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When you look at the fifth starter competition in 2010, you also have to look back and look ahead.  Look back to 2009 and all the Yankees went through to get Joba stretched out and ready to pitch without innings limits.  Look ahead to 2011 and realize that the only two definite starters the Yankees have on the roster are Sabathia and Burnett.

That means it is vital that the Yankees develop a starter in 2010 who can slot into the 2011 rotation.  It makes it much more likely that Joba and Hughes (two guys who aren't going anywhere) beat out guys like Gaudin and Mitre (who knows where they will be).  I suppose you could put Aceves in the former group, but I think the Yankees value the flexibility he gives them in the bullpen.  Now, a small disclaimer.  I fully believe the Yankees would go in a different direction than Hughes or Joba if they continue to stink in spring training, but assuming they improve a little bit, this is a two-horse race.

Now, in that race, I think Joba is the favorite.  He is the guy they tried to develop in 2009 and while it was bumpy at times, he certainly showed potential.  Through the end of July, Joba had a 3.58 ERA as a starter.  That was the point the Yankees started messing with his starts (and his head) and things went downhill from there.  What caused the fall off in performance in the final two months?  I'm not sure anyone knows for sure, but I think it's another reason the Yankees will give him every chance to show it was his head and not his arm.

What will be interesting to watch is what the Yankees do with Hughes.  The smartest approach may be to put him in the minors as a starter for a couple of months.  This would achieve two things.  First, keeping Hughes in Scranton for part of the season would allow him to build up his innings which would put him in line to start in 2011 without an innings cap. More importantly, it would give the Yankees insurance if one of their starters got hurt.

That could be a huge factor in the decision.  Aceves will almost certainly make the team as a reliever.  Gaudin's deal isn't guaranteed and I would expect the Yankees to cut him loose if he didn't make the club.  (Why pay him $3 million to relieve when you have guys like Melancon who can do it for much cheaper?)  I believe Mitre woudl have to agree to a minor league assignment, so he is probably gone.  Now look at Scranton's roster.  There really isn't anyone with major league experience.  Having Hughes in Scranton would give you a solid replacement if a pitcher got hurt. 

I can hear the argument against this and it is a good one.  Why keep one of the 12-best arms on your club in the minors for a situation that may never arise?  Well, if the paragraph above didn't sway you how about we think about 2011 again?  Mariano is 40 and while I wouldn't bet against him, it is fair to say that he might not have many years left.  If the Yankees are going to develop Hughes and Joba as starters, then they also need to develop some other guys as possible closers down the line.  If Hughes opens in Scranton, I would assume that gives Robertson a chance to be the 8th-inning guy (along with Marte).  Additionally, it might give a guy like Melancon a shot at making the team outright.  My opinion is that starting 2010 with Joba in the fifth spot, Hughes in Scranton and Robertson being the bridge to Rivera is the best way to handle the delicate balancing act of winning in 2010 and preparing for 2011.  If something doesn't work, let's say Joba blows up, then Hughes can jump into the rotation and Joba into the pen.  If Robertson blows up, Hughes can replace him in the bridge role.  And, if a starter gets hurt, Hughes is ready to jump into the rotation.

Is it perfect?  No, you waste Hughes' talent for the part of the season he spends in the minors.  But, if people stay healthy you could end up with Joba as a rotation cog, Hughes ready to become one and Robertson (or Melancon) as a reliable bridge to Rivera.  That's the best case for 2010 and 2011.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The Red Sox will hold a press conference today to announce the signing of Nomar Garciaparra to a minor league deal, at which point Garciaparra will announce his retirement according to Boston.com.

Garciaparra's career has officially come full circle.  What started out as a magical, hall of fame type career, broke down amid rumors and constant injury.  Garciaparra had some amazing seasons, but he lacked any kind of durability and fell way short of any Hall of Fame bid.

As a Red Sox fan, it was so satisfying to see the them draft, groom and succeed with Nomar.  His rookie season (first full season) left me thinking he could do anything.  He followed up 1997 with 3 ridiculous seasons only to have injury strike.  He came back in 2002 and 2003 with 2 good seasons, but never approached his 1997 - 2000 levels.

Prior to the 2004 season, the Red Sox offered Nomar a 4 year, $60mm deal which he turned down.  A bad decision on his part as Nomar made a total of $32,283,394.00 the following 4 seasons.  And of course he was traded in the summer of 2004 amidst much animosity.

Garciaparra played his best baseball in Boston and I think this is why he is "coming home."  I think it is a fitting end to his career and I believe this will be the final step in winning back the fans, many of whom feel he let the Red Sox down in 2004.  Here was my take when the 2004 trade went down:  July 2004.

Welcome back Nomar.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Tom Verducci at SI.com has an article about an idea to realign the divisions in MLB.  Basically, teams would be able to opt to pick which division they wish to compete in to based on geography and payroll.  The idea seems to be a way for a team like Tampa to escape the Boston-New York AL East and have a legitimate shot at competing for a division title. 

It's a compelling idea, but I want to hear more about it before commenting.  For example, can any team opt to switch divisions?  If so, I assume the Yankees or Red Sox would gladly jump at the chance to escape the AL East.  Move one of them to the AL Central, and you probably have both teams winning 100+ games this year.  Obviously, that defeats the point of the plan, so how would that work?  Also, how long would each move last?  Could a team flop divisions year after year?

I hope that if MLB does something like this, they also change the playoff format.  I would like to see winning the division mean more than it does.  Right now the wild card team doesn't really pay much of a penalty for finishing second.  How about adding another wild card team and having the two wild card teams play each other to advance to face a division winner?  Also, change the format of the LCS to match the World Series.  Why do you have extra days off in the semis that you don't have in the finals?  And, most of all, get rid of the stupid All-Star Game winner getting homefield advantage, it should go to the team with the best overall record, just like in hockey and basketball. 

If you could take Bud Selig's place, what changes would you make in the playoffs and divisions?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a story building about A-Rod and Dr. Anthony Galea. Galea is being investigated by federal authorities after getting stopped at the border bringing HGH into the country.  So far, he has been tied to Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Huston Street and Tiger Woods.  Now, Galea is saying he treated A-Rod last year after hip surgery, but only gave him anti-inflammatory drugs.

Now, on the surface that shouldn't be a problem, but as with all things A-Rod there are some other details that need to be considered.  Start with this statement from the Yankees:

"The New York Yankees have not been contacted with regard to an investigation of Dr. Tony Galea. The Yankees never authorized Dr. Tony Galea to treat Alex Rodriguez, nor do we have any knowledge of any such treatment.

Assuming Galea is telling the truth, then A-Rod went behind that team's back to get treatment.  Not exactly a great thing to learn.

But the bigger issue is obviously Galea's involvement with HGH.  Assuming what Galea said is true, A-Rod's only "crime" is not getting authorization from the team for treatment.  If that is indeed the case, A-Rod should apologize to the Yankees and get a statement out about this ASAP.  Otherwise, the speculation and distractions will start to build.  Neither Alex nor the Yankees need that right now.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

It seems like both the Red Sox and Yankees are trying to settle on a 5th starter.  I'll let Peter handle the Yankees debate.  As for the Red Sox, it comes down to Tim Wakefield or Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Those of us who saw Wakefield towards the end of the 2009 season not only are shocked that he might win the 5th spot, but also that he is even still playing baseball.  Some of the most comedic, yet sad images of Wakefield last season showed a pot-bellied, middle-aged man trying to cover first base, only to have his right leg fail him.  When I say fail, it looked like he was running with his leg asleep.

No matter, off-season back surgery apparently has cured his pinched nerve issue and he is making a strong showing in camp, even if he still has the pot-belly.

Matsuzaka on the other hand has been sidelined with a back strain.  It seems likely that unless he can get in a game soon, he'll start the season on the DL or in extended spring training.

It's a shame to have Matsuzaka pitching out of the pen as his stuff can be electric, but he doesn't have a clean health record and I'm sure the Red Sox would love to keep his innings pitched total at 160 or so this year.  This is the team that routinely shuts down pitchers for 2 weeks, more to give them a rest than any health related reason.

The 5th spot in really meaningless early on in the season, so I'm not worried about this issue and the likelihood of keeping 5 starters healthy throughout the season is slim, so both Wakefield and Matsuzaka will get their fair share of starts.  I like Wakefield in the rotation as his style is such a contrast to the other starters.  While I can't quantify the impact his knuckleball has on opposing teams as far as how the opposition handles the conventional starter the next day, it does make sense.

Plus, Wakefield is a far more enjoyable starter to watch as he is quick between pitches while Matsuzaka is painfully slow.  A non-baseball related argument to be sure, but important to the fan.

All of this discussion bodes well for Clay Buchholz as he has apparently been penciled in the 4th spot.  Buchholz strong showing in September and his upside make him a logical choice.

With a rotation of: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Buchholz and Wakefield and improved team defense, the Red Sox should be good at preventing runs this year but it remains to be seen if they can score enough runs.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Daily News is reporting that Edwar Ramirez has been DFA'ed to make room for Chan Ho Park. 

I suppose this is the best choice, it must have come down to Ramirez or Albie.  Ramirez has an amazing changeup, but his fastball is not ML-quality and that changeup can only carry him so far.  About 100 innings and 20 HR's allowed in his big league career proves that. 

Anyway, best of luck to him, he is one of the guys you root for.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

When A-Rod's boli admission came out last year I wrote this:

But, I am also really sick of this whole thing and if Alex steps up and tries to speak out against steroid use and supports the Tyler Hooten Foundation then I will move on too.  Alex asked to be judged from this point forward and the ball is in his court on that.

So, I was very pleased when I read this story on Friday which included this quote:

Don Hooton, the father of Taylor Hooton, would not give details, in a telephone conversation Thursday, about how often Rodriguez had spoken to youth groups. But Hooton said: “He has been phenomenal. He has a strong message to the kids. He has delivered to the letter and the spirit.”

And this one:

Asked Thursday about his promise last year, Rodriguez said: “I don’t think it serves a big purpose to get into it, but I will say that actions speak louder than words and that Don has a great message. The more I can do with Don, in spreading the message, the better person I will become, too.”

And this one:

Hooton, who has been to a number of Congressional hearings about drugs, joked that the young people Rodriguez addresses were tougher with him than reporters were.

“They go right for it: ‘Why did you do it? Where did you get them?’ ” Hooton said.

Perhaps A-Rod's second act will be what he is remembered for one day. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Throughout this offseason and previous ones, Brian Cashman has shown that he doesn't act with his heart.  He is cold and calculating, a perfect combination for a GM.  Cashman doesn't get caught up in the emotion of a move, he simply continues to try and make the Yankees younger and better.  Yet somehow, everyone seems to think that the Yankees and Cashman will hand Derek Jeter a huge contract next fall when his current ten-year deal expires.  I have seen various writers guess at six years and $25 million a year. 

Now Derek Jeter is a special player.  He is one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game, but he is also 36 and playing shortstop, a position that very few players have played well in their late 30's.  While he hasn't shown much rust and his 2009 was stellar, it is legitimate to question just how much he has left in the tank.

Obviously, nobody knows for sure, but we do know that the closer to 40 he gets, the bigger the chance he stops producing at his current levels.  Brian Cashman understands this and I wouldn't expect him to offer anything close to six years to Jeter.  Unless the economy really improves, I imagine the negotiation will play out with the Yankees offering Jeter arbitration (and probably hoping he will take it since it would just be a one-year deal) before making a proposal for a three-year deal for no more than $60 million.  That in itself is a very risky deal for the Yankees to make and I don't think they would do it for any other player besides Jeter. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's a little detail, via LoHud, that helps the Chan Ho Park signing make sense.  Both Mitre and Gaudin have non-guaranteed deals. So, the Yankees could release them from their contracts and not have to pay them.  That's a big deal considering Gaudin is due almost $3 million and Mitre $1 million if they make the team.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Today's the day we all have waited for, pitchers and catchers are reporting in Tampa.  As the Yankees look to defend their title, there are only a few questions that need to be answered in camp, but some of them are going to be big ones. 

First up is who will be the fifth starter?  Joe Girardi may say that it's a five-pitcher race, but I don't believe him.  I think this probably comes down to Hughes or Chamberlain.  I know there is a story in the Post today that the Yankees are going to put Joba in the bullpen no matter what, but I don't believe that either.  The Yankees could have kept Joba in the pen in 2009, but they felt he could be a front line starter.  Through July 30th, it looked like he was well on his way as he sported as 7-2 record with a 3.58 ERA. 

We know what happened next, but I still think a lot of it had to do with the Yankees and the way they tried to manipulate his innings.   There is only one way to find out- let him loose for an entire season and see what happens.  I bet the Yankees do that and put Hughes back into the bullpen, but there is one problem with that; it doesn't prepare Hughes for the role he may need to assume in 2011.  

I think the ultimate hopes of the Yankees are that Joba and Hughes pitch in the rotation in 2011.  Getting Hughes to be in position to fill that role is going to be a challenge.  If they put him in the bullpen from the start of the season, he probably won't pitch more than 100 innings if that.  That will mean we would have the "Hughes Rules" in 2011. 

The resolution of the rotation will help clear up the next question of camp which is what will the bullpen look like?  I think you can pretty much close five spots right now- Mo, the loser of the rotation competition, Marte, Robertson and Aceves.  That leaves a lot of arms in play for the final two spots.  I think Logan or Ring have to be considered favorites for one spot since the Yankees would probably like to take two lefties and the last spot will be wide open with Gaudin, Mitre, Melancon and Albie all in the mix.  (I could see the Yankees trading Gaudin)

Another big question is what will the lineup look like?  We know Jeter leads off and Tex and A-Rod are the 3/4, but what about the other spots?  I think the Yankees might go with Granderson in the #2 spot against RHP and Johnson hitting 7th.  Those two could also flip-flop spots against LHP.  The 5 spot is probably going to go to Cano because the Yankees could then round out the rest of lineup alternating between lefties and switch-hitters (Posada-Johnson-Swisher-Gardner). 

A smaller question is who is playing left and who is playing center?  I am not sure if there will be a definitive answer reached in spring training and it wouldn't shock me to see both guys get a lot of appearances in both spots.  But, there is another question that directly impacts this one and it is who are the outfielders who make this team?  

Obviously, we know that Swisher, Granderson and Gardner are on the team, but I wouldn't go further than that.  Winn has the inside track at the fourth spot, but if he bombs in camp I bet the Yankees trade or release him.  Thames is going to have to fight Hoffmann and Golson off for the final outfield spot.  

And finally, what about the extra infielder?  I think Ramiro Pena is the safe bet, but if Kevin Russo shows them something, the Yankees just might take him.  

Some big questions, some smaller ones, but the important thing is that baseball is back!

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)