The Yankees have reportedly contacted the returning Jim Edmonds about a possible stint in the Bronx.
From Rob Raines of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (h/t to MLBTR):
While Edmonds said in a radio interview on 1380 AM in St. Louis Thursday that he wants to play for the Cardinals, he also revealed that within the first couple of days of the word getting out that he wanted to play in 2010, his agent had heard from three or four other clubs, including the New York Yankees.
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Edmonds does believe the Yankees are serious in their interest. They have an opening for an everyday left fielder. “That’s a pretty nice situation over there,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough scenario.”
Edmonds, a career .284/.377/.528 hitter with 382 home runs to his name, was once a great player, however, at 39, those days appear to be gone (he did manage to post a 134 OPS+ while in Chicago in ‘08, although that was as a platoon player). He would be an inexpensive addition to say the least, so it can’t hurt to offer him a no-risk contract, but I don’t really see the interest beyond that. If he were a right-handed hitter it might make more sense for the Yankees.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
WFAN is reporting that Xavier Nady will not require surgery on his injured right elbow. He will do rehab to nurse a strained ligament back to health, with the time frame still unclear. He will not miss the remainder of the season.
Update: Jon Heyman is reporting
that the rehab is likely to take “a period of weeks.” The fact that the discussion is not in terms of months seems like a good sign.
In an entirely unrelated note that I would like to mention here for no particular purpose, Ken Rosenthal checks in on Jim Edmonds:
Free agent Jim Edmonds, mindful of injuries to outfielders such as Vladimir Guerrero, Xavier Nady and Jose Guillen, has increased the intensity of his workouts, according to his agent, Paul Cohen. While Edmonds believes he can be ready in 2 1/2-3 weeks, executives are reluctant to wait even that long to fill more pressing needs.
Hmm, a power lefty bat in Yankee Stadium who can play all three outfield positions and will only cost money? Why would the Yankees want someone like that?
With Xavier Nady injured and facing surgery or lengthy rehab, the Yankees currently have Melky Cabrera as their best bench bat. This is a far cry from the start of the season in which they were certain to have a starting caliber bat on the pine. This poses a problem in terms of depth, as evidenced by Cody Ransom getting two at bats late in yesterday’s one run game. There are a few options for the Yankees to pursue to try and bolster the bench.
Trades
I believe that it was George King who mentioned Austin Kearns and Jason Repko. Being that there are equivalent players freely available, I would not go the trade route if those were our best options. If we could bring back Elijah Dukes or Lastings Milledge, I would be more amenable to a trade.
Free Agents
1) Jim Edmonds- As I have mentioned on various occasions, Edmonds would be a perfect fit on this club. He is a left handed power bat off the bench who can start in CF if Brett Gardner cannot get it done. He would not require a long-term investment, making him a great placeholder until Austin Jackson arrives, and he can easily be released should he struggle. The one caveat is that the Yankees may want to replace Nady with a right handed bat.
2) Wily Mo Pena- Pena is a classic bench bat in that he has great power and could hit some important home runs if used properly. However, he is awful in the field and is an extremely limited hitter outside of his ability to hit the ball a long way when he happens to connect. I think he is the weakest of the free agent options.
3) Geoff Jenkins- Jenkins is a solid lefty bat who has been in a bit of a decline for the last two seasons. He is adequate in the field by most accounts, although age is starting to slow him down out there as well. He is likely to provide production slightly lower than that of Edmonds, while being less versatile defensively. However, he is also 5 years younger than Jim. Not a bad choice should the Yankees decide to go there.
4) Frank Catalanotto- Catalanotto and Jenkins are very similar players, although Frank has a bit less power and reaches base with some more frequency. Catalanotto is more versatile defensively, but is not great at any of the myriad defensive positions he can play. He is another lefty bat, and I would think that he would also be behind Edmonds on a Yankee wish list.
Internal Solutions
1) Austin Jackson- Quite frankly, Juan Miranda’s inability to hit lefties or play anywhere other than first base takes him out of the running for this job. Austin Jackson is the only player who the Yankees can call upon from their minor league system to fill this hole. Jackson is killing AAA pitching, but I doubt the Yankees would want to call him up at this point. The only way I would consider this move would be if the Yankees moved Nick Swisher or Johnny Damon to DH, Hideki Matsui to the bench, and allowed Jackson to play everyday. Even then, Jackson needs to develop his defense in CF and his bat is unlikely to play in the corners, making this move a shortsighted one.
I think the Yankees should ink Jim Edmonds as soon as possible. What is your solution? Do you think the Yankees need another bat?
Tim Dierkes over at MLBTR posted the following lineup of players still available on the free agent market:
C – Javier Valentin
1B – Frank Catalanotto
2B – Ray Durham
SS – Damion Easley
3B – Mike Lamb
LF – Wily Mo Pena
CF – Jim Edmonds
RF – Geoff Jenkins
DH – Frank Thomas
A glance at the list shows that there are a few players freely available who could help the Yankees at this point. Mike Lamb would be a solid placeholder at 3B, with Cody Ransom being so awful as to guarantee that he would pass through waivers should the Yankees choose to replace him. Lamb is a solid bat and a slightly below average glove, but he is a legitimate major leaguer and is likely to outperform Ransom. The quick return of A-Rod likely makes this point moot, although I am still curious as to why the Yankees did not sign him to start the season.
More relevant is the availability of Damion Easley. Easley is a solid bat for a utility infielder, and is strong with the glove at 2B and adequate at SS and 3B. He could replace Ransom on the roster, play 3rd until Alex returns, and then slot into the utility role. I think that he is a better option than Mark Grudzielanek and Ray Durham because he plays more positions on the infield and can therefore be used to spell Cano, Jeter, and Rodriguez.
Finally, I will once again mention Jim Edmonds. He would be a perfect fit on this club, a left handed power bat off the bench who can start in CF if Brett Gardner cannot get it done. He would not require a long-term investment, making him a great placeholder until Austin Jackson arrives, and he can easily be released should he struggle. The Yankees should try to trade Melky Cabrera (White Sox are desperate) and bring in Edmonds.
What do you think about these free agents? Have anyone else in mind?
Yesterday, Joe Girardi suggested that Brett Gardner has not yet won the center field job, and went out of his way to praise the work that Melky Cabrera has done thus far in camp. Mark Feinsand had the following to say:
“I’m happy with the way Melky is playing; he’s really started to swing the bat,” Girardi said. “They’ve both played at a very high level. Gardy started a little quicker, but to me, they’re both playing at a very high level right now. It’s been a fun competition to watch.”
Gardner’s numbers (.382, three homers, six RBI, .447 on-base percentage) give him an edge over Cabrera, who is batting .242 with three extra-base hits, five RBI and a .342 on-base average. But Cabrera – who is out of minor-league options – appears to have done enough to make him the Yankees’ fourth outfielder, sharing backup duties with Nick Swisher.
Firstly, I do not know where Feinsand got the idea that Swisher has already been relegated to the bench, being that I have not seen anything from Yankee management to suggest that the competition in right field was over. Furthermore, there is no circumstance under which Melky Cabrera will be good enough to share anything with Nick Swisher. More to the point, Feinsand seems to believe that Melky’s solid spring, combined with the fact that he is out of options, makes him a good bet to make the team. The obvious question is, does Melky have a role on this team?
A fifth outfielder needs to be either exceptional at one thing or solid at everything, and Melky satisfies neither of those things. He is a solid fielder, but he is not that fast and adds nothing at the plate. Basically, he is not a legitimate pinch hitter or pinch runner, and I foresee no circumstance under which he would replace Gardner for defensive purposes. His sole role on the team would be to play center field when Gardner is pinch hit for by either Nady or Swisher.
While the Yankees do not have any obviously better options on the current roster, there is one free agent who can be had cheaply and who would be a great fit. I think the Yankees should sign Jim Edmonds to fill that final roster spot. He would be excellent in a part time role, as he is still a very good hitter and is adequate at all outfield positions. He certainly brings a lot more to the table than Melky Cabrera.
Whatever your position on Brian Cashman and the job that he has done, it is hard to argue with the fact that he often neglects to properly address the bench. Flops such as Josh Phelps and Morgan Ensberg stand beside dubious choices like Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo to create a poor resume in the reserve department for Cashman. At this point, it seems that the 2009 Yankees will be similarly flawed. Joel Sherman’s article, linked in the Diamond Buzz section to the right, does a nice job in making this point. WIth a number of older players and injury concerns in the everyday lineup, this dearth of viable replacements may come back to bite the Yankees before the season is done.
A great bench should provide power from both sides of the plate, defensive prowess, and speed. Furthermore, all of the bench players need to be decent enough at their non-primary skills to actually function in all facets of the game once the are brought in. A speedy outfielder is worthless if he cannot hit better than .140. The current Yankee bench has the following players: Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera, Cody Ransom or Angel Berroa, and Jose Molina.
Having Nady or Swisher on the pine is the one major strength of this bench. If the Yankees believe that Nady can give them similar production to Swisher, they should begin the season with Swish on the bench. He provides a bit more pop and significantly more versatility, with his ability to play either corner outfield spot, first base, and switch hit. From that point, things get a bit murkier. Molina is horrendous offensively (51 OPS+ last season), and his defense, while good, is not enough to compensate. Ransom is mediocre in all facets, while Berroa is good with the leather and obscenely bad at everything else. Finally, assuming Brett Gardner wins the Center Field job, Melky does not bring any of the skills that you want your fifth outfielder to have, as he has no on-base ability or pinch running skills.
While this situation does seem dire, the offseason is not over, and plenty of free agents are still available. Let’s run through the available options for backup catcher, utility infielder, and fifth outfielder, considering only players that the Yankees can get while giving up just money. Here is a list of remaining free agents, courtesy of MLBTR.
Backup Catcher: The backup catcher market is littered with aging veterans who do not fit the criteria of being cheap, durable, and good defensively, with Paul LoDuca and Pudge headlining that group. The best option is likely Javier Valentin, formerly of the Reds. A decent switch-hitting batter with acceptable defensive skills, he would be at worst an acceptable platoon partner for Jose Molina, and certainly merits a call for the GM.
Utility Infielder: This list of players is a bit more intriguing. If they were looking for one player who gave them defense, speed, and a bit of offensive prowess, it would likely cost them a draft pick and plenty of money, as Orlando Cabrera is the only player who fits that criteria. However, one option that the Yankees have is to carry two reserve infielders instead of a fifth outfielder, being that their DH can play outfield in a pinch, effectively giving them five outfielders anyhow. Were they to consider that route, the list of interesting names expands, as they could select one infielder to provide solid baserunning and defense, and the other to give a bit of pop. Possible names include Mark Grudzielanek, Damion Easley, Ray Durham, Nomar Garciaparra, and Ty Wigginton. Personally, I would take Wigginton and Grudz from that list, as both are smart players that provide positional versatility and offensive ability. Wigginton is not as good as he showed last season, but has always had some power, and Grudz has been a consistently solid performer and is a safe bet to provide quality production off the bench.
Fifth Outfielder: The market is bare in this category, as Jim Edmonds is likely the best option. However, Edmonds actually makes more sense for the Yankees as the starting CF, as he gives you plenty of pop, reaches base, and is still a league average defender. Of course, the Yankees have a great fifth outfielder on their roster in Gardner, but he may be the starter.
Conclusion: These are my three possible benches, considering cost and the following scenarios.
1) The Yankees come to their senses, play Damon in CF with Swish and Nady at the corners. If so, my bench would be Valentin, Wigginton, Grudz, and Gardner. That is a very strong offensive bench which is decent defensively and has a great pinch runner.
2) They sign Edmonds and start him: Valentin, Swisher, Grudz, and Gardner. Similar to option number one, with Swish replacing Wigginton, which adds a bit more skill both offensively and defensively.
3) Gardner starts in CF: Valentin, Swisher, Grudz, and Edmonds. Offensively, that is an excellent bench, and Swisher is proficient enough at the corner outfield spots to make it adequate defensively, as well. The speed stinks, but you cannot have everything under all scenarios.
What do you think they should do about the bench?
