Does Joe Girardi Want To Win The Division?

I know more than anyone you need to rest your big guns out of the bullpen, but it seems of late that Joe Girardi is going to lesser in pitchers in high leverage situations (yes that was me actually using a metrics term).

It would seem the Red Sox skid of eight losses in 10 games is influencing how Girardi uses his pen. The Yankees lineup is short and got shorter tonight with injuries, so the games are tight and the Yankees have lost three of them in a row. Scott Proctor, Aaron Laffey, and Luis Ayala combined to lose the latter two. Saturday night down 1-0 in the 7th, Girardi went to Hector Noesi, who has really struggled of late. Moments later it was a 3-0 deficit.

Make that 5-0...Jeff Mathis who can't hit anyone, except the Yankees, just hit a 2-run home run off Noesi.

Go for the division Joe, don't try to back into it.

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Yankees Sign Soriano | Baseball Digest

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Yankees Sign Soriano | Baseball Digest


Unable to come up with a quality pitcher to strengthen the starting rotation, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman went to Plan ‘B’- shore up the bullpen. Even if it meant exceeding the market value.

SI’s Jon Heyman reported tonight that the Yankees and reliever Rafael Soriano have agreed to a three year deal, worth approximately $35M. Cashman obviously felt he needed to make a statement to his team and, possibly, the Yankees fan base by making a big off-season move after failing to land Cliff Lee. Some will call it a panic move, but it undoubtedly makes the Yankees bullpen one of their strongest features.

Soriano is coming off the best season of his career, one in which he saved 45 games in 48 chances for the divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays. The hard throwing right-hander was looking for closer money, but evidently was not finding a team to give it to him. He’ll set up for Yankees eventuAl Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera, at least for the next two seasons- that’s the length of Rivera’s new contract, and will be an insurance policy in case the 41-yr old Rivera is injured. Should Rivera retire after his current deal, Soriano could then step into the closer’s role.

It was just the other day on the hot stove that I discussed the potential injury risk that Soriano presents. He’s been DL’ed for long periods of time after his previous two sets of back to back seasons with heavy workloads. He’s coming off a third stint (141 innings in 2009-2010) on the heels of an elbow injury that caused him to miss most of the 2008 season (He also had Tommy John surgery in 2004).

But if he remains healthy, he’ll give the Yankees their best 1-2 punch out of the bullpen since Rivera set up John Wetteland in 1996. Brian Cashman is banking on it.

Javy To The Pen

The Yankees announce today that Javier Vazquez's next start will be skippe an he will temporarily move to the bullpen. Ivan Nova stays in the rotation for now and how he performs could dictate just how long Vazquez remains in the pen.

The dead armed right hander has averaged less than five innings in his last five starts and has been thoroughly thrashed.

It's Time to DFA Tomko

I was glad to be at a barbecue today, blissfully unaware of what was transpiring down in South Florida.

First and foremost, let's hope the injury to CC Sabathia is nothing serious. Bicep tightness could be due to just about anything. It wouldn't be surprising if the big man missed a start and Phil Hughes got a spot start.

While I don't know what will happen with CC, I've known all year that the bullpen must be overhauled. Designating Jose Veras for assignment was a start and now it's time for Brett Tomko to join him.

Let me say right off the bat, I have NEVER liked Tomko as a major league pitcher. He did a decent job when he first came up this year, but there's a reason Tomko doesn't stick with teams. Quite simply, he stinks. And he showed it quite succinctly today in the Yankees 6-3 loss that started out as a 3-1 lead.

I've continually beat on Brian Cashman for his inability to put together a quality bullpen and this year is different. Some people have pointed out to me that last year's pen was good until Kyle Farnsworth was traded. They had a good stretch, no more than that people.

Make no mistake, putting together a pen is one of the most difficult things to do in all of baseball. Other than a starting rotation, it will make or break a team more than any other ingredient. Especially in today's game, where front office people are ready to cream themselves if a starting pitcher goes a whole 6 innings. All it does is put more of a burden on the bullpen.

But more disturbing than the lack of a good pen, is sticking with a bad pen. It's time for Cashman to get off the dime and get some reinforcements in the Bronx.
Mark Melancon and Anthony Claggett should get another shot with the big club. David Robertson should be used in key situations rather than just as a mop up man.

And if need be, go out and get an arm. While everyone needs bullpen help, the Yankees certainly have enough young pitching prospects to barter a deal.

Possible relievers for the Pinstripes:

Jose Valverde, HOU: It's too early right now, but the Astros could move their closer once they fall farther out of the wild card race.

Huston Street, COL: I've never been a big fan of Street's, but I would be willing to give him a shot in a set up role.

Kerry Wood, CLE: He's having a rough year, no doubt, but he's a big time quality arm. Perhaps a change of scenery, and role, could change things. You would think the Indians would like to dump the rest of his contract.

Scott Linebrink, CHI (AL): On another team that won't be moving someone like Linebrink that early, but though he's overpaid, he's one of the most consistent set up men in the game.

Danys Baez, BAL: You've heard the name a lot this season. He's been one of the better arms out of a mediocre Orioles bullpen. But I think he's no better than what we've got.

Mike Gonzalez/Rafael Soriano, ATL: Too early for Atlanta to make moves, but this dynamite lefty/righty duo are both free agents after this season. Both have a history of arm problems, but would be worth a rental. Don't overlook one stat though, left-handed batters are hitting .295 against the southpaw Gonzalez, while righties are under .200. It's a consistent stat throughout Gonzalez' career.

Lesser Names: Matt Herges (CLE), Jon Rauch (AZ), David Weather (CIN), Kiki Calero (FLA, on DL),

Here's my recap of the latest Yankees' fiasco for Baseball Digest

We Want a Pitcher not a Belly Itcher

April 26th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: a.j. burnett • damaso marte • dustin pedroia • Jason Bay • Jason Varitek • Josh Beckett • Mike Lowell • Robinson Cano • Yankees recap 4/25 • Yankees vs. Red Sox

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	2	0	2	2	0	2	2	1	0		11	15	1
Boston	0	0	0	5	3	1	3	4	X		16	13	1

The Yankees would be lucky if that’s all their fans yell when they return to the Bronx on Thursday. The Yankees’ pitching was supposed to be the strength of the team this year, but so far it has been a miserable failure. The latest case in point was a blown 6-0 lead on Saturday and then an eventual 16-11 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The victory extended the Red Sox’ winning streak to nine games.

A.J. Burnett has been outstanding this season, but was extremely fallible on Saturday. The bullpen, on the other hand, has been horrible all season and continued their dismal performance yesterday afternoon into the evening.

The Yankees jumped on Red Sox starter Josh Beckett for a pair of runs in the first inning, added two more on a Robinson Cano home run in the third, and another two on a Cano double in the fourth. But after he breezed through the first three innings, things unraveled for Burnett in the home half of the fifth. The Red Sox scored five times, highlighted by a grand slam from their captain Jason Varitek, to cut the lead to 6-5. An inning later, the Red Sox took their first lead of the day, and sent Burnett to the showers, when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a game-tying home run and Jason Bay followed with a 2-run double.

The Red Sox did their best to help the Yankees out. Terry Francona left Beckett in too long and the Yankees sent him packing in the sixth on a game-tying 2-run home run by Johnny Damon, and an inning later Dustin Pedroia committed a 2-run error to put the Yankees back on top 10-8, but New York proved way too hospitable to their hosts.

Mike Lowell, who had been hitless up to that point, took Jonathan Albaladejo deep with two men aboard in the Boston half of the seventh to put the Red Sox back on top 12-10. Cano homered again to cut the lead in half in the top of the eighth. But the Red Sox put the game away, with the help of a blown call by second base ump Brian O’Nora, in their half of the inning.

Ellsbury reached on catcher’s interference to start the inning, and with Pedroia batting, took off for second. Jorge Posada’s throw tailed to the first base side of the bag, but Cano grabbed it and in one motion tagged Ellsbury on the ankles before the Red Sox center fielder could reach second base. Ellsbury was clearly out, but O’Nora called him safe.

Pedroia capitalized on the situation with an RBI single to center that ended Edwar Ramirez’s night. Damaso Marte, who looked pretty good (other than allowing the game-winning home run to Kevin Youkilis) on Friday night, showed more improvement on Saturday. He got David Ortiz to fly out, and after he wisely issued an intentional walk to Youkilis, struck out J.D. Drew. But Girardi decided, unwisely, to mix and match again.

With two right-handers coming up, Girardi sent for David Robertson, recalled earlier in the day from Scranton. Robertson walked Bay to load the bases and then gave up a bases-clearing, back breaking double to Lowell for the 16-11 finale.

Game Notes

Andy Pettitte, a long time stopper for the Yankees, will try to salvage the series finale tonight in another nationally televised game (8:05 ET ESPN). Justin Masterson starts for Boston.

The Elias Sports Bureau has come up with lots of “good” negative stuff on the 2009 Yankees. Only four other teams have ever allowed 15 or more runs on three or more occasions in the their first 20 games. It was also the fourth time in franchise history the Yankees led by as much as six and lost by as much as five. While he didn’t figure in Saturday’s decision, A.J. Burnett nearly ruined his 32-0 mark when handed a lead of at least five runs.

Bullpen ERA’s other than Mariano Rivera and Brian Bruney:

Robertson 3.86
Coke 4.70
Albaladejo 5.23
Veras 6.30
Ramirez 7.36
Marte 15.19
Claggett 43.20

Related posts:

Yanks Looks to Kids for Some Relief

Andy Hawkins, Kyle Farnsworth, Steve Karsay, Juan Acevedo, Octavio Dotel, Felix Rodriguez...the list goes on and on of the names of well known relievers the Yankees have brought in over the years in an attempt to strengthen their bullpen. For the most part, it hasn't worked out well. But this year, there's a new approach and the Yankees are hoping it pays off.

The approach is to stay in-house- the Yankees farm system is stocked full of good, strong arms, and Brian Cashman is hoping he can weave a successful pen out of them. If one guy doesn't work out, he has plenty more to choose from, without having to increase payroll.

The Daily News' Mark Feinsand takes a look at Cashman's new pen approach.

"I'm proud that they didn't sign anybody," (Jose) Veras said. "They didn't have to give a few million dollars to someone because they think that guys like me, Coke, Edwar (Ramirez) and (Brian) Bruney can do."

photo courtesy of NY Post

Baseball Digest is Now Online

The longest, and best, running show on baseball magazines - Baseball Digest - is now online. Yours truly had a chance to be part of the initial roll out with a piece on the Yankees bullpen.

Here it is Baseball Digest - Yankees Bullpen