there go those Mets trying to buy championships again.
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080129/SPORTS01/801290391/1108/SPORTS01
• January 29, 2008
The Yankees completed negotiations with second baseman Robinson Cano yesterday on a four-year contract.
Cano is expected to travel to New York today or tomorrow for a physical to complete the deal.
He would receive $3 million this season followed by salaries of $6 million, $9 million and $10 million. The Yankees will have a $14 million option for 2012 or can pay a $2 million buyout.
There is a $15 million option for 2013 with another $2 million buyout.
The 25-year-old Cano hit .306 with 19 home runs and 97 RBI last season. Cano was an All-Star in 2006 and last year hit .343 with a .398 on-base percentage in the second half of the season.
He had requested $4.55 million via arbitration with the Yankees submitting $3.2 million.
Cano's deal is a departure for the Yankees, who have previously avoided long-term contracts with young players. The deal leaves right-handers Brian Bruney and Chien-Ming Wang as the only unsigned Yankees. Both have filed for arbitration and are likely to be signed to one-year contracts.
they've finally come to their senses & locked this guy up longterm instead of waiting til his price goes through the roof in free agency... Cano at an annual average salary of $7 million is very reasonable for a player of his talent & ability.
i think they're also smart to wait on Wang also, since there will be some other big name pitchers on the market next season including CC Sabathia, who will definitely be on the Yankees' wishlist.
[Edited by - TMS on 01-29-2008 11:28 PM]
small signing... Yanks signed Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal to battle for the 1st base spot this Spring... not sure why they didn't re-sign Doug M, he's a much better fielder & we don't need any offense w/Duncan & Giambi fighting for the starting role.
Posted by TMS:
small signing... Yanks signed Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal to battle for the 1st base spot this Spring... not sure why they didn't re-sign Doug M, he's a much better fielder & we don't need any offense w/Duncan & Giambi fighting for the starting role.
That's a really good signing on the cheap. Ensberg struggled last year, but has been an excellent hitter in the past and he actually crushes left handed pitching over his career to the tune of .937 OPS. What happened is that he had a bad right shoulder injury in 2006 and he has not been the same hitter since. Maybe a couple years out it has healed better. It's a minor league deal so very little risk. If he regains his stroke he's a really nice bat to have. If not they cut him without losing anything.
good article from keith law here:
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3221365
3 yankees in the top 25:
3 - Joba Chamberlain, RHP, New York Yankees
TOP '07 LEVEL: Majors
22
You may have heard of this fellow. Best known to big league fans as a dominant setup guy, Chamberlain is best cast as a four-pitch starter who projects as a true No. 1 starter. He has a four-pitch repertoire where all pitches project as average or better: a plus 94-98 mph four-seamer, a toxic 83-87 mph slider with good tilt and variable break, an 11/5 curveball with good depth, and a straight 81-84 mph changeup with good arm speed. The fastball and slider are already big league out pitches and in relief, he can probably get away without the other two pitches. Chamberlain has a great pitcher's build with broad shoulders and the height to get good downhill plane on his pitches, and his arm is quick. He's battled his weight in the past, leading to knee trouble, and he had bicep tendinitis in college that allowed him to fall to the Yankees in the supplemental round.
21 - Jose Tabata, RF, New York Yankees
TOP '07 LEVEL: A (Tampa)
19
Tabata was in the top 10 last year, but a nagging hamate injury ended his 2007 season early, requiring surgery in August. Tabata has a quick bat and great hand-eye coordination, and he squares up balls as well as anyone on this list. He also has good pitch recognition, although that can manifest itself in working the count to get to a fastball he can drive. His raw power hasn't shown up in games, which could be explained by the hamate injury; hand and wrist injuries sap power, and full recovery from a broken hamate bone can take up to a year. Tabata can play center but has been bumped to right field by fellow Yankee prospect Austin Jackson (No. 24), and Tabata should be plus there with an above-average arm. He'd rank higher if the hamate problem was fully behind him, but until that becomes clear, there's still some risk here.
24 - Austin Jackson, CF, New York Yankees
TOP '07 LEVEL: A (Tampa)
21
Jackson is my favorite kind of hitting prospect -- the athlete with a clue. Jackson was a top basketball prospect in high school, but the Yankees flexed their financial muscles and gave him first-round money in the eighth round, a move that looks brilliant in hindsight because of how advanced Jackson is for a multi-sport prospect. Jackson has good speed, a solid-average arm in center and good instincts on fly balls, but still has some work to do at the plate. His setup is excellent and his path to the ball is short, but he needs to continue working on keeping his weight back to get more power from the contact he makes, and he's too eager to chase the ball up. He's a potential middle-of-the-order bat because of his power and improving plate discipline.
Yanks eyeing Big Head Kevin Mench as a 5th OFer:
http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1202189792212240.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
Yanks eye Mench for righty OF role
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
BY ED PRICE
Star-Ledger Staff
The Yankees have interest in free agent Kevin Mench as a fifth outfielder, according to a person with knowledge of discussions who asked not to be named because no deal has been struck.
Meanwhile, Robinson Cano's four-year, $30 million contract should be completed as soon as the team has results of a physical he took last week, agent Bobby Barad said.
Mench, 30, would probably go to Yankees camp on a minor-league contract. He would give the Yankees a right-handed option in the outfield, where Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu are lefties and Melky Cabrera is a switch-hitter. Shelley Duncan is right-handed but could win the first-base job.
"We're always open to doing business if we can do something that can help us," general manager Brian Cashman said. "We've got a lot of left-handed bats. We'll see."
The interest in Mench could also have something to do with the Yankees' efforts this winter to trade Cabrera. According to a person who has discussed the situation with the Yankees and asked not to be named because he is not an authorized team spokesman, the team earlier this offseason was looking into dealing Cabrera -- to Minnesota for Johan Santana, or elsewhere -- because the Yankees figured his value was at its peak.
When they were pursuing free-agent center fielder Mike Cameron, the person said, the Yankees were planning to make room by trading Cabrera and sending Damon to Milwaukee (which eventually signed Cameron).
The Yankees also want a better left-right balance on their roster. Over his career, Mench -- whom Cashman has admired in the past -- has a .361 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage when facing left-handed pitching.
In 651 career games with Texas and Milwaukee, Mench has batted .271 with 89 homers, 320 RBI and a .465 slugging percentage. The Brewers made him a free agent by not tendering him a contract after he hit .267 last year with eight homers in 288 at-bats and made $3.4 million.
The Rangers reportedly have interest in Mench as well.
someone tell me why we need another OFer at this point? why do we have to trade Melky for? his value may be at its peak but who are we realistically going to get for him? no Allstar calibre guys unless we give up 1 of our top pitching prospects, so what's the point? he offers such an upgrade in our OF defense cuz of his arm alone... Kevin Mench's bat is nothing special & there's any at bats to be had as a righty pinch hitter, i want Shelley Duncan to be getting them... we all know Giambi's going to be seeing AB's at 1B next year & at DH, it's inevitable... Mench is just a waste of money, no matter how cheap of a signing he'd be IMO... pretty much another Ron Coomer or Matt Lawton type acquisition... what's the point?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23055092/
Curt Schilling likely out of the season! Could be over for his career. I'm sure the Red Sox are happy they didn't include Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester for Santana...
SO SORRY TO HEAR!
Posted by VDesai:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23055092/
Curt Schilling likely out of the season! Could be over for his career. I'm sure the Red Sox are happy they didn't include Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester for Santana...
Probably a blessing in disguise for the Sox. Buchholz should be just as effective.
there's no way Tim Wakefield's gonna have another 17 win season for them... i think this hurts them tremendously... both Lester & Buchholtz will be solid for them but they really lost out when they traded away Kason Gabbard last year for Greg Gagne... 1 of the most idiotic trades in recent memory... they won their championship in spite of that boneheaded maneuver... they could have easily trumped the Mets' offer for Johan if they'd had Gabbard still in the fold along w/Lester or Ellsbury... now there's no room for either Buchholtz or Lester to fail... the Yankees face a similar situation w/their kids Joba, Hughes & Kennedy but at least they have Moose as some form of insurance (albeit not all that great an insurance policy, but 1 nonetheless).
we need more depth in our starting rotation... i'm not holding my breath on Moose at all... the guy looked completely washed up last season to me... he's a decent #5 starter but that's only because the other alternative is to have Kei Igawa starting games for us right now.
personally i'd like to start Joba off in the bullpen this season & get off to a good fast start & not let Boston jump ahead of us so early in the season again... that was our main problem last season & it took too much out of the team to try & make up that deficit... w/Schilling out to begin the season it's a perfect opportunity for the Yankees to lay the hammer down early if their kids Hughes & Kennedy can help them get off to a good start... Moose hopefully will be a part of that but we'll just have to cross our fingers on that one... i'd like to see Alan Horne brought up as well as an alternative option in case Moose wets the bed again like last year... the kid throws hard & has good stuff.
i'm hearing rumors that Yanks are interested in trading for Joe Blanton though, in which case a guy like Horne probably gets traded in the process... that would be a nice haul for us too cuz the guy is an innings eater & is a quality ML pitcher... not #1 or #2 level but a definite #3 or #4 level guy... a rotation of Wang, Pettitte, Blanton, Hughes & Kennedy w/Moose as our longman & Joba setting up for Mo would make me feel a whole lot better about the upcoming season than what we currently have.
#21 returns!
& his name is Morgan Ensberg???
can someone tell me why the hell he's wearing Paullie's old #? i know it's not retired but damn, you figure they've held that # in reserve ever since Paullie retired, if there were to be someone to wear that # it would be a young stud rookie that's coming up from our farm system, not a veteran who's fighting for a spot on the team that was signed to a minor league contract.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080312&content_id=2421390&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
ST. PETERSBURG -- Shelley Duncan was midway between first and second base when he narrowed his options to two: sprawl sideways with an awkward trick slide and hope for the best, or go in hard and try to knock the baseball loose with brute force.
The Yankees first baseman opted for the latter unapologetically, even given the aftermath. Duncan's spikes-high slide ripped a bloody gash above Rays second baseman Aki Iwamura's right knee and emptied both benches and bullpens at Progress Energy Park on Wednesday.
By the time the frenzy settled, five were ejected and several Tampa Bay players stomped to the home clubhouse, holding back little as they criticized Duncan's lack of decorum.
"What you saw today was the definition of a dirty play," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "There's no room for that in our game. It's contemptible, it's wrong, it's borderline criminal. And I cannot believe they did that."
"It was a dirty play," B.J. Upton said. "It was just flat out dirty, period."
Both benches had already been warned by umpires before the game, given events on Saturday at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., when Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli suffered a broken right wrist in a home-plate collision. Tensions escalated when New York starter Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning for grazing Rays third baseman Evan Longoria with an up-and-in fastball.
After Duncan's rough slide, play halted for several minutes as the two clubs engaged in shoving near second base. Right fielder Jonny Gomes charged Duncan from behind and at least one punch appeared to be thrown, as Longoria claimed one Yankee hit him in the back of the head.
Gomes, Duncan, Yankees third-base coach Bobby Meacham and Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long were all ejected.
Batting in the top of the second inning, Duncan was running out a ball hit down the left-field line that tipped off Longoria's glove for an error. Duncan was thrown out at second base by least 30 feet on a good throw from outfielder Carl Crawford, who chased the ball down in foul territory.
"The ball beat me by quite a bit," Duncan said. "When you're out, sometimes you have two things to do. You can try a weird slide around to be safe, or you can go hard into the glove. I just went hard into [Iwamura's] glove."
"Shelley told me he was taught as a player that when you're going to be out, you go after the ball," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That's what he did."
With a bloody patch over Iwamura's right knee and last week's events still present in many minds, the Rays saw it differently. That especially included Gomes, who was running in to back up second base anyway but took exception to the hard slide.
"He tried to inflict some pain on Aki," Gomes said. "[Protecting a teammate] just comes second nature. I was taught in T-ball all the way up, to always protect a teammate's back. I just acted how I act. I wasn't really trying to get a shot in on him. I probably could have done a lot of things worse. But it is a baseball field and there's fans and kids watching. I just had to let him know that's not going to fly."
"There's no room in baseball for that kind of stuff," Rays closer Troy Percival said. "Ty Cobb's been gone a long time."
Maddon said emphatically that Duncan should be suspended, while Girardi said he did not believe Duncan would be. The umpiring crew declined comment to a pool reporter after the game, but it is believed the league office will review videotape of the game, which was not televised.
"That was a blatant attempt to hurt Aki, and it was set up," Maddon said. "It was planned, it was premeditated. I mean, I don't know what's the difference between that and a high stick in hockey. But it was that bad."
The Duncan incident might not have taken place at all if Phillips had not been ejected in the first inning. Yet emotions have been running high between the Yankees and Rays since Saturday, when infielder Elliot Johnson lowered his shoulder into Cervelli in the ninth inning of a Tampa Bay victory.
Despite speaking to reporters on Sunday and saying the Spring Training intensity level would rise as a result of the Cervelli collision, Duncan scoffed at claims that he had planned out the play.
"When I'm out there playing, I like to play hard," Duncan said. "I try to play as hard as I can. I never in my mind think about sending a message to the other team. They see me playing hard every single day."
Aware of the recent history, home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild was prepared to give a quick thumb at the first signs of escalation. Girardi vehemently protested Phillips' ejection, at one point raising his hands to the air. Scott Patterson relieved Phillips with two outs in the first inning.
"It wasn't intentional at all," Phillips said. "I was [surprised] because I didn't really think the ball hit him at first. I told [the umpire] I was trying to throw a fastball inside and it got away from me."
"He wasn't even coming close," catcher Jorge Posada said. "If he wanted to hit him, he would have hit him. The ball just grazed him. You don't throw at somebody with [runners on] first and third and two outs."
Phillips was starting Wednesday in place of left-hander Andy Pettitte, who was scratched with tendinitis in his pitching forearm. He is one of the contenders to make the Yankees' bullpen as a left-handed reliever, along with several other candidates.
"You can't make a club hitting a guy or getting ejected," Phillips said.
The events could erase what has been a mostly peaceful American League East coexistence between the Yankees and Rays, who meet 18 times during the regular season. Players on both teams thought that more unfinished business could linger in the budding rivalry.
"Probably, but I hope not," Gomes said. "We're here to play nine innings of baseball. It's baseball. This isn't boxing or fighting or anything. So hopefully it won't. But to tell you the truth, I kind of doubt it [is over]. I just hope nobody gets hurt."
"We'll see," Posada said. "I have no idea. I can't tell you what's going to happen. I think we'll play the game a little harder. I think it will be a little different from now on."
(video & pics of the incident can be seen on http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp)
I hate to take the side of the opposing team on this, but i have to agree w/Maddon... Duncan's slide was a dirty play... u shouldn't raise up your spike when sliding into 2nd... i think he did this before on a play to 2B too last year... i don't want Shelley to become known as a dirty player, he seems like a good guy with good intentions otherwise, but he came nowhere near Akimura's glove w/his spike on that play... IMO the Yankees should have just hit another guy in the rear end & ended it right there... that sends a message & no one risks injury that way... this isn't like ARod sliding up with his elbow into Justin Pedroia here to break up a DP, which i thought was way overblown by the Red Sox & ESPN... Shelley was out by a mile & there was no advantage to be earned by sliding in that way... that coulda injured Iwamura pretty badly if he hit his knee awkwardly w/his spike... ur playing w/people's livelihoods on a play like that.
that said, i also thought that collision at homeplate that started all this in the previous game was uncalled for as well... not a dirty play & well within the rules of the game, but totally unnecessary in a Spring training game where guys are fighting to show their talents, not their ability to administer or take a hit... all this "country hardball" stuff is getting outta hand lately... just play the game & let's get the season underway already... plenty of time for hardball during the course of the regular season or in the minors... you're not making a ballclub in Spring training cuz of how hard you can hit somebody... the aim is to hit the ball... this isn't hockey where goons get paid million dollar contracts to be an enforcer on the ice... what if that had been Jorge who took that hit & had to be out for 10 weeks? i feel really bad for that minor league C who's gonna have his season ruined over that 1 play that really did not need to happen at all.
if 1 of our big players gets injured due to some idiot throwing at someone's head or pulling some other dirty play during the course of the season over this silliness, it's gonna be a crying shame. the Yanks & Rays' first game against one another this season is on Fri. 4/4 at 7:05 at the Stadium. why do i get the feeling the Rays will wait til they get to their home ballpark to face the Yankees on Mon. 4/14 to retaliate like the Blue Jays did last year for ARod's "ha" play? after that 2-game series we have to face the Red Sox... none of our main guys better get injured or suspended, that's all i know.
Yankees sign a 60 yr old rookie!
http://nationalpost.pa-sportsticker.com/default.aspx?s=mlb-news-display&nid=A21601911205227026A
A fixture in the stands, Billy Crystal now will take the field for the New York Yankees.
The Yankees on Monday signed the versatile actor-comedian to a one-day contract and invited him to spring training.
"The Yankees are excited to welcome the newest member of our team, known for his humor and wit as well as his undying love for the Yankees," New York chief operating officer Lonn Trost said. "The Yankees are very grateful to the commissioner's office for allowing us to extend this special invitation to Mr. Crystal."
A native New Yorker, Crystal is a long-time Yankees fan, famously idolizing the late Mickey Mantle and later becoming one of his closest friends.
As such, Crystal directed the Emmy-nominated movie "*61" about the 1961 season, which is famous for teammates Mantle and Roger Maris chasing the single-season home run record. Maris hit a then-record 61 homers and Mantle finished with 54 that season.
Crystal was captain of his high school baseball team on Long Island and is regarded as one of the best baseball players in Hollywood today. But he realizes the major leagues will be a different challenge.
"I've been waiting 50 years for this call," Crystal said. "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and commissioner (Bud) Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players, which, by the way, is all of them.
"Oops, I have to go, (player agent) Scott Boras is on the phone."
in his interview he said he was worried his test results would come up positive for Maalox... funny guy... i hope he gets to bat at least once in the next game vs. the Pirates.
I like it though. The Yankees need a mean streak in them. It's time to usher in a new era.
I'm not saying I condone trying to injure the other player(which I don't think Duncan tried to do) but we need to go back to being the big bad Yankees.
I really like our new owner, Hank Steinbrenner! And I totally agree that the Yankees have to let the league know that we're not going to take it anymore.
HANK: WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
BABY BOSS HAS GIRARDI'S BACK
by Kevin Kernan, NYPost
March 15, 2008 -- TAMPA - Don't mess with the Yankees.
That was Hank Steinbrenner's no-nonsense message yesterday. Steinbrenner made it clear that he is firmly in Joe Girardi's corner in the battle of aggressiveness with the Rays and that the 2008 Yankees will continue to play hard throughout the season and protect their players.
"Girardi has his players' back and I have his back and that's never going to change," Steinbrenner told the Post in the wake of suspensions and fines of Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera, and fines of Girardi and coaches Bobby Meacham and Kevin Long for the Shelley Spike Slide into second base Wednesday against the Rays and ensuing brawl.
Girardi's fiery style of managing and bringing the players' together is exactly what management wanted, and all this comes with the territory. No pain, no gain.
"There are going to be problems, especially if they go after our stars," Steinbrenner said. "It's not going to be tolerated. We never have done it to them. It's just not going to happen anymore."
The Yankees should protect themselves. They've had more than their share of hit batters through the years. They are making a stand here and Girardi has the full support of ownership, whatever route is taken. The Yankees are not backing down. Alex Rodriguez was hit by pitches 21 times last season, second in the American League, and Derek Jeter was hit 14 times, seventh on the list,
As for the suspensions and fines, Steinbrenner said, "If I got any problems with any of that I'll take care of that with Bud [Selig]."
Steinbrenner said he does not want to interfere in Girardi's handling of such matters.
"All that is up to Joe," Steinbrenner said. "All I can tell you is that I will support everything he does, and that will never change. Because this is the manager I wanted, and that's not anything against Joe Torre. That's the manager we wanted at that time. Times change."
And in these times, these Yankees will protect one another.
"I only saw the replay," Steinbrenner said of the slide, "and I really don't want to comment on it."
He then took an owner's perspective.
"I don't want these teams in general to forget who subsidizes a lot of them, and it's the Yankees, the Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets," he said. "I would prefer if teams want to target the Yankees that they at least start giving some of that revenue sharing and luxury tax money back. From an owners point of view, that's my point.
"Nobody likes the brawl-type garbage, it doesn't belong in sports," he said. "And I don't want to see anyone injured in a brawl."
But he knows the Yankees have to defend themselves. The Yankees play the Rays again today at Legends Field in a split-squad game. Steinbrenner hopes the fireworks have ended. It all started when catching prospect Francisco Cervelli was barrel-rolled by Elliot Johnson last Saturday.
Cervelli, who suffered a fractured wrist and is out 10 weeks, said yesterday that he was surprised to have been hit in such a manner.
"I gave him the back of the plate, he had room," Cervelli said. The young catcher added he has learned a valuable lesson and will expect anything next time.
On Wednesday Duncan went in spikes high at second, starting the rarest of baseball occurrences - the spring training brawl. That Ty Cobb slide appears to be an individual decision made by Duncan, and he will pay the three-game suspension price.
"What happened, happened. Hopefully now it just ends and we get back to playing ball," Steinbrenner said. "I have nothing against the Rays. The Yankees are my team for obvious reasons, but the Rays are my hometown team, I got nothing against them."
Overall, Steinbrenner has been impressed with the Yankees approach.
"This team since the beginning of spring training has been together," he said.
He said the Yankees are filled with leaders, "and, of course, Joe is the best leader of all, so we're going to be in good shape."
No matter the fight.
so we have Josh Beckett & Curt Schilling starting the season on the DL for BOS, & now i'm hearing Kelvim Escobar may have a torn shoulder that will keep him out for most of the season in ANA & John Lackey will also start the season on the DL... it's a good thing neither of those teams got their filthy hands on Johan this offseason.
i think the Yankees have a much better chance of making the playoffs this year than people think... other than the Tigers, i don't see any teams out there that simply outclass our team... the M's upgraded w/the addition of Bedard & CLE will be strong w/CC & Fausto anchoring their staff, but w/Joba starting the season as our setup man this year as i was hoping for & Kennedy having a good Spring, along w/Hughes & Wang coming into the season healthy & our still awesomely potent Allstar batting lineup, i don't see any reason why the Yanks won't be right in the thick of the Pennant race this season, maybe even win the AL East.
Posted by TMS:
so we have Josh Beckett & Curt Schilling starting the season on the DL for BOS, & now i'm hearing Kelvim Escobar may have a torn shoulder that will keep him out for most of the season in ANA & John Lackey will also start the season on the DL... it's a good thing neither of those teams got their filthy hands on Johan this offseason.
i think the Yankees have a much better chance of making the playoffs this year than people think... other than the Tigers, i don't see any teams out there that simply outclass our team... the M's upgraded w/the addition of Bedard & CLE will be strong w/CC & Fausto anchoring their staff, but w/Joba starting the season as our setup man this year as i was hoping for & Kennedy having a good Spring, along w/Hughes & Wang coming into the season healthy & our still awesomely potent Allstar batting lineup, i don't see any reason why the Yanks won't be right in the thick of the Pennant race this season, maybe even win the AL East.
I don't think there's any question as to the Yankees making the playoffs. And I find it hard to believe that we are still to this day hearing the name of curt 'storoid' schilling! Will this guy ever die?
TMS, do you think Jaba should be starting? I understand Girardi's thinking on this is and it makes sense. That's if Pettitte can hold up his end of the bargain. If he can give us a good six innings a game, that makes our pen a little deeper and gives Jaba some more experience, at short spurts. Girardi also said that once you start him, then you have to keep him started, because if you start him, then you'll have to rest him for four days, before he pitches in the pen again. A pitcher can get hurt this way. Your thoughts on that one?
i like the fact that Joba's staying in the pen to start the season... he doesn't have enough innings under his belt yet to be thrown into a fulltime starting role yet... i'd like the Yankees to start him off in relief much in the same way Johan Santana started the first couple seasons of his career in the BP for MIN... Joba will have a much more significant role for us this year as a setup man than he would as a starter if u ask me, because that is our biggest weakness the past few years... if Moose craps the bed again this year & we find ourselves in a position to get another #5 starter, there will be options available to use at the trade deadline... Joba is probably the best setup guy in the game & there's no way to put a value on a guy like that setting up games for Mo, as we all saw in '96 when Mo was doing the same for Wetteland.
as for Girardi's comments about risking a player getting hurt by flip flopping him in & out of the starting role, i dunno enough about pitching & the game to even challenge him on it... i'm sure he knows a lot more about those aspects than anyone here could pretend to, so we'll just have to take his word for it... 1 concern i had about Girardi coming in was the way he extended his young arms out in FLA, & was worried about him doing the same w/Hughes, Kennedy & Joba here, but i think Cash has already set the tone that those arms are going to be handled w/extreme care & not even a chance at a championship is going to derail those plans.
[Edited by - TMS on 03-26-2008 3:14 PM]
i think joba will be in the pen as long as the yankees have 5 effective starters; thus, i think moose might be more important than pettitte. if the yanks go 5 deep with wang, pettitte, hughes, kennedy, and mussina (or one of the many other SPs in the minors), they'll keep joba in the pen all year. if they can close any lead out in 7-8-9 they will be dangerous.
What's our official roster?
