On the 17th, Tim of MLB Trade Rumors posted the off season in review for the Yankees. There, he obviously lists all the moves that Brian Cashman has made since the Yankees won their 27th championship in November. Since the roster is more or less set, and we’ve got little to do until the Spring Training opener, I thought it’d be nice for us to do a little review of some of the different moves. Today, we’ll talk about pitching

The Yankees made two moves in the rotation this year: they re-signed Andy Pettitte to a one year, $11.75MM deal and acquired Javier Vazquez from the Braves–along with reliever Boone Logan–for Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and Arodys Vizcaino. Both of these moves are good moves, and I think we all know why.

Pettitte may not be very flashy anymore, but he’s almost a lock to provide 180-200 innings of at least league average pitching. He’s had that type of season (at least 180 IP/100 or greater ERA+) in 11 of his 15 Major League seasons. Consistent performance like that is incredibly valuable, especially when it’s coming from the team’s third starter.

Consistency is also something they’ll get from Javy Vazquez, who’s pitched under 200 innings just three times in his career (172.1 in ‘98, 154.2 in ‘99, and 198 in ‘04). Considering he’ll be lined up as the de-facto fourth starter, the Yankees are likely to get great value from Vazquez. The trade that brought him (back) to the Bronx was also a great deal.

While Melky Cabrera was useful, his being traded seems to signal that the Yankees don’t think he’s going to grow much more than he already has. While that’s one long term ramification of the deal–there is another one–in the short term, it’s a solid deal. I’d be willing to bet something of good value that Javier Vazquez will be more valuable in 2010 than Melky Cabrera will. The other piece the Yankees sent along, Arodys Vizcaino, definitely has high upside but he’s still untested in a full season league, so it’s more than doubtful that he’ll provide any value to Atlanta’s big club team in 2010.

Losing Vizcaino meant that the Yankees’ system took a big hit. However, like it’s been said, despite his undeniable talent, he’s very far away from being a big leaguer. It’s conceivable that, if they offer him arbitration and let Vazquez leave after this season, the Yankees could get a suitable replacement for Vizcaino in the 2011 draft.

Boone Logan was also brought in, and he’ll compete in Spring Training for a bullpen spot. If he makes it, it’ll be as the second lefty. Logan has a .702 OPS against lefties (.333/.398), so he could be a good second option. Is he a necessity? No. Could it hurt to give him an audition at some point in the season? Sure. Basically, Logan replaces Mike Dunn, who would’ve been the second lefty out of the bullpen after Phil Coke was traded to the Tigers.

Of course, the Yankees also lost some pitching in the offseason, though none if it is incredibly major. Aside from Vizcaino, the Yankees parted ways with Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy, Brian Bruney, Mike Dunn, Chien-Ming Wang and Josh Towers. Let’s break this down pitcher by pitcher:

Coke: The biggest loss of the pitchers, going solely by impact on the ‘09 team, he was likely to be the second lefty after (a hopefully healthy) Damaso Marte. Coke was traded to the Tigers along with outfielder Austin Jackson for Curtis Granderson. Apparently, the Tigers may try him in the rotation, though manager Jim Leyland sees–and rightly so–as a bullpen guy.

Kennedy: He went in the same deal as Coke, but he headed to Arizona. I’m sad to see Kennedy go. I feel like he never got a fair shake in NY and it would’ve been nice to see him compete for a bullpen spot (an Al Aceves type role) for 2010. Instead, he’ll likely end up in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, where he could do alright, as long as he’s not as timid as he was in his 2008 rotation stint. Attack the zone, Ian! Anyway, losing Kennedy made the Yankees’ depth take a hit, but that was somewhat fixed by Vazquez’s addition. And, like the other players in the two major trades of this offseason, the players brought in will definitely be more valuable than the players that left.

Bruney: Bruney was traded to the Nationals for their pick in the Rule V draft, which turned into outfielder Jamie Hoffmann. Brian would’ve been struggling to make a spot and after a few years of inconsistency–and the beginning of a relatively expensive portion of his career–the Yankees were right to cut him loose.

Dunn: Not a big loss, Dunn still needs some seasoning in AAA. If he can harness his control, he could be a decent lefty option going forward for the Braves.

Towers: This means literally nothing but the loss of some AAA fodder.

Wang: We’re all sad to see Wang go, but the move makes sense. There doesn’t seem to be room for Wang going forward. He wouldn’t be a good fit in the rotation–there’s no room there and he wouldn’t be the fifth, or even sixth, best starter on the Yankees–and his pitch-to-contact-style is not desirable for a bullpen pitcher. For the Nationals, this move is a low risk, medium reward signing. I wish CMW luck in our nation’s capital and I appreciate his pitching of ‘05-’08, but the Yankees will likely be better off without him.

Check back tomorrow for the hitting version of the offseason review.

It’s for real this time. According to Chico Harlan, the Nationals have agreed to a $2 million, one-year deal with Chien-Ming Wang. He can earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Washington is set to unveil Wang on Friday, in Florida, at Space Coast Stadium. Wang’s pinstriped career ends with a 55-26 record, a 4.16 ERA, 3.99 FIP, two 19-win seasons, and a second place finish in the 2006 Cy Young voting. Good luck in Washington, Wanger.

According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, last week, the Dodgers observed the rehabbing Chien-Ming Wang as he threw off flat ground and, needless to say, they were not too impressed by the results. Gurnick says that Joe Torre’s club believes Wang is “three months or more away from pitching in a game,” meaning that he likely won’t be able to find a Major League deal until after the season has begun. In fact, Wang may have to wait until the summer in order to find a taker for his services. He and his agent, Alan Nero, could actually be better off with this midseason strategy as many organizations will be in search of added rotational depth once June rolls around, and clubs would likely be willing to spend more then, on a fully healthy Wang, rather than now, on a Wang whose future is still uncertain. Either way, regardless of his vague status, as stated by Keith Law, “Wang is worth a flier to see if he has something left… a sinkerballer can survive with a little less velocity, so he’s worth a look.” Thus, he will eventually land somewhere.

If you’re hoping to see the Yankees re-sign Wang, this might be good news for you in that he does not appear ready to sign with any other team, at least for several more weeks/months. However, a reunion is rather unlikely as there are many desperate teams out there willing to spend more on Wang – the Mets, for example – than the Yankees are.

Photo by Reuters

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are in the process of “reviewing the medical information on Chien-Ming Wang,” a potential rotation option pitching coach Dave Duncan described as “intriguing” in mid-December. If the interest is real, St. Louis would be a nice landing spot for the rehabilitating right-hander, as Mitchell Boggs, a less than impressive name in comparison, is currently penciled in as the team’s 5th starter. In addition, Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny are not exactly locks for a full season’s worth of work, therefore, having a relatively inexpensive, high-upside arm like Wang’s could help the Cardinals construct ample rotation depth for 2010.

Wang has garnered a lot of interest but is not expected to throw off a mound until mid-February at the earliest.

Photo by Getty Images

From Ken Rosenthal:

Positive report today from Dr. Andrews on former #Yankees RHP Wang. Could throw off mound in 6-8 wks. Agents expect heightened interest.

I am not sure how much more interest can be stirred on Wang, as ESPN reported today that Wang’s agent has heard from 15 teams, with the Yankees being one of them. I would love for Wang to return, as he would provide the Yankees with valuable depth and should not be excessively costly. That being said, I am not sure it makes a ton of sense for Wang to sign with a club that does not have a rotation spot currently available for him should he prove healthy. The best career move would be to go to a club that will slot him into the rotation the instant he proves his health, so that he can build up some value for another go at free agency in 2011. I hope that I am wrong, but I think that Chien-Ming Wang’s tenure in pinstripes is over.

Last night, after speaking to Chien-Ming Wang’s agent, Alan Nero, Ken Davidoff of Newsday noted that Wang may not sign until April or May. Today, ESPN’s Buster Olney confirms, writing that it’s “possible that [Wang] won’t sign for months.” This is largely a contractual move, as Wang may receive better offers after a few months of rehab, in which he could prove his shoulder’s health. “In short,” states Olney, “the more he shows as he goes through his rehabilitation, and in perhaps throwing for scouts in the spring, the better the offers to him could be.”

In light of this news, the Yankees, who Olney says can possibly resign Wang, will likely have to move on this winter and explore other pitching options that are currently available (e.g., Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer, Kelvim Escobar, etc.). They can’t really wait for Wang, not if he’s holding out until May. If the team adds other players and still has payroll space for him at that time, then perhaps a deal will happen, although it seems unlikely.

The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration eligible is tomorrow, as any eligible player not offered a contract immediately becomes a free agent. Matt at Fack Youk took a look at the 4 Yankee candidates (Wang, Gaudin, Mitre, and Cabrera), and concluded that Chien MIng Wang would be the only one to go. He says:

Wang is universally regarded as a goner. The Yankees do not want to offer him arbitration and play him more than the $5M he made in 2009 after he’s missed nearly the entirety of the past two seasons. Wang started a throwing program last week, and his agent claims he won’t be far behind other pitchers in spring training, stating he’ll be ready to pitch by May 1st. Still, the Yankees don’t figure it wise to commit the money to Wang given his injury history – including three shoulder injuries now – his poor performance last year and the uncertainty that surrounds him moving forward. I’ll be sad to see him go. He was a very good pitcher for the Yankees for three plus years before that freak injury in Houston nearly two years ago. The Yankees likely botched his rehab and then didn’t really put him in a position to succeed or improve upon his return.There’s a chance Wang re-signs with the Yankees for less money, but I just don’t see it happening. He’ll likely receive a better offer from someone else; Joe Torre and the Dodgers have expressed interest.

Although I wrote about Wang leaving last week, I have been having second thoughts. If Ben Sheets is truly going to hold out for a deal that exceeds 10 million dollars, Wang might be the best fit for the 2010 Yankees. They likely plan on having Chamberlain and Hughes start, so they may just need another starter who can fill in and soak up some extra innings, rather than a big money acquisition that will slot into the 2 or 3 spot in the rotation. If the Yankees do not believe that he can provide quality innings or feel that his health will continue to be an issue, letting him go will be the right move. But if they have any faith in Wang’s ability to give them, say, 80-100 league average innings, it would be prudent to tender him a contract and focus their resources elsewhere.

From Joel Sherman’s Twitter via MLBTR:

Sherman (via Twitter) reported that Alan Nero, Wang’s agent, said that Wang was given the green light by Dr. James Andrews to start throwing by December 15 and that Wang may be able to pitch again by as early as the middle of April. In a follow-up tweet, Sherman noted that Yankee doctors have yet to examine Wang themselves.

This changes things from the Yankee perspective, but not greatly. They’re still a lock to non-tender him, and still won’t offer him a contract until he’s throwing on a mound again, which is at least 4-5 months away. As EJ discussed yesterday, they’ll want him off the roster for the Rule V draft so they can protect another player.

But the notion of him as some mid-season insurance policy goes out the window. Now it looks like he’ll be able to contribute to somebody for most of the season, and the question may come down to whether or not he wants to pitch with the Yankees. Wherever he signs, it’s likely that he will get a low-base pay incentive laden deal, so he’s going to want to have a regular spot in a rotation so he can prove he’s healthy and effective so as to get another (hopefully longer) deal for 2011. But if Brad Penny and John Smoltz are any guide, he could be guaranteed as much as 5 mil next year. Given how poorly that worked out for boy-genius Theo and his super-secret advanced medical analysis, I suspect no one will repeat that mistake.

In either scenario, the Yanks may not be willing to offer him a slot in the rotation with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes targeted for the starting staff next year. Given the fact he’s coming back from not one but two injuries and was completely ineffective last year even when healthy, it’s difficult to imagine the Yanks guaranteeing him anything in terms of playing time. Plus, this is his 3rd shoulder injury in his tenure with the franchise. So it may not come down to money, but playing time and Wang may be the one who decides to play elsewhere.

However, there may be a silver lining for both parties. The Yanks want to keep Hughes’ innings down next year and I doubt will repeat the way they did things with Joba this past year. One solution would be to hold Hughes back until mid-May from joining the rotation. If they do that, it would give them an opportunity to get a look at Wang from mid-April to mid-May to see what he has. Looking at the 2010 schedule, they have an off day every week in the month of April, so you can skip the 5th starter for the first two weeks of the season and add Wang in the middle of the month to get a look at him. Also, Wang’s concerns about playing time could be addressed with some easy to reach incentives built into the deal, where a 2nd year automatically kicks in if he spends X number of days on the roster.

This isn’t a no brainer, but it isn’t impossible either. I’ll bet they figure something out.

One of the Yanks toughest calls this off season

Now that the off season has officially begun for the Yanks, I’m going to switch from my ‘Random Thoughts’ posts about the games and various news items to specific pieces on players and payroll issues the Yanks will have to address this off season. Each one deserves its own post examining the thought process behind the decision as I see it.

First up is Chien Ming Wang. Making a decision on him will be one of the Yanks toughest calls this off season. We all know his track record of being a back to back 19 game winner and his propensity to eat up innings and pitch deep into games with a low pitch count. When he’s right, he saves your bullpen from being overworked every 5th day and is an extreme ground ball pitcher who gives up very few Home Runs. Given the improved Yankee infield defense with the addition of Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter’s resurgence as a Shortstop, we can only imagine what kind of season Wang might have had if he stayed healthy this year. Going into the 2008 season, I thought he was a lock to log his first 20+ win campaign. Fans may remember that his last 19 win season in 2007 was one which he missed most of April with a hamstring pull, so 20 wins seemed conservative if he stayed healthy. But we all know what happened in 08, he suffered a foot injury running the bases in Houston and followed that up in 2009 with his 3rd shoulder injury in his time with the Yanks.

Shoulders are always the trickiest, unlike elbow injuries which can be repaired shoulder injuries can either end a career or leave a pitcher a shell of his former self. Yankee fans just watched their team wrap up a World Series title facing a once great pitcher whose career started heading downward at a relatively young age with a torn labrum. Pedro’s brother Ramon had a promising pitching career ended by a shoulder injury as well. Wang’s injury doesn’t appear to be major, he was diagnosed with a damaged capsule, which is considered less serious than a torn labrum or rotator cuff tear. But even when he was healthy last year, he pitched terribly. He clearly lost his delivery as a result of last year’s Lisfranc foot injury, and his confidence sagged along with the results. Adding recovery from another injury only muddies the waters even further. It’s anyone’s guess if he’ll ever regain the form he had 2005-2008.

Fans aren’t going to want to hear this, because we all want things resolved and tied up nice and neatly. But the Yankees probably will take a ‘wait and see’ approach with our former Ace. I think Wang’s contract situation won’t be resolved until he starts throwing again, which as Joe Pawlikowski from River Ave detailed will be next spring. He’s still in rehab mode right now, and checking in with Dr James Andrews to get updates on his progress. They’ll want to see what he looks like on a mound before investing any money in him. And if they approach him that way, it’s the smart move.

After they look at him, he likely will still only get an incentive-laden offer from the Yanks. But since the Yanks are a lock to non-tender him this off season, many other teams will be monitoring his progress and he will be bidding on him as well. How much the Yanks will be willing to guarantee will be key to how this plays out, and will depend on how he looks in the spring. From Wang’s side how much money is guaranteed will heavily influence where he lands, but changing teams will factor in as well. He’s got enough on his plate already coming back from what amounts to two injuries. Changing teams would only add to his adjustment period. So the Yanks will have certainly an inside track on him. From the perspective of rival teams, if the Yanks were to pass on him completely it would send up a red flag on Wang’s health. GMs are often hesitant to offer contracts to injured pitchers when their original team wont bid on him, especially one that throws around money like the Yanks do. Nobody knows a pitcher’s health history better than the team that developed him, and if they’re willing to pass there’s a sense of Caveat Emptor on the part of other GMs.

One very important note about Wang, he may be more valuable to the Yanks than anyone else. When he’s right, he’s an extreme ground ball pitcher who gives up very few Home Runs. The new Yankee Stadium yielded a franchise record in HRs this year. He could be an even better fit if there’s an early injury to one of the starters and/or we never get the 8th inning situation settled, which is an open question going into next year. I assume Joba and Hughes will be our #4 and #5 starters next year, so the primary set up role that Hughes performed so well last year is still unsettled. Should one of them struggle as starters next and the bridge to Mariano becomes shaky, there will be a pull to move one of them back to the setup role and an open spot in the rotation as a result. The timing of this all works out pretty well for the Yanks and Wang. He won’t be ready to go until mid-season next year, and by that time we’ll have a good idea of where the Yanks stand in both their rotation and bullpen. All totaled, the Wang situation doesn’t appear to be one that will be settled anytime soon.