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New York Yankees Hot Stove: What Hot Stove?

Posted by on 22 December 2011, 5:26 am

The silence of this off-season is starting to go from calm to eerie, as the New York Yankees have hardly budged.

Cropped version of original Roy Oswalt photo. ...

Free Agent Pitcher Roy Oswalt - Image via Wikipedia

Other than giving ace CC Sabathia a new contract, almost too efficiently, and inking pitcher Freddy Garcia for another go, nothing has changed.

The necessity for another starting pitcher, as well as another lefty for the bullpen has not disappeared, so why have the Yankees not even been a threat in tackling the free agent market?

Seriously, the Yankees low-balling in the Yu Darvish bidding must have been a joke. As honestly, why even bother submitting a number reported to be under $20 million bucks? Just for giggles?

I get that the payroll is already huge, but this is the Yankees and Sabathia’s raise annually is only a few million, so where did the Cliff Lee money go?

By no means do the Yankees need to hand out a Lee-type contract, and not because of what the free agency lacked but because the team doesn’t need to go that big to improve.

No one is losing sleep over not seeing CJ Wilson or Mark Buehrle in pinstripes, but the fact Yankees have not even contacted Roy Oswalt is alarming.

Oswalt is a 34-year old star with a terrible back injury history. So at the start of the off-season, it came as no shock that not one GM budged when the rumor was Oswalt was looking for a three-year deal.

Well, that is not the case anymore as two-days ago ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted:

Oswalt wants to show his back is healthy, have a big year and go back on the market and try to get a multiyear contract next winter.

Finally, Oswalt had come to his senses and so I waited with anticipation for some Yankees buzzing to start, but nothing.

Oswalt’s agent has even confirmed to ESPN New York that his client was “interested,” in pitching in the Bronx so why have the Yankees have not pounced on this?

Oswalt has an injury history, but so do Garcia and Bartolo Colon so this makes no sense.

Yes, Oswalt would command around $7 million, but the fact he is willing to sign for one-year to “prove himself,” is enough said. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Hot Stove: What Hot Stove?’ »

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New York Yankees: Sabathia To Opt Out Tonight

Posted by on 31 October 2011, 1:15 pm

The latest news is that the New York Yankees have made a new contract offer to ace CC Sabathia.

CC Sabathia

Image via Wikipedia

NY Times David Waldstein got confirmation that the offer was made over the weekend, but the unidentified source would not give specifics.

All MLB player and club options expire at midnight tonight, and according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Sabathia is going to opt-out of the remaining four years and $92 million left on his original seven-year, $161 million contract. Sabathia is going to hit the free agent market.

After talking to some New York fans, all were on board that tacking on more money and years to Sabathia’s contract was the right thing to do.

So, knowing the situation it is easy to presume that the Yankees offer was lucrative.

I know that Sabathia retracted past statements about how he would not opt out, and everyone understands that he should get a new deal with more years etc. I just assumed that if Yankees made an offer, Sabathia would sign on the dotted line.

Where I went wrong was thinking the opting out part would only be exercised if the Yankees were being stubborn. And why wouldn’t I after listening to Sabathia state how much he loves New York, the fans, and blah-blah-blah. It seemed exercising the opt out would be Sabathia’s last straw. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Sabathia To Opt Out Tonight’ »

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New York Yankees Rumors: Go To Starbucks And CC Sabathia To The Phillies

Posted by on 28 June 2011, 9:38 pm

Every afternoon, I hit up Starbucks for my midday coffee fix and today was no different.

As I waited for my triple-skim-grande-wet cappuccino with an extra shot, the part time manager was behind the machines and he happens to be a huge Seattle Mariners fan, as well as a stats guru.

Having our normal banter, I told him how good young ace Michael Pineda looked and was surprised that he had no innings limit for the rest of 2011.

Also, I said that in if Seattle could trade for a legit, big bat they could win the AL West. He agreed completely, but was happy that I took notice.

As he handed me my drink, we are going back and forth about pitching, he remark about how stellar CC Sabathia has been. I concurred, and went on to ramble about how lucky the Yankees were to have Sabathia.

That is until I heard this angry voice behind me say, “Sabathia is not a good pitcher, not even close.”

In complete shock I spun around to see a larger woman glaring at me with a Philadelphia Phillies lanyard around her neck.

Rarely am I ever at a loss for words, but in this instance I froze. The woman didn’t stop, as she continued on her crusade.

“Sabathia stinks in the Post Season, like he did in 2009. He is not good at all.”

My shock quickly turned to anger, “Do you not remember 2009??? FYI.. Your Phillies are not the ones with the World Series rings.”

Not responding to my question, this Philly fan went on a tangent, “Sabathia is gone after this year anyway because he is going to become a free agent and go elsewhere. He wants to leave too for more money.” Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Rumors: Go To Starbucks And CC Sabathia To The Phillies’ »

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The New York Yankees Are Not That Old

Posted by on 16 May 2011, 3:44 pm

It has not been a fun home stand in the Bronx for the New York Yankees, as the Boston Red Sox swept them and makes that a five ‘L’s’ in a row for the stumbling Bombers.

This happens every season, but the sting stays consistent as fans wonder if this might never end, but it will.

Add the Jorge Posada drama that was just sad, selfish but certainly very human as we can all relate to his situation in some sense.

Everyone from ESPN to the NY Post to the Boston Globe has turned on the Yankees already, capitalizing off a team and stirring up chaos for their own benefit.

The reference that is becoming a broken record is the age of the Yankee players and the toll it is taking on the team. I get that age as a professional athlete does take its toll but the media is acting like the Stadium is a nursing home and the player are in depends getting rolled onto the field.

So, I made a short list of the in-field players of the Yankees, Red Sox and the Phillies because they also make up each team’s daily batting line-ups.

I didn’t include pitching because Mariano Rivera defies all odds and older pitchers can still be effective. All around the majors pitching is dominating hitting so it just makes sense.

Shockingly the Yankees have lowest average age of the three power line-ups, not by much but you would never know it from the way they are portrayed.

Recall when Cliff Lee said he signed with the Phillies because the Yankees were getting too old, but obviously he must have failed math class.

What really got my blood boiling was one particular article, written by Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe, called Yankees: Start to finished.  Mr. Silverman is making big proclamations and he portrayed the Yankees in such a demeaning way that I can’t tell if he is delusional or scared.

Mr. Silverman pitching stats are outdated as the Rays took a beating from the Orioles 9-3, so how relevant can his opinion really be.

Opinions please???

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2011 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers

Posted by on 15 March 2011, 1:09 am

There were a lot of ‘firsts’ for the Texas Rangers in 2010.

The team won their first post-season berth, played in their first World Series and for the first time are the reigning AL Champions.

Expectations have certainly gone up for the Rangers heading into 2011, as both the fans and the players got a taste of what it takes to get to the World Series only to lose.

The opportunity to highlight a reputation as one of the best teams in baseball is now deep in the heart of Texas. Let’s take a look at the AL Champs as they try to do it all over again.

The Positives:

The Rangers can hit lead by Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, who all had a batting average above .280, which is not a great stat, as it doesn’t really tell the whole story. Still the Rangers offense can produce big time and will have too.

Also, Rangers rookie Neftali Feliz emerged as one of the best closers in baseball in 2010. At just 22 years old, Feliz had 40 saves and proved to not break under pressure in the post season. Feliz is an asset for the Rangers for years to come.

Leading the rotation are starting pitchers CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis, who both proved to be solid starters at the end of last season. The stuff is there for both and they can both eat 200+ innings in 2011.

Following Wilson and Colby is a new addition, former CY Young winner Brandon Webb. Webb is coming off a major arm trouble could really help the Rangers rotation if he stays healthy. Webb hasn’t pitched in the majors in two years, but so far so good in Spring Training.

Things internally were on shaky ground for the first half of the season, until Nolan Ryan took control of the team. Ryan was one of the best pitchers in baseball back in his heyday. You could not ask for a better owner and Ryan can provide experience to a team who is not used to having success.

The Negatives:

The Rangers lost their ace Cliff Lee, who only brought his talents for second-half of last season. That was long enough for Lee to make a huge difference. Trying to make up for the loss of Lee is no easy task and the Rangers will be noticeably hurt by his absence. Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers’ »

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New York Yankees: Cliff Lee’s Just Not That Into You

Posted by on 12 March 2011, 2:06 am

First off let’s make one thing clear, Cliff Lee is not some kind of hero.

As everyone knows, Lee was the most coveted free agent on the market this off-season and he choose to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

This past Thursday, Lee made some bold and stupid comments during a radio interview on CBS Philadelphia 610WIP Sports Radio about what factored in the process, who came in second and third and why Philly will win him multiple rings.

Click on link below to listen to Lee’s interview:

Cliff Lee talks with Angelo Cataldi – March 10, 2011

WHY LEE NEEDS TO GET FACTS STRAIGHT:

Look, I could really go into details about this entire interview but those would be more opinions vs. opinions.

What I could not let slip by was how Lee answered this question below, with my reasons for being angry following.

601WIP SPORTS RADIO: “Who finished second?’

LEE: “Texas probably finished second to be honest with you. Just as far as the quality of the team and the chance to win a World Series ring, I think they’re a better team. That’s just my opinion. The Yankees can do anything at any moment to improve and they’re not afraid to go do things. That was part of the decision making process too, but I felt like with what the Red Sox had done and it seems like some of the Yankee guys are getting older, but I liked the Rangers.”

I guess Lee didn’t realize that Philadelphia is the oldest club in all of baseball with an average of 28.7 years old, while the Yankees average is an almost a year younger. Ooooppps.

What did the Red Sox do that puts them ahead of New York?

Boston filled holes where the Yankees were better. Starting with matching Mark Teixeira by getting Adrian Gonzalez and than signing Carl Crawford to make the outfield as good as the Yankees trio Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher.

So, could someone tell me what Lee is referring too in his answer?

Pitching-wise both Boston and New York have unsettling back ends of their rotations. The Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball with Soriano, Mariano, Feliciano, Joba and Robertson. The Red Sox have a solid group in relief too, but not as good because closer Jonathan Papelbon still remains a question after not being dominate the last two seasons.

Hitting-wise both the Red Sox and Yankees have heavy hitting line-ups that ooze with talent. Is one better than the other is too hard to tell because both can be equally as lethal.

Oh and maybe Lee didn’t know that the Yankees have some of the best young pitching prospects in baseball. If they continue developing at this rate, the youngsters will bring many more rings to the Bronx.

Regarding Texas as being a better team than New York is ridiculous. Lee cannot be basing this on one series where the Yankees played like crap. Look it is no excuse as a game is a game, but fact is New York lost the 2010 ALCS.

So, could someone please explain who is giving Lee his facts? Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Cliff Lee’s Just Not That Into You’ »

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C70 At Bat Series ‘Playing Peppers: 2011 New York Yankees’

Posted by on 11 March 2011, 7:17 am

Lady Loves Pinstripes took part in Playing Peppers 2011 New York Yankees, which is an annual featured series over at C70 At Bat.

What is Playing Peppers? Here is the description directly from Daniel who runs the popular baseball site C70 At Bat, which is a must go visit for any baseball fan.

Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it’s time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Here is the intro to Playing Peppers 2011 New York Yankees, which lists all the participants and their great baseball blogs that are definitely worth a look:

If you ever want to get a strong opinion, toss out the word “Yankees” to a group of baseball fans.  Some may love them, some may hate them, but all of them have some sort of feeling about them.

The tradition and history of the Yankees appeals to a lot of people, while their checkbook baseball (or at least, that perception) turns off just as many.  So, what’s the one good thing about the biggest team in the biggest market?  There are a lot of great bloggers to tap.

Kate Conroy writes for the blog Lady Loves Pinstripes.  You can find her thoughts over there or follow her on Twitter or Facebook to get a different perspective on the Yanks.

Gregg Snyder, Jr. pens Double G Sports, which not only covers the Yankees but also other New York sporting teams, both professional and college.  Keep up with him on Twitter as well as Facebook, or give a listen to his regular Blog Talk Radio show.

Yanks Go Yard is written by Andrew Corselli as part of the FanSided network.  You can find him over on Twitter as well.

Even if you don’t like the Bronx Bombers, stick around through the jump as we discuss what their biggest weakness is in 2011.

C70: What is your opinion of the Yankees off-season?

LLP: The Yankees off-season was a media circus. Between Derek Jeter‘s contract negotiations to Cliff Lee going to the Phillies to Andy Pettitte retiring, the Yankees just couldn’t get a break. Then the team signs the best closer in the American League, maybe in baseball and there is a public disagreement between GM and owners. Looking back, it was actually refreshing for me as a fan to see my Yankees get a reality check. It broke my heart at times, but the team is so blessed already and I think as a whole Yankee Universe is better for it. Continue reading ‘C70 At Bat Series ‘Playing Peppers: 2011 New York Yankees’’ »

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