Thursday, December 12, 2013

Boone Logan Signs With The Colorado Rockies


The Colorado Rockies have announced that they have signed Boone Logan to a deal pending a physical. The exact contract details are not known right now but it is looking like a multi year deal for Logan. Logan had offseason left throwing elbow surgery to remove bone spurs and has not even started throwing yet so that shows you where the market is for left handed relievers right now. This is also coming off of an announcement that Boone wants to be a set up man and not a LOOGY, something that probably turned the Yankees off. Set up men get paid a whole lot more then LOOGY's do and the Yankees are still flirting with the $189 Hal cap.

Joba Chamberlain Signs One Year Deal With Detroit


Joba Chamberlain has signed a one year deal with the American League rival Detroit Tigers worth $2.5 million. I think this deal will be good for Chamberlain as he would get a change of scenery, less spotlights and eyes on him, and a much bigger outfield to work with. Over/Under three appearances before he comes in and strikes out the side in Yankee Stadium. I say under.

Shin Soo Choo Actually Makes A Lot Of Sense For NY


Hear me out. Brian Kenny tweeted that he knew how to fix the Yankees and his first rule was signing Shin Soo Choo and I scoffed but now that I think about it, it does make sense. It makes sense on this team anyway as he would not be the most expensive platoon player in the history of baseball. On this team with the plethora of outfielders and the constant outfield rotation we could easily see Choo miss every lefty this season. Choo hits right handed hitters well and could be in against them and sitting on the bench in favor or Alfonso Soriano or even Ichiro Suzuki when facing left handed hitters,

Obviously this would all be contingent on the Yankees trading Brett Gardner to clear a spot for him but the move would make sense. The market is seemingly pretty quiet for Choo right now which could play into our hands perfectly. Also an outfield of Choo in left field, Ellsbury in center, and Beltran in right field would be one of the best in the league. Also a lineup of Ellsbury, Choo, Beltran, Soriano, McCann, Teixeira is a nightmare for opposing pitching.

So Mr. Brian Kenny I apologize and I bow down to you, to your idea for acquiring Mr. OBP Choo, and thank you for showing me the light.

Yankees Have Offered Infante Three Years, $24 Million


Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who has me blocked on Twitter for some reason, has reported that the Yankees have offer free agent second basemen Omar Infante a three year deal worth a reported $24 million. That obviously fits Infante's demands for $8 million annually and a long term deal, although does not fit his four year demands. Infante, according to Jon Heyman, is looking for four years and $40 million all of a sudden so let's see who budges first, the Yankees, Infante, or the Kansas City Royals. The Yankees are sticking to their guns, for now, that they have no intentions of going for four years on Infante so stay tuned. This could get done today.

Pinch Hitting Guest Blogger: Jerry Evans


In our latest pinch hitting guest blogger we get an article from my very good friend, drinking buddy, twitter follower, and all around good guy Jerry Evans. I will say this in open forum that I love this guy and he is like a member of my extended family. I am very excited to have Jerry on here with his first blog post and I hope you enjoy his take on the new acquisitions. Here is a short bio about Jerry from himself:

So I would start off saying that being a Yankees fan when you’re not in New York is pretty rough. Just to prove your loyalty or fandom to the local fans of whatever team is in the town you’re in. Then them knowing you’re a Yankees fan, the second they lose or rumors start circling around you’ll be the first to hear it even though you've been on twitter to vent about it or ESPN a million times to get the score correct. That being said I grew up a Yankees fan as long as I can remember. A handful of people I know have respect for me being a Yankees fan so far away from New York probably because its not a bandwagon thing or because they have the most money thing, its a loyalty thing.

-Jerry Evans

Follow Jerry on Twitter by following @YankeeLovinMofo


The one thing I get hassled about at work nowadays is with the Yankees new acquisitions is their age. I know that's a big thing with us, we sign an all star four or five years after their prime. “How old is your outfield?” a friend of mine asked and the answer is, wait for it, 173 years old and that's not including Vernon Wells because I just consider him a DH nowadays. With Curtis Granderson gone and with the Yankees acquiring Jacoby Ellsbury you can’t really compare last seasons stats. Curtis was gone over half the season with those hand injuries but I’m just glad to have a solid replacement for him. Another player the Yankees got during the offseason is Carlos Beltran which is going to add to our home run count, he’s still got the defense, and his postseason numbers are ridiculous. We also needed a catcher with some pop and I think Brian McCann is just that. A lefty who hits 20 or so HR's consistently with good defense. So as long as he’s healthy we shouldn't have a problem. The only thing I’m looking forward to getting is some more help on the starting pitching side because that has always been our weak point. See you all on the road to 28. 

Is It Time For A Jesus Montero Reunion?


The Seattle Mariners have made first basemen Justin Smoak and catcher and designated hitter Jesus Montero available today after acquiring Logan Morrison and Corey Hart yesterday. First of all I will say that Smoak is better then both Morrison and Hart, if Hart wasn't coming off of two knee surgeries and missing the entire 2013 season I may think different, and is more versatile as a switch hitter. No reason to make Smoak available if you play Hart as your DH and Morrison in right field but either way someone is going to benefit from another dumb Seattle trade or two so should we be in the running?

Obviously we have no room for Smoak who is a left handed first basemen who switch hits. We have one, his name is Mark Teixeira, and we do not even have an open designated hitter spot to hide Smoak in. Enter Jesus Montero. Should the Yankees take another shot on the 24 year old? His trade value will never be lower after being sent down to AAA to work as a first basemen and being suspended for 50 games after his ties to Biogenesis. Montero would give us a right handed power bat with minor league options left, and who can ignore the nostalgia and the fact that we could boast how we "won" the Michael Pineda trade. Montero is not a free agent until the 2019 season so five years of team control would really be nice for a guy that is in the major leagues and ready, to hit anyway, right now.

Maybe this stat line will sway you either way... what say you?

Year Age Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+
2011 21 NYY 18 69 61 9 20 4 0 4 12 7 17 .328 .406 .590 .996 163
2012 22 SEA 135 553 515 46 134 20 0 15 62 29 99 .260 .298 .386 .685 94
2013 23 SEA 29 110 101 6 21 1 1 3 9 8 21 .208 .264 .327 .590 69
3 Yrs 182 732 677 61 175 25 1 22 83 44 137 .258 .303 .396 .699 97
162 Game Avg. 162 652 603 54 156 22 1 20 74 39 122 .258 .303 .396 .699 97
SEA (2 yrs) 164 663 616 52 155 21 1 18 71 37 120 .252 .293 .377 .669 89
NYY (1 yr) 18 69 61 9 20 4 0 4 12 7 17 .328 .406 .590 .996 163
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/12/2013.

Joaquin Benoit Asking For $7-$10 Million Annually


Joaquin Benoit has announced his demands for a contract and  they are set in the $7-$10 million annually range. This would actually make Benoit more affordable then Fernando Rodney who has asked for $10 million as a starting point and wants it to go higher. Benoit is coming off a season with the Tigers where he posted a 2.01 ERA and a 9.8 K/9 ratio in 67 innings. Benoit also has experience pitching in the 8th inning and in the 9th inning make him extremely attractive to many teams.

Teams interested in Benoit include the Yankees, Indians, Padres, Mariners, and Cubs.

Yankees Lose Five Players In The Rule 5 Draft


For a Yankees farm system that so many think are terrible the Yankees lost five players in this years Rule 5 Draft. Pitcher Tommy Kahnle is going to the Colorado Rockies, Ravel Santana is heading to the Houston Astros, Mikey O'Brien is heading to the Cincinnati Reds, Kelvin Castro is headed to the Miami Marlins, and Felipe Gonzalez is headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Surprisingly the names not on the board were Chase Whitely and Danny Burawa. How many of them actually stick is another thing.

I can see Tommy Kahnle sticking in Colorado on the roster all season so I cannot see him being given back and is essentially gone.

One thing I did not know is players cannot be given back on the minor league phases of the Rule 5 draft.So Santana, Mikey O'Brien, Kelvin Castro, and Felipe Gonzalez are all but gone for good. I had originally written that I thought O'Brien and Gonzalez would be returned but now that point is moot. O'Brien was a AA pitcher for us, Castro was a infielder turned pitcher, and Gonzalez never made it out of the Dominican Summer League so they are not huge losses in the Yankees system. Santana used to be considered a pretty good prospect but injuries has all but derailed his career. Losing five players is never good but it could have been a lot worse.

Omar Luis Is Unprotected From Rule 5 Draft


Last year the New York Yankees made a huge splash in the International Free Agent market before the new collective bargaining agreement put a cap on each teams spending in the international pool when they signed pitcher Omar Luis for $4 million. Luis is a left handed pitcher and 21 years old and he defected from his native Cuba and obtained residency in Haiti last season before being signed the night before the new rules were implemented. Long story story the Yankees did not like something they saw on his physical, voided the contract, and re-signed him to a slightly smaller $2.5 million contract.

Major League Baseball ruled that since the original deal was signed before the new rules were implemented that he would be grandfathered in under the old rules but the problems did not stop there. Due to the fact that he was signed twice by the same team and was not added to the 40 man roster he will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next month. Ben Badler reports that this is not unprecedented as teams like the Brewers, Reds, and Mariners have had similar situations pop up in recent years since the new CBA was implemented.

There is no way that Luis is chosen this year and if he is there is no way he stick on a 40 man roster all season, being hidden or not, but that is not the problem. The problem is next year he will be Rule 5 draft eligible as well, and the year after that, and the year after that. The Yankees can always protect him and add him to the 40 man roster but that starts to burn up minor league options quickly as Luis has never pitched above rookie ball in his career. If Luis gets taken and returned twice he can also elect free agency rather then be returned to the Yankees so a ton of things can go wrong with one of the better Yankees prospects in their system right now.

The 2014 season will be a big indicator for Luis and the Yankees going forward as we have to rush his development, protect him, or risk him going to pitch for someone else.

The Three Yankees Likely Lost To Today's Rule 5 Draft


The Yankees finalized their 40 man rosters by acquiring Dean Anna from the San Diego Padres, outrighting Corban Joseph off the 40 man roster and assigning him to AAA Scranton with the RailRiders, and adding their own prospects Slade Heathcott, Gary Sanchez, Shane Greene, Jose Campos, and Bryan Mitchell to the 40 man for protection from the Rule 5 Draft. Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson,  and Hiroki Kuroda have also been finalized and added to the 40 man roster. One move will need to be made when Carlos Beltran's deal becomes official. The most notable names that have been left unprotected, and are extremely like to be selected, are Danny Burawa, Chase Whitley, and Tommy Kahnle.

Kahnle was part of a number of trade rumors this season so that seems to show the Yankees line of thinking, that he is fringe enough to leave unprotected but good and polished enough to get taken. Kahnle spent his first full season at AA with Trenton this season and struck out over 11 batters per nine innings, posted a 2.85 ERA, and a 3.85 FIP. Kahnle is left off the roster because of his 6.75 walks per nine innings.

Chase Whitley spent his season in AAA with the RailRiders while striking out over eight batters per nine innings. Whitley posted a 3.06 ERA and was on the short list at the end of the season of guys to be called up if someone went down with an injury so he is clearly polished and ready for the big show. I cannot see a scenario where a team does not take him and stash him as the last man out of the bullpen, he is that young and that good.

Burawa missed the 2012 season with an injury and reached as high as AA with the Thunder in 2013 so he may represent our best chance of not losing out of the three. Burawa struck out nine guys per nine innings on the nose, although he walked nearly six batters per nine innings, posted a solid 2.59 ERA, and is still only 25 years old.

I think Whitley is gone, Kahnle is more then likely gone, and I would not be surprised if Burawa is taken too. I could not see Burawa sticking on a 40 man roster all season and being returned but I could see Kahnle and Whitley so they are all but gone in my opinion. 

The Rule 5 Draft is today so let the speculation begin. The Yankees do not have a empty 40 man roster spot so we will not be making any selections in today's draft.

Brian McCann: A Sign Of What's To Come?


This Day In New York Yankees History 12/12


On this day in 1998 Joe DiMaggio, after being given the worst news you can be given by doctors, makes an amazing recovery defying doctors. Joe D would go home in mid January after a 99 day stay in the hospital after a long battle with lung cancer. DiMaggio would die on March 8th of 1999.


On this day in 2008 I became the happiest Yankee fan on the planet when we followed up our CC Sabathia signing with an AJ Burnett signing. AJ would receive a five year deal worth $82.5 million finally bringing my favorite pitcher home to the Yankees, for a few seasons anyway.