3 Yankees Plus Axford, Bailey, and Hanson Among 43 Non-Tendered

Adams' lack of hits led to lack of a team

43 players will be looking for new organizations after they were non-tendered by their current teams on Monday. Among them are former Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford, Red Sox reliever and former AL Rookie of the year Andrew Bailey, Blue Jays slugging catcher J.P. Arencibia, and Angels starter Tommy Hanson.

The Yankees did not offer deals to infielder David Adams, untility infielder Jayson Nix, and reliever Matt Daley. Adams was a successful hitter in the minor leauges and the Yankees had been really high on his bat. With all the injuries the Yankees suffered in 2013, Adams got a chance to play in 43 games, but the results were not good.

In 152 plate appearances, the natural second baseman had a slash line of .193/.252./.286. His struggles may have been complicated by the mental and physical acuity needed to learn a new position (third base).

Nix is a hard nosed player, who unfortunately, doesn't have many hits in his bat. The six-year veteran stole 13 bases in 14 attempts and played stellar defense, but posted a .619 OPS. He became expendable when the Yankees signed Brendan Ryan.

Daley was called up from Triple-A Scranton when the Yankees piching staff was beset by injuries. He appeared in seven games, won one, and did not allow a run in six innings pitched.

Below is the complete list of the players that were non-tendered via mlbtraderumors.com

David Adams Yankees
J.P. Arencibia Blue Jays
Scott Atchison Mets
Dylan Axelrod White Sox
John Axford Cardinals
Andrew Bailey Red Sox
Daniel Bard Cubs
Ronald Belisario Dodgers
Mitchell Boggs Rockies
Matt Carson Indians
Tyler Cloyd Indians
Chris Coghlan Marlins
Matt Daley Yankees
Sam Fuld Rays
Eddie Gamboa Orioles
Mat Gamel Cubs
Chris Getz Royals
J.C. Gutierrez Angels
Tommy Hanson Angels
Jeremy Hefner Mets
Daniel Hudson Diamondbacks
Paul Janish Braves
Elliot Johnson Braves
Garrett Jones Pirates
Ryan Kalish Red Sox
Chang-Yong Lim Cubs
Lou Marson Indians
Cristhian Martinez Braves
Michael McKenry Pirates
Kyle McPherson Pirates
Chris Nelson Angels
Jayson Nix Yankees
Xavier Paul Reds
Francisco Peguero Giants
Jason Pridie Orioles
Omar Quintanilla Mets
Derrick Robinson Reds
Sandy Rosario Giants
Justin Turner Mets
Jordany Valdespin Mets
Ryan Webb Marlins
Jerome Williams Angels
Wesley Wright Rays

Adams Sent Down as Nix Readies For Return; Grandy Joins Phelps Up North

Protect that thumb Grandy!

It won't have quite the same fanfare as when Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees, but Jayson Nix will be activated prior to Tuesday night's meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As expected, David Adams was sent back to Scranton Monday to free up space on the 25-man roster.

Nix's offensive numbers were far from good as he filled in at both shortstop and third base, but his work ethic and effort on the field did not go unnoticed by fans, his manager, or teammates. The 30-year old was placed on the 15-day DL after injuring his hamstring at the end of June/beginning of July.

He played one rehab game in the Gulf Coast League and three for Tampa of the Florida State League. At the time of the injury Nix had a .607 OPS with 2 HR, 20 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 73 games played.

Curtis Granderson isn't quite ready to join the Bronx Bombers, but he's getting closer. Literally.  The Grandyman and David Phelps are slated to continue their rehab assignments for the Trenton Thunder on Tuesday.

Granderson, recovering from a broken finger, played four games with the Tampa Yankees and was 2-13 (.154) with an RBI. He's played in just eight regular season games after he had his forearm broken by a pitch in Spring Training and his finger suffered the same fate in his eighth big league game after his return.

Phelps has pitched in one rehab stint for Trenton after he was placed on the 15-day DL July 6 with a slightly strained right forearm. With Ivan Nova looking more and more like he did in 2011, Phelps may be returned to the bullpen when he rejoins the team. That could change if Phil Hughes is dealt away at the trade deadline. The Notre Dame product threw 3.2 innings against the Altoona Curve six days ago and allowed 2 ER, 2 hits, 3 BB, and a home run. He also struck out six batters.

A-Rod's HR Gets Him One Stop Closer to the Bronx

A-Rod: In deep trouble and going deep

He's coming whether you like it or not. Barring a suspension invoked by Bud Selig over the weekend, Alex Rodriguez will be back with the Yankees on Monday. The controversial third baseman homered in four at-bats for the Scranton RailRiders Thursday night in the first of three rehab games at the Triple-A level.

After a good first at-bat that ended with a hard hit ball caught in right field, Rodriguez hit Louisville Bats' starter Chad Reineke's 3rd inning pitch over the fence in right-center for a 2-0 RailRiders lead. Scoring ahead of him was the kid who tried to fill his shoes at the Major League level, David Adams.

One inning later, A-Rod struck out swinging and capped his night by going to the right side again, this time a ground out to first base.

Reports are that he's moving slowly and does not look Major League ready. Hitting to the right side in three of his four at-bats may or may not be an indicator of a slow bat.

The soon-to-be 38-year old is now 6-32 (.188) combined between Tampa, Trenton, and Scranton. In addition to last night's long ball, A-Rod has one other home run and a double. He's walked just once and has struck out eight times.

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.

Bad Pitches, Bad Players, Bad Judgment Makes Bad Games

gif courtesy of eutawstreetreport.com

It's a Netflix (Saturday) night in the household- a wise decision to avoid a night of Yankees baseball. Since the game is being broadcast on FOX, it made the decision somewhat easy.

After the once proud pinstripes looked like laughing stocks in Baltimore last night, it was time to for a baseball breather. The game pretty much summarized what the Yankees season has been all about. Poorly timed pitching, guys playing out of position, crucial errors, and a complete lack of hitting. That last one is not so shocking considering the lineup the Yankees are trotting out on a daily basis.

CC Sabathia got the start last night and was handed a 3-0 lead early. He made the most of it through five innings without a hit allowed to the Orioles. Then came the 6th inning and there went the ball game. After Nate McLouth broke up the no-no with a single, the decision to play David Adams out of position badly backfired on Joe Girardi.

Alexi Casilla hit a weak tapper to the first base side of Sabathia. It was his ball all the way, but Adams, a natural second baseman that has been learning third base, charged the ball from his position at first base. It was Adams second career appearance at first and the inexperienced showed.

With Robinson Cano unable to get over to cover the bag, Casilla easily reached with an infield single. Then things went from bad to worse. Manny Machado laced a one-out double to the gap and right-center and scored an out later from third on an Adam Jones single to tie the game at 3-3.

The Yankees picked up a quick run in the 1st inning on a Robinson Cano RBI single off of rookie T.J. McFarland, who was made his first career start. Two innings later Vernon Wells and Chris Stewart produced RBI singles for a 3-0 Yankees lead. It appeared for once the Yankees might have a fairly easy night.

Yes, I know, laughing material. The team had 11 hits, but only four after the 3rd inning. They struck out 11 times, including a hat trick by Alberto Gonzalez, just another in a long line of hit-less wonders that filled out the 25-man roster this season.

As for Sabathia, his velocity was pretty good for a change- 93 mph most of the night and 95 at one point - but he made some bad pitches, one in particular, just as he did against the Rays in his last start. The Yankees got Sabathia off the hook after he allowed Wil Myers' grand slam in the Rays game, but there was no rescue job after Sabathia surrendered a game winning home run to the left-handed hitting McLouth in the 7th.

Sabathia expressed the frustration felt by himself, the team, the front office, and all of the fans when he threw his glove and hat in a fit of rage in the dugout. I felt like throwing the remote (Which I hadn't done since Game 5 of the 1994 NHL playoff series between the Rangers and Devils, but that's a story for another time.)

Girardi and GM Brian Cashman get mixed reviews from the Yankees fan base and from me as well. I think they have their strong points and some glaring weaknesses. I'm not happy with Girardi's in-game decisions (The binder reliance) and his need to mix and match/counter the opponents every late inning move.

I'm sure Lyle Overbay needed a rest, but was there not a better option at first base than Adams? The answer is actually not really, which gets thrown back to Cashman for not mixing and matching his players. Girardi could have gone with Gonzalez, who has only seven games of experience at first base, but has 419 games of Major League experience and probably would have handled it better. Adams would have then just been back at third base.

The bottom line is the decision time is nearing.  With the trade deadline looming on the horizon, the Yankees entered Saturday's night play 5 1/2 games behind Boston. Eduardo Nunez should be back next week, meaning Adams or Gonzalez will be gone. Francisco Cervelli should be back shortly thereafter, with Austin Romine ticketed for a return to Scranton. But then what?

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez aren't close to returning. Curtis Granderson? Who knows. Cashman needs to bring in reinforcements (People please stop bring up Justin Morneau, have you bothered to look at his numbers this year and his injury track record?) or this season will be done when the calendar turns to August.

Buy or sell Yankees, either way make a decision.

Yuke, We Hardly Knew Ye; Tex Returns to DL

The saying goes that things will get worse before they get better. According to the YES Network's Meredith Marakovits the cliche applies to Kevin Youkilis. The first year Yankee and former Red and White Sox third baseman was recently placed on the DL a second time this season due to a bad back. Now word is that Youkilis has a bulging disc that requires surgery and will be out 10-12 weeks.

In other words, you aren't seeing Kevin Youkilis in a Yankees uniform again. In the revolving Yankees soap opera, Youkilis was brought in to replace the injured Alex Rodriguez, who will probably replace the injured Youkilis. Unless Bud Selig intervenes. Either way, Youkilis is done.

The chrome domed Youkilis got off to a good start for the Yankees and had a .977 OPS after a dozen games. A 1-15 skid followed as did a week off due to his balky back. He thought he was well enough to return on April 27, but after an 0-3 afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays, Youkilis was placed on the 15-day DL. He wouldn't return to the Majors until a month later.

Youkilis lasted just 11 games and was 6-41 at the plate before his back landed him back on the DL. He should be on the 60-Day DL in short order to open some room on the 40-man roster.

If this is it for Youkilis' Yankees career, it lasted 28 games with a .219/.305/.343 split and $12MM in earnings. His surgery is scheduled for this Thursday. Brian Cashman stated that David Adams, Reid Brignac, and Jayson Nix will continue to split playing time at the hot corner for the time being. (Again I say, Ronnier Mustelier!)

The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Mark Teixeira is also back on the DL due to his painful right wrist. Pitcher Adam Warren was recalled to take his place on the roster. Hitting coach Kevin Long didn't think Teixeira's wrist "has been right" from the moment he returned from the DL on May 31, the same day Youkilis came back. Cashman was not happy that Long mentioned it to reporters, but had not told anyone before that. I'm sure there will be a heartfelt talk (aka yellfest, at the very least, between Cashman and Long.

Lyle Overbay will resume his duties as the every day first baseman.

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

Are Ichiro's Hours in the Bronx Numbered?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sending Out An SOS: Yankees Need the Cavalry

Teams lose to other teams. Some of those other teams might not be as good as the losing team. It happens - well Suzyn, you can't predict baseball, etc.  The Yankees lost four straight to the Mets after Thursday night's 3-1 debacle (at least the game was quick) and have dropped five straight overall as they head into a much more important series with the Boston Red Sox this weekend.

Vidal Nuno pitched beautifully for six innings, but allowed a 2-run home run to Marlon Byrd in the early going. That's about one or two runs more than the Yankees can handle these days. The bats are coming back to Earth, which means the Friday arrival of Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis is coming just in the nick of time.

The Mets starter for Thursday night was Dillon Gee. The 27-year old Texan had made 10 starts this season prior to the finale with the Yankees. In those 10 games, Gee allowed less than three earned runs just three times and recorded an out in the 7th inning just once. So tonight Gee and his 6.34 ERA threw 7.1 innings and struck out 12 Yankees. His season high had been six strikeouts, which he accomplished twice. The only blemish on his stat line was a solo home run served up to Robinson Cano.

The Yankees hitting a brick wall was not unexpected; it's about the only thing they can hit right now. There were signs of this earlier in the season, but the lineup bounced back. Not so in the series with their crosstown rivals. So Brian Cashman has some decisions to finalize tonight. With two everyday players returning, room needs to be made on the 25-man roster, and for Teixeira, on the 40-man roster as well.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Cashman was quite frank when he spoke Tuesday to ESPN radio's Don LaGreca concerning the future of first baseman Lyle Overbay. Though the 36-year old has done a marvelous job (The YES Network showed a graphic prior to tonight's game that showed Overbay's numbers after 50 games were very similar to Teixeira's first 50 games in 2012.), his position limitation does not make him an ideal candidate for the everyday roster. Things are even more complicated when you consider Travis Hafner cannot play a position at all.

Letting Overbay go with no return would be a terrible mistake (he certainly would not pass through waivers without being claimed), but he's the logical choice to be removed from the roster.

The second player is likely to be David Adams who has been seeing most of the playing time at third base since he was recalled from Triple-A on May 15. Despite the organization's love of his bat, Adams should be sent back to Scranton to play every day.  Another less likely option would be to get rid of recently acquired Reid Brignac, but the Yankees don't have another infielder besides Jayson Nix that can handle shortstop.

The Yankees also announced that Andy Pettitte would be returning to start Monday's game against Cleveland. Thursday's starter Vidal Nuno would be the logical choice to go back to Scranton.

Adams Coming to the Rasta, Mon

No, David Adams isn't Jamaican, but I am tired.  Per a tweet Trenton Thunder beat writer Josh Norris (@jnorris427), Mr. Adams is headed to the Bronx today, the first day he was eligible to be recalled from the minor leaguers.

The Yankees front office has always like the second baseman's bat and they moved him over to third base to  have a better chance of helping the big ball club.

Adams was designated for assignment this spring to make room for Vernon Wells on the 40-man roster and then he was re-signed to a minor league deal. MLB stipulations state that in such cases the player may not be recalled until May 15.

Today is May 15 so Adams is on his way. Now a 40-man roster space needs to be opened up for him. It's likely that either Chris Nelson or newly reacquired Alberto Gonzalez will be designated for assignment. Nelson is more likely to get the boot since Gonzalez is the only player other than Jayson Nix right now that can play shortstop and a Nelson plays the same positions as Adams.

Adams was quickly making his way through the farm system until he badly broke his ankle in 2010. Through 27 games at Triple-A Scranton this year, Adams has an .897 OPS with 3 HR and 12 RBI.

To learn more on Adams, click here to read the interview I did with him in 2009.

Yankees Juggling Roster Like a Street Performer

Brett Marshall now in "The Show"

Monday's doubleheader  with the Cleveland Indians created some roster changes for the Yankees. Second baseman Corban Joseph was recalled with the "26 man" rule - you can add a 26th player to your roster if there's a doubleheader, but the player must get sent back to the minors afterwards.

Since it's an additional player and Joseph was already on the 40-man roster, no corresponding move needed to be made. Joseph played first base to give Lyle Overbay a rest and did a nice job defensively. He started at second base in the second game with Robinson Cano getting a partial game off as DH.

To help the bullpen out, Brett Marshall was called up to be a potential long man for Game 2. The Yankees sent outfielder Brennan Boesch down to Scranton. Of his 96 career minor league appearances Marshall has pitched in relief just twice. The 23-year old was 2-2, 4.60 in six starts this season, his first, at Triple-A Scranton.

Boesch was picked up in Spring Training after he was released by the Detroit Tigers. A good power hitter, Boesch will wildly inconsistent while he played in the Motor City. Boesch had just 41 plate appearances in 19 games and produced just two home runs, five RBI, one double, and one triple. He started just 10 games this season, including the first game of the doubleheader, and produced a .680 OPS.

It's possible that Curtis Granderson, who has swung the bat well in Scranton, could be recalled from his rehab stint (from the broken arm he suffered in Spring Training) to take Boesch's place.

David Phelps pitched his heart out in Monday's opener, a Jason Kipnis home run the only run he allowed in 6.2 innings pitched. The Yankees couldn't muster anything against Indians starter Justin Masterson and were shutout for the third time in May, 1-0. The prior two losses were both 2-0 scores to Oakland and Colorado.

Vidal Nuno made his first Major League start in the Game 2 against Trevor Bauer.

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.

Yuke to the DL, Joseph to the Bench

"First my beard, and now this."

As was anticipated, Kevin Youkilis was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday night's game. Youkilis was in the lineup on Saturday after a week off, but his back continued to bother him.

The Yankees starting third baseman will be out until at least May 13 because the DL could only be back dated to Sunday since Youkilis played on Saturday. During tonight's telecast, YES' Michael Kay relayed a comment by Joe Girardi regarding Youkilis' status.

"Next time I'll ask him six straight times if he feels okay." 

Brian Cashman added that "everyone screwed up in allowing him (Youkilis) to play."

Taking his place on the roster will be second baseman Corban Joseph. I felt David Adams, despite not being on the 40-man roster, would be more of a fit since he was moved from second to third base, and is a good hitter.  Joseph was already on the 40-man and swung a hot batter over the last 10 games (three home runs, .964 OPS), to earn the call.

Jayson Nix will get the bulk of playing time at third base while Youkilis recovers.

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.

David Adams Released to Free Up 40-Man Space

With Lyle Overbay being brought into Yankees camp last night, there is more of an urgency to free up space on the 40-man roster. David Adams was the latest victim of this need.

I have to admit I was a bit surprised to hear of Adams' release. The Yankees, it was said, really liked his bat and had moved him from second base (blocked by Robinson Cano) to third base (a crumbling Alex Rodriguez) to try to get him to the Majors quicker. But Adams has been bothered by injuries in his minor league career, the latest being a back issue that has kept him out of action in the grapefruit league.

My initial thought is that Adam's back is in bad shape and the Yankees don't feel he will be able to contribute any time soon. On top of that, despite an .825 OPS in his five minor league seasons, Adams played in just 154 games over the last three seasons due to a badly broken ankle and the ensuing recovery.

It's possible he could re-sign with the Yankees, but he would probably be better off moving to another organization where, if healthy, he could get to the Majors more quickly.

Here's an interview I did with Adams back in March, 2009.

Overbay got right into the action last night against the Houston Astros. When he entered the game he immediately had two ground balls hit to him. He made a nice spinning move on one and made a perfect toss to Joba Chamberlain covering first to get thout.

Yankees on Brink of Acquiring Cliff Lee

Written for BaseballDigest.com

With all of the hoopla (pun very much intended) over LeBron James last night, I was shocked to see he was not the subject of conversation on Twitter this morning. No sooner had my computer booted up then my brain got a jolt as well. The NY Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Yankees are in deep conversations with the Seattle Mariners for Cliff Lee.

Say what?

By 10 a.m. Sherman had tweeted and written that the teams were on the brink of getting the deal done. Jesus Montero, the Yankees number one prospect, would be the centerpiece of the trade. Montero has struggled at the plate for much of his first full season at Triple-A, but is still highly regarded around baseball. This would also indicate that the Yankees front office is higher on catching prospect Austin Romine for the future.

The Mariners are also said to be intereted in 2nd base prospect, and UVA product, David Adams. Sherman says a third prospect will also be included in the deal.

With Lee’s free agency on the horizon, you have to wonder if the Yankees will demand a window to negotiate a long term deal with the prized left-hander. Though the Yankees would be giving up prospects, acquiring Lee would preclude losing draft picks if Lee went elsewhere and the Yankees then signed him as a free agent.

Some feel this deal would be overkill since the Yankees roll out CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Javier Vazquez on a regular basis. Though three of the pitchers are All-Stars, Hughes has an innings limit and Burnett and Vazquez have struggled at times. It’s possible once he nears the innings limit, Hughes could bolster the bullpen for the remainder of the season as he did last year.

While there are mixed feelings about giving up a top prospect, Cliff Lee is the type of player you give him up for.

Update: 11:20 am ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that since Lee is set to face them tonight, the Yankees told the Mariners they have to have answer soon.

Joel Sherman has now reported that the Yankees will not ask for a negotiating window to get a long term deal done with Lee.

Update: 3:45 pm Sherman says the deal is off - he just tweeted:
"To repeat the Yankees aren't getting Cliff Lee. Mariners concerned about David Adams ankle plus apparently another team has jumped in hard."

Update: 4:20 pm According to several people involved with the Yankees, the deal is definitely dead (for now) with Seattle.

It look the Texas Rangers are the team that has re-entered the fray. Rangers' Hall of Fame beat writer T.R. Sullivan says "...the Rangers won't do (Justin) Smoak". Possibilities are Jared Saltalamacchia, Engel Beltre, Derek Holland, Omar Beltre and Blake Beavan.

Stay tuned for updates.