Leafs Win, Yankee Season Opens
The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their home season with a 3-2 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The victory completed a four game sweep over the Bolts this season. If the season ended today, the Leafs would have the 6th pick in the draft barring any movement as a result of the lottery. It is still possible with a loss in Montreal on Saturday that they could end up in the top 5.
Some will call me a half glass-full type of guy, but since the Flyer beat down last Thursday night, the Leafs have played with a lot more purpose. They could have very easily won both of the games against the Sabres and last night they could have folded their tents after Steven Stamkos' 59th goal of the season gave Tampa a 2-1 lead in the third period. Despite all of the naysayers out there, these last 3 games may show some promise to build on. Ben Scrivens has given the Leafs an opportunity to win all 3 of these games. The kid was the AHL Player of the Month for March and is the leading goalie in the AHL. I'm not suggesting as a result of this that the Leafs shouldn't get a veteran goalie. But Scrivens does provide some competition for James Reimer and also provides the Leafs with a valuable chip that they might be able to use in order to get a veteran goalie from a team that currently has 2 capable NHL netminders.
The play of Matt Frattin and Jake Gardiner also provides hope for next season. Frattin seems to be playing with a lot more confidence since being placed on the first line with Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. I've always liked this kid. He's not afraid to use his body and he has a scoring touch as proven by his goal in Buffalo. It's a question of confidence and he seems to be getting it. There's not much more I can say about Jake Gardiner. I've been high on him since training camp. He needs to use his skating ability to create scoring chances and he has really exhibited that all season but particularly in these last 3 games. The AHL Playoffs could go a long way in the learning process for Frattin, Gardiner and Scrivens.
It could be that Randy Carlyle's message may be sinking through to some of these players. I have also been impressed with Phil Kessel's play these last 3 games. Kessel will never be a defensive stalwart. But these last 3 games he has played with a purpose and has generated scoring chances. The key for him will be to maintain that purpose against teams like Philly, Boston and the Rangers. It's unfortunate that this guy will probably never be accepted in Toronto because of the trade that was made to acquire him. He is the most talented player the Leafs have had since Mats Sundin.
Saturday is the end of the season as they will take on the Canadiens in Montreal. It's been a really difficult time for Leaf Nation since February 6th. Next week I will give you my thoughts on what the Leafs should do heading into what will be one of the most important off season for Brian Burke and Company.
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The New York Yankees will open up their 2012 season today as they face the Tampa Rays at Tropicana Field. CC Sabathia will be on the mound and the Rays will counter with James Shields. These two teams along with Boston will be battling all summer. Throw in the improved Blue Jays and the AL East will be tougher than ever. Yankee fans need to realize that the month of April will not be easy as the Yanks will have 15 of their first 23 games against the Rays, Angels, Red Sox, Rangers and Tigers. All of those teams are AL contenders.
For the Yankees it will come down to pitching and their older players being healthy. The quest for Number 28 will not be easy. So let the journey begin!!!!
Trouble In Yankeeland???
In January, the New York Yankees sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. As a Yankee fan, while I really liked Montero, I thought it was a good move getting Pineda because he would help to solidify a shaky pitching staff. Last night, Pineda got rocked by the Philadelphia Phillies. I had seen Pineda pitch one other time this exhibition season and the kid looked good. Against the Tigers last weekend, his off speed pitches were fooling the hitters and his fastball was reaching 92-93 mph. While this was below where he was at last year (96-98mph), I was believing what we all were being told that the kid was building up his arm strength.
Well, so much for that story. Pineda told members of the media after the game that he was experiencing soreness in his shoulder which sent major red flags up in Yankeeland. The kid said he was trying to crank up his fastball last night but just couldn't do it. He didn't feel right. It appears the reason why he couldn't reach 96-98mph may be that there is something wrong with his right shoulder. If that is the case, there is the chance that it may be awhile before you see Pineda pitching in the Bronx.
Pineda came into camp overweight and out of shape. In an age when athletes don't have to work second jobs in the winter because of the salaries that they make as athletes, it is inexcusable to me that they can't come into camp in shape. Granted, Pineda is only 23 years old but it really is no excuse. Think about last spring training. Phil Hughes was overweight and out of shape and what kind of season did he have??? He lost something on his fastball last year too if my memory serves me right.
The naysayers will immediately begin to jump on Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman for making the trade that brought Pineda to New York. It's too early to judge whether it was a mistake or not. What is more important right now is getting Pineda back on track. Hopefully, surgery of any kind will not be required.
This whole situation shows how tricky it is acquiring a pitcher through a trade or in free agency. The one good thing for the Yanks is that they have plenty of young arms in the wings and one veteran in Andy Pettitte who will be ready sometime in May. Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes are going to be key factors for this starting rotation behind CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. If Pineda was the pitcher that he was the first half of last season, the Yankee rotation would be really impressive. It would also have had 3 good under 30-somethings in it which would bode well for the future.
The results of Pineda's MRI will be awaited by many in Yankeeland with eager anticipation. A major problem to his right shoulder will be a huge setback to Cashman and the organization. It will also raise the voices of the critics who thought it was ridiculous to move your best young hitting prospect to get a young pitcher when you have so many good young arms in the system. They will also point to the fact that the Yankee lineup is aging and Montero would bring to it some youthful promise. Ah, baseball season in the Bronx. It wouldn't be right if there wasn't some controversy surrounding the Pinstripers and the regular season begins on Friday.
Yankees Begin Hunt For 28th Championship
The New York Yankees opened up spring training yesterday as pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa to begin the quest for their 28th World Championship. On paper, their starting rotation is much better than it was a year ago when Sergio Mitre, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon were battling for a starting spot. However as we know, what's on paper means nothing when the games count just ask the 2011 Phillies and Red Sox.
When looking at the Yankee rotation, if CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda can pitch like they have in the past, then the Yanks will have a pretty solid 1-2 punch. Of course, it will be interesting to see how Kuroda makes the transition from the National League to the American League. Last season, Sabathia's knee gave him trouble in the second half and in the playoffs and the Yankees have discussed with him the need to keep his weight under control. Sabathia also indicated that he would have to figure out a way to deal with a six-man rotation if it happens again this year. An interesting comment from CC and one that indicates to me that Joe Girardi's playing around with the rotation late last year didn't help his ace.
The rest of the rotation will be filled out by Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia. In the first 3, the Yankees have young arms that if they progress the way their potential would indicate, the Bombers rotation could be set for years to come. With young pitchers you never know what to expect but all three of these guys have the talent to succeed. For Phil Hughes, this year is a critical one. After making the AL All-Star team in 2010, Hughes faltered in the second half of 2010 and had a terrible 2011. It is believed that he was out of shape in 2011 and could be the reason for the decline in his fast ball. Reportedly he is in camp in great shape and time will tell if his fast ball can consistently crack 93-95 mph. If it can, the Yanks rotation will be solid.
With AJ Burnett traded to Pittsburgh, the Yankees are now setting their sites on a DH preferrably someone to face right-handed pitchers. There has been plenty of reports indicating that they are focused on Raul Ibanez. Not sure I'm all that crazy about Ibanez. Many have talked about bringing Johnny Damon back but I think Damon would be looking at getting more ABs than the Yankees would be looking to give him. Hideki Matsui is another possibility but GM Brian Cashman has said that they want someone who can play some outfield if necessary and Matsui's knees limit his ability to do that. As a result, the Yankees might not have many other options besides Ibanez.
There is also reports that the Yanks are interested in bring Eric Chavez back and Chavez wants to come back. I think that bringing Chavez back would be a good move as the guy can hit and fill in at third when giving ARod a rest. In addition, Chavez can also play a little first base if necessary. Speaking of ARod, I believe that he will play around 110-120 games at third base. The Yankees need his power and ability to drive in runs. If he can't drive off his legs then his power numbers will go down as was evidenced last season. Giving him more DH opportunities should take some stress off his hip and knees.
As we all know, championships are not won on paper but on the field. A lot of things can happen over the course of a 162 game schedule particularly with an aging starting lineup. But the key to the season will be those three young arms. If Pineda, Nova and Hughes can consistently give the Yankees quality starts, any issues with an aging starting lineup will be covered and give the Yankees a good shot of capturing Number 28.
Yankees Make Moves!!! & NFL Picks
Since July I have been complaining that the New York Yankees needed to upgrade their starting pitching. I have blasted General Manager Brian Cashman continuously. But last night, the Yankee General Manager pulled off a trade and then signed a veteran free agent pitcher that dramatically upgraded the rotation by acquiring Michael Pineda for Jesus Montero and signing Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankees also got a hard-throwing 19 year old pitcher, Jose Campos for Hector Noesi adding to their bevy of young pitching prospects.
The trade sets the first four spots in the rotation as follows: CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. The fifth spot in the rotation would be filled by either AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia. The speculation will begin as to who would fill that spot. What could figure into this decision is who will be the Yankee DH. So there are two questions: who is the 5th starter and who is the DH?
Before we get to what I think the answer is let's look at this trade closely. Acquiring Campos for Noesi is obviously not the major issue. Noesi was being a possible rotation candidate but with the acquisition of Kuroda it would appear that if Noesi stayed with the Yankees he would be in the bullpen as an insurance policy if one of the starters faltered or got hurt. Pineda for Montero. Now here is where the meat is. We must realize that this part of the trade involved two kids who have tremendous potential and have showed us some of that potential. However, both are not flawless.
Montero has been touted by the Yankees for years. The question has never been about his offensive ability, it has been about whether or not he could be a decent defensive catcher. It is obvious now that the Yankees felt that he would not be. Moreover, the Yankees are deep with catching prospects with Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez. Based on that assessment, the Yankees felt that Montero would have to be a fairly often DH. With AROD having four years remaining on his contract and having injury problems the last two years, the Yankees could not tie up the DH role with Montero and they believed that he could not be a big league catcher.
The Mariners have a number of pitching prospects so they could part with Pineda. Their problem has been scoring runs and Montero can help in the DH role. Pineda had a great 1st half of the season last year which earned him a place on the AL All-Star team. However, the second half of the season was not as good, in fact the youngster struggled big time. But the thing to remember is that Pineda is a hard throwing right hander who has a very good fast ball and slider. If Larry Rothschild can get this kid to upgrade his change-up this kid who could be a number 1A for the Yankee rotation.
In my mind, Cashman did what he needed to do to upgrade the starting rotation. Good pitching beats good hitting. With Albert Pujols strengthening the Angel lineup, the Rangers looking to add Prince Fielder to an already dangerous lineup and the Red Sox being the Red Sox, the Yankees rotation now does not only have to rely on Sabathia to stop losing streaks and more importantly be very formidable in a short post season series.
Now getting back to those two questions, let's address who will be the 5th starter. The Yanks could very well have an open competiton in camp. Phil Hughes is at a disadvantage because it would be easy for the Yankees to move him to the bullpen. It was Hughes who solidified a leaky bullpen in 2009 which propelled the Yanks to their last world championship. That would leave Garcia and Burnett. Burnett has the big contract and I would think that the Yanks would not put him in the bullpen leaving Garcia as the odd man out. However, the Yankees could also decide to move one of these guys to add another bat.
That leads to the second question concerning the DH. I'm sure if the Yankees could dump Burnett's salary they would however I don't know many teams that would want to take that on. Hughes would probably bring the most back in a trade and that could be a possibility. The other option would be to bring in a free agent bat like Vladimir Guerrero. But what could very well happen is that you will see the DH spot filled by ARod, Derek Jeter and Eduardo Nunez. The Yankees have indicated that they want Nunez to get more at bats. This actually may make some sense in that the Yankees will get to see Nunez perform for a full season, basically being in the lineup every day. If he does as well as the Yankees think he will it should be a no brainer. If he doesn't, then the Yankees know that they have to go to Plan B for the eventual replacement for Derek Jeter.
While I hated to see Montero go, this was a good move by the Yankees. Pineda has the potential be a staff ace. He will be 23 years old and is under contract for 5 years. Their rotation is solid for this year and they have a great base for the next several years in Pineda, Sabathia and Nova. In addition, you have Hughes and the young kids on the farm. Give credit where credit is due: Cashman in one night has propelled the Yankees back into a legitimate shot to win another world championship.
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I had a great wild card weekend going 3-0 and bringing my season record up to 33-20 and for the last 13 weeks a record of 29-12. Two picks for this weekend and both games are on Sunday:
Baltimore (-7 1/2) over Houston
NY Giants (+7 1/2) over Green Bay
Will 2012 See The 28th World Championship In The Bronx??
The New York Yankees have won 27 world championships, the most in all of professional sports. As we enter 2012 the question is: Will the Yankees win their 28th world championship?? Before I tell you what I think the answer is to that question, here is something to consider. In the last 10 years, the Yankees have qualified for the playoffs nine times. They won the World Series in 2009 and in 2003 made the World Series and lost to the Florida Marlins. In the remaining seven years, they made the ALCS twice and were eliminated in the first round five times. Oh and by the way, this ten year period includes the most monumental post season collapse in team history: blowing a 3-0 lead in the 2004 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
My point in bringing this up is that the Yankees are built to excel in the regular season. Making the playoffs is an accomplishment and the Yankees have been successful since 1995 having only been out of the playoffs once in 2008. However, the Yankees sell to their fans that a season is not a success unless they win it all. That goal was established by George Steinbrenner and as Yankee fans we knew he meant it. A couple of days ago, Randy Levine indicated that this past season was not a success because they didn't win the World Series and it rang as hollow as a three dollar bill. So the question becomes: are the Yankees built to win their 28th World Championship in 2012??
Based on the current roster, the answer to that question is no. General Manager Brian Cashman has done absolutely nothing to improve a team that was knocked out in the first round. Now the argument will be that this is a team which won 97 games in 2011 and won the AL East. But upon further examination, Cashman lucked out with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Colon is not back and Cashman is going to rely once again on Garcia. Offensively, the Yankees benefitted from a monster season by Curtis Granderson. Granderson hit 41 home runs and had 119 RBI's. Both were career bests. Can we believe that Granderson will duplicate those numbers again??? And if he doesn't who will make up that offensive production.
Of course some may say that 2011 also saw a sub-par ARod due to injury and a bad first half of the season for Derek Jeter and the expectation would be that Jeter will pick up where he left off and ARod will be ARod. I would agree with that except for the fact that Jeter will be 38 and ARod will be 37. And there in lies the problem with the Yankees. Where is the youth???? With Jorge Posada leaving, the Yankees only have Jeter and Mariano Rivera left from the glory years. Years that many Yankee fans in their 20's and 30's were spoiled with. In order for the Yankees to win the World Series, they will need their aging stars to perform as they have in the past. They will also need Mark Teixiera to justify the big contract that he signed with the Yankees. And they will need CC Sabathia to be CC Sabathia not to mention Phil Hughes bouncing back and no sophomore slump for Ivan Nova.
I honestly believe that the management team of Hal Steinbrenner, Lonn Trost and Randy Levine are more interested in the financial bottom line than winning. Getting into the playoffs is their goal. It gives them lucrative extra home dates which not only benefits gate receipts but also benefits the YES Network. When looking at the AL East, along with the additional wild card team, I think its a safe bet that the Yankees will make the playoffs. Boston has its problems and Tampa Bay may not have the guns to snag the division away from the Yankees. Once the Yankees get in, its all financial gravy for the Yankee bean counters.
Those of you who read this blog know that I am a Browns and Maple Leaf fan. Both teams have not made the playoffs in years. The Leafs have made improvements, purging their roster and becoming one of the youngest teams in the NHL. Their is hope for long term success. The Browns, on the other hand, seem to be treading water even though they are one of the youngest teams in the NFL. My point in bringing this up is that I can live with rebuilding. If the Yankees came out today and said we are going with youth I wouldn't have a problem with that. Banuelos and Betances were going to get a shot to be in the starting rotation. Jesus Montero was going to catch at least half of the games this year, splitting time with Russell Martin. Eduardo Nunez was going to have more of a role, playing in at least 100 games. But this will never happen because it could jeopardize their chance at making the playoffs and that's what its all about for Hal and the boys.
While the Yankees will make the playoffs, unless something is done between now and opening day, they will not win their 28th Championship. But what is scarier than that is if they don't acquire younger established players via trade or Cashman's prized farm system doesn't come true, that 28th Championship could be years away. One final point, you will notice I did not mention acquiring free agents. The Hal, Trost, Levine trio are hell bent on reducing the Yankees luxury tax assessment. There latest assessment was $14 million, less than the previous year. It would appear the days of signing a Reggie Jackson or a CC Sabathia are gone particularly when they will be paying ARod over $25 million a year for the next 6 years and another $25 million per year for Sabathia for the next 4. You can't reduce luxury tax if you add to those numbers. Hopefully, I'm wrong but if I'm right we are looking at a long dark period that if you are under 35 years old you have never experienced. Having gone through that twice, I can tell you it's not fun when all you have to talk about is days gone by.
Yankee News….Or Lack Thereof!!!!
Well as we enter into the third day of the Baseball Winter Meetings, the New York Yankees have yet to make any additions to a team that won the American League East but didn't make it out of the Divisional Series. Some will say they don't need to do anything. They won 97 games last year, best in the American League. But in the end it meant nothing because they couldn't get by Detroit.
Brian Cashman says that it doesn't seem like the Yankees will be doing anything at this point. The asking price for free agent pitchers is too high. As far as a trade goes, the Yankee GM believes that teams are asking for too many of the Yankees prize prospects. So what does that all mean??
Well, let's start with the positional players. It would appear that the starting 8 will be the same. No major changes however there is always a concern about injuries when you are dealing with late thirty-somethings like ARod and Derek Jeter. More than likely both will have to DH throughout the season which will mean that Eduardo Nunez will have to fill in. I like Nunez offensively, but defensively not so much. The kid will have to improve if he is to be the shortstop of the future.
By putting Jeter and ARod at DH, this would appear to take at-bats away from Jesus Montero. The Yankees truly need to find out if this kid can be a major league catcher. If he can't, then they need to find another place for him in the field. They can't afford to have a 22 year old DH when they have a long term commitment to a 37 year old Alex Rodriguez. ARod has 6 more years on his contract. I don't see him playing third base at the age of 40. I'm not saying Montero can play third but if he can't be a major league catcher how about the outfield.
The Yankees have a problem with their starting eight. They are aging, particularly on the left side of the infield. In addition, is it realistic to expect that Curtis Granderson is going to have the monster year that he had in 2011??? Who will pick up that slack??? It should be ARod and Mark Teixiera. That's what they are getting the big bucks for: to carry this team on their backs. There has been a lot of criticism of Nick Swisher and his playoff performances. But Swisher was not acquired to carry this team in the playoffs. He was acquired in a trade for Wilson Betemit. He was not a high impact, highly paid free agent. He was brought in to do exactly what he has done. Contribute 20-25 HR's and 80-100 RBI's. The same can be said for Curtis Granderson. He was acquired in a trade to provide speed, defense and occasional power. I don't think Brian Cashman was expecting 40 HRs and 110 RBI's. The guys who are suppose to do that is ARod and Teixiera.
I have gone over and over the pitching situation. They need to get another starting pitcher. If they don't, it will be another early exit in October.
Leafs Lose, Browns About To Lose & Yanks Snooze
The Boston Bruins showed why they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions last night dominating the third period as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. The return of James Reimer was not enough to give the Leafs their first win of the year against the Bruins. Reimer played well but the Leafs were unable to generate many scoring chances and their power play was non-existent. In the third period, the Bruins put on a clinic controlling the puck in the Toronto end as if they were a junior team playing a bunch of pee wee house league players.
The Leafs had difficulty getting any consistent offensive attack against Tuuka Rask and probably could have used the likes of Colby Armstrong and Mike Brown. Mikhail Grabovski was an offensive threat when he was on the ice and I think that Ron Wilson needs to use him more on the power play. Joey Crabb also played well but that was about it as far as offensive jam went. Jake Gardiner was the best defenseman on the ice last night for the Leafs. This kid is going to be a star in the NHL.
Matt Frattin had his worse game as a Maple Leaf as it seemed he had a difficult time throughout the game trying to get out of his own zone. Quite frankly, I have had enough of Cody Franson. If this kid has any trade value the Leafs need to move him. It would be best for him and for the team. Play Aulie until Kommisarek comes back.
The Leafs have lost two in a row after coming off a 3-1 road trip. It doesn't get any easier as they will take on the Rangers at MSG Monday night. The Rangers have won 5 in a row and have been playing much better since the last time the Leafs were in the Big Apple. Will be interesting to see who Wilson plays in goal against the Rangers. It is the first of a back-to-back as the Leafs play the New Jersey Devils at the ACC on Tuesday. The Leafs need to stop this mini losing streak.
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The Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens this afternoon at 4pm in Cleveland Browns Stadium. If the Browns are to have any chance today they will need to be able to run the ball. Peyton Hillis will be keyed on by the Ravens and it could be a long day for Colt McCoy. Not sure what to expect from the Browns. Their defense will need to play at its best and keep Ray Rice from running wild. I think it will be a defensive struggle but the Ravens will prevail.
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As we get ready for the Baseball Winter Meetings, reports in both New York dailies are that the Yankees will not be making a lot of noise. Brian Cashman is not interested in entering the free agent market for a pitcher since he believes that the going rate is too high. While there is always the possibility for a trade, it seems like Cashman will need to be blown away. In my mind, the White Sox have assets that could help the Yankees: John Danks and Matt Thorton. Danks is a 25 year old lefty who could slot in nicely behind CC Sabathia. Thorton is a lefty reliever of which the Yankees only have one: Boone Logan. Then there is always free agent Mark Buehrle.
Not making any moves means that the Yankees believe they have enough on their roster to win it all. But unless they get some help from the highly touted farm system, if Cashman does nothing all I see is another playoff appearance without a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
Marlins Aggressive, Where Is Mr. Cashman???
The Florida Marlins are moving into a new stadium next year and are pushing hard to make a big splash. It is reported that the Marlins have made offers to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle. They are currently courting Albert Pujols. My question is: where is Brian Cashman??? While the Yankees certainly would not be in on Reyes or Pujols, they certainly should be interested in Buehrle. But all we hear are platitudes about how he and Joe Girardi aren't comfortable with how the starting rotation presently looks.
In an interview, Cashman talked about possibly having to do what he did last year taking a flyer on low end free agents. While that worked out this year in the regular season do you really want to roll the dice again? Last year, Cashman sat by and waited because he wanted Cliff Lee and we know how that turned out. This year the Marlins are on the move with courting free agents. The Phillies have signed Jonathan Papelbon. In the meantime, we know nothing about what the Yankees are going to do other than hearing all kinds of happy talk from Cashman and Company. Maybe the Yankees are just waiting to see what the offers are for various free agent pitchers. Or maybe Cashman plans on doing what he did last year: bargain hunt and hope it works out. Interesting strategy for a team with the most financial resources that considers a successful season only if they win the World Series
Yankee Rumblings Part II
The New York Yankees announced the signing of CC Sabathia to a contract extension thus precluding the big lefty from opting out from his original contract. The move ensures that the Yankees will have their left-handed ace for the next 5 years. One thing that Sabathia needs to do is take care of himself better and I am particularly referring to his weight. Carrying the extra weight could ultimately be a problem the older Sabathia gets.
With CC secured, the Yankees will not be in panic mode this year however General Manager Brian Cashman indicated that the team will try to bolster the pitching staff. As it stands, four spots are set for the rotation: Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and AJ Burnett. The Yankees have indicated that they may be willing to bring Freddy Garcia back for the last spot in the rotation. However, there may be better options. The guy I would like to see the Yankees make a run at is Mark Buerhle. Buerhle is 31 years old and has been a solid successful pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. Buerhle was a part of the White Sox World Series Championship team in 2005 and is an innings eater. In my mind, Buerhle would be your number 2 starter behind CC.
There are three other pitching free agents who I believe the Yankees should stay away from. CJ Wilson will be looking for big dollars and quite frankly I am not impressed. He doesn't have that big of a body of work to warrant a big contract. The Japanese phenom, Yu Darvish has many people salivating over his abilities. Quite frankly, it has been proven that pitchers from Japan have not translated well in the U.S. Let someone else spend the money. In fact, but for El Duque, the Yankees have had terrible luck in the importing of pitchers from other countries. The Phillies did not pick up the option on Roy Oswalt and the Yankees should steer clear. Oswalt has never pitched in the American League and I don't believe he has the personal make-up to handle pitching in New York.
Another way to improve the starting rotation would be through a trade. A name that has been floating around which may be able to be had is John Danks. Danks is 25 years old and the White Sox are looking to shave payroll which could mean that the asking price for Danks may be reasonable. A couple of mid-level prospects for Danks would be a good move.
The bullpen appears to be solid. It would be nice if the Yankees could get another lefty reliever in addition to Boone Logan. But once again the Yanks do not need to overpay for one. They will be getting Joba Chamberlain back and Rafael Soriano elected not to exercize his opt-out clause and he will be back. This should once again be a strength.
There are some who are suggesting that it is not essential to have a dominating pitching staff as they point to the ouster of the Phillies and the success of the Rangers. But I would still want to have a good pitching staff going into a short playoff series. That being said, the Yankees need to make sure that Phil Hughes comes into camp in good shape and that Ivan Nova does not suffer a sophomore jinx. That's why my ideal situation would be to sign Buerhle and bring Garcia back. If Nova or Hughes falter in camp you have a fall back option in Garcia. If they do well, then you can use Garcia as a long reliever or cut him. The other wild card is Burnett but as the Yankees proved this year their offense can compensate for him.
One other area that needs to be looked at is the Manager, Joe Girardi. While many praise Girardi for his handling of the bullpen, I believe that the manager needs to be more closely scrutinized. Girardi is addicted to his binder with all of his statistical match-ups. While numbers are important, as a manager you also need to have a feel for who's hot and who's not. Case in point: this year's playoffs. While everyone wants to get on Nick Swisher for not producing, my question is why wouldn't Girardi have flipped Jorge Posada with Swisher in the line-up. Posada hit over .400 and certainly had successful playoff experience. In addition, with offensive production being a problem, Girardi did not utilize his bench at all during the post season. With Russell Martin struggling at the plate, I don't understand why Jesus Montero wasn't given an opportunity. And as I mentioned in my previous post, Andruw Jones should have been given more opportunities particularly with Swisher struggling. Girardi will tell you that the Tigers had mainly right handed starters and that he wanted to get more left handed bats in the lineup. But once again if you see that guys are struggling, you need to shake things up.
The Yankees also need to begin the process of incorporating more youth in the lineup. Hopefully, Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances will be able to make a contribution this year. They also need to see some progress from Eduardo Nunez and Brett Gardner. They must avoid bringing in aging players unless they are going to be around in a back-up roll. Some are clamoring for the Yanks to get Carlos Beltran or Grady Sizemore. The problem with both is that they are injury prone and could clog up an already overcrowded DH spot in the lineup due to the aging of ARod and Derek Jeter.
With the Red Sox in disarray and the Rays not in a position to substantially improve their offense, the Yankees should be in good position to qualify for the playoffs again in 2012. The key will be performance in the post season and the progression of young players to ensure long term success for the future.
Yankee Rumblings
Congratulations to the St.Louis Cardinals for winning the 2011 World Series. Now that it is over, it's time to begin the yearly winter ritual of determining what the Yankees need to do in order to win the 2012 World Series. It is apparent that the Yankees will announce the re-signing of Brian Cashman as General Manager. I suppose the Yankees have no choice. While I agree with Cashman's desire to build up the farm system, he has had free reign since 2006. It's time to see the fruits of farm system. They have screwed up Joba Chamberlain, need to get Phil Hughes on track and have not had a legitimate power hitting outfielder come from the farm system since Bernie Williams. To his credit, we do have David Robertson and Ivan Nova. In addition, I truly believe that Jesus Montero can be a big-time power threat for the Yankees. He's the type of young blood that they desperately need.
Positional Players
The Yankees are stuck with ARod and Mark Teixeira. Someone needs to get into Teixeira's head. He is turning into a better fielding Jason Giambi. I've seen too many home runs hit in blow out games and nothing when its really needed. Giambi hit home runs when it mattered. He's fallen in love with the short right field porch. His average has gone down every year since he's been a Yankee. Hitting genius Kevin Long needs to get Teixeira to go the other way particularly when he is batting left-handed.
With respect to ARod, the Yankees need to hope that he can get healthy. Some numbers to consider: in 2007 ARod played 158 games. The number of games go down every year after 2007: 2008 - 138 games, 2009 - 124 games, 2010 - 137 and 2011 - 99 games. The Yankees are faced with the fact that ARod may have to DH anywhere from 35-45 games next year which could end up taking at bats away from Jesus Montero unless they feel comfortable with Montero behind the plate.
With ARod and Derek Jeter both needing spells at DH, the Yankees need to decide if they are prepared to allow Eduardo Nunez to be their back-ups. Nunez was the piece that Cashman would not part with in order to get Cliff Lee from the Mariners. I think Nunez has offensive ability. He has some power and good speed. However, the kid was a defensive liability when he filled in for Jeter and ARod. He also seems to lack some baseball sense. This year will be the second year of Jeter's new contract. He will be 38 in June. The Yankees need to decide if Nunez is the heir apparent.
There is no question that the Yankees will pick up the club option year on Robinson Cano. Despite Scott Boras' comments about wanting an extension, the Yankees have no reason at this time to do that and Boras has since backed off his comments. I also don't think Cano has any desire to move from the Yankees. It is being reported that the Yankees will pick up the club option on Nick Swisher. Swisher has been a good fit for the Yankees. He has produced in the regular season and is a great guy to have in the clubhouse. If you don't think having a good clubhouse presence is important go ask the Red Sox. Of course he has not produced in the playoffs and that has led many to say that the Yankees should get rid of him. It's being reported that the Yankees will pick up the option and possibly try to move Swisher in a trade. I'm not sure what they would be looking for in a trade but Swisher is marketable based upon his age (31) and his contract ($10.25 million) Depending upon what the Yankees would get I might not be opposed to a trade. However, we should be clear about something: the Yankees did not get Swisher to carry this team. In fact, in one of Brian Cashman's better moves, he got Swisher for none other than Wilson Betemit. Wilson "freaking" Betemit. For me Swisher stays. His contract is up at the end of the year and if you don't want him back you let him go. It's nice to acquire someone from another team that truly appreciates being a Yankee.
What they should do: They need to bring back Russell Martin and commit to Jesus Montero. The only way I would trade Montero is if they were going to get King Felix and I don't think that is going to happen. With Eric Chavez probably not coming back next year, they need to consider picking up a guy like Ty Wigginton. He can play multiple positions, hit for power and knows what it is like to play in New York. If they can I think they should bring Andruw Jones back. Jones came up with some big at-bats against the Red Sox late in the season in Fenway and I think Girardi screwed up by not giving this guy more at-bats during the playoffs. I would not sign Carlos Beltran. Beltran will be 35 years old next April. He will be looking for a 3-4 year deal at around $20 million per year. The Yankees don't need another aging injury prone player who may need to DH when they have ARod under contract until he is past 40. There are many that point to Beltran's post season stats. But a closer look makes you wonder. In 2004 at the age of 27 he hit .435 with 8 HR's and 14 RBI's. Two years later, at the age of 29 he hit .270 with 3 HRs and 5 RBI's. At the age of 35 he is more likely to match the 2006 numbers than the 2004 numbers. That is if he stays healthy.
Next week I will take a look at the Yankee pitching staff and Manager Joe Girardi.
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