Off Topic · Yankees Talk thread (page 463)

TMS wrote:

BigSm00th wrote:interesting TMS.

and how would you feel if the yanks gave up montero AND nunez and then lee signed with philly in the offseason.

why would lee have necessarily stayed in NY?

from all accounts it seems we were already committed to trading Montero, Adams & McAllister for him anyway... apparently from what i've been reading after the M's became concerned w/Adam's injury issues they approached the Yanks & asked for a replacement in the deal & the Yankees declined, so they went to the Rangers & asked for Smoak to be included & they could have Lee & they accepted the deal... this has been reported on by Ken Rosenthal too, so i'm assuming there's some truth to these reports & it's not just a figment of Joel Sherman's imagination.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/texas...

anyway it's kinda hard to argue hypotheticals, all we can do is argue what actually happened, & if what Sherman & Rosenthal reported is true then we missed out on the top available pitcher who helped beat us in the playoffs last year because we were unwilling to give up Eduardo Nunez... that's a tough pill to swallow.

very true. and you're right, hindsight is 20/20.

but we can all agree that if cliff lee came here and then walked, we would be upset for having done the deal in the first place.

Despite popcorn diet, Alex Rodriguez healthier and leaner

TAMPA (AP) — Alex Rodriguez (FSY) arrived at spring training and promptly discussed the most significant activity of his offseason: getting fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz at the Super Bowl in the snack seen 'round the world.

The New York Yankees third baseman, known for dating actress Kate Hudson during the 2009 World Series, was pictured on TV with Diaz in a suite at the game in Arlington, Texas.

"Did anyone watch the Super Bowl?" Rodriguez said to laughter Monday. "No popcorn endorsements yet, but our lines are open. Who would be upset about getting fed popcorn?"

Laughter quickly changed to a more serious tone when the discussion shifted to Rodriguez's onfield game the past two years, which declined following right hip surgery in March 2009.

STEINBRENNER: Chides Yankees and 'minor' markets
The 13-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP was cleared during the offseason by Dr. Marc Philippon to end his combination rehab-workout program and resume his normal offseason routine. The result is a leaner A-Rod, down 5 or 6 pounds to around 222.

"This is as healthy as I've felt over the last several years," the 35-year-old Rodriguez said. "It's fun getting back to work. I have a good winter behind me of real work, probably my first since '07 or '08. I'm ready to go."

The Yankees are coming off a six-game loss to Texas in the AL championship series, which followed a season in which A-Rod won his first World Series ring.

"I hear there's a lot of doubters out there, which is fun," Rodriguez said. "We were two wins shy of the World Series. With the exception of Swish (Nick Swisher) (FSY) and Robbie (Robinson Cano), (FSY) I think the other seven guys, if you ask them, all of us would say there's a lot of room for improvement. And that start's with me."

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner expects a big season from Rodriguez.

"The guy can still do it big time, no question," Steinbrenner said.

Two years ago, Rodriguez arrived at spring training and held an emotional news conference during which he admitted using performance-enhancing drops. His arrival was more low-key this year.

"I believe I'm in a better place after all the things that have gone on," Rodriguez said. "I felt a sense of liberation. Just really enjoying my life, enjoying the game and enjoying my teammates."

Rodriguez will continue to have the hip examined twice a year. He didn't completely rule out the possibility that he could face another operation in the future.

Both Rodriguez and Steinbrenner were impressed by Boston's offseason moved, which included the additions of left fielder Carl Crawford (FSY) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (FSY).

"They always do a great job," Rodriguez said. "They know what they're doing. They got two great players. Last year they went through injuries. They're going to be tough to beat this year. I know they're excited to have a great year, and so are we."

Steinbrenner thinks Boston owner John Henry is serious about winning.

"John is as committed as we are, and that's the bottom line," Steinbrenner said. "He'll do what he needs to do."

Steinbrenner thinks the AL East may be the best division in all of American sports.

"It's always going to be the Yankees and Red Sox and whoever else right now," he said. "Now it's the Phillies who look very tough."

When asked what he was focused on, Rodriguez said "28," which would be the Yankees' total of World Series titles with another one.

"I think all the guys are ready for the challenge," Rodriguez said. "The feeling we were left with in Texas was not good."

NOTES: Closer Mariano Rivera (FSY) should have his first bullpen session Wednesday or Thursday. The right-hander has been taking a slower approach at spring training the past few years. ... Rodriguez doesn't think ace CC Sabathia (FSY), who can opt of his contract after this season, will leave the team. "I know that CC enjoys being a Yankee very much," Rodriguez said. "We love having him." ... LHP Boone Logan (FSY) brought out an ice pack from the clubhouse for a girl in the stands he accidentally hit with a thrown ball on the lower right arm. Stadium medical staff treated the injury.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I wonder if the positioning of the Yanks as under dogs this season will help us. It might be nice to not be the favorite and to have ppl doubt us openly. Could make the team very hungry.

Reports: Selig to hire Torre

Early Friday afternoon, a press release was sent out by Bud Selig's office that the commissioner would make a "major on-field announcement Saturday." The announcement will come at 1:15 p.m. ET, but if reports are correct, we don't have to wait.

Jon Heyman of SI.com was first and several others have since also confirmed that Joe Torre will be named the executive vice president of baseball operations, meaning he will oversee on-field activity and be one of MLB's top-ranking executives.

No official word yet on what the job specifically entails, but it's possible he'll be looking at issues like the length of games, instant replay and other things of that ilk. Player and manager discipline should be involved as well. We do know the position is the one vacated by Sandy Alderson and oversees the position of vice president -- which is also vacated at this time.

This appears to be a great hire by Selig. Torre is a career baseball man who has always had the reputation of being level-headed and thoughtful. As fans, we should be able to count on Torre to do things in the best interest of the game and to stay fair in the process.

Dellin Betances looked AWESOME yesterday. Dude hit 97 MPH on the gun -- we're talkin' 1st spring training appearance here. 1 IP, struck out the side..Montero looked very good too..He might wind up coming north as the starting catcher..Wouldn't surprise me..And how 'bout this Mexican dude outta nowhere -- Jorge Vazquez? Dude's hit 2 absolute BOMBS the last couple of days, yesterday's came against a Brad Lidge slider that actually wasn't a terrible pitch...This guy might make the club as the backup first baseman/DH over Chavez or whoever else..

Take a look at these numbers on Vazquez -- all basically in the Mexican league, but still...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors...

Dude looks like he has a clue with the bat -- big-time power, batting average, low strikeout totals..Again, I know it's the Mexican league but these numbers are impressive. Damn!.33 HRs in 285 ABs in '05?!?!?! 31 dingers in only 284 ABs in 2006?!?! WOW!!! And you can see it on TV -- watching him swing the stick you can see he's very capable..

I know, I know. The game got me very excited about this season. We may have some aces up our sleeves. Too bad TMS isn't here to remind us that we should have signed Chapman or someone else two years ago...

MAN BAN today:

UPDATE, 2:28 p.m.: Good inning for Banuelos, who faced nothing but big leaguers in a 1-2-3 fourth. Looked like a changeup that Victor Martinez rolled to short, Jhonny Peralta swung through a fastball and Brandon Inge looked at a big curveball. Impressive. *By the way, based on Twitter, most seem to think the Peralta strikeout pitch was offspeed. I was typing, looked up at the end of the pitch, thought fastball and was told fastball. I was probably wrong, though. If you’re scoring at home, call it an offspeed pitch.

^From LoHud.

Brackman should be up next. Love the Killer B's man, I hope for one of them and Montero to be in the Bigs by July.

Happy to hear about Montero's progress..

BRADENTON, Fla. — Russell Martin is in no danger of losing a firm grip on the Yankees’ starting catcher’s job.

A guaranteed $4 million and close to five years of major-league experience are not going to be flushed due to a surgically repaired right knee that hasn’t allowed him to catch in any of the four exhibition games.

Yet, what Martin’s absence has done is provided backup candidates Francisco Cervelli and Jesus Montero opportunities to strut their talent in front of manager Joe Girardi.

And they have impressed with tools that are supposed to be secondary.

PROSPECTS COUNTDOWN

Cervelli is considered a better catcher than hitter, but in two games he is 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Montero is a lock to make a lot of money with the bat, but yesterday he threw out two Pirates attempting to steal second, drew the respect of Phil Hughes and David Robertson and had the scouts’ section buzzing with the improvement he has made from a year ago.

“For a guy who has his type of bat, I have a lot of respect for how hard he has worked to improve [defensively] from last year,” Hughes said after a 2-0 loss to the Pirates at McKechnie Field.

Robertson’s eyes widened when asked about Montero, who went 0-for-3 and is 1-for-6 in two games.

“I first saw him when I signed here and it’s amazing how much better he has gotten,” Robertson said. “He sets up good, blocks balls in the dirt and stays down. He looks good.”

Arm strength has never been a negative with the 21-year-old Montero. Footwork, balance, weight shift and release have required work.

All were aligned in the fourth inning. After Montero caught Chris Snyder at second on a full-count steal attempt that was more avoiding being the front end of a double play in the third, Montero unleashed a laser to get Alex Presley at second in the fourth.

“It was under two [seconds] for the second one,” Girardi said of Montero’s time getting the ball to second base. “The first one we didn’t get.”

Until the throws, Montero wasn’t noticed. He didn’t drop balls and went to the dirt quickly to block balls.

“He was really, really good,” Girardi said. “The first [throw] the guy was going on a 3-2 pitch down. They were two good throws.”

Girardi said he doesn’t know when Martin will be healthy enough to catch. The plan is for him to DH at some point today. He is close to returning and there is plenty of time for him to be ready for Opening Day.

So, what does it mean to Cervelli and Montero? Only a big league roster spot.

When camp opened Cervelli was considered a slight favorite for the backup role because he has one-plus seasons of big league experience. But Girardi said if a player can help a team win, then that player would go north.

The question facing Girardi is simple: If Montero gets to play twice a week, is that enough to keep his bat sharp and not allow the progress he has made behind the plate wilt?

Or would Montero benefit by returning to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and catch every day?

“I like Montero, I think he is going to be a big-time player,” a scout said. “I know he is big (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), but he will be fine. All he has to do is just keep on catching.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/yanks_giddy_about_improvement_of_07aKliVzXnmkzRyieH8KeL#ixzz1FTBtnKUD

The Yankees are not gonna be able to keep Montero's bat out of the lineup. Wouldn't be surprised if he leapfrogs both Cervelli and Martin.

Banuelos and Betances are big time - but I'm not sure they are going to slot either in the rotation yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks it'll be clearer who 4 and 5 are, but knowing Torre it will be Mitre and Nova. Hopefully Mitre will be replaced quickly.

VDesai wrote:The Yankees are not gonna be able to keep Montero's bat out of the lineup. Wouldn't be surprised if he leapfrogs both Cervelli and Martin.

Banuelos and Betances are big time - but I'm not sure they are going to slot either in the rotation yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks it'll be clearer who 4 and 5 are, but knowing Torre it will be Mitre and Nova. Hopefully Mitre will be replaced quickly.

little slip there des?

AJ throws 3 perfect innings...I know spring doesn't count for much, but let's hope this is a good sign, maybe even a really good sign. If AJ can get it done this year and win 17-20 games, we will have a nice 1-2-3 punch with room for Nova to become our #4. Tickets go on sale to the public on March 11. I'm very excited.

So who do you want at no.4 and 5? Nova, Garcia, Mitre and Colon have all pitched well in Spring Training. I even like the way Hector Noesi has pitched. I think Girardi will lean towards Colon and Garcia at first- give the veterans a shot early because you can always give Nova some experience in AAA and use Mitre out the pen.

VDesai wrote:So who do you want at no.4 and 5? Nova, Garcia, Mitre and Colon have all pitched well in Spring Training. I even like the way Hector Noesi has pitched. I think Girardi will lean towards Colon and Garcia at first- give the veterans a shot early because you can always give Nova some experience in AAA and use Mitre out the pen.

i dont think there's anyway nova goes back to AAA. he dominated last yr (12-3, sub 3 ERA) and proved he could be serviceable. no way you send him down to get fatty bartolo or fred garcia innings at the MLB level. those guys are rentals, nova is 24 and a potential back end starter.

i think mitre out of the pen and colon and garcia both make the team, one of them will eventually fade or get bought out.

from lohud:

CC Sabathia was scheduled for four innings this afternoon. He wound up pitching five scoreless and still didn’t reach his pitch count. Going head-to-head against Phillies ace Roy Halladay, Sabathia was back to his old self after a rocky start his last time out against the Nationals.

“That’s pretty much the CC we’re used to seeing,” manager Joe Girardi said.

Sabathia said he was sharp enough to work on some specific things today, throwing changeups when he was down in the count and mixing in some first-pitch two-seamers. His delivery was “cleaner,” he said.

“I have the pause in my delivery,” Sabathia said. “I was kind of floating, drifting through it (last time) instead of just staying there, gathering, and then going. We worked on that in the bullpen, and I was conscious of it in the bullpen here today and trying to translate into the game.”

think CC's gonna have a B-I-G year. he has 3 yrs left after this one at 23 mil per. i bet he gets a 5 yr 25 mil extension from HANKL. they can't help themselves and after another big yr no way they can say no, right?

Garcia really faltered his last time out. If Colon has a good start today, its looking more like Nova and Colon as the last two. I'm ok with that. Colon at least has more of a track record and it seems like he made some adjustments to get back to the majors.

colon yesterday.. 6ip, 2hits, 0walks, 1er, 5k's. in 15 spring innings, that brings his era to 2.40 - i think we have our 4th starter.

not good:

Granderson may miss Opening Day for Yankees with strain
Yankees BlogBy GEORGE A. KING III

Last Updated: 9:40 AM, March 23, 2011

SARASOTA, Fla. — Hours after Curtis Granderson was pulled yesterday from the lineup with a strained right oblique muscle, the level of concern in the Yankees’ universe was significant.

And the strained muscle jeopardizes the center fielder’s chances of being in the Opening Day lineup on March 31 against the Tigers.

Asked if he was worried Granderson won’t be ready to face the Tigers at Yankee Stadium a week from tomorrow, Brian Cashman didn’t soft-shoe the injury, one that often lingers.

“A little bit. I won’t sit here today and tell you he will be fine, but I can’t tell you he will be ready,” the GM said following a 6-2 loss to the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. “Obliques are tricky; let’s see the next few days. We will be cautious and hope to have success like Joba [Chamberlain] and [Sergio] Mitre [had]. It’s too early to give it a call. He felt something. We will get a better feel how cautious we need to be.”

Chamberlain, Mitre and reserve outfielder Greg Golson missed time this spring with oblique problems. Chamberlain and Golson returned yesterday, while Mitre made his second appearance back.

Granderson returned to Tampa and was examined by Dr. Allen Miller. Trainer Gene Monahan told manager Joe Girardi no tests were planned yesterday. That could change today.

Granderson suffered the injury taking batting practice, but didn’t tell Girardi. He then threw and ran, and the fact that he wasn’t bothered during those exercises was encouraging to Girardi.

So was Granderson telling the manager if it was a regular-season game he would have played. Of course, Granderson may have not informed Girardi if this was May instead of March.

“I am concerned,” said Girardi, who would shift Brett Gardner from left to center, use Andruw Jones in left and likely add Golson to the roster as a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement if Granderson isn’t ready for Opening Day.

Golson had been out since March 7 with an oblique problem.

If Granderson has to go on the disabled list, as long as he does not play in a game for which admission is charged, it could be back-dated to yesterday. That would make him eligible to return April 6.

And there is always the chance the Yankees could acquire a left-handed hitting outfielder so Jones wouldn’t have to face right-handers. Jones was signed primarily to play left against lefties.

A year ago Jones, 33, batted .219 (42-for-192) with 11 homers and 25 RBIs against righties and .256 (22-for-86) with eight homers and 23 RBIs versus lefties.

For his career, Jones is a .255 hitter against righties and .261 versus lefties.

How he would respond to full-time work isn’t clear. Last season, Jones was a part-time player for the White Sox, hitting .230 with 19 homers in 278 at-bats.

Jones said Granderson told him he didn’t think the problem was severe.

“We talked a little bit, he said maybe two to three days,” Jones said. “Hopefully he will come back and be ready for the season. He is a key player on the team.”

In Granderson’s first season in The Bronx, he batted .247 with 24 homers and 67 RBIs. He was out 25 days with a left groin strain and there are a number of reasons why people expect Granderson to be better this season.

The changes Granderson made with hitting coach Kevin Long late last year worked. Then there is the comfort level of not everything about the Yankees being new. And he is hitting .385 (15-for-39) with three homers and seven RBIs in 15 games this spring.

george.king@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/strain_puts_opening_day_in_doubt_JMt9G7fVDFgq6naQiePeWM#ixzz1HQq5KUYu

Starting jobs go to Nova and Garcia. I don't get....Colon outpitched Garcia this spring. I thought Colon was the better choice by far. At least they also have Milwood waiting in the wings too. There are some options.

Are you ready? We open up with a great pitching matchup tommorow. Sabathia vs. Verlander

CANT WAIT! hopefully rain holds up and there is a game. 1pm start - i know my afternoon at work is SHOT!

jimimou wrote:CANT WAIT! hopefully rain holds up and there is a game. 1pm start - i know my afternoon at work is SHOT!

Missing opening day again. I feel like someone died