Business is Business

PA notes that Joba Chamberlain’s contract was renewed by the Yankees for a sum of $390,000. People think he deserves more, but then again, he really hasn’t done enough (yet) to justify anything larger than that.

In addition, for those who missed it, the Yankees pitched a 5-inning perfect game against the Blue Jays today. Phil Hughes started the game but a rain delay shut him down. Also, Billy Traber was great (struck out the side), and Kei Igawa was also great (and he threw strikes). Really, in ST it means nothing but its nice to see him do well after his last tough outing.

How About Ian Kennedy for ROTY?

From Jon Heyman:

One scout predicted big things from the Yankees’ Ian Kennedy, perhaps 14 to 16 wins. “He can throw pitches for strikes, he fields his position well and he shows exceptional poise,” that scout said.

You know, with the Joba hype machine in full effect, a lot of people expect him to win the ROTY in 2008. However, let’s not forget about IPK. Kennedy can throw more innings than Joba (or Hughes), has a concrete role (starter), and could be a real dark horse for the ROTY award if he puts together a solid season. He’ll may have to compete with great prospects such as Evan Longoria, but we’ve seen “can’t-miss” offensive kids struggle before (e.g. Alex Gordon last year).

C.C. Sabathia Update Pt.9

As I was typing, I almost wrote “Jon Heyman talks Santana.” Johan’s last name has become so common to the blog circuit that it just felt right. Anyway, with Sabathia, we have a somewhat similar situation.

Sabathia is going to remain with Cleveland this year, although he’s scheduled to hit the open market after the season (he’s still holding off contract talks), and will try to help Cleveland win it all. Mark Shapiro, GM for the Indians, knows that other teams are just waiting for C.C. to hit the market, and the Yankees are likely the best suitors and for a variety of reasons.

Here’s how Jon Heyman (ESPN) sees it:

1. Yankees. Long seen as the most logical destination for Sabathia, the big reason they balked at Santana was their reluctance to part with top pitching prospects Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Since it’ll only cost them money (and draft choices), and Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte could be coming off the books, they remain the favorite. A perfect replacement in case this is Pettitte’s last year, a real possibility.

It only makes sense for the Yankees to sign this guy. I honestly don’t think the Yankees will pursue Pettitte for another year, especially after Hank missed out on his Santana prize this off-season. He’s going to push for C.C., and with a rotation already featuring Wang, Hughes, Joba and Ian Kennedy, as well as a more flexible payroll, Hank won’t have to listen to anyone about money, prospects, or anything like that. He’ll simply point, and it shall be done.

(Thanks to RAB).

Players Too Comfortable With Torre?

From ESPN:

Mike Mussina seemed to be speaking for the entire team when he said, “We loved Joe, but we all knew things had to be different. Especially the guys who’ve been here a while and haven’t won, we were very disappointed at the way things had been going.”

No one says so in quite so many words, but the Yankees had become comfortable with Torre, perhaps too much so. It didn’t help that the Yankees hardly ran at all last spring — “We learned you have to do more than take grounders and BP and then hit the showers,” Mussina said — which left the team unprepared by Opening Day.

Moose has been straightforward about a lot this spring, and his message about Torre seems clear. He was loved, but his laid back managerial style was becoming somewhat problematic for the team.

Tuesday Morning Bits: Moose Ponders Pitching Limitations, A-Rod Has a New BFF

Two items to start off the day’s discussions.

• First, on Monday, when Mike Mussina was asked about the manner in which the Yankees are going about protecting their young arms, Mussina responded with the following, which will likely be covered by a lot of the New York papers (via Tyler Kepner):

“I understand both sides of it,” Mussina said Monday, after allowing five runs in the Yankees’ 7-6 victory against the Houston Astros. “They’re an asset, and you have to take care of your assets. At the same time, they’re not 19-year-old kids, either. They’re certainly capable of doing it. You just have to see how they’re doing in August.”

• Basically, it seems as though Mussina sees the treatment as being a bit excessive (“coddling”). Nonetheless, he does understand the need to protect these kids from harming themselves. Moose’s opinion means nothing to the Yankees, anyway (it’s not like he’s the epitomy of health, even if he hasn’t had any severe physical setbacks).
• Next up, Alex Rodriguez has finally found his New York BFF. Nope, Jeter has not warmed up to A-Rod. However, David Wright, the self-proclaimed, second best third baseman in New York City, has developed a close relationship with him. Wright talks about his plans to workout with A-Rod after the season, and he also discussed A-Rod’s willingness to approach him and open up to him, providing him with some valuable insights on the game of baseball. In addition, the article (by Kevin Kernan of the NY Post) states that A-Rod has essentially taken Melky under his wing and has been helping him develop his game.

That’s it for now, but of course, more later.

Barring Any Setbacks…

This will probably be your long-man, in the pen.

I know Jeff Karstens has been effective, thus far, in Spring Training. But, it’s probably because opposing batters are too busy laughing whenever they see him step onto the field. Okay, that was mean…

Rob Thomson’s Impact

The other day, after a Newsday piece which featured Joe Girardi describing Rob Thomson as a deserving recipient of the bench coach position, I wondered about the impact Thomson was having on the managerial transition occuring within the organization (from Joe to Joe). Thomson is an 18-year veteran with the Yankees and has truly smoothed things over for Girardi’s return to NY. As stated in a short yet informative piece by Ed Price, Thomson’s importance to the club, especially during Spring Training, essentially becomes a bit clearer. He’s been an integral component for years, and it’ll be exciting to see how he helps Girardi out while sitting with him on the bench.