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New York Yankees Hot Stove: Happy New Year You Cheapskates?

Posted by on 30 December 2011, 1:17 am

Cheapskates? Or Victims?

At the start of the 2012 off-season the New York Yankees brass turned reformed savvy shoppers?

The Yankee and cheapskates… it just sounded wrong. And guess what, it just might be.

In actuality, MLB’s new collective bargaining agreement could be a bigger influence behind this thrifty transformation in the Bronx.

See, the Yankees have to pay a 40% tax rate on any money that exceeds MLB’s payroll maximum, which now sits at $178 million. So for 2011, the Yankees will be writing a check for $13.9 million, a franchise low since 2003.

Under the new CBA any team that chooses to overspend year after year will be penalized.

This means the Yankees tax rate will jump to 42.5% in 2012, and 50% in 2013; but the kicker is when overspending teams manage to drop below the set payroll it cuts their respective tax rate by 17.5%.

The league-wide payroll most will stay at $178 million through 2013, but jumps to $189 million for the following three years.

This puts a damper on GM Brian Cashman’s offseason plans, as it seems the baby Stein’s will never be reckless as papa-Boss, but with a current payroll north of $215 million can you blame them?

So is this the post-Boss-era essentially a travesty or are Hank and Hal changing the mantra of winning first?

New Year = New Yankees?

The MLB offseason is baseball’s equivalent to a New Year, as it allows changes to be made, and with any luck for teams to get better.

Inevitably, rules and finances do force teams to look in all directions of how to make these improvements happen.

Certain teams rely on spending cash, others exploit trades and some cultivate the draft.

It is no secret that the Yankees are baseball’s shopaholics, but the new rules implemented even make a big spender, like New York pull in their spending reins.

This sort-of explains why the Yankees have done zilch this offseason, but it also doesn’t.

See, GM Brian Cashman has spent the last few years turning an almost obsolete farm system into one of baseball’s best, so why not dip into the honey jar? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: Happy New Year You Cheapskates?’ »

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New York Yankees: Opting In Or Optioned Out

Posted by on 20 October 2011, 2:34 am

OPTING IN:

Ben Nicholson-Smith at MLBTradeRumors.com has reported that New York Yankees reliever Rafael Soriano has no plans on using his contract’s opt-out clause.

Not officially confirmed, according to ESPN New York, but there is no reservation that Soriano will play out the 2-years left on his contract, which earns him a $25 million paycheck.

In his first season with the Yankees, Soriano pitched just shy of 40 innings, posting an ERA of 4.12, with 36 strikeouts, 18 earned runs, four home-runs and 18 walks.

Those numbers are not reflective of how Soriano did after he returned from a two-month long DL stint after the All-Star break. In August and September, Soriano showed signs of the 2010 pitcher that led the AL with 49 saves. He pitched 24 innings, fanned 26 batters and his strikeout per nine-innings went from 6.0 in the first-half to 9.6 in the second.

Considering Soriano agreed to take a demoted role to come to New York, and the attitude he displayed in beginning of the 2011 season was certainly not there in the end. The extraordinary amount of money the Yankees are tied to with Soriano is definitely a good reason to stay too, but I think this partnership will continue to get better and be viewed as a success when done. 

Soriano-Robertson-Mariano was a great late inning threesome, and with Joba Chamberlain returning from Tommy John surgery in 2012, the Yankees bullpen should be tops in baseball once again. And if the latest post season tells baseball fans anything, it is that the role of the bullpen is no longer an unheeded group, but a pivotal one.

OPTIONED OUT: Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Opting In Or Optioned Out’ »

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New York Yankee Rumors: Righty Prospect Who Can Fan Lefties

Posted by on 24 June 2011, 4:28 am

The New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has some work to do, but not as much as initially thought but he might not have to go to far to do it.

Other than skipping Brian Gordon’s next start, the need for a starting pitcher will be filled when Bartolo Colon and Phil Hughes return; and if all goes well that will be before the All-Star Break.

So, looking at the team the obvious problem is the lefty reliever Boone Logan can’t get batters out. Logan is currently the only left-arm in the bullpen, but what good is having a specialist who lacks a forte?

Lefty-arms are coveted in the world of pitching for obvious reasons; they are are less of them in existence.

Like any MLB skipper, Joe Girardi yearns for a reliable lefty specialist. The guy that can get one or two outs in the eighth inning and preserve a one-run game before handing the ball the great Mariano Rivera in the ninth.

Right now this is a luxury that Girardi doesn’t have, but certainly one he will need with more than half the season to still play.

You might be wondering how this relates to prospect Dellin Betances, who currently takes the bump in Double-A for the Trenton Thunder and throws right?

My answer is because Betances could be that guy for Girardi to call on, and the proof is in his numbers.

WHY BETANCES?

Betances might not throw with his left arm, but when facing them he has an ERA of 1.09 this season.

In just shy of 25 innings pitched, Betances has held left-handed batters to .191 average, giving up two home-runs, three earned-run, while striking out 28.

To make it easier, below are Betances split stats from MILB.com from this season:

Betances stats against lefties are solid, and even though the information is limited it is still accurate.

One thing I noticed was Betances’ 2.91 GO/AO vs. lefties, as it is almost double in comparison to vs. righties.

What is GO/AO?

GO/AO stands for Ground Ball/Fly Ball Ratio (also denoted by G/F) represents how often a pitcher gets batters out on ground balls versus fly balls; formula: (ground outs) / (fly outs).

To put it in perspective, Rivera currently has a 2.33 GO/AO; David Robertson posts a 2.09 and Joba Chamberlain’s GO/AO before he got sidelined was a 3.64.

Another asset of Betances is his mound presence, and particularly smooth delivery for someone who stands at 6’8.

Without question his best pitch is a fastball that averages 95mph, but he easily knocks it up to 96-98 mph. Betances throws his fastball with complete confidence, and has no problem using it as his out pitch.

Betances, also has a wicked mid-80’s curve-ball, which dips late and gets a batter to swing…that is when he is focused. He has been known to get lazy when delivering and you have to finish strong in order for a curve to be effective.

The last in Betances arsenal is a change-up that clocks around the low 80’s, but as time goes on it is getting closer to becoming a plus pitch.

Pitchers who have Betances height have to work harder than the average because they can get Gumby-like and their mechanics look unnatural, hindering their delivery. Continue reading ‘New York Yankee Rumors: Righty Prospect Who Can Fan Lefties’ »

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MLB Trade Rumors: Adios Boone Logan Hello Hughes, K-Rod Or Lil Manny

Posted by on 22 June 2011, 3:41 am

MLB’s trade deadline is creeping up fast and the New York Yankees, like most teams need to remedy a few ills before the clock runs out on July 31st.

The Yankees are not in dire need for a starter much to the dismay of the sports media/Yankee-Haters. Even though the Bombers are riddled with injuries they continue to win and hopefully this will avoid any desperate move to deal one of out talented prospects, but don’t hold me to that.

Shockingly the Yankees biggest problem started out as the team’s biggest strength and vice versa. As the bullpen fell apart, while the starting rotation has been unbelievable.

The bullpen still has the greatest closer in MLB history, Mariano Rivera who already has 18 saves and is defying all odds at 41 years old.

Setting up for Mo is David Robertson, who has literally been a savior especially after Joba Chamberlain went down. Robertson is posting 47 strikeouts, with a 1.23 ERA and has isolated 19 of 25 collected base runners, in just shy 30 innings pitched.

These two are obviously not the problem, but lefty Boone Logan is a big one.

Bottom line is Logan not getting the job done as the sole LOOGY (Left Only One Out Guy) in the Yankees bullpen.

Logan is not on the roster by choice, but by chance and he is only getting worse. Logan’s 3.94 ERA is masking how bad he has been this season. He has allowed 16 hits, seven earned runs, one home-run, eight walks, pitching 16 innings and facing 25 batters in total.

In his latest outing, Logan threw just one pitch that plunked Reds Joey Votto in the back, leaving skipper Joe Girardi little choice but remove him.

The last thing any team can afford is a relief pitcher that jeopardizes winning games and that is Logan in a nutshell. He has to go, where doesn’t matter as much as when. As the last thing the Yankees need is Kyle Farnsworth part two.

THE POSSIBILITIES:

Well, the overall trade market looks limited this season, as there are a lot more teams still in playoff contention. Even the long shots that are flirting with collapse are not throwing in the towel just yet.

The go-to teams of the last two seasons, like the Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals are all still in contention in the race for October.

The New York Mets are listening to offers, as they have the talent and need to slice some money off their high payroll but my guess is that they would rather pay-up than help the Yankees get better.

Mets fans have redefined being out through the ringer, and I trust the new Mets brass is well aware of this. So, don’t totally get your hopes up for K-rod, but removing the $18 million he is owed in 2010 is going to make it tempting for GM Sandy Alderson to move him. Continue reading ‘MLB Trade Rumors: Adios Boone Logan Hello Hughes, K-Rod Or Lil Manny’ »

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New York Yankees: The Cashman Rules

Posted by on 15 June 2011, 7:02 am

HISTORY OF THE “RULES”:

It would be almost impossible for any New York Yankees fan to forget about the infamous “Joba Rules” and “Hughes Rules”.

GM Brian Cashman gave the impression that these rules were set guidelines for rookie pitchers Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, with the intent to make their transition’s smooth, while allowing them to develop efficiently to elude injuries.

It definitely included a fixed innings limit, but my doubts started when Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News reported that neither Cashman, nor skipper Joe Girardi would confirm the number of innings Joba was allowed to pitch in 2009.

Ackert’s closing line was: There were no real answers coming from the Yankees Thursday. “You’ll have to stay tuned,” Cashman, said.

From what I saw neither Joba nor Hughes ever was allowed to pitch pass the fifth or sixth innings due to these supposed limitations, regardless of how either was pitching that day.

Another pattern that formed was if either Joba or Hughes got into trouble early in a game, they were immediately yanked and what I thought the majority of the time was too soon.

Experiencing failures is what builds character, grows confidence; not babying the person who makes the mess by having someone else clean it up every time.

Looking back, all the fuss was more for the Yankees who constantly did what they perceived good for the team, not what was best for the Joba or Hughes, and you can also add Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy to the list.

Kennedy was traded because they Yankees grew unfairly impatient and now they are kicking themselves because Kennedy star is now shining brightly.

PROOF IS IN THE RESULTS:

How are Kennedy, Joba and Hughes doing today?

Ian Kennedy was traded in December of 2009 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the three-team Curtis Granderson deal. Kennedy is having a career year, posting a 7-2, with a 3,23 ERA, threw a complete game and has gone 100 innings in total over 14 starts. He is finally turning into the pitcher the Yankees were hoping to see, but impatience got in the way of growth and the D-backs are the recipients.

Phil Hughes was stellar in 2009 coming out of the bullpen, playing a big part the team’s success. In 2010, Hughes won a spot back in the rotation, went on the win 18 games and named to his first All-Star team. Following playing in the 2010 All-Star Game, Hughes started to decline in the second-half of the season, but that he got more run support than any other MLB starter covered up just how bad it was. This season, Hughes couldn’t hide his lack of speed and control any longer. In three starts he went 0-1, with an ERA of 13.94, with just three strikeouts and batters were hitting just shy of .400 against him. Since, Hughes has been on the DL in hopes of waking-up what has been diagnosed as a “dead arm.” Whether Hughes can be effective is TBD.

Joba Chamberlain went from struggling as starter into the bullpen in 2011, where he was kicking butt posting a 2-0 record, with an ERA of 2.83 in 27 appearances. Suffering from some what was thought to be mild elbow discomfort, a pre-cautionary MRI revealed he needed Tommy John surgery. Joba won’t be pitch till about two months into 2012 season. This was a huge blow for the Yankees, who have the majority of the bullpen on the DL already.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW:

Upon hearing of Joba’s bad news a week ago, only leads to the fact that innings limits should be thrown out the window. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: The Cashman Rules’ »

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Home-Stand From Hell: Injury Update On New York Yankees Captain

Posted by on 14 June 2011, 3:39 am

The New York Yankees home-stand nightmare continued on Monday night in the fifth inning.

On a hit fly out, Captain Derek Jeter suffered obvious calf pain in his right leg as he was running out of the batter’s box. Jeter immediately went straight down the stairs into the clubhouse with the Yankees trainer, Gene Monahan and that was enough to send Yankee Universe into panic mode.

Now, Mark Feinstein at the NY Daily News and Reuters Newswire are reporting that the MRI results are confirming that Jeter has a Grade I calf strain.

Earlier in the first inning, Jeter got a hit, moving him just six shy of making history as the first New York Yankee to ever reach 3000 hits and 28th in the history of the game.

Jeter and Yankee fans were hoping to see the Captain accomplish this moment at home. Before the injury Jeter had the remainder of Monday’s 1-0 loss against the Cleveland Indians, as well as a three-game set against the Texas Rangers to try and do this at home, in New York.

My guess is Jeter will not play in the Rangers series at all, but could be back in the Yankees line-up in a week.

How do I know this?

I don’t; and I am absolutely NOT asserting otherwise regarding Jeter’s condition, other than it is a Grade I calf strain and I wanted to learn about it.

Still, it is the Captain so I did some research on the web to find out what and how severe this injury can be regarding limiting of activity etc.

Here are two must-reads, which helped me attempt to remotely understand what is going on with the Captain:

First checkout, Dr. Jonathan Cluett, a top orthopedic surgeon’s article on About.com called Calf Strain – - A Common Sports Injury that gives a complete rundown of typical calf strain. Dr. Cluett defines a Grade I, which is what Jeter was diagnosed with as:

Grade I Calf Strain: Mild discomfort, often-minimal disability. Usually minimal or no limits to activity.

Second, I went to the Hospital For Special Surgery’s website, as the doctors for most pro-teams reside there.

I found that this 2010 article, Muscle Injuries: An Overview by Lawrence V. Gulotta, MD, gave a more detailed explanation of strains and here is his definition of Jeter’s type of diagnosis:

Grade 1: Mild damage to individual muscle fibers (less than 5% of fibers) that causes minimal loss of strength and motion. These injuries generally take about 2-3 weeks to improve.

Who knows if this correlates at all to Jeter’s injury, but it looks as if the Captain will miss some games but he is said to be getting reevaluated Tuesday morning, so more will be shared after that. Continue reading ‘Home-Stand From Hell: Injury Update On New York Yankees Captain’ »

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New York Yankees: Can CC Sabathia Beat Josh Beckett? Please.

Posted by on 9 June 2011, 4:31 am

Returning home is supposed to be a good thing, right?

At least I thought so, especially when your home is called Yankee Stadium.

Well, someone might want to send that memo to Yankees skipper Joe Girardi so he can inform his players.

Preferably before Thursday night, as the Boston Red Sox will be looking to sweep the Yankees after winning the first two games 6-4 an 11-5 respectively.

One thing is for sure; the Red Sox certainly look right at home in the Bronx, as they have a 7-1 record against New York so far in 2011 and have own five in row as the visitors.

NYY CC Sabathia (8-1, 2.80 ERA) vs. BOS Josh Beckett (5-0, 2.01 ERA)

The two aces, CC Sabathia and Josh Becket will take the hill in the closing game Thursday night.

Beckett is back to his winning ways this season, as the Yankees and Sabathia have fallen victim the two times they have faced him.

How bad was the thrashing Beckett gave the Yankees in just two starts?

Well, he posts a 1.92 ERA, allowing zero runs to score, while striking out 19, issuing just three walks, six hits, and has pitched over 14 innings. Basically, the definition of a Boston fan’s wet dream and Beckett did it twice.

Career-wise, Sabathia is an overall better pitcher than Beckett but this season the Yankees seem to cave at the sight of the Red Sox.

Scary to think that the team has the most RBIs and home-runs in all of baseball but can’t muster up enough power to beat Tim Wakefield. To me, the above translates into Sabathia having to be perfect.

Look, we know this is why Sabathia is the team’s ace, but without any run support against this Red Sox line-up, the Yankees will not be putting one on the left side Thursday night. This is almost a guarantee if the Yankees continue to play like this, even with the dominating Sabathia on the mound.

MY PREDICTION:

The Red Sox sweep the Yankees, winning this game 6-2.

As much as I want to choose the Yankees to win this game, the confidence is not there and why should it be?

I do not think Boston is a superior team overall, but against the Yankees they certainly look like it.

No matter if there were actually two Big Papi jerseys buried under the new Stadium, the Yankees look of panic against the Red Sox is very unnerving to watch.

I don’t care what the Yankees reason is because whatever damage is already done. So the time is now, and I mean Thursday night now, to finally cease this Boston bullshit.

A team cannot behave in this manner in front of their own fans, in their own home, against their biggest rivals. It is unacceptable and pathetic from a Yankees team this talented.

Please know that I have no problem with the Yankees proving me wrong here, while getting back into a first place tie with a win, but right now the odds are not in favor of that happening.

“Every hitter likes fastballs, just like everybody likes ice cream.  But you don’t like it when someone’s stuffing it into you by the gallon.  That’s what it feels like when Nolan Ryan’s thrown balls by you.” ~Reggie Jackson

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