So Sorry Sori: Yankees Designate Soriano For Assignment

Alfonso Soriano is going, going, gone.

Alfonso Soriano's  return to New York last season was quite remarkable. The Yankees needed a bat badly and Soriano filled the bill. He hit 17 home runs and drove in 50 runs in just 58 games as the Yankees fell short of a playoff spot. This season, Soriano could find no consistency and chased pitches out of the zone like he did in his first stint with the Yankees.

The worse you hit, the less at-bats you get. The less at-bats you get the less change there is for turning things around. A player will generally blame the latter for not getting better. Through 67 games, Soriano had a .611 OPS, six home runs and 23 RBI. He had whiffed 71 times and walked on just a haf-dozen occasions. Joe Girardi had no choice but to cut down his playing time.

Soriano stumbled his way into a platoon with Ichiro Suzuki. The Japanese native can still play solid defense, something Soriano is not noted for.

Soriano will get picked up by some team, especially since the Cubs are playing the majority of his 2014 salary. It's my hope that Zoilo Almonte will get another chance.

New Year, New MLB Rumors

Nelson Cruz is among those still wondering where his next contract is.

Happy New Year to one and all. We are just 43 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp. A truly great Valentine's Day gift. There are quite a number of free agents still not signed, but I would expect some trades, mostly minor, to occur prior to spring training.

The biggest news right now is, of course, the chase for Masahiro Tanaka. With the posting fee reduced to $20MM there are plenty of teams that will try to persuade the Japanese star to sign with them. Only a handful will be able to afford the $100MM he's expected (or expecting) to sign for.

ESPN's Jayson Stark reported that, according to some Major League execs, the Seattle Mariners could be big time players in the negotation battle. The Yankees have to be concerned after the ridiculous contract that Mariners gave Robinson Cano. Apparently, they still have quite a bit of cash to play with.

You can onlyhope that Ichiro Suzuki refuses to discuss playing in Seattle with Tanaka and only will talk about playing in New York..and only discuss the positives.

There are other big name pitchers on the market, though the names don't necessarily merit the contracts they are looking for. Matt Garza, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez are tops among them. The Twins, who already signed Phil Hughes and re-signed Mike Pelfrey, are willing to give big money, but not years to a pitcher like Garza. Then again the report was from ESPNradio 1500's Darren Wolfson who also reported last week that the Twins had an interest in Tanaka. I hadn't laughed that hard in a while. Everyone has an interest, but the Twins NEVER spend that kind of money...well, outside of Joe Mauer and that hasn't worked out so well.

The Cleveland Plains Dealer's Paul Hoynes reported that Jimenez is looking for $17MM-$20MM annually. Apparently he needs that much to get counseling for his delusions. Jimenez was phenomenal in the first half of 2010 and has been downright awful in every season since, except for the second half of last year (1.82 ERA). But you don't give a guy that much money based on 13 starts.

Santana is another pitcher who is clearly pricing himself out of the market. The right-hander has been too inconsistent in his career to command an upper dollar contract. The Arizona Diamondbacks are interested in Tanaka, but are more likely to be able to sign Santana, whom they have major interest in.

Bronson Arroyo is still out there, but he appears to be everyone's plan 'B'. Perhaps he's asking for too much money after hearing WFAN's Mike Francesa talk about him like he's Walter Johnson.

No rumor here; good luck to Mark Mulder who is attempting a comeback with the Los Angeles Angels. The left-hander hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2008 due to shoulder problems. He's been working as a commentator since then, but decided to give it another try. The 36-yr old signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training and reportedly threw in the low 90's during December auditions.

It's not just the big names pitchers still waiting for offers. Outfielder Nelson Cruz, who was one of the players suspended 50 games in 2013 for the Biogenesis scandal, has yet to find a new team. He won't be returning to his old one, the Texas Rangers, after they signed Shin-Soo Choo to a seven-year, $130MM contract. Jeff Wilson (Ft. Worth Star Telegram) reported that there are four (unnamed) teams interested in the unsigned 33-year old.

First baseman/DH Kendrys Morales is still looking for a new home as well after one season with the Mariners. Morales may never be the same player he was before he broke his leg in 2010, but he's become a productive hitter again. One that would benefit from a hitters park rather than pitcher friendly Safeco Field. Most of the rumors are writers saying "this team" should sign Morales.

Despite rumors, probably started by his agent Scott Boras, Stephen Drew will not be signed by the Yankees. Brian Cashman stated Monday that the team has no plan to sign Drew.

Two major closers remain unemployed, though one thought he had a job. Grant Balfour agreed to terms with the Baltimore Orioles on a multiple year deal, but some warning bells on an MRI of his right shoulder caused the deal to fall through.

Fernando Rodney was dominant when he closed for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012 and had a pretty good year with them in 2013. Teams have to be wary, however, of Rodney inconsistent past. For most of his career, he was not a pitcher you could trust in a big situation.

Time to check some email. I wonder if I got anything from Alex Rodriguez or Randy Levine.

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.

Ichiro the Artist Collects 4,000th Career Hit

Earlier Wednesday afternoon Michael Kay wondered aloud on his radio show if anyone cared about Ichiro Suzuki reaching 4,000 career hits. How could we not? It doesn't matter that it occurred in two different countries. It's an incredible achievement.

The achievement occurred earlier this evening at Yankee Stadium in Ichiro's first at-bat of the night. Facing Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, Ichiro waved his magic wand and slapped a single past third baseman Brett Lawrie into left field.

As the fans gave him a standing ovation and a plethora of photographers clicked away, Ichiro's teammates came out to congratulate him.No player may have been more excited than Toronto infielder, fellow countryman and Ichiro's teammate in Seattle last year, Munenori Kawasaki. In reaching the milestone, Ichiro joined Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only players to eclipse 4,000 hits.


Ichiro started his professional career with the Orix Blue Wave in 1992 and remained there until he joined the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2001 season. The Mariners dealt the pending free agent to the Yankees at the 2012 deadline and then he re-upped with NY in the off-season.

No matter where Ichiro has played, his game is one of artistry. He runs with the grace of a young Baryshnikov while wielding a bat like a master swordsman. He doesn't get as many hits as he did when he was younger; when he seemingly got hits at will.  How could anyone hit when they moved both feet like Astaire while swinging the bat? No one else has been able to do it.

He has lost a step, but can still out run players nearly half his age. The rifle for an arm isn't quite what it used to be, but he can still run down any ball and make it look easy. (He made a sliding catch in tonight's game.) Instead of stealing bases at will, he picks his spots and is still successful. (He entered Wednesday's game with 18 steals in 21 attempts.)

In a word, Ichiro's career is legendary.

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.

Soriano is Back, Back in a New York Groove

You can clap for yourself when you win the game.

Alfonso Soriano said he felt like he was back home and the Yankees fans greeted him that way when he came to bat in the 2nd inning of Friday night's series opener with the Tampa Bay Rays. Unfortunately, he went 0-5 with an RBI ground out as the Yankees and CC Sabathia got pummeled by the Tampa Bay Rays 10-6. Things were no better on Saturday when the Yankees got shut out on two hits by rookie Chris Archer.

But on Sunday those little town blues melted away. It was like old times in the Bronx. Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and even Hideki Matsui were wearing pinstripes. Jeter, playing in just his second game of the season, swung at the first pitch he saw from Rays starter Matt Moore and deposited it in the first row in right-center field for a solo home run. Soriano went 4-5 on the day, with the final hit a single up the middle that scored Brett Gardner in the bottom of the 9th to win it, 6-5.

Soriano arrived despite the protestations of GM Brian Cashman, who was against dealing a young pitcher (Corey Black) for the 37-year old. Soriano had begun to establish a legacy in the Bronx when he was dealt for Alex Rodriguez prior to the 2004 season.  Had it not been for a rare meltdown by Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Soriano would have had a toehold in Yankees history forever.

It was Soriano's 7th inning home run off of Curt Schilling that gave the Yankees a 2-1, but the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied against Rivera to win the World Series.  Soriano also had the game winning single in the 12th inning of Game 5 after Scott Brosius had tied the game with a home run in the 9th.

Sunday's series finale with the Rays was a battle- twice Phil Hughes, the home run pitching machine, had Wil Myers go deep off of him to blow leads. Soriano was there to save the day though. He belted a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning( yes, Yankees right-handed hitters actually hit home runs), singled twice, earned a Gatorade shower from Brett Gardner for his 9th inning heroics.

One of the first to greet Soriano was his old double play partner Jeter. According to @YestoResearch (YES' Jeff Quagliata) it was the first time since July 17, 2003 that pair homered in the same game together as teammates.

Even though Soriano was never a Yankee in the new Yankee Stadium, he said Friday that he felt he was home again and YS was his home. Slated to wear #22, he even got Vernon Wells to give him #12 in an undisclosed transaction. Wells will wear 22 from now on.

Ichiro Suzuki also had four hits in the game to become the 6th player in MLB history with at least 50 4-hit games.

Ichiro Does It All

It wasn’t that long ago that I speculated that Ichiro Suzuki’s days in a Yankees uniform could be numbered. That’s not going to happen if the 40-year old has more days like he had in the first game of a day-night doubleheader with the LA Dodgers Wednesday.

Ichiro stood out at the plate and in the field in the Yankees 6-4 win in the first regular season contest played between the two storied franchises in Yankee Stadium. Already up 2-0, Ichiro hit a solo home run off Dodgers left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu in the 6th inning.

After the Dodgers scored a pair of runs off starter and winner Hiroki Kuroda, Ichiro helped out his countrymen again with a 2-run single to cap a 3-run 7th inning.  The 10 time Gold Glove winner then flashed the leather in the 8th inning when he made a running, leaping catch to take an extra base hit and an RBI away from Adrian Gonzalez. The play proved crucial when the next batter, Hanley Ramirez, belted a 2-run home run to cut the Yankees advantage to 6-4.

Kuroda helped himself out in the early part of the ballgame with some quick reflexes. Gonzalez and Ramirez started the top of the 4th off with a single and double to put two men in scoring position with no one out. Andre Ethier lined a ball back up the middle, but Kuroda snared it and threw to David Adams to double Gonzalez off of third. Kuroda then retired veteran Juan Uribe to keep the Dodgers off the board.

Mariano Rivera bounced back from his struggles Sunday in Anaheim to pitch a 1-2-3 9th inning for his 25th save of the season.  Rivera welcomed rookie Yasiel Puig to the bigs with a game ending strikeout.

Notes

Despite a shortage of infielders, the Yankees brought up outfielder Zoilo Almonte, who will play in the evening contest.  Almonte impressed Joe Girardi in the past two Spring Trainings and was having a good year for Triple-A Scranton. In 68 games, the recently turned 24-year old had splits of .297/.368/.421 with 6 HR and 36 RBI. The right-handed hitter also had 12 doubles, a triple and was 4-5 in stolen base attempts.

The main reason the Yankees brought up an outfielder, as Mark Feinsand pointed out on the radio broadcast, was due to injuries to infielders Corban Joseph and Ronnier Mustelier, both of whom are on the DL.

The Bleacher Creatures chanted “Donnie Baseball” in tribute to former Yankees standout and current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. The former #23 now dons #8 (See what I did there) in Dodger blue and gracisously tipped his cap to the Creatures. He and Joe Girardi hugged each other when they brought out the lineup cards prior to the game.

Back in the lineup as a regular, Lyle Overbay came through in the clutch again. He drove a ball over Ethier's head in center field for a 2-run double to start the day's scoring.

Phil Hughes and Chris Capuano will face off in the nightcap.

From Cano to Katoh?

Years from now Robinson Cano could be grooming his eventual replacement, Gosuke Katoh. The second baseman for Rancho Bernardo High School in California was the Yankees fourth selection in Thursday's MLB Amateur draft.

After three picks in the first round, the Yankees took Katoh with the 27th pick of the second round, 66th overall. Current Yankee Ichiro Suzuki is Katoh's idol and has influenced the 18-year old's approach at the plate. The senior is listed as 6'2", 180 lbs and bats from the left side.

The Yankees will be competing with UCLA for Katoh's services. Here's MLB.com's scouting report:

Katoh is the rare high school second baseman who is regarded as a legitimate prospect. He is a solid defender with sure hands and good range. His arm is below average, but it is good enough for second base. Offensively, Katoh has modeled his swing after Ichiro Suzuki. He makes a lot of contact with his compact stroke and takes advantage of his plus speed. Katoh isn't known for his power, but showed some pop this spring. Katoh has a good feel for the game and his instincts allow his tools to play up. He is committed to UCLA.

Overbay? Try Over There

"I'm playing where?"

Who's on first? Lyle Overbay. Not this time. Overbay has played 1,272 games at the not-so-hot corner in his 13 year Major League career. Tonight marks the beginning of an experiment to keep him in pinstripes.

With Mark Teixeira back at first base after he sat out nearly two months of the season with an injured wrist, there isn't a whole lot of room for a first baseman that has no big league experience at other positions. On top of that, Overbay is left-handed, so the other infield spots are out of the question. (Unless you're Don Mattingly and your team is in a situation where you need to play third base.)

In attempt to make Overbay more serviceable and therefore an asset to keep on the roster, Joe Girardi has him starting in right field tonight against the Cleveland Indians. Overbay has had a number of clutch hits this season and the current right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki, has slumped all season. While Ichiro is still a superb defender, Girardi is hoping to add some punch to a lineup that has scored one run or less in five of their last seven games. It's no coincidence the Yankees have won only one of those games, a 4-1 triumph in the middle game of the just completed three game series with Boston.

Overbay's .750 OPS is his highest since 2009, the last time the state of Washington native played in more than 100 games. (He's at 51 this season.) 21 of Overbay's 44 hits have been for extra bases. By comparison, only nine of Ichiro's 46 hits have been more than a single.

The Yankees are expected to send Brennan Boesch back to Scranton in order to activate Andy Pettitte for tonight's contest.

Are Ichiro's Hours in the Bronx Numbered?

With Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis set to return to the Yankees lineup tonight two players will need to be removed from the 25-man roster. One is likely to be rookie David Adams, who has started at third base in 13 of the 14 games he's appeared in since his recall from the minor leagues on May 15. But who will be the second player?

There has been speculation that there is no room for Lyle Overbay since he is strictly a first baseman. But how do you jettison someone who has been so clutch through the first 53 games of the season. Overbay's numbers were even comparable to the Teixeira's at the same point last year.

One candidate to be let go/traded/designated for assignment is Ichiro Suzuki. I was against bringing back the one time great hitter, because he only had 1 1/2 good months last season. So many Yankees fans ascribe to the "What have you done lately?" theorem that they overlook what Ichiro did in the first four and one-half months of last season.

Prior to the trade deadline deal, Ichiro had a career low .642 OPS. He's only at .626 so far this season. Ichiro went on a tear the last 45 days of the 2012 season, especially those days that fell in September when he hit .385 with a .916 OPS.

While the 39-year old can still play right field as if he invented the position and can steal a base here or there, his bat has gone back to looking like he's trying to hit a baseball with a whiffle ball bat.  He's produced just nine extra-base hits in 168 at-bats, which has led to the aforementioned horrendous OPS. He's also walked just nine times.

Granted, or more precisely, Grandy, Ichiro would not have played as much this season had Curtis Granderson not been injured or Ben Francisco had been productive. Even though it would leave the Yankees temporarily short-handed in the outfield, it may be time to cut ties with Ichiro.

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.

2013 Yankees Position Players Report Card; The First Month

Written prior to Tuesday night's game.

No one is comparing the current New York Yankees squad to the 1998 team that won 114 regular season games, but clearly they are not the '62 Mets either. Despite injuries to a number of their regulars, the Yankees finished the first 25 games of the season with a 15-10 record. It left them three games behind the surprising Boston Red Sox in the AL East and atop the AL wild card race. 

Doom and gloom was the theme during Spring Training. Alex Rodriguez was already out until at least July with hip surgery, and was under the scrutiny of the Commissioner's office for allegedly being tied to an anti-aging clinic in Florida that was a front for selling performance enhancing drugs (PED). Derek Jeter had a setback as he tested out the ankle he broke during last year's playoffs, and then a new fracture developed after the team went north. 

Curtis Granderson broke his forearm in the first Spring Training game when the Blue Jay's J.A. Happ hit him with a pitch. Mark Teixeira injured a tendon in his wrist while getting ready to represent the US in the World Baseball Classic. Phil Hughes dealt with a bulging disc and was shut down. On and on it went. Throw in the departures of Nick Swisher and Russell Martin via free agency and a powerful ball club suddenly looked old and weak. 

General Manager Brian Cashman, who broke his leg sky diving, shuttled in players to fill in the holes. Minor leaguers, former Yankees, beat up veterans, come one come all, Uncle Brian wants you! 

Cashman had enough heads up notice about A-Rod to sign former Red Sox enemy Kevin Youkilis to a free agent deal. He signed free agent Travis Hafner as a power bat for the left-side of a DH platoon. He swung a deal for Vernon Wells after the Los Angeles Angels picked up the bulk of Wells' hefty contract. Not satisfied with outfielder Juan Rivera or veteran Dan Johnson as a solution for first base, Cashman brought in Lyle Overbay just days before Spring Training ended. 

The outfield was bolstered with the signings of Ben Francisco and Brennan Boesch after they had been released by their current teams. The acquisitions of Wells and Hafner, in particular, were met with skepticism by Yankees fans and ridiculed by some in the media. There are many games left in the season, but no one is snickering now. 

The Yankees newcomers have been a large part of the Yankees' April success as has the starting rotation and bullpen. To no one's surprise another key has been the production of Robinson Cano, who started out the season poorly and then caught fire. 

The Head of the Class 

Travis Hafner: "Pronk" slugged 127 home runs and drove in 434 runs¹ from 2004-2007 while a member of the Cleveland Indians. Then his body fell apart and before you knew it, Hafner was a 36-year old has been. For the moment anyway, Hafner has found the Fountain of Youth in the Bronx. His six home runs in 62 at-bats are already half the total he hit in his final season with Cleveland last year. 

Hafner leads the Yankees in on-base (.413) and slugging percentage (.661), which also means he leads the league in the combo, aka OPS (1.075). This past Saturday the Yankees were in a 3-0 hole to the Toronto Blue Jays until Hafner tied it up with one swing. Then with the game tied at four apiece, Hafner hit one off the wall in the 7th inning for a game winning triple. The only concern was would he make it to third base without pulling, breaking, or spraining anything. 

Vernon Wells: The former Blue Jay was once atop the league as well- a stud five tool player whose stellar performance from 2002-2007 reeled in a seven year, $126MM deal from the Canadian franchise. The big money in the deal didn't kick in until 2010, by which time Wells was broken and bent. Toronto finally found a taker in the Los Angeles Angels and shipped him there prior to the 2011 season. 

Two straight sub-.700 OPS seasons on the left coast made Wells' services no longer wanted in California. One problem though - he was still owed $42MM. With the regular season less than a week away, the Angels sent Wells and $29MM to the Yankees for a couple of lower level minor leaguers. 

Being in pinstripes rejuvenated Wells' psyche; playing left field every day, Wells is among the team leaders with a .304/.374/.557 slash line. After hitting 11 home runs in 77 games with LA, Wells has already hit six with his new club and has been solid in the outfield. 

Robinson Cano: The only thing that surprised anyone about Cano was his 3-23 (.130), no RBI start to the season. It's no coincidence the Yankees went 2-4 in those six games. Since then, Cano has been tearing the cover off the baseball. He has 30 hits in his last 79 at-bats (.380) with 7 HRs, 8 doubles, 17 RBI, and 15 runs scored. Overall, Cano's now hitting .324 and sports a .986 OPS. 

Defensively, he's been as good as the second Gold Glove Award he won last year. He's handled 102 chances to date without an error. He's also not been distracted by allegations that an acquaintance of his was involved with the same clinic in Florida that A-Rod has been tied to. With their captain sidelined, Cano has stepped up on and off the field. 

Does Nice Work, but There's Room for Improvement 

Brett Gardner: After an April 16 win against Arizona, Gardner's batting average sat at a paltry .240 with an uninspiring .321 OBP. It was not what Gardner nor Joe Girardi had imagined when the Yankees skipper made the center fielder his every day leadoff hitter. Even worse, Gardner did not have a single stolen base. 

Since then Gardner is 14-49 (.286) with a .352 OBP (just about his career average), but has just one stolen base in three attempts. Yankees fans have seen this lack of aggressiveness before from Gardner and it can't go on. The Yankees lineup needs him to revert back to his 2010-2011 form when he had back-to-back seasons of 40+ steals. It also has a direct affect on Cano, who has been in the #2 spot in the order at times and can't afford to put himself in a hole taking pitches for a base stealer that won't run. 

Gardner has shown some surprising pop with three home runs, has 12 RBI and 13 runs scored, and has been rock solid in center field. Now he needs to get moving on the base paths. 

A For Effort 
Lyle Overbay: The Yankees first baseman is a perfect example of why you can't judge a player by strictly looking at his numbers. (Sorry SABRmetricians.) Overbay's numbers are pedestrian - .241/.268/.418 - but Overbay has come through in the clutch in some big spots this season. In the Yankees first win of the season, a psychological must after losing two straight to Boston to start the year, Overbay put the Yankees on board first with a 2-run single, en route to a 4-2 win. 

His RBI triple put the Yankees ahead for good in the second game of their recent four game sweep of the Blue Jays and he had the game winning two run home run the next day off 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey. But it's Overbay's defense at first base that has been the key to his play. With Teixeira out, the Yankees needed someone to grab Kevin Youkilis and Eduardo Nunez's stray throws as well as field their own position cleanly. Overbay has done that and more. 

Out on Sick Leave 

Kevin Youkilis: When the Yankees signed Youkilis to fill in for Rodriguez at third base and to occasionally spell Mark Teixeira at first, they knew they were bringing in another player whose best days appeared to be behind him. Youkilis rebounded a bit for the Chicago White Sox after the Boston Red Sox dealt him away at last year's trade deadline, but there were still doubts if his body could ever hold up again through a 162 game season. 

Unfortunately for Youkilis and the Yankees, the answer appears to be no. Youkilis got off to a tremendous start - a nine game hitting streak to start the season (.424 avg) and a gaudy 1.227 OPS - but then his back started to ache. After that terrific start, the beardless, aching Youkilis went into a 3-31 slide at the plate. 

He sat out a week and returned against the Blue Jays this past Saturday, but was sent for an MRI afterwards. The results landed him on the disabled list for at least two weeks. 

Francisco Cervelli: The Yankees enthusiastic catcher has seen his share of bad breaks, both figuratively and literally. After he caught 126 games over two seasons, Cervelli thought for sure he was the backup to starter Russell Martin for the 2012 season. Then at the last minute the Yankees acquired Chris Stewart and Cervelli was relegated to the minor leagues for the season. After he got through the anger and disappointment, Cervelli settled in and came to camp this season prepared to win a spot. 

It didn't hurt that the Yankees let Martin walk and prospect Austin Romine missed all but 14 games last year with a bad back. Girardi said the playing time between Cervelli and Stewart would work itself out and it did just that. Cervelli stepped to the forefront with solid defensive play, his work with the pitchers, and even with his bat. 

His .877 OPS was by far the best of his career. He had already slugged three home runs, driven in eight runs, and was 3-8 with runners in scoring position. (All three hits were with two outs.) Then this past Friday night, Toronto's Rajai Davis fouled a ball off of Cervelli's exposed hand. A break occurred and surgery followed that will knock Cervelli out of action for six weeks. The Yankees will now hope Romine can step up (barring another move) to back up Stewart. 

A Hard Worker, Could Hit More 
Jayson Nix: The Yankees utility man has already played second base, shortstop, and third base this season. Nix will now be concentrating on third base with Youkilis sidelined for at least two weeks with a bad back. 

He's been solid for the Yankees in the field, which is the biggest thing you want from your utility man, and has shown double digit power in the past when he has gotten enough playing time. 

It's Time to Do a Book Report for Extra Credit

Ichiro Suzuki: The veteran hit machine and free agent to be struggled mightily in Seattle last season, and appeared to be done. But after a deal to the Yankees, Ichiro ended the season with a torrid final month. It was so good, the Yankees decided to bring him back with a cheap deal, ostensibly to platoon in right field. Mainly due to injuries, Ichiro has been the everyday right fielder, but has contributed very little. 

The .322 lifetime hitter (which was the same average he had as a Yankee last year), hit just .200 through his first 16 games, before he started to show some signs of life. (He had three hits in April's finale against Houston.) 

Eduardo Nunez; The Yankees have always loved Nunez's potential, but his inability to play consistently good defense has hampered his progress. It was decided that Nunez would play shortstop only this season, so he could concentrate on improving his defense. So far it has worked- Nunez has shown tremendous range to his left and right, and is throwing a much more accurate ball to first base. Now his bat has to get moving. 

It took three hits in the month's final game to get Nunez about the .200 mark. His tremendous speed gives the Yankees an added dimension, but only if he can get on base to use it. (Tuesday night he stretched two hits into doubles by running hard out of the batter's box.) Nunez has 30-40 steal potential should his offensive game come together. 

Headed For Detention

Ben Francisco: The veteran outfielder may not be headed for the principal's office, but he may get designated for assignment if his bat doesn't improve. Just 3-29 on the season, the right-handed hitting Francisco has started to lose at-bats to left-handed hitters when southpaws are on the mound. He could be the first to go when Curtis Granderson returns. 

Brennan Boesch: The 6'4" left-handed hitter was wildly inconsistent during his time with the Detroit Tigers. He looked like Babe Ruth for a stretch of time and then like a baby batting against grown men at other times. With the free agent signing of Torii Hunter, Boesch became expendable and the Yankees grabbed him off of waivers. 

Boesch is just 7-35, but does have two home runs, a double and a triple. 

How Did You Get in This Class Anyhow?

Chris Stewart: The Yankees acquired Stewart at the last moment last season, which relegated Cervelli to the minors. Now with Cervelli hurt, Stewart will get the bulk of the playing time behind home plate. He came to the Yankees with a stellar defensive reputation and not much of a bat. Neither aspect of Stewart's game stood out last year. 

Stewart's eight passed balls and four errors didn't make his (career high) .611 OPS look any better. To his credit, he did throw out 23% of would-be base stealers, which was just below the league average. Somehow, Stewart ended this April with a .294 average and a .711 OPS. He's had one error and a couple of passed ball so far, but has thrown out five of nine potential base thieves. 

What's Ahead in the Next Marking Period

Curtis Granderson: The Yankees center fielder is "probably pretty close to returning"² according to Girardi. The earliest would likely be mid-May since the "Grandy man" will need to play in some rehab games. 

Corban Joseph: The second baseman was recalled from the minors when Youkilis went on the DL, primarily because he was already on the 40-man roster. 

Austin Romine: He figures to catch twice a week backing up Stewart- likely Phil Hughes or Andy Pettitte and David Phelps/Ivan Nova.

The Price Was Right For Small Ball

The master of small ball

There are plenty of people out there, their own fans included, waiting for the Yankees to completely collapse. An 11-8 start and 10 wins in the past 14 games seems to be an aberration. How could a team with so many past their prime players being doing so well and how are they staying healthy?

Outside of Kevin Youkilis, who has had a bad back flare up, it's really too early in the season to be concerned with wear and tear. The Yankees are finding ways to win, and that's what good ball clubs do.  Tuesday night they went up against the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner in David Price.

First and foremost that meant the Yankees starter, Phil Hughes, had to pitch well enough to keep his team in the ball game. He did just that with two runs allowed in seven solid innings of work and as a bonus he did not allow a home run, which has been one of his biggest problems. Next, the Yankees needed to score some runs; that did not come so easily.

Though Price entered the game with a 6.26 ERA, he had thrown a pair of good games and was knocked around in another two, so his ERA was misleading. He also dominated the Yankees last year when they still had a lineup of big bangers.

Down 1-0 in the 4th inning, Eduardo Nunez reached when he struck out on a wild pitch and raced safely to first base. Robinson Cano and Vernon Wells followed with singles to tie the game. One of the most watched reclamation projects, Wells has posted a nifty .975 OPS against left-handers.

The Rays took the lead back on an RBI single by former Yankee Jose Molina, but right fielder Ichiro Suzuki stopped the inning from being bigger when he threw out James Loney trying to reach third base. The Yankees got the run right back on back to back one out singles by Ichiro and Jayson Nix and a ground out to the right side by Brett Gardner.

David Robertson kept the Rays in check to set up the heart of the Yankees order against Price to start the 9th. Cano entered the game just 11-47 (.234) against the 6'6" left-hander, but led off the final frame with his second base hit of the game.

Rays manager Joe Maddon brought in his closer Fernando Rodney to face Vernon Wells. Rodney dominated AL hitters last year en route to 48 saves and struck out Wells, but Cano swiped second base in the process.  Pinch-hitter Travis Hafner was intentionally walked and Lyle Overbay got an unintentional free pass when a 3-2 pitch just missed the strike zone. The Yankees then got extremely lucky.

Joe Girardi let Chris Stewart hit for himself with the bases loaded instead of going to a pinch-hitter such as Brennan Boesch. Stewart fouled out, with the ball only going what seemed like about 10 feet in the air and 10 feet from home plate. It was better than a double play though and gave Ichiro, the master of small ball, a chance to do some damage. With just two multi-hit games thus far, Ichiro added a third when he popped a 99-mph fastball in front of center fielder Desmond Jennings to plate a pair of runs.

Evan Longoria crushed his fifth home run of the season to start the bottom of the 9th inning against Mariano Rivera, but the Yankees' closer picked up his sixth save when he retired the next three hitters.

Notes

Remarkably, the Rays are 0-5 in Price's 5 starts.

The Yankees expect a visit from Derek Jeter tonight, with his left foot back in a boot.

Mark Teixeira has eliminated May 1 as a target date for his return after his wrist stiffened up from taking dry swings.