Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 2/8/13

Here's something I've never really understood about the whole "blizzard preparation" process; people who insist that you need to gas up your car before the storm.  Ummmm, why?  Where exactly do you think you're going to be driving to when Mother Nature drops 18-24 inches of snow on your candyass?  Answer- nowhere.  You're not going anywhere and nor should you be.  You should be staying in your house, eating the food that you were hopefully smart enough to stock up on, crossing your fingers that the power doesn't get knocked out, and catching up on all the TV shows you've been meaning to watch on your DVR (side note- "The Americans" on FX is the tits).  Anybody who goes to fill up their gas tank before a blizzard just so their car can sit in the garage for 3 days is an idiot.  So don't be an idiot and stay safe and stay warm this weekend if you're area is fixing to get clobbered.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Rupert Pupkin of NoMaas pointed out the big difference in Jeter's and Mo's reactions to the latest A-Rod news.  Personally, I think Jeter's sheds more light on how the organization feels about Alex right now.

- Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits asked if the Yankees needed to add another bullpen arm before the season.  I don't think they HAVE to, but more bullpen depth is never a bad thing.

- On Tuesday, fishjam25 of Yankees Fans Unite ranked and released his 2013 Top 40 prospects list.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud questioned whether Brett Gardner was still a platoon candidate or if his all-around skill set made him worthy of having an everyday role.

- Rob Abruzzese of of Bronx Baseball Daily investigated just how overpaid Mark Teixeira is on the heels of Teix's candid comments to Dan Barbarisi last week.

- On Wednesday, Mike Eder of TYA made a strong case for pursuing Casper Wells in a trade to add a strong right-handed outfield bat.  I admittedly hadn't considered Wells, but it makes a lot of sense.

- Mike Axisa of RAB took a stab at constructing the 2013 Triple-A RailRiders roster.  Could be a pretty good outfield and pretty good bullpen.  Rotation might need some work.

- On Thursday, Steve Skinner of Bleeding Yankee Blue analyzed the projected Yankee rotation and how it stacks up against its AL East competition.

- El duque of It Is High... declared that 2013 will be the year of Austin Romine and Romine could be a make-or-break factor to the Yankees' season.

- Hunter Farman of Yanks Go Yard looked back at the 2007 offseason and wondered what could have been if the Yankees went through with their plans to go after the non-A-Rod third baseman who was available.

- William Juliano of The Captain's Blog discussed the unfair nature of the MSM's handling of the Biogenesis story and the lack of accountability on their part when it comes to maintaining journalistic integrity.

For today's Friday Jam, we're kicking it old school with some Public Enemy.  As an upper middle class white kid growing up in Connecticut, songs like "Rebel Without A Pause" really spoke to me and helped mold me into the strong, anti-establishment badass I am today.  For example, I don't always separate the glass from the plastic when I recycle.  That's just what THE MAN wants me to do.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Pitchers & Catchers Report Date Prepper: The Catchers

(TCS just doin' the damn thing!  Courtesy of Getty Images)

We're now just a handful of days away from the unofficial start of Spring Training and the unofficial start of baseball season.  Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to camp next Tuesday, and from there the dreariness and gray emotional cloud that hung over this offseason should start to disappear.  There are already players working out in Tampa, and reports coming in from beat writers about another guy showing up almost every day, but it will be real, really real, when the whole battery crew rolls into town on Tuesday.  Last week the Yankees released their list of non-roster invitees, and combined with the members of the 40-man roster there will be a bounty of pitchers and catchers in camp.  In preparation for those early ST festivities, let's take a look at the players who'll be arriving next week and what they have to offer, starting with the backstops.

Nova Confident He'll Be In The Rotation

The always confident Ivan Nova doesn't seem to have lost any of his edge after his disastrous 2012 season.  In an article in the Daily News earlier in the week, Nova told Anthony McCarron he absolutely believes he's going to be in the starting rotation this season.

“I’m going to be there.  Just do my work. It doesn't cross my mind that I’m going to be in the minor leagues. I’m going to be in the rotation, that’s what I’m working for."

“I know what I've got in my hand,” “I know what I've got and I know what I can do and I just have to do it."

Strong words from the guy who, in the same story, admitted to forcing pitches and throwing certain pitches that he couldn't control at times last year, but that's Nova.  And as bad as his 2012 was, there are still reasons to be optimistic about Nova rebounding in 2013.  His BB and K rates trended in the right direction last year, his fastball velocity improved, and he's still just 26 years old.  It's way too early to write off Nova, and although I don't think it's a guaranteed lock that he'll beat out David Phelps for the 5th spot in the rotation, I do think he, like other 5th starter competitors before him, will have the deck stacked in his favor heading into ST.

2012 Statistical Trends: Phil Hughes' HR Allowed

(Courtesy of Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)

Since he first broke into the Majors in 2007, there's always been something that's held Phil Hughes back from reaching his full potential as a starting pitcher.  First it was his health, then the flip-flopping of his role between starter and reliever, then the regression of his offspeed stuff and inability to effectively develop and use a strong second and third pitch, and now in 2012 it was the high number of home runs he allowed.  Hughes' high HR total put a bit of a damper on what could have been his best season to date last year, and became the latest reason to question his potential ceiling as a starter and his future with the organization.

Phil signed a 1-year deal for a pretty good salary recently and will head into this season with a lot to prove and a lot of money to potentially earn.  Correcting the HR problems that plagued him in 2012 and finding a way to cut down on the longball will be key for Hughes this year.  As a flyball pitcher, it's not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it could be the determining factor in just how much money Hughes gets after this season and who he gets it from.

Who Really Needs A Platoon Partner In 2013?

(How many lefties should this guy be facing?  Courtesy of the AP)

"Platoon" is a word that's slowly worked its way into the collection of words typically associated with the Yankee lineup over the past few seasons, right next to "patience" and "power."  Older veterans on the downside of their careers who are drawn to New York to chase a ring, lack of impact bats coming up from the farm system, and the newly implemented payroll restrictions have all combined to make the Yankee lineup a safe haven for the still productive but no longer well-rounded hitter.  This season, the reliance on platoons will play an even bigger role in the everyday lineup as the Yankees have their fair share of guys who only excel against one category of handed pitchers, guys like Ichiro, Hafner, Gardner, and Youkilis.  Joe has shown before that he's not afraid to mix and match and play with the lineup, but how necessary is it for every one of those players to be platooned?  Does the Yankee lineup really need to be turned into Version R and Version L?  Let's take a look.

Williams And Campos Will Be Ready For The Start Of The Season

The ashes of the injury-plagued 2012 Minor League season are all but cleaned up after the latest updates on Mason Williams and Jose Campos.  Mark Newman confirmed to George King of Baseball America that Campos has completed his offseason rehab and will be ready to start a regular Spring Training with no restrictions, and earlier today multiple beat writers reported that Williams is close to 100% physically and expects to start full ST activities in a few weeks.

Both Williams and Campos were noticeably absent from the list of non-roster invitees to big league camp last week, and their status as top organizational prospects makes their omissions easily understandable. Campos could end up being the only chance the Yankees have to take something positive from the Montero-Pineda trade if Pineda doesn't come back strong from his labrum surgery, and they just put ManBan on the shelf for 2013 after shutting him down because of elbow problems similar to Campos'.  Williams projects as the center fielder of the future and had his 2012 end prematurely because of shoulder surgery, something the Yankees have seen be a constant problem for fellow CF prospect Slade Heathcott.

The future potential of both guys, as Yankees or as trade bait, depends on them being 100% physically, so there was no need to rush them back.  The most important thing is that they are fully healthy and ready to start the season, and that sounds like it's going to be the case.

Francisco Cervelli Named In Newest Biogenesis Clinic Report

(Now I know why the batting helmet was so big.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/US Presswire)

It didn't create the media waves that Alex Rodriguez's connection did, but the Yankees continued to stay closely tied to the investigation of Anthony Bosch and his Miami-based Biogenesis clinic when a new report surfaced yesterday that included Francisco Cervelli's name.  Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports had the full story, which also included recent former MVP and test beater Ryan Braun, and while Cervelli's name was not listed next to any wording outlining specific PEDs, this has to be a concern for the Yankees with how seriously MLB has been taking their investigation into the clinic.

From a strictly Yankee-centric standpoint, this could actually work to their benefit.  They've stood pat at the catcher position all offseason, willing to punt and sacrifice some defense and a lot of offense to save a buck.  If MLB digs deeper on Cervelli and finds something substantial that would be grounds for a suspension, suddenly the Yankees are back down to one catcher.  They seem pretty set on starting Austin Romine in Triple-A this year, so while it might not be under the best circumstances, this situation could give them a reason to go out and seek an upgrade at catcher.

Looking at the bigger picture, this latest news and the stuff we already know about this situation is starting to add up to create the appearance that PEDs are still deeply ingrained in the game of baseball.  For all the time MLB spent patting itself on the back when it first administered its new testing and punishment procedures, they are still woefully behind the times when it comes to testing, particularly for HGH, and players have found a way to beat the system.  Nothing has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt and nobody has been punished yet, but when the names connected to this case include upper-tier players and all-time greats like Braun and A-Rod, emerging stars like Gio Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera, and nobodies like Cesar Carrillo and Cervelli, that's a good indicator that PEDs are still a league-wide problem.

To his credit, Cervelli did make a statement admitting to consulting the Biogenesis clinic after his foot injury in 2011 and purchasing supplements that he said he was certain did not contain banned substances.  Unlike A-Rod, he has no past PED connections and has earned the benefit of the doubt.  As with A-Rod, all we can do is wait and see what comes as a result of this new report.

Possible Overcrowding In The Outfield

(Don't forget about this guy.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/US Presswire)

It dawned on me this past weekend, while doing take 2 of my final roster spot predictions, that the Yankees have supplied themselves with more than enough outfield fodder for the 2013 season.  There's not much high-ceiling talent in that collection of added players, but I'd go so far as to say they might have actually put themselves in a position where they have too many outfielders in the upper levels of the organization.  Now that's not the worst problem in the world to have when you're entering this season replacing last year's productive, 2-way, switch-hitting right fielder with a soon to be 40-year-old slap-hitting lefty, but it is something that the decision makers in both the Minor and Major League levels should be cognizant of and should make an effort to address in the appropriate manner.

Updated 2013 ZiPS Projections Are Out

(Is a 5th straight year of decline in the cards?  Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News)

When I looked at the early projections for Andy Pettitte last week, I commented on the lack of updated projection data available at the time.  Pettitte wasn't included in the initial round of preliminary ZiPS or Bill James projections because he wasn't a 100% guarantee to come back and play in 2013, as was the case with a few other Yankees who didn't make the initial cut.  Yesterday, those omissions were rectified with the release of Dan Szymborski's updated 2013 ZiPS projections.  This new batch captured not only Pettitte, but some of the other new Yankees who weren't included in the preliminary round and also had Major League projections for some of the top Yankee prospects.

The prospect projections aren't all that important for this season, unless a series of huge freak injuries forces someone like Tyler Austin or Gary Sanchez into Major League duty, but they're a good early barometer for setting expectations for the 2013 season.  The full statistical breakdown can be found in the link above, and my take on specific players and projections can be found after the jump.

One Week Away From Baseball...

(Ahh, what a sight.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Seven days, friends.  Seven days until we get to hear the crack of bats and the pop of gloves again.  Seven days until all these monotonous offseason talking points get packed up and put back on the shelf until November.  Seven days until we can actually get back to talking about real baseball.  Seven days until pitchers and catchers report.

Keith Law Ranks Yankee Farm System 10th In MLB

As the hot stove season continues to wind down, prospect season continues to heat up with the release of the latest organizational MiL rankings, this one from Keith Law of ESPN (Insider Only).  Law saw the Yankee system as the 10th best in baseball, right in line with previous rankings (Baseball America 11th, John Sickels 14th) and right within the 10-15 window that has become the general expected range in which the Yankee system falls.

(** Broken record warning **) Like the other previous organizational rankings, Law saw the Yankees' crop of A-ball hitters as their greatest strength, saying that group "could produce as many as three above-average or better regulars plus several other guys who'll have big league value."  I think the Yankees would absolutely kill to have that prediction play out over the next couple years, as it would give them the opportunity both to plug roster holes internally and control costs and package guys together in trades.

Law also followed the trend of rating the Yankees down for their lack of high-impact pitching prospects, and stated he would have ranked them higher had ManBan and Jose Campos not gotten hurt in 2012.  It's worth pointing out that Law opened this post by commenting on his perceived lack of high-impact players and depth across MLB, calling it "fewer than in any of the previous years in which I've gone through this exercise."  Seeing as how the Yankees already have strong depth, more draft picks coming, and a few guys who could make the leap to high-level status, that could bode well for their ranking under Law's criteria next year.

** Shameless self-promotion- If you haven't already, now would be a great time to check out the 2012-2013 AB4AR Top 30.  It's easily the best prospect ranking post I've done all year. **

The Search For Right-Handed Hitting Outfielders Continues

When you've got a stockpile of talent that includes Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera, Melky Mesa, and Ronnier Mustelier, it goes without saying that you would still be in the market for an upgrade if there was one to be had.  Cash came right out and said that in a recent radio interview with Jim Bowden of ESPN, confirming to Bowden that he would still like to add another righty OF before the start of Spring Training.

The signing of Rivera last Monday did a little to boost the overall depth of the group competing for a roster spot this spring, and added some much-needed Major League experience, but his ceiling as a mid-30s player is pretty low.  The Yanks had to DFA Russ Canzler, a somewhat intriguing bench possibility, late last week to clear a spot on the 40-man for Travis Hafner, and they will be crossing their fingers hoping he makes it through waivers.

Mesa and Mustelier offer some upside, albeit limited upside due to their "high for a prospect" age, so it's certainly in the Yankees' best interests to see what else is out there.  The problem is that what's out there ain't much better than they've already got.  The remaining Major League guys are all lefties, some of them guys the Yankees have had before (Damon, Abreu), and the MiL FA crop is made up of lower-ceiling players than who the Yankees already signed.  I applaud the effort on Cash's part to dig out another diamond in the rough, but I'd be shocked if he found anything of value at this stage of the offseason game.

Building The 2013 Batting Order- Take 2

(Where to put Pronk?  Courtesy of the AP)

It's like revision week here at AB4AR when it comes to roster discussions.  Spring Training is bearing down upon us (and the players who will actually be participating in it), and the Yankees continue to add pieces to the roster competition.  First it was sorting through all the cheap 1-year signings and MiL players to determine who were the leading candidates to take the final 4 open roster spots.  Now with the additions of Juan Rivera and Travis Hafner, and the ever-uncertain situation surrounding Alex Rodriguez's future with the team, it's time to once again take a look at the potential batting orders for the Yankees in 2013.  I probably don't need to remind anybody of this, but I use the word "orders" because there is more than likely going to be a lot of lineup juggling and platoon splits from Joe this season to maximize the output potential of the players he has and keep everybody as healthy as possible.

Buster Olney's Keys To The Yankees' Season Are Accurate, Surprisingly Predictable

I'm a Buster Olney fan.  I think he's one of the best baseball reporters in the business, if not the best, and take his information and thoughts on the Yankees more seriously than probably any other beat writer or MSM reporter.  That's why I was a little surprised to find that Olney's "What Yankees need to go right in '13" Friday morning blog post (Insider Only) was so ordinary.  It's not that anything he said was wrong or untrue, it's just that a lot of it seemed so obvious and so basic that it didn't feel like a true Yankee-centric post to me.   Have the Yankees really become this boring this offseason?

I Guess Teix Really Does Want To Rock

Everybody's so caught up in talking about A-Rod's retirement that's never going to happen until his contract is up that they missed Teix getting an early start on his next career after he retires from baseball.  On Broadway.  It certainly looks like the normally robotic first baseman was ELECTRIC in his cameo performance in "Rock Of Ages" on Tuesday, although there's no word on whether he pulled another hammy doing the dance steps.

Teix, so hot right now.  Teix.

(Photo courtesy of Playbill.  More can be found here)

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 2/1/13

I've got no team rooting interest in the Super Bowl this weekend (Packers fan), but that doesn't mean I'm going to be entirely neutral.  I'm rooting for Beyonce to fall down during her lip-synched halftime show, and more importantly I'm rooting for Ray Lewis to lose.  There might not be a bigger piece of shit in professional sports than Ray Lewis.  He's a lying, phony, self-righteous, self-absorbed overrated fraud who wraps himself in religious banter to cover for his shortcomings and mistakes.  At best.  At worst he's a murderer.  And yet the mainstream sports media has conveniently forgotten all about that and gotten in line to wash his balls for the last 10 years because he does a goofy dance and says "God" a lot.  What a bunch of crap.  I'm glad he's retiring, I'm glad I never have to see him jump off the top of a pile after a 5-yard gain and celebrate like he just won the lottery again, and I hope he goes out missing a tackle on the final play of the game that leads to San Francisco's game-winning score because that's what he deserves.  Ray Lewis is hot human garbage.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits pictured a worst case scenario where the Yankees were sellers at the trade deadline and mused on who they might move in that scenario.

- Mike Jaggers-Radolf of TYA asked if Mark Teixeira was the key to the Yankees' success in 2013?  Given the events that have transpired this week and the omnipresent age-related concerns, I would say he's going to be a big determining factor.

- On Tuesday, George S of Gutty Gritty Yankees examined the Marcel projections for AL East catchers, and what they might mean for Francisco Cervelli in 2013.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud mused on what Brett Gardner's return could mean for the Yankees this season and in seasons to come.

- On Wednesday, Mike Axisa of RAB provided a much-needed dose of sense and reality to the "void A-Rod's contract" debate that's been raging since the new PED story came out.

- El duque of It Is High... did something similar, but in a much awesomer fashion, by calling out all the Yankee fans who are siding with the Steinbrenners and rooting for A-Rod's contract to be voided.

- Rebecca Glass of This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes had an even more interesting take on the A-Rod PED story, choosing to turn the spotlight on MLB and the MSM for their blatant double standard when it comes to handling steroid cases versus domestic/sexual violence cases.  You know, real ACTUAL crimes.

- On Thursday, Mike Bates of Pinstriped Bible used the old comic book retcon trick to look at how recent Yankee history might have been different if the Yankees had never signed A-Rod.

- Abe Froman of NoMaas commented on Curtis Granderson's high K total in 2012 and what it could mean for his 2013 production potential.

- Hunter Farman of Yanks Go Yard wondered if Pat Venditte could make his way to the show this season.  Considering his recent injury and low value as a prospect I would say no, but it's always worth asking about a guy with Venditte's unique skill set.

- On Friday, Daniel Burch of The Greedy Pinstripes profiled Greg Bird, a 5th round draft pick in 2011 who hasn't found his traction yet in the Minors but does have some real upside.

- Brien Jackson of IIATMS poked holes in Lupica's stance on the A-Rod situation.  Any time somebody is taking shots at Lupica, I'm on board.

This week marks the 1-year anniversary of the Linkapalooza becoming a weekly feature on AB4AR.  Actually the real anniversary was on Sunday, but I didn't want to jump the gun last Friday.  Didn't seem right.  Anniversaries always need to be celebrated and it only seems appropriate to mark this momentous milestone with some Queens.  The Linkapalooza started with QOTSA last January and it celebrates its first birthday with QOTSA today.  Gotta love consistency



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Revisiting The Roster Spot Contender Rankings

(Where does this new guy fit in?  Courtesy of the AP)

After all the hard work I put into my first shot at ranking the contenders for the final 4 roster spots earlier this week, the Yankees had to go and screw it all up by signing more guys.  I'd be a little more upset, both personally and semi-professionally, if those players weren't potential upgrades over most of the others in contention.  But since they were, I guess I can get over it and move on with an updated list.  The 2 newest players added to the mix have a leg up on their competition by having more Major League experience under their belt, but I wouldn't quite say they are shoo-ins given their age and individual shortcomings as defensively useless players and injury risks.

So here's take 2 of my pre-ST rankings for the final 4 roster spots:

** UPDATE 3:21 PM- Canzler has been DFA'd to open a spot on the 40-man for Travis Hafner.  I'd say he's not a sure bet to clear waivers.  **

Meet Your 2013 Spring Training Invitees

We're now less than 2 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, which will signal the end of the 2012-2013 offseason and start the transition towards the 2013 regular season.  The Yankees released their list of non-roster invitees to camp yesterday, all 44 of them, and combined with the guys on the 40-man roster they should make for a very entertaining camp.  There's a heavy dose of young MiL players and prospects in this 44-man group, with a sprinkling of older veteran players, mostly the guys who've been recently signed to MiL deals to compete for bench jobs.  Full list of non-roster invitees and a few quick thoughts on the group after the jump.

BREAKING NEWS: Yankees Sign Travis Hafner

(Yeah, I used the all caps "breaking news" tag for this signing.  It's a Major League player with legitimate offensive value, so I'm a little excited about that after watching the recent string of Quad-A signings.  Deal with it.)

After reports came out yesterday that the Yankees were in serious talks with Travis Hafner, they finalized those talks today by signing him to a 1-year, incentive-heavy deal to be their main designated hitter for 2013.  The deal is reportedly a guaranteed Major League deal, meaning a 40-man roster spot will have to be cleared to make room for Hafner.  But that's an acceptable sacrifice to make to add a potential impact bat like Hafner's, injury concerns and all.

I wrote about Hafner and my desire to see the Yankees sign him weeks ago, so obviously I'm happy to see them add him and his thump to the lineup.  Hafner is a huge injury risk, and as close to a sure thing as there is to end up on the DL at some point, but his offensive production potential as a righty masher hitting in Yankee Stadium is well worth that risk.  The Yankees are very familiar with Hafner and I have to think they did their homework on his medical reports before deciding to go through with this deal.  With what's left out there on the FA market, this is as good a cheap 1-year deal as they could have found, and one that could have potentially big returns if Hafner bucks the trend and stays healthy.

** UPDATE 2/1/13 1:46PM- Deal is official according to Jon Heyman.  Hafner's base salary will be $2 million per Ken Davidoff, and his deal also includes "reachable incentives" per Dan Barbarisi.  DH- Check. **

The Importance Of Joba & Aardsma This Season

(Just a couple of wild and crazy guys.  Courtesy of Reuters)

I've made reference multiple times recently to the Yankees having another strong bullpen in 2013, and I strongly believe that's going to be the case.  They've got the greatest closer of all time back for another shot at a last go-round, arguably the best setup man and one of the best pressure relief pitchers in baseball ahead of him, 2 strong lefty specialists to play the late-inning matchup game, what will be a more than serviceable long man in whoever loses the 5th starter competition between Ivan Nova and David Phelps, and 2 veteran power arms to work the middle relief innings in Joba Chamberlain in David Aardsma.  But it is worth pointing out that the overall depth created by the loss of Rafael Soriano is slightly less than it was in 2012, when depth became a really important issue for obvious reasons.

Keeping that "anything can happen" experience from last season in mind, Joba and Aardsma could have more important roles to fill this season than people first realize.

This Is Starting To Get Ridiculous

I know I'm not the only one who's already tired of all this A-Rod future talk, and I really hope I'm not the only one who's starting to get confused by all of it.  I know it's not surprising for a story like this involving Rodriguez to get as much of a media frenzy going as it has, but it's insane how quickly the focus of the story keeps changing.  First it was shock and anger that A-Rod could be stupid enough to do this again and get caught, if he actually did do it that is.  Then it was all talk about voiding the contract, which is probably never going to happen, working a buyout, and/or forcing him to retire.  Now we've moved on to just stating that not only is A-Rod never going to play for the Yankees again, but that he's never going to play baseball again according to this article from today's Daily News.

"According to numerous baseball sources, the hip surgery Rodriguez is now recovering from will likely derail his playing career, leaving him in such a diminished role that he may consider a settlement or an outright retirement. He still has five years and $114 million left on his contract."

Numerous baseball sources, huh?  Do any of these sources have medical degrees or did any of them participate in the surgery?  Because every medical source that's been involved makes it sound like A-Rod is absolutely going to be able come back and play.  And as Matt Imbrogno pointed out yesterday on one of our TYA email chains, a diminished A-Rod is still a pretty productive one compared to league averages for third baseman.

As for the "voiding the contract" talk, can that just be put to bed now?  It's not going to happen.  At all.  The CBA governs all things PED related and has provisions written into it to protect players from having this exact proposed scenario (contract being voided based on PED use) play out.  If the Yankees were smart enough to write language into Alex's contract that gave them a clear cut way out of the deal, we would have heard about it by now.  They don't have a case to be made for voiding the deal, and A-Rod has no reason to voluntarily retire to help the Yankees and 114 million reasons to try to come back.

The best thing the Yankees can hope for, if they really want to rid themselves of Alex, is to negotiate a buyout, try to get it down as much as possible from 100% of the contract value to lessen the payroll hit, collect the 85% insurance, and move on.  Anything other than that basically a pipe dream.

Somebody Get Ian O'Conner A Paddle...

(Sweet shirt, bro.  Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing)

... Because he's fixin' to dish out a written spanking to Alex Rodriguez.  We've been having some fun with the early MSM outcry in response to the latest A-Rod PED story on the AB4AR Facebook Page today, and for my money Ian O'Conner's piece from yesterday takes the cake.  It's a horrifically brilliant combination of moral grandstanding, lazy logic, self-disagreement and contradiction, and regurgitated attempts to state what is already known.  In short, it's a typical "write it as quickly as possible and get it posted so we can get pageviews" ESPN NY Yankee post.

Lowlights after the jump...

Projecting Andy Pettitte

(What can Andy-Wan do in 2013?)

Andy Pettitte's decision to come back for the 2013 season wasn't nearly as dramatic or surprising as his return last season.  He already sounded like he was leaning towards coming back when he said he was going to take some time to think it over, and the Yankees re-signed him to another 1-year deal with little trouble in late November.  Now that it's officially been determined that he won't be participating in the World Baseball Classic, we can start to look forward to what Andy's going to do on the mound for the Yanks in 2013 and for how long he's going to do it.  Pettitte is an important part of the Yankee rotation as the middle link between the rock solid 1-2 starters and the iffy back end, but his age and related injury concerns make him a bit more of a question mark than your average #3 starter.

Along with it being prospect season and still the late part of hot stove season, it's also projection season.  There isn't a whole lot out there on Andy yet, but it's still worth taking a peek to see what kind of production Andy is projected to put up this coming season.

John Sickels Ranks Yankee Farm System 14th In MLB

(Wildcard, bitches!!  Courtesy of Josh Norris)

We're just over a week removed from the AB4AR Top 30, and just over a month removed from John Sickels releasing his Top 20 Yankee prospects with the bulk of prospect ranking season still to come.  Sickels followed up on his individual rankings yesterday with his organizational farm system rankings, and he had the Yankee system coming in 14th out of 30, up from 16th last season.

Not surprisingly, Sickels identified the core of A-ball hitters as the Yankees' biggest strength and their lack of upper-tier pitching prospects as their biggest weakness.  He also continued to paint Rafael DePaula as the key part to determining where the Yankee system could be heading next year, sticking DePaula with the "wildcard" tag he first gave him last month.

A 14th place ranking is right in line with where most people expected the Yankees to fall (10-15), and as was the case with Baseball America's 11th place ranking I believe this is a positive sign for the Yankee system to move up in the overall organizational rankings a year after losing their previous top 2 prospects.  A strong 2013 season for this group could result in a top 5-10 ranking in 2014.

New Report Connects A-Rod To Additional PED Use

(Get ready for more of this.  Courtesy of the AP)

When the 2012 season ended, I said I wasn't going to spend the entire offseason on this blog talking about Alex Rodriguez and what a bum he was, and promised only to write about him in situations where it was warranted. I think this is one of those situations. In a report released today by the Miami News Times, A-Rod's name was included in a group of professional athletes who have been receiving various performance enhancing drugs from Anthony Bosch, currently under investigation by both MLB and the DEA. Written records from the clinic Bosch runs indicate Rodriguez has been receiving PEDs, including HGH, from Bosch from 2009 through last season. What has already been a tumultuous last few seasons for A-Rod, starting with his original PED outing and admission in 2009, is only going to get worse with the release of this new report.