Who Is Russ Canzler And Why Should We Care About Him?

 (Courtesy of the AP)

The Yankees continued their efforts to scrape the bottom of the barrel for right-handed hitting options late last week, plucking utility man Russ Canzler off waivers from the Indians on Friday.  While not quite a fair return for losing Nick Swisher to Cleveland, Canzler does give them another option to check out in ST along with the recently-signed Matt Diaz.  But it seemed like some spots around the blogopshere were higher on Canzler than I expected for a guy who's been a career Minor Leaguer to date, penciling him into early depth charts and discussing him as a legit right-handed DH option.  I admittedly am not all that familiar with Canzler, so I figured I owed it to myself to see if this guy can actually bring some value to the table.

Mo Reportedly At 95% Physically, To Start Throwing In A Week

Bryan Hoch has all the details, but the big news is that Mariano Rivera is continuing to progress positively in his comeback from ACL surgery.  According to Mo he is at about 95% right now and should be ready to  start his preseason throwing program in "about a week."  Speaking from a pitching clinic in my hometown of Danbury, CT, Mo sounded very confident he'd be ready for the 2013 season:

“By the time Spring Training starts, it’ll feel 100 percent … It needs more strengthening. The five percent will come quick.”

Mo also said he expected to have a "normal" Spring Training, which for him means showing up a little later, working at his own pace, and pitching just a few in-game innings over the course of the ST game schedule.  For a normal 43-year-old pitcher coming off ACL surgery, this might not sound like the best plan of action.  But Mo didn't get to where he is in his career by not being in great shape and not knowing his own body, and said, "“I’ll make sure when I get there, I’ll be ready,” so that's enough for me to trust he knows his own body in this case.

The bottom line is that the G.O.A.T. is stepping back into his office soon, and getting back to work.  Now somebody cue the cologne ad!

4 Reasons To Not Be Interested In Lance Berkman

(No thanks. Courtesy of The Daily News)

The big news of the day today is Ken Davidoff's report that the Yankees are interested in and "have been in contact with" free agent and short-time former Yankee Lance Berkman.  Berkman, as you may recall, was acquired at the 2010 trade deadline to shore up the bench, then went back to the NL with the Cardinals in 2011 and absolutely tore it up to the tune of a .408 wOBA and 163RC+.  He missed most of last season with more knee problems, and beyond just that there are a multitude of reasons to NOT be interested in Lance Berkman, not the least of which is the fact that he hasn't even officially decided if he wants to play in 2013 or the fact that he would prefer to stay in Texas to be closer to his family.  But there's actually on-field reasons too.  Check them out after the jump.

A-Rod's Surgery Not Scheduled. Cause For Concern?

A piece of potentially unsettling news came from this short story by Dan Martin in The Post yesterday.  He reported that the Yankees still hadn't set a date for Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery, which is supposed to be taking place sometime this month.  It could be nothing, or it could be a sign that A-Rod's hip isn't in good enough condition for the doctors to want to schedule the surgery.

Like they did with Mo when he tore his ACL last year, the Yankees penciled A-Rod in for 4-6 weeks of pre-surgery exercises to strengthen and better condition the hip, possibly to help shorten recovery time.  One has to think they've been doing follow-ups on that condition, and to be only a week or so away from the proposed surgery timeline and not have a date set could signify that A-Rod isn't responding to the conditioning as well as the doctors would have hoped.  That wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world given Alex's advanced baseball age, but if that is the case it probably signifies that he's not coming back on the early side of the 4-6 month post-surgery recovery time.

The surgery is going to happen.  That much we know.  With all the injury problems Rodriguez has had in the last handful of seasons, though, it'd be nice to have a little more certainty as to when.

** UPDATE 2:17PM- Via Anthony Rieber, Cash has stated that there has been no setback in A-Rod's surgery plans and that a "tentative date" has been decided, which he would not reveal.  Sounds like everything is OK. **

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 1/4/13

The Linkapalooza returns for Round 1 of 2013!  Hope everybody's New Year's celebration was as enjoyable as mine.  For as much as I was dreading coming back to the office this week, I've actually been really productive.  It's almost like the parts of my brain that function as an adult subconsciously drove me to work hard and smile at people to get the new year off to the right start, or some crap like that.  Not sure how I feel about it.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Brien Jackson of IIATMS wrapped up 2012 with his Top 10 Worst and Top 10 Best moments of the past season.  Hard to argue with a lot of his picks.

- On Tuesday, Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits made a case for the Yankees trying to snag Mike Napoli out from under Bahhston.  I'd be really wary of it given the now increased health concerns, but Derek's idea of 1-year offer to minimize risk is a good one.

- Vizzino of NoMaas started comparing the Yankees and Blue Jays by seeing how their planned 2013 rotations stack up.

- Delia E. of Yankees Fans Unite had a list of ideal Yankee New Year's resolutions for 2013.  I can't argue with the list, but I'm predicting that they'll all be broken by August 1st.

- On Wednesday, Jimmy Kraft of Yanks Go Yard asked if the Yanks should go after FA pitcher Shaun Marcum.  It'd be nice, but I think Cash will have to stay away because of the dollars.

- Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes mused on the possibility of the Yanks trading for Giancarlo Stanton, a possibility that seems extremely remote because of their lack of high-level prospects.

- On Thursday, Steve Skinner of Bleeding Yankee Blue expressed his optimism that Derek Jeter will return better than ever from his ankle injury next season.  Wish I shared the vibe, dude, but props for being an optimist.

- Mike Axisa of RAB had a very interesting take on the idea that the Yankees have a competitive advantage when it comes to signing veterans for less money, something that could help them get to the $189 million goal.

- El duque of It Is High... had an absolutely hilarious rant on how Mark Teixeira chooses to use his Twitter account.

- Andrew Mearns of Pinstriped Bible discussed the possibility of Mark Montgomery and Slade Heathcott making the show in 2013.  It's aggressive, but it'd be fun to watch.

- On Friday, Mike Eder of TYA poked fun at the stupidity of the BBWAA, a well-timed joke now that news is trickling out about there possibly not being a single player voted into the HOF this year.

For the first Friday Jam of the year, HOLY TITS YOU GUYS THERE'S NEW ALICE IN CHAINS!!!!!!!!  I know this has been out for a few weeks, and I'm woefully behind the times for what is supposed to be one of my favorite bands, but I stumbled across this last night and it rules.  Seriously, Alice In Chains is the fucking balls, even with DuVall instead of Layne.  Alice In Chains is always going to be awesome and if you disagree you're wrong.



Yeah.  You kids like that?  I know you did.  Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Are The D-backs Gearing Up To Trade Justin Upton?

 (Still want.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

At the beginning of this offseason, Justin Upton was easily the hottest trade target on the market.  He was and still is practically a picture-perfect match for what the Yankees need, and after some waffling earlier in 2012 when rumors first started coming up about him I am fully on board with the idea of the Yankees going after him, even if they aren't.  The problem is that talks relating to Upton started quieting down as teams started signing other OF options, to the point that I had just assumed everything was off and Upton was staying in Arizona.

Now things seem like they are heating up with Upton again, especially after this tweet from Buster Olney yesterday.  With the rumor mill surrounding Upton ramping back up and the recent moves made by the D-backs, it's time once again to talk about the Yankees getting involved.

Saying Goodbye To Swish

 (He wasn't a Yankee lifer, but that still doesn't look right.  Courtesy of the AP)

After 4 very good years in New York, any last chance the Yankees had of freak dumb lucking their way into Nick Swisher ended yesterday when he was formally introduced as the newest member of the 2013 Cleveland Indians.  Swish was the first real casualty of the 2014 payroll crunch, with it basically being understood long before last season ended that the Yankees would let him walk in free agency.  They did that without making Swish a real contract offer, and find themselves with another possible platoon outfield situation now that he's gone.

I said "very good" to describe Swish's time in New York, and truthfully that's what it was.  He didn't win many awards (any, really), and only achieved 1 All Star Game nod in his time in the Bronx, but Swish was constantly one of the most productive and flexible bats in the Yankee lineup and gloves in the field.  He could be plugged in wherever Joe felt like he most needed him on a given day with confidence that he could get the job done.  In his 4 years as a Yankee, Swish hit .268/.367/.483, good for a 124 OPS+ and a .370 wOBA, with 105 HR, 349 RBI, 331 R scored, and above-average defense in right field.  And even though his postseason numbers are rough, he was a part of a World Series-winning club.

Sadly, it is that postseason failure that will be freshest in people's minds now that Swish has moved on and not the 4 straight years of 3.0+ WAR output he produced or the refreshing dose of fun and humanity he brought to the Yankee clubhouse.  I've heard behind-the-scenes stories of "shut up, Swish" being a common phrase in that clubhouse, but his teammates all always seemed to like him and Swish always looked like he was having a blast out on the field.  He wasn't around for very long, but that's what Swish's Yankee legacy should be- an underappreciated, productive player who loved being in New York and was fun to watch play.  I haven't checked the schedule to see when Cleveland is coming to town in 2013, but Swish is more than deserving of a big standing O from the Yankee Stadium crowd before that first game.

2012 Statistical Trends: Curtis Granderson's Strikeouts

(An all too common occurrence.  Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/Daily News)

It's been a bit of a roller coaster experience for Curtis Granderson since joining the Yankees before the 2010 season.  What started off as high levels of excitement and anticipation about acquiring an All Star-caliber player in his prime quickly turned to disappointment based on underwhelming performance, then right back to excitement after a big rebound year in 2011.  C-Grand set the bar high for himself in 2012, and made plenty of comments prior to the season about wanting to exceed that bar and taking the necessary steps to do so.

Unfortunately the season didn't play out that way, as Granderson's numbers across the board took a big hit from their 2011 levels and dropped down to, and in some cases below, the levels from his disappointing 2010.  At the forefront of this regression was a jump in C-Grand's strikeouts, which reached a career worst and Yankee all-time record in 2012, and hastened his transition from a well-rounded offensive threat to an extreme Three True Outcomes hitter.

Yankees Thankfully Not Interested In Delmon Young

The Yankees are still very much in the market for some right-handed pop to balance out their lineup and strengthen their bench, but according to Joel Sherman that interest does not include former Tiger, recent Yankee killer, and all-around dick Delmon Young.  Young is just 27 years old, has put his power on display against the Yankees many a time before, and in the "beggars can't be choosers" mode the Yanks are in this offseason according to Cash seems like an ideal matchup at first glance.  A quick look just a level or 2 deeper, however, shows a match that isn't made anywhere near heaven.

A Lot On The Line For Phil Hughes In 2013

(How much can Hughes make for himself in 2013?  Courtesy of Getty Images)

After a 2011 season that could only be called a complete disaster, Phil Hughes rebounded nicely in 2012.  He came into camp healthy and stayed that way for the entirety of the season on his way to a career high in starts (34) and innings pitched (201.0) between the regular and postseasons.  With other key members of the rotation either getting hurt (CC, Andy, Pineda) or flaming out (Nova), Hughes' mere presence in the lineup helped provide consistency and an extra innings eater, and after a rough April he actually pitched pretty well.

Earlier today, Chad Jennings, expanding on an idea originally included in a post by Joel Sherman last week, discussed the strange position Hughes finds himself in heading into 2013.  He's made himself a much more important part of the current and possibly future rotations after years of inconsistency and uncertainty, and at age 26 at season's start would be primed to earn himself a big payday in free agency next offseason.  He's also done/doing it during a time where the Yankees are tight with their money, and could very well price himself out of their range with a good year.  Complicating the matter even more are Hughes' spotty career totals and recent positive trends, the Yankees' own internal starting pitching questions, and the free agent market to be.

Updating The AB4AR Sh*t List For The Offseason

(Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!)

Holy crap!  Have I really not updated the Shit List since before the playoffs started??  That's just simply unacceptable on my part and I apologize, but today seems like the perfect day to right that wrong.  The first day back at work after Christmas/New Year's is the worst.  Just the absolute pits.  From opening presents, laying around the house watching college bowl games, and partying it up every or every other night with your friends right back to the cubicle, an inbox full of moronic emails and (worse) follow-up emails from people who are too dumb to read your out-of-office reply, and pointless meetings to "get up to speed."  Guh.

You'll notice that this latest list is a far cry from the last version on September 26th.  For starters, Pedro Feliciano and Andruw Jones are both gone thanks to their contracts being up and them moving on to free agent life.  Congratulations, boys.  We'll miss you.  But there's still plenty of hate to go around, so as a small bit of catharsis on this the worst day of the still very new year, here's the first 2012-2013 offseason Shit List.

Looking Ahead To The 2013 Season

2012 is officially in the record books, and all things considered it was another successful year for the New York Yankees.  Despite experiencing a seemingly never-ending string of injuries to major contributors, and despite watching the bulk of their aging core continue to age like milk rather than win, they still managed to win 95 games (the most in the American League) and secure another AL East championship.  The postseason exit was a tough one, but in the end every team except 1 is a loser every year and with what they had to deal with the Yankees still had a lot to be proud of in 2012.

Now that we've moved to 2013, what's in store for the Bombers?  We already know that this year and at least the next are going to be defined by a steadfast commitment to cutting payroll and getting under the luxury tax threshold, a change in organizational strategy that already has plenty of fans upset.  That strategy has been played out to a tee in the part of the offseason that has already passed and it certainly looks like it's going to continue for the remainder of the offseason as the Yankees fill out their roster and get ready to head to Tampa for spring camp.

The overwhelming majority of last year's team remains intact and is going to be looked at to carry the team again.  There are concerns about how the lineup is going to look and perform, but the starting rotation is deep and talented, with the potential to be one of the league's best if some things go right, and the bullpen is no different.  There are still some elite-level hitters in terms of average and power, more speed sprinkled in, and still plenty of guys who can take walks and hit home runs.  The competitive gap may have been closed by the offseason actions of their AL East rivals, but if they add a few more pieces here and there to shore up their bench depth the Yankees should be right up there again with the best of the AL.

"Interesting" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the blogopshere, and I'm as guilty as anybody of using it a bit too often.  But the 2013 season should be interesting to say the least.  The Yankees are on the edge of a possibly major organizational shift, and will try to balance that shift with maintaining their standing as an MLB powerhouse.  It might not be easy to watch all the time, but it's going to be entertaining and I can't wait for it to get started.

2012 AB4AR "Best And Worst Of The Year": The Postseason

- Calling Out the Weak Yankee Stadium Crowd.  It still disappoints me to think about how quiet those postseason crowds were, and I worry that's going to continue to be the case now that the Yanks are out of their deal with StubHub.

- Questioning Joe's ALCS Bullpen Decisions.  Less than a week after praising the job Joe did, I was right back to bashing him.  I still say this was very deserved criticism, though.

- Get Off A-Rod's Nuts.  I wasn't sure how that title was going to go over on TYA, but it was a pretty good rant and I still think it's a joke that C-Grand and Cano didn't get bashed more for choking in the playoffs.

- Commenting on The "1-Year Only" Approach.  Seeing how quickly guys like Martin and Chavez left, I think that strategy did backfire on the Yankees a bit.

- Not Sold On Youkilis.  Whoops.  Guess I should have written that more than 1 hour before the Yanks offered him a contract.

- Getting Excited About Brett Gardner's Return.  Still love me some BG, probably more than I should.

- Hideki Matsui Retires.  It's just a few days old, but Hideki was a favorite of mine.

2012 AB4AR "Best And Worst Of The Year": The Regular Season

(Best Photoshop of the year)

- Chris Stewart Is The New Hotness.  He's not really, but it was fun to incorporate a "Men In Black 2" reference and play up Stewart's non-existent awesomeness all season.

- Don't Worry About Teix's Slow Start.  I don't know why I had so much faith in his SSS results in the first couple weeks, especially considering his history and previous years of decline.  Note to self for next season: be very concerned when Teix has another shitty April.

- My Painful Break Up With Phil Hughes.  If only I could have been this eloquent with my college girlfriend.  I've never had to fictionally break up with another man before, and I have to say, I think I handled it pretty well.  And yeah, I definitely sought advice from people at my office on appropriate break-up songs.  Don't judge me (even though I know they did).

- Reacting To Mo Announcing He Was Coming Back.  I feel like Mo brings out the best in the emotional side of my writing, and it still makes me feel good to know I have a chance to watch him pitch one more time.

- The Russell Martin/Laz Diaz Confrontation.  This season was the tipping point for me with bad umpiring in baseball, and the fact that something this egregious happened to a member of the Yankees was not going to stand.

- Commenting on CC's Fastball Problems.  Looking back on it, he probably was hurt here.

- The BG-1000.  Brett Gardner, the only guy who had a more troublesome elbow than CC this season.

- Jinxing Robbie Cano in the HR Derby.  AB4AR giveth and AB4AR taketh away.  That one's on me, guys.

- FJMing Ian O'Conner's Joba Obituary.  A friendly reminder that ESPN and its team of Yankee writers are absolute ass and should be avoided at all costs.

- C-Grand's Negative Trends.  Fair warning, I'm going to be really hard on Curtis if he has another season like this in 2013.

- Waving The White Flag to Bahhston.  Because their 2012 season was the highest of unintentional comedy and there was nothing I could do to make it any funnier.

- A-Rod's Return Gets Me All Hot and Bothered.  Probably the last real positive post I'll ever get to write about The Horse.  And with where his production went after this post, this wasn't a feather in my cap.

- Debating Derek Jeter's MVP Ranking.  I honestly thought he would finish top 5 because of the MSM's tendency to slurp him.  He ended up 7th.  Not too shabby.

- Game 162.  Definitely the most excited I've been for a Yankee game in almost 2 years, and even though the ultimate ending to their postseason was a disappointing one, it was still fun to have this much drama tied to the final game of the regular season.

2012 AB4AR "Best And Worst Of The Year": The Preseason

There's not much going on right now as we get ready to leave 2012 in the rearview and forget to write "2013" on our checks for the first few weeks of January, so why not take a look back at the year that was?  I posted way more than ever in 2012, something that may be a good or bad thing for you depending on what you think of my writing and analysis.  I'm more willing to poke fun at myself and admit when I was completely off on something, so this 2012 recap won't be a complete greatest hits collection.  More like a collection of posts that are personal favorites for one reason or another, that reason usually being that I enjoyed writing them.  To break things up a bit, I'll separate the review into preseason, regular season, and postseason, the first and last sections comprising parts of the last 2 offseasons.  We'll start with the 2012 preseason, from January 1st to Opening Day.

- The Complete 2011/2012 AB4AR Top 30 Prospects List.  Because the 2nd edition is only weeks away and it's good to brush up.  Especially on the guys I whiffed on (cough, Rob Segedin, cough!)

- Looking Back at Jorge Posada's Career.  Tough to do since I was never as big a Jorge fan as most, but absolutely needed to be done for what Jorge did in his career as a Yankee lifer.

- Reacting to Kim Jones' Departure.  I still miss you, Kim!

- The Possibility of Another "Core Four."  I tried to keep it grounded, but it's tough to not get excited about a group of prospects all playing well and all moving through the MiL system together.

- Setting The Blueprint for Derek Jeter's Offensive Success in 2012.  Better contact rates?  Better performance against RHP?  Better approach at the plate?  Nailed it.

/pats self on back

- ManBan & Betances' Strong Spring Trainings.  How little did that end up meaning this year?  Sheesh.

- Not Being Fully On Board With the Andy Pettitte Signing.  Trying to argue that Pettitte shouldn't have been given a free pass over guys like Pineda, Nova, Phelps, Warren, and D.J. Mitchell??  Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either.

- The Season of Mo.  This ended up not panning out because of his injury, but this was one of my favorite posts of the year.  I actually spent time over the course of almost a full day writing and re-writing this because I wanted to make sure I said everything I wanted to say exactly the way I wanted to say it.

Offseason Space-Filler Post: Top 5 At-Bat Songs

At-bat music has always been a fun part of baseball, at least for me.  Some guys have really kickass at-bat songs, like Josh Reddick of the A's coming up to the WWE Daniel Bryan version of "Ride of The Valkyries," and some guys get punked by teammates and end up strolling up for a big at-bat to "Party In The USA."  If you're like me and pay attention to this kind of thing (which may or may not make you an overgrown child), at some point you've stopped and considered what you'd like your at-bat music to be if you were a Major League Baseball player.  My youth baseball career consisted of about 5 hits in 4 years of play, so obviously I'd be the type of player whose at-bat music would undoubtedly be the best part of my at-bat.  But in my head I still like to think of myself being the coolest guy in the stadium with my music blaring for that 10-15 seconds while I take my practice swings and adjust my elbow guard.  After the jump, check out my personal top 5 songs I'd use for at-bat music.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 12/28

I'd like to use this final Linkapalooza of 2012 to make a declaration, to take a stand for what is good and right in this world, and to state definitively that the word "epic" needs to be retired from all forms of communication in 2013.  If you're one of the people who still uses it in your everyday conversation, I'm sorry, but epic's time has come and gone and you need to stop.  It was cute for about 3 weeks when the whole "epic fail" craze caught on, but when it's being used in reference to the Pizza Hut 10 Buck Box, arguably the worst collection of food a human being can willingly purchase and consume for 10 dollars, and by Morgan Freeman in voiceover ads for the Visa card, that goes way beyond jumping the shark and straight into full-on lunacy.

Epic is a word that should only be used to describe things that are historically memorable and incredible, not shitty mass-produced pizza and fucking credit card rewards.  It also shouldn't be used to describe whatever you just ate for lunch that you felt the need to take a picture of and post on Instagram.  So for all the regular AB4AR readers out there, I beg of you, take these words to heart and do your part in 2013 to end the rampant and incorrect use of the word "epic."  Together, maybe we can help bring a small bit of respectability back to the English language.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog discussed Nick Swisher's departure in the context of other recent hitters the Yankees let leave via free agency and how it could come back to haunt them.

- On Tuesday, Benjamin Orr of Yanks Go Yard asked if Hiroki Kuroda should be the #1 starter next year over CC.  It's worth checking out Ben's thoughts on the matter, but the answer is obviously, "No."

- On Wednesday, George S of Gutty Gritty Yankees expressed his displeasure with Cash's comments on the Yankee offseason.  While I don't agree with George that this offseason has been "dreadful," I can definitely get on board with the sentiment that the front office comments have been less than honest.

- Josh Norris of Minor Matters, the resident Trenton Thunder expert, put together his first 25-man roster guess for the 2013 season.  That'd be a pretty damn good outfield, that's for sure.

- Vince Mercogliano of LoHud pondered the idea of the Yankee offense improving in 2013 despite their age and lack of offseason moves.

- El duque of It Is High... commented on the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality that Cash has taken with the payroll constraints set by ownership.

- On Thursday, Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily looked ahead to the 2014 free agent class to see what good fits were out there for Hank and Hal's limited budget.

- Brien Jackson of IIATMS wondered if sign-and-trade deals could become more common in baseball.  It's an interesting idea given the way the new free agent qualifying offer rules played out this offseason.

- Matt Imbrogno of TYA had a measured take on the Yankees' supposed "punt" strategy on the 2013 season, pointing out that the team they have intact is still a pretty damn good one.

- Mike Axisa of RAB suggested the idea of the Yankees making a Joel Hanrahan-esque trade as a way to help manage their chock-full 40-man roster.

- On Friday, Tanya Bondurant of Pinstriped Bible looked back at the 10 longest Yankee home runs of the 2012 season.  I always love list posts like this, and this one is no exception.

- Steve Lombardi of Was Watching looked ahead to possibly the most important stretch of games in the upcoming season.

SJK of the newly-renovated NoMaas put together the best career retrospective on Hideki Matsui that I've seen besides my own.

For this week's Friday Jam, I'm gonna hit you with something to get the toes tapping and hips moving at your NYE parties.  Say what you want about his ability to rap, pretend to be a "rock" guy, or design clothes, but when he was on his game there wasn't a rap producer out there who could touch Pharrell.  He actually managed to top the beat to the original "Drop It Like It's Hot" with this beat for the remix, which is no easy task.  Hov's verse is pretty sick too.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.  And more importantly, enjoy your New Year's celebrations next week.  Get drunk, kiss somebody you probably shouldn't, and stay safe.  The Linkapalooza will see ya on the other side of the calendar.

Looking Back At Hideki Matsui, Underrated Yankee Great

(One of the great moments in recent Yankee history.  Courtesy of the AP)

Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from baseball yesterday, ending the most successful Japanese-American baseball career this side of Ichiro Suzuki.  After 10 years with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese Central League and another 10 in MLB, 7 of them with the Yankees, Matsui decided to hang 'em up at age 38 after various leg injuries and just the natural wear and tear of 20 years of baseball sapped him of much of his power and physical skills.  Matsui doesn't have the career MLB accolades and awards of a Derek Jeter or an Alex Rodriguez, but he is undoubtedly one of the most memorable and popular Yankees of the 21st century.  If he does end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame, something William Juliano made a very strong case for yesterday, it's very likely he would go in with a Yankee cap on his head, a fitting ending to a great baseball career.

An Alfonso Soriano Reunion Wouldn't Suck

(Remember this guy?)

The Yankees officially kicked off their scrap heap picking for right-handed hitting on Wednesday with the signing of Matt Diaz to a MiL deal.  Almost as soon as everybody was done commenting on that deal, they let it be known that their search for a right-handed bat wasn't over, which isn't surprising in the least considering Diaz's recent track record.  The trade market continues to be an attractive and potentially deeper pool of talent to choose from, and another name that has popped up lately as a possibility is a familiar one.  It's been almost 10 years since Alfonso Soriano last wore the Yankee pinstripes, and he's a bit longer in the tooth than he was when he left.  But with Theo Epstein looking to rebuild the Cubs and Soriano still having plenty of right-handed pop, there's clearly a match to be made between he and the Yankees.

Yankees' Commitment To Catching Defense Nothing New

(Hey look!  Good defense!  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Some time has passed since the shocker of Russell Martin signing with the Pirates, almost 1 month to be exact.  And in that time, the surprise factor of the move has barely worn off and the calls for the Yankees to make a trade or sign another catcher have continued to pour in from fans and writers alike.  The general consensus is that the underwhelming offensive trio of Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, and Austin Romine isn't going to cut the mustard, and there's been little that the Yankee brass has said to change that perception.  Yesterday, Mike Eder of TYA wrote a piece on Romine's defensive skills and the high evaluation he's gotten from Mark Newman on those defensive skills that could signal good things for Romine's future in the organization.

While Newman's comments on Romine might not be surprising coming from someone on the Yankee payroll, they are consistent in terms of the emphasis the organization has put on defense behind the plate in recent years.  And as Mike pointed out, that commitment to defense could have been the deciding factor in letting guys like Martin and A.J. Pierzynski go and sticking with what the Yankees have.  It's frustrating given the team's apparent willingness to take an offensive hit at the position, but if this is the path the Yanks are going to take in 2013, they at least have to be commended for staying consistent in their decision making.

Matt Diaz Is Better Than Nothing (Slightly)

He may not have played in 100 games in 3 of the last 5 seasons; he may not have posted a wRC+ above 100 in each of the last 3 seasons; he may not even be completely healthy.  But in signing Matt Diaz to a Minor League deal yesterday, the Yankees at least gave themselves another option to find a right-handed platoon outfield bat, and the more options the better right now.

As first reported by Mark Feinsand, the Yanks signed the 34-year-old Diaz to a non-guaranteed MiL deal with an invite to Spring Training that gives him the chance to earn up to $2 million if he makes the team out of camp.  Diaz is far removed from his best year in 2009 (.383 wOBA in 125 games), and has had major problems with his thumb, but reports are that he's feeling better and swinging a bat.  He posted just a .268 wOBA and 64 wRC+ in 118 PA with the Braves in 2012, but managed a .269/.329/.410 line against left-handed pitching (.320 wOBA) and still has a .324/.364/.498 career slash against southpaws.

He's absolutely not a full-time player anymore, and he could very well be washed up after all the thumb problems the last 3+ years.  But Diaz is the type of low risk/high reward veteran bat the Yankees have had success with in recent years.  It worked with Marcus Thames in 2010, it worked with Raul Ibanez in 2012, so why not take a chance on Diaz for 2013?  If he gives the team anything it's a good move.  If he doesn't, the Yankees cut bait and lose nothing.

The Case For Trading Boone Logan

(Courtesy of Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger)

The trade market continues to look like the best option for the Yankees to address their biggest areas of need this offseason.  With the bulk of this year's free agent class picked clean and the team already stretching its budget to add Kevin Youkilis and guarantee 2 years to Ichiro Suzuki, it's highly unlikely the Yankees will plunk down more guaranteed money to what are essentially scraps.  There have been multiple reports of the Yankees quietly shopping guys like Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova already this offseason, reports that as of yet have returned very little in the way of meaningful rumors.  But there are more trade options than just those names.  One name that has come up consistently around the Yankosphere is Boone Logan.  The oft-maligned lefty reliever had another solid season in 2012, and could generate interest on the trade market as something better than just your everyday LOOGY.  Teams are always looking for more bullpen help, and Logan would be an attractive option to clubs that need to bolster their left-handed relief pitching.

John Sickels Releases His Top 20 Prospect Rankings

(Sickels likes him some Sanchez.  Courtesy of Four Seam Images)

Now that Christmas is over we've moved on to the next happiest time of year, that time, of course, being prospect season.  The season was unofficially kicked off at the end of last weekend with John Sickels of Minor League Ball unveiling his Top 20 Yankee Prospects list for 2013.  Sickels has a relatively simple grading system, and is always good for a few "off the beaten path" rankings, making his list a great jumping off point for starting prospect season and formulating your own personal rankings.

Sickels scores extra points with me this year for putting Gary Sanchez at the top of his rankings, something that a lot of other people haven't done because of Mason Williams' and Tyler Austin's breakout seasons despite the fact that Sanchez had another great season in his own right.  You can check out the full list and Sickels' write-up on each player right here, but after the jump check out his top 10 and my personal take on his rankings.

Happy Holidays From AB4AR

As you've probably figured out by now, there's not going to be a whole lot of blog activity over the Christmas holiday from AB4AR.  There isn't a whole lot going on in Yankeeland right now that necessitates posts going up, and I could really use the short break to recharge the batteries, finish my Christmas shopping, and spend some time with family and friends, as I'm sure everyone else could too.

So allow me to use this post to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, happy Boxing Day, and a joyous Festivus if that's what you celebrate.  It's my sincerest wish that each and every AB4AR reader out there has a great holiday, gets everything that was on his or her wish list, and enjoys as much good food and drink as your bodies will allow.  There won't be anymore posts today or tomorrow, unless something absolutely earth-shattering happens, but AB4AR will pick back up first thing on Wednesday, December 26th to start picking through the rest of the offseason task list and starting preparing for AB4AR Prospect Week and the unveiling of the AB4AR Top 30 after the new year.

So happy holidays, everybody.  Hope you all have a great one and I'll see ya Wednesday.

Don't Move Tyler Austin To Third Base

(Courtesy of Mark LoMoglio)

Give the Yankees credit for leaving no stone unturned in their search to find a long-term replacement for Alex Rodriguez at third base.  Earlier this week, Chad Jennings of LoHud had some Minor League news bits, and one of them mentioned Yankee brass giving thought to moving top prospect Tyler Austin back to third.  By the sounds of Chad's report, we aren't going to be seeing Austin back at the hot corner next season, but it also didn't sound like the idea of was ruled out completely.

“He’s a better defender in right,” vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said. “But (putting him back at third) is something we’ve thought about. It’s a possibility.”

Austin was originally drafted as a catcher, quickly moved to third base last season, and then moved to right field almost as quickly.  Far be it for me to tell the Yankees where he's best suited in the field, but I think if it was already decided that he might not be able to handle third base, then he and the Yankees are better off not moving him to third base and keeping him right where he is in right.

Let's face it, Austin isn't going to win any Gold Gloves at the Major League level.  His bat is what's carrying him through the Minors right now and it's what's going to carry him to the show if he keeps hitting like this.  While the Yankees do need a more permanent solution at third base than Kevin Youkilis, they could also use one in right field.  Ichiro is only signed for 2 years, and could probably use a right-handed platoon partner in right as it is.  If Austin has picked up the defensive nuances of right field well enough to play it full time, keep him right there, let his bat continue to do its thing, and maybe he ends up being that right-handed platoon bat in 2014 as a way to break into the Majors. The Yankees don't have great success trying to move their young players to new positions, and I'd rather not see Austin's development hit a speed bump because of more defensive musical chairs.