Results tagged ‘ Steinbrenner ’
Live by the sword, die by the sword…
Who needs Josh Hamilton or A.J. Pierzynski!…
Austin Romine and Ronnier Mustelier. Sometimes, the most meaningful additions to the major league roster are from within. That’s probably never been so important in the Bronx than it is now as the Yankees attempt to reduce their payroll to below $189 million by 2014. To accomplish the goal, the Yankees will need more than one or two low-cost, high reward type players on the roster.
I admit that I haven’t been watching the minor leagues as close as I probably should have. I’ve been aware of Romine, the son of former Red Sox player Kevin Romine. For years, his name was always mentioned in the same breath as Jesus Montero as the type two prospects at catcher. With the trade of Montero to Seattle last year, it helped clear the path for Romine. Now, among Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli, Romine represents the greatest upside even if he missed most of last year due to injury.
I have not been aware of Mustelier, a Cuban refugee the Yankees signed a couple of years ago. But all the guy has done is hit as he’s progressed through the Yankees’ system. He is a utility man that can play both corners, but I’ve seen speculation about him in right field too. He’s old for a prospect (27) but it doesn’t mean that he cannot seize an opportunity in spring training to make his imprint on the Yankees’ roster.
If both Romine and Mustelier grabbed key roles for the 2013 team, it will help the Yankees to focus on eliminating other parts of “fat” on the roster and hopefully upgrade the team with lower cost high-producing replacements. Easier said than done, which does lead me to believe the next couple of years will be ones of transition for the Yankees. I honestly cannot see them keeping up with the ‘Joneses’ (i.e., namely the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays or even the Baltimore Orioles) with the current roster. This doesn’t mean that I envision 95-loss seasons in the immediate future. The Yankees still have too much talent on the roster. But it will be a dogfight for 90-win seasons if the team continues on its current path. A game or two here or there is the difference between making the play-offs as a wild card or staying home for October.
The strong get stronger, the Yankees get older…
As it stands, the most successful teams this off-season, in my opinion, have been the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays. Of course, the Kansas City Royals added a great pitcher in James Shields even if it did cost their top prospect. The Texas Rangers will be strong again even if they lost Josh Hamilton. I fully expect them to find an adequate replacement for Hamilton between now and the start of the season. The bat won’t be as strong as Hamilton’s bat, but it will be a capable one, I am sure. In the AL East, I still expect the Tampa Bay Rays to be strong despite losing Shields. If I’ve learned anything in baseball, it is to never underestimate Rays manager Joe Maddon and GM Andrew Friedman. I assume that the Baltimore Orioles will be as strong as they were in 2012, and I expect an improved Boston Red Sox club under the new leadership of manager John Farrell.
With the strength of the Detroit Tigers and other teams, it’s almost impossible to predict who will be the winners next season. I’d like to say the Yankees will be one of the last teams standing, but everything would have to align perfectly for that to happen and I just don’t see it. As usual, I hope I am wrong and that the Yankees surprise me with their performance in ’13. Time will tell…
I still do not see the Steinbrenner family allowing the value of the franchise to erode. Either they make the necessary moves to ensure the continued competitiveness of the team or they sell. The latter is not such a bad idea if it would bring in aggressive new ownership. I cannot find fault with the current regime’s decision to cut payroll to reduce luxury taxes in future years, but the problem is too many bad decisions in the past (i.e., A-Rod’s contract). It feels like the Yankees are going ‘cold turkey’ with their new small market budget mentality. It would have worked better as a slower transition, but of course, the 2014 deadline does not allow for it.
Teams like the St Louis Cardinals have proven in recent years that you can win despite not having the best players or the highest payroll. I know that’s the model the Yankees would like to emulate. Going for the best players with inflated payrolls seems to be a ‘play for now’ approach with no sustainability. The key to long-term success is to develop a farm system that allows the introduction of young, low-cost talent every year (in other words, the Tampa Bay Rays). It’s just so hard as a Yankees fan to see the team go from one extreme to the other.
Oh well, let’s see what happens when the players step onto the field…
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! J
–Scott
What Have You Done For Us Lately?…
It has not been the most joyous of baseball off-seasons
for Yankees fans…
One minute, the Yankees are in hot pursuit of the most
prized free agent, offering the most dollars and years, and the Red Sox are
watching their deal for Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez start to collapse. The next minute, the prized free agent is
securely in Philadelphia and the Gonzalez trade stabilized for the Sox, who
also slid game-changing outfielder Carl Crawford into their hip pocket. The Yankees, meanwhile, will emerge from the
Hot Stove League without any premium free agents which almost never happens.
I have read articles telling Yankees fans to back away
from the ledge, but it is frustrating to see the team miss out on great
opportunities. I agree that the team
shouldn’t make a move just for the sake of making a move, and recognize that a
potential trade now as opposed to later would wreak of desperation. In that situation, there is a high
probability of the Yankees getting fleeced in a deal. So, I agree that the best approach is to wait
and observe the market. Still, the
Yankees do need to address the holes in the rotation. I am okay with giving Ivan Nova a shot for
the #5 slot so long as there is a quality #4.
But still, there needs to be competition in training camp. In other words, Nova shouldn’t simply be
handed the job. Hopefully, the #4 slot
will go to Andy Pettitte despite recent talk that he’s still leaning toward
retirement. I really see Andy’s return
for one final season. But if he does not
return, the Yankees will clearly need to unearth some potential gems on other
clubs.
It was nice to hear that the Yankees had talked with
Johnny Damon, but I agree that his return does not make sense even if it would
have been a great “feel good” move.
There was also the report that the Yankees had considered Manny Ramirez,
which, in my opinion, would be a huge mistake.
I still like the possibility of signing Rays closer
Rafael Soriano. I realize that Soriano
wants closer money and he probably wouldn’t be willing to take a setup position
even if he was satisfied with the contract.
But it is very appealing to have a huge bridge to Mariano Rivera in
addition to having a backup closer if and when the day comes that Mo simply
does not have it anymore. It will never
happen (signing Soriano), but it is nice to think about while it is still an
option.
AP
The more I think about it, a trade for the Phillies Joe
Blanton might not be a bad idea. He is
not a frontline starter (obviously), but he is steady and consistent. He might be a good option until something
better surfaces. If the Phillies are
looking for a top prospect, I’d pass.
But if the cost is reasonable, it is a trade that the Yankees should
consider.
Getty Images
There has been so much speculation yet so little action. Oh well, as Brian Cashman has put it, we need
to be patient.
Santa Claus, can I have an ace starting pitcher for
Christmas? 
Happy Holidays to everyone!
–Scott
The Perfect Formula…
8th inning relief…
I was so relieved (no pun intended) when the
Yankees went with David Robertson and Boone Logan in the 8th inning
as a bridge between Javier Vazquez and Mariano Rivera in New York’s 3-2 win
over the Cleveland Indians. Both Robertson
and Logan did their respective jobs with no drama (unlike recent escapades with
Joba Chamberlain).
This game was about redemption. Javier Vazquez continued to show that he has
moved well past his early season struggles and has perhaps shaken, for the now,
the tag that he is purely a NL pitcher.
Of course, he hasn’t pitched a big game yet, but he continues to pitch
very solidly while the other starters have taken their turns with issues. Hopefully, this is the Javy that we’ll see
now through October.
Theodorakis/NY Daily News
As recent as this weekend, Curtis Granderson was
viewed as a failure in New York.
Everyone has waited for Curtis the Tiger to show up, and finally, in the
last couple of games, he has. On Sunday,
in the Yankees’ 12-6 romp over the Kansas City Royals, Grandy had two home
runs. Tonight against the Indians, and
unlike Alex Rodriguez, he hit another one.
With the homer, Grandy finally broke into double digits with his 10th
of the season. It is a far cry from the
guy who was predicted to hit 40 home runs in New York but still, it is great to
finally see Granderson as an offensive force in the lineup. As with Vazquez, Grandy is a key to the
second half.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Nick Swisher hit another home run. I regret ever having preferred Xavier Nady
over Swish in right. Swisher has been
terrific this season and with his 18th home run of the season
tonight, he is just a mere two homers beyond team leader Mark Teixeira. Hey Swish, maybe you could give hitting
lessons to A-Rod!
I will also put both Robertson and Logan into the
redemption category. Logan has seen his
share of the Bronx-Scranton/Wilkes Barre Shuttle, while Robertson has struggled
at times to match the success of last season.
Tonight, they were perfect in the 8th when anything less
could have been disastrous given the one run margin.
It was nice that on a night when the big guys
(Jeter, Teixeira, A-Rod, and Cano) went a combined 0-for-14 with 3 strikeouts,
the Yankees could still emerge with the victory. Some
great pitching, a few key hits, and Mariano Rivera are the perfect formula for
success!
Apparently, the Yankees made a big, but
unsuccessful, push for Royals closer Joakim Soria. Soria would have made a great bridge to
Mariano Rivera, but it doesn’t appear that the two teams match up
trade-wise. The Yankees were rumored to
be the frontrunners for Cliff Lee and Dan Haren, yet they lost out on both
pitchers. I was more disappointed about
Lee, who I am still hopeful the Yankees will pursue in the off-season.
The Canadian Press
I had mixed feelings about Haren, and I felt that
his salary would have been problematic in the Yanks’ chances to pursue Lee
during free agency. So, all things
considered, I am glad to see him go to the Los Angeles Angels. I don’t think the Angels will catch the Texas
Rangers so it will be an uphill battle for the Angels to make the
play-offs. Of the remaining pitchers on
the market, I’d probably rather go after someone like Ted Lilly than Roy
Oswalt. Lilly is a good pitcher and
knows how to pitch in New York.
This week should be interesting with all the trade
speculation and actual trade results as we move toward the end of the
week. Of course, this is probably another
case of ‘all bark, no bite’ as the speculation will exceed the actual
results. With so many teams unwilling to
add to payroll, there should still be decent trading activity in August as
players clear waivers. Still, I am
anxious to see what player will get the tag of being the first post-George Steinbrenner
Era Yankee.
In a note of good news, manager Joe Girardi has
announced that Dustin Moseley will start Thursday’s game in place of Sergio
Mitre. I am anxious to see what Moseley
can do in his first start for the Bronx Bombers. Anything has to be an upgrade over Meat Tray…
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
I know that everyone is entitled to their opinion,
but I’d like to say that Bill “The Spaceman” Lee is a jerk. According to the USA Today Sports Weekly, Lee
told WMUR-TV (New Hampshire) “As far as Steinbrenner’s passing…good”. He went on to say, “If hell freezes over, he’ll
be skating”. Hey Lee, how did you enjoy
that World Series Championship? Oh yeah,
you never won one!
–Scott
Fid
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