Yankees Continue Prep for New Decade

We're down to the final two days of 2009 and the Yankees continue to ready themselves for defense of their 27th world championship.

The left field spot is still up for grab, with no firm commitment to Brett Gardner, who would play either left or center (with Curtis Granderson shifting to left). The Yankees grabbed Jamie Hoffman in the Rule V draft, but I really don't see the Yankees going with an inexperienced player for that spot on their 25 man roster. Hoffman will likely be offered back to the Dodgers.
Jason Bay, though he was never seriously considered by the Yankees, has been removed from contention with his signing by the Mets. The Cardinals are said to be trying to work a long term deal, possibly as long as eight years, to keep Matt Holliday in St. Louis. The amount is thought to be around $100 million, well beyond what the Yankees would spend at this point.

So what's "left" out there. One Johnny Damon. But that will only occur if Damon and his agent Scott Boras considerably lower their demands.

Xavier Nady, whom the Yankees acquired from Pittsburgh in '07, missed basically all of last year with elbow surgery. His asking price is said to be too high, plus there is a question as to whether he'd be able to play the outfield this season.

Another option that I, as well as some other readers have wondered, is what about Marlon Byrd. Byrd was once a top prospect in the Phillies organization, but flopped. He became a serviceable part time player at the age of 30 in 2007. Last season Byrd played in a career high 146 games for the Texas Rangers and posted career highs with 20 HR and 89 RBI. Byrd was also give the Yankees another right-handed bat.

Rick Ankiel had a bust out season in 2008, but injured his shoulder last season and didn't produce. He might come cheaper, but his shoulder is a major question mark. Another problem is Scott Boras is his agent. He most likely won't have Ankiel agree to a deal until Damon does in order to set his asking price.

Former A's prospect Javier Herrera was signed to a minor league contract on 12/22. He was highly touted in the A's organization, but injuries and less than adequate output has kept him from fulfilling his promise. He's not likely an option.

Clearly I was way off base with my thoughts that Cashman was still lurking for Bay or Holliday. So now maybe he's lurking for Damon.

So where does that leave us? Nowhere at the moment. It's still Brett Gardner's job for now.

UPDATE - 12/31
You can scratch Marlon Byrd from the list as well. The Cubs and Byrd have reportedly agreed to a three year deal.

A Giant Disgrace

Football season is effectively over me. There is still one game to go in the regular season, plus the playoffs and Super Bowl. But it's done. When the clock read 00:00, the Giants season was done. Oh and that was the end of the first half, not the game.

The Giants, in their final home game at Giants Stadium, didn't bother to show up. A disgraceful display on both sides of the ball led to a 41-9 blowout at the hands of the Carolina Panthers. The loss, combined with the Cowboys and Packers wins, eliminated the Giants from a possible playoff appearance.

The entire game changed on one series in the first quarter and the Giants never recovered. ,It appeared the Giants were headed for a 7-0 lead when they marched right down the field on the game's first possession. But an Eli Manning TD pass to Steve Smith was negated by a Madison Hedgecock hold and a couple of plays later Mario Manningham fumbled away the football and the season. The Panthers completely dominated from that moment on.

The Giants defense which finally showed up last week against the woeful Redskins, reverted back to their "can't stop anyone" form. Jonathan Stewart rushed for the third highest (206) total yardage by any opponent in Giants' history.

It was a sad finish for the fans, especially those long time season ticket holders who can't afford the exorbitant prices at the new stadium.

As for next year, Tom Coughlin will likely be back. He's only two years removed from a SB championship. But defensive coordinator Brian Sheridan is likely gone. It's obviously not all his fault. The players did not get the job done. This was a defense that was supposed to better than last year's. Some heads will probably roll among the players as well.

O-Coordinator Kevin Gilbride's job is most likely safe, though he will probably look for a head coaching job. And what happened to this team's vaunted running game? Brandon Jacobs has played every game and maybe that's the problem. He's been very ordinary - yesterday he had six carries for one yard before leaving with a banged up knee.

Giants Stadium Will Not Be Missed

Don't get me wrong. A lot of great things have happened at Giants Stadium. There has been the road to three Giants' Super Bowl wins and four SB appearances. There was one near SB appearance for the Jets.

Countless Bruce Springsteen concerts. A great Billy Joel show back in '92, and countless other musical performances.

The Cosmos showed off Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia. On and on it goes. But like I said Giants Stadium will not be missed. It's a nothing facility. Not spectacular looking. No amazingly huge video screens. No out of the ordinary food areas or bathroom facilities. It's serviceable.

So while the memories of events will remain in tact, the place itself will not.

My favorite GS attended memories

12/23/86 - Giants defeat Broncos 19-16 in a Super Bowl preview. The Giants improved to 10-2 as the home crowd got revved up in anticipation of their first legitimate Super Bowl run. George Martin picked off a John Elway and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown. He was finally tackled by Lawrence Taylor in the end zone.

Billy Joel "Storm Front" Tour - July, 1992. Great show. Joel was young and full of energy. (I've only seen Springsteen in the arena)

12/10/00 - The Giants crush the Steelers 30-10 in a surprising run to the Super Bowl year. (Unfortunately, not all the games are good. I've also seen the Giants get crushed by the Deadskins and Ravens.)

Damon Needs to Make a Living

Johnny Damon is really working it this holiday season. A much publicized appearance on WWE Raw and a little known appearance on a Best Buy commercial (okay it's not really him, but this dude creepily looks like him.

Does Cashman have a Card up his sleeve?

Now that left field has been vacated by dispatching of Melky Cabrera to Atlanta, I suspect Brian Cashman may have something bigger in the works. We've heard about the need to monitor/cut back payroll. We've heard about possible discussions to/about Mark DeRosa and other low cost moves. But may very well be laying in the weeds to make a big, scratch that, very big move.

Matt Holliday in a Yankees lineup would likely make some opposing managers quit before the season even started. It would make anti-Yankees sentiment burn even hotter. It would cause those who want a salary cap to scream from the mountain tops. And of course it would satisfy those Yankees fans who ridiculously feel they need an All-Star at every position.

I think it's still not likely to occur, but Holliday could very well end up in a Yankees uniform if the length and amount of the contract was to the liking of Hal Steinbrenner and company.

That means that Johnny Damon is still an option as is Jason Bay.

The Yankees could still use a number five hitter to protect A-Rod and Holliday would certainly fit that role to a tee.

So to recap:

Plan A - Holliday

Plan B - Bay

Plan C - DeRosa type

Plan D - Damon

The order of this can all change of course if Damon lowers demands or the front office nixes a four or five year deal for Holliday or Bay. But the feeling here is that signing Holliday is Cashman's true agenda.

Yankees Seal up Rotation with Vazquez

Brian Cashman had spent the current off-season on the lookout for another starting pitcher. Today he landed one. The Yankees GM reacquired right-handed starter Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves for popular outfielder Melky Cabrera. In addition, the Yankees received left-handed pitcher Boone Logan and sent pitchers Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves.

Vazquez was originally acquired by the Yankees prior to the 2004 season. Ironically, recent free agent signee Nick Johnson was part of a package (along with Juan Rivera and Randy Choate) that landed Vazquez from the Montreal Expos.

Vazquez started out like a house afire in the Bronx, winning 10 games and was selected to the 2004 AL All-Star team. But a sore shoulder, which he kept hidden from the team, contributed to a miserable second half (6.92 ERA in 14 starts). He sealed his fate in pinstripes when he gave up a pair of home runs to Johnny Damon (more irony), including a grand slam, in Game 7 of the '04 ALCS. Vazquez was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in January, 2005 as part of a deal for Randy Johnson.

The right-hander is a work-horse, having averaged 216.1 innings over the last decade. He's in the final year of a free agent deal he signed with the Chicago White Sox prior to the 2006 season (he was dealt to Atlanta - even more irony - with Logan during the last off-season.). Since he'll be a back end of the rotation guy, this was a good move by Cashman.

Cabrera had his ups and downs in the Bronx. He bounced back from a rough 2008, which included a minor league demotion, and losing his starting job, to posting career bests in home runs (13) and OPS (.752) in 2009.

He helped the Yankees to several walk off wins in 2009, hit for the cycle against the White Sox, and was a solid contributor to the Yankees 27th world championship. He became expendable with the recent acquisition of center fielder Curtis Granderson from Detroit. A solid defender with a strong accurate arm, Melky's value was never going to be higher and Cashman was smart to move him before his offense had a chance to take a dip next season.

Happy Anniversary to My Pinstripes

I was a little busy the past week so I didn't get a chance to mention last Saturday was the 4th anniversary of "My Pinstripes". What started out as a semi-lark has been a lot of fun. With the blog, facebook, and twitter (as well as Baseball Digest Online), I've gotten the chance to interact with a lot of great Yankees fans as well as proponents of opponents.

I hope to have more interviews with players and people associated with the game next year, and continue to vary things up. And, of course, I hope you will continue to read and enjoy the blog.

Thanks!

Snowy Sunday Hot Stove

Northern New Jersey didn't get as much snow as southern NJ or areas that normally get less snow. But it's a good day to get ready for football by talking some baseball hot stove.

Boston and Texas have been talking a Mike Lowell deal for weeks, but now things are off. A physical revealed torn ligaments in Lowell's thumb. The tear will require surgery and a 6-8 week recovery period. The deal could be revisited once Lowell recovers, but it's dead for now.

The Oakland A's and Coco Crisp are close to a one year deal per ESPN's Buster Olney. Crisp's career has gone downhill since his back to back star years (2004-2005) in Cleveland when he averaged 15 home runs and 70 RBI. He's still a threat to steal, but the power has diminished as has his OPS.

In case you missed it on Friday, the Cubs sent "Mr. Personality", Milton Bradley to the Mariners for overpaid/underachieving starting pitcher Carlos Silva. Bradley brings his ton of baggage to Seattle at $10 million per season for the next two years. He's a bargain, but do the M's really want to put up with Bradley's antics? He'll primarily split DH with Ken Griffey Jr. and see some time in the outfield as well. As for Silva, what were the Mariners thinking when they gave him a four year deal for $11-$12 million per year.

Jolly St. Nick

I don't know if he's a saint, but it appears Nick Johnson will be back in a Yankees uniform in 2010. That according to reports earlier today that Johnson and the Yankees are completing a 1-yr deal worth $5.5 million. Since Johnson will be the primary DH that also means that Johnny Damon is likely done wearing the pinstripes.

Johnson played for the Yankees from 2001-2003 before being shipped to the Montreal Expos as part of a package for right-handed starter Javier Vazquez. He averaged 14 home runs and 52 RBI in the latter two years. He spent last season with the Nationals before being dealt to the Florida Marlins at the trade deadline.

Johnson has been on the disabled list a number of times and that marked a good portion of his time in New York as well as while he was an up and coming prospect. His best year was in 2006 while a member of the Washington Nationals. He had career highs in average (.290), OPS (.948), home runs (23), and RBI (77). His high on-base percentage and ability to produce runs fits right into the Yankees' game plan.

Johnson not only replaces Hideki Matsui, who signed with the LA Angels, in the lineup, but also as a left-handed bat that can hit-left-handed pitching. He's a career .292 hitter against southpaws, including .316 last season.

Home for the Halladay

The Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mariners have finalized their deal to swap top starters Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and assorted players. Upon joining the Phillies, Halladay agreed to a three year, $60 million extension, good through 2013. He also goes from a team constantly chasing the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East to one that has represented the National League in the last two World Series.

Lee is due to become a free agent after the 2010 season and wants a CC Sabathia-like deal. That's seven years, $161 million. Had the Phillies not wanted to deal Lee they certainly would have to have parted with more ready for prime time players in order to land Halladay.

Heading north of the border are Phillies prospects Kyle Drabek and catcher Tyler d’Arnaud. Outfield prospect Michael Taylor was also included, but the Blue Jays immediately sent him to the A's for third base prospect Brett Wallace.

The Mariners meanwhile shipped three prospects to the Phillies in return for Lee. They are pitching prosects Phillippe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, and minor league outfielder Tyson Gillies.

No one knows what the future holds with prospects, but right now the Blue Jays come out last in this deal.

Red Sox Sign Lackey, Cameron

The Red Sox took a big step towards competing with the Yankees in the AL East this evening by signing free agent pitcher John Lackey. The Sox also inked center fielder Mike Cameron to a deal.

Lackey has been a stud for the LA Angels and leaves a huge void in Mike Scoscia's rotation. He joins a Red Sox rotation of Josh Beckett, John Lester, Dice-K, Clay Buchholz, and Tim Wakefield. The deal is reportedly for 5 years and in the range of $80-$85 million.

Cameron could replace Jason Bay in left field or free up the Sox to possibly include Jacoby Ellsbury in a deal for Adrian Gonzalez or another bat.

Doc Just What the Phillies Ordered

UPDATE 11 PM
Okay, I was really out of it when I got home tonight..this is actually a three team deal involving the Mariners in addition to the Blue Jays and Phillies. The latest would send Halladay to the Phillies, Cliff Lee to the Mariners, and J.A. Happ or Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor and catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud to the Blue Jays.

While this is still a good deal for the Phillies, I'm not loving it for the Jays so much any more now that there aren't two automatics for their rotation.

A lot happens when you have no access to any media for most of the day. Imagine my surprise when I just heard that Roy Halladay was in Philadelphia today for a physical. Halladay has reportedly been dealt from the Blue Jays for pitchers Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and outfielder Dominic Brown.

Reportedly Halladay's agent Greg Landry was working with the Phils on a new contract. The deal would most likely fall through if no deal were reached. The commissioner's office has given the teams a 72 hour window to get the trade completed.

The Phillies have decisions to make going forward. In addition to doling out big bucks to Halladay, current Phillie Cliff Lee is looking for a deal with CC Sabathia type money ($23 mill per year). Lee won't be a free agent until after the 2010 season.

The Phillies were already the front-runner to repeat as NL East division winners next season, but the deal would give them an even bigger advantage. Especially if Cole Hamels can recapture his 2008 form.

This is a good deal for the Blue Jays as well, getting two major league starters. Blanton has a tendency to fight his weight as well as the strike zone, but is a consistent pitcher. Happ, a rookie in '09, has a tremendous up side. The 22-yr old Brown put together a .299-14-64 season playing at three different levels this past season. He also stole 23 bases. Baseball America ranked Brown as the Phillies top prospect prior to the '09 season.

Godzilla Switches Coasts

Hideki Matsui was a true professional in his seven years in Pinstripes. Now, he'll be bringing that professionalism to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Godzilla has reportedly signed a one year, $6.5 million deal to play for Mike Scioscia on the left coast.

Matsui reached the pinnacle of his Yankees career in his final season in the Bronx, winning the World Series MVP Award as the Bombers captured their 27th world championship.

Matsui had many big hits during his time in the Bronx and will be missed.

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!