Well Now…

Hey everyone. I was on a plane for most of the day then I got stuck trying to get a ride from JFK in the terribly sticky summer weather. It’s been a long day for me so I’m going to wrap it up early (especially after listening to the Yankees lose to the Angels).

The biggest news of the day, while not directly related to the Yankees, was the Manny Ramirez trade (Dodgers, Pirates, Red Sox). Manny is gone from the AL East and teams could not be happier. The BoSox get Jason Bay, but hell, any AL player would rather see him on any given day before facing Manny. It’ll be interesting to see how Torre deals with Manny, especially since he and Terry are very close.

That’s it for today. More tomorrow.

Pitching Matchups

From LoHud:

Tonight: RHP Jon Garland (9-6, 4.30) vs. LHP Andy Pettitte (12-7, 3.76), 7:05, YES

Friday: RHP Ervin Santana (11-5, 3.57) vs. RHP Sidney Ponson (6-2, 4.59). 7:05, Channel 9

Saturday: RHP Jered Weaver (9-8, 4.11) vs. RHP Mike Mussina (13-7, 3.56), 3:55, FOX

Sunday: RHP John Lackey (9-2, 2.93) vs. RHP Darrell Rasner (5-8, 4.92), 1:05, YES, WCBS 880

It’ll be a tough task to beat down the Angels, but it must be done. We’ve got 2 very capable starters going and 2 crap shoots. Then again, Jon Garland could get lit up and if Santana or Weaver fail we could be in business. I won’t be around for a bit today since I’ll be on a plane for a while (I get around), but I’ll be back later.

Thursday’s Bits: Pudge, Edwar/Millar, Posada, Matsui, Trades

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

Let’s start with the biggest item of the day.

1. The Yankees traded Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. Pudge has been hitting over .380 in his past 30 games and he can still play solid defense (although some question his ability to move around behind the plate and block pitches). You’re essentially getting Jose Molina (defensively) but, this time, it’s a Jose Molina who can actually hit. It was a tough call for the Yankees, simply because Kyle Farnsworth had been effective this year. Cashman wasn’t even thinking about the deal last night. Dave Dombrowksi actually called him early this morning with the proposition and they completed the deal under quickly, thereafter (after Girardi and others OK’d it). You can take a greater look at how the deal was formulated, here, as Tyler Kepner brings us the story. With Farnsworth out and Pudge in, we’ll probably see Moeller get DFA’d and Bruney back in the big leagues despite his bouts of wildness during his rehab. For now, Girardi will go setup by committee until Veras, Ramirez, or Marte establish themselves as standouts.

2. Speaking of Edwar Ramirez, Kevin Millar sounds pretty upset about the high pitch he threw in yesterday’s game. I mean, I understand that Kevin Millar is upset because the pitch was over his head, however, the way he’s handling isn’t helping his cause. Here’s what he had to say after the “intentional” shot by Ramirez.

Oriole first baseman Kevin Millar said he was “100 percent” certain Yankee reliever Edwar Ramirez was throwing at him in yesterday’s 13-3 Bomber win.

And Millar, who called the rail-thin 6-foot-3, 164-pound Ramirez a “cute little thing” who was “fortunate he’s in the big leagues,” said it was a good thing Ramirez got ejected, because he was going to deposit a homer into Monument Park.

“One hundred percent [it was intentional]. I was upset they threw him out of the game because he’s really good hittin’,” Millar said. “The kid doesn’t throw that hard and doesn’t have very good stuff, so it’s probably a good idea to throw him out because it’d probably have been Monument Park.”

Well Millar, how did you come up with this evaluation, because, last time I checked, you’ve have 4 AB’s against Edwar Ramirez and you have 1 hit (a double) and 3 strike outs. You know what, stop talking, sit down and enjoy the downward spiral that is your career.

3. A quick update on Matsui and Posada. Matsui continued his rehab yesterday, taking more swings off a tee while wearing a new knee brace for his left leg. When asked about the Nady acquisition Matsui said that he wasn’t thinking about it and doesn’t know how it’ll effect him upon his “return”. Now, in regards to Jorge, he had successful surgery on his labrum and shoulder capsule (yes, apparently we all have a shoulder capsule). There were no surprises and his rehab is expected to last 6 months (minimum).

4. Finally, Brian Cashman, who has been doing a phenomenal job over the past few days (or weeks) with these trades isn’t done yet. He’s likely looking for another starter and we’re still waiting to see what will happen with Jarrod Washburn. The Yankees continue to hold out as they hope that the Mariners will concede a bit and lower the price for Washburn. If not, I would expect the Yankees to go internal (IPK, Aceves, Hughes, in that order). There’s also the outside possibility that Freddy Garcia will impress at an August 5th audition for scouts and the Yankees can nab him. I wouldn’t place bets on Garcia though.

More later (of course)…

Manny To Be A Marlin?

That’s how it currently looks. MLBTR is following the talks between the Red Sox and the Marlins and the Sox are looking for something like Jeremy Hermida and a few prospects (they’ll eat most of his salary), so all indications are these are serious discussions. There are also rumors thank speculate a 3-way deal is in the works between the Pirates, Sox and Marlins. In this scenario, the Marlins would get Manny, the Pirates would get Hermida (or Willingham?) and the Sox would get Jason Bay and maybe John Grabow. To be honest, if Manny Ramirez leaves Boston (and he sounds like he wants to leave), the Yankees are that much better.

Jason Bay is good, but he’s no Manny Ramirez.

UPDATE (1:25) – The Palm Beach Post reports that the Marlins have reached a tentative agreement to bring in Manny.

UPDATE (1:35) – It appears as though Jeffrey Loria, owner of the Florida Marlins, denies that a tentative agreement has been reached.

LaTroy Traded

LaTroy Hawkins was traded to the Houston Astros today for prospect Matt Cusick. Cusick has alternated between 2B and 3B Class A Lexington and he hit .285 with a .811 OPS. He’s just 22 years old.

It’s a good day for Yankee fans.

Yanks Trade For Pudge Rodriguez

No Posada, no problem. The Yankees just gave up Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez (Detroit). Pudge is great defensively and he’s having a nice year with the bat. The power is gone, but he’s still great when you compare his overall game to Jose Molina.

Jason Bay To The Rays?

It could happen. They obviously have a great farm system and could use it for a trade, in this case. He’d be the right-handed bat that they’ve been searching for and would provide the team with a huge boost. I guarantee you that Brian Cashman has now called the Pirates in an attempt to boost the price, although the Cardinals are competing with the Rays as well. I’d look for the Yankees to increase their search for a pitcher if the Rays land Bay, who is arguably the biggest bat left on the market (next to Manny Ramirez, of course).

Matsui Continues Rehab

Hideki Matsui has upped his rehab regimen a bit, and while no one fully expects him to return (there’s no timetable set), he’s working hard to help the team out this season. It’d be nice to see Hideki come back, but with Nady on the team, he won’t be rushed.

Wednesday Morning Bits: Pavano & Hughes, Damon, Rotation News

Here are a few items to start your day.

1. Phil Hughes and Carl Pavano both pitched for Class A Charleston last night. Pavano pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk, while striking out 4. Hughes pitched 3 scoreless innings, with 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 strike out. Pavano’s fastball hovered in the mid to upper 80’s (I wouldn’t expect him back anytime soon), while Hughes’ fastball stayed within the upper 90’s. In fact, Hughes was only supposed to pitch 2 innings, but his fastball was looking good so they kept him in there for a third. Believe it or not, I would actually resign Carl Pavano, but only at the league mininum (if possible). I figure he owes the Yankees a discount, although his career is probably over.

2. Next up, a confusing bit to say the least. Last night, Johnny Damon made his “long awaited” return to the OF and played in left. When asked about his return and the shoulder injury that had him sidelined, Damon told reporters (including Tyler Kepner), “I’m pretty much going to have pain in there all year.” Whoa, taking one out of the Posada play book, I see. Literally a few minutes later, Joe Girardi who’s about as honest as Pinocchio when it comes to discussing injuries, told reporters that Damon felt great and had experienced no pain upon his return. What’s the deal? Damon actually seems to be hurting based on what he told reporters and it seems like Girardi may have used him prematurely in the field.

Damon said he understood the need to share the designated hitter role so Girardi could give other players a rest during a stretch of 20 games without a day off. On Tuesday, Alex Rodriguez started at D.H. and Xavier Nady did not start.

Damon said it was unrealistic to wait until he felt healthy before going back in the field. Never a strong thrower, he said he would improvise to get by.

“As long as I’m able to throw to the cutoff man and chase down some balls out there, that’s the most important thing,” Damon said. “I have to save my bullets, because there’s going to be pain.”

Now, let’s make something very clear. Girardi was told by Damon that he felt good enough to play the OF, however, it seems like Damon may have been taking one for the team since Girardi probably told him that he was thinking of playing A-Rod at DH for the day. I don’t really know who to blame here, Damon for embellishing a bit or Girardi for not using his better judgment. I mean, seriously, who are you going to have at DH, the guy with an arm like Barbara Bush or the always healthy third baseman who works out like a racehorse. Damon’s days in the field are quickly coming to an end. I’m sorry but “I have to save my bullets” doesn’t make me feel very confident in your ability to play defense in left. I think it’s time for Xavier Nady to hit the grass and get acquainted with the left side.

3. Finally, we have “rotation” news (when do we not have rotation news?). Brian Cashman is still holding out on Seattle and hopes that they’ll lower their asking price for Jarrod Washburn (the Mets may have jumped into the race too, especially with John Maine’s injury). If they don’t, Cashman notes that the Yankees do have internal options to take over for Sidney Ponson (and maybe Darrell Rasner), namely Alfredo Aceves and Ian Kennedy (he says that they’re the top 2 candidates). While both Hughes and Pavano threw innings yesterday, Cashman and Girardi also stated that Hughes was the most likely of the two to actually contribute down the stretch (obviously). If you’re wondering about Chien-Ming Wang and what he’s been up to lately, Wang actually had his cast taken off yesterday and his foot has healed. Despite the good news, he still has a ways to go before he can actually return to the mound.

What Is This?

The Yankee offense coughed this one up, although you could blame Mariano Rivera and Damaso Marte (Rasner did what he could as a back-end starter). The club is just squandering opportunities to move up in the standings. On a night that had the Red Sox facing John Lackey (who nearly threw a no-hitter) and the Rays facing Roy Halladay, you would think the offense would show up today, but they didn’t. And, when they finally decided to show some signs of life, it was the 9th inning and the game was over.

With that said, I can’t just blame the players. Let’s not forget that Joe Girardi, of course, deserves some of the blame here (some is the key word). Here’s a list of things he did wrong.

1. First, Joe Girardi has said that the first game of the series is the most important one to win. Well, sorry Joe but the Yankees lost the first game, so wouldn’t it be as important to win the second (pivotal) game, in order to split the series? That’s important too, right? Apparently it’s not because Xavier Nady got the night off. Now, I understand that Nady was struggling since his arrival, but, he hit a homer last night and was needed in the lineup today. Maybe that HR was a sign that he was breaking out, you never know (we’ll never know). I don’t think it’s going to kill him to have him in there in the second game, which could dramatically effect the series’ outcome. If you want to sit him, sit him in the third game, once you’ve split the series, OR, sit him in the next series (again, I don’t think he’ll be hurt if you play him for 2 more days). Also, let’s not forget that Jason Giambi had been slumping hard coming into today’s game. Wouldn’t you want to keep the lineup as deep as possible to help him and everyone else around him?

2. Moving on, Joe Girardi loves his splits. After Darrell Rasner struggled, he brought in Damaso Marte to face Nick Markakis. Now, when this happened, I nearly threw a punch into my computer screen (I watch MLBTV). I know about Nick Markakis because I have him on a few fantasy teams, but that doesn’t mean I’m the only one nor does it mean it’s hard to learn a thing or two about him. Markakis hits lefties this year at a phenomenal clip. In fact, his .317 AVG and .956 OPS against them are better than his righty-splits. Joe Girardi could have easily learned this if he would have looked at a scouting report, or a statistics page. But no, Girardi sees a lefty and calls a lefty. He doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t check the numbers, he simply reacts and that’s that. He called in Marte to face Markakis and Markakis promptly singled and loaded the bases. Girardi could have brought in Edwar or Veras to face him since it would have been a better battle. Then he could have brought in Marte to face Huff (who doesn’t hit lefties well). When is Joe going to learn that not all lefties do poorly against lefties (and vice versa)? Of course, it’s up to Marte to execute, but still.

3. My final complaint is minor. Why is Richie Sexson on this team? Wilson Betemit cannot hit lefties as right-handed hitter, so why not give Sexson a pinch hit? He was brought in to hit lefties, right? That was the reasoning? Granted, he’s terrible, but that’s why you brought him in. He probably would have struck out, but Betemit hits .229 against lefties this year. Hell, if Girardi is a numbers guy, I think Sexson’s .338 AVG against lefties earns him a shot (even if it is an aberration). At least he’s shown some more patience against them in comparison. I just don’t get Sexson’s presence on this team. If you want defense, you can get that elsewhere (and it’ll actually be GOOD). Just because Sexson is cheap, doesn’t make him worth it, especially if he’s even good enough to pinch hit against a left-handed pitcher.

As you can see, Girardi should get SOME of the blame (he is the manager, after all). He didn’t put his best lineup out there and he hurt the team before the game even started. Then, when the game started, some of his moves were rather questionable. I don’t think I’m being harsh, am I?

Angels Grab Teixeira

The Angels paid a steep price and will give up Casey Kotchman and prospect Stephen Marek (AA pitcher) to the Braves in exchange for the power hitter they’ve been searching for for years. Wow, gutsy move by the Angels. I’m thinking that they’ll be very willing to pay Tex a lot of money in the offseason.

Battle LaTroy: Tigers & Twins

Both the Tigers and Twins are interested in LaTroy Hawkins. I would think that the Tigers would have more of an interest especially with their makeshift ‘pen.

Yanks Considering Tex?

Well, according to Jayson Stark and his bevy of Braves’ sources, the Yankees are “flirting” with the Braves on Mark Teixeira and have been for the past 24-hours (here’s a possible trade scenario, by yours truly, if you’re interested). You can guarantee that the Yankees won’t be able to sign Tex to an extension and that he’ll hit the free agent market, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Yankees do. They’re still looking for another starter though, so I would expect them to try and figure that out first (offense could be secondary).

Tuesday Morning Bits: Washburn, Posada, Hawkins

Here’s a quick update before I call it a night:

1. Yesterday, word got out that the Mariners were holding out and hoping that Hank Steinbrenner would step in to fast track a Jarrod Washburn deal. Today, I’m happy to say that they were sorely mistaken. In fact, instead of dealing with Hank Steinbrenner, it seems as though Hal Steinbrenner (who I predicted would have a say) has stepped into the situation and he doesn’t like what the Mariners are offering (or demanding, if you will). Here’s what he thinks about the proposed Washburn deal.

“I’m the finance guy, that’s what I get labeled, so putting on more payroll certainly doesn’t sit well with me, but neither does trading away young talent,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s got to be a balance.”

Basically, the Mariners are going to have to take it or leave it. So, they’ll either accept a salary dump or they’ll eat a substantial portion of Washburn’s contract in order to receive a somewhat “decent” prospect. It’s really their choice, but the Yankees aren’t going to continue with this charade for much longer. The NY Post even has an inside source who labels the talks as “dead”, citing Seattle’s insatiable appetite for talent and salary relief. I say good riddance. Jarrod Washburn’s career numbers in the second half are weak.

2. It’s great news knowing that Jorge Posada will be having surgery on his shoulder sooner rather than later. Nonetheless, the Yankees and their fans must be prepared for the consequences. While the team has said that Posada will be out for 6 months after the surgery, recovering and strengthening his shoulder, the waiting time could be much longer than that. Brian Cashman actually told Tyler Kepner that the 6-month recovery period is a minimum, so that’s with no presumable setbacks. This is major surgery and it could hamper Jorge’s throwing well into the 2009 season, which could accelerate a transition from catcher to first baseman (where Posada’s value takes a huge hit).

3. Finally, the Minnesota Twins may have an interest in the recently DFA’d LaTroy Hawkins. Wow, looking back on it, it definitely seems like Cashman should have just splurged and went with Ron Mahay. Ah, whatever, $3 million+ is like Kleenex to the Yankees.

More later…

What About Teixeira?

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

With the Atlanta Braves shopping Mark Teixeira, a few of my buddies were kicking around the idea of the Yankees trading for the switch hitting slugger. Now, how does a Yankee trade for Mark Teixeira make sense, I wondered as they tossed proposals, back and forth, like baseballs. I decided to express my feelings, telling them that trade wouldn’t make sense and that such a trade was impossible, especially in light of the recent Nady-Marte deal. They laughed and said I was probably right and that was pretty much it on that subject.

Then, on one of my favorite sites, MLBTR, I saw that Mark Bowman, a writer for the MLB, noted that, according to a source, the Yankees are one of the teams that are very likely to land Teixeira by the trade deadline (the source also says that the Rays and the Angels are up there as well). Everyone has been saying that the Diamondbacks are in the lead for Big Tex, and that seems like it makes sense. However, Bowman states that the Yankees may be willing to give up a higher caliber of talent to get Teixeira, since they’ll likely sign him as a FA in the offseason. Now, ask yourself, does that make any sense?

Would the Yankees be willing to give up a huge package to land Teixeira when they know that they can outbid everyone else in the winter? I don’t think they would be willing to do that. Not at all, actually. But, then again, who knows. The offense has looked mighty powerful over the past few weeks but for the majority of the year, you don’t really know what you might get on a given night. The Yankees are close to being in the playoffs, so they’re going to try and ensure a spot in October (they need a starter more than a hitter though). Before thinking about Tex in pinstripes, however, you really have to think about what the team would have to give up in order to land such a big fish, and there’s only one package that they could really offer, especially after the Nady-Marte deal (Nady can’t be a backup).

That package would have to include our beloved, acrobatic and light hitting center fielder, Melky Cabrera. By trading Melky and maybe Ian Kennedy and another high-level prospect (pitching prospect), the Yankees could possibly grab Teixeira for 2 months. That would allow Johnny Damon and his miserable arm to slot in at CF, with Nady in LF, and Abreu in RF. Or, maybe you could try Nady in CF? I’m not really sure, I know that Nady’s defense has been acceptable in the corners, but who knows how he would do out there. That would then free up lineup space for Mark Teixeira, with him at first base and Jason Giambi at DH. That would give the Yankees a very formidable lineup, featuring freakish power and absurd hitting from top to bottom. Austin Jackson could be ready to play for the Yankees in a year or so, which would also soften the Melky loss.

Of course, this probably won’t happen. I don’t see Brian Cashman dealing from his young deck for a 2-month rental that he’ll likely sign in the offseason. Mark Bowman’s source seems on point with the Angels and Rays, but a Chad Tracy and Micah Owings offer (which the Diamondbacks have supposedly proposed) is pretty damn impressive for the Braves and it makes sense with Mark Reynolds at third and Conor Jackson at first. I don’t see how the Yankees would top that or why they would throw their hat in the ring with Nady now on the team (and Matsui, “possibly” returning). In fact, Jon Heyman believes that the D-Backs are the guys that’ll likely get Teixeira and he doesn’t even mention the Yankees as being interested, so that definitely says something. But, I guess crazier things have happened and you can never rule anything out when you’re dealing with New York.

Melancon & Wright Promoted

Mike Ashmore let’s us know that Mark Melancon and Chase Wright (remember him?) have been promoted to Scranton (AAA). If anyone in the bullpen falters and if Melancon puts it together for Scranton (he definitely did well for Trenton), he could get the nod later on (in September). Wright is also having a very solid year. He’s a lefty starter with potential and he’s young, so I’d expect the Yankees to keep him around for quite sometime.

Trade Market Updates

Jayson Stark has two interesting tidbits that could be important to the Yankees. First, the Reds have reportedly taken Bronson Arroyo off the market. Arroyo has been stellar as of late, winning his last 5 starts and upping his record to a respectable 9-7. Last week, I expressed my support for an Arroyo trade instead of a Washburn trade, however, that ship has now sailed and the Yankees have lost some leverage in their game of chicken with the Mariners. Arroyo was often cited as one of their main targets, along with Washburn, and now it appears as though he is their lone trade option. More on that later.

Stark also has another interesting trade bit up, as he reports that the Red Sox are looking at Miguel Tejada to fill their SS void. Tejada (Astros) has been struggling offensively and he isn’t much to look at defensively, but the Red Sox signed Julio Lugo for offense, not defense, so they’ll take whatever production Tejada can offer. Tejada hits well against the Yankees and could make the Sox lineup a lot deeper. IF they do acquire him or if the talks simply heat up between the two ball clubs, then the Yankees may feel some pressure to get something done for another starting pitcher. Of course, the Sox are feeling pressure to respond to the Nady-Marte move so there’s a lot going on in the AL East.

No Worries…

The Yanks missed another opportunity tonight and couldn’t handle Jeremy Guthrie, but luckily for them, the Red Sox and Rays both lost. So, while we didn’t gain any ground in the AL East, we didn’t lose any either. The Rays face Roy Halladay tomorrow (have fun!) and the Sox will go against Jon Garland (who they’ll likely shell). The Yankees will have to man up against the very raw Daniel Cabrera.

UPDATE (11:25) — My mistake, the Red Sox will face John Lackey tomorrow (@ Boston), which is obviously a tough assignment (although Lackey does have lackluster numbers against Boston and at Fenway and he’s reportedly going through a dead-arm phase). Rays face Halladay, Sox face Lackey, Yanks face Cabrera. That’s a must win right there for the Yankees.

Yanks Getting Oriole’d

While the club is getting beat down by Jeremy Guthrie and the rest of the Orioles, here’s a quick update on a few relevant matters. First, there’s no new news on the Washburn front. Basically, the Mariners are waiting for the Yankees to fold while the Yankees are waiting for the Mariners to fold. The Mariners believe that all the pressure is on the Yankees but I feel as though Brian Cashman would be content giving Ian Kennedy and maybe even Phil Hughes another chance (Hughes and Carl Pavano will pitch for Class-A Charleston tomorrow).

Also, even though the Yankees have acquired Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui is fighting to come back. He took some swings off a tee today and seemed optimistic about a return, stating that he thinks he could come back within a week or two if there are no setbacks. Matsui’s knee has been very touchy though, so I’m not expecting much of a return. However, if he does, somehow, manage to return with Xavier Nady in the lineup, it’ll be interesting to see how Girardi juggles the two.

Finally, Jeff Karstens, who was traded to the Pirates for Nady and Marte, will join the Pirates starting rotation (probably Friday or Saturday). Karstens could have a decent career as a starter in the NL and we, of course, wish him the best.

Posada Done

Jorge Posada will have season ending surgery now that Xavier Nady has been acquired. It’s a good call for Jorge and a very good call for the NY Yankees.