Posted by TMS:
Alby sounds good to me. 
looks like he's replacing Luis Vizcaino in our bullpen.
He still has a ways to go to do that- he only has about 18 ML innings. But he sounds like could definitely contribute.
Watch out for this kid Melancon...he might be our lights out setup man a little later this year. And maybe they will use Horne like they used Joba. Horne can bring some heat.
on Alan Horne, here's something written by a writer that covers the farm teams:
http://pinstripespa.blogspot.com/2007/11/top-10-prospects-5-alan-horne.html
Horne has three plus pitches at his disposal: a two-seam fastball that hits 92-94 mph, a four-seam fastball that can top out at 96 mph, and an 12-6 curve with a hard bite that clocks in at 78 mph. Both fastballs have plus movement, and his curve is generally his out pitch. Horne also has a slider and change in his arsenal, but neither are as impressive as the previous three pitches. His changeup is his worst pitch, but he has made great strives with it. It normally sits at about 82 mph, but he still need work on improving it. His slider, which clocks in at 86 mph, tends to hang sometimes, but it does have great movement.
I don't know much about Horne's mental and emotional makeup, but from what I've read he is a very intelligent and competitive player that has been very open to changing his style of pitching. Horne's transformation has really impressed me, and I think he has what it takes to be a legitimate #3 starter. It should also be noted that Horne has become much more durable since his college days.
Horne came into the organization as a strikeout pitcher, but since improving his mechanics, he integrated finesse into his mentality-along with a greater percentage of ground balls. He's become a much more polished pitcher since being drafted, and he is en route to a productive big league career.
All in all, Horne is an excellent pitcher. He's got the stuff to succeed at the major league level, and while he will not dominate-he will certainly be a serviceable pitcher.
2008 Projection:
Horne's name has been thrown around in trade discussions lately, and I would not be surprised to see him included in a package for Johan Santana. However, his ability indicated that he is more than ready for the Triple-A level, and I think he'll succeed there. A promotion sometime next season is likely.
Career Projection:
Some have speculated that Horne should be used as a reliever, but I think that would be a waste of his talent. He has five pitches at his disposal-three great and two average. Throw in the fact that he is durable, strong and competitive-and you have yourself a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. Some have compared him to A.J. Burnett, and they are somewhat similar if you add some velocity to Horne's fastball.
Prospect Rating: B+
he's gonna be 25 next year... i think it's fair to say he's pretty much developed what he's gonna be at this point in terms of velocity & style of pitching... maybe he can learn a cutter from Mo or get some pointers from the other vets on his other pitches? i think he projects more as a starter than as a reliever.
[Edited by - TMS on 12-05-2007 7:41 PM]
He's a little bit older because he had Tommy John early in his college career- he bounced around a couple college and finished at Florida St. where he graduated.
The comparison to Burnett isn't bad. I saw one of his Trenton games on TV last year, he has a sick spike curveball that is very similar to Burnett's.
Keep in mind the Yanks liked him enough where like Kennedy, Tabata and Jackson they wouldn't include him in the trade. So he's got to have a pretty high grade from them.
some encouraging comments being made by Cashman & Newman on Melancon's work ethic & mental makeup here:
http://www.waswatching.com/archives/2007/11/mark_melancon_-.html
November 24, 2007
Mark Melancon - A Year After Tommy John
An update on Mark Melancon, via George King in Baseball America -
Though the Yankees are high on righthander Mark Melancon, don't go looking for his 2007 statistics.
He missed the entire season after having Tommy John surgery in November 2006. But when spring training opens in February, it's likely the 2006 ninth-round pick from Arizona will be in major league camp—despite having just seven games for short-season Staten Island under his belt.
"This guy's makeup is off the charts," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said of Melancon, who went 0-1, 3.52 in seven relief appearances in the New York-Penn League in 2006.
Coming out of Arizona, where he held the single-season and career saves records when he left, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Melancon had first-round stuff. The barking elbow scared other teams, but the Yankees thought so much of Melancon that they gave him supplemental first-round money to sign.
"We knew the elbow was going to go. It was a matter of not if but when," farm director Mark Newman said.
Elbow woes don't frighten the Yankees. They wanted righthander Humberto Sanchez from the Tigers in the Gary Sheffield deal, knowing he needed surgery. Righthander Andrew Brackman, taken in the first round of the 2007 draft from North Carolina State, had the surgery as well, and likely won't pitch until 2009.
And while they were impressed with Melancon's physical equipment—94 mph fastball, curveball and changeup—the Yankees gush about his work ethic and makeup.
"Since I have been here, he is in the top two or three guys as far as working," Newman said.
Prior to attending the organization's Dominican instructional league in early November, Melancon spent time at the complex in Tampa. "He is clearly ahead of the rehab schedule," Newman said. "He works and is very competitive."
Still, it's a looooong way from the New York-Penn League to the majors. Don't count on him making the big league team out of Spring Training.
on your past suggestion about getting Scott Rolen, i think i might wanna see what STL would want for him in a trade... his relationship w/Tony LaRussa is said to be untenable at this point... he's coming off another injury, but if healthy he remains 1 of the best defensive 3B in the game... we can shift ARod to 1B or play Rolen at 1B & have him spell ARod when he has an offday... would give us another power bat from the rightside.
if we pick up all of his remaining contract i think we could get him for very little in terms of talent (much like we got Abreu from Philly a couple years ago)
I would say Rolen's value is at 3B considering how good he is defensively there, and that with his injury his bat wsn't as strong last year. Still I think a little farther removed from injury he's due for a bounce back.
I think with all the crap we've gone through for with ARod we may have some issues moving him again, so I dunno what the situation would be there. Perhaps it would help Rolen's durability if he were the one too move.
It would be a free talent thing cause we'd be picking up his rather large salary.
We're definitely still talking to the Pirates about Marte. I wonder if we also get involved regarding Jason Bay who's on the block.
I just looked at Rolen's stats b/c I don't follow the NL closely...he's a great hitter career wise, but his #s in 2 of the last 3 seasons have been very bad. that has to raise red flags.
why would you wanna go after Bay?... we already have 4 solid OFers as it is, unless u wanna add more pop to the lineup & trade away Melky & stick Damon back in CF? or are u thinking Bay could move over to 1B? i can't imagine he'd come cheap anyway in a trade & we don't need another OFer.
Posted by Bonn1997:
I just looked at Rolen's stats b/c I don't follow the NL closely...he's a great hitter career wise, but his #s in 2 of the last 3 seasons have been very bad. that has to raise red flags.
his #'s were bad in '05 & last season cuz he was hampered w/injuries those years... his durability is the only question mark when it comes to him... when healthy he's a terrific player.
Posted by TMS:
why would you wanna go after Bay?... we already have 4 solid OFers as it is, unless u wanna add more pop to the lineup & trade away Melky & stick Damon back in CF? or are u thinking Bay could move over to 1B? i can't imagine he'd come cheap anyway in a trade & we don't need another OFer.
It depends on whether Melky or Damon is being used as a chip in another trade.
Did you see the note that the Yankees and San Fran Giants were discussing a trade of Hideki Matsui for a starting pitcher? That one came out of no where.
Matsui to SF? for who though? can't be Barry Zito w/that contract of his.. other than Lincecum their staff isn't anything to write home about, & you know they're not giving that kid up for anyone.
Posted by TMS:
Matsui to SF? for who though? can't be Barry Zito w/that contract of his.. other than Lincecum their staff isn't anything to write home about, & you know they're not giving that kid up for anyone.
Lincecum and Matt Cain- who is perhaps even better, but also 22. And we're not getting him either.
However, would they be willing to move Noah Lowry?
Eh, Lowry doesn't impress me much... he pitched to almost a 4 ERA in the weak hitting NL w/a .265 BA against last year... the year before his ERA was 4.75... is he even a better option than Alan Horne at this point? no way do i give up a perennial 100 RBI guy like Matsui for that guy.
Posted by TMS:
Eh, Lowry doesn't impress me much... he pitched to almost a 4 ERA in the weak hitting NL w/a .265 BA against last year... the year before his ERA was 4.75... is he even a better option than Alan Horne at this point? no way do i give up a perennial 100 RBI guy like Matsui for that guy.
He's still a young guy. Matsui has been hampered a lot with injuries as he's getting older so there's some concern. Which guy would you keep if you had to choose, Damon or Matsui?
i'd keep Matsui & try to trade Damon for Juan Pierre... he can go join his buddy Derek Lowe & Torre in LA & add a little more pop out of the leadoff position, & we'd get a guy than can steal 50+ bases for us next season who's 4 years younger.
Ugh...I hate Juan Pierre. I'm more concerened with actually getting on base and being productive vs. a guy stealing bases. Pierre gets caught too much anyway. Even when you consider OPSS (adds stolen bases net of caught stealing to total bases), Pierre is still putrid.
If Damon doesn't come into camp too heavy again he should be good. He was .296/.364/.450 w/ 7 hrs and 12 sb in the 2nd half last year. Damon gets on base more, does more than just hit singles and has a very high stolen base percentage. No way in a million years would I take Pierre over him.
i don't mind holding onto Damon either... i just think he's due for a major decline in production very soon.
Posted by TMS:
i don't mind holding onto Damon either... i just think he's due for a major decline in production very soon.
Wasn't that last season? Or you mean another one?
looks like Olney spoke too soon... Loretta's staying in HOU.
i'd rather have damon in there every day over matsui at this point, if i had to pick one of them. i'm perplexed as to what we'd get from SF, i bet something similar to the sheffield package of a few prospects.
that opens up putting damon in LF and giving us more options with the 1B platoon (GIVE ME MORE SHELLEY DUNCAN!! esp. against lefties!!)
