Evaluating The New Acquisitions At The Break

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

A popular thing to do in the blog world at the All-Star break is hand out midterm grades to your team's players and their first half performances.  Most of the grades you'd see from me if I were to do that would be C's, and that's not just because the Yankees have a .500 record and have looked blah in every way through 94 games.  For the most part, things have gone the way the way they had been going and the way they were expected to go for the returning Yankee core.  Father time has caught up to guys like Derek Jeter and Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda have provided more questions than answers about their futures, and CC Sabathia's performance decline has continued in perfect harmony with his physical decline.  These guys are who we thought they were and who we were afraid they'd become.

It was the new guys on the block who were supposed to be the fixers.  They were the ones who were going to propel the holdover group back into the playoffs and bridge the gap into the next generation of Yankee baseball.  Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Masahiro Tanaka, the $458 billion saviors.  Or so we thought.  Expectations have hardly been met by this group, although their respective performances have hardly been poor across the board, and some of the blame for the team's present position falls on some of these shoulders.  Here's a quick recap of how that half bil investment is paying off so far.

AB4AR "Best Of The Month" Awards: June 2014

Yankees, your June.  Woof!  That was a stinker, eh?  Coming off a May that wasn't quite as good as April, the Yankees doubled down on regression and really started to play some bad baseball in June.  Overall they went 12-15 with a - 23 run differential, dropping them to 1 game above .500, a game they lost to get July started where June left off.  There was no consistency to the team's play either.  The entire month was a series of short steaks.  Started off losing the first 4 games of the month, then won 2 straight, lost 2 straight, won 4 straight, lost 2 straight, won 4 straight, lost 4 straight, won 2 straight, lost 3 straight.

It's not time to start manning the life boats, not before the trade deadline, but it might be a good idea for all women and children to put on their life jackets.  After the jump, the few spots of brightness from a gloomy month of June.

Beltran To Return Today? (UPDATED)

Nothing's official yet, and won't be until later this afternoon, but all signs point to Carlos Beltran returning to the Yankee lineup tonight today.  He came through his ExST games without any problems in his elbow, he was on his way back to New York to rejoin the team yesterday, and when asked about his status before last night's game, Joe had this to say:

“He could possibly be in the lineup tomorrow. We’ll make a decision tomorrow, see how he feels, and he could be in the lineup tomorrow.  I just didn't reveal it because sometimes if a guy has a day setback, it becomes a huge story. And I don’t want it to become a huge story.”

So as long as Beltran doesn't wake up with pain in his elbow today or hit his funny bone really hard on anything in the clubhouse, he should be good to go.  The Yankees have been on a bad streak when it comes to setbacks, so smart move by Joe not saying anything until he knows Beltran is good to go.

Beltran returning could be huge if he truly is over the pain in his elbow.  There's no way of knowing how long that will last, but with Joe planning to use him as the primary DH he should be able to limit the wear and tear on that elbow.  The more Beltran can give them, the better.

** UPDATE 10:37 AM- Beltran has indeed been activated, with Scott Sizemore getting sent down, and is batting 5th in today's lineup as the DH. **

Beltran Heading To Tampa For MiL Rehab Games

While the offense continues to sputter and injuries continue to linger, the Yankees did get a small bit of good news on the health front after yesterday's loss.  Joe told reporters that Carlos Beltran will be heading to Tampa to get some game situation at-bats over the next few days and could rejoin the team later this week.

Beltran's right elbow has apparently responded well to the cortisone shot he received a few weeks ago.  He progressed quickly through his light rehab workouts last week, quicker than I thought he would if I'm being honest.  He went from dry swings with a fungo bat to live BP in less than a week, and he hasn't felt any pain or discomfort in the elbow after any of the workouts.

Because the MiL teams' schedules aren't conducive to a formal rehab assignment, the plan is for Beltran to play in a few ExST games.  That actually could work out better than a true assignment, as Beltran will be able to get a lot of at-bats in those informal games and really test his elbow on swings.  Joe didn't give specifics on how long Beltran would be down there, but did leave the possibility open for him to rejoin the team by the end of the week. As bad as the offense has been lately, that would be ideal.

Report: Beltran Will Try To Play Through Elbow Injury (UPDATED)

Dr. Andrews must be raking it in on the Yankee account this year.  Carlos Beltran had his scheduled visit with the good doctor today to follow up on the bone spur in his right elbow that has him on the DL.  The visit and the revelation that Beltran had already received a 2nd cortisone injection in the elbow were bad signs that surgery, but it looks like Beltran is going to try to play through the injury first.

According to a report by Mark Feinsand, Dr. Andrews confirmed that Beltran has a bone spur in his right elbow (that's why they pay him the big bucks, folks), but apparently did not recommend immediate surgery.  Feinsand's anonymous source also says Beltran is going to try to play through the injury before turning to surgery and could come off the DL as soon as he's eligible if the elbow is feeling better.  If he's unable to play through the pain, surgery would put him out for 2 months.

In a way, this is better than immediate surgery.  The Yankees will get Beltran back in the lineup, for a short team at least, and maybe the cortisone injections will be enough for him to play with the injury and hit better than he has been.  That quick second injection really scares me though, and I think this could be a situation similar to CC's in which Beltran is just delaying the inevitable.

** UPDATE 5:09 PM- Via Bryan Hoch, Joe said Beltran will try swinging a bat on Monday to test the elbow.  If it doesn't feel good, he'll be shut down and undergo surgery. **

Yankees Place Carlos Beltran On The 15-Day DL

Yankees make it official: Carlos Beltran to the DL, Chase Whitley added to active roster.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 15, 2014

Well that sucks.  Despite saying today that he's "getting better", the Yankees have elected to put Carlos Beltran on the 15-day disabled list with a bone spur in his right elbow.  The plan is to use the DL stint to rest his elbow, see how it responds to that and the cortisone shot he received, and then make a decision on whether to proceed with surgery or not.  Expected recovery time from surgery would be 6-8 weeks.

I'm not one for delaying surgery when it seems like the eventual endgame, but I agree with what the Yanks are doing here.  I don't think they would have wasted time with the cortisone shot if the spur was obviously bad enough to need surgery.  If Beltran feels like he can play after a few weeks off and it looks better to the doctors, I guess it's worth a shot.

Chase Whitley takes Beltran's spot on the active roster.  Bruce Billings was DFA'd to clear a 40-man spot.

Carlos Beltran Has To Be Hurt, Right?

(Not good.  Screen cap courtesy of MLB.com)

Carlos Beltran woke up this morning with the unfortunate distinction of being one of 2 negative WAR everyday players in the Yankee lineup (Soriano is the other).  After a blistering start to his season in which he generated most of the power production from the middle of the batting order, Beltran has been slumping badly for the last 2 weeks and has seen his batting line slip to .240/.292/.440.  While my analysis last Monday showed there were shifts in BIP distribution and most likely approach that were causing the slump, there may be an even simpler explanation for Beltran's troubling decline.

Is Carlos Beltran Slumping Or Not?

The recent dearth of offense from the revamped lineup has been driven primarily by the lack of production from the middle of the lineup.  Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Alfonso Soriano have been swinging cold bats for the better part of the last 2 weeks, and there simply hasn't been enough production from the other 6 spots in the batting order to make up for that.  McCann and Soriano have never really found their stride since Opening Day, even with a few big power days mixed in, but Beltran was arguably the best hitter in the lineup for the first few weeks.  He's cooled down to the point of being frigid at the plate, and with him being older and having a history of leg problems, I thought it was worth investigating the legitimacy of his downtrend in production similar to how I looked at Derek Jeter over the weekend.

Carlos Beltran, Professional Hitter

When you've been around for as long as Carlos Beltran has (15 full seasons plus partials in 1998 and this season), you're going to learn a lot about what it takes to be a successful hitter.  With a .365 career wOBA and values of .355, .359, and .362 in the last 3 seasons as he's moved into his late 30s, it's fair to say Beltran has picked up his fair share of important lessons and personal tips.  He spoke to David Laurila of FanGraphs for a post that went up on Friday about some of those tips and his general hitting strategy.  It was a very interesting look inside the mind of one of the best all-around hitters of the last 20 years.

For me, the highlight of the post was Beltran talking about knowing the feeling in his legs from pitch to pitch and knowing if he has them under him for his swing based on whether or not he feels like the wind is blowing him off-balance.  That's some next-level veteran stuff right there.  I also liked Beltran's self-described approach of always going up there looking for the 1 pitch he wants and being willing to wait for it.  The guy has seen everything at this point in his career and he knows the value of going up to the plate with a plan and sticking with that plan.  Based on his early .538 SLG and team-leading 5 homers, I'd say that plan is working out well.  The average and OBP will come up in time.  When it does, Beltran could really put up some big numbers hitting in YS3.

Beltran's Foot- Something Or Nothing?

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The off day yesterday gave everybody a chance to step back and reset the ST landscape after a busy first 2 weeks.  Part of that resetting is updating all the injury/health issues in camp and Chad Jennings was generous enough to compile every update on every player into one post.  Most of this stuff is common knowledge to anybody who's followed camp with any kind of consistency, but there was one name and one ailment on the list I wasn't aware of.  That name is Carlos Beltran, who's apparently been dealing with a sore left foot.  Jennings was quick to call it "a complete non-issue," but his description of the situation doesn't exactly read as reassuring:

"After playing last Sunday’s game, Beltran had an ice pack on his left foot. He said his toes bother him occasionally, especially if the dirt in the batter’s box is too firm. Said it’s not a problem, and he’s been able to play since then."

Beltran Introductory Presser Wrap-Up

(Courtesy of the AP)

Carlos Beltran got to fulfill what had to at least be a small life goal yesterday when he became the latest, but hopefully not the last, Yankee free agent acquisition to meet the media.  As expected, flowers were presented to wives, pictures were taken, questions were asked.  Here are the highlights:

- Beltran said "I used to look up to this organization" when talking about his long standing desire to be a Yankee.  He confirmed that he grew up a Yankee fan and specifically mentioned Bernie Williams as a player he was a fan of.  That's pretty cool.

- Both Joe and Cash talked about the flexibility Beltran brings to the lineup as another switch hitter to add to the mix.  It'll be interesting to see how Joe decides to lay out the middle of the batting order with all these new faces.

- Apparently the wound from his time with the Mets hasn't fully healed.  Beltran said that he thought "it wasn't right" how the team portrayed him at times, especially when it came to leaks from within the organization.  He did later say that if he made the HOF he would strongly consider going in as a Met though, so he can't be too upset.

- We knew this already from a tweet of his weeks back, but Beltran will wear David Cone's old #36 next year.  And he will play right field.

- Beltran on the team's chances next year: "With the signings of Ellsbury, McCann, myself and the players that we have, I believe that we have a good (enough) team to go all the way. We still have to go out there on the field and perform, but most importantly, we feel that we have the players – the characters – to accomplish that.”

Yanks Make Carlos Beltran Signing Official

Yankees announce signing of eight-time All-Star Carlos Beltran to a three-year contract.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) December 19, 2013

It took a little longer than it did for McCann and Jacoby, but the Yankees finally made the Carlos Beltran signing official today.  The team formally announced the deal, which was for 3 years and $45 million in case you'd forgotten, and he will be introduced at a press conference tomorrow at 11 AM EST.

To clear a spot for Beltran on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated Brett Marshall for assignment.  He was mostly bad as a starter in Triple-A and mop-up reliever in the Majors last year, but still has some prospect value as a young, hard-throwing pitcher.  I'm not sure why the team would elect to expose him to waivers when they could have dumped someone more expendable like Vernon Wells or David Huff, but hopefully he clears through and makes it back to Triple-A.

With Beltran in the fold, the Yanks now have a projected starting outfield of he, Ellsbury, and Gardner for 2014.  It still remains to be seen if Gardner will be traded or if the team will move forward with Soriano as the primary DH and de facto 4th outfielder, but there's plenty of time to figure that out.

Carlos Beltran Signing Thoughts & Afterthoughts

(Courtesy of Troy Taormina/USA Today Sports)

I'm sure many of us were still reeling from/coping with the announcement of the Robinson Cano-Seattle Mariners signing on Friday night when the Carlos Beltran deal was reported.  For me, that meant drinking more beers than I should have at my girlfriend's work holiday party and trying to rationalize the business side of the deal with a co-worker of hers who is a big Yankee fan.  By the time we got home, I didn't have the energy or the mental sharpness to write much more than I did on the signing.  Now that I've had a few days to think about it, I think I'm ready to analyze the deal and what Beltran will bring to the team for the next 3 seasons.

Monday Mid-Morning Food For Thought: Something To Like About Beltran

As with Ellsbury, I'm not fully on board with the Carlos Beltran signing yet.  I was against him at the start of the offseason when there were better, younger options available, less against him once the offseason started, and OK with signing him once Robinson Cano left for Seattle.  I hate the 3rd year of the deal, but I understand it as doing what it took to get a player who could help replace Cano's lost left-handed power.

And when it comes to replacing that lost power, Beltran should do just fine.  The spray chart below shows his BIP distribution from the left side of the plate last year.  You'll notice that the bulk of his power production comes from the left side of the plate and there are a fair amount of balls on the warning track that would have made it out of the short porch in Yankee Stadium.

(Courtesy of Texas Leaguers.  Click to embiggen)

Beltran hit .315/.362/.509 as a lefty in 2013 (.377 wOBA).  That slash jumps to .417/.408/.813 when he pulled the ball from the left side of the plate, including 15 of his 24 home runs.  He may be a wild card in terms of his health and age-related regression, but when it comes to producing from the left side, Beltran should be a more than adequate replacement for Cano in the 3rd spot of the batting order.

Yankees And Carlos Beltran Agree To 3-Year Deal

I can't even take one night off from this without some major news breaking.  The Yankees wasted no time in getting started on their Plan B without Robinson Cano, tonight reportedly agreeing to a deal with free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran.  Via Mark Feinsand, the deal is for 3 years.  Via Tim Brown, it's for $45 million.

The Yankees were in on Beltran from the start, but things seemed like they had cooled off after the McCann and Ellsbury signings.  With Cano now gone, the need for more offense was obvious and the return to Beltran doesn't come as a huge surprise.  The Yankees were reluctant to give him the 3rd year initially but apparently willing to do it now that Cano leaving gave them the extra money.  Again, I would have preferred Shin-Soo Choo, but Beltran is an upgrade over their current right fielder and should provide above-average production from that spot and as a part-time DH next season.

Cue Beltran Watch 2013

Via Mark Feinsand:

"According to sources, the Yankees have set Beltran as their No. 1 target while they wait to reignite talks with Robinson Cano, for Hiroki Kuroda to decide whether he wants to return next season and for the Japanese posting system to be hammered out so righthander Masahiro Tanaka can be made available... 

Likewise, Beltran has let it be known to those around him that the Yankees are his top choice, hoping to finally land himself in pinstripes after previous free-agent flirtations during the past decade did not work out."

Sorry, Tanaka Watch.  You just got dropkicked to the back burner (probably a safety hazard BTW) by Beltran Watch.  With McCann all but locked up, the Yankees are moving onto the next name on their list and this report makes it sound like that name is Beltran's, written in all caps with one of those really thick Sharpies.

Do I prefer him to Choo?  No I do not.  Do I think he'd be a great signing on a 2-year deal to bump Ichiro to the bench where he belongs?  I absolutely do.  Sounds like the number of years is the hold up right now, but if the Yanks don't cave to a 3rd and get Beltran for 2/$30 mil, that's another win for them.

Free Agent Target: Carlos Beltran

(Beltran's lone defensive highlight of 2013)

When Curtis Granderson got knocked out of the lineup in Spring Training and then again in May, the Yankee outfield was exposed for how weak and shallow it had become.  After letting Swish walk, the Yanks were left with a light-hitting trio of Gardner, Ichiro, and panic trade acquisition Vernon Wells to hold down the fort.  There was no amount of luck, black magic, or age-defying skill rebound that was going to make Ichiro and Wells productive, above-average hitters for an entire season, and predictably the offensive output of the Yankee outfield took a nosedive.

Enter Carlos Beltran.  Once coveted by Yankee fans and writers alike in the mid-2000s, the Bombers missed out on him when he was in his prime and now have a second opportunity to add him to the mix this offseason.  He's not the 5-tool stud he used to be, and I'm on the record as saying I don't think pursuing him on a multi-year deal should be a top priority for the team, but there's no denying that Beltran would be a major upgrade in right field next year over any and everybody currently under contract.

There's Mutual Interest Between The Yanks And Beltran Because Of Course There Is

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

To say that yesterday's news of there being mutual interest between the Yankees and free agent to be Carlos Beltran was unsurprising would be a gross understatement. My reaction to Mark Feinsand's report was a pretty simple, "duh."  The Yanks and Beltran have been loosely linked for almost 10 years now, and Cash is still probably kicking himself for not getting a deal done with Beltran back when he was in his prime in 2005.  Now that Beltran is 36 going on 37, he's much more in line with the current Yankee business model.  He's a former All Star on the downside of his career looking for one last contract and the Yankees are the safest of havens for those types of players.  The only thing surprising about this story is that it came out this early while Beltran was still playing in the postseason.