From the Yankees:
YANKEES INVITE 26 PLAYERS TO SPRING TRAINING
The New York Yankees announced today that they have invited 26 non-roster players to Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. The list includes nine pitchers, five catchers, five infielders and seven outfielders. The total number of players now scheduled to report is 66.
C Kyle Anson, 24, batted .272 (91-for-334) with four home runs and 44 RBI in 98 games with Single-A Charleston in 2007, and ranked second in the South Atlantic League with a 40.4 percent caught-stealing rate (42-for-104) in his first season as a catcher. Anson was originally selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft as a third baseman.
C Jason Brown, 33, batted .208 (10-for-48) with one home run and three RBI with Double-A Trenton in 2007 after being limited to 15 games due to a left shoulder separation. Brown was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 26, 1997, and was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on November 19, 2004.
INF Bernie Castro, 28, played with Triple-A Columbus in the Washington organization, ranking fourth among all Nationals minor leaguers with 34 stolen bases and hitting .280 (120-for-428) with one home run and 32 RBI in 118 games in 2007. Castro has spent parts of two seasons in the Majors (Baltimore in 2005 and Washington in 2006), batting .253 (118-for-466) with 17 RBI in 66 games. He returns to the Yankees organization that originally signed him as a non-drafted free agent on September 25, 1997.
OF Justin Christian, 27, split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, batting .271 (115-for-424) with four home runs and 48 RBI in 105 games. Christian attended Auburn University and was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 1, 2004.
OF Colin Curtis, 22, played in 65 games with Single-A Tampa where he batted .298 (73-for-245) with five home runs and 26 RBI. He was promoted to Double-A Trenton on June 22 and hit .242 (58-for-240) with three home runs and 15 RBI in 61 games in his Double-A debut. Curtis was originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University.
INF Eric Duncan, 23, hit .241 (99-for-411) with 26 doubles, 11 home runs and 61 RBI in 113 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, setting a career high in doubles and tying a career best in RBI. Duncan was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft.
OF Brett Gardner, 24, split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, batting .281 (108-for-384) with one home run, 26 RBI and 39 stolen bases in 99 games. Over the last two seasons, he has successfully stolen a base in 83.6 percent of his tries (97-for-116). After the season, Gardner played in 26 games for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .343 (37-for-108) with 10 RBI and ranked among league leaders in stolen bases (16), runs scored (27), hits (37), walks (17), on-base percentage (.433) and batting average while being named to the AFL Top Prospects Team. Following the 2007 season, he was ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the organization as well as the fastest baserunner and the player with the best strike-zone discipline among all Yankees minor leaguers. Gardner was originally selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
RHP Daniel Giese, 30, made his Major League debut with the Giants as a September call-up, going 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA in eight relief appearances. He began the season with Triple-A Fresno (San Francisco) where he went 3-1 with two saves and a 2.82 ERA in 47 relief appearances. Originally selected by Boston in the 34th round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Giese owns a 43-26 record with a 2.97 ERA in 374 career minor league appearances.
INF Nick Green, 29, spent time with Seattle, Triple-A Tacoma and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2007. With Indianapolis, he hit .245 (25-for-102) with five home runs and 20 RBI in 26 games before being traded to Seattle. In 66 games with Tacoma, hit .337 (96-for-285) with 16 home runs and 46 RBI and was promoted on September 4 to Seattle, where he did not record a hit in six games (seven at-bats). Green is a career .240 (169-for-703) hitter with 10 home runs and 59 RBI in 275 games over four Major League seasons with Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New York (AL) and Seattle. In 2006 with the Yankees, he batted .240 (21-for-114) with two home runs and four RBI in 46 games. Green was originally selected by Atlanta in the 32nd round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft.
RHP Alan Horne, 25, was 12-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 27 starts with Double-A Trenton in 2007, earning Eastern League “Pitcher of the Year” honors. He led the league in ERA, strikeouts (165) and winning percentage (.750), while ranking fourth in innings pitched (153.1). Following the 2007 season, he was named to the Eastern League midseason All-Star team and was selected as the EL’s top right-handed starter on the postseason All-Star team. Horne was selected by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.
OF Austin Jackson, 20, spent time at four different levels in 2007 (Single-A Charleston, Single-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), combining to hit .304 (151-for-496) with 88 runs scored, 21 doubles, 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 128 games. He was ranked by Baseball America as the organization’s No. 2 prospect and was selected as the “Best Athlete” and “Best Defensive Outfielder” in the Yankees’ minor league system. Jackson was originally selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.
RHP Steven Jackson, 25, split the 2007 season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining to go 4-9 with one save and a 5.40 ERA in 28 appearances (11 starts). Jackson was originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft and was acquired by the Yankees from Arizona along with right-handed pitchers Ross Ohlendorf and Luis Vizcaino and infielder Alberto Gonzalez in exchange for Randy Johnson on January 9, 2007.
OF Jason Lane, 31, split time between Houston and Triple-A Round Rock in 2007 before being traded to San Diego on September 24. Over two stints with the Astros, batted .178 (30-for-169) with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 68 games and hit .319 (59-for-185) with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 50 games with Round Rock. In three games with the Padres, he did not record a hit in two at-bats. Originally selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Lane is a career .241 (291-for-1,208) hitter with 61 home runs and 189 RBI in 497 games with Houston and San Diego. He batted .267 (138-for-517) in 145 games with Houston in 2005, establishing career highs in home runs (26) and runs batted in (78).
RHP Daniel McCutchen, 25, combined to go 14-4 with a 2.47 ERA, 33 walks and 103 strikeouts in 24 games (23 starts) with Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2007. His wins were tied for second most in the organization while his ERA ranked third among Yankees farmhands. The Florida State League All-Star was rated by Baseball America as having the FSL’s best control. The right-hander was selected by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.
RHP Mark Melancon, 22, missed the 2007 season while recovering from “Tommy John” surgery. Originally selected by the Yankees in the ninth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, he was 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in seven relief appearances with short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2006, his first professional season.
C Jesus Montero, 18, made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees in 2007, batting .280 (30-for-107) with six doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI in 33 games. He committed just one error in 182 total chances behind the plate and was rated as the Yankees’ top catching prospect (sixth overall) and the organization’s best power hitter by Baseball America. The Venezuelan native signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in October 2006 and will be the youngest player in the Yankees spring training camp.
LHP Heath Phillips, 25, split time with the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte and made his Major League debut as a September call-up, going 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six relief appearances with Chicago. With Charlotte, he tied for the International League lead in wins, going 13-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 28 starts. He led all Chicago minor leaguers and the International League in innings pitched and went 8-0 with a 2.44 ERA over his final 11 starts. His eight-game winning streak tied for the second-longest in the IL in 2007. Phillips was originally signed by the White Sox in the 10th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft.
C P.J. Pilittere, 26, will make his second straight appearance in spring camp after receiving a non-roster invitation in 2006. He batted .261 (91-for-348) with 16 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI in 100 games with Double-A Trenton in 2007 and led all Eastern League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage, committing only four errors in 844 total chances. He was originally selected by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.
OF Greg Porter, 27, combined to hit .316 (149-for-472) with 11 home runs and 78 RBI in 129 games with Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Salt Lake. He was named the June “Player of the Month” among all Angels minor league players, hitting .368 (42-for-114) with 25 runs scored, 12 doubles and 28RBI in 31 games. Porter was originally selected by the Angels in the 45th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft and was signed by the Yankees on December 1, 2007.
INF Cody Ransom, 31, appeared in 19 games with Houston in 2007, batting .229 (8-for-35) with two doubles, one home run and three RBI. He opened the year with Triple-A Round Rock and won team MVP honors, batting .260 with 35 doubles, a team-high 28 home runs and a team-high 90 RBI. A former ninth round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Ransom owns a .236 career Major League batting average (33-for-140) with nine doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI in 133 games with the Giants and Astros.
RHP Darrell Rasner, 27, made his first Opening Day roster in 2007 and went 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA over two stints with the Yankees. He had his season cut short on May 19 when he was hit in the right hand by a come-back ground ball. He underwent surgery the next day to repair a fractured right index finger. After missing three months, he made two rehab starts with short-season Single-A Staten Island (0-0, 5.14 ERA) to close out the year. A second round pick of the Montreal Expos in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, he was claimed off waivers by the Yankees from the Washington Nationals on February 10, 2006.
C Austin Romine, 19, was selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of El Toro High School in California. He appeared in one game with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, going 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI and one walk. Baseball America rated the catcher’s arm strength the third-best among the nation’s high school players in the draft.
RHP Scott Strickland, 31, was 4-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 15 relief appearances with Triple-A Portland (San Diego) in 2007. He owns a 21-17 record in 193 career Major League games (27 starts) with a 3.26 ERA, pitching with the Expos and Astros. Originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the 10th round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Strickland was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on December 20, 2007.
OF Jose Tabata, 19, batted a team-high .307 (126-for-411) with Single-A Tampa in 2007, along with 16 doubles, five home runs, 54 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He earned a spot on the Florida State League’s postseason All-Star team after ranking fifth in average and never going more than two games without recording a hit. He was ranked by Baseball America as the Yankees’ third-best prospect and tabbed as being the best hitter for average in the organization. This will be the second straight spring training invitation for Tabata who signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on August 12, 2004.
LHP Billy Traber, 27, appeared in 28 games (two starts) with the Washington Nationals in 2007, going 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA. The left-hander opened the year with Triple-A Columbus where he was 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 14 games (four starts), striking out 29 batters with only seven walks. Signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent on January 4, 2008, Traber has appeared in 76 Major League games (28 starts) with the Cleveland Indians and Nationals, posting a 12-14 record and a 5.41 ERA.
INF Marcos Vechionacci, 21, spent most of the 2007 season with Single-A Tampa, batting .266 (104-for-391) with 44 runs scored, 23 doubles and 39 RBI in 108 games at third base. He also appeared with Double-A Trenton in the final two games of the regular season and batted .288 in the postseason, helping the Thunder win the Eastern League title. Following the season, he joined Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League where he hit .286 (30-for-105) in 41 games. He was rated by Baseball America as having the best infield arm in the organization for the second straight season. Vechionacci was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on August 26, 2002.
Comments (48)
Ok out of those "26" send "13" of them to whatever team "Gagne" is on for a trade and the "other" 13 to the "Braves", and trade "for" Texiera! Yanks "would" be stupid not to, right?
Rieber,
Thanks for the info, this is pretty good stuff. I think I'm most interested in seeing Tabata and Austin Jackson for the OF and Montero behind the plate. Horne will be interesting to see as well so I'm already juiced up (I don't mean literally, Mr. Mitchell) for spring training to start.
Hey Roy, Jim A. How's everyone been here? I've been off on vacation and covering other sports. Quite the offseason for the Yanks, huh? Looks like the blog's had a makeover since I've been here. I don't know about all of you, but I'm am very, very sick of steroids talk. Can we get back to who is going to pitch for the Yankees and who is going to pitch for the Mets and how Girardi's going to do and whether Willie's on the hotseat, etc, etc? I'm far less interested in Clemens' backside abcesses than I am in these questions. As Neil Best would say, Sigh.
Rieber,
I don't think that's Roy above, just someone busting his chops over his desire to trade for Gagne over the summer. Roy is off protesting the new blog format and code system so we haven't seen him in a while.
Like you, most of us are extremely tired of anything related to PED's and we've worn Johan Santana into the ground as well.
I'm very interested to see who is the surprise player coming out of spring training this year. I don't know that anyone can make the team besides pitchers vying for bullpen spots. I am heading to spring training for four days in March so I get to see things first hand and I'm excited about that.
As far as the Mets go, I think Minaya shares as much blame as Willie but I figure Willie will pay the price first if the Mets start slow.
Good to see you on here, maybe you can liven it up a bit. Hey, maybe you have a friend in the IT dept. that Kat doesn't and you can relay our problems with the new security codes:
If you try to post more than one item in a week, you get shot down as having submitted too many posts in a short period of time so you have to fool the system by refreshing your screen and getting a new code. If you haven't saved your post, you need to re-write it which is a pain. Kat has been trying to find the right person to fix it without much luck so far.
As you can tell by looking back at previous threads, the traffic died off almost completely when the codes were introduced.
Just thought I'd ask....all the best to you!
Robertson wasnt invited? Im a little shocked due to his mind blowing numbers last year. Why not see what he looks like?
This is my cant wait to see list from the above players
Montero
( want to see his power on display )
Romine
( want to see his all around C game and bat )
Jackson ( not Steven )
( was that hot streak a fluke? or the start of something big? )
Tabata
( see if the Hamate bone surgery helps his power )
Horne
( will be our 7th starter, or major RP cog )
Gardner
( SPEEEEEED 5th OF, not including Duncan )
Melancon
( Mo's replacement in the future?, how's that elbow looking? )
Heath Phillips
( maybe the LHRP we are looking for? )
30 MORE DAYS FOR P&C'S!!!!!!!!! STARTING TO GET SPRING FEVER!!!!!
Some stuff from the NY Times =
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/sports/baseball/15Yankees.html?ref=sports
A key point =
And while Hank Steinbrenner has not ruled out a deal, he is unlikely to overrule Cashman’s recommendation on such an important decision. “He’s the general manager, and I’m going to pay attention to the opinion of our top baseball people,” Steinbrenner said.
NICE
Also talked about Joba's innings and Hank used a word that I thought was not in the Steinbrenner vocabulary; "...we’ve all got to be PATIENT"
WOW
Ohhhh look .... Georgie Porgies son FREDO has once again pulled a deal off the table....Can you say Pyschoooooooo???
Flip Flopper? Undecided? Clueless?
Please pick an adjective!
8******************************************************
That was yesterday. Today Georgie Porgies son FREDO is now back tracking.
Your organization is being run by a MORON ! Enjoy the 80's boys. They are back. Go get your Don Johnson suit out and throw away your socks. Loafers baby Loafers!
Enjoy !
BP- Joe Sheehan on Melky
[quote]http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7053
Melky Cabrera. Cabrera went backwards in ’07, but not by enough for concern. Remember that he is just 23 years old and has more than 1100 plate appearances in the majors, with average to average-plus defense (good physical tools, but very raw, takes bad routes) and a very good 129/96 K/BB. He is a mature player offensively, patient at the plate and fair on the bases (25-for-35 stealing in his career). One interesting quirk is his G/F ratio, which is 1.63 for his career and was a whopping 1.81 last season. Cabrera is listed at 5’11” and 200 pounds. He’s not Willy Taveras, but rather a player who should be developing power and learning how to drive the ball, rather than hitting the ball on the ground 60 percent of the time.
I’m reminded of Alex Rios, who doesn’t look a thing like Cabrera. Rios was largely disappointing in 2004 and 2005, hitting just 11 homers in more than 900 at-bats, with an isolated power of 117. The problem: Rios was hitting the ball on the ground too much, a 1.82 G/F in those two seasons. Starting in ’06, Rios put the ball in the air more than half the time, and became a star. When you look at Cabrera’s body, his established control of the strike zone, and his ability to hold his own at a young age, you recognize that all it’s going to take is for him to start elevating the ball. Cabrera may not get there in 2008, but he’s going to pop 80 extra-base hits and slug .500 in a season very, very soon.[/quote]
Rieber
Welcome back! And, I'm with you on the topics thing. I have had enough of the steroids soap opera. Let's talk baseball.
There's one guy missing on that ST list that I would like to see - Mr. Santana!
The Yanks need to get Santana! He is YOUNG, PROVEN to be the BEST SP in AL and is LH. I think many of you on here are going to be shocked when you all realize that all these kids aren't going to pan out like you think. Then, their market value will become that of a Karstens or a Rasner, etc. Not that those guys are terrible, but they aren't going to bring you a Santana!!! Just beware fellas.
Dru, good list.
I too am wondering about Robertson. I thought he was on the yanks list of up an comers. Have you seen Gardner yet, if not, you will love him. Maybe I can post this time.
Nice list ...
I am hoping that Heath Phillips is a pitcher I get to see on the mound. We need lefties.
How many of these players will stick with the team?
I am ready for the season to start.
We need to fix the security thing on the Blog and get back to baseball.
Again, Rick. These kids don't have to be spectacular to be successful.
They just need to be better than Karstens, Rasner, Igawa, Henn, DeSalvo, Wright, and Clippard.
I don't see that as a major obstacle in 2008.
Two snubs: Kevin Whelan and JB Cox - perhaps due to injury?
Cox is returning from surgery and Whelan was shut down after a few Arizona Fall league outings with shoulder soreness that wasn't supposed to be serious.
But Humberto Sanchez is still returning from surgery and he's not only invited to Legends Field, he's on the active roster. So why the snubs?
I still have hopes for Karstens, I've always felt like he might just figure it all out someday soon. He had a great winter so let's hope he surprises us.
To Mr. Reiber I appreciate your efforts with the ST additions and some background but this is my 4th attempt to place a comment on the blog. Newsday must get its act together in the IT Dept. because less than 20 people have been able to post a coment. Its killing this blog.
On the invitees, Players such as Rasner, Ransom, Lane, Brown and Greene are just taking up space on the AAA roster and ST roster. Its time to move these guys out and promote from the lower levels of the minors. Its interesting that Andy Phillips was designinated for assignment but we keep a boat load of potential First baseman when Andy handled his assignments well. Some of you may say, "he had limited power". Take a look at the power stats for the bunch mentioned above. It makes no sense to me. The Yankees are always looking for the retread but let hard working acclimated ballplayer released.
Larry,
Somebody has to play in Spring Training, that's why they keep most of these guys around. They need 1B for IF practices and catchers for the pitchers to throw to. A lot of these guys will be spread out throughout the system when spring training is over.
To me, the one guy that needs to have a very good spring is Eric Duncan, once the prize of the organization, this guy just has not produced and I think it's time for the Yanks to make a definitive decision on him as he may benefit from a change of scenery.
Jim, I agree with you on Duncan. I think the yanks messed up by moving him too quickly through the system. They would promote him to the next level after only hitting under .250 at the previous one. He just turned 23 and he did improve at AAA from 21-22
+.032 BA
+.044 OBP
+.134 SLUG
+.178 OPS
If he can make a similar jump this year he would be..
.273 BA
.367 OBP
.523 SLUG
.890 OPS
For a 23 year old at AAA, that would be GREAT! Of course he hasnt hit over .260 since A ball at age 19. Still if he can play 1st and 3rd, we might have a place for him as a backup INF, then maybe the primary 1st baseman in the future. He does have power as he hit 19 HR's in 450 AB's as a 20 year old at Trenton; also he's had an OPS of 830, 840, 828 and 1108 at three different minor league levels. The potential is still there, he may be one of those late bloomers.
Viper
Funny you should mention Karstens, Rasner, Igawa, Henn, DeSalvo, Wright, and Clippard. These are the same can't miss prospects that you and others on here were ranting about a year ago as the future of the Yanks! Funny, how now a year later, it's a whole new crop of PROSPECTS you guys are ranting about. NONE of these guys are a SANTANA. Wake up and smell the reality.
SNIIIIFFFFFF...AAAHHHHH, a fresh cup of reality served up by Rick. Freshly grown on the foothills of Mt Keyes in Columbia.
Rick, I understand how great Johan is, I really do. Im sure Viper and Peter and Yank61 and Aussie and HYD all know this. None of us can predict the future though.
Maybe Joba, Phil and Ian are running a car dealership 5 years from now called "Lemons are Us". Maybe Johan continues to dominate for the next 10 years, winning 5 more CY Youngs and going down in history as the greatest LHP of all time.
OR
Maybe Joba, Phil and Ian go on to become Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Winning 6 CY youngs between them and 4 rings for the Yanks. Maybe Johan blows out his elbow next season and is done for his career.
Isnt it fun to speculate???
RIEBER-
We appreciate your herculean efforts with this Blog. Your current duty is certainly a "battlefield commission". This Blog is next to impossible to navigate mechanically, and inhabitated by mainly blind "homers" marching in "lock step" to whatever "tripe" the Yanks\Hank have on the menu today. JIM B. would have a stroke if he saw what has been done with his "baby". The 1st post on here was not me, but I felt compelled to thank you for your efforts. As for that "invitee" list, for a team that is supposedly "getting younger", the age of some of those guys contradicts that "party line" garbage. Any and all Yankee moves are now primarily dictated by the team payroll.
Some of the older players are fill-ins for the big club, just in case we lose someone to injury, for a short time. Also, once the evaluations in ST are over with, some of them may be gone. We also have a few that signed conditional MIL contracts (meaning if they don't make the ML/AAA roster, they are free to sign elsewhere. Let's play it out and see who the next big surprise will be...Brett Gardner, Alan Horne who knows!
Roy "dooms day" Storing, when's the last time you can remember the Yanks going in the direction they are currently taking? Keeping young minor league guys instead of trading them for proven commodities like Johan Santana? Not trading Hughes, Joba or Phil for Gagne last year when we NEEDED an 8th inning bridge? Not trading Phil Hughes in 05 to the A's for Mark Kotsay when we DESPERATELY NEEDED a CF. Cant you see a trend devolving here?
05-06 Phil’s value was Kotsay
06-07 Phil’s value is Gagne or Teixeria
07-08 Phil’s value is Santana
Phil is more and more valuable each year. Why do you think teams continue to ask for Phil in any trade? Because he's overrated? Because GM's of other teams are under Cashmans spell? Maybe just maybe Phil is the goods.
How many times did the Yanks trade away the future for proven vets in the past 3 decades? How about every chance the Yanks got, remember Al Leiter for Jessie Barfield? The only time they didnt make these moves was when King George was suspended from baseball in the early 90’s. At that time Stick and Buck built up the dynasty of the mid to late 90's. Then King George takes control and signs every former MVP and CY Young winner that money could buy. Did any of those work out? Other than Clemens…Nope.
Now in 07-08, we dont make that big splash in the FA market for the 1st time in many many years. People supporting this change of philosophy are called "homers" and marching in "lock step" to whatever "tripe" the Yanks\Hank have on the menu today??? So if the Yanks traded Phil, Ian, Melk and Marquez for Santana, which is a move the Yanks would have made 9 times out of 10 since the 70’s, and we disagreed with the decision..could we have labeled you as "homers" and marching in "lock step" to whatever "tripe" the Yanks\Hank have on the menu?
Sorry Roy, cant have it both ways. The fact that the Yanks are actually trying a different approach to long term success would seem to be the opposite of…."homers" and marching in "lock step" to whatever "tripe" the Yanks\Hank have on the menu today…if you look at the past years. Sorry but I don’t see how people supporting the youth movement can fall into that category in any way.
I don’t know, maybe I am under a spell and just don’t realize it?
FROM BUSTER OLNEY =
Twins should just keep Santana
posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2008
If you've ever watched the show "Deal Or No Deal," you kind of get an idea of the situation Minnesota general manager Bill Smith is in, as he decides when to swap Johan Santana.
The million-dollar deal is off the table. It's not happening. Quite simply, Smith is not going to get a deal as good as the deal that Oakland got for Dan Haren. Because Santana is eligible for free agency after the 2008 season, neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees is willing to give up the boatload of young players that Smith really wanted for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, while paying Santana a $125-$150 million extension.
The Mets might be the only team ready and willing to absorb the double-barreled cost of Santana, but they really don't have a great package to offer for the left-hander; executives with other teams regard Phil Humber and Mike Pelfrey as middling prospects.
In fact, if you think of the game "Deal Or No Deal," any $750,000 deal is off the table, too. Smith only has what he regards as subpar offers on the table. We know this, because otherwise he would've pulled the trigger already, when the Yankees dangled Phil Hughes or when the Red Sox structured separate proposals around Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury.
So if you are Smith, what do you do? Do you take a subpar deal? Or do you simply go to spring training and prepare to start the season with Santana?
If I was in Smith's shoes, I'd keep Santana. Because to trade him would be to forgo the opportunity to contend in 2008, when the Twins have a chance to be a good team, with Francisco Liriano returning, with Joe Nathan closing, with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young hitting in the middle of their lineup.
If the Twins struggle early, Smith could dangle Santana again during the season -- and odds are he could get offers in quality to what he has now from the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets, and maybe even better, depending on the level of desperation of the teams involved. For example, if Andy Pettitte is distracted in the lawyered-up life he must live these days and struggles, and the Yankees are dying for a frontline pitcher like Santana, they might relent and give up Hughes and Ian Kennedy (depending on the development of other minor league pitchers). If the Red Sox were hit by injuries at the front of their rotation, the outlook of their ownership might change. The Twins may look more favorably on the Mets' farm system by July, and find that there are pieces that they like more in the summer than they have this winter.
Santana has a full no-trade clause and there have been reports that he could reject any deal once the season starts, but executives involved in these conversations are not concerned with that. They believe it would be very hard for Santana to walk away from a trade if the Mets or Red Sox or Yankees offered him the record-setting contract, despite what he may feel now.
If this were "Deal Or No Deal," Smith still would have the $500,000 slot, the $400,000 slot, nothing better. He should just continue to say no deal and play out the Santana game.
KEEP HIM TWINS!!!!
DRU
Yes, it is all specualtion about any of them. We all could get killed in a car crash tomorrow too. However, one of them (Santana) has a PROVEN track record to at least figure into the evaluation process when considering which way to go. You can't just disregard that fact. That's what I'm trying to get across to you guys.
Understood 100% Rick. What Im trying to get across to you guys is that these three kids also have a track record. It may just be minor league stats, but they compare favorably to the minor league stats of Beckett, Maddux, Smoltz...and surpass guys like Cone, Andy and countless others. With your theory against keeping the kids, you would have been in favor of trading Verlander and Granderson for Mark Mulder a couple years ago. Sure the kids could fail, but you also have to recognize that in 5-10 years from now the aces of the league will come from the noname minor leaguers of today. Based on their performances thus far, baseball minor league scouting reports, Baseball America’s rankings, other GM's trying to pry the kids away and countless other factors such as makeup and limited success in big spots in the majors...there is a track record and signs pointing to them fulfilling their high expectations.
If you want to talk about risk. Ive displayed countless times how many PROVEN starting pitchers failed once they signed a big money long term contracts, after they lead the league in innings over a 4 year span, or folded under the pressure of the big lights of NY. Johan fits all three high risk categories.
There is as much risk in signing Johan as there is in keeping Phil. Hughes risk is minimized by the fact that if he does fail, the monetary cost to correct that failure is substantially less. Johan hurt for 30M per year, or Phil hurt for 1M per year is significant. We could then go out and sing another ace to take Phils place. With Johan, all our eggs are in one basket.
I wont even go into who will play CF for us this year and RF for us next year once Melk is gone. Or the fact that two other stud players will need to be included aside from Phil and Melk.
Johan is proven in Minny, not in NY. BIG difference. Look at the difference between Randy and Rogers ERAs before they signed with the Yanks, when they were on the Yanks and then again after they left the Yanks. Be it the NL or AL, both weren’t anything close to the numbers they had put up before and after. I don’t care if they were 40 and Johan is 29, they both still knew how to pitch at a high level and were here for short terms so their age doesn’t factor in as much.
In the short amount of time..Phil, Joba and Ian all proved that they can get big league hitters out on the big stage, Johan has yet to prove that in NY.
As a side note…Phil Hughes has as many playoff wins as Johan Santana does up to this point….1.
Dru you are a wind bag. Don't you have a job?
yes I am...and yes I do. Thanks for asking sweet sweet Gary!
Rick,
You are so full of sh!t that I can almost see it coming out of your keyboard.
Considering that I didn't start using this moniker until June or July of last season (long after the aforementioned youngsters proved their worthlessness), your claim of me hyping the rag-tag bunch early is pure BS and you know it.
Obviously, you don't have a leg to stand on in this argument and it shows.
Now, just tell me how your fantasy team did last season as proof that you know what you're talking about.
Poor Viper ... still can't get along with others.
Try to play nice ... it's a new season.
Take the Diaper off of your head, put it back on your bottom and take the thumb out of your mouth ...
Gary,
DRU makes excellent posts, he is really into it and should be a sports journalist.
Don't give him a hard time, please!
He is a good person it seems.
Anyone who knows baseball and puts that much work and effort into the Blog shouldn't be chastized IMHO.
Good to see I'm still in your head, Anthony.
It makes me smile to know that I drive you even more crazy.
Take the meds. They are good for you. I promise.
I hope Christian gets a decent look. He has outstanding speed, and was having a great run last season until his injury. I would love to have him out there steeling bases in the clutch.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7686778?MSNHPHMA
I think DRU mentioned all the Santana trade pros & cons except the one where everyone involved go on to long and successful careers. This could be the most likely outcome.
No matter what we do there's going to be risk.
I think we all agree there's no doubt that Santana is a proven commodity. I think most of us would admit that it's likely he has a bunch of good to great years ahead of him. Of course, there's the risk he may lose his cool or get injured and never do anything again or something in between.
Hughes on the other hand has done well at every level including in the Majors, in NY and in the playoffs but hasn't proven much other than he doesn't completely suck. I think most of us would agree that it seems pressure doesn't bother him and he has at least a chance to be really good. He, of course, carries the same risk and moreso, since he's never been a consistent MLB winner, the risk he will never amount to much. You have to consider that Hughes has had some injuries. It's a fact that Hughes is just over 7 years younger than Santana.
Without even considering the other pieces involved in the trade can I make a decision? Where do I want to place my chips? Do I bet on the older guy that might have about 10 good years or do I bet on the younger guy that might have roughly twice that but carries greater risk of achieving little or nothing. It's a tough choice but I have to go with the greater risk of the younger guy because of the greater potential upside.
DRU said: With Johan, all our eggs are in one basket. That's about right, I would put it a slightly different way: too many eggs in one basket.
When you consider the other pieces, including the money, of the trade, it makes the eggs apparent and makes the decision easier. That Santana is a lefty, keeps himself in good shape, gives us more immediate gratification than Hughes likely will and keeping him away from Boston brings it back a little but it still seems like a lot to give up.
Personally, I think Hughes is just about as good as Joba. The thing with Joba that makes him more desireable is that he has impressed as a set up man and looks like he could be a great closer. We all know how important a great closer is. It's nice to have that option if a situation develops. No way I trade Joba for Santana.
Melky, like Hughes, has proven little other than he doesn't completely suck. His greatest assets so far have been speed, enthusiasm, plate discipline and a strong arm. Some have predicted that he's as good as he's going to be. Somewhere I read (probably a link DRU posted) an evaluation that compared him to Alex Rios where, like Rios a couple years ago, Melky has been hitting about 60% grounders. He will learn to lift the ball and like Rios, his power numbers will rise. It's a fact that Melky turned 23 last August and he's a switch hitter. I like Melky so I'm biased but I don't think it's unreasonable to believe that he will improve on both sides of the ball. Abreu is a good player but he will be 34 before this season. There are the usual risks but if Melky can approach .300 with 20 HR's and learn to maneuver in a smaller field, with his arm, he would be a very solid RF for many years.
The other name(s) mentioned in this trade are all pretty good prospects as well.
As DRU pointed out with Olney's take, there's a chance we may get Santana anyway, for draft picks.
You have to consider that all these guys have come up thru the system and been with us for a few years. They bleed Yankee Blue. It's true almost all prospects fail but each player is unique. These guys have far better credentials than most prospects. Let's keep them and see if they can fulfill their potential. It's the right thing to do.
Oh yah, Alex Rios-Melky comparison was Anon on the 15th. I knew I heard it somewhere. Sorry, no snub intended....
Posada & Jeter's time is running out so the young C's & SS's are interesting and need to be developed. Also, even average ones at these positions have trade value.
The LHP's are all interesting since we need at least one reliever to jump out of the woodwork ASAP and we need to develop some for the future. This should be Cashman's main focus when bringing in new talent.
AJax, Tabata and Gardner need to keep progressing so they can fill out the OF in the new stadium.
Horne.
On Kevin Whelan, J.B Cox and Humberto Sanchez. Whelan has had control problems and you know the old adage, a pitcher without control has nothing. They might have a 2 or 3 year plan for him. He needs to be ready to compete when Mo hangs it up. Cox & Sanchez are in similar injury situations but Sanchez has much more developed skills and might be further along in his rehab. For all these guys, there are many RHP's competing and you just can't invite them all.
Hey,
I just heard that Hank has issued a statement that the Yanks are still having low level discussions with the Twins about how they haven't ended discussions about not pulling the trade offer that they never made involving players they didn't offer off the table. Additionally they are still interested in Sanatana but not at the expense of having to trade any players because they are taking a patient approach. Hal has prohibited Cashman from including any Yankee players in any deals.
Thank God the team is in good hands.
Ant, WOW, thanks for the kinds words my friend. I wish I could have been a sports journalist, Im just a regular guy that loves baseball and LOVES the Yanks. Ill shoot the sh!t about baseball all day long...sorry if thats too much for some people.
Peter, excellent points! I agree that getting a solid LHP for the bullpen is a big need. I wish Henn would step up, he may be our best hope out of Igawa, Wright and Heath Philips.
Nudge, I really hope they leave this decisioin in Cash Money's hands. Hank and Hal need to know their roles, just sign the checks.
SELLER BEWARE!!!
From the Minny StarTribune =
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In 2003, some thought the Twins were fleeced when they sent A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants for Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano.
That day, Giants GM Brian Sabean said, "It's not often that you can send a reliever and two unproven prospects for a front-line, lefthanded-hitting All-Star catcher."
Yeah, silly Twins.
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AJ left the Giants after one season while Nathan is now considered top 3, if not the best, closer in the game; Boof ( great baseball name ) is turning into a solid #3 and Liriano may be the best under 25 SP prospect on the planet ( will be 23 this year ). How's that for unproven prospects?
FYI...my last two posts went through on the 1st try. Maybe they fixed something? If you're reading this post...then it was three in a row!!!
Let me try this thing again.
Of the 9 non-roster pitchers only 2 are left-handed - I guess they are really hard to find. People say hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all athletics, but maybe pitching is even harder?
Once again less intelligent people can’t add two plus two. These are the people who typically become victims of media hype because they’re not very bright to begin with. Hank clearly and unequivocally stated that his last offer was made at the Winter Meetings. Obviously that offer was rejected and Hank hasn’t made a new offer since then. However, he’s still willing to consider a suitable offer if the Twins become interested and approach him again. He hasn’t closed the door to a deal but he’s not actively seeking one either. Of course it’s his prerogative to change his mind – just as any intelligent businessman would consider doing (only a nitwit would be closed to further consideration of an important business deal). What’s so hard to comprehend about this simple concept?
The media has been constantly hounding Hank for comments about Santana and understandably so. But just because Hank makes a statement that isn’t exactly the same in wording as his last one doesn’t mean his stance has changed. There are many articles out there about Hank’s comments and they are quoted differently depending on the source. Hank’s words have been changed by reporters who have been taking them out of context and cutting off his sentences. Only lame-brained morons fall for this cute little technique.
THESE ARE HANK’S FINAL WORDS ON THE SUBJECT FROM MLB.COM (a trusted source). THEY MAKE PERFECT SENSE. IF THEY’RE ABOVE YOUR HEAD, PLEASE GO BACK TO KINDERGARTEN AND STAY AWAY FROM ADULT CONTENT.
“Hank Steinbrenner disagreed with the report's tone, telling the Bergen (N.J.) Record that the club has not had an official offer on the table for Santana since the Winter Meetings in early December. “There was no official offer," Steinbrenner said. "If there's an offer on the table, then that means you fully intend to do that deal. There is no offer right now." Steinbrenner, who has made little secret of his desire to acquire Santana, also said, "It doesn't mean that a final decision has been made."
Dru takes it on the Ant Colony while playing with Peter LaCock.
No way this guy has a job the way he writes boring dribble all day long.
3rd Grader - NICE POST!!
JJ Walker - I have a job, pretty nice one if I do say so myself. The secret to my success?? Im a MULTITASKING MONSTER, and Im a fast typist. Thats why you'll see so many grammatical errors in my posts, I hammer them down and dont proof read. Its really not that difficult. I spend about 30 minutes a day posting on here. have Newsday up on my screen ( virtual desktop ), in between my work responsibilities, I hit refresh to see if any new posts are up. If so I read them, then hammer out some posts...takes 5 minutes or less a post. The stats? Well, that my little secret I call "the baseball cube", I can put in any players name and PRESTO! the stats are there. Its easy when you know what you're looking for.
OOPS 5 minutes up! Be back in a flash!!!!!!!!!
I love how I have to defend myself on here for posting TOO MUCH, what a joke...lol
Yah 3rd Grader I hear ya. I don't get what’s so hard to comprehend either.
The media has to take some blame but they have to do their job even though there's no news. Most people are intelligent enough to understand what's up.
It's like ARod, many don't get what happened with him either.
Some people just like to complain and some are just simple minded and get their rocks off by making stupid comments. Hank is an easy target. It's pointless to worry about it, I'm sure Hank doesn't. There's no point with trying to reason with these types. Their neurons aren't firing correctly. Now DRU can multitask and has time to waste even though he knows it's not going to get through.
Pete..lol