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Players to Watch, AL Central

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 1:00 pm 3 Responses »
Mar 302010

With the start of the regular season less than one week away, I’m starting to wrap up my series on players to watch outside of Yankee-land. Today, we’ll swing into the NL Central:

At Target Field, it’s time to put up or shut up for Delmon Young. After lot’s of minor league hype and a respectable showing in 131 ABs in ’06 (.343 wOBA, 4.4 UZR), Young’s fallen off a bit. His wOBAs from ’07-’09 were .315, .324, and .312. This is not what Minnesota expected when they traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to the (Devil) Rays for Young. His batting averages have been good–.288, .290, .284–but his awful walk rates–3.8, 5.6, 2.9–and anemic bat–IsoPs of .119, .114, and .142–has held him back. If Young doesn’t get some patience and power (and improve on the field…back to back UZR marks of -16.8), he’ll be considered a big time bust.

For the Tigers, we’ll all have to keep an eye on a familiar face: Austin Jackson. We all know Jackson from his time in the Yankee farm system and we’ll definitely miss him. Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland has said Ajax will play CF and leadoff for Detroit from day one. This is a big assignment for a young guy who could probably stand to get some more seasoning in AAA. While part of me likes the aggressive move, this could be setting Jackson up to fail. I wish him luck, though.

Jake Peavy, presumably healthy, will pitch his first full season in the AL in ’10. After being one of baseball’s best for the last few years, we’ll have to see how he adapts to the big boy league (and a relatively small park in Chicago). Peavy’s a great pitcher and shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to life in the American League. No matter what, the White Sox do have a pretty strong rotation and could make a run at the division title.

That Grady Sizemore’s 111 OPS+ was a disappointment last year shows us just how good he’s really been. The Indians won’t have a lot to celebrate in 2010, but Sizemore should be just fine. I think he’ll rebound just fine from an injury filled ’09 (not to mention some bad BABIP luck) and return to his ’05-’08 (128 OPS+) form.

Oh Kansas City. What can we say about you, Royals? I’d say “Well, at least you’re not the Astros” but you’re worse off than they are. There are three guys worth watching here, though: Zach Greinke (obvious), David DeJesus (slightly less obvious), and Alex Gordon. I’m not going to waste words on why we should pay attention to ZG, but DeJesus is a fairly solid player and more attention should be paid to him. As for Gordon, he’s in a similar boat to Delmon Young. However, Gordon’s had much more Major League success and has clearly been the better player. It’s unlikely that Gordon ever becomes the star we thought he’d be, but he can still be an above-average player. Let’s hope he takes a step in that direction this season.

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Yanks went after Curtis Granderson at the right time

Posted by Chris H. at 3:00 pm 1 Response »
Feb 162010

Recently, many have wondered why the Detroit Tigers would spend money on Johnny Damon after they traded Curtis Granderson due to supposed salary concerns. It makes you question whether or not Granderson was, in fact, sent to New York for that reason (maybe there was another issue that forced Detroit’s hand). However, from Lynn Henning of the Detroit News we learn that Detroit likely did trade Granderson mainly for payroll reasons, as the organization had hoped to alter its spending this winter. Henning writes that owner Mike Ilitch, going into 2010, had planned to employ greater budgetary discipline so as to “prune” payroll. The Granderson trade, as well as the decision to not offer arbitration to Placido Polanco, who later signed with Philly, were indications of this strategy. But, as Henning notes, Ilitch has since grown “nervous” regarding the offensive capabilities of his team, and this has led to a “revised” line of thinking. As seen by their interest in Johnny Damon, the club’s stance from December to February has “softened.”

Now that Detroit is seemingly prepared to spend more than they had originally hoped to spend this season, it makes you wonder whether or not the Yankees “got away with one” with the Curtis Granderson acquisition. Today, if Brian Cashman were to approach Detroit’s GM, Dave Dombrowski, about the young center fielder, perhaps he would not be named as an available piece. In fact, when you consider that the Tigers’ division rival, the Twins, had a productive offseason, which is partly why Detroit is compelled to sign Damon, trading Granderson seems even more unlikely.

Photo by Getty Images

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Damon-Detroit Update

Posted by Chris H. at 5:00 pm 4 Responses »
Feb 032010

Though Johnny Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, has done his best to spur the Detroit Tigers’ interest in his 36-year old client – GM Dave Dombrowski actually seems somewhat intrigued by the outfielder – according to the Detroit News, the two parties have not had any discussions about Damon’s interest in playing for Motown. In addition, when asked about Damon, Dombrowski noted, “We’re not close to making any kind of deals at this point.” While Dombrowski’s denial must be taken with a certain level of skepticism, it is somewhat telling that the two parties have not yet had any recent discussions. Perhaps Detroit is simply waiting for Damon’s asking price to completely bottom out.

Photo by the AP

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Damon: "I can make Detroit a winner"

Posted by Chris H. at 5:00 pm 8 Responses »
Feb 012010

Could Johnny Damon end up playing for Jim Leyland?

From Lynn Henning of the Detroit News:

Johnny Damon, the free-agent outfielder who helped the Yankees to a world championship in 2009, would be happy to talk with the Tigers.

“Johnny believes the addition of him to Detroit’s lineup would make the Tigers a winner,” Scott Boras, Damon’s agent, said during a Monday phone conversation.

Boras agrees.

“He’s batted .363 at Comerica Park, he has a .412 on-base percentage at Comerica,” Boras said.

Boras added, quoting Damon before Damon signed earlier contracts with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox: “I told you I could make the Yankees a winner, and I told you before I left Oakland (where he played in 2001) I could make a Boston a winner.”

Boras says Damon has the same disposition toward the Tigers in 2010: “I can make the Detroit Tigers a winner,” Boras said, citing Damon’s words to him in December.

Damon in Detroit makes sense for the Tigers offensively. He might even be a defensive upgrade to Carlos Guillen, as well, who attempted to man left field in Comerica Park on a regular basis for the first time ever in 2009. Guillen’s UZR/150 at the position, over a measly 42 games, was -12.7 and, given his injury-prone ways, it would be worthwhile to use him as the designated hitter rather than in the outfield. Damon has absolutely no arm, but his range is not as bad – it is definitely still a negative, according to RngR, though not a huge negative – as many perceive it to be.

Will Detroit be willing to spend on Damon, though? In the end, that’s the real question.

Photo by Getty Images

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Granderson available, Yanks interested?

Posted by Chris H. at 5:00 pm 38 Responses »
Nov 112009

From Joel Sherman (NY Post):

In a cost-cutting frame of mind, the Tigers have let teams now that Curtis Granderson could be had for the right package, an NL executive told The Post.Granderson would be attractive to many teams, with the Yankees near the top of the list. They have long searched for a premium solution in center since Bernie Williams left his prime, but now they also face the loss of the lefty power of free agents Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Granderson hit a career-high 30 homers last year.

Brian Cashman met with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski at the now-concluded GM Meetings, but it is not believed the two did any more than discuss needs and available players. However, the two have a good relationship and have done significant trades before, going back to when Dombrowski was in Florida and obtained Mike Lowell from the Yanks to the more recent Gary Sheffield deal and the swap of Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez.

The Yankees have a touted center field prospect in Austin Jackson, who could be the centerpiece for a deal, though Detroit would have a market outside of just The Bronx.

Granderson would be a nice fit for the Yankees. He had somewhat of a down year in 2009, despite hitting 30 home runs, but he wields a powerful bat, has a good glove, and possesses speed, stealing 20 bases. He’s also a media-friendly character, which would work well in New York. If the Yankees traded for him, I assume he would play center field with Melky Cabrera shifting over to left—this would be a significant defensive upgrade—to replace Johnny Damon (if he doesn’t return), although I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees then traded Melky and signed a new left fielder.

This season, Granderson hit .249/.327/.453 yet his BABIP was low at .276 (his career BABIP is .323). He’s owed $3.5 million in 2009, $5.5 million in 2010, $8.25 million in 2011, $10 million in 2012, and, in 2013, he has a $13 million club option with a $2 million buyout.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

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Could This Have Possibly Work Out Any Better?

Posted by Tom Gaffney at 12:16 am 9 Responses »
Oct 072009

Twins 6 Tigers 5 (12).  12 innings??  Are you kidding me?  The Twins have completely blown out their bullpen.  They have to jump on a plane to play the Yanks at 6:07pm?  The Yankees don’t have to face Verlander or Porcello?  Nor will they have to face the monster, Mornear?  Are you kidding me?  Could this have possibly worked out any better?  In a year full of wild, walk-off wins for the Yankees, they first get a one game playoff to wear out their competitor, then get whipped cream on top with the game going to extra frames. Is the onlydanger at this point overconfidence?

Between these two teams who both specialize in wild finishes, we could have quite the exciting series (if the Yanks don’t flat-out pummel the Twinkies to death).  The Twins come in on quite the hot streak, which may or may not have some carryover to the playoffs.  The last three weeks have seen Minnesota make up ground in gulps, culminating in an unlikely Alexi Casilla walk-off single to secure the right to face the top team in baseball this year.  The Twins used an astonishing eight pitchers on the night, with their closer, Joe Nathan, going 1 2/3: music to the Yankees’ ears, but it got the job done.  Casilla actually entered the game as a pinch runner, only to become the hero.  Other Minnesota heroes on the night include Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera, each with home runs, and of course, the inimitable Joe Mauer with 2 hits.  The game almost ended in the tenth, when the teams exchanged runs.  Casilla almost ended the game in that frame, but was thrown out at home plate trying to score on a sacrifice fly.

The Matchup:

So, do the Twins have any chance to keep their momentum going against the top team in baseball?  Well, it’s baseball, so yes, but beyond that fact, there are not many factors favoring the team from the Twin cities.

  • They have been winning games of late, not with stellar starting pitching, but by burning up their bullpen and scratching out runs late.  This is not a great formula for success against the Yankees, who possess a bullpen every bit as good, but consederably better rested.
  • They do not have an ace to go against the Yankee ace who could go twice if necessary.
  • Not only is CC a big edge for the Bombers, the Twins’ strength is in their left-handed hitting (see Joe Mauer) which gives Sabathia yet another advantage.
  • The Yankees went 7-0 in the regular season versus the Twins.
  • The Twins have Carl Pavano – nuff said.

What do the Twins have on their side?  Momentum, Mauer, and not much else.  They have a really good pen, but it’s tough to keep going to that well the way they’ve been.  We’ll be back tomorrow with a more detailed breakdown.  Most of the stars seem to be aligned for the Yankees, but in a short series versus a hot team, you never know.  Let’s go Yanks!

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Twins Close to Forcing 1 Game Playoff

Posted by Tom Gaffney at 4:31 pm 1 Response »
Oct 042009

7th inning, Twins up 9-4 now.  This would be the best case scenario for the Yanks, forcing the Tigers to burn Jackson and wearing out the Twins already exhausted pen.  How excited are you guys for this?  Here’s the gamecast link: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_10_04_kcamlb_minmlb_1

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Does Momentum Matter?

Posted by Tom Gaffney at 2:41 pm 15 Responses »
Oct 032009

“Momentum? Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.“
- Earl Weaver

The Yankees have been playing out the string for a week now, and much of the talk you read floating around the blogosphere and you hear around talk radio is about momentum.  Who’s hot going into the playoffs?  Who’s limping into the postseason?  But does momentum really exist in baseball.  The famous quote above would seem to indicate that, no, there is no such thing.  Does it matter at all, that the Red Sox have lost 6 of their last 10 and been owned by the Yanks the last few series?  Does it matter that Minnesota is red hot, winning 7 of 10 and reeling in the slumping Tigers by handfuls of their striped tail?

Let’s take a look at recent seasons and how teams fared going into the playoffs to find out if there is any correlation or not.

2008: Last year, the Phillies came into the postseason winning 7 of 10, stepping over the rotting corpse of the NY Mets on the way to a dominant World Series championship.  Despite not having starting pitching depth throughout the long season, some hot pitchers and a healthy Hamels supplied enough support for the bats to shine forth as the rotation was trimmed down and more rest aided their talented but overused bullpen.  Momentum may have played a role, but the Phils roster was also constructed in such a way as to benefit from the postseason schedule.

2007: The Red Sox were a modest 6-4 in their last 10 games of a competitive A.L. race, with all playoff teams winning 94-96 games.  The hot team going into the playoffs, however, were the Colorado Rockies, going 9-1 in their last 10.  Their momentum seemed to play a role as they swept their way all the way to the World Series, where the Sox booted them to the curb.  The Rockies seem to be a genuine momentum case as, outside of that one run, they really never showed any other signs of greatness.

2006: Thus far, it seems as if momentum plays a pretty significant role, but the 06 Series would seem to give lie to the myth.  The Cardinals headed into the playoffs losing 7 of their last 10 while their WS opponent, the Tigers, went through a similar collapse, losing their last 5 games.  All the pundits declared both teams as surefire casualties of the first round.  The Dodgers and Padres, meanwhile were media darlings, winning 9 and 8 of 10 respectively yet both bowed out in their initial series.

The Yankees’ own history mirrors these past few years of champions and disappointments.  In 2002, the Yankees went into the postseason winning 8 of 10 and their last 5, yet flamed out against the Angels in 4 games.  As great as this season has been, and as much as pundits claim the Twins, Tigers and Red Sox have no chance against the big, bad Yankees, historically, it’s just not true.  This is baseball and anyone can beat anyone in a short series.  Though some teams have certainly gotten hot and sustained it throughout the playoffs, the postseason is a different animal, with a different schedule and different rhythms that often negate any hot or cold streak going in.  Momentum, schmomentum.

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Checking in on Halladay and Washburn

Posted by Chris H. at 11:30 am 11 Responses »
Sep 022009

Since July’s trade deadline, Roy Halladay has put together a truly forgettable campaign. In 6 starts in August, Halladay had a 2-4 record, a 4.71 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and a .316 BAA. Sergio Mitre actually had the same amount of wins in August while having started fewer games. One wonders how Halladay would have performed if he had been traded.

Jarrod Washburn, who, unlike Halladay, was actually traded a few hours prior to the July deadline, had a 6.81 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in August. He has won just one game for Detroit since joining the team (the same number had by Chad Gaudin).

Funny how things work out sometimes…

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Yanks looking at Josh Anderson

Posted by Chris H. at 9:22 pm 5 Responses »
Jul 292009

From Steve Kornacki (Mlive.com):

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland confirmed today that the New York Yankees have interest in outfielder Josh Anderson, whom Detroit has 10 days since Friday to assign to another team via trade or have clear waivers before possibly sending him out-right to Triple-A Toledo.”It’s a possibility,” Leyland said. “They are interested. I think one other club is interested.”

Anderson is basically a fourth outfielder that can play center, right and left. He’s got good range and is a very capable defender. His biggest asset is his speed, though, as he has stolen 13 bases this year and has only been caught twice (his speed is also a big part of his defensive game). He’s like Brett Gardner except Gardner is a better player from both a defensive and offensive standpoint. I’m not sure what the Yankees would have to give up in order to get Anderson, nor do I think he is necessary. However, with Gardner out, this could indicate that the Yankees are worried about their outfield defense, especially late in games, as well as their lack of bench speed, which Girardi likes to have at his disposal.

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