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It’s interesting, but as I have heard the Yankees and Brian Cashman repeatedly bashed on the airwaves the past few hours, it has made me more sure than ever that Cashman is doing the right thing.  

I have been saying in this space for years that the Yankees have to get younger and they certainly did so today, trading a 30-year old middle reliever for a 25-year old third baseman.  No, it wasn’t a sexy deal, but it gives the Yankees a nice bat off the bench who might be able to play some first as well.  

Yes, Proctor will be missed, but let’s face it, the bloom was off the rose.  The guy who dazzled us last year wasn’t the same this year.  Last year he walked 33 in 102 IP, this year he has given out 29 walks in 54.  His strikeout rate is way down as well.  Hey, I loved watching the guy and I really admired his toughness, but you have to wonder if Torre’s overusing him has finished his career.  I certainly hope not because he deserves better, but I think the Yankees got good value for a guy who could very well be hitting the downside quickly.  

And yes, it is tough to sit here today and see that Boston acquired Eric Gagne, but they are in a position where they should make trades like that.  They have the best record in the AL and are clearly gunning for a title.  They have an eight-game division lead and they are willing to pay an expensive price for a rental.  The Yankees are four-games back of a playoff spot and giving up on some of the young pitchers now would not be smart.  Let me put it to you this way, if October rolled around and the Yankees missed the playoffs with Gagne, what would you have thought of that deal then?  

Instead Cashman chose to try a different plan.  The Yankees are already getting two significant pieces back in the next week or so, Hughes and Giambi.  Maybe Chamberlain, maybe Ramirez, maybe Britton maybe no one can fill the bullpen role that they needed filled.  But, they have kept all of their chips for another day.  That may be the smartest thing of all.  This offseason could be devastating with the losses of Rivera, Posada and A-Rod, so the Yankees might just need some chips to trade for a new closer, catcher and third baseman.  I don’t know if Gagne would have helped them get over the hump in 2007, but I do know the prospects they kept will help them in 2008 when Gagne is back to closing for another team.  

Plus, the Indians didn’t make any moves today and they are the team the Yankees have to catch and as much as you don’t want to see Gagne in Boston, it would be worse if he went to Cleveland.

The one thing I will knock Cashman on is not dumping Farnsworth, but it is a small knock.  I assume he didn’t want to trade Proctor and Farnsworth without getting back someone for the pen and I bet he just couldn’t do that.  Plus, you can always send him though waivers if he doesn’t improve his performance and attitude and if a team does claim him, you can just let him go.

Looking at the big picture, I would say Atlanta and Boston are clearly the winners, but I can’t find anyone else who really won.  On the losing side, it’s also hard to identify a clear loser, but I have to wonder what the Pirates were doing grabbing Matt Morris and his entire contract.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

ESPN is reporting on their trade deadline special that Eric Gagne is going to either Boston or the Brewers, if he is traded. 

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have traded Joel Piniero to the Cardinals for the infamous "PTBNL"

The Yankees have sent Scott Proctor to LA for Wilson Betemit.

I will update this post as I hear more rumors and expect a full breakdown of the deals after 4pm. 

UPDATE 2:10- Jon Heyman says the Red Sox have made a deal for Gagne, no word on the players involved.

UPDATE 2:50 Buster Olney is reporting that the Red Sox will send Engel Beltre, Kason Gabbard and David Murphy for Gagne. He further states that the Yankees could have had him, but refused to part with either Ian Kennedy or Melky Cabrera.

UPDATE 3:05- There is a surreal scene at Yankee Stadium as members of the Yankees and MLB gather to unveil the 2008 All-Star logo. Lon Trost, Hank Steinbrenner and Randy Levine are there on the field as speeches are being made. Does this mean it's Cashman and Steinbrenner in a bunker somewhere trying to trade Farnsworth? How does this get scheduled one hour before the trading deadline??

UPDATE 3:45- Gagne deal is done according to Olney with the Red Sox guaranteeing $3.6 million in incentives. Jon Heyman is reporting the Dye deal is unlikely. Still very, very quiet on the Yankees side, maybe they spent up all their creative energy on the All-Star logo?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Chamberlain looked pretty good in AAA tonight according to this report.  All I can say is "wow".

I normally don't go with unsubstantiated rumors, but this one comes from one of our frequent commentators and a web author on his own, Jimmy.   Now, Pete Abraham says it isn't so and I am not sure if he has the right names, but it is interesting that both Jeff Marquez and Alan Horne do not show up on minorleaguebaseball.com with a team name next to their entries.  Yes, it is a conspiracy theory, but Alberto Gonzalez was just promoted to AAA today and his name is listed on the correct team.  Plus, you know the Yankees would want to really check Gagne out medically, so is it possible a trade has been agreed to in principal and Gagne is on his way to New York from Cleveland where the Rangers play tomorrow night? 

Should be fun to sleep on tonight, back in the morning.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I hate to break this for you Red Sox Fans, but Andy has selfishly gone on a family vacation which means you are stuck with me for the next 24 hours. Then again, I am quite sure this experience will do us both some good.

Anyway, for the next day I will be dishing info about both teams, Yankees and Red Sox as we approach the non-waiver deadline.

So far, not much is going on. The Red Sox were reportedly close to getting Jermaine Dye but that deal seems to have stalled.

The Yankees and Red Sox are both in Gagne according to Jason Stark, but the Rangers asked for Hughes or Chamberlain from the Yankees which won't happen and Gagne can block a trade to Boston which means the Red Sox would probably have to pony up some cash. (Don't forget Scott Boras is Gagne's agent)

The big movers are clearly the Braves who have reportedly landed Teixeria and could be adding Octavio Dotel (see above) and maybe even Bronson Arroyo

If the Braves make all those moves would that compel the Mets to up the ante on Gagne? What do you think will happen? Feel free to vote below

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees have officially moved Joba Chamberlain into the bullpen.  He will pitch Monday and Wednesday and then the Yankees will evaluate his progress. 

I am heartened by the fact that Brian Cashman confirmed that Joba's future is in the rotation, but this move has me conflicted.  Joba could come up to the Yankees and blow people away and make me look stupid in the process, but what if he doesn't?  What if he struggles and loses confidence?  Some scouts have said they rate Joba higher than Hughes which means the Yankees should have two great young pitchers in their rotation for the forseeable futute and I don't like messing with that.   

Furthermore, what does this say about pitchers like Ramirez, Bean, Beam and other relievers in the organization?  Jose Veras is back pitching after being hurt earlier in the year.  Only six innings so far, but why don't the Yankees take a look at him?

I suppose I should be glad that the Yankees are finally trying different approaches.  Their refusal to do so in the past (using Phillips as the utility infielder, Matsui learning how to play firstbase, etc.) has bothered me and I probably shouldn't complain now, but this move seems like a big risk to me. 

********

Depending on what you read, I have seen trade rumors about just about every pitcher in the bullpen.  One fascinating one is that the Mariners might be interested in Igawa.  (Check out Rosenthal's full count on fox.com)  It's hard to invision what role Igawa would have with the Yankees in 2008 since the Yankees will probably go with some of their young pitchers (Kennedy pitched six shutout innings last night in his Scranton debut.) and I can't see him in the bullpen.  His contract is very reasonable ($4 million a year) it is just the $26 million they spent on his posting fee. If they could get a prospect back (and please not Richie Sexson) it could be worth doing.  

One thing is certain, this had better be Farnsworth's last game as a Yankee.  He is useless to them at this point and he could have broken Posada's wrist with that pitch he crossed him up on.  It really seems like they have reached the point where his subtraction from the club would be an addition.  

The Yankees have about 44 hours to figure all of this out as the trading deadline is Tuesday afternoon.   

*****

Phil Hughes is obviously ready.  6.2 innings, three hits, no runs, three walks and four K's.  He threw 91 pitches.

Should be a fun two days, I will be updating as things happen and tomorrow and Tuesday I will try and aseemble links to all the rumors.   

 

 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Lost in all the anticipation of Phil Hughes' return to the Yankees is Jeff Karstens. Karstens has been doing very well in the minors rehabbing and it is hard to imagine the Yankees will keep him in AAA much longer.

So, what role does Karstens take and who does he replace? If we assume the Yankees are serious about keeping 12 pitchers, and I think they are, a very interesting dilemma is approaching. Figure that Hughes will swap places with Henn, but the Yankees would then have to drop/demote either Myers, Villone, Bruney, Proctor and Farnsworth in order to activate Karstens. (Side note, Hughes is on the 60-day DL, so activating him will also require a change to the 40-man. Colter Bean would be my guess as to who is dropped.)

Seems to me like this is another sign that a trade is coming. Joe Torre has said for awhile he wants a "real" long reliever in the bullpen and Karstens would give them that. So, the bet here is that they add him to the roster, but not before trading away one of the other arms.

*****
Brian Cashman looked very smart on Friday when the Diamondbacks announced that Randy Johnson will miss the rest of the season with back surgery. While the prospects he received in the trade have not done much to date (Gonzalez is hitting in Trenton, but he bombed in AAA, Jackson has been a disaster and Ohlendorf has been hurt and inconsistent) Luis Vizcaino has emerged into a real plus for the team. Johnson managed only 56 innings for Arizona, a figure that Vizcaino will probably surpass in the next week and the Yankees saved $11-million in the process (Rj's $16 million salary minus Vizcaino's $3-million and the $2-million they sent to Arizona as part of the trade).

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Just heard on WFAN that the Yankees have sent Igawa to the minors (they didn't say where or for whom) This is obviously a sign that Hughes will be in the rotation next week and a move they had to make.

I don't know what to make of Igawa, but perhaps the Yankees should stay away from Japanese pitchers whose name begins in "I" from now on.

This also clears the way for Hughes to start next week. The question is, do they let him start for Scranton on Sunday or have him pitch in the bigs on Tuesday?

More as I hear it.

UPDATE 5:20- Chris Basak has been recalled from Scranton. This makes sense because Torre has said for awhile that he wants to get back to 12 pitchers.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Jon Heyman has a very interesting article on CNNSI today detailing the trade deadline machinations and theorizing that most trades won't happen.  An eye-opening quote is that the Yankees were apparently told by a club out of contention that they wouldn't trade middle relievers unless they were "blown away".  As Heyman points out, for a GM on a bad team to say that is nothing short of malpractice. 

But, if that is truly the state of things, the Yankees should look to selectively sell some assets.  Scott Proctor is cheap and durable, that should be worth a lot in this enviornment.  Farnsworth isn't cheap or durable, but if the Yankees paid a hunk of his contract, I bet they could deal him.  Filling those spots with Britton and Ramirez would be my vote.  

Kenny Lofton was traded today which means the Texas fire sale may have begun and it should be interesting to see where it ends because they have a lot of players they could trade. 

******

Tonight will be very interesting with the conclusion of the suspended game before the scheduled game begins.  Jeter will be on 2nd with Matsui hitting and 2 outs in the 8th.  The Yankees have an 8-6 lead, but will need to get six outs to win and Luis Vizcaino has already been used.  Mike Myers is currently in the game for the Yankees and with Markakis leading off, I would expect him to face one batter at least.  The Baltimore pitcher, Chris Ray, is on the DL so the Orioles need to bring someone else in.  They have used Shuey and Parrish, so maybe we will see Bradford.  

Anyway you slice it, it should be fun to see.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Manny Ramirez appears to be back in business.  He has entered one of his prodigious offensive streaks and shame on any of us for counting him out.  Actually, I think all of us counted him out at some point this season, but he is back.  We won't be fooled again.

Manny in July through Thursday's game:  .368/.473/.697 for an OPS of 1.170.

But of continued concern is the lack of production from David Ortiz.  To say he isn't producing isn't entirely fair, he is playing well above league average, but he isn't playing well for David Ortiz.  He has 16 HR's thus far, but should be double that if he wanted to come close to the 54 HR's he hit in 2006.  Essentially, Ortiz is right on target for Avg and OBP, but way off for SLG.

So with the trade deadline upon us, here are a few of the names that have been kicked around.

Ty Wiggington - A utility infielder with pop.  24 HR's in 2006, 15 so far in 2007.  He'd be a nice addition.

Jermaine Dye - Mired in a slump all season.  He has hit 6 HR's since the break, but his average and obp are still way off.  He'd be a welcome addition, but not necessarily better than what Boston has on its roster today.  If the 2006 Dye shows up, that's a much different story.

Mark Teixeira - Solid offensive weapon with .900 OPS potential.  Drawbacks are that he is going to cost a ton in talent to acquire and would force either Youkilis or Lowell to sit.  If the Red Sox are certain they aren't going to re-sign Lowell for 2008, then it might be a deal worth making.

Andy LaRoche - Brother of Adam, LaRoche struggled to start the season in Los Angeles but has hit well at AAA since his demotion.  He has smacked AAA pitching around, but otherwise remains unproven.  Because he is a top prospect, he will be expensive yet won't guarantee any results at the major league level.

Todd Helton - Helton is again without the power he had in the early part of this decade, but he gets on base and hits for a solid average...kind of like Kevin Youkilis.  In fact, check out this 2007 comparison:

Youk - .312/.407/.469, 58 R, 9 HR, 48 RBI

Helt - .303/.429/.458, 47 R, 9 HR, 55 RBI

They are pretty close except Helton makes $16.6m and Youkilis makes $425k.  I say let Helton stay in Colorado.

Reggie Sanders - Too old and injury prone.  He isn't the dynamic player the Red Sox could use.

Operating under the idea that the Red Sox are not willing to sit JD Drew and Julio Lugo (who also has broken out of his slump) because of how much they make, just where are the Red Sox going to improve themselves offensively?  I think it just might be on the bench (hello Wiggington).

So there you have it, I think the Red Sox can improve with a trade for Wiggington.  I suppose if you think the risk/reward is palatable in trading for Andruw Jones (and moving Crisp), then he is one idea too.  But if the Red Sox aren't willing to unload their top prospects, then I think a mid-level upgrade is the only thing we'll see by Tuesday 4pm, a/k/a the non-waiver trade deadline.

BTW, Curt Schilling made his 2nd rehab start tonight and posted this line:

5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO - 66 pitches, 44 strikes.  My guess is 1 more rehab start to build up the pitch count and then back to Boston.  So that would mean his ETA in the Boston rotation is Monday August 6th.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The news that Jason Giambi is close to returning has been met by groans from Yankees' fans who don't want to see Melky get sent to the bench.  That is very understandable, Melky has been fun to watch and since a terrible April, has been hitting bullets. 

But, Giambi is a clearly better offensive player and he hit .322/.404/.517 in April before he injured his foot in the first place.  He can't run, he can't field, but the guy is built to be a DH in the American League and the lineup will be more explosive with him.

However, the Yankees could get creative when Giambi gets back and that would be the best scenario.  Instead of putting Damon right back into center, how about trying him again at first?  Yes, Andy Phillips deserves to keep playing, but Phillips is not going to put up numbers like Giambi.  I would guess that his current line of .305/.350/.427 is about as good as he is going to be, and that is why I would like to see the Yankees keep Melky in center.

We just don't know enough about Melky right now.  In 792 AB's in the bigs he has hit .278/.348/.381, but he has shown much better numbers since April hittting .304/.365/.442 which is almost in line with the average AL right fielder who is hitting .283/.356/.453.  Why do I say RF instead of CF?  Because that is where the Yankees have a big choice to make. 

When the season ends the Yankees can choose to bring back Bobby Abreu for $16 million in 2008 by exercising his option.  Or they could exercise it and trade him like they did with Sheffield, or they could let him go.  If Mekly Cabrera has proved to Cashman and the other talent evaluators that he is ready to play full time, the choice is simple, exercise it and trade Abreu for prospects.  Damon looks like he is going to be ok and Matsui is entrenched in left for the next couple of years.  By trying Damon at first now, the Yankees could solve both problems becuase Melky's bat is much better in center (average AL CF is .275/.344/.423) and they could keep Abreu one more year and then start the great purge in 2009 when Abreu and Giambi become FA's.  

Giambi's return will make a deep lineup only deeper, the question is how will they blend everything together?  Stay tuned.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

Through five innings tonight at AAA, Joba Chamberlain has given up four hits, one walk and 0 runs while striking out 10. He has thrown 88 pitches, so I am not sure if he is done or not, but why would you want to mess around with trying this guy in the bullpen?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees still have a lot of work to do, but now that they are 4 1/2 back in the wild card it is pretty obvious they will not be sellers at the deadline next week. That means they are buying and a lot of possible moves are out there. Here are two that I just don't think make any sense at this point. Trading for Mark Teixeira. It is impossible not to like this guy, he hits, he fields, he is still only 27. As an added bonus he is a switch-hitter and won't be a free agent until after 2008. Adding him to the lineup would give the Yankees an embarassing group of offensive talent. But, Teixeira is going to be very, very expensive after 2008 and command a long deal, probably something similar to what Giambi got after the 2001 season. Yes, it is probably safe to say that Teixiera hasn't done the steroids Giambi did and he will be about two years younger than Giambi was when he signs his next deal, but this is the type of move the Yankees need to get away from. Trading one of their best pitching prospects (I assume it would take at least Kennedy to get him as part of a package) isn't a smart move right now. The Yankees finally have some homegrown talent to build around and while Tex is enticing, it is the wrong move. Andy Phillips is going to cool off soon, but he is adequate at first and you have Giambi and Mientkiewicz coming back in the next few weeks. The offense has enough horses for now, if the Yankees want to use one of their top prospects, use it for pitching, not hitting. The other move I wouldn't make is trading Scott Proctor for a utility bat. Proctor isn't going to take Mariano's place anytime soon, but there are a lot of things about him that make him valuable to this staff. He never shies away from taking the ball and he is one of the few, maybe the only, pitcher on the staff who will protect his hitters by buzzing the opposing team. With Duncan off to a good start, plus the returns of Giambi and Mientkiewicz, where would the Yankees find time to play a Wilson Betemit if they got him? Keep Proctor for the seventh inning and see if you can get someone else for the 8th besides Vizcaino.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I think Phil Hughes is ready to come back, the question is, do the Yankees agree? Six innings, two hits, one walk and seven K's over 73 pitches is pretty impressive, but I imagine the Yankees will go ahead an pitch him Sunday in AAA. With next week's day off the Yankees can juggle things so that Igawa doesn't pitch again after Thursday (I can hear you celebrating) and then slot Hughes in for Saturday the 4th against KC.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees have promoted Joba (pronounce that with an "a" instead of an "o") Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy to AAA and demoted Tyler Clippard and Chase Wright to AA.  This is a marked departure from previous seasons when the Yankees have coddled pitchers (see Phil Hughes 2006 season) and hopefully shows that the Yankees are serious about using their youth. 

This could also be a move by Brian Cashman to hedge his bets.  If the Yankees don't make the playoffs (a very strong possibility despite the recent winning streak) Cashman can point to Chamberlain and Kennedy as evidence that he has turned the farm system around.  Assuming they do well at AAA, they are definitely in the mix for the rotation in 2008 and possibly could help the Yankees in 2007.  I would suggest that Chamberlain's addition to AAA at the expense of Wright and Clippard means the Yankees are keeping him in the rotation, as they should.  No matter how the bullpen looks, taking Chamberlain and trying him there is the wrong move.  You just don't fool around with prospects who could be top of the rotation starters.  

Sending Clippard and Wright down is interesting because it damages their trade value.  Based on their performances, it isn't the wrong move, but it will obviously make it harder for the Yankees to use them as trade chips in the next week. 

But, that is a concern for another day.  For now we have two of the best prospects in the system at the top of the minor league chain.  A 2008 rotation of Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy is looking more and more likely and Yankees' fans should be very, very excited by that.   

 

 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

On the Yankees side of this page, we generally root for the Red Sox to lose every game and hopefully go out of business. Tonight is different as Jon Lester is taking the mound for Boston in his first start in the bigs after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Lester has made a courageous comeback and for one night we are going to put our partisan feelings aside and hope he has a great game and a long and healthy life.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A great indicator of how bad Wil Nieves was is the fact that Jose Molina is considered an upgrade over him.  That isn't to say I don't like this trade, Jeff Kennard wasn't going to help this team anytime in the future, but I just wonder why Cashman went with Nieves for as long as he did. 

Getting rid of Nieves is a positive, but adding Molina doesn't mean they should stop looking for a backup.  For his carrer, Molina has been .237/.275./.319.  Those are terrible numbers and the Yankees still are screwed if Posada gets hurt.  Plus, Molina is 32 and with Cervelli still in A-ball and Montero quickly gorwing too big to be a catcher, there are no prospects anywhere near the majors who can catch.  Cashman may think he took a need off his list with this deal, but he still has work to do.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Peter Abraham is reporting that the Yankees will recall Shelly Duncan from AAA today.  Nothing against Duncan, he is killing the ball at AAA, but I don't get the move.  First off, Andy Phillips has played well and is a much better defender, so I don't think Duncan will start unless the Yankees are suddenly benching Johnny Damon (wouldn't argue against it, but I strongly doubt it)  So, Duncan becomes a righty bat off the bench I guess?

The harder part to understand is that Duncan isn't on the 40-man.  That means they have to make a move and they are already faced with two moves in the near future when Karstens and Hughes come back from the DL.  Looking at the 40-man, I would guess Colter Bean and Bronson Sardinha are the top candidates to be let go, but Bean is scheduled to spot start for Scranton tonight.  Sardinha has gone backwards this year and is back in AA, but he is still only 24.  Does this mean someone else will be dropped?  Is there a trade about to happen?  Stay tuned....

UPDATE- Thompson has been sent down and Mientkiewicz put on the 60-day DL. Ok, that just delays things (they could do the same with Giambi when they want to bring Hughes back) for a couple of weeks. And, Damon is starting in CF with Duncan at DH and Melky on the bench.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Red Sox seem incapable of bashing their way to victory.  If their pitching doesn't shut the other team down, then there is isn't a chance of a victory.  The Red Sox of recent were prone to winning slugfests.

What has gone right offensively thus far?

Pedroia, Youkilis, Varitek and Lowell

What hasn't gone right?

Lugo, Crisp, Drew, Ortiz, Ramirez

Certainly Ramirez and Ortiz have been productive, but not to the degree we've become accustom.  Since the All-Star break, Manny has turned it on, so hopefully (never a word we like to use) he has found his way.

Let me illustrate some problems:

Ortiz vs lefties - .250/.352/.327/.679

Ramirez vs righties - .261/338/.416/.754

Lugo couldn't hit against anyone through June (the #s are too sorry to post)

Drew - Has been getting on base (.366) but hasn't produced anything.  His slg% is .385.  Wow, that is far from league average.  Drew's struggles are more apparent when Ortiz and Manny aren't hitting.

Oh yeah, Drew against lefties - .221/.291/.351/.641

Crisp against righties (231 at bats) - .255/.307/.364/.670

The Red Sox, for whatever reason, are not hitting.  The first thing most are inclined to do is to look at Dave Magadan the new hitting coach.  Well, hitting coaches are important, but they aren't everything.  Well, perhaps he has played a role in this, but I think it unfair to lay the blame entirely on him.  Age, injuries, the inability to quickly adapt to playing in Boston, all play a part in these things.

With less than 2 weeks to the trade deadline, I would not be surprised to see a large trade happen.  A few ideas have already been discuss on my last post (comments), but my guess is that Red Sox management might feel compelled to deal a big prospect (Ellsbury, Buchholz, Bowden, Masterson, Bates or Bell) to make this offense right.

The most important thing for management to do is identify the real problems versus the temporary problems.  Is Ramirez really done?  Is Ortiz's knee that big a deal?  Is Drew incapable of playing in Boston?  Or is Manny just in one of his funks (ala Manny's struggles at the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005), and Ortiz just dealing with a few minor injuries and Drew just getting through the "First Year Red Sox Blues?"

I expect we'll see some movement over the next 2 weeks.

The Red Sox have a 7 game lead on the Yankees.  The Red Sox have been a .500 team since Memorial Day.  Losing 2 of 3 to the Royals is not acceptable.  Time to stir to the pot I think.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I guess the raindrops ended in Trenton because Phil Hughes took the mound and went four innings allowing two hits, two walks and a run while striking out five.  I haven't see any official word yet, but I suspect his next start will be in Scranton on the 23rd (Monday)  and could be back in the Bronx as early as the 28th.  I don't think that will happen as the Yankees are going to obviously bench Igawa for Hughes and they are not on the same rotation schedule right now.  So, I would expect if everything goes well, Hughes takes the mound for the Yankees against the White Sox on August 2nd. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two weeks from today is the trading deadline and the Yankees have 15 games left to find out exactly where they stand.  If the Yankees can feast on the mediocre schedule and go 10-5 or better, they should consider adding some players at the deadline.  If they do not, they should become active sellers.  Let’s look at each scenario.  

If they are buyers, they key area they need to strengthen is their bullpen.  Whether it was overuse in April or just mediocre talent, there is little in the pen that is worth keeping other than Rivera and (surprise) Vizcaino.  Bruney has had some positive results, but he doesn’t have enough control to trust him in big spots.  Myers is not getting lefties out.  Proctor is struggling with his command and his strikeouts are down.  Based on past results, Villone is going to blowup soon, Ramirez is untested and Farnsworth, well we have all suffered enough of Kyle I suspect.  

For the Yankees to make a run, they are going to need upgrades to the pen.  Now, they could and should go the internal route and let Ramirez show what he has while getting Chris Britton and Sean Henn back from AAA.  But, assuming they continue to avoid doing that, trading for some relief help would be priority #1.

The second thing the Yankees have to do is bolster the bench.  Even with Sunday’s outburst, Wil Nieves is hitting .132 while Jorge Posada is on pace for the most plate appearances of his career.  The Yankees have to find a real backup catcher and actually trading for a prospect who could fill in for Jorge in the future would be an even better idea.  

That would be the extent of the moves I would make to add players.  Phil Hughes should be back in about 10 days, so that should fix the rotation and the lineup is going to live or die with players like Abreu, Matsui and Damon either doing what they have in the past or continuing to struggle.  

Now, if the Yankees are sellers at the deadline.  Things get a lot more interesting.  The first and biggest thing they should do is go to A-Rod and sign him to an extension or ask him to waive his no-trade clause.  The Yankees need to play hardball with Alex and make it clear to him that they will not be used to benefit his negotiations for a new contract.  Alex has to know by now if he wants to stay or go, so make it simple for him.  Offer him 5 years and say $150 million on top of his current deal and if he doesn’t agree tell him that negotiations are over and you would like to trade him.  

I go back and forth on what I think will happen with A-Rod this off-season, but the more I look at teams and payrolls, the more I think his potential market is very, very small.  There are 12 teams that have a payroll of $90 million or higher so let’s start with those as the potential market.  Of those, the Orioles are out because they are not a contender.  The Mariners are certainly not going to welcome A-Rod back and I just don’t see the Cardinals making that type of move.  The Mets have no need for A-Rod, so that leaves New York, Boston, both LA teams, both Chicago teams Detroit and San Francisco.  The Cubs are going to have a new owner, but probably not in place in time to bid for A-Rod.  The Tigers have a lot of young pitchers who are going to make a lot of money so both of those teams are handicapped in this sweepstakes.  The White Sox would probably need to fire Ozzie Guillen (remember he ripped A-Rod) to have a chance.  The Angels have a lot of young talent and smart ownership, would they invest all that money in A-Rod?  No, I think this comes down to New York, Boston, the Dodgers and the Giants.  Boras can take a gamble if he wants to, but if the Yankees make it clear they won’t negotiate beyond July 31st, A-Rod will have a very tough choice.  

Even if they can’t trade A-Rod, the Yankees have some very good options.  Bobby Abreu would probably accept a trade if his option was picked up and the Yankees should do that and send him and some cash somewhere for prospects.  Farnsworth and Myers might hold some appeal and they should be sent packing.   

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The Red Sox played well in the first 2 months of 2007, but have played .500 ball since June 1st or so.  The reasons for their uninspired play are as follows:

• Julio Lugo
• Curt Schilling's injury
• Lack of production from Ortiz and Ramirez
• J.D. Drew not playing up to expectations
• No pop off the bench

I'm sure there are more reasons and the reasons I did list above aren't weighted equally, they are just pieces to the .500 play puzzle.

Theo Epstein must be hoping beyond hope that Lugo has finally figured things out.  It certainly seems like he has and his confidence is on the upswing.  If Lugo can just hit .270/.340/.400 the rest of the way, he suddenly is not a problem anymore.

To me, the biggest issue is the starting rotation with Curt Schilling not a part of it right now and Julian Tavarez not pitching particularly well (even though people constantly rave about him on the radio).  Tavarez is a nice option, but he is easily figured out after one time through the order.

I titled this post "Trade Needs" but some of the trade deadline solutions might well be in Pawtucket.  Jon Lester seems like a logical upgrade to Tavarez as this point.  Of course there are probably many more things to consider when determining whether to promote Lester.  If Lester is not an option, then perhaps a trade is in order.  While there is Davern Hansack and David Pauley at AAA, I'm not sure turning to them is the right answer.

As for Ortiz and Ramirez, they have both shown life since the all-star break, but it is their combined lack of power that is most concerning.  Ortiz apparently has some right knee issues, but Ramirez has just looked off all season.  His timing is off and his stroke seems inconsistent.  Let's hope the first half vacation is over for both.

Drew is a worry, but with both Drew and Lugo, you kind of had to expect a first year struggle.  Boston does that to some players as does New York.  The bright lights, big city atmosphere is generally a shock to new guys and it takes them a season to adapt.  Let's hope that is true for these 2 otherwise that was about $100m poorly spent.

As for no pop off the bench, only teams with good records can complain about this.  Building a starting 9 is hard enough, but to enjoy power off the bench is generally a luxury.  Wily Mo Pena has proven that he has power, but he doesn't display it in spotty appearances.  It would seem he is best suited as a starter.  With Ramirez, Crisp/Ellsbury and Drew in the OF, he really won't see much time.  It's too bad because I'd love to see him start 120+ games just to see if he is real or not.  He did hit 28 HRs for Cinci one year, so the power is there.

So there you have it, I just uncovered all of the Red Sox problems.  Checks payable to me can be sent easily and frequently thank you very much Red Sox management.

Also, as you can see, we are chipping away at rebuilding what was once a glorious website.  Actually, you all remember our old front page, it kind of looked like we did it with crayons and finger paint.  We hope the new format/style, etc will be much better, but since both Peter and I have other crap to contend with (drinking beer, naps, anger management classes...court ordered), it is a slow moving process.  I hope you stick with us and continue to read.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

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Posted by yankeesredsox at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)