Colon, Garcia...and Millwood?

Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, and Freddy Garcia have battled all spring training for the final two spots in the Yankees rotation. Nova solidified a spot early, while front-runner Garcia was passed by Colon in the last couple of weeks.

Rumor has it that the Yankees have signed free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood as an insurance policy. Millwood found no takers/contracts to his liking this off-season, so he has had no spring training and would need a few weeks to get ready. Hampered by injuries last year, he was just 4-16, 5.10 with a 1.510 WHIP for the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched to a 3.67 ERA for Texas in 2009, but three of his last four seasons have seen Millwood pitch to an ERA over 5.00.

The Yankees were one of a number of teams that recently watched Millwood throw and apparently came away impressed (enough) to get a deal done. While it's a #5 starter role in question, if indeed Millwood is brought up, this is not a good sign or signing for the Yankees. Here's hoping Nova and Colon/Garcia get the job done.

Slam Duncan

It's over. The great ball man experiment. Not the Seinfeld episode. I'm talking about the hope that the Duncan boys, Shelley and Eric (no relation) could become regular contributors to the Yankees lineup.

Shelley had some moments in the sun during the the 2007 season, hitting seven home runs, but Eric has never had a major league bat and had the bigger upside.

I watched Eric's development at Seton Hall Prep. Local boy makes good. The Florham Park native was the NJ high school player of the year in 2003 and was selected in the 1st round, 27th overall, by the Yankees. Local area baseball fans were excited and full of anticipation as we just knew he would be hitting 30 home runs a year with the friendly right field porch in the old(er) Yankee Stadium.

Things started out well enough. Duncan graduated high school, then spent his summer playing for the GCL and Staten Island Yankees. 6 home runs and 69 RBI in 107 games, plus a good OPS had to be a portend of things to come.

But while Eric hit 35 home runs over the next two seasons, more often than not he wasn't making contact. 267 strikeouts over those same two seasons as the holes in Duncan's game were exposed. He would never hit higher than .260 again and his power diminished. Injuries limited his playing time and led to his departure from the Yankees organization, still just 25 years old.

That announcement came today from LoHud's Chad Jennings (by the way if I haven't said it already, a great replacement for Pete Abe. Chad's work covering the Scranton Yankees was outstanding) that Duncan has signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. Perhaps a chance of scenery will help turn things around for Duncan. We can only hope so!