Sterling's Spring Training Starts Now

Pitchers and catchers don't report until February 14, but I can imagine that at this very moment John Sterling is in his home, sitting in front of the fireplace in a navy blue pinstripe suit, Chivas Regal in one hand, DVR remote in the other. He faces his 50" flat screen TV and watches highlights of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Brian Roberts, Carlos Beltran, abd Kelly Johnson hitting home runs. Occassionally a tear rolls down his cheek as he realizes he'll no longer say, "Robbie Cano, don'tcha know!".

He jumps around, setting his sights on one particular image and brainstorms new home run calls. "What words rhyme with the names? Are there any old Broadway references/ Is it something I can sing? Have I used it before? I got caught last year doing that. I can't let it happen again."

Just then Jacoby Ellsbury, clad in a Boston Red Sox uniform, hits a pitch into the Fenway Park bullpen.

"It is high, it is far, it is gone..Ohhh Ellsbury Fields Forever!" Hmmm..maybe. He pauses the recording, puts down the remote and scribbles the possible call on a pad of paper.  Remote back in hand, he skips back to the beginning and watches Ellsbury's home run again.

"Jaco-by hit that to Nairobi..no, no maybe not. Jaco-by using the force like Obi-Wan-Kenobi. Instant classic!!!"

Brian McCann, wearing his long time Atlanta Braves uniform, steps to the plate on the plasma.

"Oh, Brian..making the pitcher cryin'.....Oh, Brian lost that baseball like we lost a Mayan...hmmm, too obscure?"

"McCann just gained a fan! That would have to be after another call. Wait! Guys and Dolls."
"Can do Can do, McCann says his bat can do" He pauses the television and quickly grabs his cellphone to call Suzyn Waldman. He begins to sing his modified Broadway tune. Soon he and Suzyn are singing together, then break into "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat".

Sterling hangs up the phone. A satisfied look on his face, with a "McCann Can Dance still in his bag of tricks, he refills his glass and pops on video of Roberts. The light bulb immediately goes off - Mr. Roberts, Hank Fonda...a Broadway and movie classic, but not a musical. Damn it, so close. "Sterling loses, Sterling loses."

Undeterred, the modern voice of the Yankees watches Carlos Beltran appear on screen. "That's it, I'll go back to Roberts. Too many Brians. "Burn Baby Beltran..no, no, no..sorry Bernie.  Carlos puts the belt in Beltran...hmmm, maybe. It is high, it is far, it is gone! Carlos "Danger" Beltran. No, no that could cause more problems. And Beltran ra-an, he ran so far away-ay-ay, he touched home plate today. Ah, those Flock of Seagulls. What an '80s band. Suzyn will never get that one though. This is tough. I have to think about it more."

On to Johnson. "When he goes back to back, I can use back to back and a belly to Kelly! Yes, it's gold! But what about when he hits one alone. Kelly, he hit that one to Carnaegie Deli. Okay, I can save that for tape measure shots, but what's the sure thing? KJ made the ball yell May Day. That's it. Pure genius! The right blend of cornball and obscurity.  I've got to pack up and get down to Tampa early to try these out."

No matter who plays on the Yankees this year, you can bet that John Sterling will be well prepared with a pocket full of home run calls. Let's just hope he has plenty of them to call for the Bronx Bombers.

Reynolds Wraps Deal With Brew Crew

The Yankees tried to bring Mark Reynolds back for 2014, knowing his power could be an aid at third base as well as first base when Mark Teixeira needed a breather. The Yankees were only willing to offer a minor league deal though, but Reynolds wanted a Major League contract. As it turned out, the matter of playing time had to have been the bigger factor.

Reynolds agreed to a minor league deal last night with the Milwaukee Brewers and received an invitation to Spring Training. At the very least, Reynolds is expected to platoon at first base with Juan Francisco, who hit 13 home runs in 270 plate appearances last season. With Kelly Johnson, Scott Sizemore and others already under Major or minor league contracts, Reynolds went for the more sure thing.

Reynolds signed a one-year free agent deal with the Cleveland Indians prior to the 2013 season, but was released on August 12 after he put up a .680 OPS and struck out 123 times in 99 games. The Yankees, desperate for run production, picked him up three days later. Splitting time at the corners (and two games at second base), Reynolds compiled a .755 OPS with 6 HR and 19 RBI in 36 games.

Yankees to Sign the Nick Johnson of Second Basemen

A scene that has been repeated far too many times for Brian Roberts

UPDATE - Fox Sports' Jon Morosi is reporting that Roberts and the Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $2MM deal.


Brian Roberts was once a great player. Once being the key word in that sentence. He was also once a healthy player. Once upon a time in Baltimore, Roberts was an All-Star and a Yankee killer.

Sadly, Roberts has become a perennial member of the 15- and 60-day disabled lists. Perennial is the key word in that sentence. Desperate to find a full-time second baseman or someone to split time with Kelly Johnson at the position, the Yankees appear ready to sign Roberts to a one-year, low money incentive laden deal.(Per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal)

Unfortunately this is not 2009, the last year in which the Yankees won the World Series and the last year that Roberts played a full season. He appeared in 152 games spread out from 2009-2013 due to a myriad of injuries, the most dangerous of which have been concussions and concussion syndrome.(It's also put Roberts at greater risk for future concussions.)

Roberts is a former first round pick (50th overall out of U. of South Carolina in 1999), a two-time All-Star who combined some pop with speed - he stole 50 bases in 2007 and 40 a year later. The now 35-year old Roberts was at his best in the period from 2005 through 2009 when his average slash line was .294/.369/.451 (.820 OPS). His year usually produced 13 home runs, 64 RBI, 36 steals (in 44 attempts), 45 doubles, and 99 runs scored. He was the catalyst of the Orioles lineup.

An abdominal strain in 2010 was the first major injury Roberts suffered in the last four seasons. It kept him out from April to July and limited him to 59 games. He also suffered from a herniated disc in his back during Spring Training that season. (Many Orioles and Yankees fans recall a September, 2005 collision at first base with Bubba Crosby that dislocated Roberts' left elbow, but he recovered nicely from it during the off-season.)

In May of 2011, Roberts hit the back of his head sliding into first base and suffered a concussion. He was out the remainder of the season and didn't return until June of 2012.

Roberts hurt his groin in early July and was placed back on the DL. At the end of the month he opted for season ending hip surgery. During the off-season he also had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He played in 17 games, the lowest number of his career.

In April, 2013 Roberts made another trip to the DL after he ruptured a tendon in a portion of hamstring behind his right knee and underwent surgery. It kept him out of Major League action until the last day of June. He managed to play 77 games, the most of the four year stretch of injuries and surgeries, but his production was far below the norm. (.249/.312/.392)

The spin on this move will be that it is low cost, low risk/high reward, but the chances of Roberts staying healthy are less than 50/50. Why not go out and make a bolder move for a bigger, healthier fish (e.g. Rickie Weeks) then continue to flounder at the position.

Help Wanted: Second Baseman, Must Field and Hit

Rickie Weeks could be the answer.

With Robinson Cano now in the Emerald city, Brandon Phillips making too much money for too long, and Omar Infante moving to the "Show Me State", the Yankees are still in need of a productive second baseman.

No, Kelly Johnson is not the answer, though he will be a good back up at both second and third base. There's no quality players left among the position eligible free agents, (the NY Post's Joel Sherman said the Yankees have "little interest", thankfully, in free agent Brian Roberts) so the Yankees need to pursue a trade to strengthen the position.

There was a rumor about a week ago that the Yankees had inquired about Seattle's Dustin Ackley, a former high draft choice that has been a bust as a Major Leaguer. The 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, had a .766 OPS in his rookie season in 2011, but was barely above .600 the last two years. His future looks to be as a utility player after the Mariners moved him to the outfield last season.

There's also been talk that the Yankees contacted Washington about Danny Espinosa, but were rebuffed. Espinosa had a miserable 2013 season, battling a torn rotator cuff and a broken wrist that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch. He spent time in the minors and had a .465 OPS in 44 big league games.  A year earlier he belted 17 home runs, but had a modest .717 OPS and struck out an NL leading 189 times. Espinosa is not a significant upgrade from Johnson so why bother.

One interesting possibility would be the Milwaukee Brewers' Rickie Weeks, whose brother and fellow second baseman Jemile Weeks was traded earlier in the off-season.  The elder Weeks was limited to 104 games last season after undergoing season ending surgery in August on a torn hamstring muscle. He finished with a career low .663 OPS.

Weeks' offense had dipped in 2012 as well (.728 OPS) after he was limited to 118 games in 2011 due to a badly sprained ankle. He still managed to hit 21 HR, drive in 63 runs, score 85, and drew 74 walks. He also stole 16 bases in 19 attempts.

Weeks is in the final guaranteed year of his contract and is set to earn $11.5MM this coming season. He has a team option for another $11.5MM in 2015, but if he doesn't get 600 plate appearances in 2014 or a combined 1,200 plate appearances between 2013 and 2014 the option goes bye bye. The combined PAs are out of the question since he only came to the plate 399 times last year. He's also not likely to get 600 PAs this coming year, so the option would likely not be a factor.

Rookie second baseman Scooter Gennett impressed the Breweres in Weeks' absence, putting together a .324/.356/.479 slash line in 230 plate appearances. Weeks could be expendable to give Gennett a shot as the full-time second baseman.

Weeks may not be what he once was, but he's an upgrade over Johnson.

Tbe Yankees could also take a different route, one that could work for 2014 and the future. It's also one that is less likely to occur than dealing for Weeks. The Cleveland Indians are said to be open to dealing shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

The 28-year old played 162 games at second base between 2007 and 2009 and became the full-time shortstop thereafter. He'll make $10MM next season and is set to be a free agent after the 2014 campaign. Cabrera would have to be amenable to it, of course, but the move would be to have him play second base for a year with the possibility of a free agent deal to become the team's shortstop in 2015.

Cabrera would probably not be on board since it is his walk year and he wouldn't want to hurt his chances for a big contract by going back to a position he hadn't played in five years. Perhaps some additional money - maybe $3MM to $5MM - might convince him to make the switch, but it's an outside shot at best though.

Others don't fit the bill for a number of reasons:

Chase Utley: Once a top five MLB second baseman, Utley has been banged up the last few years though he had 18 HR and 69 RBI in 131 games last season. The problem? His contract. Utley will earn $15MM in 2014, $10MM the year after. Then there are three vesting optioins through 2018 that will kick in an annual salary of $15MM if Utley gets 500 plate appearances the prior season.

Neil Walker: Nice power hitting second baseman for the Pirates. He earned $3.3MM in 2013 and Pittsburgh has him under control through 2016. No reason to move him.

Darwin Barney's name has been bandied about the last week by members of the mainstream media and some blogs. My question is why? Barney has a .628 OPS in 1,499 lifetime plate appearances and had an abysmal .569 OPS last year. The Cubbies can keep him. The Yankees already have Brendan Ryan to cover the defense and not hit.

Another nice fit would be former Toronto Blue Jay and current Arizona Diamondback Aaron Hill. The second baseman went from Canada to the southwest as part of a deal that sent Johnson to Toronto. Hill swings a good bat and has vastly improved his defense from his time north of the border. This past February the Diamondbacks signed him to a three year contract extension with $35MM, so he is likely not going anywhere.

In summation, the Yankees front office should spend a few days talking about Weeks. And if is acquired by the Yankees I will try to stop calling him Richie instead of Rickie.

Yankees Grab Their Johnson

In a Plan 'B' move the Yankees have come to terms with infielder/left-handed hitter Kelly Johnson on a one-year deal said to be worth between $3MM and $4MM.

In all likelihood, this ends the Yankees pursuit of free agent Omar Infante, though after the contract the Yankees gave Jacoby Ellsbury, who can really tell what the Steinbrenner clan has in mind these days.

Johnson is primarily a second baseman, though he has played over 100 games in the outfield and has minimal third base (16 games) experience. He'll be joining his fourth team in the last four years.

The former 1st round pick (38th overall) of the 2000 MLB Amateur draft, Johnson spent his first four Major League seasons with the team that drafted him, the Atlanta Braves. After back to back solid season in 2007 and 2008, Johnson's OPS plummeted below .700 in 2009 and Atlanta not-tendered him.

He signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks and bounced back in 2010 with 26 home runs and an .865 OPS. Johnson continued to hit home runs a year later, but otherwise struggled at the plate and was dealt to Toronto in August for fellow second baseman Aaron Hill and infielder John McDonald.

Johnson was free to walk after a poor 2012 season and signed a one year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, with whom he played third base for the first time in the Major Leagues. He continued to hit for power for the Rays, but was average or below average in other categories. Offensively, he is a step up from Jayson Nix, who the Yankees non-tendered on Monday.

The BaseballDigest.com 2011 MLB Preview: The Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball Digest

The BaseballDigest.com 2011 MLB Preview: The Arizona Diamondbacks | Baseball Digest

When a team finishes in last place in its division for two straight years and averages just 67.5 wins during that time, there is no place to go but up. Such is the case with the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Starting Rotation

Long gone are the days of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. The Diamondbacks’ rotation is leaning heavily on youth, with 29 yr-old Joe Saunders as the lone veteran assured a spot. Saunders was acquired from the Angels as part of a package that sent Dan Haren to Los Angeles. Saunders went 34-14 in 2008-2009, but he’s coming off a season in which he lost 17 games and gave up nearly 4.5 runs per game.

Ian Kennedy finally translated some of his success in the minor leagues to the majors, finishing with a 3.80 ERA. His command still needs work though, since he led the league in wild pitches and walked better than three batters per nine innings.

Daniel Hudson was one of the most highly touted pitchers in the Chicago White Sox farm system, and for that reason Arizona demanded his inclusion in a deal for Edwin Jackson. The right-hander was dominant after the deal, going 7-1, 1.69 in 11 starts, and averaging better than seven strikeouts per nine innings.

There are no guarantees for the last two spots in the rotation. One of the candidates is Barry Enright, who virtually came out of nowhere in his rookie season last year to win six of his first eight decisions. Even though he lost his last five starts, he still finished with a 3.91 ERA. Enright doesn’t blow away hitters, so command of the zone is essential for his success.

Armando Galarraga and Zach Duke will also vie for the last two spots. Galarraga was acquired from Detroit following a season in which he lost a perfect game to an erroneous call by 1st base ump Jim Joyce. That was the thing to happen for Galarraga last year, as he has been unable to match his rookie success (13-7, 3.73) of 2008. Duke was dealt to the Diamondbacks by the Pittsburgh Pirates after five straight sub-.500 seasons. Despite a promising 4.06 ERA, he lost 16 games in ’09, and when he gave up nearly six runs per game in ’10, Pittsburgh decided he needed a chance of scenery.

Bullpen

J.J. Putz emerged as a top closer when he saved 76 games in 2006-2007, but a number of injuries derailed his next two seasons. Healthy again, Putz bounced back with the White Sox in ’10 as one of the premier set up men in the game. After signing with AZ as a free agent in December, Putz will get the chance to close once again.

The Dbacks’ bullpen was one of the worst in baseball last season, but a couple of Orioles acquired in the Mark Reynolds deal should help turn things around. David Hernandez was originally a struggling starter in the O’s organization before a move to the bullpen gave him a chance to strut his stuff. The 6’9″ Kam Mickolio has impressed the Diamondbacks so far this spring.

Juan Gutierrez didn’t win a game last year and had an ERA over 5.00, but he saved 15 games and struck out batters at a high rate. He’s the early favorite to be Arizona’s eight inning guy. “I think this is a big year for him,” catcher Miguel Montero told the Arizona Republic. “He knows himself better. He knows the league better. I know the hitters know him, but he’s nasty, man. Mariano (Rivera) throws a cutter and everybody knows it’s coming, and they still can’t hit it. (Gutierrez) has got (good) stuff.”

Sam Demel, Esmerling Vasquez, Aaron Heilman (who may also get a chance to vie for the starting rotation), Mike Hampton, and Micah Owings are among those battling for the final three spots in the pen.

Infield

1st Base – Is a three player battle to replace Adam LaRoche who signed with the Washington Nationals as a free agent. Veteran Russel Branyan, and youngsters Juan Miranda and Brandon Allen are vying for the position. Branyan is an established slugger/whiff artist while Miranda never got enough at-bats in the Major Leagues with the Yankees to establish himself. Allen’s numbers in Triple-A have been solid (.993 OPS, 25 HR , 86 RBI) , but he only has 54 games worth of experience in the majors. The biggest problem is all three hitters are left-handed. Right-handed hitting outfielder Xavier Nady may see some time at 1st base as well.

2nd Base – In his fifth season in the bigs, Kelly Johnson had a bustout season, setting career highs in HR (26), RBI (71), Runs Scored (93) and OPS (.895). The Diamondbacks are counting on similar production this year.

Shortstop - Stephen Drew has been a model of consistency at the shortstop position. A .272-15-62 season is the type of production Drew can be expected to produce. The soon-to-be 28-yr old has shown the same consistency on defense. Last season he made a career-low 10 errors. His double play partner Johnson had this to say about him last season, “I realize it’s also about range and about when you make the plays and what kind of plays you’re making and the stuff you have to see,. But I’ve seen it. I’ve seen him make diving plays, sliding plays, very good plays. I know he’d like to be hitting better, but he still helps this team every day with his defense.”

3rd Base – Melvin Mora (39) will probably get the bulk of the playing time, though switch-hitter Geoff Blum (38 in Apr.) could see a number of at-bats against right-handers. The two won’t be able to replace the home run or RBI production of Mark Reynolds, but more than anything they will be looked at to provide veteran leadership and hold down the fort until one of the Diamondbacks prospects (Matt Davidson or Bobby Borchering) is ready to play in the bigs.

Outfield – Left field should be a platoon situation for manager Kirk Gibson. Xavier Nady will face left-handers if he’s healthy- his twice surgically-repaired right elbow will slow his progress during spring training, so it may mean more at-bats for a Gerardo Parra. In center, the Diamondbacks would like to see Chris Young cut down on his strikeouts and improve his batting average, but the outfielder can be counted on for 20-25 home runs and 85-90 RBI, which could very well lead the team. Right fielder Justin Upton was so highly touted out of high school that he was taken by Arizona with the very first pick of the 2005 amateur draft. A first-time All-Star in 2009, his numbers dropped off a bit last year. The Diamondbacks are counting on him as one of the keys to the future (though there have been trade rumors centering on him as well).

Catcher – Miguel Montero has some good pop in his bat (16 HR in 2009), but played in just 85 games last year due to a knee injury. AZ will be looking for him to pick up where he left off two years ago.

George Vass takes a look at the surprising 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks. The team was just in in its second year of existence and just two years away from a World Series title. Click here to read all about it.

Bench – Henry Blanco will back up Montero at catcher, while Parra will back up all three outfield spots. Infielder Tony Abreu will be the utility infielder with the ability to play all three infield positions. Branyan should fill another bench spot while Cole Gillespie has a good shot at the fifth outfield spot. Journeyman Wily Mo Pena is a long shot to make the team.

Manager Kirk Gibson is in his first full season as skipper of the Diamondbacks. He replaced A.J. Hinch after 79 games last season and is the third Diamondbacks manager in three years. The squad was 34-49 under Gibson, but it was a team that was just beginning its transition to a complete rebuilding phase.

Management hopes that Gibson brings the same leadership and fiery tenacity that he had as a ball player to the role of manager. He has a two-year contract as the team gets set to play with a very veteran team this season in preparation for the movement to youth in 2012. Whether Gibson gets the chance to be a teacher remains to be seen.

Front Office – GM Kevin Towers also has a two-year deal, though he has vesting options for future years. He’s in a tough position – on the one hand he has a team with no expectations of success, but he must pick and chooose his parts to get the team competitive again. Towers won’t add any payroll, and he’ll certainly look to move some of the veterans for youth/less experienced players at the deadline. He could also push the button on a Justin Upton deal if he were to get a suitable package in return.