Cole To College?

The Yankees have been trying to come to terms with their first-round pick, Gerrit Cole, before the designated signing deadline (tomorrow). However, Tyler Kepner is now reporting that Cole, who was offered a scholarship to UCLA, will opt for college instead of signing with the Yankees. Kepner also notes that, according to a person involved in the negotiations, Cole isn’t basing this decision on money (…) and may just want to go to college. If this is true and the Yankees don’t reach an agreement with Cole, then the club will receive a compensatory pick in next year’s draft.

I would have to think that this has been a tough decision (if true). While I would love to be a pro baseball player, playing for the NY Yankees, I wouldn’t forego my college experience for all the money in the world. I know that sounds cheesy, but college is such a memorable experience (girls, parties, friends, not necessarily in that order, of course). I’d like to see Gerrit Cole with the Yankees, sooner rather than later, but I respect his decision, whatever that may be. We’ll find out more tomorrow.

F*ck Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

Dan Giese is headed to the DL with rotator cuff tendinitis (sound familiar?). Another one bites the dust, I guess. Darrell Rasner, who pitched fairly well in his last start, will reportedly start in Giese’s place since the Yankees don’t want to rush Carl Pavano or Phil Hughes (the Yankees want to see them hit 100 pitches in a rehab outing before calling them up).

Good Point

From Jayson Stark:

Finally, for all those people who have been so quick to dismiss the idea that Manny Ramirez could wind up with the Yankees next year, we bring you this word of caution: True, the Yankees’ baseball operation may already have decided it wants no part of him. But as a longtime official of one AL team laughed when this topic came up, “When the Steinbrenners own your team, you can’t ever say there’s no chance of anything.

Exactly. Also, check out Stark’s piece. In the beginning of the text he talks about Manny’s move to LA, and outlines why some folks in baseball believe that offering Manny a $100 million contract would set a very dangerous precedent (e.g. rewarding a player who gave up on his team in order to hit free agency at the end of the year). Stark thinks that, in the future, players may even engage in the same antics Manny Ramirez allegedly engaged in (not playing, faking injuries, etc.), in order to get out of their contracts. While I understand the concern, it seems like the Manny incident was an anomoly. There were so many factors at play and I just can’t see a situation like that occuring again (at least not for a long time).

Cano An Easy Target

After reading about yesterday’s loss, it seems as though Joe Girardi is pretty upset with Robinson Cano. Cano has made some careless base running decisions lately, and his defensive miscues are hurting the team. With the mental mistakes piling up and with Cano’s distinct style of play (he always appears to be very laid back), Yankee fans are pretty upset with him. It’s an interesting topic, actually. When you think about it, if Derek Jeter had been having the problems Cano is having (Jeter made a string of bad base running decisions earlier in the season), I don’t think fans would be angry with him. But, Cano always looks very relaxed on the field, so he’s naturally going to draw criticism whenever he does anything wrong.

While I too am upset with Cano, I think it’s safe to say that he’s simply having a down year. They happen and when it rains it pours. His offense has been dreadful and suddenly, his defense is falling apart. Maybe he’s still battling that sore hand that really became a problem at the end of July? Cano stated that he could use a few days off (2-3 days) to recover but he was only given one day off to deal with the lingering pain (Girardi is a strange man). It could be more serious than we know and he hasn’t hit or fielded much of anything since he hurt it (.250 AVG this month compared to the .327 AVG in July). Again, I’m not trying to make excuses, instead I’m searching for valid explanations. Hopefully today’s off day will give him time to rest up and gather himself for the upcoming series against Kansas.

Jose Helping Pudge

From Buster Olney (ESPN):

Although he’s won 13 Gold Gloves behind the plate, Rodríguez—acquired by the Yankees from Detroit shortly after starting catcher Jorge Posada was lost for the season—needed some tutoring when he put on the pinstripes. After all, a catcher switching teams midseason is a bit like a student switching schools in the middle of a semester. “You need to learn new pitchers, talk to them and feel comfortable with them,” says the 36-year-old Rodríguez. “It’s a process.”

That’s why he turned to Molina, his fellow Puerto Rican and friend. José and his brothers, Bengie and Yadier, are the first family of catching. “I’ve spoken to Iván so many times,” José says. “He’s even played alongside my father [Benjamin, career hits leader in Puerto Rico's top amateur league]. I don’t have a problem with him coming in and taking over. I was brought here to be a backup, and that’s what I’ll be doing.”

On his way to the field after his conversation with Molina, Rodríguez encounters Charlie Zabransky, the Yankees’ retired clubhouse security guard, sitting near the tunnel that leads to the dugout. “You should have been a Yankee a long time ago,” the old man calls out.

“Well, I’m here now,” Rodríguez responds.

Luckily for Pudge, so is Molina

You have to wonder where the Yankees would be without Jose Molina. Signing him to a multiyear deal was probably one of the smarter moves Cashman has made in recent memory. While the Yankees aren’t exactly lighting it up down the stretch, Molina’s leadership, knowledge and defensive abilities have helped the team tremendously (especially the pitchers). It’s nice to know that he’ll be around for another year.

Thursday’s Bits: Cashman, Manny, CC, Giese

Here’s a quick batch of interesting bits.

1. First, Jon Heyman is reporting that the Yankees are willing to offer Brian Cashman an extension when the season is over (it looks like it could end early too). This makes sense for the team since Cashman has done a good job emphasizing the young talent (pitchers, in particular) in the Yankees’ system. He has also come through with some nice trades this year (Nady-Marte), trades that will help the team now AND in the future (control over Nady for another year, Marte’s option). In addition, Heyman notes that Hal Steinbrenner has been a huge Cashman supporter (that was obvious) and that his blustery brother Hank, has really come on to support Cashman as well. There have been rumors of a possible Seattle jump for the Yankee GM, but if Heyman’s report is accurate, that doesn’t seem likely.

2. Next up, we have some newsworthy comments from Peter Gammons. According to Gammons who is a loyal Red Sox enthusiast, the Yankees, specifically Brian Cashman and Hank Steinbrenner, are not interested in pursuing Manny Ramirez in the offseason. Now, this could be a legitimate bit of information or it could be disinformation meant to throw off Manny’s agent, Scott Boras (so as not to expand the market). I actually hope Gammons’ sources aren’t accurate. While I can understand why Brian Cashman, who is friendly with Theo Epstein, and Hank Steinbrenner wouldn’t want to see Manny in the Bronx (attitude, antics, etc.), I really do hope that they reconsider. We know what he can do with RISP and he’s a proven hitter in the AL East (and on the biggest of stages). Next year, the Yankees could let go of Bobby Abreu and install Manny Ramirez in RF (scary, I know), or they can figure something out with Hideki Matsui. I honestly think that Manny is worth it and as we watch our main RBI guys flounder with men on, he seems even more valuable.

3. Gammons also notes that the Yankees want to save their FA money and spend it on CC Sabathia (instead of Manny Ramirez). While I like CC, I still think investing in some more offense (along with pitching) would be beneficial to the team. This year, they’ve had some solid starting pitching (from unexpected places), but their offense has totally underachieved. With Derek Jeter looking older than ever (and he’s only getting older), and with more than a few question marks in the Yankee lineup, whether we’re talking about Robinson Cano’s numbers or Posada’s ability to play the entire season (2009), having a great hitter like Manny in your lineup and behind A-Rod could certainly help next year. Furthermore, there are some reports floating around which state that CC would like to play in the NL and for a west coast team (he lives there), so it’d be foolish for the Yankees to save all their money for one player (all your eggs in one basket).

4. Finally, Dan Giese left yesterday’s game with a “stiff” shoulder. He’ll see a doctor later today. Hopefully he’s alright and can return to the pen in a few days.