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.

Joba Headed to Tigertown

Joba looked like Oliver Hardy, but pitched like Stan Laurel.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday morning that Joba Chamberlain and the Detroit Tigers agreed to terms on a free agent deal. ESPN's Buster Olney later added the details, one year at $2.5MM. He'll serve as a set up man for another free agent signee, Joe Nathan.

Chamberlain's days as a Yankee came to a close when the team didn't make him a qualifying offer after the end of the 2013 season. It meant the end of a career in pinstripes - one that took off like a rocket on lift off, but peaked early and then nosedived back to Earth.

In between there was Tommy John surgery, rules, midges, triple digit fastballs, nasty sliders, a DUI and a related insult of Yogi Berra, a "shush" incident with Mariano Rivera, a trampoline mishap, numerous cans of Red Bull, a cheesy mustache, a great father/son story, and non-maximized potential.

It didn't get much better for Chamberlain after his 2007 debut. Yankees fans had heard about the blazing fastball and a great arsenal of pitches, but seeing was believing.

The Yankees needed bullpen help in the summer of 2007 so the former first round pick (41st overall in 2006) was recalled from the minors. He made his debut at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on August 7 and threw two scoreless innings in a 9-2 Yankees win. Nervous, excited, and amped up, he walked two and struck out two.

Two days later he struck out four of the six batters he faced. The legend of Joba was born. He pitched 24 innings in his first season with a remarkable 34 strikeouts and six walks. He allowed a single earned run for a 0.38 ERA, won a couple of games and picked up his first Major League save. The "Joba Rules" were also instituted to protect his arm, but they didn't have much of impact until the following season.

He pitched out of the pen to begin and end the 2008 season with 12 starts in between. A year later he was a full-time starter, but couldn't match his prior success. From there it was injuries and ineffectiveness to the point that he couldn't be trusted in key situations.

Now he's got a clean slate with Tigers' first year manager Brad Ausmus.

Beltran Replaces Cano in Pinstripes

Trading Places: NY Edition

After seemingly out of the Carlos Beltran free agent sweepstakes, the Yankees have reportedly signed the veteran outfielder to a three-year, $45MM deal. Obstensibly, Beltran and Alfonso Soriano would split time between RF and DH if the Yankees stick to their public statement that Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury would start off the lineup as a pair of table setters.

Beltran was a member of the NL pennant winning St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 after he put together his eighth All-Star season.  He finished the year with 24 HR, 87 RBI, and an .830 OPS. The switch-hittter, who will be joining his sixth organization, has built a remarkable post-season resume. The native of Puerto Rico has hit 16 home runs and driven in 40 runs in 51 post-season contests, with an 1.128 OPS to boot.

Beltran's defense is not above average as it once was and neither are his knees, but he could fill some of the void created when Robinson Cano bolted for the Seattle Mariners earlier on Friday. The Yankees now have six outfielders on the Major League roster- Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran, Soriano, Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki.

Wells will likely be released since he has no impact on the team's luxury tax. Suzuki is owed $6.5MM and doesn't have much left in his bat. He'll be difficult to move and the Yankees could very well be stuck with him. At the very least they would have to pay half his salary if they find a suitor.

I originally thought Gardner might be dealt when Ellsbury was signed, then I read the front office wanted the pair setting the table  in the 1-2 spots in the order. However, Gardner may still be used to acquire a starting pitcher wtih the Yankees possibly relying on a youngster like Zoilo Almonte.

The Yankees said they would spend a lot of money this off-season, but I'm not so sure how wisely they're doing it. Perhaps at the trade deadline the Yankees can deal A-Rod back to Seattle for Cano.

Yankees Introduce McCann to the Media

The Yankees introduced free agent acquisition Brian McCann to the media at 2:00 EST Thursday afternoon in what turned out to be a very quick press conference. After PR head Jason Zillo added McCann's name to the long line of Yankees' catching legends - Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson, Jorge Posada - Brian Cashman welcomed McCann's wife Ashley with fresh flowers and two pairs of "onesies" for their children, 16-month old son Colt and 2-month old daughter Colbie.

Manager Joe Girardi then presented McCann with his #34 pinstripes jersey and Yankees cap and turned the mic over to him. The former Atlanta Brave thanked the Steinbrenner family and expressed his excitement for the chance to play for the Yankees.

He then took questions from the floor, including one that dealt with McCann's reactions to Carlos Gomez and Jose Fernandez that nearly caused bench clearing brawls between the Braves and Brewers, and the Braves and Marlins.

A clean shaven McCann downplayed both incidents, complimented both players on their ability, and said his instincts took over with Gomez who was yelling the entire way around the bases after hitting a home run.

McCann looks forward to "pick the brains of the pitchers" to get an idea of how they approach the game and each at-bat. The catcher also said he spoke with former teammate Mark Teixeira to get an idea of what it would be like to play in New York City. He's just four months away from finding out.

Updated 3:45 PM - Here is the video of the press conference.
 

Ibanez is Once, Twice, Three Times a Mariner

After a heroic 2012 campaign, Raul Ibanez was hoping to return the Bronx this coming season, but instead chose to play for the Seattle Mariners for the third time in his career. He'll earn $2.75MM in base salary with incentives to earn more money.

Ibanez likely took a look at the glut of left-handed hitters on the current Yankees' 40-man roster and decided he would get more playing time elsewhere. He's expected to share left field and DH duties for the Mariners, who lost 87 games last season.  Seattle had already added Kendrys Morales via a trade with the Los Angeles Angels.

Ibanez played more than expected during the regular season due to injuries and came through with 19 home runs and 62 RBI in 384 at-bats But it was.Ibanez's late inning heroics in the stretch run and post-season that will not be forgotten. None more so than Game 3 of the division series with Baltimore when Ibanez, pinch-hitting for Alex Rodriguez, tied the game with a home run and then won it with another home run in the 12th inning.

All that being said the Yankees certainly did not need another 40+ year old player on the 2013 roster.  Ibanez was a member of the Mariners from 1996-2000 and again from 2004-2008. He was a  member of the NL pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies that lost to the Yankees in the 2009 World Series.

Red Sox Lose Ross, Close to Gaining Hanrahan

The Yankees aren't the only AL East team who will enter 2013 with a different right fielder. Free agent Cody Ross, who signed a one year deal with Boston prior to last season, has agreed to a three-year, $26MM deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ross will join his 7th organization in 10 seasons and will nearly triple the annual salary he earned ($3MM) last season. The Red Sox were expected to lose Ross and had signed Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes in the meantime to add depth to their outfield.

It appears the Red Sox will also be shaking up their bullpen, which struggled last year. ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes reported earlier that the Sox were close to acquire closer Joel Hanrahan from the Pittsburgh Pirates. No word on who the Pirates would get back.

The 31-year old went from making the league minimum to $4.1MM last season and has averaged 38 saves the last two years. He enters his third year of arbitration eligibility and should get a substantial increase from 2012.

The Red Sox acquired Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A's prior to last season for outfielder Josh Reddick and two minor leaguers. The move backfired when Bailey injured his thumb in spring training and pitched in just 19 games. Meanwhile, Reddick hit 32 home runs, drove in 85 runs, and won his first Gold Glove. The Sox could move Bailey to a set up role or use him in deal to land another part. The former AL Rookie of the Year is in his first year of arbitration eligibility after he earned $3.9MM last season.

Either move for Bailey stinks for me since I have him as a cheap closer in my keeper league. :/

Earlier this week the Red Sox also brought in free agent shortstop Stephen Drew, younger brother of former Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew. The younger Drew was on the verge of stardom with the Diamondbacks when he suffered a severely broken ankle in 2011. He's struggled to regain his health and offensive form since then, but the Red Sox reportedly agreed to a one year, $9.5MM deal pending a physical.

A physical is apparently what has kept the Red Sox from officially signing Mike Napoli. The two sides had originally agreed to a three-year, $39MM deal, but the Sox are reportedly concerned about a hip issue and are back to negotiating with Napoli on a possible shorter, less expensive deal.

Yankees Officially Bring Back Ichiro

As expected, the Yankees and Ichiro Suzuki reached agreement on a new two-year deal. The Yankees were hoping to sign the 39-year old to a one year deal, but when Suzuki got two year offers from other teams, the Bombers had no choice but to add a second year.

Ichiro will earn $13MM over the life of the contract and is expected to platoon in right field with a player yet to be acquired.

The future Hall of Fame right fielder was having the worst season of his career, when the Seattle Mariners dealt him to the Yankees at last year's trade deadline. After a slow start, Ichiro was blisteringly hot over the final month of the season and hit .322 as a Yankee. He also added a small ball component to the lineup, something the Yankees lost when Brett Gardner went down in April with an elbow injury that kept him sidelined until the end of the season.

Yankees' fans also have an outside chance to see a second player reach 3,000 career hits in a Yankees uniform for the second time in three years. Ichiro is 394 hits away from joining Derek Jeter in the 3K club.