The Yankees locked up the few players they had that were available for salary arbitration on Monday by giving one year deals to Chad Gaudin, Boone Logan, and Sergio Mitre. Gaudin and Mitre will likely compete for the fifth starter role in spring training along with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Alfredo Aceves. Whomever does not get selected as the fifth starter will fight for a spot in the bullpen (Likely Gaudin, Hughes, and Aceves in the bullpen, Chamberlain starting, and Mitre traded or sent to Triple-A). Logan will likely serve as a left handed specialist out of the bullpen after the departure of Phil Coke via trade.
One player who would have been available for salary arbitration this year would have been Chien-Ming Wang but the Yankees instead non-tendered him (essentially didn't offer him a contract) and he is now a free agent. The Yanks do have a couple million of dollars to work with in their budget but they are seemingly unwilling to take a low cost risk on Wang who had won 19 games in consecutive years before injuring his foot while running the bases in an inter-league game in 2008. He has not been able to come back from that injury and has suffered other injuries in the process but I hate to see him go after he gave so much to the team for the years he played. This game is a business so decisions cannot be made based upon emotions but I think he still has upside and would be worth a couple million to try and get him back to his 19 game winning shape.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Our biggest competition
Let's see...
The biggest obstacle the Yankees will face this coming season will come from within their division and from a bitter rival: the Red Sox. The Red Sox have upgraded their entire team from their defense, their offense, and their rotation. They were already a good team last season but they have made themselves a scary good team for the upcoming season. The following is an explanation of their offseason moves and their upcoming new look.
The Red Sox started the offseason with a trade for Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins, then they signed free agents Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, and John Lackey. Hermida is a solid outfielder and will give the Sox some flexibility and durability off the bench. Marco Scutaro will be a vast upgrade at shortstop compared to the revolving door they had at that position last season. Scutaro is good defensively and can hit as well. Mike Cameron will be patrolling centerfield for the Sox as they have decided to move Jacoby Ellsbury to leftfield due to Cameron's experience and Ellsbury's relative inexperience. Cameron is going to old in baseball terms next season, he'll turn 38 next season, but he has shown little decline in his defensive and offensive skills. Beltre had a disappointing offensive season with Seattle last year but he remains one of the best defensive third baseman in the game. Overall, their defense will be one of the best in the game. I find it hard to believe teams will find any easy runs against them this next season.
Finally, the John Lackey signing gives the Nation the best overall rotation in the AL. They have Josh Beckett, John Lester, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and Clay Buchholz to choose from which gives them six solid starters. Beckett and Lackey are power pitchers with plus fastballs and fighter mentalities. They hate losing and hate leaving games even more. Lester is turning into a left handed ace with a solid fastball and great offspeed stuff. Matsuzaka and Buchholz showcase multiple pitches and both are coming off mediocre seasons after having some above average success. Wakefield continues his success by throwing his knuckleball all day long. He had some back issues and he is 42 years old but the Sox can afford to take a chance with him. With a plethora of starting pitchers, the Sox could even move one of them to further upgrade their team (likely Buchholz). They match up with the Yankees rotation arm for arm but I think they have the benefit of a little more depth and a better back end. While the Nation's bullpen lost a couple arms to free agency (Wagner and Saito), they have plenty of power arms to supplement any loss. With Delcarmen, Bard, Okajihma, and Papelbon, the Red Sox have a slew of strikeout artists to throw at other teams.
The Red Sox are looking like they might be a juggernaut next season and I would call them the team to beat if my Yanks didn't have the championship trophy sitting in the clubhouse. Either way the Sox are going to destroy teams, win close games, and pull out some come from behind wins and they'll give the Evil Empire (my Yankees) a run for the AL East title. The following is will likely be there lineup and rotation setup:
1. Ellsbury LF
2. Pedroia 2B
3. Martinez C
4. Youkilis 1B
5. Ortiz DH
6. Cameron CF
7. JD Drew RF
8. Beltre 3B
9. Scutaro SS
1. Beckett RHP
2. Lester LHP
3. Lackey RHP
4. Matsuzaka RHP
5. Wakefield RHP/Buchholz RHP
The biggest obstacle the Yankees will face this coming season will come from within their division and from a bitter rival: the Red Sox. The Red Sox have upgraded their entire team from their defense, their offense, and their rotation. They were already a good team last season but they have made themselves a scary good team for the upcoming season. The following is an explanation of their offseason moves and their upcoming new look.
The Red Sox started the offseason with a trade for Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins, then they signed free agents Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, and John Lackey. Hermida is a solid outfielder and will give the Sox some flexibility and durability off the bench. Marco Scutaro will be a vast upgrade at shortstop compared to the revolving door they had at that position last season. Scutaro is good defensively and can hit as well. Mike Cameron will be patrolling centerfield for the Sox as they have decided to move Jacoby Ellsbury to leftfield due to Cameron's experience and Ellsbury's relative inexperience. Cameron is going to old in baseball terms next season, he'll turn 38 next season, but he has shown little decline in his defensive and offensive skills. Beltre had a disappointing offensive season with Seattle last year but he remains one of the best defensive third baseman in the game. Overall, their defense will be one of the best in the game. I find it hard to believe teams will find any easy runs against them this next season.
Finally, the John Lackey signing gives the Nation the best overall rotation in the AL. They have Josh Beckett, John Lester, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and Clay Buchholz to choose from which gives them six solid starters. Beckett and Lackey are power pitchers with plus fastballs and fighter mentalities. They hate losing and hate leaving games even more. Lester is turning into a left handed ace with a solid fastball and great offspeed stuff. Matsuzaka and Buchholz showcase multiple pitches and both are coming off mediocre seasons after having some above average success. Wakefield continues his success by throwing his knuckleball all day long. He had some back issues and he is 42 years old but the Sox can afford to take a chance with him. With a plethora of starting pitchers, the Sox could even move one of them to further upgrade their team (likely Buchholz). They match up with the Yankees rotation arm for arm but I think they have the benefit of a little more depth and a better back end. While the Nation's bullpen lost a couple arms to free agency (Wagner and Saito), they have plenty of power arms to supplement any loss. With Delcarmen, Bard, Okajihma, and Papelbon, the Red Sox have a slew of strikeout artists to throw at other teams.
The Red Sox are looking like they might be a juggernaut next season and I would call them the team to beat if my Yanks didn't have the championship trophy sitting in the clubhouse. Either way the Sox are going to destroy teams, win close games, and pull out some come from behind wins and they'll give the Evil Empire (my Yankees) a run for the AL East title. The following is will likely be there lineup and rotation setup:
1. Ellsbury LF
2. Pedroia 2B
3. Martinez C
4. Youkilis 1B
5. Ortiz DH
6. Cameron CF
7. JD Drew RF
8. Beltre 3B
9. Scutaro SS
1. Beckett RHP
2. Lester LHP
3. Lackey RHP
4. Matsuzaka RHP
5. Wakefield RHP/Buchholz RHP
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Yankee lineup
1. Jeter SS
2. Johnson DH
3. Texeira 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Posada C
6. Cano 2B
7. Swisher RF/Granderson CF
8. Granderson CF/Swisher RF
9. Gardner/Hoffmann LF
Sabathia LHP
Burnett RHP
Pettitte LHP
Vazquez RHP
Chamberlain RHP
It looks like the Yankees are going to try a platoon in left field with Brett Gardner and Jamie Hoffmann, or at least they are going to head into spring training with that plan. I don't really mind it at all because I like the idea of giving these guys a chance to earn their spots. I think it will give them all a sense of edge and a need to play better. I'm not sure how the Yankees will want to set up their lineup because it depends on if they want to put two lefties in a row or not. Most teams try not to do that because opposing teams can run a lefty out to the mound and essentially counteract most left handed hitters. I personally like the idea of having Granderson bat at the bottom of the order because he sets up some speed for the top of the order. However, it sounds like the Yanks will have Gardner or Hoffmann bat in the nine hole which leaves Granderson either batting behind Cano in seventh or behind Swisher in eighth. I guess it won't really matter. Also, from everything I have read Javier Vazquez will be the number four pitcher rather than the number three like I had thought. I think this might change once spring training starts but the rotation does set up nicely rotating the first four pitchers lefty and righty. I just think that Pettitte won't be able to keep up his success forever even though he is one of my all time favorites. I'm very much looking forward to baseball season!
2. Johnson DH
3. Texeira 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Posada C
6. Cano 2B
7. Swisher RF/Granderson CF
8. Granderson CF/Swisher RF
9. Gardner/Hoffmann LF
Sabathia LHP
Burnett RHP
Pettitte LHP
Vazquez RHP
Chamberlain RHP
It looks like the Yankees are going to try a platoon in left field with Brett Gardner and Jamie Hoffmann, or at least they are going to head into spring training with that plan. I don't really mind it at all because I like the idea of giving these guys a chance to earn their spots. I think it will give them all a sense of edge and a need to play better. I'm not sure how the Yankees will want to set up their lineup because it depends on if they want to put two lefties in a row or not. Most teams try not to do that because opposing teams can run a lefty out to the mound and essentially counteract most left handed hitters. I personally like the idea of having Granderson bat at the bottom of the order because he sets up some speed for the top of the order. However, it sounds like the Yanks will have Gardner or Hoffmann bat in the nine hole which leaves Granderson either batting behind Cano in seventh or behind Swisher in eighth. I guess it won't really matter. Also, from everything I have read Javier Vazquez will be the number four pitcher rather than the number three like I had thought. I think this might change once spring training starts but the rotation does set up nicely rotating the first four pitchers lefty and righty. I just think that Pettitte won't be able to keep up his success forever even though he is one of my all time favorites. I'm very much looking forward to baseball season!
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