Yankees Aim To Give The Captain One More Ring (D4A)

Key Acquisitions: Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann

Key Losses: Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson

The 2013 New York Yankees season was rife with poor performance, injuries, moves made in desperation, steroid allegations, and a roster of maybes, has-beens, and never-weres. Owner Hal Steinbrenner wanted general manager Brian Cashman to get payroll under control so that the team would fit under the 2014 luxury tax threshold of $189MM. With injuries and payroll cuts, sub-par players like catcher Chris Stewart and journeyman infielders like Reid Brignac and Luis Cruz littered the 25-man roster last season.

Manager Joe Girardi did his best to push all the right buttons, but many days he simply ran out of buttons to push. The team managed to rack up 85 wins and finished in third place the AL East, but their record fell well short of a playoff appearance. It was just the second time since 1995 that the Yankees missed the post-season.

With Derek Jeter's announcement that this will be his final season, the moves made by the Yankees this off-season could give him one final chance to add to his championship ring collection (He has five).  More importantly, Jeter needs to remain healthy after ankle and quad injuries limited him to 17 games in 2013.

The Yankees upgraded at catcher when they signed veteran Brian McCann to a five-year deal worth $85MM. The former Atlanta Brave hit 20 or more home runs during the last six seasons and should enjoy swinging at the short porch in right field this year.

Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, a member of the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series championship, was persuaded to put on the pinstripes with a seven- year deal in excess of $152MM. (The deal could earn Ellsbury close to $169 if the Yankees exercise an 8th-year option.) There's no question that the Yankees overpaid for a player who has missed more games than he has played in two of the last four seasons and suffered a calf injury during the current Spring Training season. But, if healthy, he can steal 50 bases and hit 10-15 home runs.

Read the rest of the preview for Free at Designated For Assignment

Beltran to Be Introduced Friday Thanks to a No Thank Choo

Jessica Beltran tweeted this picture on Wednesday of herself, husband Carlos, and children Ivana (standing) and Kiara back in the Big Apple.

Carlos Beltran will be introduced to the media at 11 a.m. Friday morning after he and the Yankees officially put their signatures on the dotted line of a three-year deal worth $45MM.

The press conference comes on the heels of news that prior to agreeing to terms with Beltran two weeks ago, the Yankees had offered Shin-Soo Choo a seven-year, $140MM deal. Thankfully, Choo said no. It would have been a much worse deal than the seven-year overpayment that the Yankees gave to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Someone really needs to show the Yankees how to negotiate.  The style of "hmm, they offered five years and $75MM..tell you what -your name here - we'll give you seven years for $140MM", does not really work out in the long run.

Scott Boras has been peddling Choo as an on-base machine to try and substantiate a $20MM per year contract. Choo reached base at a career high 42.3% last year in addition to hitting 21 home runs and drew 112 walks. (His previous high in base on balls was 83). Not that it's a true marker of ability or performance, while Ellsbury has made just one All-Star team, Choo has never been voted or selected to the July classic. Choo is a very good player, but he's not a great player.

So rebuked by Choo, the Yankees powered full steam ahead to wrap up Beltran, who had spent 6 1/2 seasons in New York as a member of the Mets. Beltran took to Twitter back on December 10 to announce that he would wear #36 as a Yankee. It's the number he started his career with in 1998-1999 with the Kansas City Royals. Beltran wore 15 for much of his career and donned the #3 with St. Louis the last two seasons. With both numbers retired in the Bronx, he decided to go back to his numerical roots.

Despite playing on creeky knees last year, Beltran still hit .296/.339/.491 with 24 HR, 84 RBI, and 79 runs scored. The days of stolen bases are over for the player who averaged 37 swipes a year from 2001-2004, but he'll cut down on the Yankees strikeouts per game quite considerably. He fanned just 90 times last year in 600 plate appearances.

Kuroda Returns, Granderson Goes Crosstown

The Yankees will have to look for a new hitter for the heart of the order with the departure of Robinson Cano, but they've added back a piece of the starting rotation. Hiroki Kuroda has decided to return for another season at a reported salary of $16MM.

Kuroda was the ace of the Yankees staff in 2013 until he wore out in the final month of the season. Prior to that he was a legitimate contender for the AL Cy Young Award. The right-hander will turn 39 during Spring Training next year and hopes to get more run support than he did this past season. The Yankees averaged 3.2 runs per game when Kuroda started, a major factor in his 11-13 record despite an ERA that was under 3.00 until his final three starts of the season.

Kuroda joins CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova as holdovers from last season's starting staff. The Yankees still hope to sign Kuroda's countryman Masahiro Tanaka as well as a 5th starter either from within the organization (Michael Pineda) or from outside. There's a chance that the Yankees could take a look at free agent Ubaldo Jimenez again, whom the Yankees had interest in early in the off-season.

Outfielder Curtis Granderson will be switching to orange and blue after he agreed to a four-year, $60MM deal with the New York Mets. Granderson was acquired from the Detroit Tigers prior to the 2010 season in a three team deal that sent Austin Jackson and Phil Coke from the Yankees to the Tigers.  The Yankees also sent pitcher Ian Kennedy to Arizona, who sent the AL 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to Detroit. The Diamondbacks also received pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Tigers.

Towards the end of a non-productive 2010 campaign, Granderson made adjustments with the the help of hitting coach Kevin Long and it paid off the following year. Granderson reached career highs in OPS (.916) and home runs (43) and led the AL in runs scored (136) and RBI (119). He finished 4th in the AL MVP vote with former teammate Justin Verlander taking home the hardware.

Granderson hit 43 home runs and drove in 106 in 2012, but the rest of his numbers were down, except for strikeouts. The affable Chicago native was limited to 61 games in 2014 after pitches broke a finger and his forearm in two different incidences.

Yankees Extend Qualifing Offers to Trio

Curtis Granderson has some thinking to do.

Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Hiroki Kuroda have big decisions to make this off-season. The three are free agents, but each is looking for something very different than the other two. With that in mind, the Yankees extended a $14.1MM one-year qualifying offer to each player.

By extending the offer, the Yankees would receive draft pick(s) if any of the players signed with another Major League team.

There's absolutely no chance that Cano accepts the offer, but Granderson and Kuroda will probably at least consider it. Granderson played in just 61 games in 2013 due to a broken forearm and broken finger that occurred when bone met baseball.  His production- a career worst .723 OPS and .407 slugging pct. - was not conducive to landing a big money, long term free agent deal this off-season.

It's possible that Granderson could accept the qualifying offer in the hopes that he has a very productive season as he did in 2011 (.916 OPS, 41 HR, 119 RBI, 136 runs scored) and then could land a big money deal next off-season. The Yankees would certainly welcome him back on a one year, $14.1MM contract, which would be a slight pay cut for Granderson from last year's $15MM salary.

Rumors say that the White Sox and/or Cubs are preparing big offers for the Chicago native, but until that actually happens, they will remain just rumors.

Kuroda was the Yankees ace in 2013 until the 38-year old wore down during the last month of the season. He turned down the $13.1MM qualifying offer the Yankees tendered in 2013 and signed a one-year deal for $15MM. Should Kuroda decide not to retire and not return to Japan, he's likely to turn down the qualifying offer again.

Should that be the case, the Yankees have to decide whether Kuroda is worth pursuing on another one year deal that would likely cost them a minimum of $15 - 16MM. As good as Kuroda was for the majority of the season, the Yankees front office should be thinking "take it or leave it" this time around.

The Yankees did not extend offers to pitchers Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan, infielder Brendan Ryan, corner infielders Kevin Youkilis and Mark Reynolds, DH Travis Hafner, and first baseman Lyle Overbay. Reynolds and Ryan are likely the only two of the group that the Yankees have any interest in bringing back.

In the meantime, Cano is probably out shopping for a very large vault.

Trenton Thunder Named Minor League Team of the Year

The Yankees Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder, came out on top in a fan poll for the top minor league baseball team. The team featured some of the top prospects in the organization - catcher Gary Sanchez, pitcher Danny Burawa, and outfielders Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, and Tyler Austin.

The team also had rehab visits from Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez.

Below is the press release from the Thunder:

(TRENTON, NJ) MiLB.com, the official website of Minor League Baseball, has named the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, "Team of the Year" following a three week online voting period this month. The honor is part of the annual "MiLBY" Awards which are presented by MiLB.com each fall.  

The Thunder were the champions of the Eastern League after earning the East Division Wild Card during the regular season.  Trenton got hot at the end of the year and finished on a nine-game winning streak including sweeps of the first place Binghamton Mets in the Eastern Division Championship and the Western Division Champs, the Harrisburg Senators, to earn the title. Trenton became the first team to sweep both rounds of the EL postseason since 1991. 

The title is the franchise’s third in its 20 seasons in Trenton, all under the watch of Manager Tony Franklin. In Franklin's seven years with the Thunder, he has led them to the EL Championship Series five times.   

MiLBYs are the end-of-season awards that honor the best players, teams and performances of the Minor League season. For three weeks, fans chose their favorites in 13 categories at milb.com. The official website of Minor League Baseball announces Fans' Choice winners as well as MiLB.com staff picks for the major awards.

Trenton is a finalist for two additional MiLBY Awards that will be announced on Thursday, October 31. The Retirement Party for Chase That Golden Thunder is a nominee for "Promotion of the Year" and a tribute video for Chase is up for "Mascot Clip of the Year".  

The Thunder will begin the 2014 season on at home on Thursday, April 3.  Season tickets, group outings, Pic-A-Plans, and Mini Plan renewals are on sale now.  For more information about tickets, fans should call 609-394-3300 or visit trentonthunder.com.

The Constant Gardner

The Yankees pulled out an important win in the 9th inning against the Baltimore Orioles last night, but Brett Gardner had to leave the game after one at-bat due to a oblique injury. It's possible that Gardner could be lost for the season after undergoing an MRI today, which in case you have forgotten, is Friday the 13th.

Gardner has played in 145 of the Yankees' 147 games, a far cry from last year when an injured right elbow limited him to just 16 games in the regular season. With Derek Jeter limited to 17 games this season, Gardner's role at the top of the order has been crucial to the Yankees keeping their toes in the water of the playoff race.

He's' not as aggressive as he once was, for reasons unknown to just about everyone, but Gardner has swiped 24 bases in 32 attempts this season. His .273 batting average and .416 slugging percentage are both above his career norms, and his hits (147), HR (8) , RBI (52),doubles (33), and triples (10) totals are career bests. His OPS (.759) is just three points lower than the career high he set in 2010.

Gardner also manned centerfield after being moved to left the past two seasons to accomodate Curtis Granderson. The move back to center would have occurred even Granderson hadn't suffered a broken forearm in Spring Training. With Garnder possibly out for at least the remainder of the regular season, Granderson will move back to centerfield and rookie Zoilo Almonte could see some more playing time.

As for Thursday night's game itself, the Yankees entered the 8th inning with a 5-2 lead, but David Robertaon had a rare terrible night that culminated in a game tying 3-run home run by Danny Valencia. Orioles reliever Jim Johnson got him off the hook though with a sloppy 9th inning.

After Brendan Ryan reached on a single, Johnson committed an error on Chris Stewart's sacrifice bunt attempt and everyone was safe. Granderson followed with a successful sac bunt and Ryan scored when Johnson unleashed a wild pitch.

Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 9th and was credited with his sixth. The official scorer could have given the win to Robertson, but didn't feel he deserved it after his performance. With no save for Rivera, the Yankees' closer remains tied for the AL lead with....you got it...Jim Johnson.  Coincidence much?

Granderson hit his 16th career home run aganist the Orioles, second only to Edwin Encarnacion's 19.

Phil Hughes started and was followed by David Huff. Both pitchers allowed one run in thee innings of work.

Cano, Mo, and 1 to Go

The Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have been waging baseball battles since last October's pitching dominant American League Division Series. With a chance to make the playoffs this season on the line, the current four games series between the two teams comes emotionally close to the last Fall's nail biters. Wednesday night the Yankees rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the O's 5-4 in a game that had fans of both teams on edge at the end of the game.

Coupled with Tampa Bay's 10 inning loss to Boston (On a Mike Carp pinch-hit grand slam), the Yankees sit one game in back of the Rays for the second wild card spot. Cleveland lost earlier in the day to Kansas City, so once again the Yankees only have the Rays in front of them. Thursday is the finale of the Orioles series with Phil Hughes pitted against Wei-Yin Chen.

Andy Pettitte gutted out six innings plus one batter in the 7th to keep the game tied 3-3 after Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez hit solo home runs in consecutive innings (5th, 6th) to even things up. The game remained tied until the 9th when Robinson Cano blasted a Tommy Hunter pitch on to Eutaw St. for a 4-3 Yankees lead.

The Yankees added a huge insurance run when Adam Jones couldn't run down a catchable ball driven deep to center by Granderson. The Chicago native raced to third with a stand up triple and scored on Lyle Overbay's infield single off of Troy Patton. Yes, you read that correctly; Overbay beat the throw from shortstop J.J. Hardy after he hit one in the hole on the left side of the infield.

The extra run proved vital after Mariano Rivera ran into trouble after he easily retired the first two batters in the 9th inning. Rivera, who had gotten a four out save on Wednesday, gave up a two-out double to Nate McLouth and Brian Roberts delivered him with an RBI single. The Yankees got a break in that Roberts is not the major base stealing threat he once was. Rivera then struck out Manny Machado to pick up his 43rd save of the season.

Notes

Chris Stewart made a big play in the 7th when he gunned down McLouth trying to steal second base after he drew a lead off walk from Pettitte.

Scott Feldman got a tough no decision after he allowed three runs on just three hits in 7.1 innings pitched.

Yankees Top Tina Fey and Paul Rudd and the White Sox

"Make another error and next time it'll be hot coffee."

Tuesday night's Yankees-White Sox game had all the makings of a disaster. Hiroki Kuroda was attempting to right his ship after three poor outings in a row and struck out the side in the first inning. The only problem was Alfonso Soriano had played a potential fly out into a double and Eduardo Nunez added to his error total at shortstop. Kuroda worked out of the jam with just one run allowed, but the Yankees already trailed after a half inning. More poor play by Soriano in left field and domination by White Sox starter Chris Sale put the Yankees in a 4-1 hole.

By that time the five human and one furry occupants of our household were watching Admission with Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. A cute movie that was no blockbuster, but enjoyable nonetheless. I had already lambasted Nunez repeatedly in debating his value with my brother. "His bat is not good enough to put up with his defense in the field."  A little later Nunez tried to prove me wrong.

After the credits rolled on the movie, I glanced at Yahoo baseball and was shocked to see Yankees 6 White Sox 4.  The Yankees get all the credit in the world for coming from behind to win another must win game. Robin Ventura should be sent a thank you card for his role in it - he pulled Sale after the star in the making threw 114 pitches. (The people that knocked Ventura need their heads examined - 114 pitches in this day and age is a huge amount.)

Derek Jeter got the ball rolling with a one-out single in the bottom of the 8th and Robinson Cano followed with a double. Ventura ended Sales' night and brought in Nate Jones to face Soriano. The second time around in pinstripes has been fruitful for Soriano, whose bat does make up for his defensive deficiencies. He laced a single back up the middle to cut the White Sox lead to 4-3 and moved to third when Alex Rodriguez followed with a single of his own.

Lefty Donnie Veal replaced Jones to face pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson, but the Grandyman lined a game tying single to center field. Veal struck out Mark Reynolds, but Nunez lined a double to left off right-hander Matt Lindstrom to put the Yankees on top for the first time, 6-4.  Mariano Rivera made quick work of the White Sox with a 12-pitch, 9th inning for his 40th save.

It was a tremendous win, but also a reminder that Nunez cannot, should not, be in the field with such huge importance on every game. With Jayson Nix out, the Yankees should have picked up a Miguel Cairo-type player to spell Jeter in the field and kept Nunez on the bench.

Notes

The time finally arrived - Phil Hughes has been plucked from the rotation and put in the bullpen. David Huff, who has a similar career path to Hughes will take his turn in the rotation against Boston on Saturday. Hughes was tremendous out of the pen for the Yankees in 2009 and the move could mean that Joba Chamberlain gets crazy glued to the bullpen bench in close games.

Girardi told the media that he will use the off-season to try to get Rivera to return next year. The odds are slim to none.  Rivera is a man of his word and the "retirement tour" that has taken place would seem disingenuous.

The Yankees first run came on a double steal. A hit and a pair of Chicago errors put Vernon Wells on third and Nunez on first. Nunez broke for second on Sales' delivery and catcher Josh Phegley fired towards second. Wells broke for home and scored when second baseman Gordon Beckham cut the ball off in front of the bag, but made a throw to the wrong side of home plate.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Nunez became the first non-Jeter shortstop since Randy Velarde (1995) to drive in the game winning run in the 8th inning or later.

Look..in the Outfield....it's a Bird..No, it's a Plane..No, it's...the Grandyman

If Curtis Granderson steps to the plate tonight covered in bubble wrap could you really blame him?  The Grandyman will attempt to make his season re-debut with the Yankees tonight in the first of three games with the San Diego Padres.

Since there's no DH in the National League park it means that either Alfonso Soriano or Ichiro Suzuki will sit. The Padres are throwing right-hander Andrew Cashner, but that doesn't mean it's an automatic for Ichiro to be in the lineup. Which also means that either Soriano or Granderson could be playing an outfield position (RF) they are  not used to - likely Granderson.

Either way number 14 is ecstatic to be back with this bretheren after a broken forearm and broken finger put him on the DL for lengthy stays. Granderson's absence contribued to the Yankees lack of production and could also hurt his contract demands when he becomes a free agent after the season.

I recall earlier this year when some Yankees fans didn't want Granderson to return from the DL. "He's one dimensional" was the mantra after Granderson hit for power in 2012, but not much else. I'm amazed that anyone can predict that Granderson won't return to his 2011 form when he carried the ball club for much of the season. (Granderson's .828 OPS with runners in scoring position last year has also gotten lost in the shuffle of his career worst 195 strikeouts.)

Granderson's return will also mean that Joe Girardi can mix and match his left-handed and right-handed batters in the lineup and provide more protection for Robinson Cano. Granderson has played just eight Major League games this year - still more than Derek Jeter - and was 7-28 (.250) with a home run that provided his lone RBI. He played his first game of the season on May 14 after his forearm was broken by a J.A. Happ pitch in the first Spring Training game. Tonight he'll have his name in the lineup for the first time since May 24 when a Cesar Ramos pitch did in his finger.

Here's to no more injuries and hopefully the kind of production from Granderson that will make all Yankees fans happy to have him back.

Grandy Phelps Try To Bring Some Lightning to the Thunder

Curtis Granderson and David Phelps continued their rehab assignments Tuesday night for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

Phelps was much sharper than his first start for Trenton last week. He allowed a run on three hits over four innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Granderson had a triple and a walk in four trips to the plate. The Yankees are hoping that Granderson can join the team next week, maybe even this weekend.

Adams Sent Down as Nix Readies For Return; Grandy Joins Phelps Up North

Protect that thumb Grandy!

It won't have quite the same fanfare as when Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees, but Jayson Nix will be activated prior to Tuesday night's meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As expected, David Adams was sent back to Scranton Monday to free up space on the 25-man roster.

Nix's offensive numbers were far from good as he filled in at both shortstop and third base, but his work ethic and effort on the field did not go unnoticed by fans, his manager, or teammates. The 30-year old was placed on the 15-day DL after injuring his hamstring at the end of June/beginning of July.

He played one rehab game in the Gulf Coast League and three for Tampa of the Florida State League. At the time of the injury Nix had a .607 OPS with 2 HR, 20 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 73 games played.

Curtis Granderson isn't quite ready to join the Bronx Bombers, but he's getting closer. Literally.  The Grandyman and David Phelps are slated to continue their rehab assignments for the Trenton Thunder on Tuesday.

Granderson, recovering from a broken finger, played four games with the Tampa Yankees and was 2-13 (.154) with an RBI. He's played in just eight regular season games after he had his forearm broken by a pitch in Spring Training and his finger suffered the same fate in his eighth big league game after his return.

Phelps has pitched in one rehab stint for Trenton after he was placed on the 15-day DL July 6 with a slightly strained right forearm. With Ivan Nova looking more and more like he did in 2011, Phelps may be returned to the bullpen when he rejoins the team. That could change if Phil Hughes is dealt away at the trade deadline. The Notre Dame product threw 3.2 innings against the Altoona Curve six days ago and allowed 2 ER, 2 hits, 3 BB, and a home run. He also struck out six batters.

Soriano Agreeable, Jeter Expects to Play

Alfonso Soriano may become a Yankee again after all. Soriano reportedly gave Cubs GM Theo Epstein a list of six teams he would be willing to waive his no trade clause for. The Yankees are said to be on the list. It was originally reported that the Yankees and Cubs were close to a deal, but those reports were premature.  The biggest hold up of any trade between two of baseball's oldest franchises is to reach an agreement on who will pay the bulk of Soriano's $18MM salary next season and the remainder of the $18MM he's owed this season.

The more the Cubs pay the better prospect they'll want in return. Transversely, the Yankees will deal a lesser prospect to Cubs if they take on more of the financial responsibility.  The Yankees desperately needed some punch in the lineup as evidenced again in last night’s 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers. In particular they need a right-handed bat and some protection in the lineup for Robinson Cano. Soriano could fill both those needs.

Derek Jeter is hoping he can help the lineup out this weekend in a big series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter has hit, run and fielded, and feels good. But you know the Yankees are going to be cautious after Jeter injured his quad in his first game of the season two weeks ago. It was the second time this season that a Yankees player was put on the DL after he returned from the DL or a rest to be placed right back on the DL. (Kevin Youkilis aggravated his back after a week's rest, played, and was immediately placed on the DL.)

David Phelps started for the Trenton Thunder on Tuesday and looked rusty according to The Times' John Nalbone. Phelps tossed 3.2 innings, walked three and struck out six. It remains to be seen whether he'll return to the rotation or go back to the bullpen.

Curtis Granderson and Jayson Nix will be playing for the Tampa Yankees today and probably will remain there through the weekend. Nix had been on a rehab gig in the Gulf Coast League.

Time For the Yankees to Sell, Starting With Granderson

Cano to Go, Don'tcha Know

The Yankees are close to the top of the AL East and the two available wild card spots. They're also close to last place in the AL East and an ignominious finish to the 2013 season. With a plot like that, how should the Yankees write the rest of the book on this season? By being sellers...and potentially smart buyers.

Injuries to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Youkilis, and Francisco Cervelli have turned the team upside down. For a while everything was okay- newbies Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, and Travis Hafner played like they were re-born in April. Since then they have mostly reverted to their over-the-hill status.

The Yankees pitching kept them afloat for a while too, but CC Sabathia has lost velocity and control, Andy  Pettitte has been ineffective after a good start to the season, Phil Hughes is doing his usual Jekyll and Hughes routine, and Ivan Nova and David Phelps have had their ups and downs. Only Hiroki Kuroda has been consistently good, but the lineup goes to sleep when he pitches.

The Yankees have relied on a number of players night in and night out that are not Major League hitters. It's remarkable that they have stayed above .500 for this long. With Teixeira and Youkilis gone for the season, Granderson still unable to swing a bat, and A-Rod possibly facing suspension just as his rehab assignment has started, are things going to get that much better?

It's time for the Yankees, for the first time in recent or long term memory, to be primary sellers at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, they will likely not do that, but the fan base would probably prefer the Yankees did some dealing to re-work the present team.

It should all start with Curtis Granderson.

I love Granderson, he's an even better person off the field than he is on. He had a remarkable 2011 season, before a strictly hit (43 HR) or miss (195 K) 2012 season. This season has been a complete wipe out. Hit by a pitch in the first Spring Training game, he missed the first 38 games of the year. He was only back for eight games when another baseball broke his finger. He's missed another 35 and counting.

Grandy will be 33 when next season starts and he'll be a free agent after this season. I don't see any scenario in which the Yankees give him a new deal.

The Yankees would be nuts to bring Phil Hughes, another pending free agent, back next year. Hughes' laundry list of injuries and his inconsistency over the years should push the Yankees to get a ready-for-the-Major Leagues player or players back instead of waiting for draft pick(s) when Hughes goes elsewhere. Let Michael Pineda or Vidal Nuno take the spot that opens up.

Joba? I don't even need to go in detail as to why he should be dealt. The Yankees won't get much for him, but I know I can't watch more of him coming in and extending the other team's lead.

So now we get to the most difficult one of all...Robinson Cano. I want him back next year and years to come. But not 10 years or whatever outrageous number of years that he's reported to want in a new deal. Cano will be 31 to start next year. You've already seen, for whatever the reason, the degrading of players like A-Rod, Teixeira, Albert Pujols, and Adrian Gonzalez after they signed ridiculously long deals.

Michael Kay spoke on his radio show on Tuesday about how ridiculous it is for Yankees fans to want to blow the team up. There aren't too many people, myself included, who want to blow things up. It's to deal the right players and to do it, not for the sake of just trading them, but to get good return. Otherwise you don't make those deals.

I totally agree that anything can happen once you make the playoffs. I am not from the spoiled generation of fans who think like George Steinbrenner of the pre-millenium that any no-championship season is a waste. but sometimes you need to make moves to avoid multiple seasons without playoffs.

That could definitely be the case with Hal Steinbrenner demanding a $189MM total salary by next season.

A-Rod Ready to Hit Live Pitching

In the next step towards his return to the Yankees, suspensions not withstanding, Alex Rodriguez will face live pitching on Tuesday. That according to Brian Cashman on a conference call with reporters.

A-Rod ran the bases on Saturday at about a 75% effort as he inched closer to a return. The controversial third baseman will still need a rehab assignment of undetermined length before he dons the big league pinstripes. It all may not mean anything if Bud Selig and crew slam the hammer down on A-Rod for his alleged involvement with Biogenesis.

Derek Jeter recently increased his baseball activities and hopefully will return sometime sooner rather than later. Francisco Cervelli's broken hand is coming along nicely and he should return sooner than all of the DL'ed players. Eduardo Nunez is on the 60-day DL and has no timetable attached to him.  Meanwhile, Curtis Granderson's finger gently weeps. (Apologies to George Harrison.)

Yankees Play Two to Lose One and the Pattern Continues: Time For a Shake Up Part I

It took 18 innings and overs 5 1/2 hrs, but the Yankees completed an embarrassing three game sweep at the hands of the Oakland A's Thursday, 3-2. Now, don't get me wrong, losing to the A's is not embarrassing. in itself. They're a good ball club and are red hot, winners of 9 of 12 and 41-27 overall.

The inconsistency of the Yankees performance is what is troubling. We all knew that eventually the talent level on the roster would catch up to the standings.  It's been a topsy turvy season due to all the injuries, the reliance on players that aren't used to playing every day, are past their prime, or are injury prone or any combination of the aforementioned.

The starting pitching, once a strength, has struggled outside of Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda was on the hill in Thursday's finale with the A's and completely dominated the Oakland lineup over eight innings. He allowed two hits and two earned runs and had nothing to show for it in the box score.  The Yankees offense  sputtered as it did the entire three game series in Oakland.

Two runs in 18 innings Thursday and eight total runs in the series' 36 innings; that was the entire Yankees output in the series. Robinson Cano's 16th home run of the season accounted for all of the Yankees runs in the finale and that occurred in the 1st inning. The rest of the day was one wasted opportunity after another or no opportunities at all.

The Yankees finished with 10 hits on the day with 80% of the production from Cano (3), Ichiro Suzuki (3), and Brett Gardner (2).  The pen did a fantastic job to keep the game even, particularly Adam Warren, who tossed six scoreless innings. The A's finally pulled things out with a run off of Preston Claiborne and an ineffective Mariano Rivera. Remarkably the team remained just three games behind first place Boston in the AL East and just two games back in the loss column.

That's why the Yankees need to shake things up before things get worse, especially when it comes to the replacement players that were brought in.

The culprits: Let's start with Vernon Wells. The Yankees primary left fielder started out like a house afire - a .911 OPS in the month of April with six home runs and 13 RBI. Since then Wells is 27-146 (.185) and just 4-42 in the month of June. Wells' main accomplishment has been to stay healthy, which is no small feat for him.

Kevin Youkilis seemed like a good stop gap measure with no Alex Rodriguez around, but after an adequate .769 OPS in 17 games, he missed all but one game in May due to a bad back and is 5-37 (.135) in June.

Travis Hafner appeared to be completely rejuvenated in April - a 1.104 OPS with six home runs and 17 RBI in 22 games. MVP type numbers, but "Pronk" is 16-102 (.157) since then with four home runs and 12 RBI.

Lyle Overbay's playing time has been cut down considerably since the return of Mark Teixeira, but up until then Overbay played well over his head and produced a number of clutch moments for the team. Less play means less effectiveness and on top of that Overbay is trying to learn a new position (RF). He's had just six hits in his last 31 at-bats. (.194)

The Yankees hoped that the return of Teixeira would infuse more offense, but so far he is still looking to get his groove back. Tex is 8-49 since he returned from the DL, and thought he has managed seven walks, three home runs, and 12 RBI in 13 games, a .367 slugging percentage is nothing to brag about.

I have already speculated that Ichiro Suzuki's days in the Bronx could be numbered. A .644 OPS in April was followed by a .631 OPS in May. About halfway through June and there's no sign of things getting better, evidenced by Ichiro's .634 OPS. A .293 average for the month is an improvement, but all 12 of his hits are singles and he's attempted to steal a base just (successfully) once.

The Yankees announced on Friday that David Adams was sent down to Triple-A to play regularly. Adams did a nice job at first as one of the fill-ins for Youkilis, but owned a .587 OPS when he departed. The Yankees called up outfielder Thomas Neal, a 25-year old with 23 Major League at-bats (With Cleveland). Neal signed prior to the season as a minor league free agent and had a robust .339 average for the Scranton RailRiders. Add on a .426 on-base percentage and a .446 slugging pct. (12 doubles, 2 HR) and you can see why the Yankees feel his right-handed bat might help against left-handed pitching.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli will likely be back before the All-Star break, though no one knows if he'll hit like before he was hurt. Curtis Granderson has an outside chance of being back before the break, but is likely to be back afterwards. Derek Jeter just got the clearance to resume baseball activities and Alex Rodriguez, well, there's no real idea when and if "Mr. Makes His Own Trouble" will suit up in a Major League uniform again.

In the meantime, the Yankees may have to dip back into Scranton for players like Ronnier Mustelier or Zoilo Almonte to jump start the offense.

Stay tuned for Part II: Time for the Yankees to Cut Hughes and Joba Loose

Granderson Hit By Pitch, Broken Bone, DL...Deja Vu All Over Again

photo courtesy of northjersey.com

Curtis Granderson seemed to finally be getting his stroke back after missing a month and a half with a broken forearm. A three-hit game this past Wednesday night in Baltimore included a double and a home run, and was one of the few bright spots in a divisional loss. Now the Yankees will need other players to pick up the slack again as Granderson is headed to the DL for the second time this season with a broken bone.

This time around it was a pitch by Tampa Bay's Cesar Ramos that broke the knuckle on Granderson' left pinky finger. (Ramos also hit Robinson Cano with the bases loaded to force in a run.)

 Here we go again.

Granderson missed 38 games due to the broken arm he received in the very first Spring Training game after Toronto's J.A. Happ hit him. The 32-year old is set to be a free agent after the season, but you have to wonder where his value will be at after he misses at least one quarter of the season.

Grandy Ready to Clean Up, Nuno Demoted

Curtis Granderson is back in familiar surroundings, though not as familiar as they once were. Penciled into the lineup as the clean up hitter in his return against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, Granderson is in left field instead of his accustomed center field spot.

It's not surprising that Joe Girardi decided to keep Brett Gardner in the middle of the outfield since he's the better defender. It's just the 23rd game of a nine year career for Granderson in left field. Offensively, he's 5-20 with two extra base hits when positioned on the left side.

To make room on the 25-man roster Vidal Nuno was sent down to Scranton in an expected move. Since he was not going to be available for five days it made sense.

There may be another roster spot opening up soon; it was bound to happen at some point, just like it did with Kevin Youkilis. The injury bug has taken a bit out of Travis Hafner. The Yankees DH has struggled of late and it may be in part due to soreness in his right shoulder. He's headed for an MRI and further examination.

Grandy is New York Bound

Curtis Granderson let the Yankees fans on Twitter and Facebook know tonight that he's headed to the big ball yard in the Bronx.

Curtis Granderson ‏@cgrand1417m

Just finished 5 games with @swbrailriders now in the car on the way back to NY #RoadToRecovery

Here comes some more offense.

Curtis Granderson is within reach of playing his first Major League game of the season. The Grandyman has been out since the first game of Spring Training after a pitch from J.A. Happ broke Granderson's right forearm.

Granderson took swings in extended Spring Training before he reported to Triple-A Scranton to get in game shape. As of Monday morning, Granderson was 7-17 (.412) in the four games he played for the Railriders with a home run and three RBI.  It's possible Granderson could join the team at the start of the six game homestand that begins with Seattle on Tuesday. Brennan Boesch was sent to the minor leagues before the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians so the Yankees will need another
outfielder soon.

Oddly (to me) Yankees fans seem to be split over whether they want Granderson back or not. I can't understand how you would not want him back. There's no question that outside of the respectable .811 OPS he put up and the career high 43 home run he hit in 2012, Granderson had a bad season at the plate. He hit hit a career low .232 and struck out a career high 195 times. Before coming to New York, Granderson had a reputation for not being able to hit left-handers. Last year he struggled against righties and lefties.

Granderson is a guy that's easy to root for - he's a stand up guy with the press, a great ambassador for the game and for the team, a great role model for kids, his teammates like him, and oh yeah, he's a talented ball player. Fans point to his lack of production in the post-season - he's had only eight hits in his last 50 post-season at-bats and was a horrid 3-30 last year when the Yankees as a team did not hit - but Granderson is one of the guys (like Teixeira, like Nick Swisher) that gets you to the post-season.

Some people have forgotten about the MVP-type season Granderson had in the 2011 after hard work and adjustments made with hitting coach Kevin Long sent him to the second All-Star game of his then eight year career. Granderson's power was just as good as in 2012 when he hit 41 home runs, but the Illinois native also had 26 doubles, 10 triples, 25 stolen bases, 85 walks, a .916 OPS and led the AL with 136 runs scored and 119 driven in.

Granderson, like Teixeira, appears to have become pull happy in new Yankee Stadium. (Partial blame has to fall on Long in my opinion.) Granderson was unable to counteract the adjustments (different pitching approach, right side shifts) made by the opposition last year. His swing had too much of an uppercut and it appeared he attempted to hit one over the short porch in right field every time up.

With the new salary limits put in place by the front office, it's likely the Yankees will let Granderson walk after this season. The 32-year old is in the final year of the six year, $43.25 contract he originally signed while a member of the Detroit Tigers (The Yankees picked up his $15MM option for 2013.). Brett Gardner has taken over in centerfield and it appears he'll stay there when Granderson returns from the DL.

The Yankees also expect youngsters Mason Williams, Melky Mesa, Zoilo Almonte, and Slade Heathcott to make an impact in the Major Leagues soon .

Some fans though want Granderson gone before the end of the year and that's something I don't understand at all.

It's amazing how having a winning record and (surprisingly) being in sole possession of first place (entering Monday's play) in mid-May can change your attitude/mind on things. Fans who complained about the acquisition of Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, etc., suddenly don't want to mess with the mix. Based on their track record, can you trust that Wells and Hafner will continue to produce and continue to be healthy? Kevin Youkilis is already out indefinitely with a back issue. Ichiro Suzuki has struggled at the plate so far. Would you rather have Boesch and/or Ben Francisco on your team than Curtis Granderson?

Most importantly, the team is winning because of the pitching and clutch hitting. If the hitters go into a slump, the team can still win with pitching. The present Yankees lineup is not one that can overcome poor pitching. So even though he has struggled in the post-season, do you really want to diminish an offense that is not an 'A' list lineup?

I don't think so.