Saturday, June 2, 2012

Yankees @ Tigers 6/2/12

UPDATE:

Yankees lose in walk off fashion

4-3 Tigers


Tonight Hiroki Kuroda will step onto the mound at Comerica Park in Detroit looking to have a second straight good start and show some consistency, although this time against a good American League offense. Rick Porcello will be on the mound for the Tigers to try and make sure that does not happen. 

The game will be televised at 7:15 pm ET on YES and FOX. The Yankees lineup is:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez DH
Russell Martin C



Yankees Draft 2012: Duane Underwood


Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is exactly two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.
Duane Underwood | RHP
Background
Hailing from Marietta, Georgia and Pope High School, Underwood is committed to the University of Georgia and would get a chance to contribute both as a pitcher and position player for the Bulldogs. He’s been dogged by inconsistency this spring, putting his draft stock in a state of flux.
Scouting Report
Standing 6-foot-3 and 210 lbs., Underwood has shown first round potential with a big fastball that has touched 97-98 but usually sits 92-94. His mid-70s curveball is a work in progress but he’s shown a feel for making the ball spin, so it’s just a matter of refinement. A fading low-80s changeup is his best secondary offering and is quite advanced for a high school arm. Underwood’s command can come and go because he throws across his body a bit and tends to rush his delivery, but the athleticism is there for him for repeat his motion. He’s drawn praise for his competitiveness and baseball aptitude as well, which is always a plus. It’s worth noting that Underwood will graduate at 17 and is young for his draft class.
Miscellany
As expected with the inconsistent spring, the consensus is very split on Underwood.MLB.com ranks him as the 34th best prospect in the draft, Keith Law ranks him 52nd, andBaseball America ranks him 104th. Depending on when you see him, you could see a first round arm for a third or fourth round type. Talent is talent though, and Underwood clearly has plenty of it. I like him best for either of New York’s two second rounders (#89 and #94 overall) but he might not last that long. The Yankees have drafted just two high school pitchers in the first (not sandwich) round in the last 20 years — Phil Hughes and Gerrit Cole — and they were instances of players who were expected to go top 15 but fell into their laps. Not guys who were inconsistent and fringe first rounders. Underwood does offer the size, power stuff, and makeup the Yankees like though, so they could buck the trend.

Jorge Soler Now A Free Agent

For real this time...



Jorge Soler is officially a free agent now so let the bidding process and eventual spending spree begin. The Yankees passed on Yoenis Cespedes claiming that they had more interest in a younger, and some say better, Jorge Soler when he became available.

Jorge Soler is 20 years old and is a Cuban defector, which generally means they are ahead of their age in terms of baseball. Jorge is being compared to Cespedes so it is notable to look at Cespedes four year $36 million dollar deal that he received as a starting point for Soler. Soler is not considered major league ready like Cespedes was so I would think that he would command probably a three year deal with less money, but again that is just my speculation as a blogger. It totally depends on the team that signs him whether he starts in the major leagues or not.



Some of the teams that seem to be interested are the Red Sox, Blue Jays, White Sox, Phillies, Astros, Orioles, and of course the Yankees (or you would not be reading about it here). Soler is generally a right fielder, a position that we MAY have an opening for as soon as next season, and is said to have very RAW power but the potential to be a five tool player and an athlete. He seems to have all the things you cannot teach so as long as he is with someone who can teach him the rest I think he could be a very productive major leaguer in his career.



Jorge Soler needs to sign with a team by July 2nd or he will be eligible for next years spending cap on International Free Agency. I do not think that will be a problem because Soler's agent has said the deadline for teams to submit their bids is June 7th, just a mere five days away.... Get to work Cash!


Steve Pearce "Traded" To Baltimore



Steve Pearce had an opt out clause in his contract that if we was not called up to the Yankees major league team and added to their 25 man active roster that he could go to another team. Baltimore wanted Pearce and we did not have a spot for him so he was sent there. He was easily our best minor league hitter, although he should have been given his age and former MLB experience, but with Russell Branyan now healthy and making his way back up to AAA I think this was more of a roster move and clearing a space then anything. Good luck Mr. Pearce!

Yankees 2012 Draft : Clint Coulter


Being Borrowed From River Avenue Blues

The 2012 amateur draft is less than two weeks away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.
Clint Coulter | C
Background
A former state wrestling champion, Coulter hails from Union High School in Camas, Washington, which is right on the Oregon border and practically a suburb of Portland. His coach is former big leaguer Tom Lampkin, who spent parts of 13 seasons in the show and started over 400 games behind the plate. Coulter is committed to Arizona State.
Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 lbs. with a wrestler’s build, Coulter has some of the best power in the high school crop this summer. He hammers mistakes and has shown the ability to adjust to offspeed stuff and drive the ball to all fields from the right side. Although he has the arm and athleticism to catch, Coulter has a long way to go with his receiving and footwork before becoming a solid defensive backstop. He runs like a catcher but is a heady baserunner with strong instincts. Coulter is very coachable and an intense competitor who plays really hard, earning high grades for his intangibles.
Miscellany
Keith Law (35th), Baseball America (48th), and MLB.com (48th) all consider Coulter a fringy first round/firm supplemental round talent based on their most recent rankings. The Yankees pick 30th overall in the first round but do not have a sandwich round pick, so Coulter is one of those ‘tweener types who might not be worth a first rounder but won’t last into the second round. As I wrote two days ago, the Yankees prioritize offensive catchers in the minors and Coulter fits the mold to a tee.