Two Minutes To Midnight

We're another day closer to doomsday, but fortunately it sounds like we're also a lot closer to the A.J. trade being completed.

Via George King, the Yankees and Pirates have agreed to swap A.J. for two marginal prospects, with Pittsburgh picking up somewhere between $13-15 million of the remaining contract.  A source was quoted as saying the deal should be completed by Saturday.  That's still cutting it pretty close, but things look promising right now.  If the deal does go through this way, you would have to call that a big win for the Yankees.  But until it does, the clock stays active.

**UPDATE- 12:19PM- Buster Olney is reporting that the terms of the deal have been finalized and are being submitted to MLB for approval.  This thing could become official this afternoon. **

** UPDATE- 1:47PM- Joel Sherman has the first prospect included in the deal- Diego Moreno, right-handed relief pitcher. ** 

** UPDATE- 3:31PM- Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reporting that 20-year-old OF Exicardo Cayones is the 2nd prospect included in the deal.  Still no official approval from the Commissioner's office. **

** UPDATE- 6:36PM- Pirates picking up $5 million this season and $8 million next.  Yankees get the remaining 20. **

Fraud Sawx Camp Should Be Fun This Year

I swear Bobby V is just doing this shit to get a rise out of me.  And it's working.  Based on this story I don't know if I should be more excited for Yankees camp to open or Fraud Sawx camp to open.  Check out what Valentine's planning:

"When I look at the program we devised, I don't think of it as tough. But it seems it's different because a lot of people are frowning."

"We all know that nobody likes change except for those who are making other people change to do what they want them to do. I happen to be one of those guys who likes change because guys are doing what I want them to do."

"I would bet there will be 100 guys who won't really like it because it's change for them. But they'll get used to it."

... Valentine wants to make the club's games against Northeastern and Boston College nine innings instead of seven. He also wants to add a couple of games to the team's spring training schedule.

Those games are likely to either be split-squad games or intrasquad games played on a practice field. He said there weren't as many of those types of games in spring training anymore "because there's a lot of lazy people in the game today."

"Everyone says (spring training) is too long. I think that's baloney.  To get guys really ready, I think everyone's working the deadline to get a starter with 30 innings and five (starts). The numbers just don't compute."

So to recap, Bobby V is making a much more aggressive Spring Training schedule for The Fraud Sawx that nobody seems to like.  He doesn't give a crap about whether or not they like it because he's in charge and all that matters is that he likes it.  And he wants to fill open dates in their ST game schedule with more games.  If that isn't a recipe to start building a better clubhouse culture, I don't know what is.

I can only hope that this results in an immediate clubhouse split between guys who are looking forward to working harder and improving upon last year's EPIC collapse and guys who would rather continue to sit on their asses and drink beer and slack through ST exercises.  And if a player or two gets injured in these extra games and starts the regular season on the DL, that would be even better.

Spring Training Storylines I'll Be Following

The wait is almost over, friends. We're just a handful of days away from finally being able to talk about real, actual, on-the-field baseball again. Pitchers and catchers are expected to officially report this coming Sunday, but if you're a daily follower of the Yankee blogopshere you already know that players have been trickling into the facility at Tampa since last week. The team appears to be stoked that baseball is starting up again and ready to get back to work, and that makes me even more stoked for Spring Training to get started. Spring Training is almost never boring for the Yankees, and this year should be no exception. There will be plenty to follow and talk about over the next month or so, and here are the major storylines I know I'll be following particularly closely.

Mark Teixeira's New Left-Handed Approach

It's the only position player topic that has gotten as much attention this offseason as A-Rod's health, and it's really going to be the only thing I care about in regards to Teix in Spring Training. I don't care if he boots every ball hit to him, drops a bunch of throws from the field, or doesn't get a single hit from the right side because I don't expect those things to be issues during the season. But I need to see some improvements in his game from the left side of the plate to feel good. I want to see him taking more pitches, swinging at fewer curveballs, not getting too far under the ball and popping it up, driving the ball the opposite way with power, and if he's going to experiment with bunting, get it out of the way before the games start to count. We all know numbers don't mean a thing in Spring Training, but this might be the single most important Spring Training lefty split slash line in Yankee history.

Alex Rodriguez's Health and Mobility

By my count, this will be the third consecutive Spring Training that Alex Rodriguez will attend coming off of a new offseason workout plan to get him ready for the season. And it will be the first where the change in offseason workout plan wasn't related to performance or production, but rather just staying on the field. The Horse is getting up there in years, that's a fact, but he shouldn't be quite ready for the glue factory yet. I want to see how A-Rod's body responds to getting back into full-scale baseball activities. How's he going to look physically playing a full game in the field, running the bases, et cetera? And more importantly, how is he going to feel the next day? It's true that he's come through the past two Spring Training healthy and still gotten hurt during the regular season, so a clean bill of health at the beginning of April doesn't guarantee anything. But for the first time, A-Rod comes into camp with people almost expecting him to get hurt, which forces me to pay attention.

The DH Situation

I'm still a little surprised that the Yankees didn't already have the move to fill the lefty DH role finalized when they made the Pineda and Kuroda moves, mainly because I didn't think they would want to be here, a few days away from camp opening and still trying to swing deals. I'm still intrigued by the idea of them bringing somebody in, but not if it completely kills the chances of Russell Branyan making the team. I think Branyan could be just what the Yankees need out of that role this season and he comes with an incredibly low-risk, low-dollar contract. That being said, I also would have loved to see a deal get worked out for Travis Hafner. Whoever ends up being involved in the competition, this DH spot is the only major positional battle to speak of, so it's going to get its extra share of coverage.

The Michael Pineda Hype Machine

Real talk for a minute? Michael Pineda is a beast. A beast. This is a guy who put together a ROY-worthy season last year; he's not a scrub. And yet he comes into Spring Training this year almost a little underrated now that everybody has had five weeks to nitpick everything wrong about him and probe for every conceivable flaw instead of recognizing that he's a big, hulking kid with a nasty fastball and great command who pitched very well last year. He's something to embrace and build around, not worry about not, and I can't wait to see him get on the mound for the first time as a Yankee. Once again, I say this knowing that Spring Training performances don't mean a whole lot, but I wouldn't mind seeing Pineda get a little buzz going for himself heading into the regular season with a strong ST campaign.

Start The A.J. Trade Doomsday Clock!

I can't believe I'm doing this, but we're getting down to the wire here.  When we wake up tomorrow there will be only three minutes left to midnight; three days until pitchers and catchers have to report to camp.  And with everything that's gone down this offseason, there's just no way that A.J. can still be a Yankee when that day comes.  A.J. doesn't need that, and the team doesn't need that.

The latest news has the Yanks and Pirates still trying to figure out that last $3-5 million and who's going to pick it up, so things look close and that's good.  But it's still too risky to not be prepared for the fallout from an A.J. Spring Training attack, so doomsday clock it is.

3 minutes, Cash.  Make it happen.

Jorge Soler, Anybody?

I'm admittedly very late to the Jorge Soler discussion party.  I haven't followed him as closely as others have, mainly because my focus has been on the rotation upgrades, roster filling, and the ongoing A.J. trade saga this offseason.  But with Yoenis Cespedes coming off the market earlier this week, Soler now becomes the premiere Cuban/international free agent available.  The Cubs are the reported front runner for Soler right now, but Buster Olney reported yesterday that the Yankees have "serious interest" in Soler and it's easy to see why.

As a prospect, there's a lot to like about Soler.  He's got great size (copyright Jay Bilas) at 6'3"/205, and has a couple of very attractive tools, notably his power and bat speed.  Soler projects as a big-time power hitter, favorably compared to Gary Sanchez in that department by my TYA colleague Eric Schultz yesterday, and also possesses enough athleticism and defensive skills to become a good corner outfielder.  His swing mechanics need some work, but what 19-year-old's don't to some degree?  As a 19-year-old, Soler potentially has a higher ceiling than the 26-year-old Cespedes, and if signed he could follow a much more traditional path to the Majors, likely starting this season in High-A ball.  The Yankees are noticeably short on legit corner OF prospects right now, and Soler would be one of, if not the best one available if he were going to be in this year's draft.

The problem for the Yankees in this seemingly right-fit situation is the money it will take to sign Soler.  The rumors going around yesterday, which have now been squashed, was that the Cubs had agreed to terms with Soler on a deal worth more than $27 million.  With the Yankees shying away from the Cespedes contract demands, I can't imagine they would be willing to invest a comparable amount to someone who is still at least 2-3 years away from helping them at the Major League level.  Soler is  a top-tier prospect, would fill a position of organizational need, and could potentially give them a long-term replacement for Nick Swisher in right field if the Yankees decide to let him go (albeit a replacement that would need a short-term placeholder while he moves through the MiL system).  The question is, would the Yankees be willing to cough up that much money to get him if that's what it takes?

Pineda In Camp Early

(Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News)

At this rate, there isn't going to be anybody to report on Sunday when the Yankees are supposed to "officially" open Spring Training.  Yesterday, newly acquired starter Michael Pineda arrived in Tampa to begin his spring work.

Anthony McCarron reported that Pineda is already forming a strong friendship with Robinson Cano, and Pineda said he's looking forward to working with CC Sabathia.  Being a guy who has made the transition from hard thrower to polished pitcher, Sabathia is the perfect resource for Pineda to use to improve his repertoire as he matures.  And he doesn't seem like he's going to waste any time getting to work on that, as McCarron also reported that Pineda said he plans to work on his changeup in camp.  I think that's a damn good place to start when you're working with the kind of heater that Pineda is.

For the sake of comparison, when I turned 23 I spent the majority of my time going out in downtown Milwaukee, getting near blackout drunk, and making out with almost all of my buddy from work's chick friends, so this is exactly the type of stuff you want to see and hear from a young pitcher like Pineda.  He's in camp early, he knows what he has to work on, and even a small improvement in his change will be incredibly beneficial to Pineda's development and a positive omen for his 2012 campaign.

P.S.- Big ups to Ron Antonelli for finally getting a shot of this guy in a Yankee hat.  I was getting tired of using pictures of him in a Mariners uniform.

For more on Pineda's first day in camp, check out this piece that McCarron wrote last night for The Daily News.

The A.J. Trade Plot Thickens

On Saturday it looked like a done deal that we would be spending this week talking about A.J. Burnett only in past terms.  And yet here we are two days later, not only with the trade not being completed with the Pirates but with more potential trade partners coming to light.  The Yankees find themselves in a situation where they have options and at the moment it certainly seems like they are willing to weigh them.  So where do we stand?  Let's check what's behind Door # 1:

Behind Door #1 is the scenario that still seems most likely to happen- the Yankees and Pirates completing a trade.  Garrett Jones is off the table, now replaced by one or two "blah"-level prospects, and the money has gone from the Pirates picking up $8-10 million on A.J. to somewhere between $13-15 mil, according to the Hey Man.  That won't help the Yankees fill any DH gaps directly, but is about the best they could expect to get from a trade partner willing to take on that much money.  And with the "framework" for any deal already being in place with Pittsburgh, there aren't as many details to hash through, which is helpful when you're trying to get things done in a timely fashion before pitchers and catchers report.

And what do we have behind Door #2?

Behind here we find the Cleveland Indians, a new interested party that was introduced today by Hey Man.  Initial rumors centered around the possibility of a Burnett-for-Travis Hafner swap, but that would have been complicated with serious money still owed to both, and a report this afternoon from Bryan Hoch put the kibosh on that anyway.  If the Indians are serious, they could start talking money to keep the Yankees interested (hey, it never fails me with the ladies).  But they have a lot of work to do to catch up to Pittsburgh.

Lastly, let's check out what's behind Door #3

Behind here we have the very unattractive option of not trading A.J., keeping him on the roster, and heading into the opening of camp next with a big, dreary cloud of A.J. drama hanging over everything.  I'm sure everybody will do their best to go about their business and be professionals, but that's just not a scenario that benefits the Yankees in any way.  Nobody needs outside distractions while they're trying to get back into the swing of things, literally and figuratively.  Especially not for a guy who would be emergency rotation fodder and could probably be outperformed in that role by guys like David Phelps and Adam Warren.

There have been enough reports out for a long enough amount of time for everybody to know that you're not just dipping your toe in the pool on this one, Cash, but that you're really trying to move this guy.  So just pull the fucking trigger already and get it done.  You aren't going to get your new DH back in any deal, and you'll take enough money off your hands to still make this a win for you.  Just pick two scrubs from Pittsburgh, get them to settle on a number they want to pay, and get this thing done so we can all move on with our lives.

Can Derek Jeter Continue To Defy Time?

(Squared up on that one... )

With the bulk of the focus this offseason centering on the Yankees' moves to beef up the rotation and their ongoing pursuit of a left-handed DH option, certain storylines heading into Spring Training have fallen by the wayside.  One of those storylines is The Captain, Derek Jeter, or rather what he will do in 2012.  Between the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, Jeter's status as a big-time everyday player looked to be on life support.  Then he suffered the calf injury last June, hit the 15-Day DL, and came back on July 4th a new man.  The difference in Jeter's pre- and post-injury performance is night and day, as he was at .260/.324/.324 (.295 wOBA) prior to hitting the DL and hit .331/.384/.447 (.367 wOBA) from Independence Day on.  While it was great to see The Captain rebound, his strong finish to 2011 raises just as many questions about how he'll do in 2012 as his poor finish to 2010 raised prior to last season.  It's already been shown that Jeter is entering rare territory as a SS who will turn 38 during the season, and history is not on his side.  So what does Jeter need to do in 2012 to continue to thumb his nose at Father Time?

The first, and simplest, predictor for success for Jeter in 2012 will be hitting the ball hard.  After having an insanely high 65.7% GB rate in 2010, Jeter dropped his overall GB rate to 62.4% in 2011, thanks in large part to his 58.9% GB rate post-injury.  Jeter paired that positive trend with an improved LD rate, boosting it back up to 19.0% after posting a career-low 16.3% LD rate in 2010.  Again, this increase was aided by his post-DL power surge (dude rocked a 31.6% LD rate over 119 PA in August), and it's not quite at the level of his best days, but it's still enough for a hitter of Jeter's skill level to be successful and his post-DL tripleslash is proof of that.  If Jeter is going to continue that success in 2012, he needs to at least maintain that contact breakdown.  It's easier said than done of course, and at 37 going on 38 it's expected that Jeter's bat speed won't be what it was at his peak, but if he can continue to follow the pattern of success he established last year by staying back on the ball more it should be do-able.

In addition to continuing his positive contact trends from last season, Jeter also needs to continue to improve against right-handed pitching.  As he has gotten older Jeter has seen his production against righties slip, from the .300/.380/.440 days of the early 2000s to the low point of 2010 (.246/.315/.317, .286 wOBA).  Jeter improved slightly last season, posting a .277/.329/.338 tripleslash in 439 PA against righties, but that level of production is still subpar (.298 wOBA), and with the overwhelming majority of pitchers still being right-handed it's an area that needs improvement.  Over the last couple years the approach against Jeter seems to be to attack him hard inside in an attempt to capitalize both on his lack of power to the pull side and his age-related decline in hand/bat speed that surely affects his ability to pull his hands in and go the other way with his trademark Jeterian success.  Jeter should especially look to continue his staying back approach against righties to play to his strengths as a strong opposite-field hitter.  His wOBA to the pull side (.332) is the lowest of his three field splits, and Jeter had a higher GB rate (63.3%) against right-handed pitchers than he did against lefties.  Interestingly enough, he also had a higher LD rate (20.0%) against righties, showing that when he stays back he can still drive the ball with authority off of them.

Something that could help accomplish the goals of consistent solid contact and improved performance against righties could be Jeter's selectivity and pitch recognition.  Whether you're looking at the standard plate discipline percentages or the PITCHf/x versions, the general trend for Jeter over the past two seasons has been a lower swing percentage than what we're used to seeing from him, with a similar decrease in swings at pitches in the strike zone and an INCREASE in swings at pitches out of the zone.  These numbers suggest that Jeter might be struggling a bit with his pitch recognition and is being fooled on pitches out of the zone more than he used to be.  Perhaps in his attempts to combat his declining bat speed and adjust to pitchers working him inside, Jeter is leaving himself exposed in other areas and pitchers are taking advantage.

Being a hitter who has a track record of making a lot of contact and maintaining a low K rate, his 13.3% in 2011 being no exception, Jeter's failure to lay off pitches out of the zone would likely manifest itself as a lot of bad contact.  And a lot of bad contact being generated by a hitter with declining bat speed and power isn't going to result in a lot of hits.  Last year Jeter made a big stride in correcting the mechanical flaws that were affecting his ability to be a productive hitter.  This year it might be time to look at potential flaws in his approach that have crept up as pitchers have started working him differently.  Being more selective, recognizing situations and pitchers' tendencies in certain counts, and laying off more pitches out of the zone should help put Jeter in more situations to get something to hit with authority rather than something that will generate weak contact.

2011 was a big year for Derek Jeter in terms of coming to grips with the player he was at age 37 and realizing that he had to adapt to continue to be an above-average hitter.  2012 will be the real test to see if he can continue to stay one step ahead of the game as opposing pitchers now have half a year's worth of at-bats and tape from the second half of 2011 to study to come up with a new plan of attack for him.  It's important to remember that Jeter could very well make the right adjustments and still end up having his 2012 numbers decrease from where they were in 2011.  That's the nature of the beast when you're a 38-year-old Major League Baseball player.  But if Jeter is going to have any kind of success in 2012, these are the things he needs to focus on.

Congrats On The New Contract, Big Sloppi

Seriously, man, good for you.  There's not a lot of 36-year-olds who are physically incapable of playing the field making that kind of money in baseball these days, so you should be proud.

I do hope that you got some extra money or a clause somewhere in that contract to cover the cost of ice packs and/or X-rays.  Last time I checked, the Yankee pitching staff still owed you a shot or two to the ribs.

See you in April, buddy!

Kevin Goldstein's Top 101 Prospects

The barrage of prospect lists continued today as Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus released his Top 101 of 2012.  The same four gentlemen who showed up on Keith Law's Top 100 last week were also in attendance at Mr. Goldstein's party, but in a different order.  Manny Banuelos came in at 29, Gary Sanchez at 40, Dellin Betances at 63, and Mason Williams at 99.

Obviously the biggest difference is Williams.  He was 34th on Keith Law's list, so clearly Goldstein isn't as sold on the tools and the ceiling as Law is, but that's to be expected when comparing to Law.  Goldstein also seems to see a little more in Betances, placing him 20 spots higher than Law.  For those interested, Goldstein ranked The Jesus 7th.

You can check out the entire list here.

Some Yankees Not Wasting Any Time

"Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain made 15 throws in his second session on a half-mound at the team’s minor-league complex, part of his rehabilitation after elbow ligament replacement surgery.

Chamberlain said he was 'happy with the progress and feeling good,' after throwing off the 5-inch mound Friday.

Derek Jeter is set to hit on the field for first time Monday and is looking to 'pick up where we left off last year' when his batting average increased from .260 to .297 after he returned from a strained right calf on July 4.

Right-handers Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Cory Wade threw off bullpen mounds. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for spring training on Feb. 19." (Courtesy of The AP)

Well how do you like them apples?  Still a week away from Spring Training officially beginning and the Yankees already have a small army on site in Tampa getting a head start on their preseason work.  And one of the guys there is The Captain himself, leading by example.  I love it.  This is where championship teams are forged.

Meanwhile, the Fraud Sawx probably haven't stopped playing Call of Duty: MW3 since their season ended last year.  Tough to get the right grip on your slider with chicken grease on your fingers and carpal tunnel setting in from holding the PS3 controller too long.

One Week Away From Baseball

One week from now, none of this payroll, DH, A.J. Burnett bullshit will matter.  There won't be any more discussions about who to sign and who not to sign, who should start and who should be in the bullpen, or what guy they should go after in the offseason.  Because one week from now pitchers and catchers report, the Yankees get back on the diamond, and we can finally get back to talking about actual baseball.  It's going to be great.

One week, 7 days, I'm fucking excited.  Start the countdown...

Everything's Ready...

I've got the champagne on ice, the confetti poppers on standby, and the leftover New Year's noisemakers ready for the moment the A.J. trade to the Pirates becomes official.

There's no indication it's going to happen today.  The talks are now centering around the money, with the Pirates being willing to pay $10 million and the Yankees looking for a 50/50 split, and Garrett Jones is off the table, but every indication is that talks are moving forward and every report coming in from the Olneys and Rosenthals of the world make it seem like it's only a matter of time.

And if that's the case, then I'm damn well not going to be unprepared for the announcement.

Breaking Down The Spring Training Invitees

With the countdown to Spring Training now in the single digits, the Yankees made their roster of players who will attend final on Thursday, announcing their list of 27 non-roster invitees.  With the majority of what will eventually be the 25-man roster already all but set in stone, few of these 27 guys have a real shot at making the Yankees out of ST, and even fewer will end up making it after all the trade/FA dust settles in the next week or so.  With that mind, I decide to break these 27 down into categories so you'd know who's who and who's here to do what this Spring Training.

1) Catchers Who Are Just There For Depth: 5 Guys- Jose Gil, Kyle Higashioka, Gustavo Molina, J.R. Murphy, Gary Sanchez

There's going to be a ton of pitchers at Spring Training and they've all got to get work in.  Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli can't catch everybody, so these guys will be here to help handle the workload behind the plate.  With the real catching roster battle being between Frankie and Austin Romine for the backup role, these guys will start to be cut as roster cuts are made and fewer pitchers are on hand.  Sanchez and Murphy will get some attention from the coaching staff thanks to their prospect status, but they're both too far away from the show for real consideration.

2) Young Pitchers Just Getting a Taste of Major League Life: 3- Dan Burawa, Brett Marshall, Graham Stoneburner

All three of these guys are on the Yankees' radar as future pieces of the pitching staff, but for a variety of reasons (inexperience, injuries, development) they are all far enough away that there is no chance of them making the show this year.  This is more like a first-round "American Idol" audition for these three.  If Joe and Larry Rothschild like what they see, they might give them a ticket to Hollywood.  But there's almost no shot of them being roster finalists in 2012.

3) Young Pitchers Getting a Real Evaluation: 5- Manny Banuelos, Ryan Pope, Adam Warren, Kevin Whelan, Chase Whitley

Warren could see himself in pinstripes if injuries strike the rotation during the season.  Banuelos likely won't, but can use this ST as an audition for the 2013 rotation, especially if he shows improved command.  Pope, Whelan, and Whitley could all be considered for injury replacement bullpen roles during the regular season and can also secure a call up in September by having good showings in ST.  All of these guys are pitchers who could help the team in the next year or so, and will be watched more closely than the three in the previous category.

4) Long Shots: 6- Doug Bernier, Juan Cedeno, Matt Daley, Cole Garner, Adam Miller, Jayson Nix

It would be a legitimate shock if any of these players made the club.  You're talking everything from age-related decline to performance inconsistency to major injuries that have affected these gentlemen's careers, and it will take a lot, and I mean A LOT, for them to make their way onto the 25-man.  The most intriguing options here are Miller because of his stuff and Cedeno just because he's a lefty.

5) Competition Wildcards: 4- Colin Curtis, Mike O'Conner, Jorge Vazquez, Dewayne Wise

I don't expect anybody from this group to make the team out of ST and I don't think anybody else does either.  But they all have something working to their advantage that could give them a leg up on their competition come decision time if they really shine in camp.  Curtis and Wise both have OF experience at the Major League level, and Curtis has the added bonus of that experience being with the Yankees.  O'Conner has been around a long time and is a lefty, although he has the biggest uphill battle to climb.  And Vazquez, as much of an "all or nothing" hitter as he may be, has nowhere to go but up.  With the DH spot not locked down, he could force his way into the discussion with a big power display.

5) Guys With a Real Shot to Make The Team: 4- Russell Branyan, Manny Delcarmen, Bill Hall, Hideki Okajima

The way I see it, these are the only guys with a real chance to make the Yankee 25-man roster this spring.  Right now there is one spot in the bullpen and two spots on the bench up for grabs and these guys are the leading candidates for those spots.  Delcarmen and Okajima will likely be battling for that last spot in the 'pen, assuming A.J. is eventually traded, and based on the Yankees' familiarity with both of them, either can win with a good showing.  Branyan is the leading candidate for the lefty DH spot on the bench right now, at least until Eric Chavez is signed, and helps his case by being able to play first if needed.  And Hall is also most likely to get the 13th bench spot because of his ability to play multiple infield positions and a Major League track record, even over a guy like Brandon Laird.

It's unfortunate that Hall has to be put in that last category, because he sucks, but that's the way I see these guys shaking out right now.  This could all change in the next week if the Yankees do sign another FA DH candidate or complete the A.J. Burnett trade for something useful (Garrett Jones), but right now that's the breakdown of the lucky 27.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 2/10

I don't know about you guys (and gals), but I worked too damn hard this week.  Somehow, someway, I still managed to find enough time to gather up the best of the week that was around the Yankosphere.  The things I do for you.  If you're shutting down mentally for the day like I am, hopefully this is enough to kill the rest of the time you have to spend in the office.

- On Monday, Larry Koestler of RAB continued to kick the "Mark Teixeira should bunt more" theory down the stairs by examining Teix's pitch breakdowns from the left side, and specifically what he's doing against the curveball.  Repeat after me, everybody.  No bunts, better approach.  No bunts, better approach.

- On Tuesday, William Tasker of IIATMS compared Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine as backup catcher options.  As a guy who's no fan of Cervelli and still not 100% sold on Russell Martin staying healthy for a whole season, I can totally get behind Romine getting the spot to get more reps.

- Also on Tuesday, the team over at Bleeding Yankee Blue interviewed Nick Swisher.  I feel like I'm definitely the last blogger out there who hasn't actually talked to someone from the Yankee organization.

- On Wednesday, BryanV21 of The Greedy Pinstripes took his turn breaking down the hypothetical 2014 payroll to see if there's room for Cole Hamels.  As the guy who wrote the "dream rotation" post that got hijacked by the commenters and turned into a discussion about what hitters to go after, it's good to know I'm not the only one out there who wants Hamels.

- Joe Pawlikowski of RAB traced the long and mostly mediocre history of Yankee catchers between the Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada eras.  Definitely a cool read to see some of the names that get brought up there.  They're pretty easy to forget about when you've got Berra, Dickey, Howard, and the aforementioned Munson and Posada getting all the shine.

- On Thursday, el duque of It Is High!... made an impassioned, and very logical, argument for why the Yankees should hang on to A.J. and not use his salary relief as a reason for not signing a DH target (Damon).  I'm always the first in line to punk A.J., but I found myself nodding in agreement with everything ED had to say here.

- Frank Campagnola of Pinstripe Alley looked into Russell Branyan's BABIP to see if 2011 was just a bad luck speed bump on Branyan's otherwise stellar track record of hitting right-handed pitching or the start of something more.  Here's hoping it was just bad luck because I'd love to see him launch a few homers in Yankee Stadium wearing pinstripes for a change.

- William Juliano of The Captain's Blog crunched the numbers on Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects, and took the time to point out that if you count Montero and Arodys Vizcaino, there's a lot of big time talent on this list that was drafted, signed, and/or developed by the Yankees.

- On the heels of his NoMaas interview last week, this week Dante Bichette Jr. talked to Delia E. of Yankees Fans Unite.  Yep, I'm definitely the only one not interviewing people.  Balls.  Good job, Delia, and nice job getting Dante to shout out Mariel Checo as the GCL teammate that impressed him the most last season.

- We'll finish this up with a trio from my boys at TYA.  First up, Mike Jaggers-Radolf tackled the A-Rod health subject again on Monday, reminding us that when he is healthy he can still produce at a well above-average clip.

- On Wednesday, Alex Geshwind talked about Ivan Nova's strikeout rates as a predictor of his future ceiling while also taking the time to point out that Nova can still be successful and still be a valuable piece to the rotation even if his K/9 never rises above the 6s.

- Also on Wednesday, Michael Eder looked at the Yankees' history of scouting and developing great relief pitching over the past 20 years.  It started with Mo and it's continued right through today.  Say what you want about their ability to develop starters, but there's no denying that the Yankees have an eye and a method for relief talent.

We can't leave without a jam of the week, and after three weeks of asking I FINALLY got a reader request.  Courtesy of loyal AB4AR fan Jessica E., who was nice enough to offer her request on the AB4AR Facebook page, here's The Cure with "Friday, I'm in Love."  Enjoy the weekend, everybody.

Pirates A Match For A.J.?

In the Yankees' continued effort to move A.J. Burnett, a serious potential trade partner might be materializing in the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It started with some Buster Olney reports on Twitter yesterday, and it's continued today with Jon Heyman picking up the story.

The talks right now center around the Pirates' need for a pitcher who can eat innings and the Yankees' desire to get lefty-hitting Garrett Jones back in the deal.  Jones, 30, is a .254/.323/.450 career hitter (.334 wOBA), and is even better against right-handed pitching, posting a .275/.354/.483 slash and a .360 wOBA in over 1,000 career AB against righties.  He has legit power (.196 career ISO) and a decent BB rate, and would be an ideal candidate to fill the lefty DH role in the Yankees lineup, but so far the Pirates have shown no interest in parting with Jones.

 (That swing would look nice in pinstripes.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

With the Yankees continuing to look for ways to add two bats despite signing Russell Branyan, this trade makes a lot of sense for them.  Jones would give them a legit lefty threat from the DH spot and presumably the Yankees would free up that little bit of money they're looking to use to spend on a Chavez or Ibanez type, if they would even still be targets after acquiring Jones.  But if the Pirates take a hard stance on giving up Jones, the Yankees may have to sweeten the deal.  Whether that means agreeing to pick up more than the $25-28 million they're reportedly willing to eat or adding another player is unknown, but for a hitter of Jones' caliber that might be worth it.  He would be a better option than any of the free agents the Yanks are currently connected to, including Branyan.  Stay tuned...

The New York Mets Are Absolutely Pathetic

If you're a regular reader of AB4AR, you know by now that the Mets are one of my favorite punching bags.  I like to take shots at them and break balls about how crappy they've been, and generally it's all meant to be funny and joking.  But this story from earlier in the week by Howard Megdal of The Journal News and the LoHud Mets Blog, describing how he was denied media credentials by the Mets, is the epitome of classlessness on the part of the Wilpons and the latest, and strongest, example of just how awful that organization is.

Basically what it boiled down to was Megdal writing a book about the Wilpons and all the shit they were in after the Madoff scandal that was published in December.  The Wilpons weren't fans of what Megdal had to say in his book, despite the fact that he reached out to the organization multiple times during the writing process and spoke to members of the organization as part of his reporting for the book, and so they decided to stiff him on his clubhouse credentials for the 2012 season.  This message was passed along by Jay Horowitz, who when asked by Howard why he wasn't going to be issued credentials, said that the Mets simply, "don't like his reporting."

Now I don't know Howard personally, and I only know about this story because it was brought to my attention by one of my fellow TYA writers in an email yesterday.  But from everything I can gather from people who do know him and are familiar with his work, he is a good dude, a diehard Mets fan, and a damn good reporter.  To have his credentials taken away by the Wilpons because of the book, which has never had its content questioned and has actually been supported a few times in other stories by the likes of the New York Times and ESPN, is a petty, cowardly, childish, unprofessional act that shows the type of people the Wilpons are and reinforces all the negative talk that has surrounded their time as the owners of the Mets.  It's also downright un-American.  It's Nazi-like.  You don't like somebody calling you out for the shitty job you're doing?  THEN DO A BETTER JOB!!!  Don't take the coward's way out and deny the guy the ability to do his.

Howard Megdal is a reporter for a legitimate news outlet, so he has to bite his tongue on this whole issue and stick to the PC comments he made on the matter.  I write a dinky little blog, so I don't have that problem.  On behalf of Howard, I'd just like to say "fuck you" to Fred and Jeff Wilpon.  You're slimy, dirty, pathetic, creepy, lying crooks who have managed to turn what was one of the better teams in the National League into an absolute joke of an organization.  And in the process of doing so, you've spit in the eyes of everybody who cares about your team- the fans, the media, the players, the coaches, the team alumni, everybody.  Howard Megdal's only crime was being good at his job and reporting the truth, two things that you know nothing about and never will.  If it weren't for you relationship with Bud Selig, you would have been out on your asses a long time ago, and I can only hope that things continue to spiral downward for you to the point that you are forced out, because that's the only chance the Mets organization has to crawl out of the shitheap you've dumped it in.

I don't say this often, but today I can say with 100% honesty and no sarcasm that I feel sorry for all you Mets fans out there.  And I feel sorry for Howard Megdal and the bullshit hand he's been dealt by those sleazeballs.  You all deserve better.

Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects

Following up on his organizational farm system rankings yesterday, Keith Law was kind enough to unveil his Top 100 players list for the world today, as well as his Top 10 for each team.

The articles are Insider Only again, but the top 3 were Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Matt Moore.  The Yankees were well-represented by prospects present and past, placing 4 of their own in the top 100 (ManBan 23rd, Williams 34th, Sanchez 55th, and Betances 83rd) and also having former Yankee farmhands Jesus Montero (9th) and Arodys Vizcaino (14th) place in the top 15.

I was a little surprised to see Williams ranked so highly and ranked above Sanchez, but that's pretty typical for Law's style of valuing tools and high upside more.  He went upside-heavy with his Yankee top 10 as well:

1) Manny Banuelos- LHP
2) Mason Williams- CF
3) Gary Sanchez- C
4) Dellin Betances- RHP
5) Tyler Austin- IF
6) Jose Campos- RHP
7) Dante Bichette, Jr.- 3B
8) Austin Romine- C
9) J.R. Murphy- C
10) Slade Heathcott- OF

P.S.- It's still weird to think about The Jesus not being a Yankee anymore.  Every time I see his name I feel like Lloyd Christmas.

"Goodbye, my LOOOOOOOVE!!!"

Ninja Cash Having A Monster Offseason

(Ninja Cash moves in silence.)

Say what you will about how he handles his marital business, but there's no denying that Brian Cashman has been on a real hot streak over the last couple years as GM.  He has made moves that have made the Yankees better, younger, and deeper as a Major League team and an organization, and has kept them consistently balanced for the present and the future through a combination of aggressive big-dollar signings, smart low-dollar signings, and wise decision making in the trade market, for trades both made and not made.  He's continued that hot streak this offseason, pulling of a collection of smart moves that few saw coming, and doing it under the first semblance of a real payroll budget.

It seems like it was ages ago now, but Cash's best move this offseason might very well have been the his first one, the re-upping of CC Sabathia before he opted out and became a free agent.  It looked like a done deal that CC was heading for the opt out when the Yankees swooped in on Halloween night and swiftly announced the signing before he could officially hit the market.  Cash was able to orchestrate a deal that was both fair and attractive to CC and in line with the team's desire to not get locked into another super-long contract.  Cash took the biggest free agent pitcher off the market before he could even reach it, forcing any teams that were focusing on offering CC a deal to rethink their strategy, guaranteeing that the Yankees would be winners in their search to upgrade their rotation, and starting the wheels turning on the rest of his plan to complete that upgrade.

The quick and painless process with which the Yankees and CC made their deal gave the impression to everybody out there that Cash was fully intending on being aggressively active at the Winter Meetings to try to lock up another big name to go with CC.  Cash played to this expectation perfectly, meeting with enough agents and having enough involvement with all the big pitching targets that the teams who were really interested in them had to make serious offers, perhaps more serious than they were intending based on the Yankees' perceived interest and big-money reputation.  And while all the focus was on the free agents, Cash was busy laying the groundwork for his deal with the Mariners.  He used the team's perceived interest in guys like C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, and Yu Darvish as a smoke screen to throw everybody off the path he really wanted to take to improve the rotation.

When Cash finally revealed that path to the world, we got the Pineda-Montero trade.  It was a move that nobody saw coming, and it was a move that was beneficial to the Yankees in many ways.  It allowed them to address their biggest area of weakness both for the present and for the future, and while it cost them their top prospect, it allowed them to deal from their deepest deck of prospect cards and not sacrifice any of the young pitching depth they've built.  It also allowed the Yankees to improve that area of weakness without taking on significant salary, thus fitting in with their potential long-term goal of cutting payroll.  It's that kind of forward thinking and big picture consideration that made this a no-doubt winning move, and it was all Cash.  I mean, come on.  You think Randy Levine could have pulled the Pineda trade off without giving up ManBan or Betances?

The way Cash has handled the follow-up to the big trade was brilliant as well, immediately announcing the Hiroki Kuroda signing.  Kuroda was arguably the best free agent starter still available, and the Yankees got him for less than his asking price.  He provides increased depth and stability to the rotation, should provide above-average production, and on a one-year deal, also fits right in with the long-term payroll flexibility plans.  Cash could have gone after Kuroda aggressively during the Winter Meetings but was smart to not jump all over him then, instead choosing to give it some time until the FA pitching herd had thinned out and prices started to come down.  This was a patient, calculated, well thought out plan to address the rotation and it was pulled off without anybody being tipped of to what the Yankees were doing.  That's Ninja Style 101.

Keith Law Ranks Yankee MiL System In His Top 10

Keith Law of ESPN released his organizational MiL system rankings today, and the Yankees had a good showing, placing 10th overall.  The entire article is Insider Only, but Law had this to say about the Yankee system:

"I might be jumping the gun here, but I see a lot of star potential on their bottom few affiliates, including new acquisition Jose Campos from Seattle, to go with the two power arms from their Scranton club (Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances). The flaw in the system is the lack of near-in talent, especially position players, who could either help the big club soon or provide more fodder for trades."

I think that's the most accurate description of the Yankee farm system anyone could make in so few words, and it will be important for guys like Zoilo Almonte and Ramon Flores to have success this year to try to move closer to providing some of that "near-in" depth that Law talks about.  But what I think is most important to take from this is the fact that the Yankees dropped only one spot in the rankings, from 9th last year to 10th this year, despite trading away their #1 prospect.  To maintain their status in the eyes of someone like Keith Law speaks volumes about both the talent level and depth in the Yankee farm right now.

For more prospect talk, check out the AB4AR Top 30.

Ninja Cash Strikes Again, Yanks Sign Russell Branyan

As much as I despise the Bill Hall signing, low-risk as it may be, I absolutely LOVE today's signing of Russell Branyan to a MiL contract, presumably to compete for the lefty DH role that still remains vacant.

Branyan sucked pretty hard last season (.197/.295/.370, .300 wOBA in 146 PA), but he's only 1 year removed from posting a .350 wOBA in 3 times as many PA, only 2 years removed from a .368 wOBA in almost 4 times as many PA, and he absolutely demolishes right-handed pitching.  Branyan also has a career BB rate of 11.9%, and has 8 career HR in just 47 AB at the new Yankee Stadium, so on paper he fits the mold for what the Yankees would be looking for out of a lefty platoon DH.

His major drop off in production last year is a legitimate concern given the fact that he's 36 years old, but that risk is eliminated by the deal being non-guaranteed.  While we're all sitting around debating the pros and cons of guys like Ibanez and Damon and Chavez, Cash went out and brought in a guy who could be better than all of them for next to nothing.  Total fucking ninja move.

(Ninja Cash strikes again!)

Yanks Looking To Move A.J. To Make Room For Chavez?

In The Post this morning, Joel Sherman provided an update on where the Yankees' financial/roster filling priorities are right now, and included certain language implying that the amount of money they'd be willing to eat on A.J.'s contract has gone way up as a way to make those priorities happen.

"The perception has been that the Yankees have less than $2 million to sign a lefty-swinging designated hitter with free agents Eric Chavez, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui forming the field. Nevertheless, what the Yankees want to do most is sign Chavez and one of the DH types. 

Owner Hal Steinbrenner already has expanded his budget once this offseason to allow the signing of Hiroki Kuroda. He has yet to say the Yankees can do so again in order to sign even one additional player, much less two. This is why the Yankees are quietly — but diligently — still working to trade A.J. Burnett.

They know no team will take all of Burnett’s remaining two years at $33 million. But if they could save, say, $4 million this year and next year, it would provide some wiggle room to finish off their roster heading into spring training."

At first glance, I can get on board with this idea.  Moving A.J., at any price, does provide some payroll relief and sets up a classic "two birds with one stone" scenario if that extra cash gives them the financial flexibility to sign the guys they want to sign to fill out the roster.  You could even make the argument that by eliminating A.J. from the pitching stockpile right now, the Yankees are killing a 3rd bird by starting to clear up the 5th starter/back of the bullpen picture.

But if they are really dead set on sticking to their budget, I would question the tactic of splitting the freed up money on Chavez and another DH.  Chavez was only mildly productive in his limited role last season, and as a caddy to A-Rod at 3rd he's not particularly valuable because he's almost as likely to get hurt as The Horse is.  I'd rather see that role filled by the likes of Nunez and Brandon Laird and allow the extra money to be used to sign someone like Johnny Damon for closer to what he's looking for rather than wait for his, or anybody else's, price to come down to $2 million.  It's only going to be for a 1-year deal anyway, so whether you're talking $2 mil or $4-5 mil it really won't affect anything from a long-term payroll standpoint.

Not Bill Hall

From a baseball perspective, I get the deal.  He can play multiple positions, he's got some pop with the bat, and at just 600 thou for a non-guaranteed MiL deal (according to Ken Rosenthal) he's the definition of a low-risk signing.  I certainly don't expect him to reach any of his PA performance marks, and he has an out clause if he's not on the Opening Day roster.  It's basically the same move the Yanks made with Ron Belliard last season, and it seems to be the Yankees' new MO when looking to fill out the roster.

From a personal perspective, COME ON!!!  Really?!?  Bill Hall??  That's the best they could come up with??  Bill Hall fucking blows.  His .211/.261/.314 line last year makes Ramiro Pena look like Hanley Ramirez.  And a .252 wOBA?  Are you kidding me???  I feel like I'm looking at my career Little League numbers when I look at Hall's 2011 line, and remember, I quit baseball to play lacrosse.

Think about it this way.  Eduardo Nunez was worth -0.6 fWAR last year in 338 PA for the Yankees.  In 139 fewer PA, Hall managed to put together -1.6 fWAR.  He was worth an entire loss on his own compared to Nunez in far less playing time.  That's not just sucking, that's next level sucking right there.  I don't root for guys to get hurt, but man, I really hope Bill Hall gets hurt in Spring Training.

(Brewers fans know what I'm talking about.)

2013 "Dream Rotation" Scenario Closer Than You Think

I had a dream the other night.  In it, the Yankees were in the postseason and they were just rolling through teams, winning more 3-1, 4-2, and 2-0 games than I could have ever imagined.  Their starting rotation was absolutely stocked and they turned in gem after gem after gem, making the recent postseason offensive struggles a moot point as the Bombers marched through the playoffs on the strength of their pitching and hoisted the trophy for Title 28.  I was in my usual Yankees' playoff position, standing directly in front of my TV in all my 2009 World Series gear, yelling and screaming and jumping around like a moron.  It was a beautiful experience.

Then I woke up, looked around, realized I was still in bed with my sheets and pillows strewn about me, and quickly deduced that it was still early February 2012 and my dream is still over a year away from becoming reality.  But in that realization, I also came to the conclusion that this scenario playing out in October of 2013 isn't that far fetched.  As it stands right now, the Yankees have already made great strides towards bolstering their starting rotation for this season and beyond, and they could very well be on the cusp of building a full-fledged "dream" rotation before the calendar turns.

Consider this.  The Yankees already have at least 40%, and possibly 60% of that dream rotation already.  CC Sabathia is still the ace of this staff, still an elite starting pitcher, and will continue to be both of those things for at least the next couple years.  Michael Pineda, even with the questions about his transition to the AL East and lack of experience, is still a 23-year-old monster right hander with top shelf stuff, a ROY-quality season under his belt, and the ceiling of a #1-#2-type starter long term if he continues to develop his offspeed offerings .  And Ivan Nova, while not having Pineda-like stuff, exceeded all expectations last year and showed some promise as a potential above-average middle-of-the-rotation guy with his floor as a back-end starter being raised thanks to his improved slider and command

And while the Yankees kept the wallet closed this offseason, the free agent pitching class after this season is potentially deep and very talented, headlined by Cole Hamels.  $189 million budget or not for 2014, I think it's safe to say that the Yankees are going to be involved in the bidding for Hamels' services.  It wouldn't shock me at all if the Yankees went all in for Hamels in a manner similar to the aggressive approach they used in 2008 when they pursued CC.  Hamels essentially represents exactly what CC was at the time in '08, a top shelf lefty with swing-and-miss stuff in the prime of his career, and would give the Yankees a legit 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, while at the same time adding depth to the rotation by bumping Pineda and Nova down a spot.

While Hamels will not come cheap, the last piece of this dream rotation puzzle will.  Dirt cheap in fact.  Manny Banuelos, the top Yankee prospect, and #13 in all of baseball according to Baseball America, will be coming off his first full season in Triple-A ball.  If he bounces back from his walk-plagued 2011 and shows the type of command that made him such a hot prospect, he will have nowhere to go but to the show in 2013.  And with his command intact, Banuelos' ceiling jumps back up to "potential #2/stretch #1" territory as a starter.  There aren't too many teams who can say that about their 5th starter, and even if he didn't pitch lights out in his rookie year, Banuelos would still likely be league average at worst.

Yankee Stadium Holding More Concerts That I Can't Attend

I missed Eminem & Jay-Z in 2010.  I missed the Metallica/Megadeth/Slayer/Anthrax "Big Four" show last year.  And now I'm going to miss 2 Roger Water shows this summer where he's playing "The Wall" in its entirety.

Why the fuck did I move to Wisconsin again?

P.S.- If Yankee Stadium hosts a Tool/Deftones/QOTSA show in 2013, I'm going to be pissed.