New York Mets at Washington Nationals series preview

The New York Mets will open their 2015 season on Monday afternoon in Washington D.C. against the Washington Nationals.  Bartolo Colon the veteran starter will get it started against Max Scherzer.  The Nationals are arguably the best team in baseball and have the majors best rotation.  The Mets have their own very good rotation with a lot of youth and a lot of guys on their way up.  They are hoping their hitting will add some help to a good rotation and that their bullpen has gotten better with some youth in it and some lefty relievers that were added late in spring training. 

The Mets finalized their 25 man roster on Saturday.  They demoted Eric Campbell and will carry just four bench players and eight relievers.  Buddy Carlyle is on the team and Vic Black is going to the disabled list.  Daniel Murphy will not go on the DL and Danny Muno and Matt Reynolds were both sent to AAA.  The Mets rotation lost Zach Wheeler to Tommy John surgery but will get Matt Harvey their ace back.  They will also have Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Jacob deGrom.  The lineup will have David Wright, Lucas Duda and Curtis Granderson returning along with Daniel Murphy and Juan Lagares who they are hoping will continue to improve offensively.  Michael Cuddyer is the big free agent addition to help the lineup. 

The Nationals have an unbelievable rotation consisting of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Scherzer, Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmerman.  They have some pop in their lineup and their one weakness will be their bullpen.  Ryan Zimmerman will move to first base, Denard Span, Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth are their big players. 

The Mets will be off on Tuesday and then continue their series Wednesday and Thursday nights.  Here are the pitching matchups.

Monday-Scherzer vs. Colon

Wednesday-Zimmerman vs. deGrom

Thursday-Strasburg vs. Harvey

New York Yankees lose 6-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies

The New York Yankees were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.  The final score

was 6-0 and the game took place at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.  Adam Warren got the

start but it was a bullpen day as the Yankees used nine pitchers.  They used each for one inning as

they are looking to fill out their bullpen.  The winner of the fifth starter competition was announced

earlier and it was Michael Pineda so today was a day of the relievers.  Brett Gardner shined on

offense with three hits and Derek Jeter had a hit. 

Adam Warren, David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, David Robertson, Matt Thornton, Shane Greene, Shawn Kelley, David Herndon and Matt Daley all pitched.  Phelps was charged with the loss giving up a hit and a run.  Nuno gave up two hits and two runs and Greene gave up three hits and two runs.  Daley also gave up two hits and a run.  Robertson gave up a walk but that was it, Warren gave up two walks but no runs and had a strikeout and Thornton pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. 

Gardner had three hits, Yangervis Solarte drew a walk and Jeter had a hit.  Dean Anna had a hit, Carlos Beltran had a hit and Kelly Johnson had a hit.  Scott Sizemore had a hit, Brian Roberts had a hit and the Yankees were 0-7 with runners in scoring position and they left ten men on base.  Johnson committed two errors and Sizemore also committed one.  Gardner had an outfield assist.  The Yankees will play in Dunedin against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.   

Yankees notes from Wednesday night-the first blown save without MO

Here are the postgame notes from Wednesday night, after David Robertson blew the save the first since Mo went down with his season ending injury.  The notes come courtesy of the Lohud Yankees blog and my own thoughts are mixed in. 

Dave Robertson and David Phelps have lockers side-by-side in the front of the Yankees clubhouse. They’re as far away from the showers and the player-only dining room as they can get.

Tonight, Robertson told Phelps to take his time . Robertson would walk out first to face the music.

“Eventually, I’m not going to be able to get all of my messes that I create,” Robertson said. “It was really tough. Just a sad way to end the game. … It’s going to happen. You’re going to lose games. It’s the worst feeling in the world. Mo does it, he comes back the next day and he’s the same guy. He goes right back out there and does his thing. I’m going to have to do that tomorrow.”

It goes without saying, but Robertson and Mariano Rivera are very different pitchers. Rivera is a model of calm efficiency. Robertson is a thrill ride. He’s cut down on the walks this year — he was basically pitching around Ben Zobrist when he walked him tonight — but he’s notorious for putting runners on base. He’s also built his Houdini reputation by getting out of those jams. He did it last night. He didn’t do it tonight.  I personally don't think they should of went right to Robertson.  I think they could of went to Soriano who has the experience and then if he failed went to Robertson.  I think Robertson could of been giving more time before being thrown into the role.  With that being said you can't judge him on one or two outings. 

“I think we might be over-evaluating pretty early here,” Joe Girardi said. “This is a strikeout guy. He can just as easily get a strikeout as he can give up a base hit. I don’t want to over-evaluate one situation here. This guy has been tremendous for us, a guy that we’ve counted on heavily. I have a ton of confidence he’s going to do a good job for us.”  I would agree with this statement by Girardi but you know how it is in New York and with the Yankees. 

Robertson was surprised that the Rays were so aggressive tonight. His first six pitches were a first-pitch single, a first-pitch single and a four-pitch walk with first base open. A strikeout put him a double play away from getting out of the jam, but the sac fly tied it, and after four straight curveballs, Robertson tried to get a fastball past Matt Joyce.

“I’m sure I’m going to think about it tonight,” Robertson said. “Turn on any channel and you’ll see it. Tomorrow can’t come fast enough. I can’t wait to get another chance, that’s for sure.”

Another chance will almost certainly come. It’s worth noting that Rivera blew three of his first six saves when became the Yankees closer in 1997.  That is amazing to think about, Rivera has been so good for so long that's hard to believe.  When Mo became the closer though he took over for a good closer in John Wetteland and he was great as a setup man but the Yankees didn't know how he would be as the closer. 

“I think we can over-evaluate this on two save opportunities,” Girardi said. “We could talk about this ad nauseam if we wanted to. Let’s give the kid a chance. Let’s give the kid a chance before we’re all ready to predict who he was.

 David Phelps pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, Boone Logan left the bases loaded in the fifth and Rafael Soriano left runners at the corners in the eighth. When Robertson struck out Carlos Pena, it gave him a chance to continue the string of great escapes. “I thought I might be able to, I honestly did,” Roberston said. “B.J. just battled in there and got enough of one to lift it to right field. I knew when he did that, that was going to tie the ball game.”  I like the job Phelps has done but I think he could use a little more seasoning and he will be taken out of the rotation for Pettitte.  Hughes has been much better the last couple of starts and they won't take him out of the rotation. 

 Great throw from Swisher, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep the tying run from scoring. “I don’t know man, Rodriguez is pretty fast,” Swisher said. “But in a situation like that, you just give it all you’ve got.”  Swisher has improved his defense so much and become good in right field, no one talks about his defense. 

 Pretty impressive start by Phelps. That 28-pitch first inning came back to haunt him and kept him limited to four and two-thirds, but those were 4.2 scoreless innings that lowered his ERA to 3.08. “These first two games out of the gate I haven’t been as in the attack mode as I should have,” Phelps said. “That’s what I’m really kicking myself for. It leads to a big pitch count in the first inning and that’s two starts in a row I’ve done that. It’s really frustrating. Having a 10-12 pitch first inning makes it a lot easier.”

 Phelps said the two-out fifth inning double kind of threw him off his game. He’d retired 12 of the past 13 batters he’d faced, but after the double, Phelps decided not to give Pena anything to hit. Nibbling in that at-bat changed Phelps approach, and he followed with the walk that loaded the bases and chased him from the game. “It wasn’t so much fatigue,” he said. “But I might have been a little frustrated with the 0-2 pitch (that led to the double) and it carried over.”

 With Phil Hughes pitching much better lately, there’s a solid chance this was Phelps last start for a while. With Andy Pettitte coming back on Sunday, he could be moved back to the bullpen. “I’m not really worried about that,” Phelps said. “Hopefully, it will just take care of itself, and whatever role I’m in I’m just going to try to help the team win as much as I can.”

 Four runs charged to Robertson was his highest single-game total since July 2, 2010. He had allowed just one other home run since August 31, 2010, a stretch of 99 games.

 Cory Wade has stranded all nine of his inherited runners this season.

Derek Jeter became the first Yankee to ever reach 50 hits within the team’s first 30 games.  I don't know what is going on with him but it is amazing.  Jeter has found the fountain of youth. 

 Curtis Granderson snapped a streak of 28 straight games reaching base by walk or hit. It was the longest such streak of his career.

 Brett Gardner went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a triple in tonight’s Triple-A rehab game. His night was overshadowed by Dellin Betances who allowed one run on two hits through eight innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Yankees notes on a Thursday night

Here are the Yankees notes from tonight.  The Yankees lost 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles.  They will take on the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow night at home in Tampa.  Chad Jennings of the lohud Yankees blog has everything covered.  I have my opinions mixed in. 

Nothing especially impressive about Ivan Nova’s pitching line this afternoon. Facing Triple-A hitters, Nova allowed three runs through 7.1 innings. He struck out five and walked one. All three runs came near the end of the outing, long after the media — and manager Joe Girardi — had left for the big league stadium. So what to make of such an outing?  I really have no idea how to judge these things, I would think they don't want to send Nova down again after last year.  I am pretty sure he will be in the rotation. 

“Today was a good day for him,” Russell Martin said. “There was one homer hit, but it was a fly ball that was kind of wind-aided. It ended up barely scraping over the fence, but besides that, his pitches were there. That’s what I wanted to see from him. He hadn’t put it all together (this spring). He’d have three out of four pitches, but he hadn’t had four yet in a game. Today was one of those games where he had everything.”  That is good to hear from Martin. 

Nova’s had kind of a strange spring, and it looks like today’s game was part of the trend. There have been stretches — several innings at a time — when he’s been outstanding, but it seems each game includes an inning or two when he’s been knocked around. On the whole, he’s been better than his 6.86 ERA suggests, and Martin’s words suggest today’s start was better than three runs against minor leaguers would suggest.

“I think you have to look at everything (this spring),” Girardi said. “But you also have to look at his body of work last year too. You can get caught up on judging people in spring training, and sometimes that judgment is not always true to what you see in the regular season, so I think you have to look at what he did last season as well.”  A focus on last season certainly works in Nova’s favor.

“Before the game today, I told him I wanted to see his focus,” Martin said. “Just sharpen up the focus a little bit. … He’s been progressing. He’s been getting more and more consistent as we go along. I think he’s going to have a great year; that’s my personal opinion. He went above expectations last year with what he did, so he’s got maybe a little bit more pressure on him to try to do that again. If he keeps the same attitude, that’s what I recognized from him last year the most – his intensity on the mound. He’s a guy that wants the ball and never backs down. He wants to stay out there that extra inning. That’s what I want to see from Nova.”

Change of plans for D.J. Mitchell. After he pitched tonight, Mitchell went to the bullpen to get his pitch count up to 75. He will no longer pitch again on Saturday. Girardi said the decision was made during the game when the Yankees decided they’d rather let Mitchell get stretched out than test him on short rest. Girardi said it changes nothing about Mitchell’s chances of making the big league roster. “Not a bit,” Girardi said. “Because if (Mitchell, Phelps or Warren) were to go with us, it would be more of a long guy than back-to-back.”  I wouldn't read too much into that either because Girardi is right but I would think Garcia will be the long man and the young guys will be at AAA. 

 Curtis Granderson came through tonight’s game “great,” Girardi said. Nick Swisher also came through today’s five at-bats at the minor league complex with no problem. Depending on how he feels tomorrow Swisher might DH tomorrow’s big league game, play right field in tomorrow’s big league game or take another turn at the minor league complex.  This is a good sign as we are one week away from Opening Day. 

 Eduardo Nunez came off the field a little awkward, but Girardi said he checked with Nunez and Nunez said he was fine. Nunez didn’t seem bothered when he was walking around the clubhouse.

 Raul Ibanez has four hits in his past four games, and he would have had five hits — and three home runs — if not for Jason Heyward robbing him yesterday. “I’ve been feeling better the last four, five days and trying to build momentum,” Ibanez said.  The veterans at times you just have to let them be although when your a veteran it is always he is too old, maybe he is done.  You have to be patient with certain guys though. 

 Girardi said the only real difference for Ibanez is that he’s “hitting the ball,” and Ibanez said it’s strictly a matter of timing. He’s gotten it back through some intense sessions with Kevin Long. “The only thing I know how to do is just keep working until you find it,” Ibanez said.

 David Phelps allowed seven hits through five innings in his start tonight. He walked none and struck out four, including three huge strikeouts to end the fifth inning. With runners at second and third, Phelps got Nick Markakis with a slider, Adam Jones with a curveball and Matt Wieters looking at a fastball. “To be able to get through those guys he got was pretty good,” Girardi said.

 Mariano Rivera extended his scoreless spring training innings streak to 28 innings, a streak that goes back to 2008. He is just simply amazing. 

Granderson singled in his return to the lineup. … Mark Teixeira’s double and Ibanez’s home run were the Yankees only extra-base hits. … Alex Rodriguez, Brett Gardner, Bill Hall and Nunez also had hits in the 4-3 loss. Nunez also stole a bag. … Rodriguez and Derek Jeter each made errors. Bad throw by Jeter, bad hop past Rodriguez. … Boone Logan faced and retired two batters.

Yankees Game Recap from their win over Tampa

The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by the score of 9-2 on Saturday afternoon. Phil Hughes made the start in what could have been an audition to stay in the rotation. Hughes pitched well and did nothing to make the decision any easier on the Yankees. The decision actually was made for the Yankees after the game as it was discovered that Freddy Garcia had a kitchen accident and cut himself, he will not be able to start on Sunday and for now is out of the rotation. The bats came alive with Jorge Posada having the biggest day. Derek Jeter also had a good day.
Hughes pitched six innings giving up two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out six. Hughes improved his record to 3-4. Cory Wade pitched two innings giving up one hit and he struck out one and Hector Noesi pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout.

Brett Gardner had two hits, Jeter had two hits and Curtis Granderson had two hits, an RBI and a walk. Mark Teixeira had two hits and an RBI, Robinson Cano had two hits and a walk and Nick Swisher had three walks. Eric Chavez had a hit, RBI and a walk, Posada had three hits and six RBI and Russell Martin had a hit.

Cano and Teixeira had doubles. Granderson and Posada had homeruns. Granderson hit his 33rd of the season which ties him for the major league lead with Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays. Posada hit a grand slam which was the tenth of his career. The Yankees were 2-11 with runners in scoring position and they left 11 men on base. Gardner was picked off and Jeter made an error.

The Yankees took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two run single from Posada. In the fifth inning Granderson hit a solo homerun to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Posada hit a grand slam to give the Yankees a 7-0 lead. The Rays tried to fight back and they scored two runs in the sixth inning to make it a 7-2 lead for the Yankees. Desmond Jennings hit a solo homerun and Ben Zobrist had an RBI groundout. In the bottom of the sixth the Yankees got the two runs right back. Teixeira had an RBI double and Chavez grounded into a force out scoring another run. The Yankees had a 9-2 lead and that is how the game would end.

The Yankees record is now 72-46, they have evened up the three game series. The Yankees lost on Friday night and won on Saturday. The rubber game will be on Sunday weather permitting. The Yankees were supposed to send Garcia to the hill but he was taken out of the rotation with a cut on his hand. He had a kitchen mishap and the Yankees think will miss just one start. It worked out well for the Yankees for now as they were about to make a decision on eliminating one of their starters from the rotation. The Yankees have been using a six man rotation for a couple of weeks now and it seemed to be Hughes against Burnett. Hughes had had two good starts in a row as Burnett continues to struggle. It doesn’t matter right now as everyone will stay where they are until Garcia gets back. The Yankees currently trail the Red Sox by one and a half games in the AL East. The Red Sox were playing on the West Coast and depending on the outcome it would either be a one or two game deficit in the standings. The Yankees lead the wild card by eight games over the Anaheim Angels. Posada had this to say after the game “It’s special, I got an opportunity today to play. It’s tough to sit around. It’s not easy to be sitting here and looking at everybody playing. It’s tough.” Posada had not played in six days since being informed at Fenway Park that he would no longer be the regular DH. Girardi said “I said to him that day in Boston that he still was going to play a role on the team and I meant it. I knew he was itching to get back in there.” Posada talking about the fans, the Yankees had a sellout crowd today said “They’ve been so supportive , the fans are a big reason why I love playing the game, especially here. They deserve a lot of credit. They’ve supported me all throughout my career. They were a big part for me today.”

I'm extremely happy," Jeter said. "Jorge has a lot of pride. You're talking about someone that's used to playing every day for a long time. He's been working extremely hard, and he had a huge day. That's not easy to do when you haven't played for a while, to come in and be productive." Jeter has been quiet but Posada is his best friend on the team and you know it must have been bothering him also.

Granderson hit his fifth homerun in the last five games. Girardi wouldn’t commit to far down the line on Posada but said he will start on Sunday. Girardi said “This guy is a beloved Yankee, and we all love him. At times, it has been a struggle for him, but he has never stopped working. For that, I’m extremely proud of him.” Girardi and Posada have an interesting relationship, Girardi was the catcher when Posada came up and basically took his job. They have had their disagreements since Girardi has been the manager but they have seemed to work through everything. The bottom line with Posada is if he continues to be productive he will play more and if not he will ride the bench. Posada is in his swan song as a Yankees and it usually doesn’t end well for a great player. Posada has been a great Yankee and it is very difficult to say goodbye to someone like that and for him to say goodbye.

Mets try to begin a winning streak

The New York Mets begin a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight at Citi Field.  They will be trying to win two games in a row.  The Mets finally won their second game of the season at home yesterday, they are 2-8 there this season.  Here are some quick notes and the lineup for tonight.

Mets Lineup: Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Ike Davis, Mike Nickeas, Jason Pridie, Mike Pelfrey. 

The Mets didn't place Angel Pagan on the DL yet but it is 95 percent likely according to manager Terry Collins.  Jason Pridie is taking his spot for now.  Collins said he will see how things go for playing time in center field.

The reason the Mets brought up Pridie is because they wanted the best defensive outfielder at AAA.  Carlos Beltran is not a consideration for center field while Pagan is out. 

Daniel Murphy is playing against a lefty tonight because he is the best number two hitter they have.  Murphy will become the everyday second baseman if he keeps hitting in my opinion.  He is who they really wanted all along he just needed to do some things to play.

Chris Young will throw a bullpen session tomorrow and if everything goes well he will pitch on Tuesday.  If Dillon Gee pitches well tomorrow the Mets could keep him in the rotation. 

Yankees News and Notes as the season nears

The New York Yankees announced their rotation on Saturday with Ivan Nova winning the fourth starter position and Freddy Garcia the fifth position. Bartolo Colon despite outpitching Garcia will be in the bullpen. He is the longman and spot starter although Joe Girardi envisions him being like Alfredo Aceves a guy who can do multiple things like pitching an inning or two or long relief or spot starting. Sergio Mitre was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday for outfielder Chris Dickerson. The Yankees feel they don't have great outfield depth and this would help. Dickerson in his first game on Saturday went 3-3 but he came out of the game with what they think is cramps. He was better on Sunday but they still don't know for sure what is bothering him. The Yankees lost to the Minnesota Twins 7-6 on Sunday but Robinson Cano and Austin Romine each hit a homerun. The only guy who pitched who may be on the Yankees this season is Steve Garrison. The only reason he has a chance is because Pedro Feliciano is almost certainly beginning the year on the DL. The Yankees haven't announced their backup catcher, backup infielder and utility guys yet but they are expected to do so on Monday. It is expected to be Eric Chavez, Eduardo Nunez and Gustavo Molina. Francisco Cervelli should be returning in the beginning of May and Molina will hold the fort until then. Montero will be in AAA and Romine in AA and continue to develop, they are both young guys and the future at that position why rush them. The Yankees still don't know Curtis Granderson status but it looks like he may not have to go on the DL. If he doesn't that would be a good thing even if he can't start on Opening Day. Joe Girardi said he still isn't sure about the lineup, he is still thinking about it and won't know until Thursday what he is going to do. It seems that Romulo Sanchez may be traded, stay tuned on that one. The Yankees announced they will be doing their third annual Hope Week again this year. It will take place in July and they had a little girl today at the game that saved another girl from drowning. It is a great week that they have produced the last couple of years and it will continue.

Mets defeat Marlins but have more bad injury News

The New York Mets defeated the Florida Marlins 6-3 this afternoon. Nelson Figueroa pitched 3 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and striking out 3. Raul Valdez and Hisanori Takahashi pitched a scoreless inning in relif. Jenrry Mejia pitched 2 innings giving up a run but only because of a dropped ball in center by Angel Pagan. David Wright hit another homerun and Mike Jacobs hit 2 doubles. Jason Bay and Chris Carter also hit homeruns. Jeff Francouer was hitless and is only hitting 208 on the spring. The big news of the day was that Daniel Murphy is out 2-6 weeks with a sprained knee. This opens the door for Mike Jacobs who was maybe on his way out but will be the starting first baseman now. Jerry Manuel also announced his rotation for the first week and it is Johan Santana followed by John Maine, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez. I don't think it matters to much how you put it because it is basically Santana and then hope the rest of the games. I don't think you can feel good at all about this rotation. Jon Niese may be good but the other starters are showing a lot of questions. Perez is what he is and Maine hasn't been healthy in a long time and when he is, he is basically a 5 inning pitcher anyway. Mike Pelfrey is the guy who really needs to step up but has looked bad this spring. Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that Jose Reyes will not be with the Mets on Opening Day. If this is true he will miss the first 5 games, the Mets want to be cautious with him according to Heyman. He will not start in any grapefruit league games either then and will keep working in the minor league games. I guess we will see how this plays out the next couple of days.

Phil Hughes 5th Starter,Joba to the Pen???

The New York Yankees haven't officially announced anything but it appears that Phil Hughes will be the 5th starter. If this is the case then Joba becomes the main setup man. Jon Heyman of si.com tweeted earlier today that the competition is down to Hughes and Mitre which basically means Hughes has the job. I don't know if this is true but he must of talked to someone within the Yankees who knows their plans. Chad Guadin was placed on waivers today. If no team claims him then he could accept a assignment to the minor leagues or be released outright. Joba and Mo will be in the backend of the bullpen, David Robertson will be the other setup man. Damaso Marte will be the lefty with Alfredo Aceves serving the same role as he did last season. Sergio Mitre will be the longman and Chan Ho Park will also be in the bullpen. Here is the rotation: CC Sabathia A.J. Burnett Andy Pettitte Javier Vazquez Phil Hughes The rest of the team is pretty much set also with Jaime Hoffman going back to the Ddogers. Marcus Thames and Randy Winn will be the extra outfielders and it looks like Ramiro Pena will be the utility man. I would keep an eye on Kevin Russo as he has played well and if he continues to do so at AAA who knows what could happen. I do think that the Yankees best team right now is with Hughes in the rotation and Joba in the pen. A lot of people will say well Hughes is on a innings limit but they don't need a 5th starter until the end of April and Mitre can be the extra guy if he needs to skip starts. I think we may have a official announcement tomorrow or Thursday but it appears to be Hughes.

Yankees projected roster

Wildcard weekend starts in a little less then an hour and spring training tickets went on sale for most teams today. I thought with this in mind that it would be a good time to take a look at the Yankees roster since it is pretty much complete. I am going to start by going through the positions and then I will do the rotation, bullpen and lineup as I think it will be. C-Jorge Posada 1B-Mark Teixeira 2B-Robinson Cano SS-Derek Jeter 3B-Alex Rodriguez LF-Brett Gardner CF-Curtis Granderson RF-Nick Swisher Bench Francisco Cervelli Ramiro Pena Jaime Hoffman Rotation CC Sabathia A.J. Burnett Andy Pettitte Javier Vazquez Phil Hughes Bullpen Mo-Closer Joba-Setup man Dave Robertson-setup man Damaso Marte-lefty setup man Boone Logan-specialty lefty Alfredo Aceves-middle relief Chad Guadin-long relief Lineup Derek Jeter Nick Johnson Mark Teixeira Alex Rodriguez Jorge Posada Robinson Cano Nick Swisher Curtis Granderson Brett Gardner There may be some difference with Joba as the 5th starter and Phil Hughes as a setup man and maybe in the bullpen there may be some other guys who make it like Sergio Mitre or Albaladejo etc but this is how I think it will shake out. It is also possible the Yankees do sign a right handed hitter to play leftfield against lefties and come off the bench like a Reed Johnson. What do you guys think about this team, lineup, rotation etc??? I think this is a very strong team still even without Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. I think they will be better defensively and pitching wise.

The Vasquez trade

There are several things that come out of this trade, first of all the Yankees have a very solid rotation. The 5th starter will be a competition between Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and Alfredo Aceves. It is assumed that Phil Hughes will get the job and Joba will head back to the bullpen but that isn't set in stone, everything has to be earned in the Yankees world and according to Brian Cashman the GM. Joel Sherman of the NY Post was reporting that Mitre and Gaudin could be trade bait now probably in spring training. The Yankees reiterated once again today that Granderson is the CF and the only way he won't be is if Brett Gardner is the best centerfielder in spring training which I don't see happening. I do think they will get a leftfielder but I have no idea who, I could see Damon coming back now. Brian Cashman said today he will not get anyone big for leftfield but we have heard this before so who knows, I don't see them getting Bay or Holliday but I could see Damon coming back or maybe Mark DeRosa. Here are some quotes from Javier Vasquez: " I am glad to be back, I am excited to be part of the team again. Everyone that knows me knows that I didn't want to leave the first time, I am just happy to be back." He also talked about his 2004 season with the Yankees and had this to say. " My arm didn't feel as good in the second half as it did in the first half. It really was the first time in my career and only time that I felt that my arm wasn't where it should of been. I started getting treatment later then I should have. I went out there every 5 days, I hated not being out there. It may have been my mistake, I didn't say anything." Javier Vasquez is the first player the Yankees have traded for twice since Jeff Nelson. Here are some quotes from Yankees GM Brian Cashman. " He is a tremendous pitcher who has a long career of success and durability, and really the second half of 04 which was poor can't erase the long success he has had as a major league pitcher." Cashman was talking about his 04 season. On Hughes and Joba he said whoever doesn't win the 5th spot in the rotation could go to the bullpen or AAA, I just don't see either of them going back to AAA. On the payroll, " I do have a number and we will be at that number and it will be less then last year. I will continue to look at any remaining piece for the outfield but it won't be a big piece."

Yanks workout at Stadium and Angels in California

The New York Yankees worked out today at the Stadium and Joe Girardi met with the press. There wasn't much that came out of it other then him saying the weather could change things and he is considering a change in the OF, I would think the only change he could make would be to start Brett Gardner instead of Melky Cabrera and then carry Freddy Guzman as the pinchrunner and leave Marte or Hinske off of the roster. We know CC, A.J. and Andy will start the first three games in that order but we don't know after that. It is assumed and I think rightfully so in this case that CC will go in game 4 if there are no rainouts and it is a close series. I am sure if the Yankees were somehow up 3 games to none then they would let Gaudin or Chamberlain start. It is going to be cold and rainy this weekend but I don't know if it will be enough to cancel the games or a game. This could actually help the Yankees because it would slow down the Angels but we have to wait and see how the weather plays out. The Angels were more forthcoming after their workout and it was announced that their rotation will be John Lackey, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver and Scott Kazmir in that order. Mike Scioscia had a good quote about the weather and CC according to Sam Borden of the Journal News. "I'm hearing a lot of rain, we may face Sabathia 7 times. We may play one game a week, I don't know." This is what the Angels manager said which is pretty funny, meaning he can't worry about it because there could be other things that affect it. That is it for today I am sure with news, both teams will workout at the Stadium tomorrow and I am sure there will be some news then and maybe some quotes.

Pitching Matchups for Nats/Yanks series

Tomorrow- CC Sabathia vs Shairon Martis Wednesday- Chien-Ming Wang vs John Lannan Thursday- Joba Chamberlain vs Craig Stammen The Yankees really need to sweep this team as they are 16-45. Adam Dunn has more homeruns with 17 then the team has wins. Wednesdays game is big for the Yankees but also for Wang himself as this is his last chance, he has to pitch a good game or else he will be out of the rotation again. I really don't think Wang has lost it but this may just be a bad year as I think the Yankees screwed it up from the beginning with him. I think they should of realized he was hurt or at least favoring his injury and left him in Florida to start the year and brought him along slowly. When they did bring him back they did it in a emergency and threw him into the pen then bringing him back into the rotation against the Rangers and Red Sox which are two very good hitting teams. I think they should of kept him in the minors for at least another start or two but they didn't and they have to deal with what is there now. I think Joba will get back on track, he just had a rough start last time out never getting on the same page with Jorge Posada.

Yanks Rays rained out

The Yankees/Rays game was postponed tonight and there is no makeup date as of yet but there will be no doubleheader this weekend. The pitching rotation will be pushed back although Burnett and Pettitte are being flip flopped, Pettitte will pitch monday at home and Burnett will pitch Tuesday in Boston. Brian Bruney threw a bullpen today and felt good, he will do so again on Sunday. Xavier Nady played in a game today and seems to be doing well. Cody Ransom played in Scranton last night and had a homerun and double. I guess we have the Mets and Red Sox to watch tonight or pay attention too.

Rotation set

The team announced the rotation for the rest of the week and it is as follows: Tuesday-Andy Pettitte Wednesday-CC Sabathia Thursday-Off Day Friday-Joba Chamberlain Saturday-A.J. Burnett Sunday-Andy Pettitte This means that Chien-Ming Wang is being skipped but no one is sure as of yet when he will pitch next and also what role it will be in, stay tuned for that.

End of Exhibition schedule

The Yankees ended their exhibition schedule today with a 10-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees were very impressive this spring going 24-10-1. They won 10 in a row to finish and 19 out of their last 21 games. These stats mean absolutely nothing but they are interesting and Joe Girardi seems to like that they have fostered a winning attitude and got used to winning. The Yankees had one of their best exhibition records ever. The bottom line is their pitching was great and if they get that, it will be hard to beat them. The Yankees have also been getting production out of their big guys who were hurt last year, Matsui, Posada and they change the whole linup even without ARod and of course Tex is a huge addition. Robinson Cano looks like he has learned his lesson and should be a huge upgrade over himself from last year. The Yankees 5 man starting rotation was 13-3 with a 3.35 era this spring. They allowed 37 runs in 99 1/3 innings and that is including a couple of bad starts from Joba and CC in the spring and AJ got lit up one start also as well as Wang. The point here is if these guys are taking the ball basically every 5th day they will win a majority of the games they play. Mark Teixera had the highest avg 433 and most hr 5 and rbi 15 on the team this spring. He usually gets off to slow starts but lets hope he keeps this up going into the season, I am sure he feels great and ready to go. Jorge Posada caught in 12 games this spring and gunned down 6 out of 12 runners trying to steal on him, he seems fine. The Yankees just have to keep an eye on him but he should be good to go and he may be the most important guy on this team other then maybe MO. The Yankees get it all started on Monday afternoon at 4:00pm on YES at Baltimore. CC Sabathia takes the mound against Jeremy Guthrie.

Spring Game 34: Yankees at Reds

Today marks the Yankees penultimate game in Florida. Joba Chamberlain makes the start and there has been a lot of buzz over his velocity diminishing. The thing to remember here is as a starter your not going to have the same velocity and also it is being said that he has been working on his mechanics. If you take away that one disastourous start against Team Canada he hasn't pitched bad and he does have 14 strikeouts in just over 14 innings. I am looking for him to go deeper in games, that is the one problem I see, he throws too many pitches, he will get better with this the more he starts. The Yankees did announce earlier today that Jon Albaladejo made the team as the last reliever and Dan Giese, Alfredo Aceves and Brett Tomko were sent down to the minors along with Kevin Cash. The AAA rotation was announced as Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Kei Igawa, Alfredo Aceves and Jason Johnson. Brett Tomko will be used out of the bullpen. Kevin Cash will be the AAA catcher or one of them. The game is on Cincinattis radio station but no radio or TV from NY. Spring Game 34: Yankees at Reds Posted using ShareThis

New York Yankees News

CC Sabathia threw 28 pitches in a simulated game this morning to Hideki Matsui and Kevin Cash. Only 2 were put into play a single and groundout. CC said he feels fine and he is getting enough work, he will make his first start on friday. He threw 19 strikes and his fastball seemed to be where it needs to be. He was working on his cutter which is usually the last pitch to come around for him. The Yankees also announced their rotation for the next 8 days: Today:Wang Tuesday:Hughes Wednesday:Kennedy Thursday:Chamberlain Friday:Sabathia Saturday:Wang Sunday:Burnett Monday:Pettitte It was also announced today that Latroy Hawkins will take Joe Nathans place on Team USA's roster for the WBC. Latroy was let go from the Yankees after a miserable start and also trying to take Paul O'neill number 21, the fans didn't like him wearing that number too much.

CC and AJ meet the Media

CC really is the man, everyone is going to love him. I hope to have more quotes later or the audio. CC Sabathia when he was pitching on 3 days rest last year with the Brewers, kept getting calls from his agent. He said "I had to shut off my phone and block his calls. I felt fine. Nobody asked me to do that, I wanted to." "I feel great, to be honest with you" he said and doesn't regret what he did. " I would do it again." He said he has purchased a home in New Jersey and will live there year round. AJ Burnett was asked what he thought of Pettitte and Joba in the back end of the rotation and he said " I'm not sure there is a back end." I really like these guys so far, they seem like cool laid back people and if they stay healthy the Yankees are in great shape. CC seems like a true leader and the Yankees and the fans are going to love having him around.