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Joel Sherman wrote in today's Post that the Yankees should bat Jeter 8th or 9th in the lineup. He is absolutely correct, but as we all know it isn't going to happen- this year.

The bigger Jeter question is what happens next year? I have seen many writers guess that Jeter will get a four-year/$25 million extension. To me, that is pure insanity and completely ignores the reality of the way Brian Cashman operates.

Cashman has shown time and again that he will not bend to sentimentality. He shipped off two fan favorites this past offseason in Damon and Matsui and don't forget the whole Bernie Williams situation. If you are going to rank Yankees of the current era, I think you would have to put Bernie #3 behind Jeter and Rivera in terms of their meaning to the team. Yet when Williams' big deal ended, his salary was cut by $10 million and he was given a one-year deal.

I don't think the Yankees will be that drastic with Jeter. They want him back and the fact is they really don't have anyone else right now to play short. (Eduardo Nunez hit .289/.340/.381 in Scranton this year- even diminished Jeter is better than that.) There is also the little matter of 3,000 hits and the Yankees will surely want to see Jeter to do that as a member of the pinstripes.

Depending on how he finishes this year, Jeter will be about 80 hits short of 3,000 when the season ends. Unless Nunez kicks it up several notches, the Yankees really don't have anyone who profiles as a possible replacement for Jeter anywhere close to the majors. Creativity could be used in the trade market, but let's assume that the Yankees need Jeter for at least 2011 and possibly 2012. To me the sensible approach is to offer arbitration and hope he takes it. Assuming he doesn't, the solution would be more money and fewer years. How about starting with a one-year deal with an option for a second, triggered by a certain number of hits in 2011? You could pay him $22 million per season, way more than he is worth and a raise from his present deal, but also a measure of the respect the organization has for him. Included in this offer will be the understanding that he is moving down in the lineup. Down to where to be determined in spring training.

I don't think Jeter would find anything like that deal on the free agent market. How many teams are going to be interested in paying a 36-year old shortstop any kind of money after a season like the one he is having? The Yankees really have the leverage here, but I think they will be smart enough not to alienate Jeter. These will be quiet conversations and I don't think we will hear very much about the negotiations until they are completed.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

It's weird, but for all we hear about Joe Girardi and his heavy use of stats, last night's lineup made no sense.  With Felix Hernandez on the mound, the Yankees had to maximize offense and with two lefties facing them later in the weekend, it made all the sense in the world to let Cervelli catch Saturday instead of Friday.  But, Girardi chose to start Cervelli against the righty and compunded the error by letting Pena start at third instead of Nunez.  It didn't make a difference, thanks to another Burnett beauty, but why put two dead spots in your lineup?

The Yankees have 40 games left and they have some real problems in the rotation.  And it's going to get worse with Phil Hughes and his innings limit.  Hughes is currently around 30 innings away from his reported limit.  With 40 games remaining, it doesn't seem like there is any way the Yankees will be able to keep him under that limit and be able to use him as a starter in the playoffs. Short of shutting him down right now and then building him back up in a couple of weeks, how can they do it? 

And with this year's playoff schedule, the Yankees absolutely have to have four starters.  Brian Cashman better start picking up the phone, because this group needs a lot of help. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Dustin Moseley is rapidly becoming a problem.  It should not be an unexpected problem, but with Andy Pettitte on the shelf and Phil Hughes rapidly approaching his innings limit, it is a big problem.  Moseley is showing why he has been a fringe player his whole career.

In fact, you could argue that Moseley is sort of a knock-off version of Chien-Ming Wang.  He doesn't strike many guys out and he needs the ball to sink in order to stay effective.  Last night, the ball didn't sink and the results were bad.  We've seen 40 innings from the guy and to pretend he has reinvented himself this year in the minors is no longer realistic. He is striking out fewer batters and walking more.  He is also giving up more home runs. If the Yankees didn't have any alternatives, you would just bite your lip and grimace at this point.  But, they have two big alternatives.  Ivan Nova, who pitched last night and Alfred Aceves, who is rehabbing right now.

Nova has been brilliant in AAA posting a 2.86ERA and since the All-Star Break he has posted a 1.96 in 41 innings.  This is the #1 in-house candidate for the 2011 rotation and leaving him in the minors right now is a colossal waste.  I'm not sure what the Yankees are doing with him, but I wish somebody in the press would ask Girardi if he is a consideration at this point. 

The Yankees could also stretch out Alfredo Aceves and hand the job to him.  Aceves threw 35 pitches the other night, so it would take some work, but the Yankees considered him a starter candidate in camp and they might do so again.  Either way, the Yankees can't keep running Moseley out there as a starter.

*****

Is there anyone out there who thinks that Gaudin wasn't trying to hit Cabrera?  I would bet almost anything that with the game where it was, Joe Girardi told Gaudin to go in and hit Cabrera and then once he was ejected, they would bring Robertson in.  I'm not sure why Gaudin didn't get ejected (both benches had been warned already) and I am also not sure why Enrique Gonzalez didn't get tossed for his pitch behind Jeter.  

As for Damon's comments that Gardner's slide was dirty.  Do you expect Damon to have a lot of good things to say about the current Yankee leftfielder?  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Isn't it ironic that Johnny Damon returned to Yankee Stadium on the same night the Yankees announced that Nick Johnson suffered another setback in his rehab?  It got me thinking about the moves the Yankees did and didn't make this offseason, so let's review.

We can start with the decision to pass on Damon and Matsui, which looks like a pretty good one.  Matsui has been bad this year, hitting .251/.331/.416.  And while he has played 17 games in the outfield, he has recorded a total of 16 putouts in those appearances- yikes!  Damon has been a better player .272/.362/.422, but he simply wasn't coming back to the Yankees for $6 million.  

Another good "pass" was the decision to non-tender Chien-Ming Wang.  Wang still hasn't pitched for Washington and it sounds like he might only make it back in a relief role in September if at all.  The Yankees would have had to commit at least $4 million to Wang, so this was a very good decision.

Next let's look at the Granderson trade.  On the surface, this has been a disaster.  Austin Jackson has better numbers than Granderson and Kennedy and Coke have put together solid seasons.  But looking a bit deeper makes this less lopsided.  Start with Jackson, his BABIP is an amazing .419.  That won't last and when it drops down Jackson is going to have a tough time being productive because he does not seem to be very powerful (1 HR).  Granderson hasn't been very good, but this is a guy who has shown the ability to hit in the majors in the past.   For now, I am going to say that this is a season we have seen from many other players when they first came to New York and hold off evaluating this trade until we see the 2011 Granderson. 

The infamous Nick Johnson signing has to go down as a huge blunder.  Not because he was hurt, but because of what he was.  Let me explain a little here.  Johnson at his best is a slow-footed OBP machine who can play first base.  The Yankees needed and still need players who can cover multiple positions and hit a bit.  They needed to enter 2010 realizing that the DH slot would be needed to rest guys like Posada, Jeter and A-Rod on a regular basis.  Putting Johnson on this team ignored those realities and you could make a strangely compelling argument that his injury was a blessing because it allowed the Yankees to use the DH slot the way they should have in the first place.  (And the way they will inevitably have to in 2011)

One thing the Yankees nailed was the trade for Javy Vazquez.  We know all the things Vazquez isn't, but consider what he is, a guy who is going to throw 200 innings this year and while his ERA is ugly- 4.89- it has been below 4 since mid-May.  He has been a solid #4 starter, exactly what this team needed because remember the alternative was Joba in the rotation and considering his 2010, that seems like it would have been a disaster.  

Furthermore, the Yankees sent Melky Cabrera to Atlanta in the deal which cleared a spot for Brett Gardner to play every day.  Melky has done almost exactly what he did last year, which is enough for a fourth outfielder, but not enough to play every day.  Gardner has been a revelation and don't forget the trade also netted the Yankees Boone Logan, who is making a case to be a big part of the bullpen.  Throw in the fact that the big prospect the Yankees sent to Atlanta in the trade is currently out with a tear in his pitching elbow and I think we can call this trade a big win.

The Yankees made two miserable signings with the additions of Winn and Park.  Winn didn't do anything in his brief stay in New York and while he has hit better in St. Louis, he still can't hit lefty pitching- the exact thing the Yankees brought him in for.  Hopefully, the Yankees will learn from the Park signing that a couple of appearances in the playoffs do not eradicate a career's worth of stats.  

The Brian Bruney trade didn't work out for either team, but you have to ding the Yankees more than the Nationals.  The Yankees could have used the Rule 5 pick to protect one of the players they lost (Kroenke and Texeira) but they used it on a guy who washed out of camp and lulled them into a false sense of security about their outfield depth.

Overall, it was a down offseason for the Yankees, a big departure from their 2008-09 successes.  And while they have eradicated some of their mistakes with recent additions, they still lack a guy who can step in and replace A-Rod or Jeter while providing even average production at the plate.  That's a mistake they cannot repeat when planning for next year. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night wasn't good, but the Yankees need to make sure that today isn't a repeat performance.  CC takes the mound and if the Yankees lose, AJ and Moseley follow Sunday and Monday.   If the Yankees lose today's game, they are suddenly in very dangerous waters, best to avoid them and win today.

*****

The news that the Knicks have actually brought Isiah Thomas back into the organization reminds me of the bad Steinbrenner days with the Yankees.  For George Billy Martin was a guy he just seemed obsessed with.  For Dolan it is exactly the same as with Isiah.  Unfortunately for the Knicks, Martin was much better at his job than Isiah is at his.  Most people forget that Yankees' fans would have taken anyone else as the team's owner in the late 80's and early 90's.  If they need a reminder of that feeling, talk to a Knicks' fan this morning. 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

It's somewhat amazing, but since the last time the Yankees and Red Sox met on May 18th they have both won 42 games.  Go back to the standings on the morning of May 19th and you will find Boston at 20-20 and New York at 25-14.  Fast forward 2-1/2 months and the Yankees and Red Sox are almost exactly where we last left them.  Despite all the trials and tribulations, the teams are six-games apart, only 1/2 game more than where they were on May 19th.

For the Yankees, this series presents an opportunity to really deliver a blow to the Red Sox.  If New York takes 3-of-4 or sweeps, then Boston will have to overcome a 8 or 10-game lead to catch New York.  With under 50 games remaining, that would be a significant lead to overcome.  But two wins is certainly acceptable and really any result short of a sweep will work.

It should be a fun weekend, expect posts and the occasional tweet (@yankeesredsox)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees have apparently added Kerry Wood in exchange for a PTBNL or cash.  It's really a flier on the Yankees part.  If Wood pitches well, they have improved their bullpen.  If he doesn't, they can eat the $1.5 million they owe him easily.  And don't forget, Girardi caught Woods when he was at his peak, maybe that will help him pitch well again.

We've heard that Curtis and Miranda are being sent down for Kearns and Berkman and it makes a lot of sense. Curtis is a nice player to have on the bench, but with these additions, you can't really find a spot for him.  Now the Yankees have to figure out how to deploy Berkman and Kearns.  With Berkman's inability to hit LHP, they will need to make sure to avoid bunching him next to Granderson, but early reports are that he will hit second.  That's a mistake in my mind, Swisher offers a lot more than Berkman and should get the call in the 2 spot.  Based on that, we will probably see something like this

Against RHP- Jeter, Berkman, Tex, A-Rod, Cano,  Posada, Granderson, Swisher, Gardner

Against LHP Jeter, Swisher, Tex, A-Rod, Cano, Posada, Thames, Kearns, Gardner

That's a better lineup than yesterday and when you throw in the Wood acquisition, you have to like what the Yankees did.  I would have liked to have seen an upgrade for Pena, but they did very well nonetheless and there will certainly be guys who sneak through waivers in the next month.  

UPDATE 4:35pm- Chan Ho Park has been DFA'ed.  I will never understand what the Yankees thought they saw in those 3-1/3 World Series' innings he threw that made them believe he would be good, but they have finally done the right thing.  Next on my list, Mitre.... 

UPDATE 5:10pm- The Yankees also moved Aceves to the 60-day DL.  Not sure why they DFA'ed Park today in that case.  Wood was in Toronto at 3:45 today (they showed him on MLB TV) Is he really going to get to Tampa in time for tonight's game or during it?  If not, the Yankees are going to play a man short tonight.  

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

The Yankees have apparently pulled off two trades tonight.  Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns are headed to the Bronx and Mark Melancon and some other guys are headed to Houston and Cleveland. 

Let's start with Berkman.  In many ways this is a switch-hitting version of Nick Johnson, but his abilities against LHP are a thing of the past.  And while his slugging percentage has diminished from the left side, his line of .245/.372/.436 is certainly adequate in a platoon with Thames.  Throw in his 4.13 pitches per plate appearance and Berkman will do a solid job of mimicking Nick Johnson for the Yankees. 

Is that enough for Mark Melancon?  If you had asked me that at the start of the 2010 season, I would have said no.  At this point, I am not sure.  Melancon has taken a step back this season, but despite the 3.67 ERA his BABIP of .367 at Scranton points to bad luck.  And, he has still stuck out over one batter an inning.  However, he has also walked 31 batters in 56 innings, which is not encouraging.  

Melancon could still turn into something, though his AAA regression this season is discouraging.  If I were in charge of the Yankees, I would have had the Astros pay less of the freight on Berkman and included a lesser prospect, but Berkman is an upgrade over Juan Miranda or Colin Curtis.   I'm not thrilled with the final price, but the bench/DH just got a lot better and that's the bottom line.

The other trade the Yankees made was for Austin Kearns in exchange for the infamous PTBNL. Kearns is better than Colin Curtis because he is a righty bat.  Other than that, there isn't a lot to get excited about here.  His results this year may have a lot to do with his .335 BABIP than anything else.  But, if the Yankees deploy his line against LHP (.720OPS) in the lineup over Granderson's (.538OPS) they have upgraded the lineup. 

What will be interesting to watch is how the Yankees fit these guys onto the roster.  Melancon comes off the 40-man, but someone else will have to as well. (Golson?)  But what about the active roster?  I would assume Miranda is gone with the Berkman addition, but who will bite the dust for Kearns?  I would hope it isn't Thames, but it certainly could be.  Demoting Curtis would be a mistake as well.  Here's a thought, with all the pitchers on the roster who can throw multiple innings, how about an 11-man pen? 

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)