It sounds like the Yankees plan to platoon Ensberg and Betemit at third, which isn't a bad idea.  Betemit hasn't shown it since coming to the Yankees, but he has hit righties very well in his career.  The problem is the bench is only Ensberg or Betemit, Duncan and Moeller on most nights, that is just too thin.  Why the Yankees chose to keep 9 relievers instead of Gonzalez is beyond my understanding. 

The legend of Moss, a legend I’ve been largely unaware of, has been growing, here’s evidence:

From Sunday’s Globe feature “On Baseball” by Nick Cafardo:

"He can do a lot of things. Strong left-handed bat. Good head for the game, but the Red Sox aren't inclined to deal him. We've tried, believe me."

In addition, the day before his surgery, Moss had complained of abdominal pain, but then played in Friday night’s game going 2-4 with a home run.  A legend building feat, no?

I guess we should all be happy he is on the Red Sox.  For whatever reason, I’ve considered him a 4^th outfielder with maybe the chance to be a starter on a team other than the Red Sox.  Let’s hope I’m wrong.

With Moss’s injury, once expected to sideline him 3-5 weeks, the Red Sox promoted Craig Hansen, thus fulfilling my wish.  I expect Hansen will stay here for the long haul with the Red Sox instead deciding to get rid of another reliever when the time comes.  Mike Timlin and Javier Lopez are the leading candidates.  Lopez because he is a side-throwing lefty who lets too many lefties get on base.  In 6.1 IP against lefties this year, he has only given up 4 hits, but walked 5.  Terry Francona wants Lopez to challenge lefties, not walk them.  Against righties, he has allowed 9 hits and 1 walk in 5.2 IP.  His 3.75 era might look good, but it’s soft.

I haven’t said much lately on this, but the late Will McDonough is being proved right about Roger Clemens more than ever.  Clemens is the Texas Con Man.

I don't know why the Yankees are playing with a 24-man roster for three games.  It makes no sense and if you don't want to add Gardner to the 40-man and bring him up, why not promote a pitcher who can give you a couple of bullpen innings?  Rasner doesn't have to be activated until Sunday, it makes no sense. 

The Yankees are 14-16 right now, the same record they had in 2007.  The thing is, it was May 7th, 2007, when they reached the 30th game last year and that season also started on April 2nd.  They have played a brutal schedule and when you throw in the injuries, it shouldn't surprise anyone that they are 14-16.  The thing is, this year they probably won't have the luxury of taking May off like they did last season.  Remember, in 2007 they went 7-13 from this point to fall to 21-29, 14 1/2 games out of first.  They went 73-39 the rest of the way to win 94 games.  

The biggest difference between that team and this one is offense.  That team scored 176 runs in their first 30 games while giving up 150.  This team has scored only 129 while giving up 141. So, the pitching is a little better and the hitting is a lot worse.  Will that turn around?  You would assume the pitching has to get a little better just by removing Hughes from the rotation right now (and maybe Kennedy)  When two of your starters are surrendering a run an inning, you have nowehere to go but up.  The offense is a trickier matter.  Other than Cano and Jeter, who is really underperforming right now?  You could say Giambi, but he is 37 and may simply be finished.  Moeller and Molina are going to be a huge downgrade from Posada and Ensberg is not going to come anywhere close to the production that A-Rod provided.

So, what can the Yankees do about it?  First, I would get some real doctors to tell you honestly how long Posada and A-Rod are going to be gone.  If the answer is truly a month for Posada and two weeks for Alex, sit tight.  If not, time to work a trade for hitting.  Even if the answer is a good one, I hope Cashman is working the phpnes for a pitcher because it certainly looks like the Yankees need another starter.

Other than that, get creative.  Brad Wilkerson is a little too young to be finished and he just was DFA'ed.  Freddy Garcia is still out there, why not take a flier?   The Yankees are like every team in baseball, they need to score more and give up less.  How they get there is the question. 

Of bigger concern is Hughes' history with injuries.  His 2005 season was cut short because of injuries and we all know what happened in 2007.  Now, he has his 3rd season in 4 years interrupted by injuries.  That is a very bad sign for now and the future.  

That is something we can worry about another day, for now the Yankees would be wise to start thinking about Joba's transition to the rotation.  They might need him there very soon.   

Last 7 day performance for the Red Sox offense:  .198/.260/.264/.524 (avg/obp/slg/ops).  Yes, it got worse after last night's win.  Included in the past 7 days:  39 H, 197 AB, 2 HRs, 13 runs, 13 RBI, 16 BB, 37 K's.  For an entire offense to do that, especially one with at worst decent hitters, is just amazing...amazingly bad.

The good news?  The pitching has also done well:  2.55 ERA over the same timeframe.  Yes they have a 2-4 record over the last week, but it could have been worse had the pitching not stepped up.

Given Peter's comments on the Yankee offense and the numbers to back it up, .211/.286/.336/.622, it is amazing to see such apparent powerhouse offenses struggle so badly.  Perhaps if the two teams merged you could patch together a league average offense.  Did I just say merge the Red Sox and Yankees?  That's a sacrilegious thing to say on this sight, please forgive me.

The Yankees could have put Bruney or Cervelli on the 60-day DL to make room for Moeller, so I have no clue why they simply DFA'ed Henn.  Then again, Henn isn't exactly the second coming of Sandy Koufax. Still it seems odd to give up on a 27 year-old lefty when you don't have any in the big league pen. 

Hughes on the DL is simply bizarre.  The Yankees are obviously making up an injury here, but what is the point?  (And I say that because Joe Girardi said he was healthy before tonight's game) Why pretend he is hurt when everyone knows what is going on?  You can send him to Tampa on a rehab assignment, but why wouldn't you simply demote him and let him try at AAA?  Now he can't appear in any games which makes no sense to me.  

And, the Yankees now have to make a move to replace Hughes spot on the roster.  Just to review, Mo, Farnsworth, Hawkins, Ohlendorf, Albie, Britton, Ramirez and Joba make up the bullpen with four starters in the rotation.  Do the Yankees promote a batter the next few days in place of Hughes (and Betemit is apparently unable to go) or do they just recall Rasner at this point to pitch Sunday?  Talk about needing a scorecard to identify the players!

And, please let me know if you see the Yankees' offense.  It is missing and presumed to be dangerous, but hasn't proved to be yet.  

 
But I digress, the real point is how do the Yankees fix this problem? If the guy can't see the catcher's glove or the signs, it would explain a lot.  One thing, for his career and the sample size is small, his ERA in the day is almost twice that of his ERA at night so the numbers don't back up the claim.   

Not being able to rely on Timlin early in the season due to whatever various injury he has puts a major strain on Terry Francona.  Additionally, you typically sign a pitcher to give you 6 and hopefully 7 months of service, not 3-4 months.

His 2008 has been dreadful:  6 IP, 14 H, 9 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 13.50 ERA, 2.83 WHIP, 2-2 record.  That is a fairly small sample size and certainly not the definitive sign his career is over, but it isn’t a good trend.

If I’m Theo Epstein, I DL Timlin right now with the idea of working with him to fix whatever physically ails him and to best position him for the remainder of the season.  If John Farrell and others feel Timlin can contribute, great, let him prove it in an extended rehab assignment at Pawtucket (he’s already pitched 2 scoreless innings there this year before he was activated).  If they feel he can’t contribute, let him go.  Of course, he is a popular player and just cutting him might not sit well, so the organization should give him some options to allow him to exit gracefully and with class, something he is worthy of.

To replace Timlin, let’s give Craig Hansen another look.  Hansen has gone 15.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 17 K, 1.72 ERA, 0.64 WHIP at Pawtucket and finally seems to have found his slider.  In his 1.2 IP appearance in Boston this year, despite giving up a HR, he had sharp break to his slider and struck out 3.

One other quick observation:  The Red Sox can’t hit right now!!!  Last 7 days:  .212/.275/.278 as a team, hence the 1-5 record over that time.

Without A-Rod and Posada, the Yankees are missing two huge parts of the offense.  Apart from hoping that Cano's homer tonight will wake him up the Yankees don't have a lot of options.  I would activate Betemit and let him loose against righty pitching.  Matsui in the lineup every night is a must.  Giambi and Duncan can split first with whoever is hitting getting the nod. 

My bigger question is what is going on with the Yankees' doctors?  Both Posada and A-Rod came back from injuries too soon and were then forced to the DL.  Last year Marty Miller walked the plank for the injuries the team suffered in April, is someone going to pay the price in 2008? 

The Yankees now have a big decision to make about Hughes.  He has made six starts, pitched 22 innings and given up 22 earned runs.  The Yankees can't afford to keep sending him out there if he isn't going to be at least competitive in his starts and you would have to be generous to say he has been that in half his starts this season.  He is scheduled to pitch against Seattle Sunday and if he doesn't do well in that start, the Yankees have to strongly consider sending him to AAA. 

Let's recap some of the challenges so far.  Jeter was lost for a week, same with Joba.  Hughes and Kennedy have been awful and the Yankees have lost Bruney for the year and Posada for an uncertain amount of time.  Robinson Cano is hitting .153 and Jason Giambi is hitting .167.  Derek Jeter has an OPS of .660.

On the plus side, Wang is 5-0 and striking guys out at a higher rate than usual.  Melky has five HR"s and Matsui is off to a great start.  Joba and Mo have given the Yankees a devestating 1-2 punch at the back of the bullpen.  

Stewart was originally a 12th-round draft choice of the White Sox and he just turned 26.  He bats and throws righty and was once considered the top defensive catcher in the White Sox organization.  Baseball America liked his "quick release".  Stewart had cups of coffee the past two seasons with Chicago and Texas, hitting .200 in 45 plate appearances.  

Baseball Prospectus has Stewart projected to actually out-hit Molina by a bit (.237/.287/.370), with both providing above-average defense.  But here's the interesting thing, because he is only 26, Stewart has a much higher upside and if he hits at the top of their projections, they have him at .277/.332/.463.  For the Yankees, anything approaching the league average at catcher .274/.332/.408 from Molina and Stewart will be a bonus.  For now they will have to hope that both continue to play stellar defense and the other eight guys in the lineup get the offense going.