Darvish Contract Makes Yankee Pitching Moves Look Even Better

Yu Darvish is officially a Texas Ranger.  For a cool $112 million, the Rangers were able to plug the gap left by former ace C.J. Wilson jumping to the Angels.  And in the process they made the Yankees' pitching additions from last Friday look even better.

For what works out to approximately $18.667 million dollars per season after factoring in the contract and posting fee, the Yankees could have had Darvish's services.  He could have slotted in behind CC as the #2 starter, provided an upgrade over what the Yankees had in their rotation at the time, and given them another young pitcher around which they could build their rotation for the future over the next couple seasons.  He also would have left them with one rotation spot still being occupied by A.J. Burnett, and at that price tag seriously crippled the Yankees' plans to cut payroll for 2014, unless they let both Swish and C-Grand walk without making offers to them and stayed dormant on the FA and trade markets.

As it stands right now, the Yankees will pay Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda about $10.4 million in 2012, significantly less than what Darvish will get from Texas, and lengthen their rotational depth in the process.  They'll do it without sacrificing their future payroll goals, and with Pineda being under team control for the next 5 years and coming off a stellar rookie year, the Yankees could stand to get production from him identical to, if not better than what Darvish will provide at a fraction of the cost.  Even Kuroda could come close to replicating Darvish in 2012 when you factor in all the adjustments that Darvish will have to make going from the Japanese game to the American game.

Darvish, for all his talents and impressive numbers, is an unknown commodity as a Major League pitcher.  Pineda and Kuroda are not.  And Pineda, at 2 years younger than Darvish, already has a very good Major League season under his belt.  His learning curve will presumably be shorter than that of Darvish.  If Pineda outperforms Darvish over the next 5 years, the decision by Cash to pass on Darvish and pursue this trade is going to look like a stroke of genius.  Even if he doesn't, it's reasonable to expect Pineda to come close to matching Darvish moving forward and at the drastically different dollar amounts that each will be making, that's still a great deal for the Yankees.

In the end, Darvish and the price tag tied to him didn't fit in with the Yankees' plans.  They went out and found a much cheaper alternative that could turn out to provide even better value.  And they lowered their risk by taking a chance on Major League players with Major League experience.  As much as they scouted Darvish, the Yankees had to have a very solid idea of what he is and could become as a pitcher and what that was worth to them.  And they decided that shelling out 9 figures for that kind of pitcher wasn't a wise investment.  When the alternative is adding 2 quality starters at significantly less money while still maintaining future roster and payroll flexibility, I would have to agree with that decision.

Searching For The Next Great Yankee Bat

While the Yankees' shoddy track record of developing young pitching is well-documented, taking a look through the recent history books also shows that they're not exactly churning out Silver Slugger Award winners at the plate either.  The last Yankee position player to come through the system and establish himself as an impact bat at the Major League level was Robinson Cano in 2006.  Before Cano, you have to head back to the mid-90s and the days of Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada to find a homegrown position player who stayed in the organization and became an above-average hitter.  This theme hasn't been as easy a target to criticize the way the young pitching has thanks to the team's deep pockets.  When you're getting major offensive production from the prime years of guys like Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira, it's easy to forget about your young position players.

Jesus Montero was the next in line to become an All Star-caliber homegrown hitter, and had been for some time.  With the immediate impact he made in his cup of coffee last September, the torch was all but dosed with lighter fluid and lit, ready to be passed to him.  Montero was the rare type of hitting prospect who combines great bat speed with tremendous power and a disciplined approach at the plate, a combination that has earned him high praise and comparisons to guys like Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera.  The accuracy of those comparisons can be argued, and it remains to be seen if Montero can live up to those lofty standards, but there is no denying that as a prospect, Montero trumped guys like Cano and Jeter, who were both recognized as good hitters when they were in the Minors, but not to the degree that Montero has been.  I certainly can't recall any comparisons being made between Cano and Rod Carew until he had already been in the Majors for a season or two.

Anybody with half a clue knows that prospects like Montero don't come around every year.  Like an effective John Lackey outing, they are very rare and that rarity is the foundation of their value to a franchise.  In Montero's case, he was even more valuable to the Yankees in that he gave them the potential to fill what could quickly become a need again for them in the form of a productive power bat in the middle of the lineup.  With some of the key core members of the Yankee offense getting older, to be able to inject that kind of production potential into the lineup from within the organization is a huge advantage.

That advantage is magnified even more when you take into account the Yankees' apparent new goal of cutting payroll for 2014.  Accomplishing that goal would mean not only NOT going out and spending lavishly on big time hitters as they have over the past 15-20 years, but also possibly not re-signing some of the impending position player free agents like Swish and C-Grand who already provide major production.  Those at-bats have to be replaced somehow, and the likely method would have been through cheap, team-controlled young players like Montero.  Losing Jesus, the obvious key piece in that cost-controlled replacement plan, in the Pineda trade is more than just a bummer because we wanted to see him play.  It could have a big impact on the Yankees' organizational plans both in the short term and the more distant future. 

With Montero out of the picture, the Yankees must now look to the rest of the system to find the one who will step up and assume Jesus' vacated throne as King of the Position Prospects.  If you check any Yankee top prospects list, like this one for example, you can see that there are plenty of position players scattered through the system who could develop into productive Major League hitters.  The problem is that most of these players reside in the lower levels of the Yankee system and are at least two years away from being able to make any kind of impact at the Major League level.  The upper levels, especially Triple-A, are stacked with lower-ceiling guys like Brandon Laird and Austin Romine, or guys who project as nothing more than organizational players like Jorge Vazquez, a powerful hacker straight out of the Pedro Cerrano handbook.  As it stands, none of these players are capable of filling Montero's shoes and providing a cheap outlet to replace at-bats and production, at least not at the level the Yankees would be looking for.

Happy Birthday To The Newest Yankee Starter

And the youngest.  Happy birthday, Mike.  Hopefully your 23rd ends up better than mine was.

Although thinking back to how much my two best friends and I drank that night, I highly doubt it will be.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

It's A Four-Alarm Signing, People

In honor of him being the newest addition to the AB4AR sidebar Photoshop collection, and in honor of the Yankees bringing back the best relief pitcher in baseball not named Mariano Rivera, a guy who put up a 1.08/1.84/2.46 line last year and K'd 100 batters in 66.2 IP, for just $1.6 million...

Ladies and gentlemen, The Fireman.

Now hit the fucking music!

Fraud Sawx Rotation Is Gettin' Swolled Up

As is starting operating procedure in the AL East, the Fraud Swax had to respond to the Yankees' blockbuster moves on Friday night.  Honestly, I don't understand it either.  Sooner or later this whole "anything you can do, I can do BETTER" routine from them has to stop, but I digress.

What really fries my brain on this one is the fact that the Sawx actually got started on their comeback move BEFORE the Yankees even made their moves.  That's right.  Almost a whole week in advance.  I'm talking, of course, about the masterful steal of a deal that is the Aaron Cook Spring Training invite contract that the Fraud Sawx signed him to on January 8th.  That stroke of brilliance is enough to stand on its own merit, but when paired with yesterday's announcement of a Vicente Padilla signing, well it's damn near enough to disrupt the space/time continuum.

I mean, Cook and Padilla!  TOGETHER!!!  IN THE SAME ROTATION?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!111!!!!  Surely that tips the scales back in Bahhston's favah, right?

- Pineda 2011: 171 IP, 3.74/3.42/3.53, 9.11 K/9
- Kuroda 2011: 202 IP, 3.07/3.78/3.56, 7.17 K/9 (NL)

- Cook 2011: 97 IP, 6.03/4.54/4.37, 4.45 K/9 (NL)
- Padilla 2011: 8.2 IP (all relief), 4.15/2.68/3.40, 9.35 (NL) ((small sample sizes, anyone?))

Well there you go, the numbers tell the whole story.  You wanna know what I think?  I think the Fraud Sawx "probably" upgraded their rotation for 2012.  They'll at least have 5 guys in the rotation now, won't they?  That has to be considered an improvement.

P.S- Suck it, Bobby V.

The Potential Impact Of The Montero-Pineda Trade On The Rest Of The Roster

The immediate impact of Friday night's blockbuster moves by the Yankees are obvious and significant.  Their 2012 rotation has been drastically upgraded by the additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, and the starting lineup currently has a glaring hole at DH.  The DH situation and its potential solutions are already being discussed in detail, so no sense in re-hashing that.  What hasn't been talked about a whole lot yet is the reverberations of this trade that can be felt throughout the entire 25 and 40-man rosters.  The addition of Pineda and Kuroda combined with the loss of Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi lays the groundwork for some interesting possibilities heading into Spring Training.  Possibilities such as...

1) Austin Romine as the new backup catcher

With Montero heading to Seattle, the Yankees are left with Francisco Cervelli as their lone backup catching option.  While that's not the worst thing in the world from a backup standpoint, we've all seen what happens to Cervelli's production when he's forced into everyday duty, and Russell Martin is not exactly a pillar of health.  Enter Austin Romine.  Still a Top 10 prospect on almost everybody's list, Romine got a taste of the Majors at the end of 2011 and was expected to be the full time catcher for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2012.  But with Cervelli being what he is, the Yankees will certainly invite Romine to camp and could give him a real shot to win the job.  The ZiPS projections for Romine in 2012 (.252/.300/.364, 74 OPS+) are almost identical to Cervelli's (.255/.321/.343, 75 OPS+), and with very limited Major League experience, the short and long-term ceiling for Romine is higher than it is for Cervelli.  Early in the offseason Cash was signaling that he was looking to move Cervelli.  Even with one less catcher in the fold, an emergence by Romine could steer Cash's thoughts to that option again.

2) More Eduardo Nunez in the lineup

We all have our ideal guy in mind, but I think the most likely scenario for filling the void at DH is a L/R platoon with Player X and Andruw Jones.  And I think with that scenario comes the understanding that both A-Rod and Jeter are going to see more time at DH this season, which is something that has to happen if the Yankees are going to keep these two important, and expensive, pieces of their lineup healthy and on the field as much as possible in 2012.  With the Yankees failing to come to terms with Hiroyuki Nakajima, Eduardo Nunez will again be looked at to play caddy to the left side of the infield on their DH days.  That might be a frightening proposition for folks with tickets in the first few rows behind first base at The Stadium, but Nunez is the best option in house right now and the Yankees still seem committed to getting him more playing time.  He can hold his own with the stick, and after gaining some valuable experience in his 338 plate appearances in 2011 he could improve this year.  Some slight adjustments to his throwing mechanics to cut down on the errors and perhaps we saw that WAR number get into the positives for Nuney.

3) The Return Of "5th Starter Roulette"

I wouldn't say it's every Yankee fan's favorite game show, but it's at least better than "Minute To Win It," right?  Previous winners include Phil Hughes in 2010 and Freddy Garcia in 2011, and both of those gentlemen will return to defend their titles in 2012.  It would have been nice to not have to play this game in Spring Training for the third year in a row, and with the way the rotation was constructed prior to Friday night the Yankees most likely wouldn't have.  But I think the additions of Pineda and Kuroda to form a strong front 4 with CC and Nova is a fair tradeoff for us having to endure this pseudo-drama for another year.  A.J. Burnett could even sneak in as a dark horse candidate if Cash doesn't move him prior to camp opening.  Strong cases for all three contenders have already been made, but it will be their performance on the hill that determines the winner.

4) More Candidates For The Long Relief Bullpen Role

And whoever ends up on the losing side of "5th Starter Smackdown" will get tossed into a pool of candidates, likely as the early favorite, for the longman job in the bullpen.  Based on the Yankees previously committing to using Hector Noesi as a starter in 2012, the two names that stick out here are Rule 5 pick Brad Meyer and D.J. Mitchell.  Given Joe's preference for arms with experience (hi, Luis Ayala!), and the fact that he's more familiar with Freddy, Phil, and A.J., I think they would have a big leg up on the competition.  But to create a competition for a spot, even a minor role like this, is always a good thing in camp.  At least make the guys earn their keep.

5) Vacancy At The "Triple-A Rotation" Inn

Well maybe not a vacancy, but certainly no overcrowding.  With Noesi, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees were looking at 6 guys for 5 spots in their rotation in 2012 as ManBan, Betances, Adam Warren, David Phelps, and the aforementioned Mr. Mitchell would also be in the mix.  Without him, the remaining five fit in nicely, assuming the Yankees keep Mitchell in the rotation, which would be the smart move to start the year if/when the loser of the 5th rotation spot battle slides into the long relief slot in the Major League bullpen.  And even if they don't, at least now the Yankees aren't forced into making any decision with this group of young pitchers because of lack of roster space.  Everybody has a place in the rotation and they can continue to pitch and develop without worrying about whether or not a bad outing or two would cause them to lose their spot or have their role changed.  The worst thing you can do to a young pitcher is constantly alter his routine and approach, something the Yankees are all too familiar with (see: Chamberlain, Joba).  At least now they don't have to do something like that to accommodate somebody else.

Certainly nothing sexy here, that's for sure.  But it goes to show how far-reaching these big trades can be.  Four days ago, we could almost name what the entire 25-man roster would look like and what each guy's role would be before Spring Training even started.  Now?  Not so much, which brings added intrigue to this offseason.  The trade changed the Yankee roster in a big way, and it will likely continue to affect that roster right up until Opening Day and beyond.

Get Out Your 2-Year-Old World Series Gear, Folks...

Because we got us a good old fashioned 2009 World Series Championship reunion tour in the works!!  And it's going to be AWESOME!!

There might be Matsui!

There might be Damon!

And who knows what else!!  Maybe a guest appearance by Cody Ransom!!!

Quick, somebody get Andy-Wan Kenobi on the phone!

Farewell To The Jesus

I'm not a religious man by any means.  The one day of church I attend every year is on Christmas Eve, and I only do it because I know it's important to my mother.  And even then, I spend the majority of my time at that one Christmas Eve church visit trying not to laugh at the way the pastor delivers a watered down version of the Christmas story, including random animals that would never appear in the nativity scene.

So while I might not be one of the lucky few who is spared during the next rapture or end of the world of whatever, I was a believer in one Jesus.  That Jesus wasn't a product of a virgin birth (as far as I know), he didn't sport a kickass hippy beard, and he more than likely won't get nailed to a cross by a bunch of angry baseball fans.  But he was a miracle child, and he could have been the savior of the Yankee offense.  Sure, he wasn't going to be Pudge Rodriguez behind the plate, but look at that swing!!  It was a thing of beauty.  It was as if Michelangelo himself rose from the grave to craft that swing and bless it with opposite field power.  And after the events that transpired on Friday night, it is a swing that we Yankee fans shall get to enjoy nevermore.  That swing will live on through our memories of those glorious 69 plate appearances last September, and the couple in October, but from this day forth we will experience it only as that of a visiting player, the enemy, and that is truly disappointing.

I've written about the perils of prospect hugging before, but in the case of Jesus Montero I was powerless to follow my own advice, as I'm sure many of you were.  He had been hyped up for so long (with good reason), and we had to wait seemingly forever to finally get the chance to see him break into the everyday Yankee lineup, laying the groundwork for the next great batch of homegrown talent that would surely establish the next great Yankee dynasty.  And now he'll be shipped clear off to the other side of the continent, never to bless us with any of his heavenly talents.  After waiting for years for him to develop and make his way through the Minor League ranks, and seeing him held out of multiple trades for other pitchers, to have him snatched away right as he finally reached the level at which we all wanted to see him is a tremendous blow.

On a personal level, despite the fact that I quickly came to understand how good a trade this was for the Yankees on Friday night, I'm still bummed out at having to lose Jesus and not get to worship at his altar for the next 10-12 years.  He was the first prospect since Phil Hughes that I latched onto early and followed all the way through the system, and I was a firm believer that the Yankees should not have traded him for anybody and used him to build the foundation for the future lineup.  Not to mention the fact that he was my favorite of all the Photoshops I use regularly on the site, and now I can never use it again.

I'm even going to have to replace him on the sidebar of the page.  That fucking sucks.

I'm happy with the decisions the Yankees made in terms of the big picture.  But a part of me will always be bummed out that I didn't get to see what Jesus could have done in a Yankee uniform.  Whether he turned out to be Carlos Lee or Miguel Cabrera or somebody else, whatever.  It would have been exciting to see his career play out after all the hype.  I used this song last year in jest to commemorate Pedro Feliciano being lost for the season.  Today, it actually seems strangely appropriate to use in connection with Jesus leaving us.  Goodbye, sweet prince.  You will be missed.

TYA Self Promotion

If you want to know what I and the rest of my TYA colleagues think about who should/shouldn't be the 5th starter in this new rotation, head over there and check out this post.  Pretty much every possibly scenario is covered.

If you haven't even started to consider who you'd like to see in that last rotation spot (Hughes, A.J. Freddy, someone else), this is a great way to read well-reasoned arguments for all 3 of the major contenders and form your own opinion.

Shut The Hell Up, Valentine

Bobby V doesn't seem too high on the Yankees' recent acquisitions, saying that the New York rotation is "probably" better.

“Pineda, when I saw him the first half, he looked unhittable.  Second half, he looked OK. (The Mariners) saw a lot of him and they traded him."

“Kuroda is a good pitcher — a year older than he was last year, pitching in the American League and not the National League, pitching in not a great pitcher’s ballpark from a great pitcher’s ballpark.”

Listen, Bob.  I know you've been outta the coaching game for a while and doing the studio analyst thing, and you probably forgot what your job was when you said this.  But this is the kind of stuff you reserve strictly for the Baseball Tonight set, especially when your club is bringing in the immortal Aaron Cook to patch up the back end of your rotation and still employs John Lackey.  You're spending all your time talking about whether or not Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek's carcasses are going to be invited to Spring Training while Cash is snatching up exactly what your club needs.  So like my mom always used to tell me; if you don't have anything nice (or smart) to say, then just shut the fuck up.

Remember This Time Last Year?

A year ago yesterday, in a situation similar to the one they found themselves in this year, the Yankees made the foolish decision to sign Rafael Soriano.  The move did not help them fill their biggest area of need (the rotation) and was tremendously costly in terms of years (3), money ($35 million), and the fact that they had to surrender their 1st-round draft pick as a result.

Last night, the Yankees cashed in on learning from the mistake of Soriano, adding 2 very good starting pitchers to their rotation while sacrificing very little in terms of years (Pineda under team control for 5; Kuroda on a 1-year contract), money ($10 mil for Kuroda), and prospects (only Jesus).  It's like night and day.

The lesson, as always, is to trust Cash.  It's amazing what a good GM can do when ownership stays out of the way and let's him do his job.

Free-Flowing Montero-For-Pineda Trade Commentary

Well last night was fun, huh?  One minute you're sitting around scratching your balls, wondering how the Celtics are going to survive a compacted NBA season being so old and thinking about whether or not you like Daniel Bryan's heel turn, and the next minute the internet is blowing up with stories about Jesus Montero being traded for Michael Pineda, then blowing up again as the Yankees follow up that story with another story of them inking Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal.  In the span of 45 minutes, the Yankees came out of left field to completely overhaul their rotation in a way that helps them immediately and in the future.  My thoughts on what transpired last night, in somewhat of a particular order.

- Initial reaction was a negative one.  In my head, it didn't make sense to give up a piece of your starting lineup, a player who could inject some life into an aging lineup and be the next great Yankee bat, and a pitcher who could probably be the #4 guy in the 2012 rotation for just one piece that brings immediate help.  Subtracting 2 of your best 25 players to get only 1 back that can fill that gap didn't add up.  And yeah, I know it was all just the prospect hugging talking.

- The more I thought about it, the more I read up on Pineda and Jose Campos, and the more I talked with my guys from TYA, the better this trade started to look for New York.  Pineda is a stud, a young stud, who already has top-of-the-rotation stuff and could progress into an ace with the right coaching and development.  He's just 22 years old, stands 6'5"/240, and is coming off a first year in the Majors that saw him throw 171 innings of 3.74 ERA/3.42 FIP ball with 9.11 K/9 and 2.89 BB/9, a performance that earned him a 5th place finish in the AL ROY voting, even though he probably should have been top 3.

- An no, I'm not concerned about Pineda's flyball tendencies coming to Yankee Stadium, his home/road splits, or the fact that he faded a bit down the stretch in 2011.  He's a young pitcher; those things happen to young pitchers.  What matters is that he has dynamite stuff, a track record of success, and is still young enough to have tons of room to improve.  He's already better than any of the internal #2 starting options the Yankees had, and pairing a pitcher like him with Larry Rothschild could bring out real greatness in Pineda.

- The Yankees' position on Montero has always been that they would only move him for the right deal, and this deal last night was the perfect definition of that.  They traded from a position of great organizational strength, and traded the one prospect from that position with the most question marks surrounding his ability to play that position, to improve the position of greatest weakness at the Major League level and finally accomplish what they said was their biggest offseason goal.

- And in regards to Montero, the fact that the Yankees still didn't seem keen at all on the idea of him catching a lot of innings should have been a clue that he was still on the block.  If they really only viewed him as a DH option, then he obviously holds more value to them as a trade piece.  And with the package they got back, that's the kind of deal you include a piece like Montero in.

- I guess I can check off #5 on the Offseason To-Do List.

- The finer details of this trade are what puts Cash's stamp on this.  Throwing Noesi into the trade, a guy who despite good stuff and a solid performance last year was really just organizational depth at the moment, helps to ease some of the Mariners' sting of giving up Pineda as Noesi can move into their 2012 rotation.  And by doing that, throwing in 2 guys who had success at the Major League level last year, Cash gave himself some leverage to ask for something else in return and that turned out to be Campos, a top prospect in the Mariners' system.  Cash just doing the damn thing again!

- On Campos, yes he's very young and only has a year of Low-A ball under his belt.  But the numbers he put up there (83 K/13 BB in 81.1 IP over 14 starts) are very impressive for a 19-year-old.  And at 6'4"/195 with what's already described as an elite fastball that he commands to both sides of the plate and a developing change and curveball, the pieces are there for this kid to develop into a #1-#2-type starter.  Campos essentially slides into Jesus' spot on the Yankees' top prospects list (although not at #1), and gives them another high-ceiling pitching prospect to work with.

- If the Pineda trade didn't signal the death knell of A.J. Burnett's time in the Yankee rotation, then the Kuroda signing certainly did, and probably also for Freddy Garcia.  The Yankees add a young #2 pitcher and a guy who, even at his age and switching to the AL East, is still probably a true #3 at worst, to replace two guys who are #4 starters at best.  And I think given the age of Burnett and Garcia, it's likely that Hughes will win/get the #5 spot in this rotation and one of Burnett and Garcia will be traded while the other assumes the mop-up/longman role in the bullpen.

- If the one to be traded does turn out to be A.J., even if the Yankees just get a box of baseball cards back for him, I'm calling out of work to throw a party at my place.  You're all invited.

- Quickly on Kuroda, I like him in this role as the new #3, much more than I would have liked the Yankees signing him a month ago for $12-14 mil to be the #2.  He's got solid K rates, he limits walks, and his GB rate is good, something that will serve him well pitching in Yankee Stadium and should help alleviate any issues that come with Pineda being more of a flyball pitcher.  Kuroda gives the Yankees better depth and better talent than what they already had in the middle of their rotation, and on a one-year deal, doesn't interfere in plans to trim payroll for 2014.  As much as I wanted Roy Oswalt, Kuroda is just as solid an option.

- Another interesting subplot to this whole situation is the "Hal talking to Scott Boras" story that dominated the better part of the previous two days.  If I can go Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory" for a second, I think the Yankees played Boras and used him as leverage to make this trade happen and also as a way to throw the media off their trail while they finalized the trade and the deal with Kuroda.

All we've been hearing about is how the Yankees were staying in contact with the Kurodas and Oswalts of the world and nothing about a potential Montero-for-Pineda swap.  Knowing that Boras loves to use them to drive up the market for his clients, the Yankees decide to sit down with him to discuss Edwin Jackson, also knowing that the media will pick it up and the story would work in reverse to force the Mariners to finalize the trade.  Any time the Yankees are even rumored to be involved, teams have to take that seriously, and the Yankees used that in their advantage to make the deal they wanted to make, leaving Boras and Edwin Jackson sitting there twisting in the wind.  If that plan doesn't have Cash written all over it, I don't know what does.

- When you look at what the Reds gave up to get Mat Latos and what the Nats gave up to get Gio Gonzalez, this trade looks even better for the Yankees.  They managed to add a younger, arguably better pitcher than either of those 2 guys by only giving up 1 of their top prospects, and even managed to get a top 5 prospect back in return.

- AAAAAAAAAAAAND, when you think about all the potential deals that Jesus was either involved in or requested to be in by other teams that the Yankees didn't make, this trade is genius.  Instead of getting 3+ months of Cliff Lee or 1 year of John Danks, the Yankees get 5 of Pineda.  And they get those 5 years of  Pineda with ManBan and Betances still intact.

- With the FA class that's coming up after the 2012 season, the potential for a 2013 dream rotation is scary.  Let some of those hypotheticals roll around in your brain tonight when you're out at the bar.

- The biggest bummer about losing Montero?  I didn't get to use this Photoshop nearly enough:

This was a great trade for the Yankees, and another brilliant job by Cash of laying low, working things behind the scenes, staying patient, and striking when the moment was right.  Yes, it sucks to lose out on Montero and all that he could have potentially done in a Yankee uniform, but this was the ideal return in a trade involving The Jesus, and the 2012 Yankees are better off as a result.

Which Rotation Looks Better To You?

Option 1)

1) CC
2) Nova
3) A.J.
4) Freddy
5) Hughes

Option 2)

1) CC
2) Pineda
3) Kuroda
4) Nova
5) Hughes

I mean, really!  Do you even have to think about it?  Once again, the Yankees zag when everyone thinks they're zigging.  And yes, I assume Hughes will be given the best chance to win the 5th rotation spot over A.J. and Freddy.

#InCashWeTrust

BREAKING NEWS!!!!: Yankees Trade Jesus for Michael Pineda

ESPN has it already, so it sounds legit.

The Yankees have traded Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.  Details to follow...

** UPDATE- 7:51PM- From looking around the interweb, this seems about as real as it gets.  Once again, the Yankees come out of nowhere to make a major move.  From what I'm gathering on Campos, he's one of the better prospects in the Mariners' system.  And he's only 19 years old. **

** UPDATE- 7:58PM- Jack Curry is reporting that the Yankees have signed Hiroki Kuroda to a 1-year, $10 million deal.  The lion has struck from the tall grass...

** UPDATE- 8:44PM- Pineda in 2011: 171 IP, 9.11 K/9, 3.74 ERA/3.42 FIP.  22 years old; under team control for 5 years.  Campos rated #5 prospect in Mariners' system by Baseball Prospectus.  K'd 85 and only walked 13 in 81.1 IP of A-ball in 2011. **

The New Mets Tickets Promotional Video Is Pretty Accurate

It's funny because it's true!  That pretty much sums up what it's like to be a Met these days.  To be perfectly honest, I think I'd rather be an abused, abandoned dog stuck in a shitty shelter than be a member of the New York Mets baseball team.  I actually wouldn't be surprised if this boosted sales simply out of pity for those poor players.  For a split second there I was reaching for my desk phone to call the number, but then I snapped back to my senses.  Damn it's good to be a Yankee fan.

Kudos to Randy Medina at The Apple for putting this together.  A+ stuff right there.

That's More Like It

Via Joel Sherman, Hal Steinbrenner, despite agreeing to meet with Scott Boras to discuss Edwin Jackson, "has yet to OK expanding payroll to add a significant player," which is music to my ears after a long, sleepless night spent tossing and turning while worrying what kind of crazy Friday the 13th shenanigans could happen today.

It's nothing against Jackson.  I'm sure he's a nice kid and would probably provide more value in the rotation this season than A.J.  But he's a Boras client, and that can be a dangerous situation, especially when your plan is to cut payroll and only look for one-year deals at the right price.  Jackson is not a one-year deal candidate and he's certainly not the type of pitcher to warrant the Yankees deviating from their plan.  Just stay the course, be patient, and listen to whatever Cash says.

I'm Not Liking This Edwin Jackson Situation One Bit

I didn't put too much weight into Jon Heyman's report last night about Hal Steinbrenner and Scott Boras meeting to discuss Edwin Jackson.  Heyman basically exists to be Boras' mouthpiece and to create markets for his clients, so no big deal.

But now that Marc Carig has the story as well, and explains that Boras requested the meeting and Steinbrenner agreed to see him, I'm really starting to get nervous.  In my FA profile on Jackson a few months back, I stated that he would be my last resort as a rotation target because of his inconsistent performance and the fact that him being 28 made it more likely that he would seek a longer-term deal.  And nothing has changed since then.  I'd still rather have Oswalt and Kuroda than Jackson, and I'd rather see the Yankees stick with the 5 they have penciled in right now than sign Jackson.

Maybe the front office is once again split on whether or not to pursue a potential target.  Maybe the Hanks and Levines of the world crave them some Edwin Jackson and are forcing this behind the scenes.  It is almost the 1-year anniversary of the Rafael Soriano, and tomorrow is Friday The 13th.  I'm just sayin'...

Triple-R: The Rotation

(The ace and the... other guy.  Courtesy of The Daily News)

The rotation to start 2012 will look an awful lot like the one we saw to open 2011, at least as of today.  That might not seem like a reason to be overly confident, but collectively this group can still be effective enough to get the job done.  Just how effective will depend on whether each pitcher Regresses from, Rebounds from, or Remains at his 2011 level of production.

CC Sabathia- Remain

It'd be downright stupid to expect anything less from CC in 2012 than what he's provided since first putting on the pinstripes.  He's still in his prime at 31, he won't turn 32 until July, he's got another fat contract in his back pocket, and he's making another attempt to shed some weight prior to the start of Spring Training.  Now the first go-round with that effort didn't pan out over the course of the 2011 season, but he still pitched incredibly well.  For as long as he's been doing this, we almost have to give CC the benefit of the doubt when it comes to him handling the type of workload he does at the size he is.  He's been the one constant in this rotation since 2009 and he'll continue to be that in 2012.  Pencil him in for another 230+ IP, ERA and FIP numbers in the high 2.00s-low 3.00s, 8.00+ K/9, 6-7 WAR, and a top 5 Cy Young finish.

Ivan Nova- Remain

Call me crazy, but I think there might be something to Super Nova's strong 2011 finish.  His velocity was up, his command was much better, and his slider developed into a very useful pitch, practically bypassing his other secondary offerings to become his out pitch by the end of the year.  Nova also made great strides in the 2nd half of last season in his ability to work through a lineup multiple times, change up his offerings, and really think his way through an outing.  He's always pitched with great poise on the mound for a young pitcher, and now he's starting to learn the finer points of pitching to refine his game.  Considering that he's only been a starter at the Major League level for a little over a year, it's reasonable to expect that he still has room to improve.  He won't become a future ace of the staff, but maintaining his pace from the 2nd half of 2011 should result in a very good year for Nova in 2012.

A.J. Burnett- Remain

As stupid as it would be to expect anything less from CC in 2012, it would be equally dumb to expect anything more from A.J.  At this stage in his career, with declining stuff and spotty command, A.J. is really a 4th starter at best making 2nd starter money.  The best thing anybody can say about him is that he provides innings, but as the quality of those innings continues to trend downward along with his fastball velocity, calls are going to start coming for the Hector Noesis and Adam Warrens of the world to get their shot.  If A.J. had a reliable 3rd pitch, perhaps he could combat the losing battle he's fighting with Father Time.  But 35 is a little too late to start working on that, especially when you're a pitcher whose biggest issue has been repeating his mechanics and delivery.  An ERA over 5.00, a FIP somewhere close to that, a lot of wild pitches, and more ill-timed HR allowed is what I'm expecting from A.J. in 2012.  But hey, at least he's consistent.

Freddy Garcia- Regress

Freddy's 2011 production was arguably the most pleasant surprise out of the entire pitching staff.  He provided stability and consistency to the rotation multiple times during the season when guys like Hughes and Bartolo hit the DL.  Unfortunately, the numbers he pitched to probably aren't sustainable for another year given his stuff and his recent track record.  He hadn't posted a sub-4.00 ERA since 2005 prior to last season, and has only put up one season with a lower HR/FB rate than the 8.2% he had in 2011.  Considering his GB rate went below 40% last year while his FB rate rose, and he isn't going to be making a huge jump in his K rates any time soon, the signs are all there that 2012 will be a year where we see more balls finding the gaps and the seats off of Freddy.  He shouldn't fall off a cliff completely, but Freddy circa 2010 is far more likely an outcome than a repeat of what he did in 2011.

Phil Hughes- Rebound

Phil's 2011 couldn't have been much worse, which makes him an obvious candidate to have a bounce-back year in 2012.  The big question is, exactly how big is that bounce back going to be?  Should we be expecting pre-2010 ASG Phil?  Post-2010 ASG Phil?  Something in between those 2 versions?  Or some version of Phil similar to the one that finished 2011?  Whatever version we get, it has to be better than the guy who posted a 5.79/4.58/4.90 slash with just 5.67 K/9 last season.  Hughes will be further removed from his heavy 2010 workload and will be back in better shape after getting shipped out to Cali, so the life in his fastball that was missing for most of last season should return.  If it does, then Phil will be set up for success as everything he does is off the fastball.  His secondary offerings and how well he commands them will determine just how big of a rebound he has in 2012, but even staying healthy and pitching a full season will be an improvement.

Because it's the same 5 guys who finished the season in the rotation last year, there shouldn't be expectations for drastic improvement.  But Nova repeating the success of his 2011 second half and Hughes coming back to be a reliable 3rd-starter type should help this group at least maintain the success that last year's rotation had.  Anything positive from A.J. is just icing on the cake at this point.

Checking In On The Offseason To-Do List

It's been almost 3 months since I moved on from the rough ending of the 2011 season and started looking towards the future with what, in my opinion, should have been the Yankees' list of offseason priorities.  How's the progress looking on that list now that they've had that 3 months?

1) Get Cash's New Deal Done- Check

The official announcement was made slightly after the details of the new CC came out, but it's safe to assume that the Yankees already had an agreement in place with Cash earlier than that.  Before they could execute any offseason action plan, they needed to have their GM, and they were wise to bring back the best man for the job.

2) Re-Sign CC- Check

Like the Cash deal, this situation was resolved very quickly by the Yankees, and in a very wise fashion.  They made CC the highest paid pitcher in the game again while still maintaining enough payroll flexibility to not have his deal weigh them down in the years to come the way A-Rod's is right now.  And they also didn't get locked into another 7-, 8-, or more-year deal for big money.  Definitely a win-win for both sides.

3) Address The Starting Pitching Situation- Check

Before they even got involved in talks with the big FAs of the year (Wilson, Darvish, Buehrle, etc.), the Yankees were quick to make decisions on all their incumbents.  Nova was declared an official part of the 2012 rotation, as was Phil, and then he was quickly shuttled off to fat camp to get in shape.  They also decided to give A.J. another vote of confidence, let Bartolo go, and re-sign Freddy.  You can argue whether some of the moves were right or wrong, but the fact that the Yanks made decisions on each player and had a rotation in place made their plan for going after FAs more clear and easier to execute.

4) Develop and Execute Offseason FA/Trade Plan- Check

And execute it they did.  It's been a lot of low bids, preliminary talks, and excessive trade demands, but the Yankees' plan was clearly to go into the Winter Meetings with a rotation in place and only get seriously involved in upgrade options if the price was right.  Money has been the name of the game as usual this offseason, only this year it's been about trying to save and conserve money rather than spend it.  Again, you can argue whether this plan by Cash and the front office was the right one, but you can't say that the Yankees didn't have a plan and didn't stick to it.  Well, at least so far they've stuck to it.

5) Define Jesus Montero's 2012 Role- Open
6) Develop Plan for A-Rod for 2012- Open

Neither of these things have been officially addressed by the team, but you have to think behind the scenes some discussions have been had.  I've already talked about the A-Rod situation at length, and whatever is going to happen with Jesus next year is handcuffed to how the Yankees choose to manage A-Rod's playing time.  But with the majority of the roster set for next season, now is the time to finalize these details so the players can prepare themselves for their roles and not have to adjust to things mid-season.

7) Fill Out The Bench And Bullpen As Needed- Half Check

This was last on the priority list, but it's something the Yankees have been quietly doing all offseason.  From bringing back Andruw Jones to signing some guys to MiL deals to adding potential bullpen arms through the Rule 5 draft, the Yankees are slowly but surely filling up the 25-man roster.  And with word coming out that asking prices are starting to come down for the remaining FAs on the market, they might not be done.

For as quiet as this offseason has seemed, the Yankees have actually done a pretty good job addressing their key needs.  They have their GM in place for the long haul, ditto their ace starting pitcher, and they have the majority of their roster set for the 2012 season.  There's still some fine tuning to be done, but the major goals of this offseason have been accomplished, and that's the important thing.

Not The Free Agent Pitcher I Had In Mind

Via Ben Nicholson-Smith: 

"Yankees maintain interest in re-signing Luis Ayala, who spent '11 season w/ NY."



That was pretty much my reaction to reading that news late last night, right down to me almost shooting my computer in horror.  Luis Ayala sucks, plain and simple.  He served a purpose last year and then all of that was ruined when Joe decided to use him in a high-leverage spot in the ALDS.  I don't need to be reminded of that every time I see Ayala take the mound again; no Yankee fan does.  Let some other team take Ayala and use the last few bullpen spots for young guys.  One of them is just keeping a place warm for Joba anyway.

Do The Yankees Really Need Another Lefty Reliever?

While this offseason has been mostly an inactive one for the Yankees, one thing they have gone after consistently is cheap pitching depth.  From re-signing Freddy Garcia to another team-friendly one-year deal to taking low-risk flyers on guys like Adam Miller, Brad Meyers, and Matt Daley, the Yankees have definitely given themselves plenty of options to choose from when it comes to filling out their Major League and Triple-A pitching staffs for 2012.  Among this smorgasbord of lower-level talent is a collection of left-handed relief pitchers (Cesar Cabral, Mike O'Conner, and Hideki Okajima) from which the Yankees will presumably look to fill the "2nd bullpen lefty" role that was left vacant in 2011 thanks to injuries suffered by the now departed Damaso Marte and the still being paid Pedro Feliciano.  But in looking at how the team, and the bullpen, will likely be constructed in 2012, is a 2nd lefty reliever something the Yankees should even be pursuing?

In quickly constructing the roster, we know there will be the starting 9 (Teix, Bobinson, A-Rod, Jeter, Martin, Gardner, C-Grand, Swish, and The Jesus) and the 5-man rotation (CC, A.J., Nova, Freddy, Hughes).  The bench will include Andruw Jones as the 4th OF, Eduardo Nunez as the backup SS/3B, and almost certainly Francisco Cervelli as the 3rd catcher.  In the bullpen, the no-doubt crew includes Mo, D-Rob, Soriano, Boone Logan, and Cory Wade to start the season, which adds up to 22 spots already accounted for.  The team will likely need another utility option on the bench, so someone like Ramiro Pena or Brandon Laird will fill that role for the 23rd spot, and the bullpen as it is has no solid long relief option, so pencil in somebody from the Kontos/Meyers/D.J. Mitchell trio for that role and the 24th roster spot.

This leaves only 1 spot open on the roster and a slew of players who could fill that spot.  This is where the issue of "need vs. want" as it relates to another lefty reliever comes into play.  The Yankees took the approach of deciding they needed another lefty in 2011, hence the signing of Feliciano, and it ended up backfiring on them when he missed the whole season.  But in terms of how that loss affected the bullpen's performance against lefties, the argument could be made that they were just as well off without Feliciano.  Boone Logan, for as much crap as he took around the blogosphere last year, wasn't completely useless against left-handed hitters:

- 27.1 IP, 38 Total Baserunners Allowed, 34 K, 2.96 ERA/3.65 FIP/3.12 xFIP

It was a down year for Logan, sure, especially when you look at all the baserunners.  And he wasn't nearly as effective in his LOOGY role as he was in 2010.  But when you add his 2011 in with his career totals against lefties, you get a very respectable 3.07/3.39/3.32 tripleslash with 10.13 K/9 in 114.2 IP.  It's not lights out by any means, but the strikeout numbers suggest the stuff is there to be that kind of pitcher, and the results from 2010 prove that Logan is capable of being that type of pitcher.  And with Logan typically being used in the 6th-7th innings of games, another lefty option would really only be necessary if the Yankees' setup man and closer struggled against left-handed hitting.  Do they?  Not exactly.

- D-Rob vs. LHH 2011: 35.2 IP, 38 BA, 54 K, 1.01 ERA/1.37 FIP/1.90 xFIP
- Mo vs. LHH in 2011: 27.2 IP, 28 BA, 24 K, 1.63 ERA/2.66 FIP/2.90 xFIP

- D-Rob vs. LHH career: 95.0 IP, 2.75/2.47/2.77, 12.98 K/9
- Mo vs. LHH career **: 341.1 IP, 1.61/2.49/2.87, 7.88 K/9

** (FanGraphs only keeps "vs. L" pitching stats from 2002 on)

Unfortunately, FanGraphs doesn't keep stats on how many lefty bats Mo has turned into kindling in his career, but you get the idea.  The combination of D-Rob and Mo has been very good against lefties, just as they have overall throughout their careers.  It would be asinine for Joe to even consider playing a L/R matchup game with these guys late in games.  Once Joba returns, the Yankees will have another late-inning arm capable of pitching well against lefties (3.93/3.82/3.85, 9.38 K/9 in 188.0 career IP as a starter & reliever), so the need for another lefty option becomes minimized even more.

I hate to break it down to such basic black and white terms and reference predetermined bullpen roles, but Joe already manages the bullpen that way, and because of that the Yankees are in a position where they don't really need another left-handed reliever.  They're looking for 5-6 good innings from their starting pitcher (more if it's CC), and then just a 1-2-inning bridge to Robertson and The Sandman for the 8th and 9th.  Boone Logan in his current semi-LOOGY role fits into that bridge perfectly and can continue to be used this way as an insurance policy for Soriano, who does have a shaky history against lefties (4.80/5.36/5.05 in 2011; 3.50/4.10/4.16 career).  The re-introduction of Joba to the 'pen in mid-2012 will only add to that bridge inning depth, and once D-Rob and Mo enter the game, all talk of matching up goes out the window because of their ability to shut down hitters from either side of the plate.

Like last year, a second lefty in the bullpen would be a nice convenience to have, but it's definitely not something the Yankees need in order for their relief corps to be successful.  A better use for that 25th roster spot would be to add another multiple-inning arm or a Chris Dickerson/Justin Maxwell type to lengthen the bench.  And given their track records, there's not much to suggest that Cabral, O'Conner, or Okajima would be more effective against left-handed hitters than the relievers the Yankees already have.  That's not to say that if one of these guys pitches well enough to earn a spot on merit out of Spring Training that the Yankees shouldn't take them.  But Joe is already a bit too married to the idea of set roles for guys in his bullpen.  There's no reason to take another lefty just for the sake of having another lefty and give him another option for a role that isn't needed.

Rough Day For Former Yankees In HOF Voting

Barry Larkin being the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame was the big story yesterday.  The smaller ones, and the ones more pertinent to this blog, were the results of 2 former Yankees on the ballot.  And they weren't good.

Donnie Baseball had another weak showing, garnering just 17.8% of the vote.  It was up from his vote total last year but still nowhere near what he'll need to get elected.  And in his 12th year of eligibility, it's unlikely that we'll see Mattingly get the call unless the Veteran's Committee is feeling generous in the future.

Bernie Williams also didn't fare that well, picking up just 9.6% of the votes in his first year on the ballot.  The one bit of good news for Bernie is that he's the only first-year player who earned enough votes to stay on the ballot next year.  That bad news?  Voters don't take into account one's music career.

Truth be told, I never really gave Bernie much thought when it came to HOF contention.  His overall body of work doesn't scream Hall of Famer, but when you dig into the numbers, his peak years are pretty damn good.  From 1996-2002, Bernie posted 5 consecutive ASG selections ('97-'01), 4 consecutive Gold Gloves ('97-2000), a Silver Slugger Award ('02), and a batting title ('98).  His lack of top 5 MVP votes probably hurts his cause, but the 4 rings and postseason numbers should help to counter that.  Based off of his 9.6% this year, Bernie is the longest of longshots to make it in.  But based off his resume, a case can certainly be made.

An All-Jorge Linkapalooza

As I did with Andy Pettitte when he retired, here's a collection of the best stuff around related to Jorge's retirement.

- I know I linked to it in my own post this morning, but Buster Olney's piece on Jorge's career and his numbers is a must-read.

- The NY Times has a photographic look at Jorge's Yankee career.

- Tom Verducci's piece for SI does a good job of making a case for Jorge's inclusion in the HOF.

- At The Daily News, Bill Madden, if you're into that kind of thing, argues that Jorge's HOF case should be strengthened by the fact that he spent his entire career with one team.

- Kevin Kernan at The Post has a short, heartfelt piece on how Jorge deciding to hang them up was the right call.

- Mike at RAB takes a great trip down memory lane as he reviews "The Jorge Posada Game" against the Rangers on May 16, 2006.  Either this or the ALCS double is Jorge's defining moment, so check this one out if you're not familiar.

** UPDATE- 1/10/12- 7:38AM- Jack Curry at YES has another great piece on Jorge, this one taking a bigger look at Jorge the person. **

On Jorge's Retirement

Truth be told, I didn't really know how to approach writing about Jorge Posada's retirement, which, while not officially announced by Jorge himself, can be assumed to be impending after legit Yankee sources like Sweeny Murti and Buster Olney first reported the story this weekend.  Jorge was never one of my favorite players as I grew up and became a real baseball fan, even as he proved time and time again to be one of the most valuable members of the dynasty that started in the late 90s.  Even within the Core Four, Jorge ranks 4th in my hierarchy, well behind Andy Pettitte at 3.  In fact, I had grown to dislike Jorge over the past couple seasons as he became more of a detriment than a strength behind the plate and devolved to a platoon-type, left-handed only hitter at the plate.

I was especially critical of Jorge this past season when he threw his temper tantrum and took himself out of the lineup against the Fraud Sawx after Joe batted him 9th, disgusted that he could let his personal pride get in the way of his duty as a teammate and professional.  But in looking back at Jorge's career, it is that pride and attitude that I think carried him to the success he had as a player, and it is that pride and attitude that will define his career, for the better, as a great baseball player and a great Yankee.  He was never the biggest, strongest, fastest, tooliest, anything-iest player on the field, and yet he got so much out of what he did have and brought so much more to the table because of what he had inside.  That, more than anything, is the mark of a truly great player and the defining characteristic of Jorge's career.

In looking back at his career and trying to define his greatness, the first question that will come up is whether or not Jorge is worthy of making the Hall of Fame.  His standard stat line paints a very strong picture: .273/.374/.474, .848 OPS, .366 wOBA, 275 HR, 1,065 RBI, 47.6 fWAR.  You throw in the 5 ASG selections, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, and 4 World Series rings and Jorge's case becomes even stronger.  He ranks top 10 all time amongst catchers in doubles (7th), HR (8th), and XBH (9th, and is 11th in RBI.  Coincidentally, he also holds the same spots in those categories in the all-time Yankee rankings, along with the 3rd-highest WAR for Yankee catchers behind only Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra and the 8th most Games Player in franchise history.

Where the issue becomes cloudy is in the comparisons.  Putting Jorge up against the greatest catchers of all time and his numbers don't appear as sparkling (12th out of the top 12 in terms of WAR for players who played at least 50% of their games at catcher).  This is likely due to Jorge's negative defensive ratings, which hurts his candidacy in that they show him as an average all-around catcher, but also could help in that him still ranking amongst the tops all time despite the poor D shows just how good his bat was.  But when compared to his contemporaries (all catchers who have debuted in the past 25 years), Posada ranks 3rd in total WAR, behind only Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez, 2 surefire HOFers.  Furthering the contemporary argument is the fact that Jorge leads all catchers in hits, home runs, and RBI since 2000 and is the only catcher ever to ever hit over .330 with 20+ HR, 40+ 2B, and 90+ RBI in a single season.  However you look at it, Jorge is right on the edge of the HOF line.

But HOF or no HOF, there is no denying the value and strength that Jorge brought to the Yankees in his 17 years in pinstripes.  He was the vocal, fiery behind-the-scenes leader that balanced out the cool, calm, and collected public captain's role that Derek Jeter has played for so many years.  He was the first to stand up for teammates on the field, the first to talk to reporters off the field, and event though he looked like he was hauling a stainless steel refrigerator on his back when he ran, he was always hustling when he stepped between the chalk lines and took the field.  More than any other player, Jorge might define just what made that late-90s Yankee dynasty so special.  He worked hard, got the most out of his talent, never tried to do too much, and stepped up in the biggest moments when his teammates needed him to.  That's what people should remember Jorge by, and judging by the reaction he got all season long from the Yankee faithful, that's how he will be remembered.

If I had to pick, I would have to say my favorite Jorge moment was the game-tying double off of Pedro in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.  With everything surrounding that situation and the fact that he came through off a pitcher who absolutely owned him, that's a moment I will never forget as a Yankee fan.  The look of sheer joy and still lingering focus and intensity on his face as he turned around to celebrate with his teammates in the dugout is an everlasting image in any real Yankee fan's head, and probably the perfect image to capture just what Jorge was about as a baseball player.

So even though he wasn't my favorite Yankee and never will be, and even though I admittedly soured on him over these last few seasons, I am going to miss Jorge Posada.  By whatever definition you want to use, he represented what being a "true Yankee" was all about, and it was fitting that he got to go out on his terms and on a personal high note this past postseason as one of the few Yankee hitters who actually performed well in the ALDS.  I'm glad he chose to go out on that note and to go out as a Yankee, and I'm looking forward to the day when his #20 is retired amongst the other great Yankee numbers where it belongs.

(Stats and rankings courtesy of Buster Olney at ESPN)

It's Getting Closer...

I know we're still a while away from real baseball, but Spring Training is coming.  No really, I'm being serious.  We're just a little over 5 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting.  And that's a good thing, because I'm getting a little tired of writing about the nothing that the Yankees are doing this offseason, as I'm sure you're getting tired of reading about it.  Just keep clicking the days off that calendar, people.  Baseball will be here sooner than you think...



P.S.- That song needs an updated version showing the 2010-2011 players.  Somebody get on that, please.