Overbay In, J-Rivera Out

The good ol' days. Overbay objects to A-Rod''s "HA"

I was all for the Yankees releasing Juan Rivera (reported a short while ago by Fox's Ken Rosenthal), who has lost any of the pop he had in his bat and had little experience at first base. I just didn't expect someone older than Rivera to take his place on the roster.

The 34-year old became expendable when the Yankees brought in 36-year old first baseman Lyle Overbay yesterday. Overbay had been released early Wednesday and was picked up immediately by the Yankees. Overbay played in last night's exhibition game with Baltimore as well as today's game with Pittsburgh.

Neither player hits much any more, but Overbay has a big advantage defensively and will help immeasurably with his glove. However, if the Yankees lose Mark Teixeira for the season, someone else with more pop needs to occupy first base on a  regular basis.

In the meantime it appears Overbay will hold down the fort.

Overbay, When was I Underbay?

On your last legs? Don't have much punch left in your bat? Saw 30-years old a long time ago? If so, come on down to the New York Yankees training camp in lovely Tampa, FL.

The latest to respond to that "Brianslist" ad is veteran first baseman Lyle Overbay. The all glove, no-hit 36-year old was released earlier in the day Tuesday by Boston and was quickly scooped up by the short on first basemen Yankees.

With Mark Teixeira sidelined for a minimum of eight weeks, Juan Rivera was the only Major League player in camp that had a decent amount of games played at the not-so-hot corner.

Overbay produced decent numbers as a starter for Arizona, Milwaukee, and Toronto from 2004-2010. He was good for about 35 doubles (with an NL leading 53 in 2004) and 15-17 home runs during his peak years, but the last two years have been a disaster.

Overbay had just a .670 OPS in 2011 when he played with Pittsburgh and Arizona. Last year he was released in August by the Diamondbacks and then hit just .100 (2-20) in a 10 game stint with the Atlanta. The Red Sox signed him to a minor league deal in January as a precaution when Mike Napoli's injured hip nearly nixed his free agent deal. Overbay managed just nine hits in 41 at-bats (.220) this Spring.

Overbay will have just a handful of days to make the team with opening day this coming Monday.

Cashman Loses Mind: Yankees About to Acquire Vernon Wells

"What do you mean we just signed Josh Hamilton?"

I received a text from a friend (kudos Tmags) a few minutes ago that the Yankees are about to acquire Vernon Wells from the outfield laden Los Angeles Angels.

My immediate response was "Why?!" Is Wells better than a platoon of Brennan Boesch and Ben Francisco?

This is not the 2002-2006 Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays that was one of the best players in the game. He could hit for average (for a time), power, steal a handful of bases, run down any ball in the outfield from his perch in centerfield, and had a rifle of an arm.  The Blue Jays rewarded their star after the 2006 season by giving him a 7-year,  $126MM extension.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan, the Angels will send Wells and a large sum of cash (Two years and $42MM remain on the contract.) to the Yankees. No names have been mentioned concerning who would be sent to the Angels, but that will certainly depend on how much money accompanies Wells to the Bronx.

The 3-time All-Star has a no-trade clause and could make the whole situation moot. However, he has no role with the Angels and would be, according to Passan, in the Yankees every day lineup. At least until left-fielder Curtis Granderson comes back. The right-handed hitter could then split time with all three starting/left-handed hitting outfielders and lefty DH Travis Hafner.

The deal doesn't make a lot of sense for a number of reasons. To take on a one year deal would be one thing, but to have Wells under contract next season (no matter how much money the Angels send) makes no sense whatsoever.  Injuries and age have zapped him of much of his power, speed, and flash that was so much a part of his game.

The big cash on Wells' contract didn't kick in until 2010-a mere $15MM+ the first year- and escalated upward over $20MM annually after that.  Unfortunately for all concerned, the injuries set in long before the new deal did.

A bad shoulder hampered Wells' play in 2007 and limited him to a .245 batting average and .402 slugging. His 16 home runs were the lowest total since he became an every player. Wells' missed 54 games in 2008 with a broken wrist, but managed to put up an .840 OPS.

2009 was another down year caused by lingering wrist issues that required off-season surgery. He had a mini resurgence in 2010 (31 HR's, over .800 OPS), but it has been downhill since.

When 2011 started badly, the Blue Jays felt it was time to rid themselves of the fifth player chosen overall in the 1997 MLB amateur draft. They found a partner in the Angels, who dealt outfielder Juan Rivera and catcher Mike Napoli to Toronto in January, 2011.

What followed were two sub-par seasons; Wells hit 25 home runs in 2011, but both years produced a sub-.700 OPS.  Brian Cashman wasn't satisfied with his current cadre of reserve outfielders - veterans Boesch (may have oblique injury), Francisco, Juan Rivera, and youngsters Ronnier Mustelier and Melky Mesa - and evidently feels he has nothing to lose by going to Wells once too often.



UPDATE - 5:20 PM : Angels' beat writer Alden Gonzalez asked Wells if he would waive his no-trade clause. Wells said "possibly" and flashed a big grin. Wells added,“It’d be a huge change. I don’t think it’s ever easy saying goodbye, but at the same time, if this were to happen, it’s a good group of guys over there. I’ll just get to know a new family.”

Angels' GM Jerry DiPoto was noncommittall  when queried by Gonzalez.

Lee to Yankees: Thanks, but No Thanks

Derrek Lee will not be donning new pinstripes.

Derrek Lee will not be coming out of retirement to supplement the Yankees batting order while Mark Teixeira is out of action.

The Yankees had reached out to Lee and other veterans who had either retired or had not yet signed a contract for the coming season. Lee's last year in the bigs was 2011, and as reported by Yahoo's Tim Brown, he decided to keep it that way.

No word yet whether Scott Rolen has any interest in becoming a Yankee. He is reportedly leaning towards retirement.

The Yankees will continue to look at Juan Rivera and Dan Johnson at 1st base, and Ronnier Mustelier across the diamond at third in the meantime.

Yankees Should Grab Brennan Boesch

Brian Cashman has been watching the waiver wire like some people watching the Kardashians. Cashman would like a bat as big as Kim Kardashian's behind, but none of those are available. A pretty good bat did become available Wednesday morning.

Though he is inconsistent, has difficulties with left-handers, had thumb surgery which caused him to miss the 2011 post-season, was left off the 2012 post-season roster, and hurt an oblique muscle this spring, the Yankees should pounce on 27-year old Brennan Boesch.

The outfielder became available on Wednesday after the Detroit Tigers gave him his release. With the acquisition of Torii Hunter over the winter there wasn't going to be a lot of playing time for the Tigers' incumbent right fielder. Boesch spent his entire career with the Tigers organization after he was selected in the third round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft.

He broke into the Majors in 2010 and averaged 14 home runs and 58 RBI over three seasons. Though he has a propensity to be a very streaky hitter, Boesch still managed to put together a .799 OPS over 115 games in 2011. His OPS dropped 140 points last year, which or may not have been due to the thumb surgery he had in '11.

Boesch is a player who needs to cut down on his strikeouts and draw more walks, which translates to being more selective at the plate. With that in mind, it was just two years ago that he hit 16 home runs to go along with a .283 batting average and .458 slugging pct. With the short porch in Yankee Stadium, Cashman should be bombarding Boesch's agent Scott Boras with phone calls. Boesch could fill the role Raul Ibanez played last season and though he bats from the left side, he would be an upgrade over right-handed hitting veteran outfielders in camp (Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera, and Ben Francisco).

Boesch's salary jumped from approximately $.5 MM in 2011 to $2.3MM last year, but the Yankees could probably get him much cheaper with a minor league deal (throw in some incentives too). Boesch is also not eligible for arbitration until next year. Boesch is a decent outfielder, though he would more likely see time in left field rather than in right field with Ichiro Suzuki already stationed there.

Okay, enough talking, Cash get moving.

Ben Francisco, Pick Up a White Courtesy Phone

The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported via Twitter that the Yankees have signed veteran outfielder Ben Francisco to a minor league deal.

The 6-year veteran had been signed to a minor league deal by the Cleveland Indians in January, but was released earlier in the day. Yankees GM Brian Cashman was quick to pounce on another possibility for the Yankees outfield, which is missing Curtis Granderson until May.

The 31-year old showed promise early in his career with Cleveland when he slugged 15 home runs in back to back seasons (2008-2009) and topped .770 in OPS both years. Those were the only two seasons in which Francisco had more than 400 plate appearances.

He was dealt to Philadelphia at the 2009 trade deadline along with the center piece of the deal, Cliff Lee. Francisco had an .843 OPS and drove in 13 runs in 37 games after the deal, but was 0-11 in the post-season. That included an 0-7 skid when the Phillies lost to the Yankees in the World Series.

Francisco's output and playing time began to diminish the following season and culminated in 2012 when he played for three different organizations (Blue Jays, Astros, Rays) and had a sub .700 OPS with all of them.

Francisco will compete with veterans Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera, and youngsters like Melky Mesa and Ronnier Mustelier for a spot on the team. Mustelier is also being looked at as a possibility for third base, a position he played  while in Cuba.

Who's On First? Not Mark Teixeira

The Yankees must be wishing Spring Training ended immediately. Perhaps then they could have a half-way healthy lineup to start the season.

With Derek Jeter working his way back from last October's broken ankle, Phil Hughes having to take it easy due to a bulging disc in his back, and Curtis Granderson sidelined with a broken bone in his forearm the Yankees lineup did not need to be depleted any further.  Unfortunately it has been.

Mark Teixeira was forced to leave the US entry in the World Baseball Classic due to a strained right wrist that occurred while he hit off of a tee. The news got worse on Wednesday after the Yankees sent Teixeira up to NYC to get additional testing done. The news was all bad.

Teixeira will be out a minimum of 8-10 weeks with a strained extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon. The Yankees first baseman, who has the fourth most home runs in the American League since he joined the Yankees in 2009, will be completely shut down for a month. Then the work to get back in the lineup begins.

8-10 weeks is probably a conservative estimate; strong wrists are vital to a batter's (especially a power hitter) success at the plate. Nick Swisher would have just shuttled over to first base in years past, but he's in Cleveland now and the Yankees don't have many options.

Brian Cashman always likes to say he'll first look at options within the organization first, but this may be the most limited group he's had to pick from in a while. Here are the possibilities within camp and the possibilities from other organizations. (Hopefully Cashman has lost Nick Johnson's phone number.)

Travis Hafner is strictly a DH; he can't take the physical toll of playing the infield any more.

Juan Rivera played 102 games over the last three years with the Dodgers and Blue Jays, but Cashman told Mike Francesa on Wednesday that he does not consider Rivera an option.

Obviously Kevin Youkilis can play either of the corner positions, but then who fills in at third base? Jayson Nix? Some have already suggested Eduardo Nunez, but the Yankees need to stick to their guns and let him play only shortstop. His confidence on defense isn't great to begin with and they need his bat to not suffer from any defensive shortcomings.

Non-Roster Invitee (NRI) Dan Johnson is a first baseman; one that can't hit. A once promising prospects with the Oakland A's, he' bounced around Japan, the Rays, and White Sox before he accepted an invite to the Yankees' camp. In 71 games over parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Johnson showed some power, but hit below .200. He is NOT the answer.

Another NRI Luke Murton has not played above Double-A, but he did slug 25 home runs for Trenton last year and had a .791 oPS.

The Yankees have been very high on David Adams, their 3rd round draft pick in 2008 and a member of the 40-man roster, but he's been sidelined all of spring training with a bad back. Adams was drafted as a second baseman,but the Yankees converted him to third base. He's also missed parts of the last three years with leg and ankle injuries, so even if he were healthy now he might have him been a long shot at best.

There's slim pickings among the remaining free agents. Aubrey Huff has had an up and down career. From 2002-2006, primarily with Tampa Bay, he averaged about 26 home runs, drove in 100 runs twice and topped the 90 mark once. In 2008 with the O's he slugged 32 and drove in 108. He struggled the following two season before a rebound with the Giants in 2011.

Last season Huff was limited to 52 games in 2012 after he injured his knee during the celebration of Matt Cain's perfect game and some anxiety issues. The 36-year old's splits were just .192/.326/.282, but he still may be worth taking a look at it.

Cashman will also be scouring the transaction wire for players released towards the end of the regular season. He did not rule out a deal for a player that has a higher upside, but he also told Francesa o that any player acquired would need to have defensive flexibility once the injured players return. Where's a Jeff Conine type when you need him? (Francesa was already campaigning for Justin Morneau; perhaps he should remember that Morneau has his own health issues, specifically concussions.)

Another obstacle is the additional playoff team in each league. With more teams in contention for a playoff spot, teams will hold onto players (e.g. potential free agents) longer than they used to.

The feeling here is that the Yankees will go with a low key solution and will only make a bigger deal if Granderson and/or Teixeira are out for much longer than expected.

Mesa to Skip WBC, Fight For LF Job

Melky Mesa waved good-bye to the WBC

Melky Mesa saw the opportunity and seized the moment. Scheduled to play in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Mesa told the Dominican Republic that "Something suddenly came up!" and he would not participate. With Curtis Granderson sidelined until May, Mesa is among the players that is hoping to fill in when the team heads north to start the regular season.

Mesa showed good power in the minor leagues last season and for the past two games in Florida. He hit a no doubt about it home run against the Phillies on Friday after he belted a 3-run shot on Thursday. Thus far, La Leche II is 4-15 with 4 RBI, 2 stolen bases and a .979 OPS.

Among the other competitors is Cuban native Ronnier Mustelier who had an opposite field home run against the Phillies. The right-handed hitter is 3-7 so far and is coming off a season in which he played 89 games at Triple-A (10 home runs). He also narrowly escaped injury on Thursday when a hard charging Slade Heathcott collided with him on a fly ball. Mustelier caught the ball and hung on.

12-year veteran Juan Rivera is 6-13 (.462) with three doubles. Another veteran, Matt Diaz, is just 2-11 to date.

The Yankees have played very sloppy games so far in Spring Training and much of that has to do with the number of youngsters that have played so far. The Yankees committed five errors against the Orioles on Thursday and four more yesterday. As a result, only one of the four runs allowed by starter Hiroki Kuroda was earned. The Yankees lost the game, 10-5 and still have just one victory so far.

Joba Chamberlain allowed two hits, two walks, two runs in just one inning of work. Cody Eppley, like Kuroda, was hurt by errors and allowed four runs with just one earned.

Lefty Vidal Nuno impressed once again in three shutout innings. He has struck out nine batters in five innings this spring.

YCN: Nova-Phelps Among the Few Battles in Yankees Camp

My newest column for Yahoo:

I previously wrote that the Yankees off-season was quite different than in years past, but one thing has remained constant, there's not much competition to earn starting or back up jobs.

That's what happens when you have a roster filled with aging and/or established stars at nearly every position. Four-fifths of the starting rotation is set - CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes man the one through four sports - leaving the fifth and final opening as the lone opportunity for any would-be starters.

The two names at the forefront of said competition are Ivan Nova and David Phelps. One would think the Yankees would like Nova to re-establish himself with Phelps ready to step in if an injury occurs. The 26-year old Nova burst on to the scene in 2011 when he went 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA. He even added a post-season victory when he finished out Game 1 of the ALDS.

Though he won 60% of his decisions (12-8) in 2012, Nova was not close to the effective pitcher he was the prior year. His ERA ballooned to 5.02, he went from allowing less than a hit per inning to 1.5 per inning, and his WAR dipped from 3.0 to 0.4.¹

To make matters worse, Nova had some inflammation in his rotator cuff in August. He had also suffered from a sore arm in his short start in the final game of the 2011 division series with Detroit. You can bet Joe Girardi is more concerned if Nova's confidence will rebound from his off year than if his arm is completely healthy.

Phelps did a nice job as the long man out of the pen, and had some success in his 11 starts. (3.76 ERA, 1.256 WHIP, 8.5 K's per 9 innings). He faltered a bit in September and didn't look good in the post-season, but the Yankees have high hopes for the University of Notre Dame product.

The Yankees would better off with Nova reverting to his 2011 form and Phelps working either as a long man or pitching every fifth day for Scranton in Triple-A. The Yankees have a lot of confidence in Phelps' "stuff" and he could step in a starting role next year when it is likely that either Kuroda and/or Pettitte retire. (Phil Hughes could also walk as a free agent). The Yankees also hope that Michael Pineda, who missed all of last year with shoulder surgery, could be a factor in the last quarter of this season.

Just like the rotation, the starting infield is set with Kevin Youkilis, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeira manning their positions from left to right. Jeter, of course, is counting on the ankle he broke during the post-season to be completely ship-shape by opening day.

Continue reading the remainder of this free article at Yahoo by clicking here.

BD Hot Stove: AL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

It's only a matter of time before Mike Trout is shredding MLB pitching

BD Hot Stove: AL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

It’s time for the Hot Stove to switch over the Junior Circuit to take a look at the top prospects in the American League. Let’s begin with the AL West, which produced the last two AL Rookie of the Year Award winners (Neftali Feliz, Andrew Bailey). In fact, the West has produced 44% (11/25) of the AL winners since 1985.

Mariners: Seattle is doing their best not to rush Dustin Ackley to the major leagues, but considering the Mariners’ horrendous 2010 season, it’s easier said than done. The 2nd overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft (U of NC) played 82 games at Double-A before a promotion to Triple-A for 52 games. His average was pedestrian – .267, but Ackley drew 75 walks and slugged .407. Ackley’s season wasn’t done though; he went on to the Arizona Fall League and was named MVP after putting up a remarkable .424/.581/.758 split. His numbers included four home runs, 26 walks, 10 doubles, 19 RBI, and five stolen bases.

Ackley, the #5 prospect in the bigs according to MLB.com, is destinted to play 2nd base for the Mariners. The question is whether it will be this year or next year.

Rangers: Having a stud left-hander at the top of the rotation helped Texas reach the World Series for the first time last season. The Rangers hope Martin Perez can be that guy some day. Signed out of Venezuela in 2007, Perez made a big splash on the scene in rookie and ‘A’ ball, but has yet to master the Double-A level. The soon-to-be 20 year old has nasty stuff, but doesn’t have complete command as of yet (101 K’s, but 50 BB in 99-2/3 innings last season).

ESPN’s Keith Law had this to say about Perez last summer, “He’s stumbling a little, especially with control, although one brutal outing on June 18 spiked his ERA by a run. If Texas dangled him in a trade, they could probably name their price, given how good he is and how highly regarded he is by other clubs.”

Perez has a four-seam fastball that is from the low- to mid-90′s, a sharp breaking curve, and a good changeup. Jason Parks of Baseball Times compares Perez to a mix of Johan Santana and Greg Maddux. Texas should be so lucky.

Athletics: Grant Green said “no thanks” to the San Diego Padres when they made him their 14th round pick out of high school. Green wisely waited and became the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft by Oakland out of USC. The 6’3″ shortstop made an immediate impression last year in his first full season in the minors. Playing for Advanced ‘A’ Stockton, Green smacked 20 home runs, drove in 87 runs, hit .318, slugged .520, and scored 107 runs. Some naysayers point to the fact that the Cal League’s hitter-friendly environs aided Green and that his low walk (38)/high strikeout counts (117) are a better indicator of his ability. Green will have the chance in Double-A this season to prove them wrong.

Green’s defense, however, is a concern to all who have scouted him, and there’s every reason to believe that shortstop will not be the position he plays if and when he makes it to the majors.

Angels: The last prospect the Hot Stove will take a look at today is the best prospect in all of baseball.Mike Trout is ranked as the #1 guy by MLB.com, Baseball America, and others. Drafted out of Millville (NJ) High School (25th overall) in 2009, Trout has torn up opposing pitching in his two seasons in the minors. Just 19-yrs old, the outfielder has a .344 career average and .915 OPS. Last season, in addition to hitting .341 at ‘A’ and Advanced ‘A’ ball, Trout drew 73 walks and showed some developing power (10 HR). Oh, and the kid is fast, too…he stole 56 bases, which aided him in scoring 106 runs.

Trout is 6’1″, 217 lbs, and has the build of a more veteran player. MLB Fanhouse’s Frank Piliere had this to say about the centerfielder’s swing, “Many young hitters struggle to learn to trust their hands and they continue to lunge at off-speed pitches. That hasn’t been an issue for Trout and, in fact, it’s a strength. Trout showed me that he was able to lay off some tough pitches, and if a pitcher came in the zone with a breaking ball he was able to lay back and use his hands very well. He isn’t just staying back and hitting singles to right field either. He’s driving the ball with authority into the gaps on these pitches.

In other words, Trout is not a guy you have to worry about being a pure fastball hitter as he moves up the ladder. He has the luxury of excellent bat speed, plus a calm approach and demeanor at the plate, so that he can trust himself to still be able to turn around the fastball if he gets it. There aren’t many players out there that profile as pure high-average hitters, but he is one of them. From what I saw in Peoria, Trout has the look of a perennial .300 hitter, and given his speed, he is a potential batting title contender. With his feel with the bat head, plus bat speed and good pitch selection, I could also see him developing into a 25-homer threat.”

The question is not whether Trout can play Major League Baseball, the question is how soon he will arrive.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Alfredo Aceves has signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, reportedly worth $650K with another $100K available through incentives. Aceves had been non-tendered by the Yankees in December after breaking his clavicle while riding a bicycle. The Red Sox also signed lefty Dennis Reyes to a minor league contract.

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Blue Jays are interested in moving Juan Rivera and his $5.25M salary. Rivera was acquired as part of a package from the Angels in the Vernon Wells deal. The Jays already moved Mike Napoli who was also picked up in the trade.

The Mets signed veteran left-hander Casey Fossum to a minor league deal.

Once a highly touted prospect, 1st baseman Ryan Shealy has inked a minor league deal with the Blue Jays.

The Pirates’ Ross Ohlendorf beat the team in an arbitration hearing and will earn $2.025M this season.

The Yankees added veteran right-hander Luis Ayala to their compilation of minor league pitchers. The Giants did the same with Elmer Dessens.

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Manny, Damon Sign; Angels-Jays Trade | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Manny, Damon Sign; Angels-Jays Trade | Baseball Digest

A very dormant period in the hot stove heated up Friday evening. The Tampa Bay Rays announced they had agreed on one year deals with both Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.

Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal is reporting that, pending physicals, the Los Angeles Angels are set to send catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays for long time centerfielder Vernon Wells.

The Wells became an immediate candidate to be traded once the larger portion of the seven year contract extension he signed in 2006 kicked in. Whereas Wells made $12.5M in 2010, his salary jumps to $23M for 2011. He’s then set to receive $21M in each of the next three seasons (2012-2014) of the contract. In a bit of stunning move, the Angels are going to pick up the remaining $86M owed the outfielder.

Wells was a four tool player that provided All-Star type seasons from 2002-2006 with major offensive output and Gold Glove defense. But injuries took their toll, leading to missed games, a loss of power, and a drop off in his overall offensive game. He bounced back last season with 31 home runs and the Blue Jays had to have realized there would never be a better time to try to deal him.

Napoli, 29, is one of the best power hitting catchers in baseball, having averaged 22 home runs the last three seasons. However, he is ranked at the bottom of major league catchers in defense. He will provide a veteran presence for the Jays and help stud catching prospect J.P. Arencibia break into the majors. Napoli made $3.6M last season and is arbitration eligible this season.

Rivera has been with the Angels since 2005 and is a ten year veteran. The 32-yr old will provide the Jays with depth in the outfield, 1st base and DH, and as well as some additional power. He’s in the final year of a three year deal that will pay him $5.25M.

After spending over 14 seasons in Cleveland (7) and Boston (7+) combined, Ramirez is with his fourth team in the last four years. He’s coming off a season in which, due to mounting injuries, he appeared in just 66 games with the Dodgers and 24 with the White Sox. He was productive (.915 OPS) in LA, but the organization grew weary of him and put him on waivers in late August. Chicago claimed him and the LA said, “you can have him”. He was basically useless with the White Sox and was having trouble finding a taker this off-season. Ramirez will reportedly on receive $2M from the Rays to be their primary designated hitter for a year. Ramirez, who will turn 39 in May, will enter the season with 555 career home runs.

Damon will be playing with his third team in the AL East (Boston, NYY) and signed a one year, $5.25M deal. There’s another $700K in incentives included. Damon should see some time in left field due to the departure of Carl Crawford and will get some ABs at DH as he reunites with Ramirez. Damon, 37, started out like a house afire with the Tigers last April, hitting .329 with 12 RBI, nine doubles, and a triple. But he slumped for much of the remainder of the season, finishing with the second lowest OPS (.756) of his last seven seasons.

Disgusting Display in the Bronx

That's the best way to describe last night's game between the Los Angeles and the Yankees. The Yankees had Pudge Rodriguez in their lineup. Manny Ramirez was out of the American League. It should have been a day to celebrate. But instead Andy Pettitte got rocked, the defense looked shoddy, and the bats were asleep. Don't let the final score of 12-6 fool you. This game wasn't close after the 2nd inning.

Pettitte had come into the contest on a tremendous roll, having allowed 6 earned runs in his last 28 innings. But the nemesis Angels put that many runs on the board in the 3rd inning alone. Both Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera took Pettitte deep with two men aboard. In the blink of an eye, Pettitte, who struggled with his command all night, and the Yankees were in a huge 6-0 hole.

The Yankees teased the crowd a bit with a couple of runs off of Jon Garland. Bobby Abreu hit his third home run in two days and Johnny Damon added an RBI single. But up 6-2 in the 6th, the Angels blew the game open. A Jeff Mathis double was followed by an RBI single by Chone Figgins. A walk to Erik Aybar finally ended Pettitte's night to forget, but things only got worse. Chris Britton came on and surrendered yet another 3-run home run, this time to Vlad Guerrero.

The Angels would sprinkle a few runs on and the Yankees would tease the crowd, what was left of it, some more with 3 runs in the 9th before an out was recorded. But it was clear early on that this game was over barely after it had started.


News and Notes

Phil Hughes was activated from the DL and optioned to Charleston, where he will pitch tonight. Ian Kennedy continued to impress of late, allowing 3 hits over 6 innings on Tuesday night. He could be the quickest option to replace Ponson or Rasner in the starting rotation.

Chris Britton was recalled last night, because the Yankees aren't happy with Brian Bruney's command thus far.

Including the 2003 playoffs, the Angels have won 30 of the last 48 meetings between the two meetings. It won't get any easier tonight when Sidney Ponson goes up against Ervin Santana.

It was a tough first game for Ivan Rodriguez, who went 1-3 and was 0-3 throwing out would be base stealers. He was also called out at the plate on a play that he was clearly safe on.

Chone Figgins had 4 hits and is batting .331 lifetime against the Bombers.


July 31, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
LA Angels	0	0	6	0	0	4	0	2	0		12	18	2
NY Yankees	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	3		6	12	0

LA Angels	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Figgins, 3B	5	3	4	1	0	0	0	.285
Aybar, SS	4	2	1	1	1	1	2	.284
Teixeira, 1B	4	1	2	1	1	0	3	.283
Guerrero, RF	4	1	1	3	1	1	4	.285
Willits, RF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.185
Hunter, CF	5	1	1	3	0	2	2	.281
Quinlan, LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.262
Anderson, DH	5	1	4	0	0	0	0	.285
1-Budde, PR-DH	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Kendrick, 2B	5	1	3	0	0	0	1	.335
Rivera, LF	4	1	1	3	0	0	2	.244
a-Matthews, PH-CF	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.229
Mathis, C	5	1	1	0	0	1	3	.224
Totals	42	12	18	12	3	5	19
a-Hit into a double play for Rivera in the 9th. 1-Ran for Anderson in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Mathis (7, Pettitte), Anderson (17, Britton). 3B: Aybar (4, Britton). HR: Hunter (18, 3rd inning off Pettitte, 2 on, 2 out), Rivera (6, 3rd inning off Pettitte, 2 on, 2 out), Guerrero (18, 6th inning off Britton, 2 on, 2 out). TB: Figgins 4; Aybar 3; Teixeira 2; Guerrero 4; Hunter 4; Anderson 5; Kendrick 3; Rivera 4; Mathis 2. RBI: Hunter 3 (58), Rivera 3 (19), Figgins (13), Guerrero 3 (58), Aybar (26), Teixeira (79). 2-out RBI: Hunter 3; Rivera 3; Guerrero 3. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hunter; Mathis 3. GIDP: Guerrero. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING SB: Kendrick (8, 2nd base off Pettitte/Rodriguez), Teixeira (1, 2nd base off Pettitte/Rodriguez), Figgins (21, 2nd base off Pettitte/Rodriguez). CS: Anderson (3, 3rd base by Pettitte/Rodriguez). PO: Anderson (2nd base by Pettitte). FIELDING E: Garland (1, throw), Guerrero (3, fielding). DP: 2 (Aybar-Kendrick-Teixeira, Oliver-Aybar-Mathis).

LA Angels	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Garland (W, 10-6)	6.0	7	3	3	1	3	2	4.30
Oliver	2.0	2	0	0	0	1	0	3.14
O'Day	0.0	3	3	3	1	0	0	4.54
Arredondo	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.16

Garland pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.
O'Day pitched to 4 batters in the 9th.

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, DH	4	0	1	2	1	0	3	.315
Jeter, SS	5	0	0	1	0	0	4	.280
Abreu, RF	5	1	1	2	0	0	1	.287
Rodriguez, A, 3B	5	0	1	0	0	1	1	.326
Giambi, 1B	3	0	1	0	0	1	1	.257
a-Sexson, PH-1B	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.225
Cano, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1	3	.263
Nady, LF	3	2	2	1	1	0	0	.328
Rodriguez, C	3	0	1	0	0	1	1	.295
b-Betemit, PH	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.248
Cabrera, CF	4	2	3	0	0	0	0	.251
Totals	38	6	12	6	2	4	14
a-Singled for Giambi in the 8th. b-Singled for Rodriguez in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Rodriguez, A (23, Garland). 3B: Cabrera (1, Garland). HR: Abreu (14, 4th inning off Garland, 0 on, 1 out), Nady (15, 7th inning off Garland, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Damon; Abreu 4; Rodriguez, A 2; Giambi; Sexson; Nady 5; Rodriguez; Betemit; Cabrera 5. RBI: Abreu 2 (73), Damon 2 (46), Nady (61), Jeter (49). 2-out RBI: Damon. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cano; Jeter. GIDP: Rodriguez. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING DP: 2 (Rodriguez, A-Cano-Giambi, Cano-Sexson). Pickoffs: Pettitte (Anderson at 2nd base).

NY Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Pettitte (L, 12-8) 5.1 11 9 9 3 4 2 4.18 Britton 3.2 7 3 3 0 1 1 3.38

Garland pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. O'Day pitched to 4 batters in the 9th. WP: Britton. Pitches-strikes: Garland 105-67, Oliver 20-14, O'Day 15-10, Arredondo 6-3, Pettitte 110-62, Britton 53-32. Ground outs-fly outs: Garland 8-7, Oliver 2-2, O'Day 0-0, Arredondo 3-0, Pettitte 3-8, Britton 2-7. Batters faced: Garland 26, Oliver 7, O'Day 4, Arredondo 3, Pettitte 29, Britton 16. Inherited runners-scored: Oliver 1-0, Arredondo 3-2, Britton 2-2. Umpires: HP: Ed Hickox. 1B: CB Bucknor. 2B: Joe West. 3B: Ed Rapuano. Weather: 86 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 11 mph, R to L. T: 3:16. Att: 53,405.