Friday, November 15, 2013
Yankees & Javier Lopez Have Mutual Interest
To say the Yankees are interested in someone this offseason is like saying do you want a chocolate glazed donuts fresh from Dunkin Donuts, hell yes I do and hell yes we are interested. Today the Yankees and Javier Lopez expressed mutual interest in a deal for the 2014 season to bring the lefty to the Bronx. If the name sounds familiar it is because Lopez has been with the San Francisco Giants for the last few seasons and has been pretty dominant the last three seasons.
According to Javier's agent, Barry Meister, their goal is to make sure "Javy plays with a winner, and plays with a team that's a contender. That's the most important thing to him, he wants the innings to be meaningful."
Lopez is 36 years old and has dominated same hand batters for the last few years to the tune of a .156/.208/.222 triple slash in 2013. Lopez strikes out enough guys which is evident by his 25.4% ratio the last three seasons and gets a ton of ground balls, 63.5% over the last three season, which will surely help him in Yankees Stadium. Lopez also has two World Series rings and all the experience and all that jazz that comes along with the deep playoff runs.
Lopez sports a mid 80's fastball and a high 70's slider that is his out pitch. I would not expect Lopez to get all that much money in the offseason market with Boone Logan, Eric O'Flaherty, etc already out there but you never know. If he comes cheap sign him up, if not let's go with Cesar Cabral and Vidal Nuno and call it a day.
Yankees Announce 2014 Spring Training Schedule
The New York Yankees have announced times, dates, and schedules for Spring Training for the 2014 season today. Baseball gets started on February, yes February, 25th with an exhibition game with the Florida State baseball team and goes all the way through March when they end it at home against the Miami Marlins on March, 29. Season tickets for Yankees spring home games at George Steinbrenner Field go on sale on Monday November 18 on Yankees.com or steinbrennerfield.com. Individual tickets go on sale January 10.
Pitchers and catchers report on February 14 and their first full workout will be the next day on February 15. Happy Valentines day to all of you. Position players will report on February 19 and the teams first full team workout is the next day on February 20.
Interestingly enough the game(s) in Panama are not listed on this schedule so who knows when these will be announced or played so stay tuned.
Hughes & Joba Drawing Interest From Kansas City
The Kansas City Royals are looking at signing two former New York Yankees players this offseason in Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. The Royals pitching coach is Dave Eiland who used to be the pitching coach for the Yankees and both of these players. The Royals think they can sign both for a one year deal or a short term deal and get a high reward for a small risk. The small market in Kansas City, the weaker division in the central, and more pitcher friendly park may help these pitchers although in my free agency predictions I had Joba going to Tampa Bay and Hughes going to Arizona. It is worth noting that the Royals are also looking at Josh Johnson on a one year deal, someone I have clamored for the Yankees to go get as a 5th starter, so Kansas City seems like they are all in once again for 2014.
Yankees All Home Grown Team From The Last 20 Years
All this week we have been looking at the New York Yankees all home grown players team from the last 20 seasons or so and we now are able to field a full team. Like this or hate this list, agree or disagree, this is my list and I encourage any changes, feedback, or suggestions being left in the comment box. I apologize to all the players who may or may not feel snubbed by not being included in this list, it's not personal I assure you, and hope that in the next 10 years we can make a new list like this with a whole new batch of players on it.
Here is the final 25 man roster:
SP: Andy Pettitte
SP: Phil Hughes
SP: Ivan Nova
SP: Chien Ming Wang
SP: Ian Kennedy
1B: Don Mattingly
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Eduardo Nunez
LF: Austin Jackson
CF: Bernie Williams
RF: Alfonso Soriano
C: Jorge Posada
DH: Nick Johnson
CL: Mariano Rivera
RP: David Robertson
RP: Phil Coke
RP: Randy Choate
RP: Tyler Clippard
RP: Mark Melancon
Smash Or Pass: New York Yankees Edition
I know a lot of people are going to click this link, especially considering the fact that we have the very popular Wives & Girlfriends section of the site, to see half naked women with their bodies hanging out and I want to apologize in advance that this is not going to happen. When I say smash I believe that these players would smash it in New York and be a great pickup for us, pass is pretty self explanatory. Now would I smash or pass?
Brian McCann - Pass
While I like Brian, I like his switch hitting bat, his power numbers, his premium offense at a premium position, and I like how much he upgrades such a glaring hole. What I do not like is giving anywhere near $100,000,000 for four or five years with a guy that has multiple injury riddled seasons lately on the wrong side of 30. If we were playing MLB The Show '14 I sign McCann 10 times out of 10 but in real life with four catchers already on the 40 man roster and Gary Sanchez in AA needing to be added and protected I have to pass unfortunately.
Masahiro Tanaka - Smash
I really don't care if the posting fee was $100,000,000 sign this man at all costs and sign him now. I don't care if he is better then Yu Darvish, marginally worse then Darvish, or the same as Darvish make sure this man is in pinstripes for 2014. I don't want to say that anyone is a must have for 2014 but I do things I don't want to do all the time so Tanaka is a must have. If we pass we will get smashed in 2014 by opposing offenses.
Grant Balfour - Pass
I have the most confidence in David Robertson that you could possibly have and that's as a closer or as a set up man. I think Robertson can learn to nibble less and challenge hitters more and really fit into the role well. He may never be Mariano Rivera but that's what made Mo so special because nobody will be Mo ever again. Balfour is well on the wrong side of 30 years old and is very fly ball and home run ball prone, something that will not translate well in New York but he has benefited from in the spacious Oakland Coliseum. If we're going to get a closer I have no problem with one or two more seasons with D Rob as the set up man but not setting up Balfour.
Joe Nathan - Smash
The only thing keeping me from going all in on Nathan is going to be an assumed $15,000,000 AAV for two or three seasons for a pitcher closer to 40 then to 30. Nathan has done it in Texas, a hitters friendly park and environment, and pretty much everywhere he has ever been. He has been on the large stage and could easily transition to New York in my opinion. He also helps us ease into the post Mariano era of Yankees baseball a little easier.
Carlos Beltran - Pass
Ask me two weeks ago and I am saying smash at the top of my lungs but now not so much anymore. Beltran is 37 years old and is asking for a three or four year deal, umm no? Beltran is considered to be a poor fielding right fielder with serious knee concerns after knee surgery, which is the probably cause for the loss of range and speed. While he has posted at least a 5.0 WAR the last two seasons his price and his age are making me pass up the opportunity to sign the veteran.
Corey Hart - Smash
Ask me two weeks ago and I am saying pass at the top of my lungs but now not so much anymore. Hart is 31 years old and is coming off of a missed 2013 season due to two separate knee surgeries in each of his knees. Hart is considered to be a poor fielding right fielder but has posted at least a 5.0 WAR in his last two seasons minus the 2013 campaign. If it seems like I just copied and pasted Beltran's post for Hart it is because these two are almost identical with six years between them in Hart's favor, three less years on the deal for Hart, and probably $40-$50 million less on the contract. Hart can also backup Mark Teixeira at first base and kills lefties, something Beltran does not do.
Jim Miller Coming Back With The Yankees
The Yankees are close to signing Jim Miller to another minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training for the 2014 season. The 31 year old only saw one game last season, and did not look good in it against Boston, after spending most of the season with the Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders. Miller has major league experience and will provide us with much needed depth for the bullpen next season.
This Day In New York Yankees History 11/15
On this day in 1951 the Yankees Gil McDougald won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. It is worth noting that Willie Mays won the award in the National League on the same day. It is also worth noting that neither player were listed on their teams original Spring Training rosters.
On this day in 1961 Roger Maris won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after setting the single season home run record with 61 round trippers. Maris only beat the second place finisher, his teammate Mickey Mantle, by four votes with a 202-198 vote.
On this day in 2001 Roger Clemens won the American League Cy Young award with a 20-3 record with a 3.51 ERA. Roger would become the first player to win this award for the sixth time in his career and the first Yankees player to win the award since Ron Guidry won it in 1978.
On this day in 2005 the Yankees Alex Rodriguez won his second MVP award in three seasons edging out the Red Sox David Ortiz in the vote. Ortiz may have won the award had he played a position and not been a full time DH, sparking a heated debate and controversy, but the Yankees and Alex will take it either way.
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