03/30: Community Projections Update
Posted by: James
Hey everyone,
With Mariano's projection up, we've gone through 23 of the major players for the 2006 Yankees so here's a reminder that if you haven't posted your thoughts and projections yet, you still have a little time to do so. I know I've been slacking on my projections, especially through the relievers, but I'll go through them today and tomorrow and I'd encourage everyone who's been waiting & lurking in the wings to go ahead and throw your thoughts in the ring as well. I'd certainly like to read them. Everyone will have until Sunday afternoon to do so and then I'll cull all your projections and post the community's thoughts Sunday night. And then of course, we'll have some real games to watch on Monday (woo hoo!) and we can see just how close we get. All right - PSA over - start commenting!
With Mariano's projection up, we've gone through 23 of the major players for the 2006 Yankees so here's a reminder that if you haven't posted your thoughts and projections yet, you still have a little time to do so. I know I've been slacking on my projections, especially through the relievers, but I'll go through them today and tomorrow and I'd encourage everyone who's been waiting & lurking in the wings to go ahead and throw your thoughts in the ring as well. I'd certainly like to read them. Everyone will have until Sunday afternoon to do so and then I'll cull all your projections and post the community's thoughts Sunday night. And then of course, we'll have some real games to watch on Monday (woo hoo!) and we can see just how close we get. All right - PSA over - start commenting!
| C: Jorge Posada | SP: Randy Johnson |
| 1B: Jason Giambi | SP: Mike Mussina |
| 2B: Robinson Cano | SP: Chien-Ming Wang |
| SS: Derek Jeter | SP: Shawn Chacon |
| 3B: Alex Rodriguez | SP: Carl Pavano |
| LF: Hideki Matsui | SP: Jaret Wright |
| CF: Johnny Damon | SP/RP: Aaron Small |
| RF: Gary Sheffield | RP: Kyle Farnsworth |
| DH: Andy Phillips & Bernie Williams | RP: Octavio Dotel |
| RP: Tanyon Sturtze | |
| RP: Ron Villone | |
| RP: Mike Myers | |
| CL: Mariano Rivera |
Posted by: James
Mariano Rivera - Closer.
Age: 35 Years Old (Turns 36 in May).
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: What can possibly be said about Mariano? Perhaps...I wish I had more hands so I could give him 4 thumbs up! No, for Mo, only the highest honor is worthy. That's right: I Heart Mariano. Anything less...would be uncivilized.
I think Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus sums it up quite nicely:
Exactly. We all know what Mo has done to this point in his career; 2.33 ERA, 541 GF, 379 SVs. In 807 innings, 630 Hits, 728 Ks, 215 BBs, 42 HRs. 8-1 with 34 SVs and a 0.81 ERA in 112 postseason innings. Staggering numbers when you really start looking at them. They become even more impressive once you consider what he has done since the rumblings began that he was finally succumbing to time and overuse. Those thoughts weren't entirely unfounded as Rivera posted ERAs over 2 for all three years between the 2000 and 2002 seasons. Prior to those three seasons, the closest he had gotten was a 2.09 ERA in 1996, his first full year in the majors. He also lost part of the 2002 season to injury. Well, apparently Mariano took the phrase "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" to heart since he has been phenomenal (even more so) since 2002. The numbers don't lie: 209 G, 228 Innings, 176 Hits, 209 Ks, 48 BBs - 193 GF, 136 SV - 1.66 ERA, 8.3 K and 1.9 BB per 9 and .32 HRs a game.
Hold on, it gets better. Last year, at the tender age of 35, Mariano posted one of his finest seasons ever. If you take out his misadventures against Boston in his first two appearances last year, his line for 2006 becomes: 1.17 ERA, 9.0 K and 1.8 BB per 9, .12 HRs a game and a 5.13 K/BB ratio. He also put up a line that I will never forget. On the road last year, he gave up one earned run in 35 innings (that's a 0.26 ERA with a 32/5 K/BB ratio). Maybe it was his decision to forgo pitching in the winter leagues during the offseason, maybe it was the implementation of a two-seam fastball into his arsenal, maybe he just found the fountain of youth. It might be a mixture of all three but whatever he's been doing, I hope he keeps doing it because it's worked. I mean, even after accounting for some regression because of his age and worse luck, Mariano still projects to have a great season and until he shows that he can't do it anymore, I can't think of any reason not to expect more greatness from Mo.
It will be a sad day when Mo walks off the mound for the last time but until that day, I will continue to be amazed by his performance, humbled by his modesty and in awe of his faith.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 35 Years Old (Turns 36 in May).
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 64 | 71.2 | 61 | 15 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 63 | 5 | 2 | 40 | 0 | 6 | 1.66 |
| 2004 | 74 | 79.2 | 65 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 66 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 0 | 4 | 1.95 |
| 2005 | 71 | 78.1 | 50 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 80 | 7 | 4 | 43 | 0 | 4 | 1.38 |
Outlook: What can possibly be said about Mariano? Perhaps...I wish I had more hands so I could give him 4 thumbs up! No, for Mo, only the highest honor is worthy. That's right: I Heart Mariano. Anything less...would be uncivilized.
I think Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus sums it up quite nicely:
"Mariano's been consistent and such a presence. Gossage was feared, Righetti was good, McGraw was a great story, but Rivera is such a pure, consistent guy that on the few occasions where he fails, it's a shock. No other closer has ever inspired such confidence."
Exactly. We all know what Mo has done to this point in his career; 2.33 ERA, 541 GF, 379 SVs. In 807 innings, 630 Hits, 728 Ks, 215 BBs, 42 HRs. 8-1 with 34 SVs and a 0.81 ERA in 112 postseason innings. Staggering numbers when you really start looking at them. They become even more impressive once you consider what he has done since the rumblings began that he was finally succumbing to time and overuse. Those thoughts weren't entirely unfounded as Rivera posted ERAs over 2 for all three years between the 2000 and 2002 seasons. Prior to those three seasons, the closest he had gotten was a 2.09 ERA in 1996, his first full year in the majors. He also lost part of the 2002 season to injury. Well, apparently Mariano took the phrase "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" to heart since he has been phenomenal (even more so) since 2002. The numbers don't lie: 209 G, 228 Innings, 176 Hits, 209 Ks, 48 BBs - 193 GF, 136 SV - 1.66 ERA, 8.3 K and 1.9 BB per 9 and .32 HRs a game.
Hold on, it gets better. Last year, at the tender age of 35, Mariano posted one of his finest seasons ever. If you take out his misadventures against Boston in his first two appearances last year, his line for 2006 becomes: 1.17 ERA, 9.0 K and 1.8 BB per 9, .12 HRs a game and a 5.13 K/BB ratio. He also put up a line that I will never forget. On the road last year, he gave up one earned run in 35 innings (that's a 0.26 ERA with a 32/5 K/BB ratio). Maybe it was his decision to forgo pitching in the winter leagues during the offseason, maybe it was the implementation of a two-seam fastball into his arsenal, maybe he just found the fountain of youth. It might be a mixture of all three but whatever he's been doing, I hope he keeps doing it because it's worked. I mean, even after accounting for some regression because of his age and worse luck, Mariano still projects to have a great season and until he shows that he can't do it anymore, I can't think of any reason not to expect more greatness from Mo.
It will be a sad day when Mo walks off the mound for the last time but until that day, I will continue to be amazed by his performance, humbled by his modesty and in awe of his faith.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | Innings | W | L | BB | K | HD | SV | BlSv | ERA |
|---|
03/29: Around the Web
Posted by: James
Man, is there a lot of good stuff to read out there today!
First off, Cliff Corcoran of Bronx Banter and Patrick Sullivan of The House That Dewey Built are the participants in the Two on Two series over at the Baseball Analysts and preview the American League East. It's a good discussion so I encourage you to go check it out.
While I was reading that, I realized that I had completely forgotten about The House That Dewey Built, which is a very good blog. I don't usually read it a lot during the season but Sully's annual, and pretty detailed, look through every team is a great reference. Combine that with The Hardball Times' 5 Questions series on each team and you can learn quite a bit about the competition. If you have the time, I'd highly recommend both.
Finally, NoMaas is starting up a look at various baseball statistics. It's been done before but I'll be happy to see the NoMaas team inject their usual humor and Yankee-centric view into the discussion. They start off with one of the basics, batting average, and will be building up to some of the more advanced stuff in later days. If you're turned off by the idea of advanced stats, keep in mind that it wasn't that long ago that most people didn't know what OPS was.
First off, Cliff Corcoran of Bronx Banter and Patrick Sullivan of The House That Dewey Built are the participants in the Two on Two series over at the Baseball Analysts and preview the American League East. It's a good discussion so I encourage you to go check it out.
While I was reading that, I realized that I had completely forgotten about The House That Dewey Built, which is a very good blog. I don't usually read it a lot during the season but Sully's annual, and pretty detailed, look through every team is a great reference. Combine that with The Hardball Times' 5 Questions series on each team and you can learn quite a bit about the competition. If you have the time, I'd highly recommend both.
Finally, NoMaas is starting up a look at various baseball statistics. It's been done before but I'll be happy to see the NoMaas team inject their usual humor and Yankee-centric view into the discussion. They start off with one of the basics, batting average, and will be building up to some of the more advanced stuff in later days. If you're turned off by the idea of advanced stats, keep in mind that it wasn't that long ago that most people didn't know what OPS was.
Posted by: James
Ron Villone - Reliever
Age: 36 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: It seems like the Yankees had been working toward getting Villone for a while now as his name popped up in trade rumors all the time over the least couple of years. Well, they finally got their man this offseason, trading LHP Ben Julianel to the Marlins for him. It was actually a pretty odd move by the Marlins as they could have easily taken Julianel in the Rule 5 draft and traded Villone for something else of worth once his value had rebounded. Well, their loss is the Yankees gain as Villone is a decent left-handed reliever who has shut down both lefties (.227/.324/.330/.654) and righties (238/.340/.399/.738) over the last three years and can give you the occasional spot start as well. Last year was the first year since 1998 that he was a full-time reliever and he had a phenomenal first half for Seattle (2.45 ERA, 176 ERA+) before being traded to Florida (6.85 ERA, 59 ERA+). (For you statheads out there, his FIP remained consistent at about 3.5)
There are definitely areas of concern though as his control leaves quite a bit to be desired (career walks per 9 is 4.77, 4.92 for the last two years). Also, outside of a short stint in Cleveland in 1998, Villone has pitched for all NL teams except for Seattle (clearly a pitchers park). AL teams with stronger, more patient, lineups could give him problems. Still, his stuff, versatility and durabilty (knock on wood) should make him a good addition to the Yankees pen, especially after looking at the bullpens of the past few years.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 36 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 107.2 | 91 | 51 | 49 | 16 | 48 | 91 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -- | 4.13 |
| 2004 | 56 | 10 | 0 | 117.0 | 102 | 64 | 53 | 12 | 64 | 86 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4.08 |
| 2005 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 64.0 | 57 | 34 | 29 | 4 | 35 | 70 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 4.08 |
Outlook: It seems like the Yankees had been working toward getting Villone for a while now as his name popped up in trade rumors all the time over the least couple of years. Well, they finally got their man this offseason, trading LHP Ben Julianel to the Marlins for him. It was actually a pretty odd move by the Marlins as they could have easily taken Julianel in the Rule 5 draft and traded Villone for something else of worth once his value had rebounded. Well, their loss is the Yankees gain as Villone is a decent left-handed reliever who has shut down both lefties (.227/.324/.330/.654) and righties (238/.340/.399/.738) over the last three years and can give you the occasional spot start as well. Last year was the first year since 1998 that he was a full-time reliever and he had a phenomenal first half for Seattle (2.45 ERA, 176 ERA+) before being traded to Florida (6.85 ERA, 59 ERA+). (For you statheads out there, his FIP remained consistent at about 3.5)
There are definitely areas of concern though as his control leaves quite a bit to be desired (career walks per 9 is 4.77, 4.92 for the last two years). Also, outside of a short stint in Cleveland in 1998, Villone has pitched for all NL teams except for Seattle (clearly a pitchers park). AL teams with stronger, more patient, lineups could give him problems. Still, his stuff, versatility and durabilty (knock on wood) should make him a good addition to the Yankees pen, especially after looking at the bullpens of the past few years.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | Innings | W | L | BB | K | HD | SV | BlSv | ERA |
|---|
Posted by: James
Mike Myers - Reliever
Age: 36 Years Old (Turns 37 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: After holding the Yankees hitters to a .227 AVG and a 1.35 ERA (in 7.2 innings) over the last couple of years, the Yanks decided to add Mike Myers to their bullpen to the tune of $2.4 MILLION dollars...wait, wrong Mike Myers. Mike Myers is a LOOGY, no doubt about it. His sidearm motion is very effective on lefties but lets righties have a long look at what he's throwing, which is often junk. Mike's control was much better last year than it has been in years past and he did get a lot luckier on balls in play so we might see some regression in those areas. His main selling point is that for his career, he's held lefties to a .207 AVG (258 innings) while righties have tattooed him to a tune of .312 (199 innings). This hasn't exactly eased up with time either; over the last three years: .208/.278/.318/.595 vs. lefties and .331/.450/.509/.959 against righties. To beat the point to death, last year, righties put up a line even Joe DiMaggio would have envied: .385/.510/.641. The simple advice is don't pitch him against righties, but hey, that's practically impossible. Every manager (theoretically) will stagger their line-up and there will be lots of switching during the games to counter the relievers. Still, the pluses are many: Myers has one job and he does that as well as anyone, he doesn't give up many homeruns and has been working on ways to make himself less hittable to righties (we'll see about that one) and after last year's Buddy Groom/Wayne Franklin/Alan Embree adventure/fiasco, I think we can all turn to Mike and say, party on dude! Ahhh - someone stop me!
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 36 Years Old (Turns 37 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 64 | 36.1 | 38 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 5.70 |
| 2004 | 75 | 43.2 | 45 | 22 | 22 | 5 | 23 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | -- | 4.64 |
| 2005 | 65 | 37.1 | 30 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 3.13 |
Outlook: After holding the Yankees hitters to a .227 AVG and a 1.35 ERA (in 7.2 innings) over the last couple of years, the Yanks decided to add Mike Myers to their bullpen to the tune of $2.4 MILLION dollars...wait, wrong Mike Myers. Mike Myers is a LOOGY, no doubt about it. His sidearm motion is very effective on lefties but lets righties have a long look at what he's throwing, which is often junk. Mike's control was much better last year than it has been in years past and he did get a lot luckier on balls in play so we might see some regression in those areas. His main selling point is that for his career, he's held lefties to a .207 AVG (258 innings) while righties have tattooed him to a tune of .312 (199 innings). This hasn't exactly eased up with time either; over the last three years: .208/.278/.318/.595 vs. lefties and .331/.450/.509/.959 against righties. To beat the point to death, last year, righties put up a line even Joe DiMaggio would have envied: .385/.510/.641. The simple advice is don't pitch him against righties, but hey, that's practically impossible. Every manager (theoretically) will stagger their line-up and there will be lots of switching during the games to counter the relievers. Still, the pluses are many: Myers has one job and he does that as well as anyone, he doesn't give up many homeruns and has been working on ways to make himself less hittable to righties (we'll see about that one) and after last year's Buddy Groom/Wayne Franklin/Alan Embree adventure/fiasco, I think we can all turn to Mike and say, party on dude! Ahhh - someone stop me!
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | Innings | W | L | BB | K | HD | SV | BlSv | ERA |
|---|
Posted by: James
Tanyon Sturtze - Reliever
Age: 35 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: Another guy that personally, I think I would like. Tanyon seems like a good guy and he sticks up for his teammates but as a player, I can't help but think that his roster spot could be better utilized. To this point in his career (and he's not a young guy), Sturtze, at his absolute best, has been just about league average (and it's only happened twice in his 10 year career). However, there were rumblings of Sturtze 2.0 (credit RLYW for the nickname) that had been taught a cutter by the great Mariano and that Sturtze showed up for the first couple of months of 2005. However, that fell apart after after a spot start on July 4th where he threw 82 pitches. Whether or not it was the spot start or the overuse by Joe Torre that did it, Tanyon reverted back to Sturtze 1.0 and had off and on arm troubles that have continued to spring training of this year. Nevertheless, the Yankees felt compelled to pick up Sturtze's option if only to continue the tradition of keeping old players who aren't that good (especially when there are younger options that might stink as well but at least have some upside - insert Hubie Brown of Jay Bilas joke here). At this point, expecting a league-average season (or even an ERA under 4.5) out of Tanyon might be wishful thinking but one can dream, especially since Joe Torre considers Sturtze to be of the same caliber as Farnsworth.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 35 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 89.1 | 107 | 67 | 59 | 14 | 43 | 54 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | -- | 5.94 |
| 2004 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 77.1 | 75 | 49 | 47 | 9 | 33 | 56 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.47 |
| 2005 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 78.0 | 76 | 43 | 41 | 10 | 27 | 45 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 4.73 |
Outlook: Another guy that personally, I think I would like. Tanyon seems like a good guy and he sticks up for his teammates but as a player, I can't help but think that his roster spot could be better utilized. To this point in his career (and he's not a young guy), Sturtze, at his absolute best, has been just about league average (and it's only happened twice in his 10 year career). However, there were rumblings of Sturtze 2.0 (credit RLYW for the nickname) that had been taught a cutter by the great Mariano and that Sturtze showed up for the first couple of months of 2005. However, that fell apart after after a spot start on July 4th where he threw 82 pitches. Whether or not it was the spot start or the overuse by Joe Torre that did it, Tanyon reverted back to Sturtze 1.0 and had off and on arm troubles that have continued to spring training of this year. Nevertheless, the Yankees felt compelled to pick up Sturtze's option if only to continue the tradition of keeping old players who aren't that good (especially when there are younger options that might stink as well but at least have some upside - insert Hubie Brown of Jay Bilas joke here). At this point, expecting a league-average season (or even an ERA under 4.5) out of Tanyon might be wishful thinking but one can dream, especially since Joe Torre considers Sturtze to be of the same caliber as Farnsworth.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | GS | Innings | W | L | BB | K | Hld | SV | ERA |
|---|
03/27: The House That George Built
Steve L. over at WasWatching posts a picture of the new Yankee Stadium site from a neat site that will be tracking the progress of the project. The website doesn't seem too enamored with the proposal but I haven't had a chance to check out the ins and outs of why they take that position. Going to school in for 4 years in PA and then living here for the last 3 years has positioned me well outside of the loop in regards to the pros and cons of the new stadium. If anyone reading has any thoughts, please feel free to enlighten me.
Posted by: James
Aaron Small - Reliever
Age: 34 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: Simply put, Aaron Small came of out nowhere to pick up 10 wins (and quite possibly save the 2005 season) for the Yankees and the chance of that happening again (in my mind) is slim. Small's career is the definition of the term journeyman - he began pitching in pro-ball in 1989 at the age of 17, and he's 34 now. This is no case of a player being held down in the minors either. He hasn't even been good enough to get tagged with the "AAAA player" label as his career ERA in AAA, in 871 innings, is 4.92 with a WHIP of 1.41. Still, baseball is a funny game - maybe he's finally figured something out that had been missing and maybe he's not just a fluke who benefitted from very good luck on balls in play. Maybe it was just his time to catch fire so that he could get a big payday after toiling so long in the minors ($1.2 million, $800K after taxes in an annuity @ 8% would give you a little over $60K tax-free for the next 40 years - not bad as a secondary source of income, right?). Whatever it is/was, Aaron Small was a wonderful surprise and a great story in 2005 and if he repeats his performance, I will be first in line to congratulate the man and wish him well. Based on his history though, I just can't see it happening.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 34 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | Level | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | AA | 8 | 7 | 0 | 41.0 | 47 | 23 | 22 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 4.83 |
| 2003 | AAA | 14 | 14 | 0 | 89.1 | 95 | 50 | 46 | 12 | 18 | 56 | 6 | 4 | 4.63 |
| 2004 | AAA | 27 | 24 | 2 | 154.2 | 199 | 95 | 87 | 18 | 29 | 109 | 9 | 9 | 5.06 |
| 2004 | MLB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 | 24 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8.27 |
| 2005 | AA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3.60 |
| 2005 | AAA | 11 | 10 | 0 | 49.0 | 62 | 30 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 4.96 |
| 2005 | MLB | 15 | 9 | 1 | 76.0 | 71 | 27 | 27 | 4 | 24 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 3.20 |
Outlook: Simply put, Aaron Small came of out nowhere to pick up 10 wins (and quite possibly save the 2005 season) for the Yankees and the chance of that happening again (in my mind) is slim. Small's career is the definition of the term journeyman - he began pitching in pro-ball in 1989 at the age of 17, and he's 34 now. This is no case of a player being held down in the minors either. He hasn't even been good enough to get tagged with the "AAAA player" label as his career ERA in AAA, in 871 innings, is 4.92 with a WHIP of 1.41. Still, baseball is a funny game - maybe he's finally figured something out that had been missing and maybe he's not just a fluke who benefitted from very good luck on balls in play. Maybe it was just his time to catch fire so that he could get a big payday after toiling so long in the minors ($1.2 million, $800K after taxes in an annuity @ 8% would give you a little over $60K tax-free for the next 40 years - not bad as a secondary source of income, right?). Whatever it is/was, Aaron Small was a wonderful surprise and a great story in 2005 and if he repeats his performance, I will be first in line to congratulate the man and wish him well. Based on his history though, I just can't see it happening.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | GS | Innings | W | L | BB | K | Hld | SV | ERA |
|---|
Steve Lombardi posted a list of the Mike's in Yankee history, concluding that Mussina is the greatest and he did the same for a number of other first names.
03/24: Hee...Seop...Aww, Nuts!
Posted by: James
This could be a very significant move in the AL playoff race this year as the Red Sox claimed Hee-Seop Choi off waivers.
I was hoping that the Yankees would take a shot at him when there were rumors that the Dodgers would non-tender him last season. That proved not to be the case but the things I liked about him then ring true today. He is young and I believe that he is good. The move is great for the Red Sox in two ways: A) It gives them insurance in case Mike Lowell is all washed up as they can just move Kevin Youkilis back to third while slotting Choi in at first and B) the move gives them backup in case Youkilis and J.T. Snow are the ones who can't hit. And of course, just having a lefty masher who plays good defense on the bench is still a great asset and as much as I hate that stupid Boy Wonder title that Epstein gets, he is certainly a very capable GM. Very nice move.
A native of Chun Nam, South Korea, Choi has played all or part of four major league seasons with the Cubs (2002-03), Marlins (2004) and Dodgers (2004-05). The first Korean-born position player to appear in a major league game when he made his big league debut with the Cubs September 8, 2002, Choi is a career .240 hitter with 40 home runs, 120 RBI and a .349 on-base percentage in 363 major league games.
The left-handed batter and thrower boasts a career .992 fielding percentage at first base, committing only 18 errors in 2,387 total chances. Choi made just two errors in 762 total chances at first base in 2005 with the Dodgers, tied for the second-best fielding percentage (.997) among all National League first basemen with 750 or more total chances. The 27-year-old Choi last season matched his career high by hitting 15 home runs for the second straight year, batting .253 with 15 doubles and 42 RBI in 133 games for the Dodgers. He became the first major league player of Asian descent to homer three times in a game when he did so June 12 vs. Minnesota.
The left-handed batter and thrower boasts a career .992 fielding percentage at first base, committing only 18 errors in 2,387 total chances. Choi made just two errors in 762 total chances at first base in 2005 with the Dodgers, tied for the second-best fielding percentage (.997) among all National League first basemen with 750 or more total chances. The 27-year-old Choi last season matched his career high by hitting 15 home runs for the second straight year, batting .253 with 15 doubles and 42 RBI in 133 games for the Dodgers. He became the first major league player of Asian descent to homer three times in a game when he did so June 12 vs. Minnesota.
I was hoping that the Yankees would take a shot at him when there were rumors that the Dodgers would non-tender him last season. That proved not to be the case but the things I liked about him then ring true today. He is young and I believe that he is good. The move is great for the Red Sox in two ways: A) It gives them insurance in case Mike Lowell is all washed up as they can just move Kevin Youkilis back to third while slotting Choi in at first and B) the move gives them backup in case Youkilis and J.T. Snow are the ones who can't hit. And of course, just having a lefty masher who plays good defense on the bench is still a great asset and as much as I hate that stupid Boy Wonder title that Epstein gets, he is certainly a very capable GM. Very nice move.
Posted by: James
Octavio Dotel - Reliever
Age: 31 Years Old (Turns 32 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: I thought that the Dotel signing was one of the best ones of the offseason (though I would have preferred a two-year deal but I guess you do what you have to do to add the guy). By now, everyone knows the story with Dotel. He started last season as the closer for the A's but had Tommy John surgery on June 6 after having pitched in only 15 games (this was done against the advice of the Athletics, who wanted him to try some R&R first). Dotel's continued with rehab since then, signed a one-year deal with the Yankees and will begin the season on the DL and depending on who you ask, will be ready to pitch anywhere from mid-May to the end of June.
To get a historical perspective on Dotel, keep this in mind. As a reliever, he has 481 strikeouts (11.49 Ks per 9) while giving up 268 hits in 390 innings since the start of the 2001 season, the most (by far) in the majors while putting up a 2.68 ERA. This is even more impressive considering this includes last season, which was lost due to his injury. His closest comparision is probably to an older Brad Lidge. If healthy, he and an effective Farnsworth could provide a lights-out bridge to Mariano.
What are his negatives? Well, he gives up more home runs than you would like (he's a fly ball pitcher - 0.51 G/F ratio in 2004), he's coming off an injury (though he has been pretty durable prior to the surgery) and he apparently doesn't have the "mental edge" (or whatever it is) to be an effective closer. He has found far more success as a set-up man than he has as a closer so hopefully, this will be a good experience for him. If nothing else, he can teach the rest of the Yankees pitchers how to live with some flair.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 31 Years Old (Turns 32 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 76 | 87.0 | 53 | 25 | 24 | 9 | 31 | 97 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 2 | 2.48 |
| 2004 | 77 | 85.1 | 68 | 38 | 35 | 13 | 33 | 122 | 6 | 6 | 36 | 0 | 9 | 3.69 |
| 2005 | 15 | 15.1 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3.52 |
Outlook: I thought that the Dotel signing was one of the best ones of the offseason (though I would have preferred a two-year deal but I guess you do what you have to do to add the guy). By now, everyone knows the story with Dotel. He started last season as the closer for the A's but had Tommy John surgery on June 6 after having pitched in only 15 games (this was done against the advice of the Athletics, who wanted him to try some R&R first). Dotel's continued with rehab since then, signed a one-year deal with the Yankees and will begin the season on the DL and depending on who you ask, will be ready to pitch anywhere from mid-May to the end of June.
To get a historical perspective on Dotel, keep this in mind. As a reliever, he has 481 strikeouts (11.49 Ks per 9) while giving up 268 hits in 390 innings since the start of the 2001 season, the most (by far) in the majors while putting up a 2.68 ERA. This is even more impressive considering this includes last season, which was lost due to his injury. His closest comparision is probably to an older Brad Lidge. If healthy, he and an effective Farnsworth could provide a lights-out bridge to Mariano.
What are his negatives? Well, he gives up more home runs than you would like (he's a fly ball pitcher - 0.51 G/F ratio in 2004), he's coming off an injury (though he has been pretty durable prior to the surgery) and he apparently doesn't have the "mental edge" (or whatever it is) to be an effective closer. He has found far more success as a set-up man than he has as a closer so hopefully, this will be a good experience for him. If nothing else, he can teach the rest of the Yankees pitchers how to live with some flair.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | Innings | W | L | BB | K | HD | SV | BlSv | ERA |
|---|
03/22: More on Philip Hughes
Posted by: James
Aaron Gleeman is going through his annual Top 50 prospect list and Philip Hughes comes in at number 38. No more information here than what's already been said before but hey, if this many people are this high on the kid, we as fans can get a little excited, right? Here's what Aaron had to say (emphasis mine):
I'd check out the rest of the list as well. There won't be any more Yankees prospects on that list but reading Aaron's work is always pretty interesting.
This is a bit of a stretch for me in that I typically try to be overly cautious when it comes to pitchers who have yet to get past Single-A. However, Philip Hughes' combination of size, stuff, and early results is just too much to ignore. A 2004 first-round pick out of a California high school, Hughes tossed five scoreless innings in rookie-ball after signing and then began last season at low Single-A. He went 7-1 with a 1.97 ERA in 12 starts there, striking out 72 batters in 68.2 innings while walking just 16 and limiting opponents to a .192 batting average. He then moved up to high Single-A and kept dominating, going 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA, 21-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .140 opponent's batting average in 17.2 innings.
Hughes is the youngest pitcher in this top 50 and has as much upside as anyone, but he's also the only pitcher who hasn't advanced past Single-A. He was also limited to just 86.1 innings in 2005 because of shoulder problems, which means he'll have to stay healthy for a full season and continue to have success against more experienced competition before I get completely caught up in the hype. Until then I'll stick with this ranking, which will either be way too low (if he stays healthy and keeps blowing hitters away) or way too high (if he struggles with the same obsticles other top pitching prospects have had trouble getting past once they reach the upper minors) by this time next year.
Hughes is the youngest pitcher in this top 50 and has as much upside as anyone, but he's also the only pitcher who hasn't advanced past Single-A. He was also limited to just 86.1 innings in 2005 because of shoulder problems, which means he'll have to stay healthy for a full season and continue to have success against more experienced competition before I get completely caught up in the hype. Until then I'll stick with this ranking, which will either be way too low (if he stays healthy and keeps blowing hitters away) or way too high (if he struggles with the same obsticles other top pitching prospects have had trouble getting past once they reach the upper minors) by this time next year.
I'd check out the rest of the list as well. There won't be any more Yankees prospects on that list but reading Aaron's work is always pretty interesting.
Posted by: James
Kyle Farnsworth - Reliever
Age: 29 (Turns 30 in April).
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: It's always a little harder with the new guys since you don't have a Yankee track record to use and you haven't found out whether or not the player can handle the crucible of NY. It doesn't help that Kyle has a reputation as a little bit of a hothead in his career. To date, he hasn't handled pressure all that well (7.36 ERA in 11 innings of postseason work) and he has often lost focus on the mound (as many a Cub fan can attest to). It also doesn't help that Kyle seems to follow a pattern: odd years - good/great seasons, even years - medicocrity. Look at the graphs - it's like a rollercoaster ride! Take that for what you will.
Don't get me wrong though - I liked the signing a lot. Kyle only turns 30 years old in April (a good 7.5 years younger than the man he's replacing) and he strikes people out (9.09 K per 9 for his career), which is always a nice way to get out of a tight spot. He's also working on the mental aspect of his game by putting in some reading time . Hopefully, these practices have helped him grow as a person but I (seflishly, I know) also hope they keep him pitching like he did last year. Improvement in the playoffs would also be a plus but then again, as many people have pointed out, Flash wasn't exactly reliable in the playoffs either so he doesn't have a very high bar to jump over. Finally, while he has been uneven, overall, the general direction of his seasons has been better. In his latest bad season (2004), he gave up a line of .260/.348/.426/.769 which is a far cry from his previous off seasons (2002: .293/.370/.558/.924 and 2000: .291/.392/.476/.864). Farnsworth might have just turned the corner and established a consistent level of performance but it will be an interesting trend to watch.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 29 (Turns 30 in April).
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 77 | 76.1 | 53 | 31 | 28 | 6 | 36 | 92 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 3.30 |
| 2004 | 72 | 67.2 | 67 | 39 | 35 | 10 | 33 | 78 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 4.73 |
| 2005 | 72 | 70.0 | 44 | 18 | 17 | 5 | 27 | 87 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 2.19 |
Outlook: It's always a little harder with the new guys since you don't have a Yankee track record to use and you haven't found out whether or not the player can handle the crucible of NY. It doesn't help that Kyle has a reputation as a little bit of a hothead in his career. To date, he hasn't handled pressure all that well (7.36 ERA in 11 innings of postseason work) and he has often lost focus on the mound (as many a Cub fan can attest to). It also doesn't help that Kyle seems to follow a pattern: odd years - good/great seasons, even years - medicocrity. Look at the graphs - it's like a rollercoaster ride! Take that for what you will.
Don't get me wrong though - I liked the signing a lot. Kyle only turns 30 years old in April (a good 7.5 years younger than the man he's replacing) and he strikes people out (9.09 K per 9 for his career), which is always a nice way to get out of a tight spot. He's also working on the mental aspect of his game by putting in some reading time . Hopefully, these practices have helped him grow as a person but I (seflishly, I know) also hope they keep him pitching like he did last year. Improvement in the playoffs would also be a plus but then again, as many people have pointed out, Flash wasn't exactly reliable in the playoffs either so he doesn't have a very high bar to jump over. Finally, while he has been uneven, overall, the general direction of his seasons has been better. In his latest bad season (2004), he gave up a line of .260/.348/.426/.769 which is a far cry from his previous off seasons (2002: .293/.370/.558/.924 and 2000: .291/.392/.476/.864). Farnsworth might have just turned the corner and established a consistent level of performance but it will be an interesting trend to watch.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | Innings | W | L | BB | K | HD | SV | BlSv | ERA |
|---|
03/20: Al Leiter Retires
He only pitched 38 of his 419 games here, but it started here and it ended here, so I figure it's worth a note. Al Leiter has retired.
After retiring the only batter he faced on Sunday against Cleveland, two-time All-Star Al Leiter announced his retirement. ...
Leiter told manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman of his decision before the game, and it was decided that he would pitch following Randy Johnson until he got an out, which happened on a ground ball by Eduardo Perez, the first batter he faced.
Leiter told manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman of his decision before the game, and it was decided that he would pitch following Randy Johnson until he got an out, which happened on a ground ball by Eduardo Perez, the first batter he faced.
Posted by: James
Jaret Wright - Starting Pitcher
Age: 29 Years Old (Turns 30 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: Well, no one can say that they didn't see the signs. They were just ignored. Signing a starting pitcher off of one good season (where he worked with Leo Mazzone and in front of a good defense) following a storied history of arm trouble is not exactly the smartest move. Not surprisingly, Jaret's 2005 season justified all of these initial criticisms. He only pitched 20 innings in April (with an ERA of 9.19!) before he had to be shut down because of shoulder problems. When he came back, he had one good start against Toronto (who slaughtered him the next two times they saw him) and one good start apiece against Seattle and Tampa Bay. Outside of that, he was awful and ended the season with three starts where he averaged 2 innings and 3 earned runs per start. I give Jaret credit for rehabbing and working hard to come back from his initial shoulder problems but I simply don’t think that he has the strength or the stuff to be a starting pitcher in the AL. His K rate was horrible (4.81 per 9) which is a problem if you’re not a groundball pitcher. Couple that with awful control (almost 5 men per 9 innings) and you have the explanation for an ERA over 6.
To date, he has pitched 11.2 innings in spring training and has given up 21(!) hits and 12 earned runs. That's an ERA of 9.26 for those of you without your calculators handy, which is pretty close to what he did last April. In my mind, it would practically take a miracle for Jaret Wright to be a useful pitcher for the Yankees and if he lives up (or is it down) to my expectations, he would go down as one of the worst signings in Yankee history.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 29 Years Old (Turns 30 in June).
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | SV | HD | BlSv | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 56.1 | 76 | 46 | 46 | 9 | 31 | 50 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7.35 |
| 2004 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 186.1 | 168 | 79 | 68 | 11 | 70 | 159 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -- | 3.28 |
| 2005 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 64.2 | 81 | 51 | 43 | 8 | 32 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -- | 6.08 |
Outlook: Well, no one can say that they didn't see the signs. They were just ignored. Signing a starting pitcher off of one good season (where he worked with Leo Mazzone and in front of a good defense) following a storied history of arm trouble is not exactly the smartest move. Not surprisingly, Jaret's 2005 season justified all of these initial criticisms. He only pitched 20 innings in April (with an ERA of 9.19!) before he had to be shut down because of shoulder problems. When he came back, he had one good start against Toronto (who slaughtered him the next two times they saw him) and one good start apiece against Seattle and Tampa Bay. Outside of that, he was awful and ended the season with three starts where he averaged 2 innings and 3 earned runs per start. I give Jaret credit for rehabbing and working hard to come back from his initial shoulder problems but I simply don’t think that he has the strength or the stuff to be a starting pitcher in the AL. His K rate was horrible (4.81 per 9) which is a problem if you’re not a groundball pitcher. Couple that with awful control (almost 5 men per 9 innings) and you have the explanation for an ERA over 6.
To date, he has pitched 11.2 innings in spring training and has given up 21(!) hits and 12 earned runs. That's an ERA of 9.26 for those of you without your calculators handy, which is pretty close to what he did last April. In my mind, it would practically take a miracle for Jaret Wright to be a useful pitcher for the Yankees and if he lives up (or is it down) to my expectations, he would go down as one of the worst signings in Yankee history.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | GS | Innings | W | L | BB | K | Hld | SV | ERA |
|---|
Posted by: James
Carl Pavano - Starting Pitcher
Age: 30 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
Outlook: Well, they don't call the man "Glass Carl" for nothing. True to many Yankees fans' predictions at the beginning of the season, Pavano broke down after a few good starts. SG over at RLYW has taken a look at Pavano's splits and remains convinced that Pavano's start on May 17, where he threw 133 pitches, eventually led to his injury problems last season. Looking at the stats, he might be onto something there. Pavano was 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA during that time and in the following start and his peripherals were pretty good too, 5.5 Ks and 1.6 BBs per 9. He looked like, surprise surprise, Carl Pavano from 2004. From that point on, 6.46 ERA, 4.4 Ks per 9 and eminently hittable - hmm, not so good. Combine that with the continuation of his injuries into this spring and then the stories/rumors that he was unhappy in NY and he there was just a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths.
Well, what's done is done. Pavano is under contract for three more years and you can make the case that Carl is one of the most important pieces of the 2006 season. If he can stay healthy and pitch to his ability (which he has only done once since 1998) or at least be a little better than league average, the effect on the rest of the staff is tremendous. First, it takes Jaret Wright and Aaron Small out of the equation and they can then be used as the pitchers of last resort. If he can be a good innings-eater, that puts a lot less stress on the bullpen and we have all seen what good a rested bullpen is for the postseason. If however, Pavano falls victim to the injury bug (again), Wright, Small and hopefully DeSalvo and Rasner (but they'll probably end up using Sturtze and Proctor) will be pushed to the forefront, weakening both the starting and relief pitching. But right now, you can sum up Pavano pretty quickly in a phrase, you just don't know what to expect. Will he be healthy? Will he be any good if he is? For the Yankees sakes, hopefully he is.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
Age: 30 Years Old.
Three-Year History and splits:
| SEASON | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 33 | 32 | 2 | 201.0 | 204 | 99 | 96 | 19 | 49 | 133 | 12 | 13 | 4.30 |
| 2004 | 31 | 31 | 2 | 222.1 | 212 | 80 | 74 | 16 | 49 | 139 | 18 | 8 | 3.00 |
| 2005 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 100.0 | 129 | 66 | 53 | 17 | 18 | 56 | 4 | 6 | 4.77 |
Outlook: Well, they don't call the man "Glass Carl" for nothing. True to many Yankees fans' predictions at the beginning of the season, Pavano broke down after a few good starts. SG over at RLYW has taken a look at Pavano's splits and remains convinced that Pavano's start on May 17, where he threw 133 pitches, eventually led to his injury problems last season. Looking at the stats, he might be onto something there. Pavano was 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA during that time and in the following start and his peripherals were pretty good too, 5.5 Ks and 1.6 BBs per 9. He looked like, surprise surprise, Carl Pavano from 2004. From that point on, 6.46 ERA, 4.4 Ks per 9 and eminently hittable - hmm, not so good. Combine that with the continuation of his injuries into this spring and then the stories/rumors that he was unhappy in NY and he there was just a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths.
Well, what's done is done. Pavano is under contract for three more years and you can make the case that Carl is one of the most important pieces of the 2006 season. If he can stay healthy and pitch to his ability (which he has only done once since 1998) or at least be a little better than league average, the effect on the rest of the staff is tremendous. First, it takes Jaret Wright and Aaron Small out of the equation and they can then be used as the pitchers of last resort. If he can be a good innings-eater, that puts a lot less stress on the bullpen and we have all seen what good a rested bullpen is for the postseason. If however, Pavano falls victim to the injury bug (again), Wright, Small and hopefully DeSalvo and Rasner (but they'll probably end up using Sturtze and Proctor) will be pushed to the forefront, weakening both the starting and relief pitching. But right now, you can sum up Pavano pretty quickly in a phrase, you just don't know what to expect. Will he be healthy? Will he be any good if he is? For the Yankees sakes, hopefully he is.
Please post your predictions for the following stat line in the comments section:
| G | GS | Innings | W | L | BB | K | ERA |
|---|
03/19: The Incomparable
Posted by: Patrick
There is a great article about Mo at Courant.com:
Saves of a different sort mean the most to Rivera now. He did all he could to keep Alfonso Soriano on the right path when they were teammates, and now is working hard to help Robinson Cano get the most from his immense talent. Melky Cabrera and Jose Veras are also among the kids who gather around Rivera's locker.
"They are the future of the organization and they need to follow a good role model," Rivera says. "One day, some kid is going to follow them. I just want them to remember how I try to tell them the truth, how I try to teach them. I don't want them to remember me for what I do. I want them to remember me for who I am. This is what I do, but this is not who I am. That's the only thing that I want, to be a guy who makes changes in somebody's life."
"They are the future of the organization and they need to follow a good role model," Rivera says. "One day, some kid is going to follow them. I just want them to remember how I try to tell them the truth, how I try to teach them. I don't want them to remember me for what I do. I want them to remember me for who I am. This is what I do, but this is not who I am. That's the only thing that I want, to be a guy who makes changes in somebody's life."
03/17: We're All Thinking It...
...but Mike A. actually puts it into words.
Mike A. should think about making that an open petition and having people who agree sign in the comments. I'm definitely on board. The only difference is that I never thought that was a good signing. I hated it when it was announced, during and after the season...and hate it now. I think it might actually be one of the worst signings in Yankee history! Still, strangely enough, I actually started pulling for the guy during the season. I know he stunk but he worked his butt off to try to come back for the end of the 2005 season and he genuinely looked like he wished he could justify the signing. Well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Maybe he just needs to take a year off from baseball to heal up but for now, he looks like done (though I hope he can prove us both wrong).
But I see now that I was wrong. I was so naive, I remember thinking you had a legit shot at winning 18 games. You were going to be at the back of the rotation for a team with a dominant offense and a dominant end game bullpen, what wasn't there to like about that situation? Just about a month ago I thought you could be a very good reliever, after all you did earn your spot in Atlanta after serving as John Smoltz's primary set-up man down the stretch in 2003. But now, I think you'd most benefit the team by pitching BP, you know, helping the hitters gain confidence. You seem to be good at that.
...
To steal a line from Van Wilder: there comes a time in everyman's life when he has to realize a bad investment, and simply cut his losses. It just might be best for both of us if you packed up your locker and left. Sorry things had to turn out like this, but I want you to know it's not me, it's you.
...
To steal a line from Van Wilder: there comes a time in everyman's life when he has to realize a bad investment, and simply cut his losses. It just might be best for both of us if you packed up your locker and left. Sorry things had to turn out like this, but I want you to know it's not me, it's you.
Mike A. should think about making that an open petition and having people who agree sign in the comments. I'm definitely on board. The only difference is that I never thought that was a good signing. I hated it when it was announced, during and after the season...and hate it now. I think it might actually be one of the worst signings in Yankee history! Still, strangely enough, I actually started pulling for the guy during the season. I know he stunk but he worked his butt off to try to come back for the end of the 2005 season and he genuinely looked like he wished he could justify the signing. Well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Maybe he just needs to take a year off from baseball to heal up but for now, he looks like done (though I hope he can prove us both wrong).
03/17: Grading the Yanks Offseason
Posted by: James
Ben Jacobs over at The Hardball Times posted the final third of his Offseason Rankings and the Yankees come in second (the Dodgers were first). That's pretty high praise coming from a die-hard Red Sox fan (you may remember Ben from the Rivals in Exile pieces that he did with Larry Mahnken last season). Here's a quick excerpt and head over over to read the rest.
Really, the Yankees just didn't do anything wrong this offseason. They may have overspent in a couple places, but they can afford it. And every player they added can help them.
The big move was obviously the signing of Johnny Damon for $52 million over four years. That's a lot of money, and it will carry him through his age 35 season, which is always a risk, but it will be worth it for at least the first two years. Last year, the Yankees got a .629 OPS and terrible defense at center field. Even if Damon declines both offensively and defensively, he will be a huge upgrade for the Yankees.
The big move was obviously the signing of Johnny Damon for $52 million over four years. That's a lot of money, and it will carry him through his age 35 season, which is always a risk, but it will be worth it for at least the first two years. Last year, the Yankees got a .629 OPS and terrible defense at center field. Even if Damon declines both offensively and defensively, he will be a huge upgrade for the Yankees.
03/17: Heir Apparent