AB4AR Top 30 Yankee Prospects: 30-26

30) Tyler Austin- 3B- SS Staten Island

Drafted in the 13th round in 2010, Austin didn't see much playing time that year after breaking his wrist on a HBP in his 2nd pro game.  As a result, he started 2011 in Extended Spring Training and then was moved up to the GCL when that season started.  Austin thoroughly dominated the GCL and more than held his own for SS Staten Island after being promoted.  All in all, Austin put up a .354/.418/.579 tripleslash in 47 combined games at both levels along with 26 XBH and a perfect 18-for-18 on steals.

Austin is young (just turned 20 in September), big (6'2", 200 pounds), and athletic.  His calling card is his bat, which has already shown to be well above average.  He has shown some pop to all fields and an approach at the plate that's slightly more advanced than it should be for your average 20-year-old.  His final position has yet to be determined, but the Yankees appear to be settling on using him at the hot corner.  Austin possesses all the tools to become a very good pro, and with nothing left to prove at the lower levels, he'll get his first real test in 2012 with a full season at Low-A Charleston.  A solid showing there should have him shooting up a lot of people's rankings.

29) Branden Pinder- RHP- SS Staten Island

Pinder is practically cut from the pages of the "future big-time reliever" catalog.  He's a big body (6'3", 210), a power arm, and a 22-year-old college pitcher who was drafted in the 16th round of the 2011 draft.  After being assigned to SS Staten Island, Pinder became the team's closer almost immediately and he did not disappoint.  In 31 IP over 24 appearances, Pinder allowed only 24 combined baserunners and 4 ER, good for a 1.16 ERA and 1.94 FIP, while batters hit just .152 off of him.  And just for the sake of padding the kid's stat line, I'll also mention that he was a perfect 14-for-14 in save opportunities and had an 11.03 K/9.

Pinder uses his big body to bring the thunder, a lively fastball that sits mid-90s and above, but as a college pitcher he possesses some command to pair with that great stuff as evidenced by his sterling 1.45 BB/9.  He needs that command to be successful right now, as Pinder doesn't really have a solid secondary offering.  But like Austin, he's already proven that he's too good for the short season leagues and he should start 2012 in Charleston, where he needs to work on improving his offspeed pitches.  If he continues to put up these kind of lights out numbers, there's no reason for him to not be on the fast track up through the system, especially if he develops a reliable offspeed pitch.

28) Kyle Roller- 1B- High-A Tampa

Whether it's for better or worse, Roller is almost a Nick Johnson clone.  He's a big, burly left-handed hitter at 6'1"/235 with a solid combination of power and patience at the plate.  After putting together a solid season in the NY Penn League in 2010, Roller was promoted to Charleston to start the 2011 season and then received a promotion to Tampa after hitting .305/.379/.545 for the River Dogs in 50 games.  His 2011 totals are nothing to sneeze at (.284/.371/.482 w/ 31 2B, 16 HR, 57 RBI, and a wOBA in the .380s in 455 PA), but Roller often falls below the radar when compared to other higher-profile Yankee hitting prospects.

The lack of talk could be attributed to Roller being a college hitter, already 23 years old, and to him not being the most athletic cat on the block.  He's really only built to play first base, and could have a future as a DH on the horizon if he doesn't show the ability to play the field well at higher levels.  But Roller can hit, and has shown the kind of patience that the Yankees love (9.0% BB rate in High-A).  He might start the season in Tampa again, but should receive the bump to Trenton quickly.  He's definitely not the type to blow you away with mind-blowing peripherals or tools, but he's a solid hitter worthy of our attention in 2012 as he takes the next step.

27) Tommy Kahnle- RHP- Low-A Charleston

Like Pinder, Tommy Kahnle is a big power pitcher at 6'1"/220 who comes at you with the big, stinky cheddar.  A high-profile Division II pitching prospect in the 2010 draft, Kahle opened eyes immediately with 25 Ks in just 16 IP in 2010 for SS Staten Island.  Expectations were high for Kahnle in 2011 as he moved to Charleston, but his ascent hit a bit of a speed bump as he experienced problems with command (5.44 BB/9).  Despite that, Kahnle is still an intriguing prospect who could be fast tracked in 2012 if he bounces back to his 2010 form.

Kahnle's fastball sits mid-90s but can be dialed up to 97-98 when needed.  His usual secondary offering is a changeup, but the Yankees have been trying to get him to develop a slider, which could have been a contributing factor to his higher walk totals in 2011.  In 97 career MiL innings, Kahnle has 137 strikeouts, so the stuff is clearly already there as a foundation for future relief success.  And command issues or not, Kahnle did experience some bad luck in 2011 as his FIP was almost 2 runs lower than his 4.22 ERA.  He'll still be 22 when the 2012 season starts, so Kahnle has time to refine his skills.  If all goes well, we could see him finish next season in Trenton.

26) Nik Turley- LHP- High-A Tampa

Drafted in the 50th round out of high school in '08, 2011 was Turley's 4th season in the Yankee system and the first in which he finally started to put the pieces together.  22 years old, Turley is a long, lean lefty, standing 6'7" and 195 pounds.  In 15 starts for Low-A Charleston this past season, Turley posted a 2.51 ERA/3.53 FIP along with an 8.96 K/9 and 2.30 BB/9 in 82.1 IP, earning himself a late-season promotion to Tampa.  He only made 2 starts there with limited success, but he did enough for the River Dogs to make himself one of the more intriguing starters in the lower levels.

He doesn't blow anybody with his fastball, but his height and arm angle can give hitters fits, and Turley can maximize the value of both of those things by being a lefty.  He was considered a project and the Yankees have been patient with him so far, but he needs to develop some consistency with both his stuff and his command.  2012 will be a big year for Turley in terms of keeping himself in the ever-crowded mix of Yankee starter prospects.  Adding some bulk to his frame could go a long way in helping him take the next step to the higher levels.

** Coming up tomorrow- Spots 25-21. **

Another Trade Possibility To Consider

(No word on whether or not Joba's TJS rehab includes the same Mickey Mouse workouts he did in 2010)

With all or almost all of what would have been considered "real" trade targets for the Yankees either already traded or re-signed, it's looking like a near certainty that we won't be seeing any new rotation arms for 2012.  But there is one guy on the Yankees' roster who could bring back some value in a trade and actually might make sense to move.  That guy is Joba Chamberlain.  I know he's still injured and won't be pitching until some time in the summer of 2012, but early reports have him ahead of schedule in his rehab, and at this point he might hold more value to the Yankees as a trade piece than as a piece of the 25-man roster.

The "Joba as a Starter" experiment has already been conducted by the Yankees, and despite there still being pleas from those in the Yankosphere to give it another go, the Yankees have never shown interest in reviving that option.  They're set with their 5-man rotation right now and have Hector Noesi on standby as the 6th starter if/when needed.  And with the emergence of D-Rob in the bullpen in 2011, it's suddenly become a little crowded at that inn as well.  Joba would be looking at another partial season behind Mo, two more years behind Soriano and multiple years behind D-Rob before he could be considered a serious contender for even a setup role.  And with the Yankees already having a stockpile of young arms who can step in and cover middle relief innings, Joba becomes less important as an insurance policy and space filler in that role.

And yet, by the time he is fully recovered from his Tommy John Surgery, Joba will still be a 26-year-old power arm with experience as a starter.  Last time I checked, the Yankees weren't the only team in need of starting pitching help, and Joba is dangerously close to becoming an afterthought in the Yankee organization for the reasons mentioned above, so why not try to stir up some interest around baseball and see if there's a market for him?  I'm not saying they SHOULD move Joba, but if Cash was trying to sell people on Francisco Cervelli earlier in the offseason, he might as well see what the market is, if there even is one, for Chamberlain.  They won't get the value in return that they would have a couple years ago, but you have to think Joba could bring back more than A.J.

Precursor To The Top 30

At long last, the AB4AR Top 30 will begin to be unveiled tomorrow.  But before I jump in headfirst and open myself up to your criticism for why I didn't put this guy in or why that guy is ranked so low, I figured I'd give you a look inside my mental lab so you know how I came up with my list.

As someone who admittedly doesn't have enough time to devote to following the Minors as I'd like to, I rely heavily on the input of others and the prospect lists of others, namely Mike Axisa of RAB, EJ Fagan of TYA, and Baseball America.  I also try to read as many scouting reports and prospect profiles on players as I possibly can, and then I combine all of that with my own set of judging criteria.  I tend to put much more weight on consistent production and improvement than tools and potential, as I think guys who have advanced through the system and gotten themselves closer to the show are more of a known commodity and sure thing than lower-level guys.  As a result, you'll generally see the bottom 15 of the list heavier on short-season and A-ball guys and the top 15 with more Triple-A guys.

Other things you should know:  I have an unhealthy love affair with power relief arms.  Guys who are already settled into a relief role can be moved through the system more quickly and, in my opinion, more accurately projected as Major League players.  When I see guys come in and start blowing hitters away as a relief pitcher, at any level, I get excited, so be prepared to see a few relievers on the list that you might not have expected.  And this one is something that most intelligent baseball fans probably agree with, but I like hitters who already have the ability to take pitches, draw walks, and avoid strikeouts.  It shows a more advanced hitting approach, so if you can do it at the low levels it's one less thing you have to learn when you make it to the Majors.

So there you have it.  A quick look inside the process that determined this inaugural list.  Now that we've covered that, here's a quick look at some of the guys who just missed the cut.

AB4AR Top 30 Honorable Mentions

37) Ryan Pope- RHP- Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Recently converted to the bullpen after showing some promise as a starter, Pope made his Triple-A debut this year.  He had a rough go, but has a combination of solid stuff and decent command that could lead to future success as a late-inning guy if he can harness both of them.

36) Jose Ramirez- RHP- High-A Tampa

Ramirez had a very good debut in 2010, but took a step back this season as he moved up to High-A Tampa.  The stuff is there but the command was spotty at best.  The good news is he'll be just 22 when the season starts, but a bounce back to his 2010 form is needed to make him a serious prospect.

35) Evan DeLuca- LHP- SS Staten Island

Flashed the stuff to draw interest for Staten Island in 2011, but needs to show some command.

34) Melky Mesa- OF- Double-A Trenton

Your classic "tools" guy, Mesa has never been high on my radar.  He'll be 25 years old this year and still in Double-A, and hasn't gotten closer to cutting down on his strikeouts than he was in '06.

33) Evan Rutckyj- RHP- GCL Yankees

See "DeLuca, Evan."

32) Chase Whitley- RHP- Double-A Trenton

He's moved through the system quickly in 2 years, but Whitley hit a bit of a speed bump when he made the jump to Double-A in 2011.  As a reliever, though, he should continue to ascend if he can show improvement in 2012.

31) Angelo Gumbs- SS- SS Staten Island

Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft, Gumbs has tools for days, is only 19, and could very well turn into a better shortstop prospect than 1st-round pick Cito Culver.  If he continues to put everything together in 2012, there's no reason he can't finish the year in Tampa.

** Check back tomorrow for prospects 30-26 **

A Belated Bullpen Stocking Stuffer

In case you haven't been keeping up with Joba's rehab from Tommy John, he provided an update early on Christmas Eve day the other day:

"Update on arm: feels great, throwing bullpens for a couple weeks. Now taking 2 weeks n resting my arm. Start throwing after the New Year"

If he's been throwing for a couple weeks already, that would put him ahead of schedule for his return.  Instead of June-July, we could be seeing Joba back in the 'pen some time in May, assuming he continues to progress on his schedule and doesn't have any setbacks.  As I've stated here before, he probably falls  behind Mo, D-Rob, and Sour Puss in the bullpen hierarchy, making him more of a luxury than a vital piece at this point.  But you never know what can happen with injuries, so the more late-inning depth the Yankees have, the better.

A Quick Christmas Message

It's that time of year again.  It doesn't seem like I've been doing this for that long, but somehow the 3rd Christmas here at AB4AR is almost upon us.  And while Cash and the rest of the front office don't seem willing to fill out their Christmas wish list or fill our fan stockings with a new starting pitcher, at least we can all take happiness and joy from knowing that we get to share Christmas with our friends and families.  Or something sentimental like that.

In all seriousness, I want to thank everybody out there who supports AB4AR in one way or another for helping to make this the most enjoyable year I've had running the site.  Whether you're reading, commenting, telling your friends, whatever, it's that interest that makes doing this worthwhile.  So I thank you all for that.  And a big thanks to all my colleagues over at The Yankee Analysts for thinking enough of my work to extend an invite and bring me aboard a few months back.  To work with them and to be able to get my thoughts and opinions on the Yankees out to a wider audience has been fantastic.

So to everybody out there who reads, I hope you all enjoy your time with your families over the next few days, and I hope you continue to read and follow the site.  As is tradition here at AB4AR, I leave you with what is undoubtedly the greatest Christmas song in the history of music.  Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.

Maybe This Whole Payroll Cutting Thing Started Earlier Than We Thought

Consider:

- The Yankees luxury tax for 2011 will be $13.9 million.

- The luxury tax they paid last year was $18 million.

- The luxury tax they paid in 2009 was $25.7 million.

Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake here, but I was surprised to read that today.  But now that I think about it, that makes perfect sense.  After they made their big splash with CC/A.J./Teix before '09, we haven't seen the Yankees be very active in the free agent market or at the trade deadline.  Lot more short, cheap deals like Bartolo, Freddy, Eric Chavez, etc.  Maybe there were already plans in the works to trim payroll before the new CBA even came to be.

Baseball America's Top 10 Yankee Prospects Revealed

(New prospect list means time for a new Jesus Photoshop)

And prospect day continues here at AB4AR.  Probably as a way to temper the buzz that was sure to come once I started to drop hints about the AB4AR list, Baseball America has released their Top 10 Prospects list for the Yankees this year.  That list is as follows:

1) Jesus Montero
2) Manny Banuelos
3) Dellin Betances
4) Gary Sanchez
5) Mason Williams
6) Dante Bichette Jr.
7) Ravel Santana
8) Austin Romine
9) J.R. Murphy
10) Slade Heathcott

My quick thoughts:

- No surprise in the top 3.  Montero, ManBan, and Betances are pretty much the unanimous top 3 across the board anywhere you look, which probably explains why every team is asking for at least 2 of them in any trade for a starter.

- I get Sanchez at 4, but I still think Austin Romine is being undervalued a bit because of his lower ceiling.  Sanchez is still a long ways away from the show; Romine has already been there.  In my book that makes him a higher-ranking prospect.

- In that same vein, I can understand being high on Bichette and Santana, but to rank them solidly in the top 10, ahead of Major League-ready guys like Romine, is a bit of stretch.  If BA really projects Romine as a .270 hitter with 10-15 HR and good defense in the Majors, that should be enough to rank him higher than 2 guys who have yet to play a full professional season.

- In THAT same vein, it's crazy to me how David Phelps and Adam Warren keep getting overlooked.  These are guys who have succeeded at every level of the Minors and could step in and pitch in the Majors tomorrow.  How that track record gets factored in less than a good short season is beyond me.

- With the inclusion of Santana, the Yankees are suddenly stacked with high-ceiling OF prospects.  Williams and Heathcott have been on the radar for a while, but now there's 3 guys in the top 10 who could be future CFers.  It should be interesting to see how fast or slow the Yankees move these 3 this year if they perform well, especially considering C-Grand's contract will be coming up in the near future.

The Fun And Frustration Of Being A Yankee Fan On A Budget

As the Yankees continue down their path of self-imposed penny pinching, focusing on the big picture and future benefits of cutting payroll for 2014 rather than the immediate benefits of signing someone like Roy Oswalt or Hiroki Kuroda, we Yankee fans and distinguished members of the Yankee blogosphere suddenly find ourselves in some unfamiliar territory.  By now we are (or should be) used to the Yankees not always getting their man during Hot Stove season.  But to see them take a backseat approach to the offseason proceedings and not really attempt to get any man or even make other teams think that they're trying to get their man?  That's Dimension X-level weirdness to many, and it's already starting to get to some of us.

Because we know the Yankees have needs.  They aren't glaring needs, but any relatively smart Yankee fan knows that this team has needs, mainly another big-time starter.  Cash himself came out and openly admitted that to us at his year-end press conference when he name dropped improving the rotation.  Sure, bringing back CC was a great move, and Freddy provides depth, but did bringing back 40% of 2011's rotation to join up with the remaining 60% really make the 2012 rotation any BETTER?  Probably not.  And we've been conditioned to expect big things when the Yankees make it known what their target areas of need are.  But this offseason we've seen them content to linger in the background, seemingly ignoring the very holes in their roster that Cash admitted they have while those who could conceivably fill those holes are snatched up by the competition.  This is frustrating.

The frustration, almost certainly rooted in our being conditioned to expect the Yankees to always get their guy, is understandable to a degree.  With the resources and money at their disposal, there is no reason that the Yankees couldn't have snatched up both C.J. Wilson and Yu Darvish, continued to pursue guys through a trade, and build a brand new mega-rotation.  But the Yankees appear to have decided to re-allocate their resources, namely the ones with the $$ signs, and plan for the future rather than address the present.  It's not a familiar strategy for us as fans to see play out.  New CBA or not, the Yankees are still the biggest dog in the uncapped MLB yard, and they shouldn't be letting the smaller, weaker dogs come up and steal their Kibble.  But that appears to be the path they're planning to take to achieve their future goals, which means we could have to get used to this kind of offseason for the next few years.

On the positive side, in focusing so much on controlling costs and moving further away from the quick-trigger, free-wheeling spending days of the early 2000s, the Yankees are setting the stage for their latest crop of young homegrown talent to step up and establish themselves, and that should be fun to watch.  With Bernie and Andy and Jorge gone, and Jeter and Mo closer to the ends of the playing careers than their primes, the core of the most recent dynasty is almost gone.  Now we get to see who can step up and replace them, who can live up to the hype, who can fly under the radar and surprise us, and who can start to build the foundation to the next great Yankee dynasty.

Will Manny Banuelos replace Andy as the big-game lefty in the rotation?  Will Mason Williams blossom into a new generation Bernie Williams 2.0?  We don't know.  But what we do know is that the Yankees aren't trading all these young assets off like baseball cards to fill the holes they don't fill through free agency anymore.  And if the Yankees aren't going to be the big spenders on the block for the foreseeable future, and aren't going to trade their youth for a quick fix, they are going to have to fill holes from within, which means it's very likely that many of these guys are going to get a real shot to become the next generation of Yankee greats.

It'll suck if the Yankees continue to be bystanders during the next few offseasons, no doubt.  But to be able to witness the potential beginning of the next generation of homegrown Yankee stars isn't a bad trade-off.  And while offseasons might not be quite as exciting as we're used to while the cash isn't being thrown around, the infuse of young talent and all the possibilities that lie with it should ensure that the next few seasons are exciting.

The AB4AR Top 30 Is Coming

I know I've been teasing this forever, and I teased it again yesterday on the Facebook page, but this time it's for real.  It's really happening.  No more dragging it out and promising dates and then missing them like Dr. Dre making the "Detox" album. The first ever AB4AR Top 30 Prospects list is done and it's coming out.  I sat down, did the research, ranked the players, and it's finally going to happen.  This is truly a Christmas miracle.

Starting next Tuesday, December 27th, the list will be unveiled in posts of 5 players per day.  It will conclude with the top 5 on January 3rd, pretty fitting with the whole "new year" theme.  Clearly I put a lot of thought into this.

So be on the look out for the Top 30 starting next week and prepare your comments for all the crummy choices I made and guys I left off.  That's what prospect lists are about, right?

Oh Come On!!

You''ll willingly scrape Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon off the bottom of the scrap heap last year on one-year deals when each represented significant risk, but won't shell out for a bona fide top-tier starter who's practically throwing himself at you this year on another one-year deal?

I don't get it.

Oswalt On A One-Year Deal? Absolutely!

It's real simple.  If this report from Jerry Crasnick is true, and all indications are that it is, then Brian Cashman should be on the phone with Roy Oswalt's agent right now.  And within a few days Roy Oswalt should be the newest member of the New York Yankees.  Because right now, Roy Oswalt is exactly what the Yankees are looking for in every way.

In Oswalt, the Yankees are getting just the type of player they need, a true top-of-the-rotation stud.  And not just one with a couple good seasons under his belt, but a real true stud.  A guy with All Star Games and big postseason performances and Cy Young votes under his belt.  Inserting Oswalt behind CC in the rotation immediately makes it better AND deeper than it is right now.  And in Oswalt, the Yankees are getting a guy who is highly motivated and will be busting his balls to pitch well and have a great year.  Oswalt's no fool.  He knows there's no market out there for him right now for a multi-year contract because he's such a ticking time bomb with his bad back.  If he can have one good year where he's healthy the whole time, he can probably convince a club to give him one more multi-year deal before he retires.  He won't be coming in just to hang on and collect a paycheck; he's playing for a career.  Bad back or not, "former ace and Cy Young candidate with a huge reason to pitch well" = "Good Investment."

And if it doesn't work out?  He gets hurt again, misses a lot of time, misses the season, whatever.  You know Cash wouldn't be stupid enough to move A.J. or Hughes because he would want a contingency plan for Oswalt, so the rotation would be right back where it would have been if the Yankees didn't sign Oswalt, which is where it is right now.  And on a one-year deal, Oswalt poses little or no threat to the Yankees' continuing-to-become-more-apparent plan to cut payroll for 2014.

But if it does work out, and Oswalt comes into camp in great shape, stays healthy throughout the season, and pitches to the ability of his still-very-existent talent?  Then the Yankees have to get vaulted right back to the top of the list of World Series favorites.  And Joe can feel a hell of a lot more confident coming up with a postseason rotation in 2012.

Anything between those two outcomes is gravy, even if it's just a handful of starts, because it would almost assuredly be better than what A.J. would give the team as a 5th member of the rotation.  And when you know it's a one-year deal, you just hope for the best and know that no matter what happens, you're out from under it and free after one year.  It's basically the same situation the Yankees were in last offseason when they signed Freddy and Bart.  And even at more money, Oswalt is still a better investment than many of us thought Colon and Garcia were because of the higher reward potential.

We look at the rotation and we see a lot of 3s and 4s, most of them with question marks attached related more to how much worse they'll do in 2012 than better.  Roy Oswalt is a no-doubt upgrade over all of those guys and he's available for a one-year commitment.  If the Yankees are or were considering giving $12 million for one year of Hiroki Kuroda's services, then they shouldn't even have to think about picking up the phone to make a similar deal to Oswalt.

How The Cuddyer/Willingham Contracts Help Nick Swisher (And Potentially Hurt The Yankees)

Nick Swisher will head into the 2012 season on the last year of his current contract, one that has been incredibly friendly to the Yankees considering the production they have gotten since fleecing Kenny Williams trading for Swish prior to the 2009 season.  In typical Yankee fashion, they have not  discussed a new contract for Swish, instead choosing to pick up his 2011 option and then see where they are after the season.  That could end up working out well for Swish if he has a big year in 2012, but that won't be known for months.  What is known is that two players comparable to Swish both signed new contracts this past week, essentially laying the groundwork for a starting point to Swish's new contract.

Josh Willingham took a 3-year/$21 million deal from the Minnesota Twins to replace the departed Michael Cuddyer, who then signed a 3-year/$31.5 million deal with the Colorado Rockies.  If we're using these two as a measuring stick for Swish, at first glance it appears that we're looking at three incredibly similar players.

There's a little more consistency to Willingham's wOBA plot (purple), and some surprisingly similar fluctuation to Swish's and Cuddyer's breakdowns (green and orange respectively), but on average these guys appear to be basically the same hitter.  Swish sports a .254/.360/.466 tripleslash, .357 wOBA, and 117 wRC+ in 4,389 career PA, Cuddyer a .272/.343/.451, .345 wOBA, 111 wRC+ line in 4,555 PA, and Willingham a .262/.371/.477, .364 wOBA, 123 wRC+ line in 3,166 career PA.  All three guys have some pop and some patience at the plate to help cover for the fact that none of them are natural "elite" hitters in terms of batting average.  Working in these broad strokes, there is some basis for Swish's market value being set in a similar $8-12 million range

The advantage that Swish has over his counterparts is time, both in terms of the time he has on his side as a younger player and what he's already done with the time he's spent in the Majors.  Swish will be 31 next year, still in his physical prime, while both Cuddyer and Willingham will turn 33 before Opening Day 2012.  Those 2 years in hand put Swish in a much better position to demand more years and more money.  And looking at what Swish has already accomplished in a similar span of years helps to further separate him from Cuddyer and Willingham.  When these 3 players are compared in terms of WAR, the gap between them starts to increase in Swish's favor.

In a comparable amount of playing time, Swish (blue) has racked up significantly more cumulative WAR than both Cuddyer (green) and Willingham (red).  This added value for Swish can be attributed to his durability (at least 131 games played in every season since his first full one in '05 and at least 150 games played in every season since '06), his higher BB rate (13.5% career), and Swish establishing himself as an above-average defensive player at multiple positions over the span of his career.  Swish has provided positive defensive value as a corner outfielder and first baseman while Cuddyer and Willingham haven't done anything to get themselves confused for Gold Glovers anywhere in the field.  Not only is he younger, Swish is a more well-rounded baseball player who produces at a higher level.

That being the case, what kind of deal can Swish expect to get if guys who rate lower than him are pulling in 7 and slightly over 10 mil per year in their new deals?  As a player who will still be younger than Cuddyer and Willingham were this offseason, and one who has a better health track record, a 4-year deal should be expected to be the minimum offered to Swish in terms of contract length, with 5 not being out of the question if he has another good season in 2012.  And if he does continue his 3-year trend and have another good all-around season, Swisher would be in position to expect a significant boost in salary from the $10+ million he'll make this coming season.  $14-15 million per year wouldn't be out of the question, perhaps more if some teams were really interested in Swish's services.

And this is where things could get interesting for the Yankees.  One way or another, they're going to need a right fielder after the 2012 season unless they break their normal operating procedure and negotiate with Swish during the season.  But if the Yankees are serious about getting down to $189 million in payroll for 2014, which seems more and more likely with each passing day, then a "4-5-year/$15ish million per"-type contract might not fit into those plans.  As Larry Koestler pointed out yesterday, the OF free agent market in 2012 isn't a particularly deep one, so Swish very well could be the best available right fielder.  And there isn't anybody in the upper levels of the Yankee system who they can expect to step into the full-time RF role in 2013, unless Zoilo Almonte or Melky Mesa go completely off-the-charts H.A.M. in 2012.  Swish is going to have all the bargaining power with the Yankees and the Yankees are going to have a serious decision to make with Swish.

They could try to paint with broad strokes like we did earlier, show how Swish's career offensive numbers compare to guys like Cuddyer and Willingham, and attempt to lowball him on an offer for $10-12 million a year.  But if he posts his fourth straight season of 3-4-WAR production, Swish and his agent will know he's worth more than that, and they'll be proven right when other teams who are interested offer more.  If the Yankees weren't willing to get involved with a pitcher in his early-30s this year when the price was around $15 million per for 5 years and they had a clear need for rotation help, how likely are they going to be to get involved with an outfielder in his early-30s for the same figures when they don't have a clear need for offensive help?

There's a lot that could happen that could affect this situation once the season begins.  Swish could get injured and miss a lot of time, the Yankees could have some big improvements or regressions from some key lineup members in 2012 that could make losing Swish's production easier or more difficult to handle in 2013.  Who knows?  But right now, with the deals Cuddyer and Willingham got, and how favorably Swisher compares to them as a baseball player, the price and negotiating power in a deal are both increasing for Swish.  And if the Yankees have a desire to include Swish in their future plans AND trim payroll, that might not be a good thing for them.

(Graphs via FanGraphs.  Click for larger version)

Totally Nailed The Darvish Bidding

I know it was only 5 days ago, so it's not like I possess any kind of real prognostication skills, but I do recall making this statement after the bidding period closed for Yu Darvish last week:

"With some estimates on the winning bid being in the $40-50 mil range, there isn't much chance the Yankee bid will be the winner.  Smart money would be on the Rangers.  After losing Wilson they have the biggest need for a high-end starter."

Haha, how do ya like them apples?  Didn't need any fancy insider information or anonymous league sources, just good old fashioned logic and my keen Polish intellect.  Yes sir, I can smell a job offer from ESPNNY on the horizon.  Andrew Marchand and Buster Olney better watch their fucking backs because I've got my finger on the pulse of Major League Baseball.

P.S.- $51.7 million just for the rights to negotiate with the guy???  I know I said the Rangers needed a top-flight starter, but that's a serious price to pay.  By the time the contract gets done, they're looking at $100-120 million committed to Darvish.  That makes it a little more understandable as to why the Yankees didn't get heavily involved.

What The 25-Man Roster Would Look Like Today

(Who would be joining these fine gentlemen on the bench today?  Courtesy of The AP)

A fun game to play during slow periods in the offseason is constructing the 25-man roster from what is currently available.  Since the entire offseason has basically been a slow period for the Yankees after they signed CC and Freddy, some sites are already turning to this post idea.  The problem, though, is that people aren't being real about their selections.  They're leaving the open bullpen and bench slots open, as if the Yankees were going to say, "you know what, we haven't signed or traded for the guys we really want in these roles, so we're just going to go with 21 players and some blank spaces if that's alright."  Come on, people.  That takes all the fun right of it.  If the season were starting tomorrow, the Yankees would have to at least have 25 warm bodies on the roster and on the bench to play the game, not "???" as the 4th outfielder or "--" as the long man out of the 'pen.  So I'll take it upon myself to play this game the RIGHT way and give you the 25-man roster as it would stand today.

Lineup

C- Russell Martin
1B- Mark Teixeira
2B- Robinson Cano
SS- Derek Jeter
3B- Alex Rodriguez
LF- Brett Gardner
CF- Curtis Granderson
RF- Nick Swisher
DH- Jesus Montero

Rotation 

SP- CC Sabathia
SP- Ivan Nova
SP- A.J. Burnett
SP- Freddy Garcia
SP- Phil Hughes

Bullpen

RP- Mariano Rivera
RP- Dave Robertson
RP- Rafael Soriano
RP- Boone Logan
RP- Cory Wade
RP- George Kontos
RP- Brad Meyers**

Bench 

C- Francisco Cervelli
IF- Eduardo Nunez
OF- Chris Dickerson
IF- Brandon Laird

The lineup and the rotation are obviously set (for now), so no big discussion points there.  But shit starts getting a little iffy as we move to the back of the bullpen and the bench area.  With Joba still on the shelf recovering from TJS until the summer, I looked at the rest of the guys on the 40-man and determined that George Kontos was the most likely to get a spot based on his 2011 body of work.  And with Hector Noesi already being penciled into the Triple-A rotation to keep him stretched out as a starter, Brad Meyers was the best option as long man out of the 'pen.**  With a core group of Mo-D-Rob, Sour Puss, Boone Logan, and Wade, that's still a damn good bullpen.

The bench, on the other hand, is a desolate wasteland of Quadruple-A talent.  Francisco Cervelli will likely be on as a 3rd catcher again since the Yankees don't seem interested in having Jesus carry that load on his own.  And for now, it would be Nunez, Dickerson, and Laird filling out the backup spots, although those are the spots most subject to change if the Yankees agree to new deals with guys like Andruw Jones and Nakajima.  Hopefully they do make some deals to beef up the bench, because I could probably grab 3 people from around my office to fill those spots and our production would be comparable.

It's not as strong or as deep as it will be once Spring Training rolls around.  But you have to work with what you've got, and right now this is the roster the Yankees would have to roll with if Game 1 was tomorrow.

**- If you didn't want a 7-man bullpen, substitute somebody like Ramiro Pena or Justin Maxwell in as a 5th bench body for Meyers.

Yankees Once Again The Most Evil Empire

With Kim Jong-Il dying today, that has to put the New York Yankees back at #1 on the list of Evil Empires in the world, right?  I mean, they haven't exactly been bullying other teams around and flexing their evil muscles this offseason, but they're still pretty evil.  And true evil sometimes stays low on the radar, to lure others into a false sense of security.  No doubt that's what the Yankees have been doing, just biding their time, letting old KJ mentally and physically over-work himself to death and then swooping in once he croaks to re-assume the evil throne that is rightfully theirs.  Jong-il's goofy little son may be running the show in North Korea now, but that goober doesn't hold a candle to Hank and Hal, or Cash for that matter.

It wouldn't shock me at all if it turned out the Yankees had a hit man on that train with Kim, and Cash gave the go word on the hit personally.  It'd certainly be the biggest move by the Yankees so far this offseason if he did.

P.S.- If anybody from North Korea is reading this, I'm just playin'.

Yoenis Cespedes: The Sequel

You knew he wasn't just going to leave us hanging out there without hitting us with a sequel.  A new Yoenis Cespedes video has hit the internet, and it's a collection of highlights from his pro day workout.  No weirdass ab exercises in this one; definitely more geared towards actual baseball skills, even if most of the video showed him getting ready to do those baseball skills rather than actually doing them.



If you were paying attention, you probably noticed Tony Pena and Billy Eppler around the 4:15-4:16 mark, confirming that the Yankees have been among the teams who have scouted Cespedes the most.  I'm still not sold on him being a game-changing prospect based off of this video, but I will say that Cespedes has some skills and the dude is definitely a monster athlete.  Jay Bilas would be creaming his jeans if Cespedes was a basketball prospect and not a baseball one.

Yanks Win More Awards

Last night, Major League Baseball had its own awards, the Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards or GIBBYs.  Unlike many of the other major awards given out each year in baseball, the Yankees weren't shafted in the voting for the GIBBYs.  In fact, they cleaned up last night, taking home 3 awards.

- Dave Robertson: Setup Man of the Year.  Well earned when you check his stat line at FanGraphs.

- Robinson Cano: Wow Factor.  Don't really know what that award means, but I know I say "wow" a lot when I'm watching Cano hit and field.  So this makes sense.

- Moment of the Year: Derek Jeter.  When you're one of the game's most popular players and have been for over 10 years now, and you go 5-5 on the day that you get your 3,000th hit including a home run for that 3,000th and the game-winning RBI on your fifth hit, you're probably going to win Moment of the Year.  That's some hardcore Disney shit and I still can't believe it happened.

So there you go.  The sting of the ridiculous voting in the MVP and Cy Young awards earlier has been eased a little.  And the Yankees can carry the pride that comes with winning 3 prestigious GIBBY Awards in one season into Spring Training.

Would Not Getting Yu Darvish Be The Final Sign That The Yankees Are Serious About Cutting Costs?

 (Better to save for 2014 than to spend in 2011?)

I ask because it's looking that was already a strong possibility with the way Cash has gone about his business this offseason, and the word around the MLB water cooler since Wednesday night has been that the Yanks' bid was relatively low and the Blue Jays' bid was a monster one.  3 years ago, the last time the Yankees made a declaration that they were going to improve the rotation, the roles would have been reversed.  But in 2011 the Yankees have been the model of fiscal responsibility while those around them spend gobs of money to lock up the top FA targets available.

And it's more than just not spending the money on guys.  The Yankees haven't even really been as deeply involved with the big names as they typically are.  They declined a second meeting with C.J. Wilson and his agent, only had "preliminary" talks with Mark Buehrle, didn't even try to get their name connected to Albert Pujols, and now reportedly came in with a small posting bid for Yu Darvish, a guy they've spent 3+ years scouting.  And with what's left out there (Oswalt, Kuroda, Edwin Jackson), there are hardly any substantial rumors connecting any of those 3 to the Yankees.  Right now, they seem very content with what they've done in bringing back CC and Freddy and content to keep their payroll at or only slightly above what it currently is.

We always have to keep our minds open to the possibility of Cash and Co. pulling one over on everybody, and maybe next Tuesday it will be the Yankees who win the Darvish posting with a large bid.  But it doesn't look that way right now, and if they don't win the posting I think that signals them taking a serious approach to shrinking payroll and wouldn't expect to see any more major pitching acquisitions this offseason and possibly next.  The efforts on getting the payroll down, an effort that would reap some rewards in future years, rather than the usual "World Series or bust" offseason approach is a smart one, and I can get on board with it.  It will just take some getting used to.

Talking About The New Labor Deal Details

A bunch of details of the new labor detail were released earlier this week.  And as someone who's on the record as a hater of all things CBA-related, I have to say that I'm liking a lot of the stuff I read about these new changes.  It's nothing earth-shattering, but many of the changes are very simple, very reasonable, and stand to make the game better.  If simple, basic logic was used like this all the time when making decisions about the game, I could probably get into the business side of baseball.  For example:

- Instant Replay: Expansion to cover fair/foul calls, trapped catches, and fan interference (still needs to be approved by the umpires).

It's about damn time.  Baseball has been and is the furthest behind the times of the 4 major sports when it comes to replay, and it seems like the more replay has been talked about over the past couple seasons the more we've seen plays happen where the right call could have been made if umpires could check the replay.  Adding these situations as reviewable plays by replay is a big step forward in closing the gap and should help to ensure that it's the play on the field that determines the winner and not the umps.

- All-Star Break: Changed from 3 days to 4, with the option of moving the HR Derby back from Monday to Tuesday and the ASG from Tuesday to Wednesday.


Makes perfect sense to me.  I mean, 3 days is hardly a break.  That's just a long weekend in my book.  Now everybody gets a little more time to rest, a little more time to see their families, and a little extra time to travel to wherever the ASG is being held.  If this doesn't help bring a little more star power and relevancy back to the ASG, nothing will.  Now if only they could agree to shrink the rosters back down so we aren't stuck watching the Watered Down Pool of Very Good Players Game every year, that would be something.

- Game Schedules: Re-alignment to six 5-team divisions, with each team playing 17 or 18 games against each divisional opponent and no more than 20 interleague games per team.

Another very simple, logical decision.  Houston moves to the AL, all the divisions are finally balanced, and facing divisional opponents is still the most important part of a team's schedule.  I'm a firm believer that the shtick of interleague play has long worn off, so the fewer interleague games the better in my book.  Just keep it to the geographic and historical rivalries and let that be that.

- Scoring Decisions: A ban on players a/o coaches asking official scorers to change decisions.  Instead, a formal appeal must be sent to MLB with video evidence.

No more home cooking from the stadium scorers.  If you think you deserve a hit or an RBI, prove it and let the governing body make a decision.  Nothing wrong with that.   The less I have to see clips of David Ortiz barging into postgame press conferences to whine to his manager about a scoring play, the happier I'll be.

- Uniform Number Changes: Players must inform MLB 8 months in advance if they want to switch their uniform number while still on the same team, or be willing to buy up all the merchandise that has the current number.

This is the Chad Ochocinco Rule, right?  I have to admit that I haven't heard of any situation where a baseball player has caused a merchandise-related issue by switching numbers mid-season, but in case anybody was thinking about it, now there's a rule for it.  This should come in handy for the guys who get stuck with crummy numbers in the 60s and 70s when they first come up and want to switch to  "real" number.

- Playoff Matchups: Teams from the same division can now face each other in the Wild Card round.

Duh.  This is one that never made any sense to me.  Record should determine playoff seeding, simple as that.  But that goes out the window in baseball if the two teams that would match up based on record are from the same division?  Why?  What does it matter if they play in the Wild Card Round or League Championship?  Truth be told, I'd rather see the Yankees playing the Rays in the first round as opposed to the ALCS.  Get it out of the way early.  Now that can happen.

- Tattoos: No tats allowed showing corporate logos.

Again, I didn't realize that this was such a potential epidemic amongst the players.  But if Robbie Cano was thinking of treating himself to a big old CM Punk-style Pepsi tattoo on his forearm some time in 2014, he's going to have to think again.  And really, MLB and the teams already do enough to pimp themselves out to corporate sponsors.  The players were really the only thing left that wasn't being used to sell ad space.

- 40-Man Roster Perks: Everybody on the 40-man during Spring Training gets his own room.

Can you just see the Triple-A guys on the 40-man who are only there as emergency injury backups high fiving each other when they get to sunny Tampa?  My own room?!?!  NICE!!  It's a little thing, but as somebody who despised having roommates I can see why this would be important to a player.  You're a grown man working at your profession.  You don't need to feel like you're at freshman orientation weekend in college.

It's not quite enough to make up for shafting the Yankees out of their monetary advantages, but if these changes help improve the product on the field as I expect them to, then I'm happy with them.  Of course, this is just one man's opinion.  What say you, Yankee faithful?

Bidding Closed On Darvish

And all indications point to him wearing a uniform other than the Yankees pinstripes in 2012.  David Waldstein reported last night that the deal was "not huge" and was only submitted in the final few hours before the 5PM deadline, and Jon Heyman called the Yankees' bid "modest" while saying the winning bid was "sky-high."

My guess?  With the latest contract rumors for Darvish starting at 5 years/$75 million and the Yankees likely wanting to keep their total spent on Darvish below $100 mil, I think they probably bid somewhere between $20-25 million to keep themselves at the 100 mil ceiling.  With some estimates on the winning bid being in the $40-50 mil range, there isn't much chance the Yankee bid will be the winner.  Smart money would be on the Rangers.  After losing Wilson they have the biggest need for a high-end starter.

To scout a guy who fits your rotational needs for 3 years and then submit a low bid in the final hours of his posting period is not the typical Yankee way of going after a target.  This fiscally responsible, cost cutting initiative is starting to look more and more real each day.

No Rush To Re-Sign Russell Martin

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Russell Martin is all but guaranteed to be a Yankee in 2012 after he was among the group of players to whom the Yankees tendered contracts on Monday.  He was almost a steal for $4 mil this past season, rebounding from his injury problems to put up a .237/.324/.408 tripleslash, .325 wOBA, and 3.1 WAR in 125 games and finally putting an end to the Jorge Posada Catching Era.  And while his contract this year will be for more money, Martin is still going to be a bargain for the Yankees in 2012.  Already, though, there is chatter starting to leak out about extending Martin beyond this upcoming season, to which I must say "shhh."

There is no reason to even entertain any thought of signing Martin to a multi-year deal right now.  Yes, he's a solid all-around catcher still on the good side of age 30, but let's not forget that he's also just one year removed from being non-tendered by his former team thanks to his constant injuries and nosediving production.  2011 was a step in the right direction for him, but was still just one step.  Before we start talking about guaranteeing more years and more money to Martin, shouldn't we wait to see how he does in 2012?  Make sure that 2011 was not just a blip on the downtrend radar?  This is where his one-year status works to the Yankees' advantage.  It gives them another chance to assess his performance and health over a whole season and make an informed decision on where they'd like to go with him in the future.

The other benefit that Martin's one-year situation gives the Yankees is an in-house backup plan to any plans they might have to break in Jesus Montero and Austin Romine behind the plate.  There are questions about whether either of those 2 can be full-time catchers at the Major League level, and 2012 should be the time for them to show what they can or can't do.  If the Yankees decide Jesus or Romine can handle the job full time in 2013, then they aren't tied to Martin for more years and more money as a backup.  They can let him go and move on smoothly.  If the young'ns can't hack it, the Yankees have Martin right there available to re-sign, and after another year of seeing how he holds up.  He might cost a bit more at that point, but it's money that the team can be more confident in spending.

The situation with Russell Martin is a win-win for the Yankees any way you look at right now.  He provides stability and flexibility at the same time, and to extend his contract now would take that away.  Cash has been big on preaching patience the last few years and that's exactly what the Yankees need to be in handling Martin.  Patient.  Let him go out in 2012 and earn that new contract.

Get Me Lou Piniella On Color Commentary, STAT!!

I missed it yesterday, but this story from The Daily News about Lou returning to the Yankees in 2012 as a ST instructor and YES commentator might very well be the best acquisition the Yanks have made this offseason.  It also is the latest reason for me to curse myself for ever moving out to Wisconsin and missing out on the convenience of having the YES Network any time I wanted it.

The stable of YES guys is already pretty strong.  I like O'Neill, I like Flaherty, I like Leiter, and I LOVE me some David Cone.  Adding Sweet Lou to that mix is like including that one last ingredient on Chopped that brings all the flavor profiles together.  He'll be the managerial yin to the other guys' yangs (gross) in terms of breaking down a game, he might be able to provide a little insight into what Joe is thinking when he makes some of his bizarre bullpen decisions, and he's still Lou Piniella.  He's a crazy old guy who's likely to still have some of that old fire in his belly.  I can't wait to hear him the first time he gets fired up about a bad play or bad call.  It'd be like watching a game with your crazy uncle.

I also wouldn't mind seeing him pull one of these on Michael Kay in the booth the first time they disagree on something:

Derek Jeter Is A Pimp In Every Sense Of The Word

"Yankee star Derek Jeter, one of New York’s most eligible hunks since his split with longtime gal pal Minka Kelly, is bedding a bevy of beauties in his Trump World Tower bachelor pad — and then coldly sending them home alone with gift baskets of autographed memorabilia....

'Derek has girls stay with him at his apartment in New York, and then he gets them a car to take them home the next day. Waiting in his car is a gift basket containing signed Jeter memorabilia, usually a signed baseball,' the friend dished." (courtesy of The Post)

This story is going around all over the sports blogosphere today, mainly with a negative spin to it, and I just don't get it.  How is this supposed to be a bad thing?  To me this is just Jeter playing chess in the booty-getting game once again while the rest of us regular guys are playing checkers.

Consider.  Derek Jeter has established the all-time greatest list of celebrity conquests in the history of human existence.  No everyday chick can bring to the table what some of his previous ladies can, and they know it.  More importantly, he knows it.  But he knows it's a big deal for them to get to meet, hang out with, and bang him.  I mean, he is the guy who did this:

And he's a 5-time world champion, and he's a member of the 3,000 Hit Club, and he's still pretty damn hot.  So what does he do?  He treats them to a wonderful evening out on the town, takes 'em back to his place (discreetly, of course), shows 'em The Captain, takes care of business, and then sends them home with a little memento.  It makes them feel more special and not just like another notch on Jeter's belt and also serves as proof for them when they tell their friends that they hooked up with Derek Jeter.  It's genius.

This is the smoothest move I've seen since I decided to skip the tie at senior prom and rocked a badass button stud instead.  It's just Jeter being Jeter and if you expected anything different you're either a moron or you're jealous.  Now hit the fucking music.

Maximizing A-Rod In 2012 And Beyond

(The A-Horse swingeth)

After his fourth straight season of injury problems and declining production, this year's batch of injuries preventing him from even playing in 100 games, it appears that Alex Rodriguez is now moving towards the twilight of his career.  Unfortunately for the Yankees, that transition is going to be a long one as he still has 6 years and $143 million left on the contract he signed after the 2007 season.  Looking at the downward trend in his production and the upward trend in DL time over the past four seasons, we could be in for some ugliness before the sun finally sets on The Horse's baseball career.  Knowing that, it makes sense to re-evaluate expectations for A-Rod moving forward and consider a more conservative approach to managing him as he declines in the interest of keeping him healthy.  EJ started to touch on this point yesterday with his idea that A-Rod's health is what drives his production, and I want to take it a step further.  Starting this year and moving forward, the Yankees need to focus on keeping Alex healthy and need to manage him in a way that allows him to stay healthy.

Since his 2007 MVP season, A-Rod has averaged just 124.5 Games Played and 538 PA per season over the past four thanks to his various injuries, and has seen his elite-level production fall as well.  When he's healthy and on the field there's no doubt that The Horse can still produce at a high level, as evidenced by his April and June months in 2011 when he put up OPS values in the high .900s-low 1.000s and wOBA values in the low .420s.  But once he starts getting banged up, that production suffers, both as a result of him modifying his approach and swing to compensate for his injuries and then due to the large chunks of time spent on the DL when the injuries become too much.  The projections for 2012 all create a similar expectation for him to miss significant time next season and for his production to continue to suffer as a result:

• 2012 ZiPS: .264/.350/.474, 115 OPS+, 108 G, 456 PA
• 2012 CAIRO: .273/.363/.474, .351 wOBA, 106 G, 459 PA
• 2012 Bill James: .277/.373/.497, .376 wOBA, 134 G, 579 PA

The Bill James projection is the most favorable, both in terms of performance and playing time.  The other 2 projections, drawing heavily from the last couple years, expect A-Rod to only slightly improve on his playing time totals from 2011 (99 G, 428 PA) while continuing the downward trend in production that he's had over the last two seasons.  But if we can agree and accept that A-Rod's production should be declining some at his age and agree that the injury problems seem to be accelerating that decline, then we can agree that the first thing the Yankees need to address in 2012 is how to keep him healthy and in the lineup as much as possible.

Once again this year we are being treated to reports on A-Rod's new offseason workout program that will keep him healthy and productive.  But at age 36 it would be unreasonable for us or the Yankees to expect a healthy full season from A-Rod in 2012 regardless of what that workout plan is, especially if he continues to be used the way he has over the past four seasons.  Joe has finally started to make a conscious effort to give A-Rod more time at DH in order to keep him healthy, but that approach has usually come after A-Rod has already been hurt.  This upcoming season should be the first where regular DH time and scheduled off days becomes a staple of his playing schedule.  Implementing a strict plan that guarantees Rodriguez regular DH time and regular rest from Day 1 should help lessen the wear and tear his body accumulates through the 162-game season and keep him producing at a high level.

You Know You're A Diehard Yankee Fan When...

(My new night light)

A guy you work with out in Milwaukee, who doesn't even read the blog, steals a neon Yankee light from his buddy's bar to give to you because he remembers that you like the Yankees.  It's old, it's dusty as hell, and there are probably spider eggs hatching out of it and hundreds of baby spiders crawling all over my apartment right now, but that's still fucking sweet.

I guess blowing off all my friends and social life during the playoffs to scream at the TV and jot down game notes is finally starting to pay off.  And I thought there were no perks to being a blogger.