(How much can Hughes make for himself in 2013? Courtesy of Getty Images)
After a 2011 season that could only be called a complete disaster, Phil Hughes rebounded nicely in 2012. He came into camp healthy and stayed that way for the entirety of the season on his way to a career high in starts (34) and innings pitched (201.0) between the regular and postseasons. With other key members of the rotation either getting hurt (CC, Andy, Pineda) or flaming out (Nova), Hughes' mere presence in the lineup helped provide consistency and an extra innings eater, and after a rough April he actually pitched pretty well.
Earlier today, Chad Jennings, expanding on an idea originally included in a post by Joel Sherman last week, discussed the strange position Hughes finds himself in heading into 2013. He's made himself a much more important part of the current and possibly future rotations after years of inconsistency and uncertainty, and at age 26 at season's start would be primed to earn himself a big payday in free agency next offseason. He's also done/doing it during a time where the Yankees are tight with their money, and could very well price himself out of their range with a good year. Complicating the matter even more are Hughes' spotty career totals and recent positive trends, the Yankees' own internal starting pitching questions, and the free agent market to be.
Holy crap! Have I really not updated the Shit List since before the playoffs started?? That's just simply unacceptable on my part and I apologize, but today seems like the perfect day to right that wrong. The first day back at work after Christmas/New Year's is the worst. Just the absolute pits. From opening presents, laying around the house watching college bowl games, and partying it up every or every other night with your friends right back to the cubicle, an inbox full of moronic emails and (worse) follow-up emails from people who are too dumb to read your out-of-office reply, and pointless meetings to "get up to speed." Guh.
You'll notice that this latest list is a far cry from the last version on September 26th. For starters, Pedro Feliciano and Andruw Jones are both gone thanks to their contracts being up and them moving on to free agent life. Congratulations, boys. We'll miss you. But there's still plenty of hate to go around, so as a small bit of catharsis on this the worst day of the still very new year, here's the first 2012-2013 offseason Shit List.
2012 is officially in the record books, and all things considered it was another successful year for the New York Yankees. Despite experiencing a seemingly never-ending string of injuries to major contributors, and despite watching the bulk of their aging core continue to age like milk rather than win, they still managed to win 95 games (the most in the American League) and secure another AL East championship. The postseason exit was a tough one, but in the end every team except 1 is a loser every year and with what they had to deal with the Yankees still had a lot to be proud of in 2012.
Now that we've moved to 2013, what's in store for the Bombers? We already know that this year and at least the next are going to be defined by a steadfast commitment to cutting payroll and getting under the luxury tax threshold, a change in organizational strategy that already has plenty of fans upset. That strategy has been played out to a tee in the part of the offseason that has already passed and it certainly looks like it's going to continue for the remainder of the offseason as the Yankees fill out their roster and get ready to head to Tampa for spring camp.
The overwhelming majority of last year's team remains intact and is going to be looked at to carry the team again. There are concerns about how the lineup is going to look and perform, but the starting rotation is deep and talented, with the potential to be one of the league's best if some things go right, and the bullpen is no different. There are still some elite-level hitters in terms of average and power, more speed sprinkled in, and still plenty of guys who can take walks and hit home runs. The competitive gap may have been closed by the offseason actions of their AL East rivals, but if they add a few more pieces here and there to shore up their bench depth the Yankees should be right up there again with the best of the AL.
"Interesting" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the blogopshere, and I'm as guilty as anybody of using it a bit too often. But the 2013 season should be interesting to say the least. The Yankees are on the edge of a possibly major organizational shift, and will try to balance that shift with maintaining their standing as an MLB powerhouse. It might not be easy to watch all the time, but it's going to be entertaining and I can't wait for it to get started.
- Calling Out the Weak Yankee Stadium Crowd. It still disappoints me to think about how quiet those postseason crowds were, and I worry that's going to continue to be the case now that the Yanks are out of their deal with StubHub.
- Questioning Joe's ALCS Bullpen Decisions. Less than a week after praising the job Joe did, I was right back to bashing him. I still say this was very deserved criticism, though.
- Get Off A-Rod's Nuts. I wasn't sure how that title was going to go over on TYA, but it was a pretty good rant and I still think it's a joke that C-Grand and Cano didn't get bashed more for choking in the playoffs.
- Chris Stewart Is The New Hotness. He's not really, but it was fun to incorporate a "Men In Black 2" reference and play up Stewart's non-existent awesomeness all season.
- Don't Worry About Teix's Slow Start. I don't know why I had so much faith in his SSS results in the first couple weeks, especially considering his history and previous years of decline. Note to self for next season: be very concerned when Teix has another shitty April.
- My Painful Break Up With Phil Hughes. If only I could have been this eloquent with my college girlfriend. I've never had to fictionally break up with another man before, and I have to say, I think I handled it pretty well. And yeah, I definitely sought advice from people at my office on appropriate break-up songs. Don't judge me (even though I know they did).
- Reacting To Mo Announcing He Was Coming Back. I feel like Mo brings out the best in the emotional side of my writing, and it still makes me feel good to know I have a chance to watch him pitch one more time.
- The Russell Martin/Laz Diaz Confrontation. This season was the tipping point for me with bad umpiring in baseball, and the fact that something this egregious happened to a member of the Yankees was not going to stand.
- FJMing Ian O'Conner's Joba Obituary. A friendly reminder that ESPN and its team of Yankee writers are absolute ass and should be avoided at all costs.
- C-Grand's Negative Trends. Fair warning, I'm going to be really hard on Curtis if he has another season like this in 2013.
- Waving The White Flag to Bahhston. Because their 2012 season was the highest of unintentional comedy and there was nothing I could do to make it any funnier.
- A-Rod's Return Gets Me All Hot and Bothered. Probably the last real positive post I'll ever get to write about The Horse. And with where his production went after this post, this wasn't a feather in my cap.
- Debating Derek Jeter's MVP Ranking. I honestly thought he would finish top 5 because of the MSM's tendency to slurp him. He ended up 7th. Not too shabby.
- Game 162. Definitely the most excited I've been for a Yankee game in almost 2 years, and even though the ultimate ending to their postseason was a disappointing one, it was still fun to have this much drama tied to the final game of the regular season.
There's not much going on right now as we get ready to leave 2012 in the rearview and forget to write "2013" on our checks for the first few weeks of January, so why not take a look back at the year that was? I posted way more than ever in 2012, something that may be a good or bad thing for you depending on what you think of my writing and analysis. I'm more willing to poke fun at myself and admit when I was completely off on something, so this 2012 recap won't be a complete greatest hits collection. More like a collection of posts that are personal favorites for one reason or another, that reason usually being that I enjoyed writing them. To break things up a bit, I'll separate the review into preseason, regular season, and postseason, the first and last sections comprising parts of the last 2 offseasons. We'll start with the 2012 preseason, from January 1st to Opening Day.
- Looking Back at Jorge Posada's Career. Tough to do since I was never as big a Jorge fan as most, but absolutely needed to be done for what Jorge did in his career as a Yankee lifer.
- The Possibility of Another "Core Four." I tried to keep it grounded, but it's tough to not get excited about a group of prospects all playing well and all moving through the MiL system together.
- Not Being Fully On Board With the Andy Pettitte Signing. Trying to argue that Pettitte shouldn't have been given a free pass over guys like Pineda, Nova, Phelps, Warren, and D.J. Mitchell?? Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either.
- The Season of Mo. This ended up not panning out because of his injury, but this was one of my favorite posts of the year. I actually spent time over the course of almost a full day writing and re-writing this because I wanted to make sure I said everything I wanted to say exactly the way I wanted to say it.
At-bat music has always been a fun part of baseball, at least for me. Some guys have really kickass at-bat songs, like Josh Reddick of the A's coming up to the WWE Daniel Bryan version of "Ride of The Valkyries," and some guys get punked by teammates and end up strolling up for a big at-bat to "Party In The USA." If you're like me and pay attention to this kind of thing (which may or may not make you an overgrown child), at some point you've stopped and considered what you'd like your at-bat music to be if you were a Major League Baseball player. My youth baseball career consisted of about 5 hits in 4 years of play, so obviously I'd be the type of player whose at-bat music would undoubtedly be the best part of my at-bat. But in my head I still like to think of myself being the coolest guy in the stadium with my music blaring for that 10-15 seconds while I take my practice swings and adjust my elbow guard. After the jump, check out my personal top 5 songs I'd use for at-bat music.
I'd like to use this final Linkapalooza of 2012 to make a declaration, to take a stand for what is good and right in this world, and to state definitively that the word "epic" needs to be retired from all forms of communication in 2013. If you're one of the people who still uses it in your everyday conversation, I'm sorry, but epic's time has come and gone and you need to stop. It was cute for about 3 weeks when the whole "epic fail" craze caught on, but when it's being used in reference to the Pizza Hut 10 Buck Box, arguably the worst collection of food a human being can willingly purchase and consume for 10 dollars, and by Morgan Freeman in voiceover ads for the Visa card, that goes way beyond jumping the shark and straight into full-on lunacy.
Epic is a word that should only be used to describe things that are historically memorable and incredible, not shitty mass-produced pizza and fucking credit card rewards. It also shouldn't be used to describe whatever you just ate for lunch that you felt the need to take a picture of and post on Instagram. So for all the regular AB4AR readers out there, I beg of you, take these words to heart and do your part in 2013 to end the rampant and incorrect use of the word "epic." Together, maybe we can help bring a small bit of respectability back to the English language. Now onto the links!
- On Tuesday, Benjamin Orr of Yanks Go Yard asked if Hiroki Kuroda should be the #1 starter next year over CC. It's worth checking out Ben's thoughts on the matter, but the answer is obviously, "No."
- On Wednesday, George S of Gutty Gritty Yankees expressed his displeasure with Cash's comments on the Yankee offseason. While I don't agree with George that this offseason has been "dreadful," I can definitely get on board with the sentiment that the front office comments have been less than honest.
- On Thursday, Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily looked ahead to the 2014 free agent class to see what good fits were out there for Hank and Hal's limited budget.
For this week's Friday Jam, I'm gonna hit you with something to get the toes tapping and hips moving at your NYE parties. Say what you want about his ability to rap, pretend to be a "rock" guy, or design clothes, but when he was on his game there wasn't a rap producer out there who could touch Pharrell. He actually managed to top the beat to the original "Drop It Like It's Hot" with this beat for the remix, which is no easy task. Hov's verse is pretty sick too.
Enjoy your weekends, everybody. And more importantly, enjoy your New Year's celebrations next week. Get drunk, kiss somebody you probably shouldn't, and stay safe. The Linkapalooza will see ya on the other side of the calendar.
(One of the great moments in recent Yankee history. Courtesy of the AP)
Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from baseball yesterday, ending the most successful Japanese-American baseball career this side of Ichiro Suzuki. After 10 years with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League and another 10 in MLB, 7 of them with the Yankees, Matsui decided to hang 'em up at age 38 after various leg injuries and just the natural wear and tear of 20 years of baseball sapped him of much of his power and physical skills. Matsui doesn't have the career MLB accolades and awards of a Derek Jeter or an Alex Rodriguez, but he is undoubtedly one of the most memorable and popular Yankees of the 21st century. If he does end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame, something William Juliano made a very strong case for yesterday, it's very likely he would go in with a Yankee cap on his head, a fitting ending to a great baseball career.
The Yankees officially kicked off their scrap heap picking for right-handed hitting on Wednesday with the signing of Matt Diaz to a MiL deal. Almost as soon as everybody was done commenting on that deal, they let it be known that their search for a right-handed bat wasn't over, which isn't surprising in the least considering Diaz's recent track record. The trade market continues to be an attractive and potentially deeper pool of talent to choose from, and another name that has popped up lately as a possibility is a familiar one. It's been almost 10 years since Alfonso Soriano last wore the Yankee pinstripes, and he's a bit longer in the tooth than he was when he left. But with Theo Epstein looking to rebuild the Cubs and Soriano still having plenty of right-handed pop, there's clearly a match to be made between he and the Yankees.
(Hey look! Good defense! Courtesy of Getty Images)
Some time has passed since the shocker of Russell Martin signing with the Pirates, almost 1 month to be exact. And in that time, the surprise factor of the move has barely worn off and the calls for the Yankees to make a trade or sign another catcher have continued to pour in from fans and writers alike. The general consensus is that the underwhelming offensive trio of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, and Austin Romine isn't going to cut the mustard, and there's been little that the Yankee brass has said to change that perception. Yesterday, Mike Eder of TYA wrote a piece on Romine's defensive skills and the high evaluation he's gotten from Mark Newman on those defensive skills that could signal good things for Romine's future in the organization.
While Newman's comments on Romine might not be surprising coming from someone on the Yankee payroll, they are consistent in terms of the emphasis the organization has put on defense behind the plate in recent years. And as Mike pointed out, that commitment to defense could have been the deciding factor in letting guys like Martin and A.J. Pierzynski go and sticking with what the Yankees have. It's frustrating given the team's apparent willingness to take an offensive hit at the position, but if this is the path the Yanks are going to take in 2013, they at least have to be commended for staying consistent in their decision making.
He may not have played in 100 games in 3 of the last 5 seasons; he may not have posted a wRC+ above 100 in each of the last 3 seasons; he may not even be completely healthy. But in signing Matt Diaz to a Minor League deal yesterday, the Yankees at least gave themselves another option to find a right-handed platoon outfield bat, and the more options the better right now.
As first reported by Mark Feinsand, the Yanks signed the 34-year-old Diaz to a non-guaranteed MiL deal with an invite to Spring Training that gives him the chance to earn up to $2 million if he makes the team out of camp. Diaz is far removed from his best year in 2009 (.383 wOBA in 125 games), and has had major problems with his thumb, but reports are that he's feeling better and swinging a bat. He posted just a .268 wOBA and 64 wRC+ in 118 PA with the Braves in 2012, but managed a .269/.329/.410 line against left-handed pitching (.320 wOBA) and still has a .324/.364/.498 career slash against southpaws.
He's absolutely not a full-time player anymore, and he could very well be washed up after all the thumb problems the last 3+ years. But Diaz is the type of low risk/high reward veteran bat the Yankees have had success with in recent years. It worked with Marcus Thames in 2010, it worked with Raul Ibanez in 2012, so why not take a chance on Diaz for 2013? If he gives the team anything it's a good move. If he doesn't, the Yankees cut bait and lose nothing.
The trade market continues to look like the best option for the Yankees to address their biggest areas of need this offseason. With the bulk of this year's free agent class picked clean and the team already stretching its budget to add Kevin Youkilis and guarantee 2 years to Ichiro Suzuki, it's highly unlikely the Yankees will plunk down more guaranteed money to what are essentially scraps. There have been multiple reports of the Yankees quietly shopping guys like Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova already this offseason, reports that as of yet have returned very little in the way of meaningful rumors. But there are more trade options than just those names. One name that has come up consistently around the Yankosphere is Boone Logan. The oft-maligned lefty reliever had another solid season in 2012, and could generate interest on the trade market as something better than just your everyday LOOGY. Teams are always looking for more bullpen help, and Logan would be an attractive option to clubs that need to bolster their left-handed relief pitching.
(Sickels likes him some Sanchez. Courtesy of Four Seam Images)
Now that Christmas is over we've moved on to the next happiest time of year, that time, of course, being prospect season. The season was unofficially kicked off at the end of last weekend with John Sickels of Minor League Ball unveiling his Top 20 Yankee Prospects list for 2013. Sickels has a relatively simple grading system, and is always good for a few "off the beaten path" rankings, making his list a great jumping off point for starting prospect season and formulating your own personal rankings.
Sickels scores extra points with me this year for putting Gary Sanchez at the top of his rankings, something that a lot of other people haven't done because of Mason Williams' and Tyler Austin's breakout seasons despite the fact that Sanchez had another great season in his own right. You can check out the full list and Sickels' write-up on each player right here, but after the jump check out his top 10 and my personal take on his rankings.
As you've probably figured out by now, there's not going to be a whole lot of blog activity over the Christmas holiday from AB4AR. There isn't a whole lot going on in Yankeeland right now that necessitates posts going up, and I could really use the short break to recharge the batteries, finish my Christmas shopping, and spend some time with family and friends, as I'm sure everyone else could too.
So allow me to use this post to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, happy Boxing Day, and a joyous Festivus if that's what you celebrate. It's my sincerest wish that each and every AB4AR reader out there has a great holiday, gets everything that was on his or her wish list, and enjoys as much good food and drink as your bodies will allow. There won't be anymore posts today or tomorrow, unless something absolutely earth-shattering happens, but AB4AR will pick back up first thing on Wednesday, December 26th to start picking through the rest of the offseason task list and starting preparing for AB4AR Prospect Week and the unveiling of the AB4AR Top 30 after the new year.
So happy holidays, everybody. Hope you all have a great one and I'll see ya Wednesday.
Give the Yankees credit for leaving no stone unturned in their search to find a long-term replacement for Alex Rodriguez at third base. Earlier this week, Chad Jennings of LoHud had some Minor League news bits, and one of them mentioned Yankee brass giving thought to moving top prospect Tyler Austin back to third. By the sounds of Chad's report, we aren't going to be seeing Austin back at the hot corner next season, but it also didn't sound like the idea of was ruled out completely.
“He’s a better defender in right,” vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said. “But (putting him back at third) is something we’ve thought about. It’s a possibility.”
Austin was originally drafted as a catcher, quickly moved to third base last season, and then moved to right field almost as quickly. Far be it for me to tell the Yankees where he's best suited in the field, but I think if it was already decided that he might not be able to handle third base, then he and the Yankees are better off not moving him to third base and keeping him right where he is in right.
Let's face it, Austin isn't going to win any Gold Gloves at the Major League level. His bat is what's carrying him through the Minors right now and it's what's going to carry him to the show if he keeps hitting like this. While the Yankees do need a more permanent solution at third base than Kevin Youkilis, they could also use one in right field. Ichiro is only signed for 2 years, and could probably use a right-handed platoon partner in right as it is. If Austin has picked up the defensive nuances of right field well enough to play it full time, keep him right there, let his bat continue to do its thing, and maybe he ends up being that right-handed platoon bat in 2014 as a way to break into the Majors. The Yankees don't have great success trying to move their young players to new positions, and I'd rather not see Austin's development hit a speed bump because of more defensive musical chairs.
A customer sent me an email the other day asking me to update something "as quick as humanly possible." I don't know why it's never bothered me before, but as soon as I read that I was immediately pissed. Humanly possible? Humanly?? As if there was any other type of creature whose speed I could or was planning on mimicking to complete the task he asked me to do? Like an ostrich. Or an iguana. I could get it done as fast as iguanaly possible. Does this guy think that I'm not a human but rather a really intelligent farm animal? Or maybe he thinks I'm a robot or a cyborg or something.
The cyborg thing would be pretty cool, but I still found the comment insulting. The phrase "humanly possible" is so far beyond unnecessary to use when 2 human beings are communicating with each other. It's already implied that the absolute fastest we can do things is as fast as a human could possibly do them. There's no need to throw the "humanly" in there as an added measure of importance. A lot of people get fired up about "ASAP," but that doesn't bother me in the least. "Humanly possible," however, rubbed me the wrong way; chapped my ass something fierce.
Naturally I let that request sit and rot in my email inbox, where it resided up until sometime mid-morning on Thursday. Guess I'm just not that fast of a human. Happy holidays, jerk. Now onto the links!
- SJK of NoMaas got the inside scope on the Yankees' execution of their offseason plan straight from the executive boardroom.
- On Tuesday, Matt Keegan of Pinstriped Bible wrote a real interesting post that created a connection between A.J. Pierzynski and the Yankees that I didn't realize was there and also discussed the importance of personality and likability when deciding to pursue or avoid a free agent.
- On Wednesday, Mike Axisa of RAB profiled 2012 draft pick Taylor Dugas, who had one of the better starts to his professional career from this year's draft class.
- On Thursday, Steve Lombardi of Was Watching looked back through Yankee catcher history to find guys who played full time at age 24 or younger and didn't find much. Not a good omen for Austin Romine.
- Brien Jackson of IIATMS pointed out that the team's new look in 2013 as a result of their offseason strategy should result in the end of the "too many homers" meme. So at least we've got that.
- Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue made another plea for Chris Dickerson to get a chance to earn a roster spot next season. Everybody knows I love C-Dick, but even I think his days are numbered now that the roster is full of lefty outfielders.
For this week's Friday Jam it's only appropriate to play something seasonal, what with Christmas right around the corner next week. And that's why I'm going with the old AB4AR Christmas standby, "Merry F*cking Christmas" by Mr. Garrison. I laugh at this song every year, and if you have a sense of humor you will too.
The Yankees continue to pluck petals off their 40-man roster flower to make room for the free agents they're slowly adding. Last Friday it was Josh Spence for Kevin Youkilis, this week it was Jim Miller for Ichiro Suzuki. Neither Spence nor Miller are a great loss from the 40-man, and both cleared waivers and accepted assignments to Triple-A to help boost the all-important organizational depth at that level. But the removal of players like them for the Youkilises and Suzukis of the world paired with the addition of a half-dozen guys for Rule 5 Draft protection has resulted in a bit of a strange 40-man roster breakdown right now, at least to me. The Yankees' lack of high-ceiling upper MiL talent has never been more on display than it is presently, and their current 40-man roster is a perfect example of a team (and an organization) in transition.
(I wouldn't get your hopes up for this guy. Courtesy of the AP)
The natural progression from the Ichiro Suzuki signing being made official is to nail down the now much-needed righty 4th outfielder. For the first time in years, the Yankee outfield is a trio of left-handed hitters, all of whom are less than world beaters against their fellow southpaw slingers. Brett Gardner has a .256/.362/.335 slash line against lefties in just a hair under 400 career PA, Curtis Granderson took a step backward in 2012 with a .218/.304/.458 line and a ghastly 32.0% K rate, and Ichiro, despite his shiny numbers in pinstripes, was still just a .284/.291/.358 hitter vs. lefties this past season.
Andruw Jones is moving on to Japan to become a real-life Mr. Baseball, and the budget doesn't provide Cash the means to go out and sign a bigger name like Cody Ross or say, Nick Swisher, so once again the Yankees will be down in the rough digging for another diamond. The need is clearly there, but with the major portion of the offseason already passed, the supply of viable righty OF bat options is dangerously thin.
(You'd be smiling too if you got a guaranteed 2nd year from the Yankees. Courtesy of The Daily News)
I didn't bother posting this last night, even though that's when the story "broke," because this deal has pretty much been in the bag since the first round of reports came out last week. But the I's have been dotted, the T's have been crossed, Jim Miller has been DFA'd to clear a spot on the 40-man, and Ichiro Suzuki will be the starting right fielder for the New York Yankees in 2013.
As previously reported, it's a 2-year deal worth $13 million, $6.5 mil per for luxury tax purposes. I still can't help but think the guaranteed second year is Hal's way of trying to cash in on another 3,000 hits chase, and if it is then that is a horrible reason to sign a 40-year-old player, but at least now the major holes in the lineup have been plugged. I've written plenty about Ichiro already, so scroll back through this month and last month's archives if you want my take on him. The bottom line is the Yankees added contact skills and speed to their lineup, with the chance for a slight uptick in power hitting in The Stadium for half a season, and upgraded defensively.
Ichiro signing now gives the Yankees an all left-handed starting outfield, something that is problematic given that all 3 guys have at least a slight platoon split in their production even on their best days. A right-handed hitting 4th outfielder is almost a must right now, but with what's left available on the FA market, pickings are pretty slim.
(The champagne bath could be harder to come by in 2013. Courtesy of The Daily News)
It's no secret by now that this offseason has been a strange one for the Yankees in many ways. They can be best described as being "actively inactive," focusing all their time and energy on re-signing their own internal free agents while staying far on the periphery of all other free agent and trade rumors. As I mentioned this morning, they've spent amounts of money right up there with the best of them, so it's not like they're completely sitting on their hands, but were it not for Alex Rodriguez's newest hip injury not a dollar of it would have gone towards a single player from outside the organization. This offseason marked the first big step towards the 2014 payroll goal, and to their credit the Yankees have stayed on the path of the cheap and short-term.
This strategy has not gone unnoticed by their AL East competition. Almost every other team in the division, with the exception of Baltimore, has been very active on the free agent and trade markets this offseason, picking up the slack and the players left for the taking by the Yankees electing to stand pat. It's been interesting to say the least, as recent attempts by other clubs to try to step up and grab the "biggest big spender" torch away from the Yanks have yet to return big dividends (see: both teams in Los Angeles). It's also a bit worrisome, as the Yankees' approach this offseason has opened a window of opportunity that every other team seems eager to jump through.
Pennants and championships aren't won in December, that much we know. But the collection of moves that have been made (and not made) so far begs the question, are the Yankees still considered the king of the hill and the top of the heap in the AL East? Should they be?
This past weekend the Yankees found out their 2012 luxury tax fate, and they were reportedly in for $18.9 million or as I like to call it, more money than I'll ever come close to seeing in my life. It was a bump up from their 2011 luxury tax and established a pretty good benchmark for how much work the Yankees still have to do to get under that luxury tax threshold in 2014 as well as how much they've already done over the last 10 years to rack up almost a quarter billion in luxury tax penalties.
Yesterday the AP released a story that damn near everybody in blogosphere hopped on immediately. Apparently somebody forgot to carry a 3 somewhere, because it turns out the Yankees actually owed $19.3 million in luxury tax, OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!!! That's right, Yankee fans. The old Evil Empire got dinged for another $393,648 and everybody's talking about it like it's actual news. Ummm, what planet am I on??
"But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely."
"Which is?"
"A legend, Mr. Ibanez."
And apparently that's exactly what Raul Ibanez did this past season. A year after the Yankees had to fight off nobody to sign him before Spring Training, Ibanez now finds himself being courted by the Texas Rangers in addition to the Yankees for his services as a lefty power platoon bat with the biggest grapefruits this side of Vince McMahon.
Props to Brien Jackson and the crew at IIATMS for being the only site in the blogosphere that I saw that covered this today, and yeah, I totally copycatted my idea to write about this from them. Deal with it. But as far as Ibanez and the Yanks go, there hasn't been a whole lot of talk since the initial "interest" phase earlier in the offseason. The Yankees could use another right-handed bat more than a left one, but it would be fun to have Ibanez back on the bench in 2013. If it turns out that last October was the final time we got to see Ra's al Ul in a Yankee uniform, we'll always have the memories...
(Thinking about the good old days, perhaps. Courtesy of US Presswire)
When going through my L/R batting order exercise for next season yesterday, you may have noticed that I had both Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Youkilis listed as "3B/DH." I'm sure most people weren't surprised by that, as both players have struggled mightily with injuries as they've moved into their mid-30s, and more and more the DH spot is becoming a safe haven for them to lessen the wear and tear on their bodies and keep themselves healthy and on the field as much as possible. Youkilis is going to get the lion's share of ABs at the hot corner to start the season with A-Rod on the DL, but when Rodriguez comes back Joe is going to have to work out a system to give each of them a day or days at DH and possibly a full day off per week to keep them healthy and allow them to produce as much as their remaining skill sets will allow them to.
As far as Youkilis is concerned, whatever the Yankees do with him will only be for this next year. He's on a 1-year contract and with the type of money he'll command in free agency after next season there's no chance the Yankees bring him back again with the payroll goal being the first priority. A-Rod is a different story, however, as he'll still have 4 more years left on his contract, 4 years that could be very long and painful for everyone to watch if he continues down the path he's already on. While they have time to plan out a strategy, it would behoove the Yankees to investigate a way to move A-Rod to DH full time.
I know a lot of people are going to say it's way to early to start talking batting orders for next season, what with there still being a solid 2 months left in the offseason and the Yankees possibly being without a couple key members of their everyday lineup when the regular season starts on April 1st. But I don't see it that way. Injured or not, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are going to be part of the everyday lineup when they do return, and with the signing of Kevin Youkilis and the pending signing of Ichiro Suzuki, the starting 9 for 2013 is all but intact.
The lineup next year is going to be flush with platoon bats, which likely means a lot more of the lineup juggling that we started to see late last season. The presence of Youkilis and return of Brett Gardner should bring back some of the classic Yankee "grind it out" at-bat tactics, but the middle of the order has lost some of its luster with the injuries and natural decline of A-Rod and Teix. Even without a good everyday catcher, there is still the potential for the Yankees lineup to be relatively deep and dangerous next season, but a lot of things are going to have to turn around. After the jump, check out my preliminary ideas for next season's batting orders.
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