Joe's Got The Mental Wheels Turning On All The New Rules

A power outage prevented the replay system from being used in yesterday's game, but via Chad Jennings, that didn't stop Joe from being right on top of things when it came to another new rule change for this season.  In the 7th inning, Scott Sizemore had to slide around the catcher to avoid a tag on a play at the plate, and it looked to Joe like the catcher was blocking Sizemore's path.  Joe immediately went and had a chat with the home plate umpire to get an explanation:

“What constitutes giving them a lane to slide is what I want some clarification (about).  I’d have to see where he was standing, but it looked like he was somewhat straddling home plate toward third base, not behind it, and is that enough?”

Going over potential replay situations in his head, questioning umpires on the definition and proper enforcement of the new home plate collision rules.  It may only be the first week of March, but it sounds like Joe is already in regular season mode mentally and I love it.

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/6/14

The rain let up long enough for the Yankees to get in a 4-3 win today.  It was Masahiro Tanaka's second start and the first game of the year for both Mark Teixeira and Alfonso Soriano.

- Tanaka's second start was a different kind of good from his first.  He went 3 innings and threw 41 pitches, gave up a solo HR, walked nobody, struck out 1, and recorded 7 of his outs on the ground.  Not bad for a 90-minute rain delay.

- Teix and Soriano combined to go 0-6 with Soriano whiffing 3 times.  Clearly the lost time from that flu bug has him behind.  Derek Jeter got his first hits of the spring with a 2-3 day.

- Michael Pineda will make his first appearance since ST 2012 today in relief of Hirok.  Joe announced yesterday that Manny Banuelos will do the same for an inning on Saturday.

- CC Sabathia threw a simulated game in the morning.  David Phelps threw a bullpen session.

- Another step forward for Tyler Austin, who hit off a tee without any discomfort.

And The Left-Handed Jedi Passes On His Greatest Lesson...

Via George King, it sounds like there was a very specific purpose for Andy Pettitte's ST guest instructor visit this year:

“I always have conversations about pitching [with Pettitte],” Sabathia said of the retired left-hander who was in Yankees camp this week and threw batting practice. “He showed me the grip for the cutter. I used it [Thursday in a simulated game] and I am going to take it into the game.’’

Awesome.  Love it.  Regardless of whether the velocity comes up from 88 or not, adding a cutter should help keep hitters honest against CC's fastball this year and thereby make his slider and changeup more effective.  If it proves to be an effective pitch for the big fella, the Steinbrenners might have to give Andy another few million just as a thank you.

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."

Early Spring Training Winners And Losers

(Yangervis Solarte, Spring Training MVP.  Courtesy of US Presswire)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The Spring Training game schedule is now a shade over a week old after yesterday's game.  Not all of the starting pitchers have made 2 appearances yet, not all of the starting position players have seen a ton of action yet, and there's still a handful of players who have yet to make their 2014 debut.  In so many words, it's still very early.  With only 9 games down and another 3+ weeks to go, Spring Training 2014 and all its associated roster battles are not even close to being over, and what will happen over the next 3+ weeks will surely factor more heavily into the final 25-man decisions than what's happened over the last 9 games.  That said, it's not like the first 9 games have been completely meaningless.  Here are some of the early spring camp winners and losers thus far.

Report: Mariners Scouting David Phelps

Via George King:

"The Mariners had a scout watch Phelps, who is the leading candidate to be the Yankees’ fifth starter but who could be expandable with Adam Warren or, possibly, Michael Pineda finding his way into that slot."

It's no secret that Seattle is hurting big time for starting pitching right now.  It's also no secret that the Yankees have very good depth at that spot and there's a long recent history of the M's and Yanks as trade partners, so it's only natural that Seattle would be scouting the Yankee staff.  King's report makes David Phelps the target and in theory this could be a good match.  Phelps would be an upgrade over every non-King Felix pitcher currently penciled into the Seattle rotation and Nick Franklin, former top infield prospect who's become expendable as a result of the Robbie Cano signing, would be an ideal player for the Yankees to target for their infield.

Between this and the continued scouting and rumors involving the Brewers, ChiSox, and D'backs, it's looking more and more like we're going to see a trade at some point before the end of Spring Training.

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/5/14

- Yanks took a 5-4 loss yesterday thanks to Robert Coello giving up 4 ER in 0.1 innings.  Adam Warren made his second spring start and gave up 1 ER on 4 hits in 2.1 innings of work, walking none and striking out 2.

- Eduardo Nunez was the big offensive star, going 3-3 with a double and a R scored.  He's having a nice little start to his 2014 campaign.

- Back at camp, Mark Teixeira was a little testy after a second straight day of limited-to-no BP for him.  He got just 5 swings due to a lack of available pitchers, but is still slated to play his first ST game today.

- Yesterday's bullpens: Jose Campos, ManBan, Nova, D-Rob, Shawn Kelley

- Masahiro Tanaka makes his second appearances and first start as a Yankee today.  He's scheduled for 3 innings and probably 40-45 pitches.

Early ST Injuries Could Be A Problem For MiL Teams

We're a week into the Spring Training game schedule and the best news so far is that there's nobody at the Major League level dealing with any injury issues.  Derek Jeter hasn't suffered any further/new setbacks with his ankle or the rest of his 2 legs, Brian Roberts has managed not to trip over anything and shatter his whole body, Cervelli's throwing hand and elbow are A-OK, and the entire pitching staff's elbows and shoulders are fine.

That's not to say that there haven't been any health problems though, and strangely enough it's the younger crowd that's feeling the effects of the injury bug.  A handful of early ST injuries have delayed the start to multiple top prospects' seasons, and depending on how quickly they're able to recover or how long the injuries linger, there could be some MiL roster problems come Opening Day.

Wednesday Mid-Morning Food For Thought: Jeter's Start

(Courtesy of the AP)

The Good News- Derek Jeter has played in 4 of the last 6 Yankee ST games and done so without any physical issues.  He's looked good running the bases, he's looked as good as a 40-year-old shortstop with severely limited range can look in the field, and he just played in his first back-to-back games of the spring on Monday and Tuesday with 3+ weeks remaining before Opening Day.

The Bad News- He's 0-9 with 1 BB, 1 K, and 3 GIDPs in those 4 games.

It's still early enough in camp to give this time, but there hasn't been a lot of lift or life in most of the balls Jeter has put in play, something that raises questions about his ability to adequately handle hitting in the 2-spot.  His legs being healthy enough to play is one thing.  Them being healthy enough for him to drive the ball and be an above-average hitter are another.  This is definitely something worth watching over the next week or so to see if the results start to come.

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/4/14

(Courtesy of the AP)

- First night game and first loss in 5 last night for the Yanks, who fell 3-2 to the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field.  David Phelps allowed 1 run on 5 hits in 2.2 IP, Francisco Cervelli hit a solo HR, and Yangervis Solarte drove in his 6th run of the spring.

- Scott Sizemore and Matt Thornton each made their Yankee debuts last night.  Sizemore went 1-2 with a K and Thornton retired the only batter he faced in relief of Phelps.

- During the day, Tyler Austin resumed baseball activites, taking swings and playing catch and feeling no pain in his wrist.  Hopefully that trend continues.

- No BP pitchers yesterday.  Vidal Nuno, Michael Pineda, and Hiroki Kuroda all threw bullpens.

Yanks Well Represented On Baseball America's "Also-Rans" Prospect List

It's been a little less than 2 weeks since Baseball America released the 2014 edition of its "Top 100 Prospects" list, a list that didn't include many Yankee prospects.  Only 2 of their players made the list and 1 those 2 was Masahiro Tanaka, so there was really only 1 true "prospect" to make the cut.

Yesterday, BA gave a further look inside the process that led to the final determination of their top 100 with the release of their full list of "also-rans".  This list included every player who made at least 1 appearance on one of the voters' top 150 lists and that list had a much greater accumulation of Yankee farmhands than the final 100, 9 to be exact.  J.R. Murphy, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Greg Bird, Luis Severino, Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge, Ian Clarkin, and Gosuke Katoh all made an appearance on 1 top 150 list or another, exemplifying the high amount of "almost there" fringe top prospect talent that the system does have.

It's been talked about at length by everybody at some point this offseason, but the Yankees could very well make the jump into the top 10 of next year's organizational rankings if this second tier of prospects and a few guys returning from injury combine to have a strong 2014 campaign.

P.S.- The complete 2013-2014 AB4AR Top 30 in your grillmix again.  Live it, learn it, love it.

Nova Starting To Figure It Out

(Courtesy of the AP)

You know what the best part was about Ivan Nova's outstanding ST start yesterday?  It wasn't the no hits or walks, it wasn't the 4 strikeouts, it wasn't even the insane strike rate (86.11%!!!) or the fact that the Washington hitters only managed to put 2 balls in the air.  Nope, it was what Nova had to say after the game when he talked to reporters about the outing:

“I don’t want to be going back and forth every time.  I just want to be a pitcher that the team can trust every five days. I just want to do my job every five days. That’s one of the goals that I really want, that I want to be consistent. I think I can do that and be really good. My body feels good, so I’ll just wait until the season and prove what I can do.”

Nova hasn't always been the most accurate or self-aware when it comes to his personal evaluations of his outings.  Multiple times we've heard him tell the media that he felt good and thought he was pitching well after some of his more disastrous outings, and answers like that tend to indicate a certain level of immaturity that pitchers need to overcome to reach their full potential.  What he had to say yesterday sounds nothing like the Nova of old and more like a pitcher who's starting to put the mental and emotional pieces to his game together to match his natural physical gifts and plus stuff.  If that's the case and Nova is growing up and adding a more mature mental approach to the physical side of his game, watch out.

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/3/14

- The ST win streak was upped to 4 yesterday as the Yanks beat the Nationals 4-2.  The story of the day was Ivan Nova, who dominated over 3 innings.  It'd be irresponsible to not mention that it was hardly Washington's "A" lineup, but Nova looked really sharp.  Pounded the strike zone, had everything working.

- Mark Teixeira took live BP for the first time this spring.  He's scheduled for longer sessions the next 2 days and then his 2014 debut on Thursday.

- A couple of young guys looked good in the morning, as both Manny Banuelos and Jose Campos threw live BP.  They should be pitching in games soon.

- After playing shortstop again yesterday, Derek Jeter is set for his first back-to-back appearance when he plays as the DH today.  I'd say him doing that this early in camp is a good sign that he's got his legs back under him.

- Andy Pettitte was yesterday's special guest instructor.  I say it's 20/80 he announces he's coming out of retirement by the end of the week.

Musing On D-Rob And Nova's Contract Extension Chances

(Would you extend this man?  Courtesy of the AP)

It's been a little over a week since the Yankees came out of left field (figuratively) with their 4-year contract extension for Brett Gardner.  While the extension drew universally positive reviews for its value relative to Gardner and questions relative to the much steeper price paid to Jacoby Ellsbury, the most important thing to come out of the deal was the new precedent it set for pre-free agency contract extensions for homegrown players.  The Yankees have been notoriously bad at locking up their quality young players, a problem created mainly by the lack of impact young players developed over the last 5 years and partially by their adherence to the outdated team policy of not doing extensions.

Cash's declaration that that policy is now dead is welcome news to any Yankee fan hoping to see the team get back to the top of the MLB heap.  Gardner has been incredibly valuable since becoming an everyday player in 2010 and he's now locked up through the remainder of his prime.  There are 2 other players currently in a similar situation to the one Gardner was in, and it only seems right to see how this new organizational openness to extensions will extend to them as they draw closer to free agency.

It's Way Too Early To Worry About CC's Velocity

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

It was quite the weekend for the Bronx Bombers in the Grapefruit League.  The beat the Phillies on Saturday and the Blue Jays on Sunday by a combined score of 12-2, showcasing solid pitching from the top of their ST staff to the bottom and plenty of power from both sides of the plate.  Of course wins and losses in ST games are the least important things to come out of said games, but winning still beats losing and the Yanks looked good as a team over the last 48 hours.

The highlight of the weekend was the triple-headed 2014 pitching debut of the top of the starting rotation.  CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Masahiro Tanaka all threw 2 scoreless innings on Saturday, with Kuroda looking very sharp and efficient in his outing (he only threw 17 pitches) and Tanaka giving everybody a peak at his impressive array of offspeed pitches and plus fastball command on the corners.  The only pitcher who wasn't generating positive buzz after the game, despite almost identical results, was Sabathia.  In his first game action since last year's disastrous season, Sabathia's fastball lived in the mid-80s and topped out at just 88 MPH.  This sent up the emergency alarm in the form of a tweet barrage from the beat writers and set the stage for another spring of hand-wringing over the big guy's velocity.  Before everybody starts freaking out, I'd like to kindly ask that you take a deep breath, spend the next 5 minutes reading the rest of this post, and relax.

Monday Mid-Morning Food For Thought: Fast Start For McCann

(Courtesy of Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

3 G, 5 AB, .600/.714/1.400, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB

That's Brian McCann's stat line through his first handful of Spring Training games.  Needless to say, he's been everything he was advertised to be and already looks like the next in line to step up and assume the on-field and in-clubhouse leadership role once Derek Jeter retires after the season.

Yes, ST stats are basically meaningless when it comes to veteran players like McCann and I'm certainly not trying to imply that this 7-PA sample size is indicative of what type of production we should expect once April 1st comes around.  But it's incredibly refreshing to see big production coming from the catcher position after what the Yankees went through there last year.  They brought McCann in to be one of the new anchors of the club and he's getting off to a great start in that regard.  He's crushing at the plate, he's looked good behind the plate, he's quickly building a strong rapport with the pitching staff, and he's erasing last season's memories of TCS.

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/2/14

(Courtesy of the AP)

- The Yanks beat the Blue Jays 8-2 yesterday.  Vidal Nuno gave up a solo HR in his 2 innings, Bryan Mitchell struck out 3 in 2 scoreless frames, and Carlos Beltran, Eduardo Nunez, and John Ryan Murphy all homered.

- Joe set the rotation for the rest of this week: Nova today, Phelps tomorrow, Warren Wednesday, Tanaka Thursday, Kuroda Friday.  CC Sabathia will throw a sim game on Thursday.

- Michael Pineda threw a sim gam yesterday morning and got real positive feedback from the hitters who faced him.  He's scheduled to make his 2014 debut on Friday in relief of Hirok.

- Adam Warren and Preston Claiborne threw bullpens yesterday.  Alfonso Soriano is still working his way back from the flu.  He should get into games sometime this week.

2014 Spring Training Roster Battle Recap

We're almost a week into the ST schedule and already the roster battles are starting to heat up.  There are 4 main ones in camp that I covered earlier this week and they're only going to get more intense as guys like Michael Pineda and Scott Sizemore get into game action this coming week.  Here they are again for anybody who missed them:

- 5th Starter

- Utility Infielder

- Backup Catcher

- Bullpen Spots

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/1/14

The calendar turned yesterday and the Yankees kept plugging away on their early ST schedule, blanking the Phillies 4-0.

- The big news of the day was the 2014 debuts of CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Masahiro Tanaka.  All 3 threw scoreless 2-inning outings and all 3 came through their first appearance without any problems.

- As for the specifics, Sabathia's fastball topped out at 88 MPH, so expect the worry alarm to go up.  Kuroda looked sharp and only needed 17 pitches to get his 6 outs.  Tanaka needed 31 but looked impressive throwing them.  He mixed a lot of his pitches in, got a lot of swings and misses, and struck out 3.  His fastball was sitting low-to-mid 90s.

- Derek Jeter played again and looked good again, drawing a walk and making a few plays in the field in his 6 innings of work.  He actually ranged to the other side of second base (!!) to field a chopper.

- In the morning, Matt Thornton threw a sim game to a few MiL guys and David Phelps and Jim Miller each threw bullpens.

- Tyler Austin received some kind of injection in his injured wrist and he's expected to start baseball activities again on Monday.  Alfonso Soriano still isn't quite ready to play after his bout with the flu and his debut has been pushed back to Monday as well.

That'll Do, Ma-kun. That'll Do

(Courtesy of Kim Klement/ USA Today Sports)

It was the most hyped Yankee debut in some time, and Masahiro Tanaka didn't disappoint.  Entering after CC and Hirok each threw 2 scoreless innings, Tanaka worked a scoreless 5th and 6th.  He allowed a pair of singles, didn't walk anybody, and struck out 3, throwing 31 pitches and hitting 93-94 on the gun with his 4-seamer.  According to some of the beat guys, he was also throwing sliders, curveballs, changeup, and his famed splitter.

Hard to ask for anything better than that.  He looked good, his stuff and command were there, and he came through the outing healthy.  Now it's time to start get excited about his next appearance.

Yanks Showing Off Their Catching Depth

4th straight day Yankees have used a catcher at DH. 1 scout said Yanks "clearly showcasing" org catching depth for poss trade for inf/relief
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) February 28, 2014

If you've paid any kind of attention to the first few ST lineups, you've noticed the trend that Erik Boland pointed out yesterday.  Not only have the Yankees been playing 2 catchers every game behind the plate, they've used the DH spot for a 3rd one.  Yesterday it was Brian McCann at catcher and Gary Sanchez at DH to start and each of them popped his first HR of the spring.  Today it's Cervelli behind the plate and McCann getting a day at DH.

There's been a lot of talk about the Yankees looking for more infield help on the trade market this week.  From Rickie Weeks and Gordon Beckham to the Arizona Diamondback's stash of young infielders, the Yanks don't appear to be as comfortable with what they have as they've stated publicly.  Arizona actually makes a lot of logical sense as a trade partner, as they are looking to add a young catcher, and the Yankees certainly appear to be putting their crop of catchers on full display for them and all other potentially interested trade partners.

 There's no need to rush into a deal for someone, but there's no harm in showcasing what's become the Yankees' greatest strength in terms of trade assets.  Someone from their top group of 5 catchers isn't going to be getting regular playing time when the season starts, so the best way for him to bring value to the team could be as a trade piece.  If this attempt to show off their goods ends up netting the Yankees a better second base option than what they've got right now, that would be a very good thing.

Spring Training News And Notes: 2/28/14

- The Yanks won 7-4 over the Tigers yesterday.  Adam Warren threw 2 scoreless innings, Shawn Kelley, Mark Montgomery, and Preston Claiborne each tossed scoreless frames of relief behind him, and Brian McCann, Gary Sanchez, Jose Pirela, and Yangervis Solarte all homered.

- Today's the big pitching day, with CC, Hirok, and Ma-kun all scheduled to throw 2 innings.  Derek Jeter will also play again.

- David Robertson threw live BP yesterday morning.  Ivan Nova, ManBan, and Michael Pineda all threw bullpens.

- The latest plan for Pineda is a sim game on Sunday and then a real game sometime next week.  He's the last of the 5th starter competitors to get into a game.

- Jose Ramirez's MRIs came back clean, which is good news, and Slade Heathcott participated in baseball activities for the first time this spring, which is better news.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 2/28/14

I got nothing today.  I'm just looking forward to hanging out on the couch in my sweatpants all day tomorrow watching college basketball and the Blackhawks-Penguins outdoor game.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Mike Axisa of RAB previewed the Yankees' power guys and laid some groundwork for their expected power outputs this season.

- On Tuesday, Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley looked for comparisons to gauge how much bang for their buck the Yankees should expect to get from the Brett Gardner extension.

- Michael Montrone of Yanks Go Yard dished his 10 bold predictions for the 2014 Yankee season.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud got Joe and Brian McCann's takes on MLB's new collision rules.  Love anything that serves to keep McCann from getting more dinged up.

- El duque of It Is High... wondered if Tuesday's ST opener lineup could have beaten one of last year's regular season lineups.  That could actually be a really fun game to play this spring.

- On Wednesday, Chris Mitchell of Pinstripe Pundits searched for accurate comps to J.R. Murphy.

- On Thursday, Greg Corcoran of Bronx Baseball Daily unveiled his top 50 Yankee prospects list for 2014.

- Vizzini of NoMaas liked the idea of pursuing a Rickie Weeks trade if Milwaukee is interested.

- Michael Eder of IIATMS/TYA examined the Diamondbacks' young infield players to see if they match up as potential trade partners.

Going with a little Nirvana for this Friday's jam.  I listened to "In Utero" beginning to end the other night and I had forgotten how great that album was.  "Nevermind" gets all the glory because it's what made them big and ushered grunge into the mainstream, but IU is the better album and anybody who knows grunge and music in general would tell you that.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

2014 Spring Training Roster Battles: Bullpen

(Courtesy of Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News)

As discussed in last week's roster evaluation post, the bullpen has experienced greater turnover from last season to this than it has in a long time.  Mo is gone, Joba is gone, Boone Logan (and Loone Bogan) are gone, and the Opening Day bullpen in 2014 will look very different than it did at any point in 2013.

The final major roster battle this spring is for those open bullpen spots.  The number of available spots could be anywhere from 3 to 1 depending on what happens with the 5th starter competition and the health of the pitchers involved in that, and there are a number of players vying for those spots.  The top competitors are an interesting group to say the least, from veterans to rookies, righties and lefties.  Adding further intrigue to the competition is the presence of the recently-signed Andrew Bailey.  He's not expected to be ready until late summer at the earliest, but he said upon arrival in camp that he "100%" expects to pitch this season.  Until that happens, here are the leading contenders for the season-opening spots.

How Well Will Joe Manage The New Replay Challenge System?

(Courtesy of Bob Osentoski/US Presswire)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

On the second of his 2 groundouts in yesterday's game, Derek Jeter ran hard down the first base line and turned a relatively routine play into a very close play at first base.  To those who saw it, the image of Jeter running hard and without any noticeable hitch in his stride was the highlight of Spring Training thus far and the only storyline that mattered after the game.  But another part of that play that didn't get talked about much may prove to be a more important talking point long-term.

Speaking to reporters post-game, Joe said that when he watched the play at first base and saw how close the play was, he immediately thought about how he would have handled challenging the call under MLB's new instant replay rules.  He couldn't actually do it in the game because yesterday's game was not using the new replay system, but the addition of these replay rules gives managers another wrinkle to consider in their in-game strategy and Joe is going through the mental motions, just like his players are on the field, to prepare himself for the situation when the games start to count.

Spring Training News And Notes: 2/27/14

(Courtesy of the AP)

The Yanks lost 8-2 in their second Grapefruit League game against the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field yesterday.  The big blow was the 5 runs allowed by Robert Coello, but the story was Derek Jeter's 2014 ST debut.

- Jeter went 0-2 at the plate, grounding out twice and playing 5 innings in the field.  He ran hard down the first base line on both grounders without issue, so at first glance the leg strength is better than it was this time last year.  Joe said he'll play again on Saturday.

- David Phelps had a solid start, giving up 1 run on a solo HR in 2 innings with 4 K and no walks.  His fastball command was good and he pounded the strike zone.

- In the morning workout, the only pitcher throwing BP was David Herndon.  Vidal Nuno and Matt Thornton threw bullpens.

- Still no word back from the doctors on Tyler Austin's wrist.  Jose Ramirez went for MRIs on his back and oblique but the results aren't back yet.  Francisco Rondon is going to be shut down for multiple weeks with a shoulder problem.