Well this is really discouraging: Based on many statistical simulations, they predict the Yankees will win 85 games.
http://claydavenport.com/projections/PRO...I think the team will do a little better - I don't think their system is taking into account that we have many lefties built for Yankees stadium. But it's probably right that this team is far from a WS contending team. I hope more moves are coming.
A-Rod dropped his lawsuit against MLB. So that removes any uncertainty about his status
Guess he got tired of paying lawyers for things he wasn't going to get anything out of. Except maybe a back page or two. I guess that gets kind of expensive.
At least he's not even attending spring training. Good deal, no distractions while this whole new crew gets to build some chemistry.
Jeter said he sent Arod some text messages. He told the press to go ask Alex if they want to know what he said. Interesting. Hopefully, that's the last we hear of him except for some occassional updates on his workouts when things are really slow.
Eh, I'm hoping the Yankees waive him. How much is he really going to contribute at age 40 after this many hip surgeries and having barely played the past few years?!
Jeter says 2014 will be his last season. Can't say it feels like yesterday that Jeter got here, more like a lifetime ago. He won't have to put up with the A-rod freak show anymore. One of the all time greats.
watching him retire is the equivalent of letting my childhood go - yikes
The last of the Core Four. Wonder if Jorge is the only one of them not to get into the HOF.
Almost time for my first love YANKEES BASEBALL. Question marks of course but we will be much better than last year. We won 85 games last year with an injury riddled team and CC, worst year of his career, now slimmed down. Almost anything that could have gone wrong went wrong last season and we still won 85 games.
AL EAST CHAMPS in 2014 and DJ goes out like the Champ that he is. Write it down, take a picture, book mark it. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE CUZ CASHMONEY SAID SO!!!
Kuroda getting blasted by the Tigers today. Wow. Surprising -- he's had a real good spring up to this point. Just a minor blip, I think he'll be fine. I think the rotation's pretty much set -- probably Pineda #5 backed up by Warren & Phelps (in that order hopefully). That's good depth with able long men in Warren and Phelps if need be...To me the bullpen's not nearly as complete yet -- really need to see more of Betances, Banuelos and this lefty Fred Lewis, who's supposedly "throwing 95 at the knees" per yesterday's Post. Hopefully we get a chance to see a few of these guys today. Too bad this Jose Ramirez went down early on with an injury -- abdomen strain I believe. MRI was clear but they already optioned him down to the minors.
Pineda pitching tomorrow. Definitely will be tuning in to see him.
CashMoney wrote:jrodmc wrote:The last of the Core Four. Wonder if Jorge is the only one of them not to get into the HOF.
Andy won't get in.
Never say never. They might let Pete Rose in, they let him in, they could let anyone in. Rules will change over time.
CashMoney wrote:Almost time for my first love YANKEES BASEBALL. Question marks of course but we will be much better than last year. We won 85 games last year with an injury riddled team and CC, worst year of his career, now slimmed down. Almost anything that could have gone wrong went wrong last season and we still won 85 games. AL EAST CHAMPS in 2014 and DJ goes out like the Champ that he is. Write it down, take a picture, book mark it. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE CUZ CASHMONEY SAID SO!!!
Aren't you the same guy who told us the Knicks were going 0-5 in the past 5 games? 
Man, really wanted Danny Burawa to make the club. :( Dude hits 95 consistently and has a real nice slider. Had a great spring (under 2 ERA). Esp. with Claiborne flopping, I thought this kid had a legit shot. Definitely like his stuff better than Shane Greene (like his stuff better than Shawn Kelley's too to be honest)...Was really looking forward to having a power combo. of Burawa/Betances leading up to D-Rob...Envisioned Burawa sliding into the Joba Chamberlain 6th/7th inning role from last year and doing a much better job.
See that Burawa was "assigned to minor league camp" along with a couple of other guys -- Fred Lewis, etc. What happens to him now? He's not on the 40-man. Will he report to AA Trenton or AAA SW for us or was he basically 'designated for assignment' where he'll be cut him loose? Looks like he was a Rule 5 guy from the end of 2013 that survived the process, made it through and we kept him. Anyone know the deal with this kid?
I hope we keep him. Stay ready Danny. Anything goes wrong with any of the other guys (Shawn Kelley say, either Phelps or Warren, etc.), I'd immediately turn to this kid. Needs to stay focused and dominate the hell outta AA or AAA ball now if we keep him. He opened some eyes this spring -- needs to keep pitching well and keep 'em open...As is, Phelps and Warren feels a little redundant to me (they're similar--I personally like Warren's stuff a little more -- is it completely necessary to carry 2 long men? Maybe Phelps and Warren are out of options, not sure) but whatever...Gimmie Betances and Cabral for the last 2 bullpen spots and let's get rolling!
------------------------------------------
For the last couple of backup infield spots, supposedly 2 will come north out of Nunez, Dean Anna & Yangervis Solarte unless Brendan Ryan's back injury is bad enough where the Yanks switch him to the 60-day DL; then we could take all 3. Said it before -- not feeling this guy Ryan at all -- I'd rather see any of these other 3 over him. Dude can't hit a lick and is an overrated fielder imho. Nunny, Anna and this kid Solarte can all handle the bat much better and can all field multiple positions. All 3 are much younger too...Looks like Nunny and Anna have an edge up on Solarte -- they're both on the 40-man; Solarte isn't. Adding Solarte would require dropping a player...Trading/cutting Ichiro to open up another spot for either a backup infielder or reliever remains an option...Ichiro's looked at lot better recently though as spring's come to a close. Just had 3 hits against the Pirates. See what happens...
Very hard to see CC get smacked around like this. Dude's a class act, always has been. Humble and always shows responsibility. They said on the telecast before that CC said he was the reason we didn't make the playoffs last year. No way I'm putting it all on his shoulders like that but how's that for accountability? Bottom line, though, is this is what he is now -- not the same pitcher. Tell ya what --they'd never do it but maybe a move to the bullpen might be best for him now. Get him in a short role where he can come in and air it out knowing he's only gonna see a few batters at a time. Dude just looks very hittable now as a starter. He just isn't a stopper anymore.
Man, Betances and Vidal Nuno looked DAMN GOOD out of that bullpen tonight at least. Betances throwing FLAME with that awesome 12 to 6 curveball of his (this guy's 1/2 combination is straight up murder -- Dellin might have one of the best curveballs in the game period. Maybe a better curveball than D-Rob's and his hook is crazy good. Definitely my 8th inning guy as of right now and who knows -- if D-Rob falters, this kid could be the eventual closer) and Nuno just has a nice assortment of above average pitches. Great guy to have around as an extra lefty reliever or as an occasional spot starter. Just feel good about both of these guys whenever they take the hill...Very encouraged by each of their performances tonight.
Ugh. OI don't know why CC is our #1 starter and Jeter our #2 hitter. Does Joe think it's 2008?!
I hear ya. Next to impossible to ask those guys to step down to lesser roles though, esp. Jeter. Unless Jeter God forbid struggles for awhile out of the gate here and actually goes to Joe and tells him it's OK to drop him in the order, I don't see it happening. Hey man, hopefully it doesn't get to that and Jete has a real good year this season to cap off his career. I thought he swung it well last night for the most part. We'll see...
Still feel this lineup looks a bat short. I dunno -- so many question marks -- Tex, Jeter, Beltran, Soriano, Roberts (a damn good player--just hope he stays healthy), Kelly Johnson, etc....Just wish we had that one more 30-40 HR thumper in the middle of those guys, man...They chose to part ways with Nunez. Kind of a surprise a little but I guess they like Solarte and Anna better. Read we have 10 days to decide what we're going to do with Nunez -- trade, outright release, or option back to our own minor league system if he clears waivers (highly unlikely). Need to trade him now. Hopefully there's a little bit of a market for him out there...I say pick up the phone with Milwaukee and try to craft a deal around Aramis Ramirez maybe. Ramirez is off to a nice start. I think we have enough pieces, including Nunez, to put something together to get this guy. Ramirez > Kelly Johnson.
Maybe they're a bat short. They look closer to seven bats short right now!
1-2! I couldn't listen after the first inning, it was too painful. But we won!
The Tanaka Era begins! Only in Yankeeville would you get a 125Million #4 starter!
Really liked what I saw outta this guy Tanaka tonight. Thought he looked real good. Terrible pitch to Melky that got clobbered (I bet one of the worst pitches he's thrown as a professional player), then he gave up a couple more hits that lead to 2 more early runs but really settled in after that. Love the arsenal -- full repertoire of pitches to go after guys with: live fastball in the 91-92 range he moves in and out and he can dial it up to 93-95 whenever he needs a little more (even late in the game), very good curve/slider mix (had guys' knees buckling all night on it) and that split is devastating. Stuff-wise, he reminds me of a young David Cone back with the Mets...Loved his whole mound demeanor too -- didn't fold after giving up some early runs. Has a real good idea what he's doing and really seems unflappable out there..Composed and very competitive. Basically everything we were told to expect was right on the money. I'm very impressed..
Very concerned about Teixeira's ability to stay healthy now; also concerned if he'll be the big power threat in the middle of this order he once was, something we desperately need. Strained hammy tonight could've been worse--didn't look too bad, maybe only a grade 1--but still disconcerting. If I'm Cash, I think long and hard about signing Kendrys Morales. Posted this on another Yankee board and was told it was a bad idea. I disagree -- he'd be great insurance in case Tex ever breaks down long-term and he'd be an extra thumper we could pencil in to the middle of this order, a guy we could alternate at 1B with Tex and alternate at main DH with Soriano. It would allow Joe to keep all 3 sluggers fresh over the long haul -- 162 games is an absolute marathon...Plus on the days Sori plays LF, we could go Tex 1B/Sori LF/Morales DH for max power. Not a perfect fit but I like the idea nonetheless. Gives us one more power bat and some 1B insurance -- we lack both right now.
An even better idea would be to call up Milwaukee and have some dialogue with them about Aramis Ramirez. This dude would be perfect. Start the bidding with Nunez (already has 1 foot out the door--would love to get something back for him if we can), Phelps, who's completely redundant next to Warren and Nuno (both of those guys have better stuff and are better for the same role--long men who can spot start) and a willingness to take on most if not all of Ramirez's remaining contract ($16mm this year, only $4mm next season). Nunez/Phelps/willingness to absorb contract may not be enough to get this done, I understand, but it's a start. Let the Brewers come up with a counter offer and see where it goes. Would not be against upping the offer to get this done...Great 3B insurance for next year too -- who knows what's gonna go on with A-Rod. Soriano's a FA next year -- wouldn't bet on him coming back. Maybe Ramirez could continue manning 3rd and A-Rod DH's. Also like moving Phelps outta here because it would give Warren & Nuno more opportunities to pitch (as is, how do you get all 3 of these guys proper work?) and it could open up another bullpen spot for either another power short man (Danny Burawa?) or maybe even a 3rd lefty (Cesar Cabral?). It could also pave the way for a guy like Manny Banuelos to get fast-tracked to the show if he pitches well in the minors this season (he looked healthy this spring, a good sign). Bottom line on Phelps -- he's decent but completely superfluous here. Much rather fill his spot in the bullpen with someone much more worthwhile and useful...And hey, if this whole idea for Aramis Ramirez went nowhere -- think about trading Nunez/Phelps for a A-Ball prospect--I don't care, something. Wouldn't like to see Nunez walk right out the door with no compensation.
Speaking of Nuny, they definitely made the right call with this kid Solarte over him. Much better ballplayer. Until we can come up with something better, this kid's my starting third baseman and when he's not playing 3B, they need to find him time at SS or 2B. The dude can play. Love his approach at the plate -- looks locked in and takes some vicious hacks. Doesn't get cheated--I like that. Has a similar approach to Dustin Pedroia, one of my favorite non-Yankee players. Definitely doesn't look like a career minor leaguer; dude looks like a star in the making. Yanks definitely got it right keeping this kid--give 'em credit here.
Lastly, I'd love to see a move or two to add some low-level power-hitting prospects to our minor league system. Seems like we have a dearth of young up & coming power hitters. What's the last big-time power hitter we developed, came up and performed for us and was a mainstay? Might be time to reassess our minor league system -- maybe we can turn some of our overabundance (catching, pitching) into a legit young power bat or 2.. Just a thought.
It's only 5 games but I am surprised by how bad the Yankees' hitting has been. A lot of these lefties have bats that were made for Yankees Stadium. Hopefully things change at home.
Bonn1997 wrote:It's only 5 games but I am surprised by how bad the Yankees' hitting has been. A lot of these lefties have bats that were made for Yankees Stadium. Hopefully things change at home.
Hope so man. Very encouraged by what I saw out of Pineda yesterday. Technically we lost the game but in the grand scheme of things, yesterday was a huge win. Just the beginning of what the Yankees ultimately saw when they shipped Montero and Noesi out to Seattle to get this guy. 93-95 consistently throughout the entire outing (you get the feeling that once the warm weather rolls around, we could expect a tick or two higher on the gun like he showed in Seattle), with a very effective curve/slider combo. Mixed a little changeup in there too...Really liked what I saw. Find a way to get today's game (hopefully CC doesn't get hammered too bad today), come back 3-3, then head back to NY for some home cookin'!
Very concerned with the offense -- there just doesn't look to be enough there, esp. with Tex going down and Sori not hitting...Definitely a legit need for another middle-of-the-order hitter with some pop imo. Until they come up with better ideas, the following 2 moves should be considered: (1) signing Kendrys Morales to a deal, (2) picking up the phone and see if Aramis Ramirez could be had in a sensible trade. Maybe bring Jorge Vazquez back to the organization -- currently in the Mexican League -- this guy hit 32 HRs a couple of years ago in SWB before we cut him loose. He whiffs a lot but I remember really liking his swing and being impressed. Dude had serious, legit power, and he was a natural third basemen who could also play some 1B if I recall...I dunno man, we need to plug a couple of holes here -- one is the need for more pop and the other might be to swap out David Phelps who's redundant (Warren and Nuno are far superior in the same role) and bring in another power short man (Danny Burawa?) or maybe even a 3rd lefty for the bullpen (Cesar Cabral?). Phelps really isn't that good -- I want that spot filled with something far more useful. Phelps is just straight up superfluous on this club... I wouldn't let this fester too long if I'm the Yanks -- to me, we spent way too much money and went through too bad a year last year to have one or two missing components hold us back now. This team is built to win NOW, Jete's last year and all. Cash has gotta go to Hal and get the green light to spend a little bit more. In the meantime, look at some cheap solutions like Danny Burawa for the pen and minor league third baseman Jorge Vazquez maybe.. Both guys would have to be added to the 40-man, that's the only thing that could present a little bit of a problem.
