The Yankees Not So Hot Corner

The punch-less Yankees dropped another game in the AL East standings Tuesday night. A game that could have been won had the Yankees' lineup been able to produce more than a single run in a 3-1 loss to the KC Royals.

Royals' starter James Shields, aka "Big Game James" has not had much success against the Yankees and struggled in the early going. The Yankees had two on and none out, and the bases loaded and one out and only scored one run. Shields and the pen then shut down the Yankees the rest of the way. Monday night's 5-1 loss in the first game of the four game set came after the Yankees had the bases loaded with no one out in the 9th and then struck out three straight times. With all the pitchers they let off the hook the Yankees should never take up fishing.

In Tuesday's piece, "Shortstop, Catchers and Pitchers, Oh My, I wrote about the need for the Yankees to upgrade at catcher. Today I am going to focus on the infield, particularly the corner position that has been anything other than hot for the Yankees this season.

Third base has been a key position for the Yankees over the years. Gil McDougald won the AL Rookie of the Year Award after he manned the position in 1951. Graig Nettles won two World Series rings (1977-1978) against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will attest to Nettles' remarkable thievery with his glove. Alex Rodriguez won two AL MVP Awards after his shift to New York and a new position. The Yankees would not have won the 2009 World Series if not for the player who should really be known as "Lightning-Rod".

A-Rod's second hip surgery knocked him out of play for the first half of the 2013 season and a PED suspension could wipe out the second half. Kevin Youkilis was signed to take his place, but played just 28 games before he was lost to season ending back surgery. The Yankees replacements have contributed decent defense, but the offense has been anemic.

David Adams, Alberto Gonzalez, Jayson Nix, Chris Nelson, and Luis Cruiz have combined to go 53-247 (.215) with 2 HR (both by Adams) and 18 RBI when they played third base. Only Nix (.620) has an OPS above .600 at third and that number is nothing to write home (or text) about. The combination of poor hitting veterans and rookies is not enough with the uncertainty surrounding A-Rod's future. The Yankees need to get themselves a third baseman.

Just as is the case with catchers, the Yankees don't have anyone at the minor league level to play in the Majors right now. Ronnier Mustelier made a very good showing in Spring Training, but has missed large chunks of time with knee and groin injuries.

So who might be available? And would the Yankees want them?

Michael Young: He's the first option for teams looking for a utility guy or someone to specifically play either corner spot or second base. (His days at shortstop are long behind him.) Young has bounced all around the infield in his career until the Texas Rangers, who he spent 13 seasons with, finally forced him out. The 36-year old looked like he might be finished after he produced a sub-.600 OPS in May, but he's been above .800 the rest of the season. He could also give Lyle Overbay a rest across the infield now and then.

With one of the two wild card positions still in their sites, the Phillies are reportedly hesitant to move the pending free agent at this time. That could change as the trade deadline nears.

Aramis Ramirez: The 35-year old has hit less than 20 home runs just once since 2003 and averaged 26 home runs and 93 RBI over the last three seasons. So much for the good news; Ramirez was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday for the third time this season with a bad left knee. He is also guaranteed $16MM next year and has a $14MM mutual option/$4MM buyout for 2015. Fuh-geddabout it.

Ty Wigginton: Like Young, Wigginton is more of a utility player at this point of his career rather than a player who is settled in at one position. He's also unemployed after being released by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals owe him the remainder of the $2.5MM he's making this season plus another $2.5MM he is due in 2014. The Yankees could sign him for a minimal amount this season (The amount would be subtracted from the Cardinals' debt), but should they?  Wigginton had a sub-.500 OPS and 34 of his 57 at-bats came as a pinch-hitter. If they're interested the Yankees would be better off signing him to a minor league deal with a deadline date where he can asked to be released if he is not called up. That way he can get some regular at-bats before facing Major League pitching. With all that said, I would pass on him.

Mark Reynolds: Mash or miss, that's been Reynolds unwritten motto since his debut in 2007. He's currently on a one year deal with the Cleveland Indians for $6MM and has split time between first and third. He might be available even though the Tribe is in the thick of the AL Central race, because he hasn't produced on a consistent basis. Reynolds has homered in 4.3% of his at-bats, the second lowest percentage since his rookie season. His .700 OPS is the lowest of his career as is his .392 slugging pct. Oh, and he's a butcher defensively at third base.

Wait, the idea was to find a player that would fit. There's the problem. There isn't a whole lot to choose from.

Chase Headley: He became a household name last year and since that time Yankees fans have been calling into radio shows to say the Yankees should go after him. Those fans haven't bothered to notice what Headley is doing this season nor have they taken a look at what he did before last season. Headley's 2012 campaign produced career highs in almost every offensive category.

He had never hit more than 12 home runs or driven in more than 58 runs in a season until he put up 31 and an NL leading 115 last year. 2012 was the first season Headley had an OPS over .800 as well. Headley has come crashing back to earth in 2013. He has just 7 HR and 29 RBI in 77 games and is sporting a career worst .681 OPS. More importantly why would the Padres deal him now? 1) He has no trade value at the moment. 2) The Padres had been trying to give Headley an extension until he asked them to stop negotiations in May, because he felt it was a distraction. So it appears they would like to keep him.

Chris Johnson: The Atlanta Braves 28-year old has provided the NL East leaders with some big at-bats this season. Johnson is with his third team in three seasons, but has a slash line of .332/.375/.480 in 269 plate appearances this year. As an added bonus, he's not eligible for free agency until 2017. Since he has been a key contributor it is possible Atlanta has no plans to move him, but perhaps the Braves would like to add some depth to their bullpen with a guy named Joba Chamberlain. Throw in a mid-level prospect too or perhaps they would like to take a chance on one time prospect Fernando Martinez.

Abbott and Costello were right. "I don't know....Third base!"

Tomorrow I take a look at the rotation and bullpen.

Youkilis Sidelined Again

Brian Cashman knew it was a gamble, albeit a low risk one, when he signed Kevin Youkilis to a one-year, $12MM contract. Youkilis has been injury prone the last few years with his back in particular a cause for concern.

That concern has manifested itself into a second stint on the 15-day DL. Youkilis missed all but one game in May the first time his back acted up. 

Outfielder Thomas Neal had already been called up with the demotion of David Adams. Unless another move is made Jayson Nix will get the bulk of the time at third base with Reid Brignac starting at shortstop. Perhaps Ronnier Mustelier join the Yankees as well.

Pitcher Chris Bootcheck has also been recalled with Adam Warren sent to the minors after he threw six innings in Thursday's 18 inning marathon. The right-hander was a first round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2000 and hasn't been in the Major Leagues since a 13 game stretch with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009.

The Yankees are Bootcheck's fifth organization, not counting the year he spent Yokohama in the Japanese League. Still just 24-years old, Bootcheck was 5-2, 3.32, 1.283 in 11 starts for the Scranton RailRiders prior to his call up. He'll take over Warren's long man role for the time being.

UPDATE: 11 pm 6/14 - With the injury to Youkilis, the Yankees held on to Adams rather than send him to Scranton. The rookie was in Friday night's lineup, but at his natural second base position with Robinson Cano in the DH slot.

Youkilis didn't feel his pain in his back after Thursday's 18 inning marathon, but felt a combination of tingling and numbness in his right foot. When the sensation didn't go away, Youkilis knew something was wrong.

Talk about knowing some thing is wrong....how did Joe Girardi not realize playing Youkilis and his bad back for 18 innings was the wrong thing to do?  Bad job by the Yankees skipper.

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

The Hurts Just Keeping On Coming: Joba DL'ed

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww"

The Yankees had Thursday off, but that didn't keep them from making yet another roster move due to an injury. This time it was reliever Joba Chamberlain who will be sidelined at least 15 days with a strained oblique.

No corresponding move has been made to add a pitcher to the 25-man roster, but it's likely to be Cody Eppley since he's already on the 40-man roster.

David Robertson created some worry in Wednesday night's 5-4 win over the Houston Astros when he hobbled off the mound at the end of the 8th inning. Robertson said he had tweaked his hamstring, but is fine and doesn't expect to miss any action.

The Yankees added to their roster at the end of the game when they acquired infielder Chris Nelson from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later and/or cash. Nelson has experience at second base and third base and will fill the utility role that opened up when Jayson Nix replaced the injured Kevin Youkilis at third base.

Second baseman Corban Joseph, called up when Youkilis went down, will likely be returned to Scranton to open a spot on the 25-man roster. Room was made on the 40-man roster by moving Francisco Cervelli from the 15- to the 60-day DL.

Nelson had a breakout season for the Rockies last year when he .310-9 HR-53 RBI and sported an .810 OPS. This season he struggled (.600 OPS) and became expendable with the emergence of Josh Rutledge at second base and the recall of third base prospect Nolan Arenado (ranked as the #52 prospect by Baseball America; drove in 122 runs two years ago).

A correction on my part - I had stated that when Youkilis was injured third baseman David Adams was the favorite to fill the spot. However, I forgot to take into account that since Adams was released during Spring Training and then re-signed, he was not eligible to be added to the Major League roster until May 15.

In other injury update news - Curtis Granderson had a couple of at-bats down in Florida yesterday and would have had more had rain not stopped everything. The Yankees hope to have him back in a couple of weeks (at most). Mark Teixeira is probably not coming  back before June 1, but he has started hitting off a tee and has taken soft toss swings.

Ronnier Mustelier banged up his knee in Spring Training when he collided with a dugout railing. He's back in Scranton after completing a rehab down in Florida. Mustelier was impressive with his bat and could join the big ball club at some point this year.

Pettitte Set to Face That Other Team if Weather Holds Up

Moses wandered the desert for 40 years. Andy Pettitte wandered the state of Texas for three. That was a helluva rough trip for Moses, but seeing Andy Pettitte in an Astros uniform really sucked.

Pettitte and the Yankees parted ways after the 2003 season, one in which Pettitte matched his career high with 21 wins and struck out a career high 180 hitters. He then went 3-1 in the post-season, which featured a come from behind win in Game 7 of the ALCS with Boston and a six game loss to Florida in the World Series.

Word was that the Yankees were concerned about Pettitte's elbow and that he wanted to pitch closer to his Texas home. The Astros won out, but Pettitte's first year in Houston was a disaster for both teams.  Pettitte made just 15 starts after he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. The injury reportedly occurred from batting rather than throwing.

Meanwhile, the Yankees were on the verge of returning to the World Series, when Boston rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the ALCS and their first World Series in 86 years. In a parallel universe, Pettitte stays in New York and stays healthy and the Yankees beat Boston since there was no way they would blow a 3-0 lead with Pettitte available to pitch in two of the remaining games. In  that bizarro world, Kevin Brown is never a Yankee either.

Pettitte bounced back the next season to win 17 games and he and then buddy Roger Clemens and the Astros advanced to the World Series. However, they had the misfortune of running into a Chicago White Sox juggernaut that swept them in four games.

The lefty's career in the Lone Star state ended after a 14-13 campaign in 2005. Then it was time to come home again. Pettitte returned to the Bronx in 2007 and won 15 games. He followed that up with back to back 14-win seasons and got his fifth World Series ring when the Yankees beat the Phillies in the 2009 Fall Classic.

Pettitte enters Monday's start with 248 career wins and would likely be in the Hall of Fame one day if he had not admitted HGH use to help with a 2002 injury. The hunch here is that he hangs it up for good after the 2013 season, no one year off and back as he did in 2011. Either way, it's good to have him in the home where he belongs.

Notes

Kevin Youkilis had an MRI on his ailing back and is awaiting the result. Should he go on the DL, David Adams (.887 OPS in 13 games so far) is likely the leading candidate to replace him on the 25 man roster. He would have to be added to the 40-man roster as well, which is at its limit.

Ben Francisco could be designated for assignment. Another option is outfielder Melky Mesa, but he's struggling at Scranton right now. Another possibility would have been Ronnier Mustelier but he has been rehabbing the knee injury he suffered in Spring Training.

Phil Hughes had his second straight strong start on Sunday and the straight against a 2012 Cy Young Award winner. Hughes faced David Price in his prior start and R. A. Dickey, last year's NL winner, on Sunday. He didn't figure in the decision in either game, but the Yankees won both.

Yankees Opening Day Roster: 25 Men Once More Unto the Breach

"How the hell did I get here?"

With Opening Day a mere week away (let's hope it warms up by then), the Yankees 25-man roster next Monday will undoubtedly contain some surprises, some temporary players, and should elicit plenty of head shaking and maybe some hand wringing by fans who already think the Yankees are down and out for all of 2013.

Some spots are obvious, while others are based on numbers, my hunches, and throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks.

There's a good chance the worrywarts are right; after all the opening day roster will not include Derek Jeter (resistance is futile), Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Clay Rapada, and Phil Hughes. All are or will be on the disabled list to start the season. The only one (relatively) assured of a quick return is Hughes, who is being penciled in to return on April 7.

The biggest surprise on the roster, of course, will be Vernon Wells once a deal is finalized. The Yankees and Angels are still working out the details,  but a failed physical would be the only thing to nix a deal at this point. Wells has a no-trade clause, but will waive it for the opportunity to play. Brian Cashman is banking on Wells' Spring Training performance (1.112 OPS, 4 HR, 11 RBI in 36 At-Bats) carrying over to the regular season. Wells took to Twitter last night to tell everyone how stoked he is about it.

Joining Wells in the outfield will be starters Brett Gardner in center field and Ichiro Suzuki in right field. That leaves room for two more outfielders. The front runners at this point should be lefty Brennan Boesch and righty Ben Francisco.

Melky Mesa would be better served by playing every day in the minor leagues, while veteran Juan Rivera should be released (a .316 exhibition average, but no home runs and a .404 slugging pct.) even though he has been seeing time at first base as well.

Robinson Cano will be the only regular infielder from last year's team to be in the opening day lineup. You can't blame Cashman if he takes preventative measures and covers his second baseman in bubble wrap. Cano, a free agent after the coming season, turned down a "significant" contract extension in Spring Training, but the Yankees need him for the long term. He's the Yankees best player with the bat and glove.

Cano will have company in the infield with Kevin Youkilis, but will the former Red Sox primarily play to the left or right of Cano?  Youkilis was signed to supplant Rodriguez at third base, but when Teixeira went down  the Yankees needed to add another corner infielder.

The team has given Cuban born expatriate Ronnier Mustelier a good long look at third base. Mustelier has been an outfielder in the Yankees farm system, but played the hot corner in his native land. The Yankees like his bat and Mustelier gave them some more food for thought on Sunday when he hit a walk-off home run.

With Jeter on the DL, Eduardo Nunez will get the bulk of the playing time at shortstop, but Nunez has to play steady defense to keep it that way. Jayson Nix will return as the utility player and could get some increased playing time if Mustelier and/or Rivera don't make the squad. The feeling here is that Mustelier makes the team, which means that Youkilis will see more time at first base than third base.

The catching situation, or better yet the lack thereof, has been a no-brainer all Spring Training. Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart will be the team's two catchers...barring a last minute move like the one that occurred last year when Stewart came in at the last moment and Cervelli was sent to the minors.

Travis Hafner will be the left-handed hitting DH and will split time with any number of players.

That leaves the pitching staff, which has not been able to escape the injury bug either. CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, and Andy Pettitte are back as the first three starters in the rotation. Hughes will occupy the fourth spot when he returns from the DL. The fifth spot will be the winner of the Spring Training battle between Ivan Nova and David Phelps, though left-hander  Vidal Nuno has to be considered a dark horse for the spot.

Both Phelps and Nova had pitched well until recently, but Nova has been knocked around in his last two starts and Phelps got raked over the coals in his last appearance. Phelps' success in the pen last year could have an influence on Joe Girardi's decision on who ends up where, but the Yankees' manager has not publicly given any idea of who will earn the final spot in the rotation.

The bullpen will have Mariano Rivera back as closer, his repaired ACL holding up well so far. The bigger concern at the moment are the headaches he has been having. The preliminary diagnosis is migrains, but Rivera is undergoing tests (i.e. MRI) as a precaution.

David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and his cheesy mustache, and Boone Logan will all be back, though there is an outside chance Logan could start the season on the disabled list if his inflamed left elbow acts up prior to opening day. With Rapada on the DL, the Yankees should keep Nuno as the second lefty in the bullpen.

That leaves 3-4 spots in the pen depending on whether Girardi wants to go with a 12 or 13 man staff to start the season. I'm going to go with the assumption, right or wrong, that either Nova and Phelps make the team, but not both.  The "loser" in the competition should pitch every fifth day for Scranton rather than throw out of the pen.

That leaves three spots on the 25-man roster to be occupied by relievers. One goes to David Aardsma, who looks good as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Jim Miller (inexplicably waived by the A's in the Fall and claimed by the Yankees) has had some control trouble, but overall has pitched well. The one disadvantage  facing Miller is not being on the 40-man roster.

Shawn Kelley has the advantage of being on the 40-man as well as having the ability to strike out more than one batter per inning. Though his Spring numbers don't look good at first blanch, Kelley was one of the best acquisitions this off-season (for  outfielder Abe Almonte) and should make the team.

The Yankees' 40-man roster is currently completely full  so some changes will have to be made to fit Wells and Miller, should the latter make the team. Mark Teixeira will wind up on the 60-day DL to open one spot and another will likely come from a player being designated for assignment. Based on his Spring Training performance (16 ER in 17.2 IP)  and his average numbers at Scranton the last two years I would say Adam Warren is the likely candidate. (Perhaps he'll be dealt for Wells.)

So the 25-man roster on April 1 would like this (Hopefully I just counted that all correctly and didn't leave an obvious player out.):

Outfield (5)

Ichiro
Gardner
Wells
Boesch
Francisco

Infield (5)

Cano
Youkilis
Nunez
Nix
Mustelier

Catcher (2)

Cervelli
Stewart

DH (1)

Hafner

Pitcher (12)

Sabathia
Kuroda
Pettitte
Nova/Phelps
Rivera
Logan
Robertson
Chamberlain
Nuno
Aardsma
Kelley
Miller


There's no guess as to how long the aforementioned players will be with the big squad as Hughes, Jeter, Granderson, Rapada and hopefully, Teixeira return. Just please return, SOON!


UPDATE - 3/26 8 A.M. - Chad Jennings of the LoHud Journal pointed out some important factors to the make up of the roster. Juan Rivera must either be released today or receive a $100K retention bonus.

Rivera has earned the clause due to service time in the Major Leagues. None of the other veterans brought in on minor league deals have the same contingency in place. WFAN's Sweeny Murti told Mike Francesa yesterday that he felt Rivera would make the team because of the lack of first basemen on the team.  The Yankees may not want to risk playing Nix, Mustelier or someone else regularly at third base with Youkiliks sliding over to first base, but Rivera has nothing left in his bat and should be let go.

Getting back to Jennings, he also reported that Mark Teixeira will NOT be on the 60-day DL as I had speculated yesterday. Teixeira's DL date could not be back tracked so he would have to definitely miss all of April and May, though that seems likely anyway.

Cesar Cabral, recovering from a fractured elbow he suffered last Spring Training, is the fore-runner to be placed on the 60-day DL. Manny Banuelos will miss the entire 2013 season, but will not be placed on the 60-day DL so that his Major League service time does not begin.

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.

Teixeira's Season Hanging By a Sheath

"It hurts when I go like this."

The Yankees 2013 season is going from bad to worse and we haven't even gotten out of March yet. 1st baseman Mark Teixeira was already expected to be out up to two months with an injured right wrist, but word is now he could have season ending surgery at some point.

GM Brian Cashman told the media that there was a 75% chance that Teixeira would not need surgery, but at this point who can rule anything out when it comes to this year's team.

Teixeira hurt the wrist while using a weighted bat off of a tee at the World Baseball Classic. The injury likely would have occurred in Yankees' camp had the WBC not existed. The exercise was just part of Teixeira's normal routine.

What's not normal is the number of injuries the Yankees have suffered before the regular season has started. Curtis Granderson (broken forearm), Phil Hughes (bulging disc in back), Boone Logan (sore elbow), Clay Rapada (bursitis), and Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) have all suffered injuries that vary in severity. Even Cashman broke his leg and dislocated his ankle while sky diving.

Teixeira's injury may be the worst of all (possibly surpassed by A-Rod, who also may be out for the year.) since there is so much uncertainty on how the sheath is his wrist will hold up. Unlike Toronto's Jose Bautista who had the surgery last year and missed 2 1/2 months of the season, the tendon in Teixeira's wrist is stable.

With it now likely that Teixeira won't return until June, Cashman has to continue to check the waiver wire, but also make more calls to add some pop to the lineup. He already made a good move when he picked up Brennan Boesch after Detroit released the outfielder.

Fans and some pundits (i.e. Mike Francesa) are calling for the acquisition of Justin Morneau from Minnesota. Morneau had had his own injury issues over the last few years (concussions causing the most trouble), but he did play in 134 games last season and produced 19 home runs and 77 RBI. (Plus a .773 OPS). He's scheduled to make $14MM this year and will be a free agent after the season.

The Twins have averaged just 64.5 wins over the last two years, so they may be willing to deal Morneau prior to season's trade deadline. They will ask for plenty for him, but given his salary, injury history and soon-to-be free agent status, they cannot expect to get a prospect laden package in return (perhaps Cashman can deal some of the overhyped pitching prospects in the system).

Twins GM Terry Ryan could probably get a bigger return for Joe Mauer than for Morneau, but Mauer does not fit into the Yankees plans. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, Mark Teixeira will.

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.

CC Debuts, Musty Banged Up

CC Sabathia made his much anticipated Spring Training debut against the Florida Marlins Friday afternoon in Tampa. After he allowed a pair of 1st inning runs, the Yankees' ace blanked Florida for the remainder of his five inning outing. (The Yankees scored a pair of runs in the 7th and 8th innings for a 7-3 win.)

Win or lose the Yankees need Sabathia to be healthy this season. After two stints on the DL last  year and off-season surgery to clean up his pitching elbow, the Yankees brought Sabathia along slowly. After he was limited to simulated games and bullpen sessions, Sabathia scattered eight hits, walked one batter, and struck out two.

Outside of a four pitch walk to Kevin Kouzmanoff, the Marlins came out swinging against Sabathia in the 1st inning. Juan Pierre started things off with a single, moved to second on an errant pick off by Sabathia and moved to third on Donovan Solano's single to right.

Former Yankee Austin Kearns hit into a running-scoring 5-4-3 double play that was started by Ronnier Mustelier. The Cuban native later had to leave the game when he banged up his knee on a dugout railing. The initial diagnosis was a bruised knee, but the Yankees will send the 27-year old for further tests.

Rob Brantly's RBI single made it a 2-0 game before Sabathia got Matt Downs to fly out. An inning later Sabathia retired Adeiny Hechavarria, acquired in the off-season blockbuster deal between the Marlins and Blue Jays, but gave up back to back singles to Nick Green and Gorkys Hernandez. (On a bunt.) Sabathia got Pierre on a ground out and Solano to line out to escape further trouble.

Kouzmanoff started the third with a single, but Kearns hit into another twin killing when he lined out to Derek Jeter and Kouzmanoff got caught too far off of first base. Sabathia picked up his first strike out on Brantly  to end the frame. Sabathia gave up a pair of back to back two out his in the 4th, but got Pierre on a fly out to Ichiro in right to maneuver his way out of another jam.

Sabathia's final inning of work was his first 1-2-3 inning. He retired Solano, Kouzmanoff, and Kearns in order and left with a 3-2 lead (Florida tied things up against Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson in the 6th inning.)

Bats waking up

There were some good signs at the plate in the game, namely Travis Hafner and Francisco Cervelli both hitting their first home runs of the exhibition season. Youngsters Jose Pirela (RBI triple) and Thomas Neal (RBI double) added some insurance runs in the 8th inning.

Vidal PitchSoon

Vidal Nuno continued to an impress with a scoreless 9th inning. The left-hander allowed one hit and struck out one and could make the 25-man roster if either Boone Logan and/or Clay Rapada are not healthy in  time. In his four appearances Nuno has struck out 12 batters in 8.1 innings pitched.

The BamTino

Former Yankees stand out Tino Martinez is in his first year as the Marlins hitting coach and got a chance to visit with pals Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada before the game. It was old home week as Paul O'Neill was in the YES broadcast booth.

Remember the Maine

Former Met John Maine started for the Marlins and was charged with three earned runs in three innings pitched.

Cashman Leaving No Stone Unturned in Search For Infielders

An aging New York Yankees ball club may be getting older soon. With Mark Teixeira out of action for at least 8-10 weeks, Brian Cashman (kudos to the ESPN radio caller who referred to him as "Crashman") has feelers out all over the place for a first and/or third baseman.

Kevin Youkilis can play either position, but with a third baseman hard to find, Cashman has already stated that getting a first baseman would be easier to do. That being said, it doesn't mean that the GM won't look at third basemen either.

The Yankees are already going to give third baseman turned outfielder Ronnier Mustelier a look. The Yankees like the bat he's shown in camp and in the minors last year, and want to see if he can field the position he played in his native Cuba.

Cashman has also reached out to veterans Derrek Lee and Scott Rolen. The 37-year old Lee sat out last season after hitting 19 home runs with 59 RBI for Baltimore and Pittsburgh in 2011. His best season came in 2005 when he finished third in the NL MVP voting as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He led the league in batting average (.335), slugging pct (.662), OPS (1.080), hits (199), and doubles (50).

He also hit 46 home runs that year, drove in 107 runs, and scored 120. He was bothered by a litany of injuries after that, but produced a 35-home run, 111-RBI season in 2009. Lee is reportedly interested in a comeback.

Rolen, a 17-year veteran, is a 7-time Gold Glove winner at third base. He played in 92 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season with a .245/.318/.398 split. Rolen spent 1996-2007 with Philadelphia and St. Louis before he was dealt to Toronto for fellow third baseman Troy Glaus. In 2009, The Blue Jays honored a request from Rolen to be closer to his family and dealt him to Cincy.

Rolen was Rookie of the Year for the Phillies in 1997 and has compiled 316 home runs and 1,287 RBI.  He finished 4th in the 2004 NL MVP voting when he hit 34 HR, drove in 124 and had a 1.007 OPS.

A free agent, Rolen issued a statement to the media in mid-February:

“Right now I’m simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors. I am looking forward to all of the challenges, both personally and professionally, I will face in the future.”

Cashman joked with reporters Monday morning that Chipper Jones, who retired after last season, would be a good fit. The only problem was that he didn't have Jones' agent's contact info.  Agent BB Abbott relayed the info to Jones who was "flattered", but basically said there's no way in hell he is coming out of retirement, via Twitter.

"Enough with the rumors! While I am flattered about the speculation of being enticed out of retirement, I'm happy with life as a bad golfer!"

Anyone have Scott Brosius' number?

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.

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.

Things Are Not Grand in Yankees-land

Yeah, that hurt. (photo courtesy of AP)

Everyone held their breath for about an hour or so until the bad news was delivered Sunday afternoon. Curtis Granderson, hit in the right forearm in his first at-bat of spring training, will miss 10 weeks and hopefully will return in May.

Toronto Blue Jays starter J. A. Happ nailed Granderson, who made it down to first base, but immediately left the game for x-rays.  The injury further saps a team that is missing much of its power from last season. Granderson (84 home runs over the last two years) joins Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list, while free agents Nick Swisher (24 home runs in 2012), Russell Martin (21 HR), and Raul Ibanez (19 HR) all signed elsewhere.

Barring a trade the injury gives both Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera a better chance of making the team rather than just one of them. (Be glad Bubba Crosby is retired) Those of you who are thinking 'what about moving Eduardo Nunez to the outfield", forget it. Joe Girardi was adamant on today's telecast that Nunez would only play shortstop in hopes of improving his defense, while also not messing with his promising bat. (Girardi said it before he knew the extent of the injury, but I don't see it changing anything regarding Nunez.)

Diaz and Rivera are both well past their prime and both are right-handed hitters. One was expected to share right field with Ichiro Suzuki and DH at-bats with Travis Hafner. The only other outfielder that could possibly win a spot out of spring training would be Ronnier Mustelier.

The Cuban-born fireplug (5'10", 210 lbs) tore up pitching at Trenton ('AA') and Scranton ('AAA') last season in 114 games played. 82 of those games were at the Triple-A level where he posted an .815 OPS with 10 HR and 49 RBI in 347 at-bats. Mustelier was even better in the Eastern League where he compiled a 1.010 OPS in 25 games.The 28-year old is also a right-hander hitter.

"We need guys to step up" is already an overused quote down at George M. Steinbrenner III Field, but it has never been truer of any Yankees team in recent memory. Hafner will need to stay healthy and productive; the same can said for third baseman Kevin Youkilis.

The Yankees could find someone productive off the waiver wires prior to the end of spring training or Brian Cashman could pursue a deal (though he will say the Yankees will look for a solution within the organization.)  Among the outfielders that are potential free agents after this season are Texas' David Murphy and the oft-injured Nelson Cruz, Arizona's Jason Kubel, and KC's Jeff Francoeur. Players like Carlos Beltran and Shin-Soo Choo are likely not to be moved before the Major League trade deadline. Basically, I don't see the Yankees obtaining anyone more than an average player.

As for Granderson, he's in the final year of the deal he originally signed with Detroit and is scheduled to be a free agent after the season. Missing significant playing time could be a significant dent in his wallet.