the juggling and assigning of numbers to new team members. The exercise is especially tricky for the Yankees, who have their large collection of retired numbers and a couple of numbers that are off limits until they are officially retired. It became even trickier this season with a greater influx of new players and a collection of returning players who decided they wanted to trade up for a better number this season. Does any of this have any bearing on how each player will perform this season? Absolutely not. Is it worth covering on the first day of camp when all guys are doing is putting stuff in their lockers and maybe tossing a ball around? I think so. Especially now that I was smart enough to not guess at the new numbers this year and open myself up to criticism for the lack of AB4AR t-shirts in the world. New number assignments after the jump.
Curtis Granderson arrived at camp yesterday, and participated in some outfield running and throwing drills with Derek Jeter before speaking to reporters. The biggest point of discussion was Curtis' impending free agency after this season and his desire to remain with the Yankees.
I don't need to go back through the reasons why I think the Yankees should let C-Grand walk after this season, and it certainly comes as no surprise that he wants to stay. The stadium dimensions are tailor-made for his power swing, being a star in New York gives him a ton more opportunities to participate in off-field and local activities that he loves to do, and the Yankees would probably offer him the most money. Curtis has fully ingrained himself into the Yankee family and been a valuable member of the team in his time here, but I still wouldn't anticipate anything more than a qualifying offer.
One interesting bit of baseball-related info to come out of Curtis' chat with reporters yesterday was the revelation that he tweaked his offseason program and started hitting earlier than usual at the suggestion of Ichiro (via Erik Boland). If that change in routine helps cut down on the strikeouts and improves his overall production this season, maybe that will inspire the Yankees to consider offering C-Grand a new deal, especially if they are unable to re-sign Robbie Cano.
(The big 3. Courtesy of Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)
Today's the big day. As I sit here writing this and as others of you will sit here and read it, players are making their way to the Yankees' Spring Training complex to begin their preseason work. There's a lot that needs to be done to prepare for the 2013 season, and a lot that still needs to be worked out, but one thing will hold more true than it ever has for the Yankees this year and that's the need for their starting rotation to stay healthy and pitch effectively. Last year's group did for stretches, especially for a period in June when Andy had joined the rotation and gotten up to full game speed, but injuries and uneven performance were the bigger storylines. The Yankees head into camp this season with the same 6 familiar faces that finished last year vying for the 5 spots in this year's rotation, with some youth and depth behind them.
The Captain has had his walking boot off for a while now, and has been working out at the team complex in Tampa hitting in the cage and taking groundballs for the last 2 weeks. Last Monday, Erik Boland reported that Jeter would begin running when everybody reported to camp "in a few weeks," and now it appears that schedule has been slightly accelerated. Boland tweeted this morning that Jeter ran for the first time since his surgery and told reporters he had been given the "green light" to start intensifying his workouts.
This should be a positive sign that things continue to be right on schedule with respect to Jeter's rehab program, and to a certain degree it is. But Jon Morosi's follow-up tweet stating that Jeter only ran on a treadmill does cause me to rein in my excitement a bit. I was skeptical about the prospect of Jeter making it back for Opening Day when his early progress was reported by Joe last November, and this latest report does little to change my feelings. Running on a treadmill and running on a baseball field are two completely different things, and as a shortstop who also hits leadoff, Jeter has to do quite a bit of on-field running. If all he can do right now is take light swings and jog on a treadmill, he's still a long way away from being back in game shape. He's still got 7 weeks to get there, but that may not be enough to be completely ready for Opening Day if he still isn't physically able to put multiple baseball activities together.
Regardless of whether or not Jeter was able to go Opening Day, the Yankees were going to have to handle him carefully for the first few weeks of the regular season. That plan may have to include contingencies for how they want to handle the SS position if Jeter isn't ready to go, because to rush his comeback would be insanely unwise. Hopefully Eduardo Nunez has been taking a lot of grounders this offseason...
(The great Yankee tradition of the ST baton twirl. Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/Daily News)
1 day. We're just 1 day from the beginning of the 2013 Yankee season. By this time tomorrow, guys will be rolling into Tampa, swinging through the team facility, getting their quick physicals, and getting settled to prepare for the first team workout on Wednesday. It's about as exciting as the most un-exciting part of the season can be, and to prepare for it we're taking a 3-part look at the group of players who will make their arrivals tomorrow. Last Friday it was the catchers, a most uninspiring group at the Major League level, and today the level of inspiration should jump a bit with the move to the bullpen. It's shaping up to be another deep, talented, strong group in 2013, but not a group without its question marks, particularly in the health department.
(Can this trio carry enough offensive weight? Courtesy of Getty Images)
ESPN NY's Spring Training countdown series got off toa pretty crummy start, but he's been a little better lately. Earlier this morning, Wally Matthews took a break from handing out fictional punishments on Alex Rodriguezto discuss the 2013 outfield, which is actually a worthwhile topic. The Yankees are looking at a serious offensive downgrade from that group this year, and the ability of Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki to be productive in their ways could be a big determining factor in the level of success this season's team can have. Wally, to his credit, thinks Ichiro and Gardner can get the job done, and maybe they can. But Wally's reasoning for why leaves much to be desired.
The theme of the bulk of the Yankees' low-dollar offseason signings is that most of the players they've signed are fringe Major Leaguers at best. Adding a little bit of intrigue to that "meh"-worthy group is the difference in contract situations and flexibility with regards to Minor League options. Yesterday Chad Jennings of LoHud shed some light on the situation with comments from Brian Cashman on who does and doesn't have a MiL option or 2 still available, and who does and doesn't have the option of opting out of their deal if they don't make the Yankees' Opening Day roster. While on-field performance in camp is usually the biggest factor in determining who makes it and who doesn't, these opt-out options could play a role as well.
“All I can assure the fans is, we’re always going to field a championship-caliber team every single year.”
Yeah, you keep assuring us, Hal. We totally believe you when you say that because your actions this offseason have totally been in line with your words.
You know what? It's not even worth re-hashing this type of stuff from Hal. I've said my piece on it before. I just wish he'd shut the fuck up.
Here's something I've never really understood about the whole "blizzard preparation" process; people who insist that you need to gas up your car before the storm. Ummmm, why? Where exactly do you think you're going to be driving to when Mother Nature drops 18-24 inches of snow on your candyass? Answer- nowhere. You're not going anywhere and nor should you be. You should be staying in your house, eating the food that you were hopefully smart enough to stock up on, crossing your fingers that the power doesn't get knocked out, and catching up on all the TV shows you've been meaning to watch on your DVR (side note- "The Americans" on FX is the tits). Anybody who goes to fill up their gas tank before a blizzard just so their car can sit in the garage for 3 days is an idiot. So don't be an idiot and stay safe and stay warm this weekend if you're area is fixing to get clobbered. Now onto the links!
- Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits asked if the Yankees needed to add another bullpen arm before the season. I don't think they HAVE to, but more bullpen depth is never a bad thing.
- On Wednesday, Mike Eder of TYA made a strong case forpursuing Casper Wells in a tradeto add a strong right-handed outfield bat. I admittedly hadn't considered Wells, but it makes a lot of sense.
- Hunter Farman of Yanks Go Yard looked back at the 2007 offseason and wondered what could have been if the Yankees went through with their plans to go after the non-A-Rod third baseman who was available.
For today's Friday Jam, we're kicking it old school with some Public Enemy. As an upper middle class white kid growing up in Connecticut, songs like "Rebel Without A Pause" really spoke to me and helped mold me into the strong, anti-establishment badass I am today. For example, I don't always separate the glass from the plastic when I recycle. That's just what THE MAN wants me to do.
(TCS just doin' the damn thing! Courtesy of Getty Images)
We're now just a handful of days away from the unofficial start of Spring Training and the unofficial start of baseball season. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to camp next Tuesday, and from there the dreariness and gray emotional cloud that hung over this offseason should start to disappear. There are already players working out in Tampa, and reports coming in from beat writers about another guy showing up almost every day, but it will be real, really real, when the whole battery crew rolls into town on Tuesday. Last week the Yankees released their list of non-roster invitees, and combined with the members of the 40-man roster there will be a bounty of pitchers and catchers in camp. In preparation for those early ST festivities, let's take a look at the players who'll be arriving next week and what they have to offer, starting with the backstops.
The always confident Ivan Nova doesn't seem to have lost any of his edge after his disastrous 2012 season. In an article in the Daily News earlier in the week, Nova told Anthony McCarron he absolutely believes he's going to be in the starting rotation this season.
“I’m going to be there. Just do my work. It doesn't cross my mind that I’m going to be in the minor leagues. I’m going to be in the rotation, that’s what I’m working for."
“I know what I've got in my hand,” “I know what I've got and I know what I can do and I just have to do it."
Strong words from the guy who, in the same story, admitted to forcing pitches and throwing certain pitches that he couldn't control at times last year, but that's Nova. And as bad as his 2012 was, there are still reasons to be optimistic about Nova rebounding in 2013. His BB and K rates trended in the right direction last year, his fastball velocity improved, and he's still just 26 years old. It's way too early to write off Nova, and although I don't think it's a guaranteed lock that he'll beat out David Phelps for the 5th spot in the rotation, I do think he, like other 5th starter competitors before him, will have the deck stacked in his favor heading into ST.
Since he first broke into the Majors in 2007, there's always been something that's held Phil Hughes back from reaching his full potential as a starting pitcher. First it was his health, then the flip-flopping of his role between starter and reliever, then the regression of his offspeed stuff and inability to effectively develop and use a strong second and third pitch, and now in 2012 it was the high number of home runs he allowed. Hughes' high HR total put a bit of a damper on what could have been his best season to date last year, and became the latest reason to question his potential ceiling as a starterand his future with the organization.
Phil signed a 1-year deal for a pretty good salary recently and will head into this season with a lot to prove and a lot of money to potentially earn. Correcting the HR problems that plagued him in 2012 and finding a way to cut down on the longball will be key for Hughes this year. As a flyball pitcher, it's not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it could be the determining factor in just how much money Hughes gets after this season and who he gets it from.
(How many lefties should this guy be facing? Courtesy of the AP)
"Platoon" is a word that's slowly worked its way into the collection of words typically associated with the Yankee lineup over the past few seasons, right next to "patience" and "power." Older veterans on the downside of their careers who are drawn to New York to chase a ring, lack of impact bats coming up from the farm system, and the newly implemented payroll restrictions have all combined to make the Yankee lineup a safe haven for the still productive but no longer well-rounded hitter. This season, the reliance on platoons will play an even bigger role in the everyday lineup as the Yankees have their fair share of guys who only excel against one category of handed pitchers, guys like Ichiro, Hafner, Gardner, and Youkilis. Joe has shown before that he's not afraid to mix and match and play with the lineup, but how necessary is it for every one of those players to be platooned? Does the Yankee lineup really need to be turned into Version R and Version L? Let's take a look.
The ashes of the injury-plagued 2012 Minor League season are all but cleaned up after the latest updates on Mason Williams and Jose Campos. Mark Newman confirmed to George King of Baseball America that Campos has completed his offseason rehab and will be ready to start a regular Spring Training with no restrictions, and earlier today multiple beat writers reported that Williams is close to 100% physically and expects to start full ST activities in a few weeks.
Both Williams and Campos were noticeably absent from thelist of non-roster invitees to big league camp last week, and their status as top organizational prospects makes their omissions easily understandable. Campos could end up being the only chance the Yankees have to take something positive from the Montero-Pineda trade if Pineda doesn't come back strong from his labrum surgery, and they just put ManBan on the shelf for 2013 after shutting him down because of elbow problems similar to Campos'. Williams projects as the center fielder of the future and had his 2012 end prematurely because of shoulder surgery, something the Yankees have seen be a constant problem for fellow CF prospect Slade Heathcott.
The future potential of both guys, as Yankees or as trade bait, depends on them being 100% physically, so there was no need to rush them back. The most important thing is that they are fully healthy and ready to start the season, and that sounds like it's going to be the case.
(Now I know why the batting helmet was so big. Courtesy of Kim Klement/US Presswire)
It didn't create the media waves that Alex Rodriguez's connection did, but the Yankees continued to stay closely tied to the investigation of Anthony Bosch and his Miami-based Biogenesis clinic when a new report surfaced yesterday that included Francisco Cervelli's name. Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sportshad the full story, which also included recent former MVP and test beater Ryan Braun, and while Cervelli's name was not listed next to any wording outlining specific PEDs, this has to be a concern for the Yankees with how seriously MLB has been taking their investigation into the clinic.
From a strictly Yankee-centric standpoint, this could actually work to their benefit. They've stood pat at the catcher position all offseason, willing to punt and sacrifice some defense and a lot of offense to save a buck. If MLB digs deeper on Cervelli and finds something substantial that would be grounds for a suspension, suddenly the Yankees are back down to one catcher. They seem pretty set on starting Austin Romine in Triple-A this year, so while it might not be under the best circumstances, this situation could give them a reason to go out and seek an upgrade at catcher.
Looking at the bigger picture, this latest news and the stuff we already know about this situation is starting to add up to create the appearance that PEDs are still deeply ingrained in the game of baseball. For all the time MLB spent patting itself on the back when it first administered its new testing and punishment procedures, they are still woefully behind the times when it comes to testing, particularly for HGH, and players have found a way to beat the system. Nothing has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt and nobody has been punished yet, but when the names connected to this case include upper-tier players and all-time greats like Braun and A-Rod, emerging stars like Gio Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera, and nobodies like Cesar Carrillo and Cervelli, that's a good indicator that PEDs are still a league-wide problem.
To his credit, Cervelli did make a statement admitting to consulting the Biogenesis clinic after his foot injury in 2011 and purchasing supplements that he said he was certain did not contain banned substances. Unlike A-Rod, he has no past PED connections and has earned the benefit of the doubt. As with A-Rod, all we can do is wait and see what comes as a result of this new report.
(Don't forget about this guy. Courtesy of Kim Klement/US Presswire)
It dawned on me this past weekend, while doing take 2 of my final roster spot predictions, that the Yankees have supplied themselves with more than enough outfield fodder for the 2013 season. There's not much high-ceiling talent in that collection of added players, but I'd go so far as to say they might have actually put themselves in a position where they have too many outfielders in the upper levels of the organization. Now that's not the worst problem in the world to have when you're entering this season replacing last year's productive, 2-way, switch-hitting right fielder with a soon to be 40-year-old slap-hitting lefty, but it is something that the decision makers in both the Minor and Major League levels should be cognizant of and should make an effort to address in the appropriate manner.
(Is a 5th straight year of decline in the cards? Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News)
When I looked at the early projections for Andy Pettitte last week, I commented on the lack of updated projection data available at the time. Pettitte wasn't included in the initial round of preliminary ZiPS or Bill James projections because he wasn't a 100% guarantee to come back and play in 2013, as was the case with a few other Yankees who didn't make the initial cut. Yesterday, those omissions were rectified with the release of Dan Szymborski'supdated 2013 ZiPS projections. This new batch captured not only Pettitte, but some of the other new Yankees who weren't included in the preliminary round and also had Major League projections for some of the top Yankee prospects.
The prospect projections aren't all that important for this season, unless a series of huge freak injuries forces someone like Tyler Austin or Gary Sanchez into Major League duty, but they're a good early barometer for setting expectations for the 2013 season. The full statistical breakdown can be found in the link above, and my take on specific players and projections can be found after the jump.
Seven days, friends. Seven days until we get to hear the crack of bats and the pop of gloves again. Seven days until all these monotonous offseason talking points get packed up and put back on the shelf until November. Seven days until we can actually get back to talking about real baseball. Seven days until pitchers and catchers report.
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