Cashman Dominating "The Process"

I know he said it's a "slow process" and that he's "reaching out to all agents," but Cash is running the show for C.J. Wilson right now and it's brilliant.

Here's the thing.  We don't really know if the Yankees are seriously interested in Wilson.  Nobody does.  And to be honest, it doesn't really matter if they are or not.  CC was their big prize and they locked him back up before he even had the chance to hit the market for other teams to bid.  But, one can safely assume that there were other teams out there prepping offers for CC in anticipation of him opting out, and now those teams are likely the ones, including others, who are going to be playing hard for Wilson as a backup plan.  And the more the Yankees seem like they're involved, the more stories that get out there where Cash is talking about him, the more these other teams are going to be forced to up their bids, in terms of years and money, to ensure they land Wilson.

The Yankees are really in the driver's seat here.  They can be as aggressive on Wilson as they want to be, even if it's just to drive up the price like they did with Carl Crawford last offseason, knowing that they've already secured CC, they have 3 returning starters, and that there are other pitchers available.  If they are a serious player for Wilson and they get him, that's just icing on the cake.  If they don't, they just move on to somebody else who fits what they're looking for.  It would seem likely that we'll see this same approach in regards to Yu Darvish as well once he officially becomes a free agent, and I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but it's brilliant work by Cash and the front office to get themselves at the forefront of the discussions surrounding these guys and really force where the market for their services goes.

Cash Probably Doing A Better Job Than Wilson's Agent Right Now

“I’d say it’s fair to say C.J. Wilson is probably the best pitcher on the marketplace right now since Sabathia’s been taken out and retained here.  I don’t think it’s a stretch to tell anybody that he’s the most attractive candidate.”

How much extra money did Cash just make Wilson on his new contract with that statement?  10 mil?  15?  Every other team that's seriously targeting Wilson is going to have to up their offers to more than they originally planned just on the off-chance that Cash and the Yankees are really in on Wilson.  Just Cash stirring the pot again, pulling the strings, and dominating the offseason.

(Quote via LoHud)

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza

Time for a quick lap around the Yankosphere.  On your mark, get set, GO!

- Chad Jennings at LoHud has some details on Russell Martin, specifically his offseason workout-related tweets and the Yankees' thoughts about bringing him back next year.  The comparisons to Munson make it almost impossible to think that Martin won't be a Yankee in 2012.  Comments like that aren't just handed out.

- Lisa at Subway Squawkers wasn't as happy as some of us were to hear the Cash re-up news.  Her beef mainly lies in the inconsistencies in the Yankee brass' rhetoric, which I can respect.  But that still doesn't mean it's a bad thing that Cash is back.

- William at The Captain's Blog dishes a dose of perspective on Cash, reminding everybody of the success the Yankees have had under his watch.  It's kinda hard to argue with those numbers.

- On Freddy Garcia, Andrew Marchand at ESPNNY tries to make a case based on the low risk associated with Freddy while Jane Heller of Confession of a She-Fan argues against Freddy based on his "lightning in a bottle" season this year.  I don't know what side everybody else takes here, but I would support Freddy coming back as a last resort.

- Joe Pawlikowski at RAB has a very well-written piece explaining why the Mariners aren't going to trade King Felix, if anybody out there still thinks that's an option the Yankees should pursue.

- Vizzini at NoMaas brings up a very interesting hypothetical with his suggestion that the Yankees trade Ivan Nova now while his value is high to bring in another top-line starter.  Interesting premise, but would Nova-Noesi be enough to get the guy Vizzini wants?

- Mike Silva at NY Baseball Digest also discussed an interesting hypothetical, that being the Yankees looking to trade for Tim Lincecum.  I don't see that idea going anywhere, but I'd be willing to put a prospect package together if the Giants were serious about it.

- And last but not least, new colleague Matt Imbrogno at TYA joins the hypothetical trade talk by breaking down a Swish-for-John Danks trade.  That would be a good trade for both sides, but I think I'd rather go the route that Matt suggests at the end of the post than dump Swish.

Enjoy the rest of your Fridays and your weekends, Yankee fans.  Make sure you stock up on beer for all the college football games tomorrow.  I know that's what my eyes will be glued to.

Hey, How Are The Mets Doing?

Anybody heard?  What are their big offseason plans?  Have they already made an offer to Jose Reyes to try to keep him around?  Do they have any big pitching targets?  What are they doing this offseason??

"After Citi Field produced the third-fewest homers in the National League last season, Mets officials decided to reduce the in-play surface area by 2 percent, general manager Sandy Alderson said. The playing surface beyond 300 feet from home plate is being reduced by 5 percent."

 (New dimensions shown in blue.  Courtesy of The Mets)

"[The] dramatic dimension changes to Citi Field ... should mean the home team belting more than 25 additional home runs in 2012."

25 extra home runs??? ZOMFG!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!1!!1  Factor that in the extra home runs the new dimensions will allow to opposing teams, and the Mets' shitty pitching, and those extra 25 dingers should get them another 2-3 wins in 2012.  We're talking creeping back up towards .500 here, people!  THIS IS HUUUUUUUUGE NEWS!!!!!

Good to see that nothing has changed over in Met Land even with Omar and Crazy Jerry gone.  They're still just as incompetent as ever.  The Yankees address their offseason needs by picking up the options on 2 of their more productive offensive players, one of them a Silver Slugger Award winner, re-signing their GM, and extending their ace who happens to be one of the best starting pitchers in baseball all in about a week.  The Mets address their needs by making their field dimensions a little closer to Little League standard to help their crummy batch of Quadruple-A-caliber players.  It's brilliant.

Another great day to be a Mets fan.

(Quotes courtesy of ESPNNY.  Read the whole article for a few more laughs if you have the time.)

Too Many Catchers, So Little Space

Now that Cano and Swish have had their options exercised, CC has been extended, Cash has been re-upped, and the rest of the impending Yankee free agents have been free agented, we can focus squarely on the main offseason goal of strengthening the 2012 rotation.  And while C.J. Wilson and Yu Darvish will dominate the discussion, a more cost effective solution could turn out to be the trade market.  Inspired by recent posts discussing who is and isn't trade bait and realistic offseason expectations, and the possibility of adding a #2 starter via a trade, I wanted to look at one of the Yankees' deepest positions in terms of potential trade chips- catcher- and see who might make the most sense to offer up.

Jesus Montero- .288/.348/.467, .365 wOBA in 463 PA at Triple-A (2011)

Jesus is obviously at the head of this class after another productive year in Triple-A and a big time Major League debut in September where he went HAM to the tune of a .328/.406/.590 line with 8 XBH in just 69 PA, good for a .421 wOBA.  He's currently the front runner to be the starting DH for the Yankees next year and most likely the backup catcher, but Montero can still be valuable as a trade chip as any team would be happy to add him to their lineup for the next 10 years.  The catch with Montero is that the Yankees should really only be willing to discuss him for the right guy (see: Hernandez, Felix).

Austin Romine- .286/.351/.378, .332 wOBA in 373 PA at Double-A

Romine had another solid if unspectacular year in 2011, mostly in Trenton before making a brief stop at SWB after the Jesus call up.  He improved his ability to make contact this year at the expense of a bit of power output, and increased his BB rate (8.6%) while decreasing his K rate (16.1%).  He'll begin 2012 as the likely starting catcher at Triple-A, and still most likely tops out as a high-level backup or low-level starter at the Major League level, but there are more good things that Romine brings to the table than bad, and there's value to be had in that.

J.R. Murphy- .293/.343/.457, .359 wOBA in 277 PA at Low-A Charleston

2011 was looking like a big coming out party for Murphy before he injured himself for the season with a freak foul ball off the leg.  He was hitting the snot out of the ball at Charleston and starting to figure things out at High-A Tampa before the injury.  Murphy was also drawing rave reviews from scouts for his much improved defense behind the plate and higher CS rates.  Murphy's success in his shortened season put him on a lot of people's radars and could make him a much more attractive trade chip.

Gary Sanchez- .256/.335/.485, .364 wOBA in 343 PA at Low-A Charleston

Sanchez has basically been "Mini Jesus" since the Yankees signed him, and he started mashing almost immediately in rookie ball last year.  The sky still appears to be the limit for this kid, as he's only 19 years old, but there are just as many question marks surrounding Sanchez as there were Jesus, if not more.  He's not smooth or disciplined behind the plate and often battles inconsistency.  And there was the little issue from earlier this season when he was sent down because of attitude problems.  But he can hit the lights out and could be a very valuable piece because of the Montero hitting comparisons.

Kyle Higashioka- .238/.300/.372, .308 wOBA in 180 PA at High-A Tampa

Don't laugh.  Higgy has some value.  He's only 21, has very solid defensive skills, and actually hit the ball better at High-A after getting the call up to replace Murphy than he was hitting at Low-A.  His offensive output is still nothing to write home about, but he's got a good eye at the plate and could develop into a serviceable backup with a few more years of seasoning in the Minors.  He wouldn't be the center piece of any deal, certainly not one to bring back a #2 starter, but Higashioka shouldn't be written off completely.

Isaias Tejada- .331/.404/.568, .443 OBA in 166 PA at Rookie GCL

I'll be honest, I didn't even know Tejada existed before this season, but he put up some serious numbers this year in the GCL, and just missed being on Baseball America's Top 20 GCL players last month.  He just turned 20 on October 28 and possesses a solid skill foundation both at and behind the plate.  He did have 12 errors this past season, but the scouting reviews I've read on him don't poke nearly the holes in his defensive game as they do Sanchez's.  He'll be a guy to keep an eye on next year at Charleston, and could become more prevalent as a potential trade chip if he keeps producing at the next level.

Obviously there's a lot of talent and lot of potential amongst the Yankees MiL crop of backstops, but there just isn't that much room for all of these guys.  They're going to keep advancing through the MiL system and eventually run into a road block at the higher levels, especially if the Yankees keep Russell Martin for the next few seasons.  If it were up to me to decide who stays and who goes, I would be looking at putting Romine and Sanchez up for auction.  Romine is good at everything but not really great at anything and so there's no sense in not making him available if another team is seriously interested in him, especially with Murphy possibly projecting as a better version of Romine in a few years.  And Sanchez to me is a much bigger wild card than Jesus ever was because of the defensive and attitude/focus questions, but he's so highly regarded as a hitting prospect that teams aren't going to turn him down.  If he turns out to be a questionable defensive catcher down the road, it's highly unlikely he would supplant Jesus from the lineup with just his bat, regardless of what position Jesus is playing.  Long term, he's likely more valuable to the Yankees as a trade piece than as another defensively-challenged catcher.

Now I would make any and every one of these guys available for the right deal.  But for all the potential deals that come up this offseason, Romine and Sanchez would be my first choices if the conversation turns towards catchers.  They're a perfect combination of high upside and low downside, and their absence would still leave the Yankees with a solid stockpile of young catchers for the future while helping to accomplish the goal of improving the rotation now.

On Andrew Brackman's Release

The biggest bit of real news to come out of Cash's press conference yesterday was the announcement that the Yankees would not be picking up Andrew Brackman's 2012 option, and that he would become a free agent.  I'm sure feelings were mixed across the board on this announcement.  I imagine some fans were surprised that the Yanks would basically give up on a recent 1st-round draft pick, and I imagine there are some fans saying "good riddance" to a guy who, quite frankly, didn't even come close to living up to his potential as a 1st-rounder or the money the Yankees paid him.  My personal opinion, it was a move that the Yankees didn't want to make, but probably had to.  Because honestly, there's really nowhere for Brackman to go next season.

The Yankees used him out of the 'pen a few times late this past season, but he didn't do anything to convince them that he's a realistic relief option for 2012.  Why would they take up a spot on the 25-man with Brackman when they already have Mo, D-Rob, Sour Puss, Logan, Wade, possibly Noesi, and at some point Joba?  And because they promoted ManBan and Betances to Triple-A last year, that rotation is now full with those 2, Mitchell, Warren, and Phelps.  Nobody would give Brack a chance to find himself as a starter again at one of those guys' expense.  And if you try to send Brackman further down the system to figure the kinks out, all you're succeeding in doing is taking away valuable experience and innings from younger prospects, guys like Stoneburner, Brett Marshall, Bryan Mitchell, Nik Turley, etc.  At this point, they are the ones that should be trying to hone their stuff and refine their command, not 26-year-old multi-millionaire Andrew Brackman.

It sucks that Brackman's career path has played out this way, but the Yankees can't afford to wait around for this guy anymore.  Dude posted a 5.77 FIP and 7.03 BB/9 in 2011 in Triple-A.  That's not just regressing from his 2010 numbers, that's straight up falling off the cliff.  And with the rest of their stockpile of pitching talent on the way up, there really isn't any room at the table for Brackman, and the Yankees shouldn't feel obligated to make room.  Not for the money they're paying him.  The last thing they need is another Kei Igawa situation.  If he decides he wants to suck it up, accept a MiL deal and try to rebuild himself, then fine.  But if he doesn't, I know I can live without him in the Yankees' future plans.

How Salty Should I Be About Brett Gardner Not Winning A Gold Glove?

(Helping the old UZR.  Courtesy of The Star Ledger) 

Brett Gardner- 1251.0 Inn, 202 TP, 322 PO, 7 A, 5 E, .985 FP, 25.8 UZR, 29.5 UZR/150

Alex Gordon- 1309.0 Inn, 239 TP, 312 PO, 20 A, 3 E, .991 FP, 10.5 UZR, 10.0 UZR/150

There's how Gardner and Gordon stack up, and I only put that up because I thought it was a foregone conclusion that Gardner was going to win his first Gold Glove last night.  When you look at these 2 guys, though, you can see why Gordon got the victory.  He made more plays and had fewer errors than Gardner in slightly more innings and also dominated with 20 outfield assists.  The slightly higher FP also doesn't hurt.

But Gardner dominates Gordon in the sabermetric defensive breakdown, torching him and pretty much every other AL outfielder in UZR and UZR/150 .  I also found it particularly interesting that Gardner's Revised Zone Rating (RZR) and OOZ (Plays Made Out Of Zone) numbers were much better than Gordon's, .944 RZR/120 OOZ to .923 RZR/74 OOZ respectively.  This is almost certainly due to Gardner's very high RngR (24.5), which was much higher than Gordon's (-2.1).

Basically this award played out in a complete "old school vs. new school" fashion, with Gordon winning the old school side and Gardner the new school.  Gardner covers more ground, gets to more balls, and makes more plays than he should, but Gordon does more with the balls hit right to him and uses his arm strength as a defensive weapon to cover for the extra ground he can't cover.  Gordon also had a much better year at the plate, and to a certain degree the Gold Glove is still looked at with offensive stats taken into consideration as well.  That was likely enough to tip the scales in Gordon's favor, which sucks for Brett and Yankee fans but is understandable.

Maybe if Brett started taking my advice and learned to hit with a little more power, he could drive up his offensive numbers in 2012 and finally win a Double-G.

Reading Cash's Presser Between The Lines

(HELLOOOOOOOOO!!)

As always, Brian Cashman was dynamite on the mic today during his press conference, touching on a multitude of topics and delivering more than his fair share of killer lines.  It is in between those lines, however, where the real meaning to what Cash is saying lies.  I'll translate.

What He Said: "I don't have any health concerns with Alex.  His is a timing issue." (on The Horse's health)

What He Meant: "I don't have any health concerns with Alex because I've accepted the fact that he's a rapidly-breaking down older player no longer on HGH when he needs it the most.  I have concerns about how all these constant trips to the DL affect his timing at the plate over the course of the season and leave him stuck in so many slumps where he looks terrible."

What He Said: "I would not look at him as a reliever.  If he's with us, without a doubt he's in the rotation." (in regards to A.J. Burnett)

What He Meant: "A.J. really sucks.  But we can't waste a bullpen spot on him.  If the Steinbrenners would let me, I would trade A.J. for a 12-pack of hot dogs and some glove oil just to make sure he's not in our 2012 rotation."

What He Said: “I think he can be catching for us or he can obviously be DHing for us or a lethal bat off the bench for us. All of the above.” (in regards to Jesus Montero's position next year)

What He Meant: "Look, we're going to bring back Russell Martin, so it really makes the most sense to utilize Jesus' greatest skill as much as possible at the DH position.   Unfortunately, there are going to be days where A-Rod or Jeter or Teix has to DH and we probably will let Jesus rot on the bench during those games because we don't fully trust him as a catcher."

What He Said: “I’m not opposed to any of those guys coming back, I just can’t tell you what’s going to happen.” (in regards to Chavez, Garcia, and Colon coming back in 2012)

What He Meant: "We are not actively pursuing bringing any of these guys back next year.  But if it comes to that, we wouldn't mind having them back next year."

What He Said: "I think like with anything else, you learn over time… I think we’re more prepared today (to evaluate Japanese talent) than we have been in the past." (on scouting Yu Darvish)

What He Meant: "We fired every scout who looked at Kei Igawa from the organization and brought in all new people to scout Japan.  We're pretty sure we can't fuck up any worse with Darvish than we did with Igawa."

What He Said: "He is full bore, ready to go as a catcher. There are no issues there." (on Francisco Cervelli)

What He Meant: "Cervelli is VERY available.  Someone make us an offer for the guy so we can dump him and not have to carry 3 catchers next year."

I'm already on record as loving any press conference where Cash talks, and this one was no different.  But I appreciate how he changed things up here, went with more subtlety and subtext than usual.  Dude is just the master, and that's why it's great that he's going to be back for 3 more years.

(All quotes via Chad Jennings at LoHud)

Yankees Make It Official With Cash

From the Yankees press release:

"The New York Yankees today announced that the club has re-signed Brian Cashman to a three-year contract to serve as the organization’s Senior Vice President and General Manager."

No details on the money, but we can safely assume it's a significant boost from his previous deal (3 years/$ 6 mil).  The Yankees are making great progress plowing through their offseason to-do list.  Makes me think they already have a plan in place for who they're going to target and wanted to be damn sure they got all their internal stuff tied up quickly

CC Completely Ruined My Original Post Idea (In The Best Way Possible)

($122 million will buy a lot of parachute pants.)

So here's the deal.  I was at home after work, putting a post together for today to comment on the whole "CC opting out" storyline and how I hoped it didn't play out in a long, drawn out fashion.  And then I went to meet a buddy of mine for a few beers and some food at a bar that's pretty close to my apartment (we went to Hooters, don't judge).  While I was there, it seemed like video clips of Sabathia were popping up way too much on ESPN so I finally had to go over and check it out.  What I saw was breaking news that Sabathia had agreed to a contract extension and would not be opting out.  While that basically killed the whole plot of my post, I still think it's relevant to discuss what I would have said and all the positives that now come out of that worst case scenario not playing out.  Here's what I was going to say today about the negotiations:

CC Sabathia is and always was going to opt out of his contract.  That's fine.  Anybody who expected him to not opt out is delusional.  Why would he and his agent work to get that clause included in his deal back when he signed if they weren't planning on using it?  It was a smart move on their part to be able to build in some extra wiggle room if it turned out he didn't enjoy pitching in New York or to earn himself some more money if he pitched well, which he has.  And there's really nothing wrong with that.  Last time I checked this was still America and CC still has the right to go out and try to get himself as much money as he can.  I know if I had the opportunity to make more money at the place I worked, I'd use that opportunity to my advantage without even thinking about; anybody would.  And for that reason, Yankee fans should not be thinking or talking negatively about CC as he goes through this process.

What could inspire some negative press and negative sentiment from the Yankee fanbase, however, would be if Sabathia decides to let this process of signing a new deal drag on into the next couple weeks or even months.  The Yankees have made it very clear to both Sabathia and their fanbase that re-signing CC is Priority Number 1 and 2 for them this offseason as part of their plan to upgrade the rotation for 2012.  And they have followed through with that prioritization by meeting in Tampa last week to start working on a new contract offer for CC and then presenting it to him over the weekend.

Sabathia Agrees To New Deal, Stays A Yankee

Well there's some good news to get while you're out at the bar with your friend, huh?  Via LoHud:

"The new deal adds a $25 million salary for 2016 and gives the Yankees a $25 million option for 2017 with a $5 million buyout, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Yankees had not yet announced the deal.

The option becomes guaranteed if Sabathia does not end the 2016 season on the disabled list because of a left shoulder injury, does not spend more than 45 days of 2016 on the DL with a left shoulder injury or does not make six or more relief appearances in 2016 because of shoulder issues. He retains a hotel suite on trips, a no-trade provision and the right to buy tickets."

I'd say that works out well for everybody involved, huh?  CC essentially gets a 5-year guaranteed contract worth $122 million, making him once again the highest-paid pitcher in baseball annually, with the chance for it to be a 6-year/$142 million deal if he stays healthy and productive.  The Yankees get the comfort of knowing they have their ace penciled in for at least the next 5 years while not being burdened with another risky long-term guaranteed contract.  Credit to both sides for making this happen quickly and not turn into a big unnecessary storyline.

Now somebody hit the fucking music!

Halloween Weekend Mostly Treats For The Yankees

The Yankees came out of this weekend with their directors of amateur and pro scouting still in those positions, 2 All Star-caliber players at 2nd base and right field brought back for the 2012 season on team-friendly option contracts, and their GM all but locked up for another 3 years on a new deal that just needs the I's dotted, T's crossed, and a signature.  That's like the baseball equivalent of going trick-or-treating in the really rich subdivision next to your neighborhood and hitting 3 houses in a row with full-size Snickers bars and buckets full of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups just sitting on the front porch for the taking.

There's still the possibility of the CC opt out/new contract storyline being the bag of shitty pretzels or box of raisins in the candy bag at the end of the night, but at least getting these other things settled and out of the way ahead of that helps to lessen any drama that may surround the CC situation.  And who knows?  Maybe we'll get lucky and the whole thing will get wrapped up today.  That would make for a very happy Halloween for every Yankee fan.

Yankee Halloween Costume Ideas

Tonight marks the real big Halloween party night for the year.  I assume most of you, like myself, will be dressing up and going to some sort of gathering where you'll drink too much, dance badly, and possibly make a bad decision or two.  I also assume that any Halloween parties that any of the Yankees may attend tonight will be a million times better than any party I could go to out here.  So if any of those guys haven't gotten a costume yet, here's a few helpful ideas (and yeah, of course the Yankee players read this site).

Robinson Cano- Kanye West

Because like Kanye, Robbie's swag is on a hundred thousand trillion.  Get one of those ridiculous red leather combos that Kanye rocks, throw on a pair of those stupid sunglasses, done.  If you don't think somebody as awesome as Cano couldn't pull that off, you're dreaming.

Russell Martin- Duke Nukem

I posted something during the ALDS about Martin being an absolute badass.  Dude took a foul ball off the shoulder, a bat off the head, and a pitch in the ribs in a span of a few innings, then I think took a collision at the plate on a relay throw, and just shook it all off like it was nothing.  That's some hardcore badassness.  Martin could definitely pull off getting away with some of Duke Nukem's lines at the clubs.

A-Rod- An Exercise Bike

Because judging by what he's dating right now, I think she'd enjoy that.  And I'm sure he would too.  Hell, I think I would.

CC Sabathia- Captain Crunch

It looked like he re-united with the Captain as the season went on, after saying he had given him up as part of his offseason plan to lose a few pounds.  It'll be interesting to see if the Yankees make him hold to that commitment next season after they re-sign him.

Mark Teixeira & Jorge Posada- 3-Legged Monster

Hey, at then there'd be one good switch hitter between them.  Teix could talk to all the people on the right side and Jorge could handle the left.  That should work out to their advantage.

Jesus Monter- Jesus Christ

Duh.

Kevin Long- Dr. House

Because he's always making the swing diagnoses that no one else can.  And it's going to take some miracle work again this offseason to save Teix's left-handed swing.

Those are just a few ideas.  But if anybody on the team goes out and really wants to scare the shit out of people, they can always go as this guy:

Friday One-Hit Linkapalooza Wonder

Busy day for me at the office today, so instead of an actual post or a full helping of links, I'm just going to direct everybody to this story on Deadspin about Howie Spira, the guy who tried to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield back in the day and got The Boss banned.

It's a long story, so give yourself enough time to read the whole thing.  But it's definitely an entertaining read and something that Yankee fans who remember that story going down should be interested in.

Darryl Strawberry And Paul O'Neill Be Battlin' Over World Series Teams

Straw: 

"There's no question. You cannot beat the '86 Mets.  The Yankees teams I played on were great teams with great personalities, but they were good guys. The '86 Mets would've been drilling those guys; I just know how our pitching staff was: hit this guy, hit that guy. And those were the kind of guys we were. We were mad, we wanted them to get outside themselves. That's the kind of group we had that year, so the '86 Mets were a very difficult team to play against."

O'Neill:

"They were very good.  I couldn't sit back and go player-by-player. I think the '98 team had much more depth. We had a couple of World Series under our belts, too. We were seasoned to that point. The '86 Mets were just a great team. They won just one World Series, right?"

Oh shit, son!  It is ON!!!  D-Streezy and my man Paulie-O!  And because we're talkin' about World Series rings, each of these cats gets a minute and a half.  DJ, spin that shit!



Quotes via ESPNNY.  And who would be considered Papa Doc in this scenario?  Straw because he was part of the "bad guy" group?  Or O'Neill because he references his group winning more titles and the Free World crew was like the champions of 8 Mile?  I sound like Simmons actually trying to stretch this comparison out.  And yes, I am white as hell.

Could Other Pitchers' 2011 Seasons Affect Hector Noesi's 2012?

(Hector Noesi: Professional Pitcher.  Courtesy of The Daily News)

While the MSM, the blogosphere, and Yankee fans in general all gear up for the the hype surrounding the CC Sabathia opt out storyline and the "Yu Darvish vs. C.J. Wilson" debate this offseason, there is another potential in-house 2012 rotation candidate who could factor into the discussion as well.  That candidate would be Hector Noesi, the 2011 winner of the annual Yankees' "Top Young Pitching Prospect That We Called Up to Use in The Bullpen Because We Needed a Warm Body" Award.  Larry K did an excellent job yesterday of painting an all-encompassing portrait of Noesi's skill set and 2011 performance, and essentially laid the groundwork for the "Noesi 2012 Rotation" discussion.  But beyond his own makeup and 2011 results, there are other outside factors that could play a role in determining the plan for Noesi in 2012.  Those factors are Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes, specifically the different paths that each of them took in 2011 and how those paths intersect with the path Noesi is currently on and the path he could be on next year.

AB4AR Self-Promotion

Time to plug the Facebook page again.  Go there, check it out, snoop around, and then "Like" the crap out of it.  It's got links to almost every post that goes up here every day, a collection of Swanny Duckson's finest Photoshop masterpieces, and is my primary outlet for getting even more jokes in at the expense of the Fraud Sawx.

The more fans it gets, the more I feel like doing more research, coming up with more post ideas, and putting more stuff out there for y'all to enjoy, so spread the word for me.  Family, friends, people you don't even know who you see on the street wearing a Yankee hat, it all works.

And just a reminder, I'll be on TYA again tomorrow.  Make sure you're checking that site out daily, if not multiple times a day.  It's the best in the biz.

(Seriously, check the page out and "Like" it.)

Offseason Housekeeping: Updating The Sh*t List

It's been a while since I've done a real update to the AB4AR Shit List, and now's as good a time as any.  So let's dive in and iron this shit out.

1) A.J. Burnett- Another year of an ERA in 5s, FIP in the high 4s, and WAR below 2?  With a whole bunch of new reasons excuses for why he pitched like garbage?  Yeah, I'd say he's still at the top of the list.

2) Joe's Bunting Strategy- Hmmmm, let hot hitters swing away or waste an out and their bat by having them sac Brett Gardner to 2nd?  This one's staying on the list for sure.

3) Randy Levine- Guh.  When I read that he was a part of the group that's in Tampa this week putting together the new CC offer and helping to finalize Cash's new deal, I wanted to re-enact the Joker's "make this pencil disappear" trick from "The Dark Knight" on myself.  On.

4) Joe's Bullpen Binder- The binder didn't seem to be as big of an issue as it was last year.  This year my big gripe was Joe's timing with bringing guys in/taking guys out and his maddening decision to not use D-Rob and Mo more in the ALDS.  So we're going to expand this to "Joe's Bullpen Management" and bump it up to #2 on the list.

5) Boone Logan- He redeemed himself in the postseason.  For now.  He's still right on the edge of being thrown back on if he continues to not get lefties out in 2012, but for now he's safe.

6) Damaso Marte- No longer a Yankee after they declined his option, so no longer a reason for me to hate him.  His spot on the new list will be filled by Pedro Feliciano, the new official LOOGY sunk cost on the roster.

7) Kei Igawa- Also no longer a Yankee.  I actually threw a party at my apartment to celebrate this (it was just me).  I hope he has fun doing whatever he's going to do now with his millions and I hope I never have to see him or hear about him ever again.  He's off.

8) Nick Johnson- Nick, I think I can finally let you go.  It's not your fault you're the real life Mr. Glass.  You're officially off the list.  Don't hurt yourself leaving it.

New Addition: Tim McCarver.- "Strike" is a 6-letter word, you goon.  Count it up.  And then stop talking forever.

New List- as of 10/26/11

1) A.J. Burnett
2) Joe's Bullpen Management
3) Joe's Bunting Strategy
4) Randy Levine
5) Pedro Feliciano
6) Tim McCarver

When A Phony John Lackey TJS Story Breaks, I Must FJM

("Oh I could use a beer.  And an excuse for why I was so horrible this year." Coutesy of Getty Images)

Oh, Ben Cherington.  You tricky, tricky little bitch.  I see what you tried to do here, and I appreciate the effort.  After all, if the pitcher my team signed to the same contract A.J. Burnett signed with the Yankees turned out to be a fat, lazy, dickhead piece of shit who put up numbers that made Burnett's look Cy Young-worthy by comparison, and I realized that I was now stuck with him and his awful contract for the next few years, I'd be trying to do something about that too.  But you have to wake up a little earlier in the morning to pull one over on old Brad-O.

"Cherington said the Tommy John surgery would be performed, probably by noted orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum... "

Ahh yes.  Dr. Lewis Yocum.  I hear he does good work.  So good, in fact, that the team can only say that he's "probably" doing the surgery.  You know, because the Fraud Sawx want to shop around, get a few more quotes from some other noted orthopedists on Tommy John Surgery before making their final decision.

"... but he did not know when."

Of course.  Because it's not like you want to rush to get a guy's elbow ligament replaced when he's a professional starting pitcher.  Especially when the recovery time is typically 12-15 months and the sooner he got the surgery done, the more likely it would be that he'd be ready for the start of the 2013 season.

"Lackey had elbow soreness during the season and had an MRI in May or June, Cherington said."

Oh really?  And yet that was never mentioned at any point during the season while he was pitching like complete dogshit.  Which is weird, considering that almost any kind of elbow soreness in a pitcher is treated like a DEFCON 1 emergency by Major League baseball teams these days.  They must have done a follow up after the season, right?

"He had another one after the season and was examined recently by Yocum in Los Angeles."

Of course he did, and of course he was.  And thank God Dr. Yocum examined him that 4th time.  Because elbow issues that require Tommy John Surgery are SOOOOOOOOO hard to find.  It usually takes James Andrews what?  Like 6, 7 times to find the problem?

"John Lackey pitched through circumstances this year that I don't think any of us in this room can fully understand," Cherington said... "

"I mean, have YOU ever tried to pitch to Jose Bautista with runners on 1st and 3rd, yesterday's fried chicken tearing through your digestive system like Drano through a clogged sink, and a pretty serious buzz?"

"... and he got beat up for it a little bit along the way. This guy was dealing with some stuff both on the field and off the field that were really difficult."

"Yeah, sometimes the beers were tough to open.  And Beckett is really good at NHL 12, so it's tough to go into your next start after losing to him in an overtime shootout the day before.  And fans in Boston are so mean to you in the streets when you're rocking a 6.00+ ERA.  It's almost like they've been so spoiled by their recent success across all forms of professional sports that they think they're entitled to winning automatically."

"I thought he showed tremendous toughness pitching through that."

Because nothing says tough like throwing your arms up in exasperation every time your defense doesn't make a next-to-impossible play to bail your sorry ass out for not locating your 2-1 pitch in the right spot with the bases loaded while you've already given up 5 runs through 2.1 innings, and then making up a fake elbow issue after the season to conveniently provide an excuse for your entire shitty 6-month body of work.

"Late in the season, Lackey filed for divorce."

Oh, OK.  Well I guess that can be kind of a distraction.  I have friends that have gone through divorces and it can be tough.  Maybe I should cut the guy a little slack.

"His wife has breast cancer."

Wait, what?  Maybe I'm a little late to this party, but let me get this straight.  HE dumped his wife while SHE had breast cancer?  That was his "off the field" stuff that he was dealing with?  Kicking his wife, who he took an oath to stand by through sickness and in health, to the curb during what will surely be the most difficult and painful time in her life??  And I'm supposed to feel sorry for HIM????

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!

"Fans and the media were critical of his pitching. But Cherington hopes Lackey can be a much improved pitcher in 2013."

Well he certainly can't be much worse.  Although I think it's probably more important for him to become a better person first.  It's one thing to completely suck at your job and basically steal your exorbitant paycheck from your employer.  It's another to completely abandon your wife while she's battling breast cancer and then have your new GM step in and try to use that as an excuse for your piss poor performance in 2011 at his introductory press conference while at the same time concocting what is most likely a phony tale of elbow issues that also contributed to the aforementioned piss poor performance.  Shame on you, Ben Cherington, and shame on you, John Lackey.  I didn't think I could possibly hate you more than I already do, but you have proven me wrong yet again.

Not only are you a shitty pitcher, dude, you're also a shitty person.  Shittier than me.  And I really hope this fake fucking surgery you have for your non-existent elbow problem goes horribly wrong and Dr. Yocum has to amputate the arm.  See how easy it is to open your rally beers and play Halo with Lester in the locker room with one fucking arm, dick.

And Cherington?  Not a good way to start your new regime as GM.  Covering for a guy who ditched his cancer-stricken wife.  Have fun sleeping at night with that on your conscience.

Thank Goodness Joe Girardi Didn't Do What Tony LaRussa Did Last Night

Because I would have FUCKING LOST IT.

Seriously, I wouldn't even be able to write about it today because I would either still be in jail for completely trashing my apartment in a drunken rage to the point that my neighbors called the police because they were afraid there was a domestic violence incident taking place in my living room, or I would be fucking dead.  Dead from my brain exploding as I tried to make sense of what I just saw.  By now, everybody who reads AB4AR on a daily basis should know that I'm not a fan of Joe's bullpen management, and this would have sent me over the edge.

I hate to even talk about a World Series that the Yankees aren't playing in, but that was just fucking brutal last night.  Really, dude?  The phone wasn't working?  It was too loud in the stadium?  The bullpen coach thought you said "Lynn" instead of "Motte?"  Who the fuck confuses "Lynn" for "Motte???"  A blindfolded Marlee Matlin wouldn't confuse "Lynn" for "Motte."

And then you throw in the intentional walks and having the lefty face Mike Napoli and you're probably looking at the biggest managerial fuck up in baseball history.  I'm just glad that I didn't have to watch it play out with Girardi in LaRussa's place and even more glad I didn't have to listen to Tim McCarver's commentary on it.

(Hilarious LaRussa gif via SBNation)

A New Potential FA Pitching Target Surfaces

"The Phillies have declined the 2012 options for pitchers  Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge.

Oswalt was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts for the Phillies this past season. The three-time All-Star right-hander was acquired in a trade with Houston on July 29, 2010. He was 16-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 35 starts for Philadelphia." (via The AP)

Hmmmm, a 3-time All Star pitcher and former Cy Young candidate with a 3.21/3.35/3.58 career ERA/FIP/xFIP tripleslash who could be available at a reasonable price for a short-term deal?

Excellent.

The Yankees would have to overcome Oswalt's reported desire to stay in the NL, but I'd be willing to take a chance on him and his back for a year or 2 over offering more years to Mark Buehrle or Edwin Jackson.

Andrew Marchand's Strategy For Re-Signing CC Is... Surprisingly Good

(Would 5 years/$125 million be enough to bring the parachute pitching pants back to the Bronx?)

It really is.  Normally I'm the first to jump all over Andy and his pal Wally when they're spouting off something stupid, but the plan that Marchand lays out in this post actually makes a lot of sense.

With all the concern the Yankee front office will surely have with handing out guaranteed years and money to a guy well into his late-30s after the A-Rod deal, 5 years/$125 mil is a perfect starting point.  The annual value of that contract is higher than what they originally paid CC on his first contract, it makes him the highest-paid starter in the game again, and it lessens the risk the Yankees take on if CC's weight, innings, and knees start to catch up to him as he approaches his late-30s.

I don't know if I would take the "go find a better approach" if he wants more years like they did with Jeter this past offseason and risk damaging the relationship with CC and his agent.  Let's remember that we are still talking about a guy who's in his prime right now, not on the decline.  But like Andrew, I would not be opposed to matching any offer he does get from another team that does include a guaranteed 6th year.  I would even be in favor of bumping the money up to 26-27 mil a year over 5 or 6 years to really force CC to back up his "I love New York" talk.  And that's before we even get into talking about extra option years, incentives, etc.  Bottom line is, 5/125 is a great starting point for both sides.

P.S.- If you're looking for more CC contract talk, Mike A. at RAB had this post that referenced other contract talking points last week.

This Is Not How You Make Fun Of The Fraud Sawx

To quote Paul Mooney from the episode of "Chappelle's Show" where he's reviewing Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai," I was offended by this.  I really was.

First off, lose the tie, my man.  You've got it tied in a big, ridiculous, Merril Hoge knot and you look like a dope.  And loosen up a little.  You look scared to death reading off those cue cards or whatever you have in front of you that has all your jokes.

Second of all, who are you supposed to be in this video?  Why are you in charge of a Fraud Sawx audition casting call?  Set the scene, man!  Give me some background so I know where you're coming from and know why this is supposed to be funny!  Are you supposed to be Lucchino?  Henry?  You have to be somebody pretty high up in the organization to be asking for resumes for catcher.  What the hell??

Third, and this was the biggest mistake of all, you didn't anybody out by name.  Don't just say they're looking for a new GM.  Say they need a new GM because Theo Epstein decided to skip town to the Cubbies because he didn't want to help clean up the mess he made.  Don't say they need a new starting pitcher, say they need somebody who isn't going to put up the worst numbers in team history like John Lackey or somebody who isn't going to choke in crunch time like Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.  Don't just poke fun at them.  Twist the fucking knife, man!

Lastly, make sure somebody proofreads your graphics before you decide to throw something up on YouTube.  There's no apostrophe in "playoffs."  Tighten that shit up, bro.

P.S.- I'm pretty sure people in professional baseball don't have to send their resumes to other teams.

(via Deadspin)

Expanding My Horizons

A message to all the loyal AB4AR readers out there.  I recently accepted an invitation to join the team over at The Yankee Analysts, and starting this coming Tuesday you can check my stuff out over there a couple times a week.  If you're somehow a rabid follower of AB4AR and NOT familiar with TYA, I suggest you spend the next couple of days familiarizing yourself with what Larry, Moshe, and the boys over there are doing because I assure you, they do it far better than I do.

Please know that this will in no way affect what I do over here at AB4AR.  I'm not jumping ship so much as I'm forming an alliance with a much bigger, shinier, nicer, better ship.  I'll still be here each and every day churning out the same brand of sarcasm-fueled commentary and analysis that you're accustomed to.  But if you're interested in seeing my stuff in a more professional setting (and you really should be), be sure to head over and check me out at TYA starting on Tuesday.

A Preemptive Strike On The Albert Pujols Situation

(Don't even think about it, Yankee fans.  Courtesy of The AP)

Last night's performance by Albert Pujols in Game 3 of the World Series was one for the record books.  It could very well have been the greatest individual offensive performance in World Series history: 5-6, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 14 TB.  Those numbers are more than Nick Swisher could hope to put up in an entire postseason, let alone one game (zing!), and it was the kind of performance that could launch a million fantasies in Yankee fans' heads.  Luckily for those Yankee fans, I'm here to give you a dose of reality.

Stop it.  Stop thinking about the Yankees signing Albert Pujols.  Just stop.  It's not going to happen, it never was going to happen, it never will happen.  So please do yourself a favor and spend the time you would normally spend next week on hold with "Mike'd Up" waiting to get on with Mike to tell him how you figured out the perfect trade to get rid of Teix so they can sign Pujols to play first and put that time towards your wife or your friends or your job or something more productive.

Unless he secretly has the stuff to be a dominant pitcher somewhere inside him, the Yankees have no use for Albert Pujols.  They have Teix at first, The Horse at third (assuming Pujols could even still play third), and they need to keep the DH spot open for Jesus and The Horse's rest days.  And while Pujols would almost certainly be an offensive upgrade over all 3 of those guys, he represents something the Yankees are trying to move away from in their FA agent pursuits, an All Star on the north side of 30.  The A-Rod contract fiasco in '07 has left the team strapped with the worst contract in baseball for a player who is starting to fade, and it has left the team with fewer options to pursue through free agency and no way to move that contract to free up some money if the front office is serious about keeping the payroll at or as close to $200 mil as possible. 

And that's not to say that it's a foregone conclusion that Pujols is going to start falling apart next year physically and production-wise.  It's merely pointing out that he is closer to moving away from the prime of his career than towards it, he's going to be expensive as fuck, and he doesn't fill a position of need for the Yankees.  In fact, Pujols probably needs the Yankees much more than they need him.  Everybody knows that the Yankees have the most money to spend, so when you're heading into free agency you want them involved, or at least you want other teams to think they're involved.  Pujols and his agent are no different, and it's to their benefit to try to drum up the most Yankee-related interest as possible to force their real targets to cough up the most dough for the most years for Albert.  It's a smart strategy to take, but it doesn't mean the Yankees really will be or should be involved in the process.

Albert Pujols is a dominant player, a surefire HOFer, and as last night showed, he's still capable of being one of, if not the best, player in all of baseball.  But I don't see any scenario where he ends up in pinstripes next year and I don't think anybody in the Yankee front office or fanbase should even consider it.  The offensive foundation is fine, and so is the defense.  The bullpen is stacked, but the rotation is still the biggest area of need and that's where all the focus needs to be.  Having Albert in the Yankee lineup would be a dream come true, but that's exactly how it should stay in the minds of Yankee fans, a dream.