On the Yankees beat

have the Yankees gotten any closer to deciding on who gets the last couple of roster spots? It's getting to be about that time.

This has the feel of a situation in which you're trying to decide between somewhat unattractive choices, rather than one where you're deliciously hesitating between appetizing ones.

Diane - I think that's true of the pen where they are trying to decide if they want Billy Traber or to just skip a lefty all together - more than the position players. I think they really like Ensberg, Woodward, and Ransom and it's just a question of which one they can keep. The team is already planning to lose Nick Green to either the Pirates or Rays.

I think the first choice would be Ensberg but keeping him depends on how comfortable they are with Betemit backing up at SS. If the brain trust decides Wilson can't handle that position then they have to keep either Ransom or Woodward.

In the past it would have been easy to say that since Jeter is never out that the risk associated with Betemit playing SS would be so minuscule that it wouldn't matter. But we saw how Jeter going on playing hurt last year worked out.

Looks like Andy will only go 5,6 innings to start the year. I think we will need to save Karstens or another long RP ready that day. We really need Wang to go strong out of the gates. If we can get Wang to go 7 or 8 in game 1, then Phil to follow that up by going 6 or 7 in game 2, our pen should be ready for a 5 in start in game 3. The 1st month is really going to test the young Yankees in the pen. How do you guy see it?

Mo
Joba
Farny
Hawk
Traber
Ross O
Patterson
Karstens

Is that one too many?

DAMN...revised version

Looks like Andy will only go 5 - 6 innings to start the year. I think we will need to save Karstens or another long RP for that day. We really need Wang to start out strong from the get go. If we can get Wang to go 7 or 8 in game 1, then Phil to follow that up by going 6 or 7 in game 2, our pen should be ready for a 5 in start in game 3. The 1st month is really going to test the young Yankee pen. How do you guy see it?

Mo
Joba
Farny
Hawk
Traber
Ross O
Patterson
Karstens

Is that one too many?

Britton was already sent down, correct? So it looks like the paring down has started. Karstens and Rasner have, in my opinoin, pitched themselves off the team and maybe out of the organization. Something tells me (and excuse me while I fight back some vomit) that Igawa might be the long man out of the 'pen.

If Jeter were to miss any amount of time, I'd think the Yankees would have the roster flexibility to call up Alberto Gonzalez to play the position on a daily basis if they don't like Betemit there. I actually thought he was pretty good when I saw him.

I think the Yanks are due for a trade of some kind.

Jim, Im with you on Alberto Gonzalez. I would rather have his glove in the field than Wilson's Bat.

Look at todays lineup with Gardner and Cano at the top. If they have a good day against Meyers who is a great SP, Joe may bat Robbie 2nd until Jeter is 100%.

Damon
Cano
Abreu
Arod
Giambi
Matsui
Posada
Melk
Alberto

Still tons of pop in that lineup.

Back to the pen, is Karstens and Britton ( still like him ) are not with the team then...

Mo
Joba
Farny
Hawk
Traber
Ross O
Patterson
UGHawa

I would hate for him to pair up with Andy that day since he's a LHP as well. We will see...

Yep. Britton is gone. I think we gotta keep Patterson, Traber, and Ohlendorf. I said in the other thread Bruney, but Chip reminded me that we still had Ross O. Ohlendorf and Traber used to be starters, so they could fill a long relief role if needed. Traber is nasty against lefties and Patterson is just plain nasty.

Think Yanks are keeping Ensberg.

I hope they keep Morgan, he's showed a lot in ST. He KILLS LHP as well, so if needed he can platoon with Jason when a tough lefty is on the mound.

Lineup against a LHP

Jeter - R
Cano - L
Abreu - L
Arod - R
Posada - S
Shelly - R
Morgan – R
Melk – S
Wilson – S

Aside from 2nd and RF, we could have Morgan at 1st, Shelly in Left, Wilson as the DH. Just throwing it out there, but it could work.

DRU,

You've got 8 arms in the pen. They aren't going to carry 13 pitchers. It will be 12.

As much as I want to see Ohlendorf and Patterson make the club out of ST, I think they are going to take Karstens, Bruney, and Traber for the last three open slots instead.

I don't mind Traber, but Girardi has already said they are going to carry a long man, so it's going to be lose-lose-lose scenario with either Karstens, Rasner, or Igawa. Ohlendorf and Patterson do not fit that long man role.

Bruney probably gets the edge for the final slot because of his contract in addition to having only one minor league option left.

Ah yes, the minor league options. I have a feeling that the bullpen on April 1st will not look like the bullpen May 1st. I almost wish they never signed Hawk with these young guys chomping at the bit. Let see if the skinny Bruney can clean up his act.

I think Jeter's back-up is Arod - he's done it before. Then Ensberg can pay 3rd.

I think Jeter's back-up is Arod - he's done it before. Then Ensberg can pay 3rd.

Jon,
Do you really think the Yankees will do that? Come on my friend, you have to be serious. Let's say A-Rod plays his butt of at short, then you have what the NY papers have been pining for: A good old fashioned controversy and better yet, it would involve A-Rod and Jeter. If the Yanks were stupid enough to try that then they would deserve the enormous headache it would cause.

I'd bet my bottom dollar that won't happen.

They did it a couple of times already when Jeter was hurt during a game - granted its not a long-term solution.

Jim, it's too bad decisions these days are controlled by the anticipated media story. Girradi needs to pull Jeter aside and say, you're the captain and when healthy, our shortstop. But for the good of the team, if you're hurt, we need to move A-Rod to short because both Ensberg and Betemit are better thirdbaseman. If Jeter is the unselfish player we all think he is, he'll understand. Who cares about the press, it's about winning baseball games.

What's the over under on how many starts the Yanks will waste on Mussina before they realize he can no longer pitch at this level (at least in the AL east). I wish we had the luxury of keeping Joba in the pen, but not at the cost of having to watch Mussina labor with his 84 m.p.h. fastball. I don't think the guys that pitch the homerun derby in the all-star game serve it up that well (and spare me the "he's had a good spring", I saw enough last year).

Michaelz,
I agree totally. I love Jeter, I really do but his ego and pride are keeping him from entertaining the idea of putting the better player at shortstop, but it's fine with me as long as Jeter is not horrible at the position, he's earned the right to be there. The Yanks will win more games because of Jeter than they will lose because of him.
I will find it very interesting to see what happens a few years down the road when he becomes a liability at short. Will he retire relatively young? Will he move to the OF or 1B? it will be something to watch for sure.

You and I have agreed on Moose for a long time. He is merely teasing the team right now because he will tire in May and that will be it for him.

Jim, I was only suggesting that A-rod play shortstop when Jeter is hurt. This would require him spending some time there in the spring and at practice. While A-Rod might be better overall, Jeter is not killing us. My idea was to mover Jeter to second, Cano to third, and A-Rod to short. While on paper that might be the best position each player is suited for, that's a major adjustment and it ignores the egos involved. That said, there is no reason A-Rod can't serve as the backup shortstop.

It pains me to admit it, but the Red Sox have become the Yankees and the Yankees the Red Sox when it comes to decision making (and I am not obssessed with that team from Massachusetts). I'm afraid they are sticking with Mussina just because of his fat pay check, and it's stupid decisions like that that put us in the hole last year. He simply doesn't have the stuff for the A.L. East any longer, and each start he gets leaves seriously diminishes our chances of winning that game. Does anyone have Cash's cell phone number by any chance....