The New York Yankees make a couple of big trades

The New York Yankees have been quiet in the free agent market this offseason but that doesn't mean they have been quiet.  They have made a couple of big offseason trades.  The first one was to get their second baseman, they traded Adam Warren and a PTBNL that became Brendan Ryan for Starlin Castro.  Castro was expendable to the Cubs because of the younger prospects they had coming up Addison Russell who took his SS job and by signing Ben Zobrist to play second.  Castro has been in the majors for six years and been a 3X all star.  He is only 26 years old and fits the mold of what the Yankees want, young athletic players.  He has a contract but it is reasonable. 

He is a guy who struggled a lot of last year but really took off when he was moved to second base.  He should stabalize the position for sure and allow Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder to be more of  platoon players and backups in case of injury.  It will be very fun to watch Castro and Gregorius team up for years to come as the double play combo for the New York Yankees.  Castro also in being a Yankee won't have to be the main guy like he was counted on for so long in Chicago and I think that will help him.  I could see him hitting 28-290 with some more power then he has shown in the past and solid defense at second base.  He has the potential to be an all star 2B and the Yankees will be thrilled if that does happen. 

The Yankees made an even bigger deal before the holidays in landing all star closer Aroldis Chapman.  They traded away four minor leaguers to get him.  Rookie Davis and Eric Jagielo and then Tony Renda and Caleb Cotham.  This was a really good deal for the Yankees and the price dropped considerably because of the domestic abuse investigation Chapman is going through.  It is expected that he will serve some type of suspension to start next season but probably not a really long one.  If he does serve more than 42 days the Yankees would get him an extra year as he is currently able to become a free agent after this season.  If the Yankees hold on to Andrew Miller this will form arguably the best bullpen in the history of baseball.  The Yankees have Miller, Chapman and Dellin Betances who were the only three relievers in all of MLB last season to record 100+ strikeouts.  They also are the three leading K/9 inning guys in all of baseball.  The starters go six innings and the game is pretty much over, maybe even 5+ in some cases.  It should be a real treat to see the back end of this bullpen close out games for now and maybe a few years to come. 

The Yankees also made a minor trade, sending Justin Wilson to the Detroit Tigers for a couple of minor league pitchers who will add depth to AAA and possibly be in line to spot start this season if any injuries occur.  We will wait and see on that but at least it adds depth and now with Chapman in the mix the Yankees definitely didn't hurt their bullpen.  It will also allow guys like James Pazos and Jacob Lindgren two young homegrown relievers to have a shot in the bullpen this upcoming season. 

New York Yankees Winter Meetings recap

The 2015 MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone this past week.  There was a flurry of activity including a lot of rumors as always.  The Yankees were busy as well, they weren't left out although they aren't being the old Yankees by going out and throwing money around to high priced free agents.  They did make a couple of trades during the winter meetings which got them younger to add to a trade they made earlier in the off-season. 

The Yankees traded swingman Adam Warren and  PTBNL which is expected to be backup SS Brendan Ryan for 2B and backup SS Starlin Castro.  The Yankees were trying to get him as far back as last July and were able to acquire him after the Chicago Cubs signed Ben Zobrist to be their new 2B.  Castro is just 25 years old and will be 26 during next season.  He has played six seasons in the major leagues already and is a 3X All Star.  He had a down year last year but was moving off of his SS position and to be fair he was much better once he switched to 2B.  He has a lot of talent and he still hit 265 last season, Yankees 2B last season hit a combined 222.  Castro defense has been much better at 2B, he is a young, athletic and exciting player that is a career 281 hitter with a 725 OPS.  It would appear that the Yankees have definitely upgraded at 2B.  Rob Refsnyder will now either be traded or be AAA dept.  Dustin Ackley can be more of a super utility guy now which is good and Castro will also be the backup SS for when Didi Gregorius needs some time off. 

The other move that the Yankees made was kind of curious.  They traded left handed reliever and seventh inning guy Justin Wilson to the Detroit Tigers for two minor league starting pitchers.  The Yankees state that they need more upper level pitching depth but I wonder if there is more to come after this.  The pitchers that the Yankees picked up were Luis Cessa and Chad Green.  The truth is Wilson was good but he did walk too many guys and the Yankees do have young replacements such as Jacob Lindgren or James Pazos that could step in and take his spot. 

I am sure the Yankees aren't done and I am sure the bullpen will be fine as long as they keep Betances and Miller for the last couple of innings.  They do need some more depth in the starting rotation though.  It has the potential to be good but there are just too many question marks with Tanaka, Sabathia, Pineda.  I am sure having Severino for a full season will help and Eovaldi is good but the first three aren't very durable.  If they are the Yankees can probably win the division or at least be one of the wild cards again and may be better off this year, they are not a finished product though and let's see what they do the rest of the winter. 

New York Yankees full squad news and notes

The New York Yankees camp is in full swing now as the position players have reported.  Alex Rodriguez being down there two days early helped as Wednesday wasn't too bad and Thursday when they had their first official workout wasn't so bad either.  Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi are tired of answering questions about  him but that will continue at least for a while. 

The main topic on the first day was of course Rodriguez.  Mark Teixeira may know him best of all the teammates, they were first teammates in Texas and now have been in New York for a few years.  Here is some of what he had to say yesterday about Rodriguez.  He was asked if Rodriguez has changed and said that is a tough question to answer.  He said I don't know he is the same guy I have known a long time.  He said in 2009 it was the same circumstances and had a great year.  He did a great job of putting it behind him and playing baseball.  He said the entire job did a good job of putting it behind them and that is what Teixeira expects this year. 

He said the difference between the two is Teixeira wasn't well past his surgery last year like Rodriguez is this year.  He is not in rehab mode and I think he feels pretty good Teixeira said.  Teixeira said the last thing to come as a power hitter is the carry.  Teixeira was asked about the state of the game with PEDS and said he thinks it is better than ever.  He said when he came up in 2003 there was weird testing and you could still do it and have no penalty.  He said he has been outspoken about the users and he doesn't like it.  He said though if you are willing to take the chance then you have to look in the mirror.  He said it is what it is, there will always be someone trying to cheat.  He said it is like in school you worked hard and got a B and someone else cheated and got an A, nothing you can do about it.  He said a lot of people make bad decisions but that doesn't mean they are a bad person.  He said Rodriguez is not a bad person, he has just made some bad decisions. 

Larry Rothschild brought up the idea of six starters again even though it was overshadowed by Arod.  Brian Cashman said we will see how realistic it is, he said in a perfect world it makes sense but first they have to get five starters.  Masahiro Tanaka threw another bullpen, this one was forty pitches.  Joe Girardi said it was very good that he threw all of his pitches.  He said the arm strength looks good and they will continue to move him along and get him ready for a game.  Girardi said they don't know when he will get him in a game but they will get him ready for that. 

Jacoby Ellsbury said he will hit anywhere in the lineup and Girardi gave no real indication of his plans for the lineup.  I would expect Ellsbury and Brett Gardner to be 1 and 2 in the lineup and that is how I feel it should be.  Girardi said they have thrown around ideas but it is too early to decide on a lineup.  The Yankees had a meeting before their first full squad workout and it doesn't appear Rodriguez spoke but so far so good with his interactions with the fans, media and teammates.  Rodriguez go this first baseman's glove but hasn't started breaking it in yet.  Rodriguez actually did play a little first on Friday but basically just flipping to pitchers when they were working on covering first base.  He did take some more BP and looked better today than he has since he got there according to the reports. 

The Yankees had photo day on Friday.  Luis Severino the top pitcher faced top prospect Aaron Judge in live batting practice on Friday.  That drew a lot of attention and Severino struck him out.  Severino was one of some impressive pitching in the back field.  Nathan Eovaldi split innings with Severino and Jacob Lindgren and Branden Pinder came out for an inning a piece.  The four hard throwers faced Judge, Kyle Roller, Jake Cave and Tyler Austin.  Cave was impressed by Severino but said that he is always impressive. 

The Yankees have their first injury of the spring.  Brendan Ryan will miss about five days because of a mild strain in his back.  He hurt himself lifting weights before reporting to camp.  CC Sabathia threw a bullpen on Friday and has been wearing a protective brace on his knee.  The Yankees are moving slowly due to that knee injury with Sabathia.  Girardi said they have plenty of time and they don't have to rush him.  Girardi said he will wait until Saturday to announce his starters for the first few games of the grapefruit league next week.  It is being speculated that Adam Warren will start the opener on Tuesday.  The Yankees are scheduled for an intrasquad game on Sunday and a light day on Monday before the spring opener on Tuesday.  Teixeira and Beltran have made a strong impression so far by the way they reported to camp which is a good sign, we will see if they can stay healthy though and then they should be productive.  The Yankees were also very impressed with Severino and his sim game on Friday.  Girardi said " Young kid with a great arm."  He said he has a good slider and changeup and it is something to get excited about.  Eovaldi had a two inning simulated game and Girardi was happy with that.  He said "Really good stuff, Powerful arm."  It is interesting and fun with all the young kids in camp and they are generating buzz which is good for the Yankees.  They have been a older veteran team for a while and it is good to see them try to get younger and develop the next wave of homegrown stars. 

A quiet day turned not so quiet in New York Yankees camp

It started out as a normal Monday morning during pitchers and catchers.  There wasn't too much going on, the biggest thing was going to be Luis Severino facing hitters.  Then the news broke this morning that the Boston Red Sox signed Yoan Moncada.  Then if that wasn't enough around 11:00AM who showed up but none other than Alex Rodriguez to take his physical and then to head over to the minor league complex to have a workout.  It was a crazy day for sure in Tampa. 

The Yankees did make a 25 million dollar offer to Moncada but they really didn't want to budge off of that.  They said they would go to 27 million if he would sign and from the reports it sounded like Brian Cashman the GM was pushing for him but the owner Hal Steinbrenner said no.  The Red Sox ultimately bid 31.5 or around there and got him.  The thing about him is he is so young and will be in the minors for a couple of years most likely.  He also costs double do to the tax most teams would have to pay on him.  Moncada liked the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres equally and it was going to come down to who bid the highest and everyone started at 25 million of those teams.  I think he would of been a good fit on the Yankees and don't see a really good fit for Boston but they ended up getting him and we will see in the future how that works out. 

Alex Rodriguez was of course the main story of the day.  He showed up took his physical and then had an hour workout at the minor league complex.  He started out throwing around a medicine ball, he took some grounders at third base and took 70 swings and hit six homeruns if you care about that stuff.  Yes there were people keeping track.  He then posed for pictures and signed autographs with all the fans and spoke to the media for around eight minutes.  Here is some of what he had to say. 

Arod said he is still training to play 3B even with the presence of Chase Headley.  He said "I think Chase is an excellent addition to our team,"  Rodriguez said.  "We had a nice conversation a little bit ago.  Talked about winning, talked about how great it is to play in New York, in front of the greatest fans.  Talked about the Stadium.  I'm looking forward to being his teammate." 

He didn't take any groundballs on the right side of the infield but did say he was open to playing 1B if he was asked.  He said whatever Joe wants him to do he will do.  He said he felt very welcomed and that he has strong relationships in the locker room.  As for any lingering bad feelings he said. " I created a big headache for a lot of people."  He said he still thinks he can play third base.  He said he will still be productive as long as he is healthy and said flatly that he isn't currently taking any illegal substance. 

He said, "No mistake that I made has a good answer, or no justification, and that's on me.  I've dug a big hole for myself and paid a price.  I'm fortunate for a lot of people, especially the commissioner's office, the players union, the Yankees, to give me an opportunity to play the game that I love."

I would say it went pretty well for him arriving and having the media storm.  I think it was a good idea for him to arrive early.  There will probably be a large crowd tomorrow and every day for a while but he got the questions out of the way and the shock of him showing up out of the way and now he can just go to work.  If he keeps his mouth shut and stays clean eventually all the talk will be about his play on the field and that is what everyone wants at this point.  You can't go back in time, the damage has been done but he can write another chapter and make it a good one.  Stay tuned to see what tomorrow brings. 

New York Yankees news and notes

The New York Yankees have been pretty quiet so far this offseason.  They did sign Chris Young to a one year 2.5 million dollar deal before last week GM meetings took place.  David Robertson did turn down the qualifying offer last Monday as expected.  He seems to have a lot of suitors but it doesn't mean he won't return to the Yankees.  I would still bet on that happening although I didn't think Robinson Cano would leave last year either. 

The Yankees did make a minor trade last week and also signed a very minor player also last week.  They traded fan favorite Francisco Cervelli to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left handed reliever Justin Wilson.  I think this was a good move because they had a surplus of catchers and Cervelli is a career backup with a big injury history.  They are very high on their minor league catchers such as John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine and then Gary Sanchez is considered their number one prospect and this should open up the AAA starting catcher spot for him.  Romine and Murphy will battle it out for backup catcher in spring training although Romine is out of options.  It appears that Murphy has the edge for the spot but we will have to wait and see.  As for Wilson he has very good stuff and is young and controllable right now.  The Yankees do have some left handed relievers in the minors they are very high on.  Wilson though is more of a proven commodity, I wouldn't rule out Jacob Lindgren making the team along with Wilson.  Wilson was 3-4 with a 4.20 ERA 70 appearances last season with the Pirates.  He is 6'2  and in three major league seasons is 9-5 with a 2.99 ERA. 

The other minor move that they made was picking up Jose De Paula on a one year split contract.  He will receive 510,000 if he appears in the majors and 175,000 in the minors.  He was with AAA Fresno in the San Francisco Giants organization last season.  De Paula went 4-3 with a 4.21 ERA.  He has never appeared in the majors but the Yankees like his stuff and he will have a chance to compete for a starting spot.  If not he will be AAA insurance.  This is one of those moves that can't hurt, if it works out great and if not then you didn't lost much. 

The Yankees are talking with Robertson and they have made offers to Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy from what I understand but they are in wait and see mode.  It appears that if Headley doesn't resign with them then Martin Prado will be their third baseman with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela battling it out for second base.  If no McCarthy the Yankees could look at other middle tier alternatives such as Jason Hammell. 

New York Yankees very early offseason notes

The New York Yankees are looking for a new hitting coach while undergoing some changes in the administration.  Brian Cashman is back as the GM for three more years but there are changes in the staff.  They have a new VP of baseball operations in Gary Denbo.  He was most recently in a scouting role with the Yankees.  He has been a long time hitting coach and coordinator throughout the organization.  He worked with Derek Jeter back in 2011 when he snapped out of a big slump.  Pat Roessler will not be back as the director of player development according to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News. 

Chili Davis is the new Boston Red Sox hitting coach.  He interviewed with the Yankees and also today Dave Magaden was told by the Yankees that he did not get the job.  He is currently the Texas Rangers hitting coach and is now seen as a possible leading candidate to take over for Davis in Oakland.  James Rowson who has been a minor league hitting instructor and Marcus Thames who was the AA hitting coach have been mentioned as possible other candidates.  Last week the Yankees were basically saying there could be a decision by Tuesday but we will have to wait and see.  Another name that has been mentioned has been long time friend of Joe Girardi, Dante Bichette.  We will have to see if any of those names pan out or is it someone we didn't even hear about. 

Trey Hillman who was serving as a special assistant with the Yankees is now going to Houston to become the bench coach under new manager A.J. Hinch.  There are rumors out there that the Yankees have discussed Omar Minaya becoming part of the Yankees staff in some capacity but up to this point it is just a rumor.  The Yankees have a bunch of players in winter ball. 

Greg Bird is a minor league first baseman who had a really good  year in AA and is off to a great start in the Arizona Fall League.  He leads the league with four homeruns at this point.  Aaron Judge who many consider to be their best prospect is also playing well in Arizona. 

New York Yankees notes

The Yankees scratched Jacoby Ellsbury from the lineup and he will be out from a couple of days to

maybe even a week.  It is a sore calf and everyone is downplaying it but the Yankees say they want

to be cautious.  Ellsbury said if it was the regular season he would of played. 

Mashahiro Tanaka started on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.  It was a good test for him as they had their A lineup in the game.  Freddie Freeman, the Upton Brothers, Dan Uggla and more.  Tanaka was really good only giving up a run and pitching 4 1/3 innings.  He had a couple of long innings that got his pitch count up.  He did strike out six batters and continues to impress.  He seems to have the poise and control which is important.  He needs to build up more and he looks like a guy who isn't going to want to come out of games.  It will be interesting to see how everything translates to the regular season games but so far so good with him. 

Manny Banuelos was optioned to high A today.  It may not be where he ends up but for now he will be in minor league camp and getting regular work.  He actually seemed happy and excited about it.  The Yankees are still talking about where to place him for the season.  He may start in A Tampa because of the warm weather but it still hasn't been determined.  Brian Cashman the GM said they plan on him staying a starter but he didn't rule out the possibility of him being a reliever at some point this season. 

CC Sabathia was dominant in Panama on Sunday.  He pitched five no hit innings and retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced.  The only man to reach base was on an error.  He struck out five batters.  There wasn't much talk about his velocity after this game. 

David Robertson pitched a scoreless inning and Francisco Cervelli and Yangervis Solarte continued their hot hitting in Panama.  Cervelli was 3-3 on Sunday and Solarte was 3-5.  Dellin Betances finally gave up a run this spring.  He still didn't lose it completely though.  He gave up a hit and a walk and a run on an RBI groundout.  He got through the inning though. 

Brendan Ryan went through fielding drills and indoor batting practice as planned.  He should be back in games by the end of the week. 

The Yankees other half will be back to playing by Tuesday/Wednesday.  They are just coming back from Panama on Sunday night and will be off on Monday.  They should be ready to go on Tuesday and then they have a couple more full weeks in Tampa before camp breaks and they head to Houston to start the season.  There are some tough decisions to be made for final roster spots.  The guys competing for spots have all been pretty good, it will be a tough decision but that isn't a bad thing. 

The New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes

New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes


The New York Yankees didn’t do anything at the winter meetings but to be honest nobody else really did either. The New York Mets may have been the most active believe it or not. They officially announced the signing of Curtis Granderson and then on the last day signed Bartolo Colon to a two year and 20 million dollar deal.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher but may not get it. The general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged on Wednesday afternoon that the trade market or the free agent market is not really encouraging right now. The Yankees preference is adding a high-end starter such as Tanaka from Japan. The Yankees may have to take what they can get though, if they have to sign a back of the rotation innings eater like Bronson Arroyo they will.

The Tanaka situation is clearly affecting the pitching market. We still don’t know when and if Tanaka will be posted. Teams want to go after him especially the Yankees, Dodgers and apparently the Diamondbacks. I personally don’t think the Yankees pitching are as bad as people say it is. I expect CC Sabathia to bounce back and Michael Pineda to be a good pitcher for the Yankees. I think Ivan Nova has taken a step forward and Hiroki Kuroda is a solid pitcher. The Yankees have several options like David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, Adam Warren for the fifth spot and none of them are that bad.

Brian Cashman hinted at trying to get some good value out of non-roster invitees. He said he could add a couple of bullpen pieces and then get a lesser starter. The Yankees clearly are all about Tanaka and then after that they will go to plan B. Dellin Betances has a fourth year option now and can be sent down to AAA. Eduardo Nunez also has an option left. Brendan Ryan and Kelly Johnson are on the team so he may end up back in AAA. I personally would start him at third and play Kelly Johnson at second. If they do sign someone like Omar Infante then that changes that thought process. The Yankees have spoken to Johan Santana agent but not really about him. It doesn’t sound like the Yankees are too interested but they may take a flier on a guy like that.

Matt Krause is the new strength coach and has met with Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia already. Cashman said he wasn’t sure of the exact details but there has been nothing negative in Jeter’s rehab. The Yankees 40 man roster is full so they won’t claim anyone in the Rule V Draft. They could lose a couple of guys though.

Cashman said he thinks it will be easier to get a second baseman then a third baseman. He said second base is deeper in terms of options they have. Cashman said that in any of his talks with relievers no one has stated they want to be a closer and that has to be guaranteed in a contract. The Yankees did a lot of their heavy lifting before the Winter Meetings. They still have some work to do and I am sure Cashman is working the phones like crazy.

New York Yankees news and notes on an off day

The New York Yankees announced after the game last night that they had traded for infielder Chris Nelson from the Colorado Rockies. He can play third base and second base, he hasn’t played short since the minors. He isn’t particularly good at either according to reports. He had a really good last year, and isn’t off to a great start this year. He can hit pretty well but he seems to be filling a need for more infield depth and a right handed bat that the Yankees need. 
Eduardo Nunez and Ichiro Suzuki are starting to hit. Ichiro is batting 407 in his last seven games. He had three hit’s the other night and his average is up to 268. Nunez is over 200 now after three hit’s the other night.

Ronnier Mustelier is back with AAA Scranton and could be a factor in the major leagues. He got hurt in spring training and is finally back playing again. He is a third baseman who could help the major league club. Curtis Granderson tweeted tonight that he had some at bats in extended spring for the second straight day. I would expect him back in the next couple of weeks.

Michael Pineda is really looking good in rehab. He is throwing 95 which is pretty remarkable. I think he can and probably will be a factor for the Yankees down the stretch. He is an important guy going forward also as he projects at top of the rotation pitcher.

Joba Chamberlain was placed on the 15 day dl today with an oblique strain. Alex Rodriguez is running full bore now and will be reporting to Tampa on Monday. He will be doing some early baseball activities. He is right on schedule though, the Yankees say don’t think he will come back early. David Robertson tweaked his knee last night and is day-to-day. He seems to be ok but they are going to be careful with him.

Mark Teixeira will be with the Yankees through the weekend and then join Rodriguez and Granderson in Tampa next week. Brian Cashman said he is staying away from timetables but is happy these guys are going to be in extended spring and being closer to returning.

Corban Joseph was optioned back to AAA and Chris Nelson will be joining the team tomorrow. The Yankees will add a pitcher to replace Chamberlain but they don’t know who it will be yet. It could be Mark Montgomery, Preston Claiborne, I guess we will find out at some point tomorrow.

New York Yankees notes on a busy Friday

The Yankees reportedly signed Chien Ming Wang to a deal, Jon Heyman was reporting that. There has been nothing official from the Yankees though, it would seem to serve as AAA depth but it could also be possible that if he is pitching well enough the Yankees can trade from their strength pitching and get their biggest need which is hitting. 
Derek Jeter worked out today and felt good, Brian Cashman meeting with reporters today said that it is more then day-to-day it is hour to hour with him. He said that they will see how he feels when he gets to the park tomorrow and go from there. If he feels great he may play in a minor league game, if not it may just be a workout for him.

Phil Hughes pitched three innings in a minor league game today giving up six hits and three runs with two of them being earned. He struck out three and threw 57 pitches with 34 being strikes. He needs to be stretched out more and can conceivably start on April 6^th but the Yankees may hold him out an extra week, he may start the season the disabled list, we will have to see where he is after next week.

Travis Hafner was 2-5 today with a double, homerun and drew two walks in a minor league game. Hiroki Kuroda pitched seven innings giving up seven hits and no runs with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 88 pitches with 65 being strikes in a minor league game. Francisco Cervelli caught him and was 1-4 with a single and drew a walk.

Cashman said that Clay Rapada will definitely start the season on the disabled list. He threw 15 fastballs today in a bullpen and felt good but he has a ways to go before he is ready to pitch in a major league game. Vidal Nuno is a lefty who has opened some eyes and the Yankees are still talking about according to Cashman. He could possibly make the team out of camp. Brennan Boesch is a guy who was scratched today with soreness in his ribcage. The Yankees don’t think it is anything serious and no tests are planned right now. They will see how he feels tomorrow and then move forward from there.

Mustelier is still making a case to make the team, he had a good day and his spring average is up to 313. He is a guy who has the potential to hit it is more about his defense. Ben Francisco will most likely make the team as the right handed hitting outfielder, he had the go ahead RBI single today in the eighth inning and has had a good spring. Dan Johnson had an opportunity this spring but made an error today and his average is only 063 with four errors. He didn’t make the most of his opportunity.

The Yankees were already going to honor the victims of Sandy Hook on Opening day. MLB announced all the teams will do the same for opening day. They will all wear a ribbon and their will be a pre game moment of silence.

New York Yankees notes on a Monday-searching for guys to fill voids

The New York Yankees have an opening at first base right now and also in left field. They lost both Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson to injury so far this spring. They are both expected to be back in May but until then they would like to find alternatives. The Yankees have reached out to Derrek Lee who hasn’t played since 2011. He is reportedly interested but he hasn’t signed anything yet so who knows about that. Chipper Jones was another name that was brought up today but he said he is happy being retired and Scott Rolen is another name. 
The Yankees did sign Ben Francisco today to a minors deal. They were interested in him in the winter and he chose to sign with Cleveland who cut him and then he was picked right up by the Yankees. He is a right handed outfielder who could be a bench guy for the Yankees.

Michael Pineda will throw a 35 pitch bullpen on Tuesday with sliders being part of it. Gil Velazquez and Walter Ibarra are both back with the Yankees after participating in the World Baseball Classic. Phil Hughes threw a 26 pitch bullpen session today, it was a big step as he felt good. He is scheduled to face hitters on Thursday and should pitch in a sim game shortly after that. Larry Rothschild has a plan for him but isn’t revealing it, it is possible he could be on schedule to make a start on April 7^th since that will be the first time they need the fifth starter. Hughes isn’t the fifth starter but it is just how it works out.

Austin Romine was sent to minor league camp so the Yankees weren’t joking about that. Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart will be the catchers, who will be the starter is what is up for grabs. I honestly don’t think there is a number one and two though, I think they both will play and if Romine is doing very well at AAA you could see him back if those guys struggle.

Derek Jeter was talking about Chipper Jones today and thought it was a media joke so he said why don’t you call Mike Schmidt also. He actually said that after told it was his GM who talked about Jones, he thought the media was just making stuff up. Jeter will take off tomorrow and plans on playing shortstop for the first time this spring on Wednesday.

Brett Gardner had his team leading 10^th hit of the spring today and he also leads the team with five walks. That is what they want to see and maybe he will be the leadoff hitter this season with Jeter two and Cano third. If that happens I wonder if Ichiro could hit ninth as a double leadoff guy or maybe a little further up.

The Yankees face a lefty starter on Wednesday who will be Cliff Lee. Ben Francisco will be in the lineup. Joe Girardi confirmed that today.

Yankees notes as they sort through some injuries

The Yankees GM had surgery and will be laid up for a while. He will need someone to drive him around and will be on crutches for about 8 weeks. He raised awareness for a good cause though and he can still talk on his cell phone. 
Mark Teixeira is the more concerning issue as he got injured hitting off a tee. He was with Team USA preparing for the WBC when it happened and will no longer play in the tournament. He was sent back to NY to get checked out, they will run some more tests on Wednesday and the Yankees should know more then. They are calling it a right wrist strain right now and him being out for a minimum of two weeks. Brian Cashman said he was very concerned though as wrists can be tricky. If he isn’t able to start the season they don’t really have a logical replacement but I guess Dan Johnson or Juan Rivera could play first base. Johnson has had more time there during his career.

David Robertson was scheduled to pitch in last nights game but didn’t. He had trouble loosening up. They are saying he slept wrong on his shoulder and that was the cause. The Yankees and Robertson say it is no big deal but they will have to monitor that.

Adonis Garcia was a minor league player in camp, he broke his hamate bone of his left wrist. He will have surgery on Thursday and be out for 6-8 weeks. David Phelps pitched well again last night, he will be on the team with Ivan Nova it is just a matter of who will be the fifth starter. I still think they will go with Nova and have Phelps as the Long reliever/spot starter, he excelled in that role last year and Nova really hasn’t done it. They will both be valuable to the team this year. They have both looked good also so far.

It looks like Derek Jeter could play Sunday and after saying it was possible for Mariano Rivera to see his first action today he will get in a game on Saturday for the first time Joe Girardi said.

It looks like the Yankees are going to fill the left field void internally right now and if it is one of the young guys they may have Gardner and Ichiro be versatile and play multiple outfield positions and work around whoever that other guy is. It is only going to be for about a month or maybe five weeks so I guess this makes sense for the Yankees. Why go out and get someone when they can cover it for that short time and then Granderson will be back and he will go back to center with Gardner in left field.

Phil Hughes is feeling good and says he could be ready to start the season. He will play catch again today and be back to 90 feet. CC Sabathia threw his first sim game of the spring, he threw 15 pitches then 18 pitches and then a few more to get his pitch count up. He said he feels fine and is on schedule.

The Yankees spring off day notes

There wasn’t much coming out of Yankees camp because they had a true off day. There were no sim games, no regular games, no workouts. Brian Cashman their general manager was busy jumping out of a plane though to help raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Foundation. Cashman had so much fun jumping the first time he did it again and that may have not been the best idea. Cashman broke a fibula and dislocated his right ankle. He is in the hospital now and was scheduled to have a couple of surgeries. He seems to be in good spirits though and he isn’t a player to it shouldn’t affect his ability to do the job. 
Francisco Cervelli throwing the ball has really been an early spring thing to watch. He is 5 for 6 throwing out runners and was 9-14 during winter ball. He seems to be the early favorite for the starting catcher role. He could be a guy who was so down after getting cut on the last day last year to being the starter this year. It is amazing how baseball and life work. Tony Pena the catching coach and bench coach was raving about Cervelli today.

Derek Jeter says he is just doing what he is told to do. He said he doesn’t know when he will get into a game yet and when he is told that is what he will do. He said his job is to be ready for April 1^st and that is what he is focused on and states he will be ready. He said that he feels good but they don’t want to push him and he is going to go by what they say. Jeter could get into a game by next week but we will wait and see what happens. It appears he will be the number two hitter in the lineup as long as he is playing. It appears that Ichiro and Gardner are battling for the leadoff spot with them both having good springs. Gardner is having a great spring though. I think which every one doesn’t leadoff will probably bat ninth. It could be like a double leadoff guy, we will see what happens though.

New York Yankees Tuesday notes

Brian Cashman shot down Johnny Damon today. He said it isn’t going to be something we pursue. He said he text Scott Boras and told him. He said we love Damon but he played with us a while ago and he can’t play the field every day and that is what we need. He also reiterated although he won’t rule out a deal entirely most likely the options will come from what they already have. 
Cashman said Nunez isn’t an option because he doesn’t feel his bat profiles as an outfielder. I personally think it is too much to keep moving him around. He is a good offensive player but bad defensively and I think he just needs to stick at short and hope he gets better defensively.

Hughes did more pool work today but there was no update on him. There could be an update tomorrow on him. Kevin Youkilis is a little sore and most likely won’t play again tomorrow. He says he is fine though and could play if it was during the season. The Yankees are usually extra cautious and there is no reason not to be at this point.

Joba Chamberlain created a little bit of a stir today when he talked about still being a starter. He said he could do it and would like to try it again. The Yankees joked about it but I am sure they aren’t too happy. He can become a free agent after next year. I personally think he would be better off taking over for MO and being the closer but we will see what happens. I don’t think the Yankees will ever put him back as a starter. Jose Ramirez made a good first impression pitching today. The Yankees liked what they saw and said he has a live arm.

Yankees notes from the weekend as the games begin

The Yankees biggest news came during Sunday’s game. Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch in the first inning and after an initial diagnosis of a bruise they found out his forearm was broken. Granderson will miss about 10 weeks which puts him to about the middle of May. It isn’t a full season or even half of a season so it’s not devastating but it will hurt. The Yankees now have to find another outfielder, most likely internal or maybe they look to the outside for help. The other question is if they bring Granderson back as a left fielder like they were planning or scrap that and put him back in center when he returns. 
Adam Warren started Sunday and looked sharp. He threw 19 strikes out of 25 pitches. Joe Girardi had no real update on Phil Hughes other then he is getting better. He said he knows he went swimming today but that was it.

Brian Cashman said Derek Jeter will start playing games March 10^th. He also said that Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart are out of options. It looks like those will be your two catchers with Austin Romine starting in AAA. It is possible if those two struggle at the big league level and Romine is playing really well in AAA you could see him at some point. Dellin Betances will be a AAA starter this season. Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera are heavy favorites for the right handed outfield role as the Yankees do not want a young guy in that role. They could both make it now with one of them being the left fielder to start the season.

The Yankees pitching has looked good early on. The starters won’t get into games probably for about another week or so. The young guys have a chance to make an impression early. Cano and Teixeira are getting a lot of early work before they leave for the WBC. The young guys in those positions will get plenty of chances not also and also with the loss of Granderson.

Yankees news and notes on a Friday night

The New York Yankees claimed Russ Canzler off of waivers from the Cleveland Indians on Friday. He is 26 years old and appeared in 26 games for the Indians as a September callup last year. He batted 269 with three home runs and 11 RBI. He is a right handed hitter and has flexibility as he could play first base, DH, left field. He made 24 starts last year with 11 in the outfield, seven at first base and six at DH and he hit safely in 15 of those games. The Yankees designated Chris Dickerson for assignment so they would have room on the 40 man roster for Canzler. He looks like a good bet to make the roster as he can get there in many ways. 
Brian Cashman said today that Austin Romine could break camp as the starting catcher but most likely he is ticketed for AAA Scranton to get more playing time. If that is the case then Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart will be the catchers. Cervelli has already reported down to Tampa to start working out, he is determined to win the starting job. Cervelli would be a nice comeback story as he was cut on the last day of spring training last year and didn’t make it back until September as he was lost in a numbers game. He brings a lot of energy to the team and is a fan favorite.

The Yankees are apparently interested in Lance Berkman as a DH. He is best friends with Andy Pettitte and he was on the Yankees for half a season a couple of years ago. The Texas Rangers supposedly have a standing offer out to him and Houston is interested in signing him to finish his career out with the team he has played for the most during his career. I think it would be a nice move for the Yankees if they can do it.

Hideki Matsui retires from baseball and the Yankees react

Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from professional baseball today. Matsui played in the United States for ten years after coming over from Japan where he played for ten years. Matsui was nicknamed Godzilla, he played with the New York Yankees from 2003-2009 after playing for the Tokyo Giants which is Japans version of the Yankees. He was a very good player, very clutch and also very classy.. He batted 292 with the Yankees, scoring 536 runs, hitting 196 doubles, 140 homeruns and driving in 597 runs. He became the first player in Yankees franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut. He accomplished that feat against the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 2003. He was a two time all star who didn’t miss a game in his first three years, 518 consecutive games which is a record still today for longest streak to start a career. Matsui always had a flair for the dramatic and in his final game as a Yankee he went 3-4 and drove in six runs to clinch World Series Game 6 on November 4, 2009 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was loved by everyone and that came out today upon the news of his retirement. Here are some of the Yankees reacting to the news. 
Hal Steinbrenner: “Hideki Matsui in many ways , embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”

Brian Cashman: “Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”

Derek Jeter: “I’ve said numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being overshadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for both his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”

I was at that first game in 2003 and he became an instant fan favorite. He always had a flair for the dramatic and was so clutch and that is why he was loved in New York. The Yankees today don’t really have guys like that and that is why they have struggled in the postseason. I like what they have done this off-season because I feel like they are going back to what made them successful, not so much guys that just hit homeruns but guys who can do a lot and be clutch players. I wish Hideki all the best and I am sure his fans and the Yankees look forward to seeing him at future Old Timers day celebrations.

MLB Winter Meetings Day One

The Winter Meetings have begun and the Yankees are in the news but not for good reasons. Alex Rodriguez will need surgery on his left hip and be out about half of the season. What does this mean for the Yankees?? Will they make a trade for a third baseman, could they sign a third baseman or will they go with what they have. Brian Cashman the general manager has already said Eduardo Nunez is being strictly seen as a shortstop. Eric Chavez is still out there but can he play everyday for half a season?? Chase Headley is a name that has been mentioned but the Padres told writer Joel Sherman they won’t be trading him. Kevin Youkilis is a free agent although I can’t see him landing with the Yankees. There are a couple of other free agents also like Placido Polanco, we will have to wait and see what the Yankees do but they are being patient. I think it is the right thing to not make a panic move and see how it plays out.

The Yankees may be looking for a catcher although that doesn’t seem as much of a priority as right field. It doesn’t look like the Yankees will make any big moves or sign any big names but you never know with them. I still feel that Ichiro Suzuki will end up back with them and be their right fielder but there hasn’t seemed to be any conversations between the two sides.

Jacob Ruppert an old owner of the Yankees has been posthumously been elected to the baseball Hall Of Fame. A lot of people assumed he was already in for all that he did. He presided over the Yankees first six world championships and brought Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

Tuesday is another day and we will see what that brings. The Red Sox did sign Mike Napoli today to a three year deal. He will play first base for them, Angel Pagan resigned with the San Francisco Giants, four years and 40 million. It looks like R.A. Dickey is a name that is getting a ton of attention, the Mets may move him and a lot of teams are interested but the Mets want a good package for the 2012 NL Cy Young award winner.

Yankees Notes from the GM Meetings

Here is some notes from the GM meetings courtesy of the Lohud Yankees Blog.  I put my own thoughts mixed in there.  It really is laying the groundwork because no real trades or anything get done but this will set up the Winter meetings where most of the action takes place. 

Surrounded by media standing four or five deep, Scott Boras just spoke in the hotel lobby and left little doubt that his client, Rafael Soriano, will decline the Yankees qualifying offer.

“Most qualifying offers are really for players of the highest value,” Boras said. “When teams make them, they’re acknowledging the value and other teams know that, as well. I don’t anticipate many players accepting single-year contracts that are in that arena.”
  I would agree that for the most part they won't take the offer.  I don't think the Yankees want him too take it though, they just wanted to protect themselves from him leaving. 
As for current value, Boras made the case that Soriano might have been the difference in some teams making or missing the playoffs this season, and he played up the idea that the Yankees shouldn’t easily let go of such late-inning comfort.

“If you look at the Angels, Dodgers, White Sox, Milwaukee; those teams would have been in the playoffs if they had a closer that had the efficiency rating of Soriano,” Boras said. “The Yankees took advantage of that. If that was a really good business decision for the Yankees two years ago, and it proved to be so valued today, it certainly would be a wiser decision when (Mariano) Rivera is older and coming off an injury.”  It sounds wise but the Yankees are trying to get under the cap and also Soriano wants to close and he won't be a closer with the Yankees unless Rivera gets hurt. 

Brian Cashman said he hasn’t heard and hasn’t asked whether Soriano, Nick Swisher or Hiroki Kuroda will accept or decline their qualifying offers — “We’d be very happy (if they accept), let’s put it that way,” Cashman said — but it’s becoming clear that the Yankees are setting priorities this offseason. One-year deals are one thing, but with $189 million in mind for next year, the Yankees have to pick and choose where they allocate funds.  It sounds like tonight that Swisher and Soriano will definitely decline, Kuroda is still up in the air. 

That alone might be enough to keep the Yankees out of the Soriano bidding should he hit the open market.

“It would be great if we had them both (Soriano and Rivera),” Cashman said. “The only bad side to having them both — and I don’t have Mo, and I don’t have Soriano (right now) — but obviously it would affect dollars to be spent elsewhere. But bullpens are big time, so do I have to replace him? I think it’s relative to how that would impact the other side of it.”

Boras certainly sounded as if he’s not expecting to come to terms on a contract extension for Robinson Cano any time soon. “He’s there for another year,” Boras said. “I talked to Randy (Levine) a few times this week. I talked to Cash. These are things that, I’m sure as time goes forward, we’ll continue to talk about. But nothing current.”

Just to be clear, Cashman said that if Soriano does happen to accept the qualifying offer, he has no problem with paying both Soriano and Rivera closer money next season. “That would happen,” Cashman said. “If he accepts, yeah, absolutely. We made that decision when we tendered the offer.”

Because Tino Martinez was serving as a senior advisor in the Yankees organization, he had to receive permission to interview for the Marlins hitting coach job. “You combine the great player with that type of experience in seeing how things get done, and I think he’s got a tremendous amount to offer,” Cashman said.  I am sure they are happy he went to Miami and not Boston. 

The Yankees never talked about making Martinez their hitting coach. “We didn’t have any vacancies,” Cashman said. “The Yankees, we’ve been blessed to have some tremendous hitting coaches, from Don Mattingly to Kevin Long, so it’s not an area that’s needed to be addressed at all.”

Although he hasn’t asked whether Kuroda will accept a qualifying offer, Cashman said he has spoken to Kuroda’s agent. “Yes,” Cashman said. “I wouldn’t say, and I couldn’t say (what exactly the conversation was about).”  I have a feeling Kuroda will come back but if he gets a two year offer somewhere and it is pretty significant money you never know he could go there. 

Just something to keep in mind: Ken Davidoff brought up that the $189 million luxury tax threshold includes more than player salary. There’s a certain amount of money — something around $10-12 million, Cashman said — that’s automatically factored in for things like travel expenses. So in terms of player contracts, the Yankees have to get closer to $177 million to stay below the luxury tax.

Cashman dismissed the idea that the Yankees can’t get better while also working to control spending. “Didn’t we get better this year?” he said. “Ninety-five wins. Won the American League East. Went farther in the playoffs (than the year before). Got older, probably. … Improved flexibility. Kept financial costs in check. Lined ourselves up for the long term going that route in certain areas, and we’re better.”  I agree with him, pitching is the most important, they still have a lot of good players and if they get good bench players and have good pitching they will be fine. 

A Few Early Off Season Notes for the New York Yankees

The New York Yankees were eliminated from the postseason prematurely. They were swept out of the ALCS by the Detroit Tigers. It was pretty embarrassing, they didn’t hit at all and they got blown out in the fourth and final game. It was a good season overall as the Yankees battled a lot of injuries and finished first in the American League. They fell short of their ultimate goal though which is always to win the World Series. I personally think it was a decent year, I don’t think it was a total disaster but of course it wasn’t a success either. I think getting swept the way they did made it worse but they did get to the ALCS. 
Curtis Granderson is being sent to an eye specialist. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this because he just looked so bad. I also think they will pick up his option and let him play out the year. The Yankees could trade him but I don’t think they will, his value may be low right now also.

Alex Rodriguez is going to continue to be a hot topic this winter. Brian Cashman the general manager indicated that he would listen to offers on him but also made it clear that more then likely he won’t go anywhere. He knows because of the contract it would be extremely difficult and there probably aren’t many deals that would really make sense. I don’t think he is going anywhere and I think he will be playing DH more and more. I also think he was bothered by his hand injury more then anyone thinks. It was actually something I really didn’t even think of. He is never going to be an MVP candidate again but I don’t think he is as bad as people are making him out to be. His main problem the last couple of years has been staying healthy. He is getting older but he can still be productive, I just think the Yankees need to be careful with him. I am sure you will hear plenty of rumors about Arod this winter and we will see what happens.

CC Sabathia is the ace of the pitching staff and was on the DL twice this season. The Yankees believe he is healthy but they are sending him to Dr. James Andrews this week anyway. There are sources saying he has bone chips and they will just need to be cleaned out. It is always scary though when you hear the name Dr. Andrews, he is the one who tells most pitchers when they need Tommy John surgery. The Yankees and their fans will keep their fingers crossed.

The Yankees have plenty of free agents and will have a very busy winter. The Yankees have to figure out if they are going to keep Nick Swisher. I would say that is a no, Granderson has a team option which I would assume they pick up and let him play out the season but he could be traded also. Ichiro Suzuki was a huge pickup for the Yankees and will they resign him. The Yankees know Derek Jeter will be their shortstop next year but he just had ankle surgery and how will he bounce back?? Will he be ready for opening day, he should be ready for spring training and the season but you never know how quickly he will come back from the injury. The Yankees have to think about signing Hiroki Kuroda and is he worth a multi year deal?? There are plenty of questions, will Rafael Soriano opt out which is assumed and how will Mariano Rivera bounce back from his injury. This should be one of the busiest winters the Yankees have had in a long time. It may make for a fun and exciting off season because there is so much to talk about.