Eric Gagne Wants to Return to MLB

Team Canada has a couple old and recognizable names currently on their World Baseball Classic and while one is a complete douche bag that is such a bad pitcher it took him four tries to INTENTIONALLY hit Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Dumpster and no that’s not an autocorrect or a typographical error, the other was a pretty damn good closer for a long time for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gagne is now looking to potentially make his way back to the Los Angeles Dodgers or any team in Major League Baseball for that matter and he is hoping the World Baseball Classic can act as his audition for such a comeback.

It’s been nearly 10 years since Gagne was seen in a MLB stadium pitching in an MLB game but in his first audition for Team Canada he was seen throwing a scoreless inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the contest Gagne’s fastball was clocked at 93 MPH which is great considering the fact that he is not 41-years old.

Gagne won the 2003 NL Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Dodgers and finished his 10-year career with a 33-26 record with 187 saves including 55 saves in 2003.

If Gagne wants to take a minor league deal with the Yankees you know what I always say…. There’s no such thing as a bad minor league deal. I’d be down. What say you?

Quick Hit: Honoring David Ortiz after Booing Alex Rodriguez

The Boston Red Sox and their fans have a bit of a selective memory, don’t they? This is the same fan base that boo’s Alex Rodriguez every time he comes up to the plate, and not without reason, while they cheer for David Ortiz every time he comes up to the plate. When ARod tied Willies Mays with a pinch hit home run inside Fenway Park the crowd erupted in boo’s and the young man who caught the ball refused to even discuss the topic of giving it back to Alex yet the team honored David Ortiz for his 500^th home run this week inside that same historic ball park.

Whether Ortiz “bought the damn things at GNC in the mall” or not the man failed a steroid test and was part of the Mitchell Report back in 2007. A Rod screwed up, and screwed up more than once, both with steroids and with the person that he truly is. I get it that Ortiz didn’t sue the Major League Baseball Players Association and I get that Ortiz was not part of BALCO or the Biogenesis clinic that Rodriguez was linked to but a failed test is a failed test, let’s not forget that.

Honor Ortiz, he’s as big of a part of Red Sox Nation as any, but boo Rodriguez because of the uniform on his back and because he’s good, not because of his own steroid scandals and drama. No one, and by the way Ryan Dempster is still a word that rhymes with wussy, threw at Big Papi for failing a test let alone three or four times in at bat. Even the playing field is all that I’m asking for because at the end of the day these men are just that, men. Humans. Not God’s and not perfect. Act like it. 

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees 9/6

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox continue their four game set this week and weekend at Yankees Stadium tonight in the second game of the series. The Yankees continue to inch towards a playoff spot while the Red Sox continue to keep a tight grip on first place of the American League East so this should be a fun series to watch. If the last series is any indication, the Ryan Dempster and Alex Rodriguez saga for those living under a rock, this should be yet another fun series. The Yankees will send Andy Pettitte to the mound who has put together a nice string of quality starts lately to face off with Felix Doubront for the Red Sox. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on the YES Network, MLB Network, and MLB TV.

Joe Girardi Probably Back With Yankees In 2014

It is, according to Jon Heyman, a "foregone conclusion" that manager Joe Girardi will resign with the Yankees after his contract runs out this season. Joe has signed two consecutive three year deals and another three year deal is expected after what is arguably his best managing season as a Yankees skipper including his World Series run. Hal Steinbrenner, general manager Brian Cashman, and the players all seem to love and respect Joe and I have found a new found respect for him after the way he stepped up for Alex Rodriguez in Boston with the whole Ryan Dempster situation.

Despite all the injuries and all the players not meeting expectations, *cough Phil Hughes cough*, Joe still has the Yankees in the discussion for the playoffs and one of the two wild card spots. That is an amazing feat in itself when you consider guys like Derek Jeter have played less than 10 games this season and the Yankees are still fighting for a wild card spot in almost September. He has handled the Alex Rodriguez circus a lot better than most people would have and has managed to put together another masterful bullpen like he has ever since he took over the job six long years ago.

The only way Joe is not the manager of the Yankees next season is if it is his decision. The Yankees, the organization, and players seem to want him and I expect Joe to be back with the Yankees by November.

Ryan Dempster Suspended For Five Games

Joe Girardi throwing this temper tantrum after Ryan Dempster threw inside or at Alex Rodriguez four times before he hit him in Sunday nights game got Dempster a five game suspension today. If Dempster does not appeal the suspension will begin tonight which would either make Dempster miss a start or get pushed back on two days extra rest. It's not enough but it is what it is at this point and we're not going to be getting any favors from the MLB so just live with it and move on. Just stay classy Boston, that's all that I ask.

The Ryan Dempster "Being A Pussy" GIF

Here is a gif from last night that will be the talk of all the major sports outlets this morning. Ryan Dempster continuing to try and hit Alex Rodriguez last night and when he finally did on the fourth pitch nothing happened but both sides were warned. No ejections other than Joe Girardi who gets a 9/10 for neck vein popping. Go Joe!

Is Losing CC For 15 Days THAT Bad?

CC Sabathia, as we all know by now, is going to the 15 day DL because of soreness in his left throwing elbow. I am assuming that David Phelps is going to start in place of the big man. He is eligible to come off the DL on August 23rd so let us look at who we face in between then and now.

First and foremost the Yankees will be facing Ryan Dempster and the Texas Rangers on Monday. I think Ryan Dempster is going to get bombed in the American League so I hope our offense makes me look right. This does not worry me as much to be completely honest if the offense makes me look like psycho psychic.





The next start will be against the Boston Red Sox at home on Saturday the 18th. Josh Beckett is scheduled to make that start but you never can tell if he will make the start the way his back and blisters like to get all worked up. The Sox are in 4th place and clinging to a 2nd wild card spot.






We luck out being off on Thursday August 23rd or I would think that CC would miss yet another start. If everything goes well I think CC could be back starting on Friday August 24th against the Cleveland Indians on the road.






Things could be a whole lot worse. I am not overly concerned since he has pitched, and pitched effectively, since the elbow stiffness started. If this keeps him fresh and keeps him healthy for when it matters I do not think losing CC for 2 starts, albeit "important" starts against good teams, is going to really sink us whatsoever. Get healthy CC!

Trade Reactions - Hunter Pence & Ryan Dempster

"I'm going to make Giants fans forget about Barry Bonds. Stop laughing!"

Should I change my stance on the Dodgers winning the NL West?

No.

With the trades for Ramirez and Victorino, the Dodgers have done enough to win the division regardless of this move by their in-division rivals. I've already run the numbers in the post regarding Hanley on Monday, so there's no reason to go through it all again.

"Seriously?"

So this move means nothing to the Yankees?


Nope.

-----------

Well, since that was a short discussion, I decided to move up my stance on the Ryan Dempster to Texas deal that went down at the last minute on Tuesday. I was originally going to write the Dempster thing for Saturday, but no point in holding that back now.

Are the Rangers still headed for the Wild Card?

In my trade reaction to Zack Greinke going to the LA of A Angels I said the Rangers were looking at the Wild Card. It came down to the Angels having a killer rotation after adding Zack, to go along with an offense that has been hitting pretty well over the last month.

Is it illegal to kidnap baseball players?

The thing I didn't really get into was the Ranger rotation, as I felt it wasn't worth getting into as the Angels now have one of the best rotations in baseball. The Rangers best starter has been Matt Harrison, who sports an ERA of 3.19 and WAR of 3.8. Don't get me wrong... Matt's a really good pitcher. He put up an ERA+ of 129 last season. But a strikeout rate of 5.4 per 9 innings is not the making of a #1 starter to me.

Then there's Yu Darvish, who is a fine pitcher that has an ERA of 4.05 so far in 2012. But seeing that he's had issues with Seattle, who's hit .294/.424/.426 against him in three games this season, it's hard to take him that seriously. I mean, the Mariners have the worst wOBA in the American League (.288). Futher more, the Blue Jays, who are ranked 5th in the AL in team wOBA, were only able to plate 1 run off of 4 hits in 7 innings against Yu back in April. But when they faced Darvish again about a month later, they were able to score 3 runs off of 7 hits in only 5 innings. I'm sure Yu is looking forward to getting out of July too, as he had an ERA of 5.74 and WHIP of 1.425 in it.

The Rangers' probable #4 in the postseason is Derek Holland. Now Derek is a good pitcher, and at 25 years old he will probably get better, but when I see an ERA of 4.74 I can't help but to think "we can hit him". I'm sure I'm not alone in that thought either. Perhaps it's the Bandbox in Arlington that's the issue, where his ERA jumps from 3.40 on the road to 5.94 there. Of course, he won't find Yankee Stadium much more accomodating anyway.

"Derp!"

Which finally brings us to Ryan Dempster. I really don't feel the need to get too deep with him. Sure, he currently has a very nice 2.25 ERA and 1.038 WHIP. But in looking closer at this stats when the Yankees were in talks regarding him, I saw that he also has a BABIP against of .244, which is 61 points lower than his career average of .305. There's just no way he maintains that number. Add to that a Line Drive percentage of 22%, which is in line with his career mark of 21%, and I think he and the Rangers are in for a disappointing rest of the season.

So the Angels are still going to win the AL West?

Yep.

How does this affect the Yankees?

I believe the Yankees will have the best record in the American League, meaning they will face the winner of the Wild Card game. That Wild Card game will be played by the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox, as I see the Tigers winning the AL Central (more on that tomorrow). Now I'd say that the Rangers are better than the White Sox, but in what will be 1 game to decide who goes to the 2nd round, I'm giving the nod to Chicago. Jake Peavy will be the starter for the White Sox in that game, and I think he has what it takes to shut down the potent Texas lineup. He has an ERA of 3.15 so far this year, thanks to a WHIP of 1.06 and batting average against of .229. Even if Jake isn't able to make the start due to injury, or whatever, Chris Sale and his 2.61 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and .214 BAA is right there.

So with the White Sox moving on, I think it ends up that this trade does nothing to affect our beloved Yankees.

I Agree With Cashman... No Big Trades

With the trade deadline looming, and people starting to talk about guys like Ryan Dempster, I was thinking about contract situations that are more important to the Yankees.

More like "Dumpster"... am I right?

I really don't think the Yankees should pay a lot for a rental. Especially a rental that is not really necessary. The Yankees can win without acquiring Matt Garza, so why pay for him? But what if they could trade for a guy to help them this year, and then be in a better spot to re-sign or extend for 2013 and beyond? Like... say... Cole Hamels? 

Well, when it comes to paying a guy $20 million, I think the Yankees could spend their money a bit better. Their chances of getting down to a payroll of $189 million are slim already, and signing a guy like Hamels is going to force them to fill other spots from within. More to the point... how can they bring back Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson, if they spend $20 million a season on Hamels? In short... they can't, unless they say "to hell with the austerity budget". 

So how should the Yankees spend their money? 

Well, Robinson Cano comes first.

Number 1 on the field, and number 1 in your pretty little heart.

Why? Angelo Gumbs is the only middle infielder in the organization ranked in the top 20 Yankee prospects (19th by River Avenue Blues), and he's only 19 years old. Cito Culver could take over for Cano even though he's a shortstop (Cano is a former SS), but Cito's only 19 too. Then there's Corban Joseph, who is in AAA now, but he's batting .259 this year, and hasn't quite shown the same power that Cano provides the Yanks. I'm not saying Joseph won't ever be a viable MLB starter, I'm just saying that betting on the guy right now is not smart. I could be singing a different tune after next season, but the decision on Cano should come before Opening Day of 2013, not at the end of the 2013 season, due to how extensions affect team payroll for the Luxury Tax.

Then the Yankees need to figure out what to do with Curtis Granderson.

"I may be a nice guy, but I will hurt you if you don't do the right thing."

Why? Mason Williams is really interesting to the future of the team, but he's probably 3 years away (currently in high A ball). The same for Tyler Austin, another good OF prospect. Zoilo Almonte is a possibility I guess, but he's also only got an OBP of .32o above high A ball. Ravel Santana, Ramon Flores, and Ben Gamel are top 25 prospects for the Yankees, but they are all 3+ years away from being MLB-ready. That leaves Ronnier Mustelier.

I'm not a big prospect guy, as I've said in the past, but I'm intrigued with this guy. In 267 plate appearances with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season Ronnier is hitting .302/.357/.475.  But due to the fact he's not done well in LF (.968 Fielding Percentage), and his experience in CF is extremely limited (6 games), I see him as a possible replacement for Swisher... but not Granderson. 

That leaves the Yankees with an outfield in 2014 consisting of Brett Gardner and... being optimistic... Ronnier Mustelier. Barring a trade, you can see that this situation with Granderson is not so cut and dry. 

I love you, Nick, but you're not irreplaceable.

So, in my oh-so-humble opinion, there is no way the Yankees should pursue Cole Hamels. And seeing as how they don't really need a rental to get them to the "Promised Land" this season, I see no reason for them to make any big moves... unless that move includes an OF that could take over for Granderson (offensively and defensively) in 2014 and beyond.

Yankees Trade Deadline Targets : Ryan Dempster

In 17 days we will all, undoubtedly, be glues to our TVs and computers watching just what your favorite baseball team does at the July 31st trade deadline. Will your team be a seller or a buyer? Is your team a pretender or contender? The Yankees are definite contenders but I am not so sure that they will be buying much of anything.

As we all know the Yankees will be linked to ANY and ALL outfielders and ANY and ALL starting pitchers. The first of those starting pitchers that we are going to cover is Cubs right handed starting pitcher Ryan Demptser.

Ryan Dempster, as of today 7/14/12, has a scoreless IP streak of 33 innings with six shut out innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. First let us get down to business... There is a reported 10 clubs interested in the Cubs right hander, one of them is reportedly the Yankees, but Dempster is a 10.5 guy which means he can veto ANY trade the Cubs try and make. Reports are saying that the Cubs have been scouting any and everyone's lower levels of their systems which I find interesting and scary at the same time because we have such great talent, probably our best talent, in the lower levels of the system in Charleston and Tampa.

I really do not expect us to, and hope that we do not, trade for 35 year old Ryan Dempster. While he has a great ERA, 1.88, in a pitcher's park the National League is still the National League. I will ALWAYS be weary of a NL pitcher coming to the AL. I will ALWAYS be weary of a guy on a crappy team with no pressure coming to New York. I will also ALWAYS be weary of giving up good prospects for a "luxury" and a rental. Dempster is signed through this year and makes $14 million bucks this year but obviously that money would be prorated.

In closing this rumor gets a thumb down. Although adding his wife to the Wives & Girlfriends section would not be the worst thing that could happen....