Joe Paying Some Serious Lip Service

(How could you not believe a face like that?  Courtesy of The AP)

The 25-man roster is all but complete right now, at least as far as the position players are concerned with this week's signings of Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez.  But that isn't stopping Joe from being PC and saying that guys like Chris Dickerson, Justin Maxwell, Russell Branyan and Bill Hall are going to get their fair shot to make the team during Spring Training.

“They’re going to get a fair shake to try and make this club.  That’s the bottom line. We’ll have to make some decisions, but I don’t see why someone couldn’t play their way on. I don’t. Do you have to make some moves if that’s to happen? Yeah, but I don’t see why they couldn’t.”

Listen, Joe.  I know you've got to do your job, and I respect that.  But don't spit on us and tell us it's raining, and don't feed Dickerson and Branyan chicken shit and tell them it's chicken salad.  You and I both know that there's no way Ibanez and Chavez aren't making the team as long as they're healthy.  That's never a certainty with Chavez, but if he is able to play he's going to be the 13th man on the bench.  Guys like Dickerson and Branyan probably should get a real chance to win a spot on the team, but I've seen how these "open competitions" work with the Yankees in Spring Training and I know that the only thing that's going to give them that chance is a bite from the injury bug.

Quote via Chad at LoHud

Standardizing The Top Yankee Prospects

One of the best things about the end of offseason/beginning of Spring Training period in baseball is the annual release of everyone's top prospects lists.  Whether you're Keith Law and your list is highly anticipated or you're just Joe Schmo who follows the goings on of the farm system closely, it's always nice to forget the perils of prospect hugging for a few minutes and take stock of the best the farm system has to offer.  Everybody evaluates players differently, everybody values certain prospect traits more than others, and everybody has a couple of guys that they inexplicably like or dislike more than others, so it's always fun to see how all those differences add up.

To extend the fun a little longer, I wanted to come up with a way to take all the various lists that are out there right now and create one standardized top 10 for the current crop of Yankees prospects. The pool of lists being used for this standardization is made up of Keith Law's from ESPN, John Sickels' from Minor League Ball, Jonathan Mayo's from MLB.com, John Manuel's from Baseball America**, Mike Axisa's from RAB, TYA's own EJ Fagan, and my own personal list from AB4AR.  If you're not already familiar with these lists, a simple internet search of any of the names above and "top Yankee prospects 2012" should bring you to them.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I am the only one who ranked Austin Romine third and didn't include Dante Bichette, Jr. in my top 10 at all.  I will now pause to allow you a quick moment to make a sarcastic comment or joke at my expense. 

(**- John Manuel released Baseball America's list on January 4th, prior to the Montero-Pineda trade, and has not updated it to include Jose Campos. For the purposes of this exercise I penciled Campos into the 5th spot on what would be the updated BA list behind Banuelos, Betances, Sanchez, and Williams.)

In the interest of simplicity, I used a ten-point system for the rankings, assigning a point value to each spot in the top 10 in reverse order: 10 points for being #1, 9 points for #2, 8 for 3, and so on.  Then I simply added up the total points for each player who appeared on at least one of the seven  prospect lists and ranked them highest point total to lowest.  This is not an attempt to say that all prospect lists are created equal, or that mine is just as good as Keith Law's, but with prospects being such tricky things to evaluate and predict, it's difficult to say that one person's list is "better" than the others.  It's also just for fun.  Using that ten-point scale to rate all the players included on each individual list, here's how everything adds up to form the standardized top 10:

1) Manny Banuelos- 69 out of possible 70 points
2) Dellin Betances- 58 points
3) Gary Sanchez- 57 Points
4) Mason Williams- 51 Points
5) Jose Campos- 38 Points
6) Dante Bichette, Jr.- 28 Points
7) Austin Romine- 27 Points
8) J.R. Murphy- 12 Points
9) Adam Warren- 10 Points
10) Slade Heathcott- 9 Points

In the "also receiving votes" category we have Ravel Santana and Tyler Austin each with 8 points, David Phelps with 7, and Cito Culver with 2.  Not as much variance in player selection towards the bottom half as I would have expected, but this version of the top 10 still gives a pretty good general description of the Yankee system.  Manny Banuelos is the clear cut best prospect in the organization, but behind him it's not so easy to define who is #2, with both Betances and Sanchez making a strong case.  The core of high-ceiling A-ball talent makes up the next group of big-time prospects, with a handful of Major League-ready Triple-A guys who could probably make many other teams' 25-man rosters sprinkled in.  And Slade Heathcott, shoulder and personal problems aside, is still just too damn talented to ignore.

Burt Reynolds Joins The Organization

Not THAT Burt Reynolds, although that would be fucking awesome.  This is Robinson Cano's cousin Burt Reynolds.  You know, the 23-year-old utility outfielder.

I don't know what's more awesome here.  The fact that this guy is actually named Burt Reynolds or that he's Robbie's cousin AND he's named Burt Reynolds.  When you're walking around with a name like Burt Reynolds, that naturally comes with a pretty hefty amount of swag.  Add in the extra swag that comes with being a part of the Cano family and things just get downright silly.  From the limited info I can gather on Reynolds he doesn't seem to be any kind of blue-chip prospect, so the odds of seeing him play for the Yankees are slim to none.  But having Burt Reynolds in your organization is never a bad thing.

P.S.- I wonder if he does his own stunts.



P.P.S.- Gotta love the tactleneck.

Yankees Add More Bullpen Depth By Signing David Aardsma

(He looks happy to be here.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

In a bit of swerve earlier today, the Yankees signed right-handed reliever David Aardsma to a one-year Major League contract worth $500,000 with a team option for 2013.

Aardsma, like Joba, is rehabbing from summer 2011 TJS and currently about a month or so behind Joba on his road to recovery.  He's primarily a fastball-slider pitcher with a career 4.20/4.24/4.49 slash in 265.2 career IP, and when he's on he has legit swing and miss stuff (career 9.08 K/9).  But Aardsma also has a bit of Rick Vaughn in him and can walk the yard at a moment's notice; his command improved a bit in 2009 and 2010 when he was with Seattle, but his career 5.05 BB/9 is still a bit scary.  With where he's at in his rehab Aardsma will be heading straight to the 60-Day DL, so nobody will have to be kicked off 40-Man Island to make room for him.

The addition of Aardsma is a solid move for the Yankees for both this year and next.  It's unlikely that he will be ready to go until late summer, but when he is healthy and able to pitch Aardsma can basically be the equivalent of a trade deadline bullpen addition that the Yankees are almost always in the market for at that time of year.  And with the team option for 2013 they can bring him back to help fill the void left by Mo's retirement and Soriano's potential opt out after this season.  Aardsma was pretty damn good with Seattle from 09-10, so he could be a very valuable piece to have if he can regain that form.  And a very cheap valuable piece at six figures.

It's way too early to call, but this could turn out to be another "diamond in the rough" move by Ninja Cash.

Yanks Put Four In The BA Top 100

Baseball America released its top 100 prospects yesterday and the Yankees were well represented by the usual suspects.  Manny Banuelos was ranked 29th, right in the same neighborhood where Keith Law and Kevin Goldstein ranked him, and was followed by Dellin Betances at 63, Gary Sanchez at 81, and Mason Williams at 85.

Banuelos is the clear cut #1 Yankee prospect, but the other three guys fluctuate in their standing depending on whose list you're referencing.  Based on all three being ranked in the lower half of the top 100, it appears Baseball America has more tempered opinions on Betances, Sanchez, and Williams than other, but it's still a strong showing for the Yankees to put four in the top 100 after trading away their #1.

Just Missed The Numbers

I felt confident when I went on the record with my new number predictions for Pineda and Kuroda.  And I was in the ballpark with my predictions of #38 for Pineda and 22 for Kuroda but just missed out, as Pineda took #35 and Kuroda got #18.

I really didn't expect the Yankees to give up Moose's number this early, which is why I didn't mention it at the time, and I didn't see Jones recognizing the significance of #18 and giving it up to Kuroda.  The fact that Jones switched to #22 for this season makes me feel a little better.  1 out of 3 will win you a batting title.

Brandon Laird: Forgotten Infielder

(Courtesy of The AP)

A little over a year ago things were looking sunny for Brandon Laird.  He was fresh off an MVP season in the Double-A Eastern League thanks to a .291/.355/.523 line (.383 wOBA), 47 XBH, 23 HR, 90 RBI in 454 PA, and got a late-season bump to Triple-A (.270 wOBA in 127 PA).  He had elevated himself to the top half of most Yankee top prospects lists, and heading into 2011 Spring Training he had an outside shot at nudging his way into the discussion for the utility infielder role with a good performance.  Since then, however, things have taken a downturn for Laird and he finds himself heading into Spring Training this year dangerously close to falling off the prospect radar and the Yankees' radar as a legit 25-man roster candidate.  How did this happen so quickly and should it even be happening?

Joe Already Making Lineup Decisions

I know this isn't Joe's MO, but I liked having him come right out yesterday and address some of the questions surrounding the Yankee lineup/roster this year.  Better to hear him say this stuff now than have these topics linger and be beaten into the ground by people like me all spring.

- On the backup catcher: “I anticipate it to be Cervelli.  Obviously we’re going to give the other guys a godo look. Romine, I like the job he came up and did last year for us, especially under the circumstances… But Cervelli has done a very good job for us. His problem has been health.”

I'm no Cervelli fan, but I don't have a problem with this.  Cervelli already has more Major League innings under his belt, and he's more familiar with the bulk of the Yankees' pitching staff than Romine.  I certainly want to see Romine get a look and give the team something to think about for later in the season, but if he's healthy Cervelli should be the backup on Opening Day.

- On the 8th-inning role:  “(Dave Robertson) was our eighth-inning guy, Sori was our seventh-inning guy (last year).  It worked out really well. I don’t necessarily have any ideas of making any changes right now to it. Could you? Of course. You don’t want to say this is what’s going to be, but when I look at it, that’s kind of how I envision it.”

I know there are some people out there who would rather see D-Rob in the fireman role that made him famous, but the job he did last year can't be ignored, no matter how much Soriano is making.  Robertson was the better pitcher last year and should keep the spot he earned.  If he falters, then the topic can be brought up again, but right now there shouldn't even be a discussion.  The setup role should be D-Rob's to lose.

- On Jeter & Granderson at the top of the order: “If we were going to put it out today, that’s kind of how I envision it."

The Jeter leadoff argument would normally be at the top of the list of discussion topics relating to the lineup, but with the way he finished 2011 that should be tempered a bit this year.  Everyone knows what the L/R splits are for Jeter, and most everybody recognizes that Gardner should be leading off against righties.  But Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter and he's going to hit leadoff until he decides he doesn't want to.  It's that simple.

- On the heart of the order:  “Finishing last year, we moved Robbie up to the third spot, and I kind of envision that.  Alex following and then maybe Tex. I’m not married to that — I’m not saying that’s what it’s going to be — but it seems that we have some guys that can be really productive and that we can move around if we think it’s going to benefit us… But I envision Robbie hitting third and going from there.”

It took Joe long enough to make this change and I'm glad he's sticking to it.  This one is almost as simple as Jeter at the top; Robinson Cano is a better hitter than A-Rod and Teix.  And your better hitters should get more at-bats and more at-bats in run-producing situations.

So now that we know the answers to these questions, we can move on to other Spring Training storylines.  Thanks, Joe. 

(Quotes via Chad at LoHud)

Did The Yankees Sneaky Diss A.J. On His Way Out? (And My Final Words On A.J.)

Check out the A.J.-specific section of the Yankees' press release on the trade:

"Burnett, 35, was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on December 18, 2008, to a five-year contract. In his three seasons with the club, he went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA (584.0IP, 311ER) in 99 games (98 starts). His 58 wild pitches recorded during his three-year stint with the Yankees (2009-11) were the most for any Major League pitcher over a three-season span since Tony Cloninger threw 62 wild pitches from 1964 through 1966, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

He posted an 11-11 record with a 5.15 ERA (190.1IP, 109ER) in 33 appearances (32GS) with the Yankees in 2011, setting career-highs in home runs allowed (31) and tying a career-high in earned runs allowed, while ranking first with a franchise-record 25 wild pitches – the most by any Major League pitcher in a single season since the start of the 2000s and the fifth most since 1900."

Fuckin' A, man.  Talk about a kick in the ass on the way out the door, huh?  Just skipping the World Series in 2009 and jumping straight to the wild pitches?  That's cold.  And then they follow it up with a more detailed breakdown of his 2011 mediocrity, making sure to mention the HR allowed, touching on the ER allowed, and just in case you forgot about them from the last paragraph, getting right back to the wild pitches.  The all-time high number of wild pitches.  I can't say I recall an instance where the Yankees felt it necessary to discuss a player's shortcomings during his time in pinstripes when issuing a press release confirming he was no longer a member of the team. 

And now my goodbye to A.J.  As a guy who bagged on him constantly and was always expecting the worst from him, I'm happy to see him go.  I don't really give a damn about somebody being a good guy in the clubhouse and a hard worker when the results aren't there to back it up, especially with pitchers.  And A.J. was not a good pitcher while he was with the Yankees.  That's how I feel, that's how I'm going to feel, and nobody is going to talk me out of that.  I'm not going to miss him at all, I would have hated if he was on the team this year, and after this post I am never mentioning him on this site again.  But the Yankees almost certainly don't win the 2009 World Series without him, and I'll never forget that World Series.  That also means I'll never forget about A.J.  I was nervous as hell for Game 2 and he sacked up and got it done.  For that I'll always be grateful, and for that I say good to luck you in Pittsburgh, A.J.  I truly do hope you have success there.

(Bon voyage, A.J. Two-Face.)

Mo Already In Camp

... And already talking about the future.  Cash made it seem yesterday like Mo was going to be a later arrival to Spring Training than he turned out to be.  He was in the clubhouse this morning when it opened to the media, and he had plenty to say about his future beyond this, supposedly his last, season:

“I know.  I know now. Definitely. I won’t let you know now, but I know.”

“It doesn’t depend on how I’m going to pitch. Always I want to do my job, but I’ve made my decision already.”

“Even if I save 90 games. Even if they want to pay as much money as they want to, any team, (it won’t change the decision).”

“Decisions like that are always hard. Always. They involve what you do and what you have done for 22 years. Decisions like that are always hard, difficult, but at the same time, they have to be made.”

“I know what I want to do after this. There’s a lot of things I want to do after baseball. I always tell you guys that. It’s something that everybody goes through.”

“If I wanted to become a manager I would continue playing until I can’t no more because you have to do the same thing, traveling and traveling.”

“This one is different. This is it. This one is my decision.”

Mo said he made the decision about "two or three weeks" ago, and from all those little quotes it certainly sounds like he's leaning towards this being his last season.  If that's the case, then at least he gave everybody plenty of notice so they can enjoy every opportunity they have to watch him this season. 

All quotes via Chad at LoHud

Waiting For Ibanez

With the A.J. trade completed last night, the only other remaining roster change should be the addition of a free agent DH to fill the lefty platoon spot in the lineup.  The talk for the past week has been that the Yankees were targeting Raul Ibanez for that role, and that talk intensified to an almost near certainty over this past weekend as Johnny Damon pulled out of contention.

I'm not a fan of spending money or a guaranteed roster spot on Ibanez, but in fairness to him his .256/.307/.440 line (.322 wOBA) against right-handed pitching last year was better than Damon's line of .255/.314/.401 (.313 wOBA).  Ibanez will also come a bit cheaper, somewhere in the $1-2 million range, although I still can't wrap my head around the thought of him being a better OF option than Damon.

With camp officially open and position players expected to officially report by this Saturday, and the A.J. trade finalized, the Ibanez signing should come soon.  Don't think I'm going to be putting up a doomsday clock for this move, though.

** UPDATE- 8:29 AM- Buster Olney is reporting that the the Yanks already have a deal in place with Ibanez, pending his passing a physical.  Contract is reportedly worth $1.1 mil. **

A.J. Trade Finally Becomes Official

I had to wait.  I couldn't jump in with everybody else and celebrate/talk about the A.J. trade to the Pirates on Friday or Saturday as if it were official.  I wanted to, but I couldn't.  Not until I knew the physical was passed and Bud approved the deal.  After all that A.J. put me through, I had to make sure he was dead and gone before I celebrated.  Kind of like he was Michael Myers.

And now that time to celebrate has come, thanks to this tweet from Mr. Yankee, Jon Heyman:

"Burnett passed the physical and mlb approved the trade. Done deal."

Done deal.  Done deal indeed.



I was out of ice for the champagne, but goddamn, it did its job!  And Korbel has never tasted so delicious.

There's an Incubus song that I've always liked, and I think the lyrics to its chorus ring more true to me when talking about A.J. Burnett being traded away from the Yankees than ever before:

I haven't felt the way I feel today
In so long it's hard for me to specify
I'm beginning to notice
How much this feels like a waking limb
Pins and needles
Nice to know you
Goodbye!



The dead limb on the body that is the Yankee rotation has not only been awoken, but chopped off and fed to the poor.  Goodbye, A.J.  It's been fun (not really).  I'll always remember Game 2 of the '09 World Series; the argument could be made that the Yankees won that World Series thanks to your performance in Game 2.  And I'll also always remember the 15-inning game against the Fraud Sawx when you went toe to toe with Beckett and Game 4 of last year's ALDS, where you gave the Yankees one more night.  But all in all, there's too much of your time in pinstripes that I'd like to forget.  So best of luck to you in Pittsburgh, and as this song for the older generation of Yankee fans, hand picked by my father, says- So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodnight.

Yanks Sign Clay Rapada To A MiL Deal

(Photo courtesy of The AP)

Normally, signing a guy like Clay Rapada to a Minor League contract would be enough to just warrant the mention it got on the AB4AR Facebook Page last night.  But with the Yankees' love for left-handed bullpen options and the fact that they lost one on Friday when Hideki Okajima failed his pre-ST physical, Rapada probably deserves a little more ink.

He's almost 30 years old and only has a few years of Major League experience, so Rapada is clearly no Billy Wagner.  In fact, Rapada has spent the majority of his professional career in the Minors, and his 5.13/5.28/.4.75 slash line over 52.2 career MLB innings isn't exactly eye-opening.  But when you look at his L/R splits, that's where Rapada becomes interesting.  In 34.2 career innings against lefties Rapada has a 1.82/3.14/3.56 line with a 9.35 K/9, 3.89 BB/9, and a .153/.252/.220 tripleslash against.  Those numbers were even better in 2011, when Rapada posted a 1.23/2.28/2.59 slash, 11.05 K/9, 2.45 BB/9, and a .104/.170/.167 tripleslash against with the Orioles.  He has sample sizes working against him, but as a LOOGY option the Yankees could certainly do worse than Rapada.  Those are very good numbers.

You can argue about the need for another lefty in the bullpen.  I'm on the record as being in the camp of those who believe the Yankees are fine with Boone Logan and their strong stable of righties who pitch left-handed hitting effectively.  But there's no arguing that the Yankees love having more lefty bullpen options than they need, evidenced by their signings of guys like Marte and Feliciano to multi-year deals and their efforts this offseason to bring guys like Okajima and Cesar Cabral to camp.  The loser of the 5th rotation spot will likely become the long man and 6th member of the bullpen, but that 7th spot is up for grabs.  He would lessen their flexibility with his struggles against right-handed hitting, but Rapada has just as good a shot as anybody to grab that spot if he continues to perform against lefties like he has in the past.

Spring Training Is Open For Business

It's not official until late March, but today is a significant signal that winter is over and spring is in the air as pitchers and catchers officially report to camp.

There's been a lot of activity around the Yankees' Tampa complex already this week, but with locker assignments, physicals, media sessions, Joe's season-opening press conference, and maybe some light baseball work, this is the first day of formal activities.

The 2012 Yankee season is officially underway, folks.  Hit it, Frankie!

1 Minute To Midnight

Well it's all over but the official approval from MLB and the passing of a physical, but since that hasn't happened I'm obligated to continue the doomsday clock countdown for the A.J. trade.

Erik Boland reported today that the physical would take place tomorrow and the Commissioner won't formally approve the deal until Monday afternoon, so this is likely just elementary at this point.  At least A.J. won't be showing up to camp tomorrow.

What Sources Would Say This???

"Sources said there is a good deal of sentiment within the Yankees organization to go after Raul Ibanez -- who wants to play for the team -- to be their designated hitter against right-handers, partly because they believe he can give them some days of outfield play.

Although Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui are also available, they are generally regarded as unplayable defensively, sources said."  (via ESPN)

I'm not going to go to Jon Heyman levels of shilling for Johnny Damon, because he's no Gold Glover, but any source that would consider Johnny Damon "unplayable" defensively when compared to Raul Ibanez is not a source that should be taken seriously and quoted in a story.  Hell, it's not even a source that should be talked to as a source.  Sure, his arm is basically a wet noodle in the outfield, but it always has been and wouldn't be a reason to call Damon "unplayable" as an outfielder.  And even if Damon was the benchmark for determining playability, there's no chance in hell that Ibanez passes that standard.  Against Matsui, sure.  Against Damon, no way.

If the Yankees are saying that they truly value Ibanez over Damon because of defensive skills, that statement has to be coming from Levine.  There's no way Cash would make a decision this stupid.

TYA Roundtable: Roster Changes

The second TYA roundtable discussion is out, this one focusing on what the differences will be between the roster that opens the season and the potential playoff roster.  Head over and check out my take and the takes of the rest of the TYA staff.

And if you missed it last night on the AB4AR Facebook Page, fellow TYA writer Michael Eder made Deadspin last night with his post on Jon Heyman's connection to Scott Boras clients and the Yankees. Do yourself a favor and check that one out too.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 2/17

Long week.  I've got nothing witty or sarcastic to say.  I just want the A.J. trade to be completed so I can put it behind me and focus on baseball.  Here's the lap around the Yankosphere for the week that was.

- I'm probably the last one in the entire Yankosphere to link to this, but on Monday Alex Belth of Bronx Banter did a terrific profile of Hiroki Kuroda.  Definitely a must-read if you haven't already.

- Also on Monday, Rasheeda Cooper of Bomber Boulevard showed why the Yankees would be wise to not consider Vlad Guerrero for their still vacant DH spot.  I couldn't agree more, especially considering Vlad offers no roster flexibility due to his inability to play the outfield anymore.

- On Tuesday, Wallace Matthews' latest offering from the continually great "25 Questions/25 Days" series at the ESPN NY Yankees Blog touched on the topic of clubhouse leadership, specifically who will take the throne when Jeter and Mo are gone.  His leading candidate was A-Rod, but don't sleep on Robbie Cano either.

- On Wednesday, el duque of It Is High... expressed his displeasure with the continued penny pinching by the Yankees in their efforts to fill out the roster.  While I don't think I'll be following him to Occupy the Yankees, I can side with him on this when it comes to finding a DH option.

- Jesse Schindler of Bleeding Yankee Blue predicts a rebound from Rafael Soriano in 2012.  I know I would be happy with something similar to the numbers he put up in the final months of 2011.

- William Juliano of The Captain's Blog took an interesting look at Yankee offensive production across the defensive spectrum, showing that the Yankees have had success thanks to solid offensive production from premium defensive positions.

- Matthew B of Yankees Fans Unite has been plowing through a series of AL East rankings posts this week.  Yesterday he rocked a double dip of starting pitchers and bullpens and benches.

- Rebecca Glass of Pinstriped Bible is also double dipping with her look at top Yankee prospects of recent past and present.  Here's Part I from Wednesday, and this morning she posted Part II.

- On Thursday, Larry Koestler of RAB broke down the best individual pitches in the Yankee bullpen.  Definitely didn't expect Soriano to have a better cutter than Mo.

- As always, I have to include a pair from my fellow TYA writers.  On Tuesday, EJ Fagan explained why the notion that Dellin Betances is automatically going to be a big-time reliever if he doesn't make it as a starting pitcher is flawed.

- And in preparation for the A.J. trade becoming official, Eric Schultz looked at how his game might play in PNC Park.  As long as I don't have to worry about how he pitches in Yankee Stadium anymore.

- On a more somber note, Mike Dodd of USA Today wrote a nice piece honoring the life and career of Gary Carter, who passed away yesterday.

- The biggest news of the day, at least for me, is the release of Mike Axisa's Preseason Top 30 Prospects at RAB.  Mike's list was a big inspiration for my AB4AR Top 30, so this gets my highest recommendation (as if it needed it).

I didn't even bother asking for reader submissions for this week's jam because I had it picked out on Monday.  Camp officially opens in two days.  Yankee baseball is back!  And that means we're going with the old standby.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

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.