According to Tyler Kepner, Jerry Hairston’s MRI revealed that he has tendinitis in his left wrist. He received a cortisone shot—I believe it’s his second one this month—and is considered day-to-day. That’s good news for Jerry and the Yankees.
Sep 242009
Sep 242009
From MLBTR, we learn that the Pirates have claimed Anthony Claggett off waivers from the Yankees. Claggett was designated for assignment on the 14th in order to free up a roster spot on the 40-man for speedster Freddy Guzman. The Pirates already have Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutchen, and Jeff Karstens pitching for them, so why not bring in another Yankee arm (or two, or three)?
Sep 242009
Jayson Stark (ESPN) tried his hand at ranking postseason rotations and placed the Yankees at number 4 on his list. The (1) Red Sox, (2) Cardinals, and (3) Phillies are the three teams that sit above the Yankees in Stark’s piece. Here’s what he had to say about the New York rotation.
Prospective rotation: 1) CC Sabathia, 2) Andy Pettitte, 3) A.J. Burnett, 4) Joba Chamberlain or Chad Gaudin.
This team might have been our toughest call. We polled folks who rated them as the very best rotation out there. We also polled folks who ranked them as the fifth-best rotation out there. But we think, in truth, they’re somewhere in between.
“I like the Yankees because of depth,” said one executive. “Someone in that foursome could very well disappoint, but anyone in that foursome has a decent chance of pitching a dominant game.”
True. And that starts with Sabathia, whose 8.53 ERA over the past two postseasons is a stat most people in the game don’t take real seriously. “The last two years, he was worn completely down by the time he got there [by the Indians in '07 and the Brewers in '08],” said one NL executive. “That’s not who he is.”
But after CC, roll those dice. It’s amazing how little faith Burnett (2-5 since Aug. 1) inspires for a guy with spectacular stuff. (“I’d be very surprised,” said one scout, “if Burnett comes up big.”) The Yankees think Pettitte’s shoulder is OK, but who knows? And then there’s Joba, who has the Yankees so exasperated that they’ve told him he’ll have to outpitch Gaudin down the stretch if he even wants to get a postseason start.
So this is a very iffy group — but one with gigantic win-the-World-Series upside.
For once, I actually agree with what Stark and co. have to say (amazingly).
The rotation is a bit “iffy” given Pettitte’s shoulder and the inconsistencies we’ve seen from Burnett and Joba/Gaudin this season. However, the ability to dominate is definitely there. In fact, I would argue that the Yankees have the best rotation in terms of inherent talent, which certainly goes a long way in the playoffs.
What do you think about Stark’s list? Should the Yankees be higher (or lower, even)? What about the Sox, should they be lower?
Sep 242009
From the NY Post:
Ian Kennedy’s 20 friends and family members could scarcely stand to watch while the New York reliever’s first appearance in over a year went from an inspiration to a budding nightmare.
Thanks to a bases-loaded fly ball, Kennedy and the Yankees could enjoy a much-needed series victory that sent them into a big weekend series with plenty of momentum…..
In his first major league appearance since surgery to remove an aneurysm below his right biceps, Kennedy walked two batters and hit another in the eighth before escaping on Erick Aybar’s fly. His misadventures and ultimate redemption were the wildest portion of six New York pitchers’ efforts to hold down Los Angeles’ offense.
“Just to be pitching is an accomplishment,” said Kennedy, a Long Beach, Calif., native and former USC star. “And then to be pitching here, and in a big situation, there are no words to describe it. It got a little crazy, but I was glad it worked out barely. These are big, important wins for us.”
I have always been a big Kennedy fan, and will surely draw some ire from some of our regulars by reiterating my belief that he can be a successful pitcher in the AL East. The problem with Kennedy, in my estimation, is not a matter of stuff, control, or command. He has enough of all three to put up the sort of minor league numbers reserved for prospects of the Chamberlain/Hughes ilk. As we say yesterday, he can get his fastball in the 90-93 range, and has a variety of breaking pitches plus a changeup that can keep hitters off balance.
Rather, his issue was one of confidence. He desperately feared throwing the ball over the plate, and found himself consistently behind in counts. Any pitcher that falls behind consistently is likely to get smacked around. Yesterday seemed different. Kennedy threw a large number of fastballs in the zone, was not afraid to come inside, and seemed to miss by just a little in loading the bases. The baserunners were a product of rust and overexcitement rather than fear, which is a major step for Ian. Hopefully he continues to build upon that moderate success and contributes to the major league Yankees in 2010.
With the Yankees headed for the postseason, Tim Smith (Daily News) wonders if the organization will consider a contract extension for Yankee skipper, Joe Girardi. Girardi is currently in the second year of a 3-year deal. If the Yankees do not offer him an extension by the end of next season, then he will, indeed, be a free agent. When asked about an extension, Brian Cashman didn’t necessarily rule out coming to an agreement over the winter.
“I can’t tell you we have a policy either way,” Cashman said. “We’ll talk about that at the proper time. Right now, our eye is on getting to the postseason and winning the American League East.”
Smith also questioned Girardi about his contract situation, and was met with, “”I’ve never really worried too much about contracts, because I believe the man upstairs is in charge.” By the “man upstairs,” I’m not sure if he’s referring to God or to Hal Steinbrenner—the two are often conflated—however, whatever the case may be, Girardi’s contract will soon become a significant issue for the Yankees after the season is fully over.
The extension could be granted based on performance—such is the case in New York—and if Girardi and his boys win the World Series, I could see the Yankees tendering him a new contract. Then again, if he fails to reach the World Series after failing to reach the postseason in the first year of his contract, I do think that the Yankees will allow him to become a free agent in 2010, no matter what the team does next season.
What do you think? Should Girardi be granted an extension if the Yankees win the World Series this year? Should he be cast aside if they don’t win it all? In my opinion, I’d like to see the Yankees let Girardi go once his contract has expired. He has done a good job managing the bullpen and his rotation, yet his lineup decisions are often heavy handed and his in-game decisions boggle the mind, at times (I guess that’s the case with all managers, though). Of course, such a decision would also be dependent upon who else is available.
The Yanks have recently kicked around the idea of carrying 10 pitchers for the ALDS. Just to see what that would look like, I’ll make up a 25 man postseason roster. 10 pitchers, 15 position players.
Pitchers:
CC Sabathia
AJ Burnett
Andy Pettitte
Mariano Rivera
Phil Hughes
Alfredo Aceves
Damaso Marte
Phil Coke
David Robertson
Joba Chamberlain/Chad Gaudin/Alby/Bruney
Position Players:
Jorge Posada
Jose Molina
Mark Tiexiera
Robinson Cano
Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Johnny Damon
Nick Swisher
Gritt Gardner
Melky Cabrera
Hideki Matsui
Eric Hinske
Jerry Hairston
Ramiro Pena
Freddy Guzman
I don’t know about you, but I’d drop Freddy Guzman and take an extra pitcher, myself. Rather have Gaudin+Joba than Guzman. Its not like Ramiro Pena or Jerry Hairston can’t pinch run for you. I understand that Guzman is crazy fast, 80 on a scouts 20-80 scale. But is the marginal speed difference between him and Pena or Hairston worth carrying one less pitcher? I don’t think so.
I think Joba likely gets taken over Chad Gaudin, since we know Joba has the ability to utterly dominate out of the bullpen. But Gaudin could eat up 3 innings somewhere in a game where the starter gets knocked out early and save Ace/D-Rob from having to do so, leaving them strong to perform in a win rather than waste them doing mop-up work in a game which will likely end in a loss. We need a long man, and Gaudin would be perfect. He could hold down the fort and even give you a chance to win that game. I just don’t want Ace or D-Rob wasting their arms (and being unavailable/less effective the next game) what in all likelihood will be a losing cause.
Another thing to consider is that there is some overlap as to where these guys play. Pena plays 2B/SS/3B, Guzman plays LF/CF/RF and Hairston plays just about everywhere. If they drop Pena and go Hairston as the backup infielder, Guzman as the 5th outfielder and an 11th pitcher, I’m on board.
But this decision may wind up being made for them. LoHud reported yesterday that Hairston’s wrist injury could be serious, and if that’s the case that would finish him for the season.
