Results tagged ‘ brett ’
A Look Ahead: Pitchers
With the season passed the halfway point now, the needs of teams become apparent. Now most contenders look to the MLB Trade Deadline on July 31st to solve there needs, but I’d like to give you a look ahead to the off-season. Please note that these forecasts could change depending on trades made by the Yankees or other clubs.
Starting Pitching:
The options: Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer, Rich Harden, John Lackey, Cliff Lee, Jason Marquis, Brett Myers, Brad Penny, Andy Pettitte, Joel Pineiro, Jarrod Washburn, Roy Halladay.
All of the pitchers above are viable options for the Yankees. The club will have 1 or (barring a Chien-Ming Wang comeback) 2 open spots in their rotation. Andy Pettitte sort of holds one of those spots as he would probably receive a contract offer if he doesn’t retire at the end of the year. If Chien-Ming Wang (or a Yankee prospect like Zach McAllister) can pitch effectively, they could also receive a spot. However, I would expect there to be at least one open spot for the Yankees to bring in another starter.
The most likely candidates would seem to be Duchscherer, Marquis, or Washburn, but don’t rule out the others. The Yankees are already scouting the A’s as they look at Duchscherer and Matt Holliday (more about him later) for a possible trade. He seems a good candidate as he’s young and can keep the ball down and in the park. The deciding factor will be if he can remain healthy or not.
I think Marquis would be a good pickup, however, I’m not sure the Yankees will pull the trigger. He’s more of a fly ball pitcher, which doesn’t go well in the new stadium. Plus something tells me they’re more likely to go after some of the bigger names.
Next up is Washburn. At 35, Washburn might be a bit old, but he’s also putting up some terrific numbers in Seattle. His 2.87 ERA is no joke, and if the M’s don’t trade him this summer, he could wind up in the Bronx.
Some of the other big names on the list the Yankees could avoid for other reasons. Josh Beckett could be a free agent, but the Red Sox will most likely lock him up. Same goes for John Lackey and the Halos. It’s a little different with Rich Harden and Erik Bedard, both of which you would never feel comfortable giving a large contract do to their poor health histories. Cliff Lee’s Cy Young season is probably well behind him and I don’t think Brad Penny or Brett Myers’s personalities would fit in the Bronx.
The one other name on the list is Cardinals pitcher Joel Pineiro. After a tough start to the season, Pineiro has really rebounded nicely. He’s a sinker-ball pitcher, which could bode well in the Bronx Bomb-Zone and I think the Yanks could make a run for him.
Finally Roy Halladay. I’m kind of tired of rumors about him but basically, I don’t think the Jays will be trading him to the Bronx any time soon.
Relief Pitching:
The options: Mike Gonzalez, Kevin Gregg, Fernando Rodney, Rafael Soriano, Jose Valverde, Billy Wagner, Chad Qualls, Huston Street, Dannys Baez.
The Yanks would love to have any of these pitchers on their roster. If they were able to sign one of them, they could send them to the 8th inning and move Phil Hughes back into the starting role.
They could sign a LHP like Wagner or Gonzalez to replace the unfortunate Damaso Marte. Or they could acquire someone like Chad Qualls or Huston Street through a trade. If young guys like Hughes, Robertson, and Melancon step up then they could stick with them.
The Yankees really have a lot of options when it comes to the bullpen this offseason.
Yanks Acquire Hinske
Some news out of NY, the Yankees have acquired infielder/outfielder/Mark DeRosa-like player Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash and to minor league players.
Hinske, hit .255 with 18 runs, 9 doubles, 1 HR and 11 RBIs in 54 games (13 in right, 6 at first, 3 at third, and 29 pinch-hit appearances. He also played on the 2008 AL Champion Rays, the 2006 and (World Series-winning) 2007 Red Sox, and the 2002-2006 Blue Jays.
He will report to Yankee Stadium which means a roster move will be made for his return. I would think that either Ramiro Pena or Brett Tomko will be sent down or designated for assignment to clear up room.
The Yankees sent over RHP Casey Erickson and OF/C Eric Fryer to the Pirates along with cash for Hinske. The Yankees traded LHP Chase Wright for Fryer earlier this year.
3 Games; 3 Walk-Offs
You could not ask for a more exciting weekend. The Yankees have played three games of this four game series against the Twins and have had walk-off wins in each of them.
Friday: MIN 4-5 NYY
Hero(es): Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner
Things were looking bleak for the Yankees when Johnny Damon was tossed by HP Umpire Wally Bell. The strike zone was very frustrating for Yankees hitters and it reached its climax when in Johnny Damon’s 2 at-bats, he struck out twice looking, both on questionable calls. You could say that Minnesota’s loss was all Johnny Damon’s fault as his ejection gave way to Brett Gardner. Gardner, who earlier this year lost the starting CF job to Melky Cabrera (stay tuned), went on to go 3-for-3 in that game with his biggest hit being an inside-the-park-home run. Gardner blooped Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano’s pitch down the LF line and once Denard Span overran it, you knew Gardner would be racing around the bases.
Well that made the score 4-2 Twins, but it would be Gardner again who sparked the Yankees rally as he led off the 9th inning with a triple and then was driven in quickly by Mark Teixiera to make it a one run game. Well after the Twins got 2 more outs and the Yanks added a baserunner, Joe Nathan intentionally walked Robinson Cano to load the bases up for Melky Cabrera. Well the Melk-Man delivered and on the first pitch he saw, blooped a 2-run, walk-off single to end the game.
Saturday: MIN 4-6 NYY
Hero(es): Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixiera
Everywhere around baseball, writers are saying that the person who would benefit most from A-Rod returning to the Yankee lineup would be Mark Teixeira. Well that became very obvious on Saturday as Teixiera went 4-for-4, drove in the Yankees first 4 runs, and ended up a triple shy of the cycle. He raised his batting average over 30 points. In the end however, it would be the higher-paid star that would end the game. In the bottom of the 11th inning, after Mark Teixeira drew a lead-off walk, Alex Rodriguez belted a 2-run, walk-off home run to win the game for the Yankees. It was just A-Rod’s second game at the New Yankee Stadium.
Sunday: MIN 2-3 NYY
Hero(es): Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira
What started out as a pitchers dual, this game saw some great defense throughout. After A.J. Burnett loaded the bases with nobody out, the Yankees brought in RHP Jonathan Albaladejo to try to work out of the jam. Well facing Denard Span, he threw a fastball down and in and Span hit a sharp grounder to first. However, Mark Teixeira showcased his defensive abilities as he made a great diving stop, but then (as he was pretty much lying down) made a good through to catcher Kevin Cash to record the second out. The Yankees would get out of the jam and then would also get out of a similar one the following inning.
That meant that in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth inning when Nick Swisher lined a base hit, the Yankees would pinch-run Brett Gardner. After a Melky Cabrera sac-bunt (the 3rd one of the game after the Yanks had just 8 the rest of the season) Francisco Cervelli hit one back up the middle. But this is when the Twins’ great defense struck. The ball hit off of the Twins’ lefty as Gardner was approaching third. Well Mijares threw home to Joe Mauer who started running to first and faked a throw. Well that fake was a good one as it caused Gardner to start running home where Mauer made a great diving stop to get him.
That play kept the game tied until the bottom of the 10th when Johnny Damon could wait no longer. After he worked the count full against Jesse Crain (the same pitcher who served up A-Rod’s shot a day earlier) Damon got a pitch down and in and he didn’t miss it. Johnny cranked it into the second deck (tagged the Johnny zone by a Yankees’ broadcaster) to give the Yankees the 3-2 win. It was Damon’s second walk-off hit as a member of the Yankees.
Bits ‘n’ Pieces: Marte, Fossum, Melky
Marte Injured:
Well this explains a lot. Yankees’ LHP Damaso Marte has been placed on the DL because of a sore elbow. He came out of the WBC with his left elbow sore but pushed through it. However, it has now caused him to land on the DL. Marte, the second-highest paid player in the Yankees bullpen (Rivera’s no. 1), holds an 0-1 record and a crazy-high 15.19 ERA. Anthony Clagget (should be better than his terrible MLB debut) has been called up to take his roster spot.
Yanks Sign Casey Fossum; Sharp in Triple-A Debut:
The Yanks signed LHP Casey Fossum to a minor-league deal after he was released by the New York Mets. Since he cleared waivers before he was released and the Yankees signed him as a free agent, Fossum does not have to be added to the 40-man roster. He was mainly signed as a fill-in in Scranton’s rotation as he takes the spot of Phil Hughes (who goes today against Joe Saunders).
Casey made his Scranton Wilkes-Barre debut yesterday and it was sharp. Even with a pitch-limit, he went 3 2/3 innings, only allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks, and K’d 4.
Melky Takes Over Center:
Melky Cabrera’s hot start, combined with Brett Gardner’s slow one, has led to the 24-year old Cabrera overtaking Gardner for the Yankees’ starting center fielder. He has taken over the same position that lost just a couple weeks ago.
So far this season, Cabrera is hitting .321 with 4 HRs (including one walk-off one) and 10 RBIs. In that same time Gardner, is only hitting .222 with no homers (although you can’t expect them), only 4 RBIs and 5 stolen bases (he should have a lot more than Derek Jeter who’s currently tied with him). Will see how long this move lasts
Gardner Swipes Center Field
Yankee manager Joe Girardi has officially announced that Brett Gardner will be the first man to play in center field at the new Yankee Stadium (and a little bit more than that as well) as he has beaten out Melky Cabrera for the Yankees CF job. Girardi said that he informed both players of his decision this afternoon after the team’s 9-8 win over the Pirates. “Both of them played great,” said Girardi. “Melky had a tough year last year, but he played very well in camp. Gardy finnished up strong and had a great camp. We’re just going to go with Gardy.” The move means that Gardner will most likely be batting ninth in the Yankees order and patrolling CF come opening day on April 6th in Baltimore.
Note to Girardi: Don’t Screw This One Up Too
Those may seem like harsh words to a man who will probably never read them, but Joe Giradi really needs to hear them. After making the wrong decision on the starting right fielder in choosing Xavier Nady over Nick Swisher, it appears that Giradi may make another bad call when it comes to center. Brett Gardner (left) has seemed to be the front-runner this Spring, hitting over .450, belting 3 home runs and stealing 5 bags. However, with Melky finishing up strong, Girardi seems like he’s leaning towards him to start in center.
Well before he does that, I’d just like to remind him of something. I’d just like to remind him of how poorly Cabrera did last season. So bad, that the Yankees actually sent him down to Triple-A in order to show him that his job was not safe. And as he was sent down after hitting under .250, Brett Gardner took his place and hit .357 in 14 games down the stretch. If you combine that with a good OBP and stealing bases almost every time he reaches base, you have yourself one good center fielder.
So my message to Joe Girardi: Put. Gardner. In. Center.
In-Depth Look at Yankees All-Prospect Team
Previously I posted a look at the Yankees “All-Prospect Team”. I have decided to a little more in depth and include scouting reports, projections, and reasons for why I placed them on the team. Today we look at the starting lineup:
Lineup:
1. R Austin Jackson (22) CF: Austin Jackson is the Yankees top prospect. He’s young, athletic, and has a good mix of all 5 tools. He will start the year in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, and will most likely join the major league club later in the year. Expect him to be the Yankees CF for years to come after that call-up.
2. S Melky Cabrera (24) RF: This ranking was not actually because I truly believed that Melky Cabrera is going to play RF for the Yankees in the future, far from it. I simply put him here because he is the Yankees third best outfield prospect and this is where he fit in. Unless he beats out Brett Gardner (see below) for centerfield this year, the “Melk-man” will most likely be used as trade bait.
3. R Jorge Vazquez (27) 1B: I’m not going to go too in-depth with Vazquez because I’ve already written a bit about him right here. The main stuff to know about him (if you’re too lazy to just click the link) is that he’s a power-hitting first basemen that the Yankees signed out of the Mexican league and he’s been tearing up the Yankees winter leagues. However, with the recent long-term signing of Mark Teixeira, he probably won’t get very much playing time in the future. Still, he fits this list.
4. R Jesus Montero (19) DH: Montero is the Yankees’ second-best prospect and probably their best-hitting one. He absolutely killed Class-A pitching last year when he hit .326! However, his body isn’t fit for behind the plate and most people see a position change in the future, most likely to first base. However, since Vazquez is already occupying that position, I decided to put him at DH (where he actually may wind up in the future). You can expect big stuff out of this kid, who has already reached the Bronx despite being in single-A (he played in the futures game at Yankee stadium in 2008) and will probably return in the future.
5. L Robinson Cano (25) 2B: Cano doesn’t really need any introduction. He’s been in the major leagues for three years already. After hitting .322 in 2006 and .306 in ’07, he “only” hit .271 in 2008. I put the “only” in quotes like that because .271 is still pretty good. In fact, I was recently reading “Moneyball” by Michael Lewis (a book a strongly recommend for all you baseball fans out there) and it talked about the difference between a .270 hitter, and a .300 hitter. Do you know what it is? It’s .3 of a hit per nine at-bats. That is almost nothing! And yet we continue to rank .300 hitters way higher than their .270 counter-parts. But back to Cano, the only reasons he’s getting bashed so much, is how it’s less than his previous seasons, and because of his very slow start at the beginning of the year. I fully expect a bounce-back season from him.
6. R Austin Romine (20) C: Romine got put on this list because he’s the Yankees top catching prospect behind Jesus Montero. However, Romine is a much better defensive catcher than Montero and thus gets the nod behind the plate. In fact, his defense is his best attribute. His time to second base ranges between 1.78 and 1.85 seconds which, on a scale of 1-10, puts him at about a 9.5! If you put that with an decent, non-power bat, you got yourself a catcher.
7. L Eric Duncan (24) 3B: After being drafted by the Yankees in the first round a while back, Duncan has yet to really do anything. He’s risen through the Yankees system, but has found himself stuck at Triple-A for some time now. The Yankees are also implementing a position-change to first base due to the long-term contract of 3B Alex Rodriguez. However, for this lineup, Duncan remains at third.
8. L Ramiro Pena (23) SS: One of the major concerns that Yankee fans have had recently, is “who will replace Derek Jeter?” Because, lets face it, Jeter’s not going to be around forever. Well unfortunately, the list is pretty thin. The Yankees actually don’t have any very good prospects at short but this guy heads the list (if there even is one) of them. Pena offers a big switch from Jeter as Ramiro’s an amazing defender but his bat is lacking. Jeter’s pretty much the opposite. Expect the Yankees to make a move for a short stop and use this guy as a utility guy in the future.
9. L Brett Gardner (25) LF: People have doubted Gardner’s ability lately. They think that he’s doesn’t have a good enough bat to play CF. Well that’s where they’re wrong. Gardner’s actually got an average bat for a center fielder, with his projected .270 BA falling right into the norm. He also has an un-teachable trait that is very, very valuable for all Yankee players: clutch. After notching only 142 ABs last year, Gardner actually had two walk-off hits! That’s more than Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter had combined! Not to mention he’s one of the fastest guys in the major leagues. Expect him to be in the Yankees outfield for years to come.
Tune in later for the starting rotation…
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