Updates From Yankees Camp, Day 21

The Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves once again today by the final score of 8-3 today at George Steinbrenner field. Michael Pineda made his second spring start for the Yankees and in his 2.2 IP he allowed one run on four hits and three walks. His velocity was still sitting in the low 90's but it did touch 93 and 94 mph. When asked about it after the game Pineda said that he was not trying to throw hard hence why his velocity is down. He says that he will throw harder and harder every time out there. I wonder if the walks are because he was trying something new, namely with the changeup.

Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez both had rbi singles in the first inning off of Jair Jurrjens, who struggled with his control all day with six walks and five hits in 2.1 IP. Alex Rodriguez had an rbi double with two outs in the second inning to extend the Yankees lead that they would never give up.

MLB October Madness

Like millions of others I've been watching Championship Week in college basketball, and reading articles about who will make the NCAA Tournament... as well as seedings. So I was wondering what a bracket involving MLB teams would look like.

I decided to pick the top 8 teams in each league, and seed them according to their regular season records. Then I'd pit them against each other based on how the NCAA Tournament works, meaning 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5. I decided who won each match-up based on their head-to-head record during the 2011 regular season. Due to some teams being .500 against each other I had to go with a tie-breaker, and decided to simply go by best regular season record.

American League Tournament

I'm sure Yankee fans are really happy about how this turned out. Not only did the Yankees win the tournament, but the Red Sox were knocked out by the Rays in the 1st round. On top of that the Tigers were ousted in the 1st round by the Angels. Another AL East victory, and the biggest upset in the tournament, was the Blue Jays beating the Rangers.

How about the National League?

National League Tournament

The first thing that really surprised me was the Nationals knocking out the team with the best record in MLB right away. But that's what makes tournaments exciting... upsets. Washington went on to upset the Cardinals in the 2nd round as well. Another upset, although not quite as big, was the D-Backs beating the Brewers to advance. Finally the #3 seed, the Diamondbacks, took the NL Championship.

I decided before even doing this not to do a World Series. The fact is not all AL teams play all NL teams during the regular season, so it didn't sit right with me to do that. And it worked out anyway as the Yankees and Diamondbacks never played each other during the 2011 season. But all of this did result in an intriguing match-up, as the Yankees look to avenge their loss to the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.

Dellin Betances Should Be The Yankees 25th Man

Being borrowed from our friends over at Pinstripe Alley who raise a very interesting question that I do not necessarily agree with but can see both sides of the argument. Should the Yankees give the last roster spot to Dellin Betances rather then give it to a second lefty or another positional player? I will say this, I definitely think that the Yankees should give the last spot to a pitcher no matter how many pitchers we will not "need" in the first two months of the season with all the off days. Also I know Joe Girardi has never been obsessed with having a LOOGY or a second left hander for that matter in the bullpen but it begs the question... when was the last time that we had a LOOGY? 2009? How did we do then? Just saying...

Anyway here is the write up, enjoy!

There isn't much suspense in Yankees' camp this season. Unlike last year, when several jobs were up for grabs, the Opening Day roster is pretty much set in stone. Even the backup roles are already taken, so barring an injury or trade, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman shouldn't have many decisions to make.

As presently constituted, the Yankees have 13 positions players and 11 pitchers who are all but guaranteed a spot on the team. In other words, only one opening remains. Earlier in camp, there was speculation that the last spot would be given to a position player, but injuries to Russell Branyanand Austine Romine have made that unlikely. Veteran utility man Bill Halland 22-year old minor league Zolio Almonte have also been mentioned as possible candidates, but both players seem somewhat redundant (although, if the Yankees do need outfield depth at some point, Almonte has probably moved closer to the front line). So, the final slot on the roster seems ticketed to a pitcher, but which one?

Yankees' 2012 Projected Roster 

One popular theory has the Yankees' leaning toward carrying a second lefty to complement Boone Logan, with the prime candidates being Rule V selection Cesar Cabral and journeyman Clay Rapada. However, Girardi has never been preoccupied with having a second lefty, and neither candidate has much of track record to merit serious consideration. So, unless they are able to really open eyes in camp, the last spot on the roster will probably go to another right hander. So far this spring, David Phelps, D.J. Mitchell and Adam Warren have all been impressive, and conventional wisdom suggests one of that trio will be chosen to fill the final void. However, if the Yankees want to do more than just fill out the backend of the bullpen, the best choice would be Dellin Betances.

The consensus is Betances and fellow blue chip prospect Manny Banuelos have no chance to make the major league roster because the Yankees want to give both prized prospects more development time in the minors. For the 21-year old Banuelos, that approach makes perfect sense, but Betances, who will turn 24 later this month, isn't getting any younger. Sooner than later, the 6' 8" right hander will need to take the next step, so what better time than now?

The retching sound you hear is from Yankees fans who, having lived through the Joba Chamberlain saga, can't bear thought of having another promising young starter converted into a reliever. However, even if Betances were to spend the entire year in middle relief, the Yankees wouldn't have to abandon thoughts of him as a starter. A gradual easement into the starting rotation has worked for pitchers like Johan Santana, who appeared in over 75 games as a reliever before becoming a permanent starter, so, unless the Yankees think his development is still behind the curve, a similar approach could work for Betances.

If he made the team out of camp, the most likely role for the right hander would be in long relief, similar to the wayHector Noesi was used last season. If utilized in that manner, Betances could make a meaningful contribution, but his potential to improve the team isn't the main reason he should be promoted. Instead (and if for no other reason), the Yankees' motivation should be to maximize Betances' exposure to Mariano Rivera, an opportunity that isn't guaranteed beyond this season. At first blush, turning a roster spot into an apprenticeship seems like a wasteful luxury, but there is a serendipitous precedent. In 1976, the Yankees had a young left hander named Ron Guidry who spent a good part of the season in the bullpen sitting at the knee of Sparky Lyle. Although seldom used, Guidry used his time with Lyle to learn a new pitch, which eventually developed into the devastating slider that became his hallmark.

There's no guarantee that Mariano Rivera will have the same impact on Betances, but if the Yankees really do envision him being an important part of their future, it couldn't hurt to try. Even if he doesn't come away with a new pitch, the lessons learned from Rivera could prove invaluable in what ever future role Betances fulfills. After all, baseball is about passing the baton, so why not use the last spot on the roster to facilitate the hand off?

If Betances doesn't take to the bullpen, the Yankees could send him back to the minors and have another pitcher serve as a stop gap until Joba Chamberlain returns from the DL. However, if he performs well in the role, it could open up the opportunity to trade Freddy Garcia for what ever pressing need the team might have at the time. More importantly, the Yankees will have been given a glimpse into the future, which seems a beneficial tradeoff for sacrificing a rarely used position player or relief specialist. If Betances really is as talented as so many prospect watchers seem to think, the Yankees' decision regarding the 25th man really shouldn't be any more difficult than the other 24.

Spring Training Day 21

The Yankees and the Braves will play again in Grapefruit league play at 1:05 pm ET. Today's starting pitchers are Michael Pineda (NYY) vs. Jair Jurrjens (ATL). The Yankees lineup is in, courtesy of Lohud Yankees Blog. Not exactly our "A" lineup but I think it is interesting to see Ibanez getting a lot of practice out there in right field. I've kind of become a Bill Hall fan boy since following him on twitter and seeing his enthusiasm about being a (potential) Yankee so I will enjoy watching him out there today. Anyway, here is the lineup.

Todays lineup traveling to Disney

Brett Gardner CF
Andruw Jones DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Bill Hall 2B
Justin Maxwell LF
Doug Bernier SS

RHP Michael Pineda

More to come after the game.

Spring Training Day 20

As we read earlier David Robertson simply has a bone bruise and does not expect to miss much time at all so all Yankees and Yankees fans can now take a collective sigh of relief... with that said there was a game today between the Yankees and the Braves so let us get to it.

Freddy Garcia threw three scoreless innings with one hit and one walk in route to a 3-0 Yankees victory today at George Steinbrenner field, thus stopping our devastating (/sarcasm) 4 game losing streak. Manny Banuelos added two scoreless innings with three strike outs. Derek Jeter had a single to start the game and scored the games first run on a Nick Swisher double.

Tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:05 pm the Yankees and the Braves will match up again with Michael Pineda making his second start for the Yankees and regulars like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texeira, and Brett Gardner scheduled to be in the lineup against Jair Jurrjens.

Robertson Has A Bone Bruise

I'm going to just say "phew" and let Chad at The LoHud Yankees Blog take it from there...

“This is as good as it gets for us.”

That’s how Joe Girardi put it. Test results on Dave Roberton’s right foot revealed a bone bruise, which is pretty much the best-case scenario. He’ll stay in a walking boot through Sunday, and probably do some throwing from a chair to keep his arm strong. Girardi believe he’ll have his setup man on Opening Day.

“I would think,” Girardi said. “But I can’t tell you how it’s going to heal.”

Obviously there’s still some risk here. The Yankees won’t let Robertson get back into a game until he’s pain free, and there’s a chance this thing will take longer than expected, but given the alternatives, a bone bruise came as a relief to the Yankees.

Update On David Robertson

Borrowed from River Avenue Blues

Update: Robertson’s MRI shows “cause for concern”

By Joe Pawlikowski

Update by Mike (4:09pm): Via Barbarisi & Boland, Girardi said Robertson’s MRI showed “cause for concern.” He’s being sent for more tests — including a CT scan and a weight-bearing MRI — and the skipper is worried. Whatever it is, the Yankees have to make sure it’s completely healed before he’s back on a mound. It’s his push-off foot, and they don’t want Robertson changing his mechanics or doing anything else that can result in an arm injury.

Update by Mike (12:12pm): Via Jack Curry, Robertson’s MRI results have been sent to Dr. Ahmad in New York and they should know the diagnosis soon enough. Joe Girardi said his ace setup man could miss up to two weeks before Opening Day becomes a question mark, though he was just speculating. “Just clumsy,” said Robertson to Dan Barbarisi and Erik Boland. “Mo already wore me out about it … I don’t feel it’s something that will set me back for a long time.”

9:30am: We got a bit of a surprise this morning when Bryan Hoch reported that David Robertson fell down stairs last night and hurt his right foot. He showed up this morning in a walking boot, and has been sent for an MRI. The x-rays, thankfully, are negative; the Yankees are currently calling this a right midfoot sprain. They’ll know a bit more once the MRI results come back this afternoon.

Spring Training Day 19

The Yankees played the Toronto Blue Jays in Grapefruit League play today and the Yankees endured another loss today, 6-1 being the final score. Ivan Nova started today and while his fastball hit 95 mph at times his command, much like his last start, was (to not equivocate) terrible. Colin Curtis hit a home run for the only Yankees run and rbi, Ramiro Pena had 2 hits, Gardner, Texeira and a few others all had one hit a piece.

David Phelps let one of Nova's runs score on a passed ball and did not look sharp at all, unlike his last outing against the Phillies. in 2.1 IP he allowed one hit, two walks, and a strike out to go with that passed ball. David is not making the team out of spring training so no big deal for him.

Cesar Cabral, a rule 5 draft pick and one of the many fighting for the last bullpen spot, has not had a good spring to speak of. We signed him to possibly be our LOOGY and get left handed batters out but today Travis Snider, a lefty obviously, took him deep and another lefty, Eric Thames, singled off him. Not a good start in a very tough competition.

Three Yankees Agree to Contracts

River Ave Blues reported (via George King) that Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, and Eduardo Nunez have agreed to 1 year deals with the Yankees.

Seeing as how none of those three are arbitration eligible the Yankees can pretty much pay them whatever they want, provided that it's at least the league minimum of $480,000.

Pineda will make $528,475, Nova will make $527,200, and Nunez will make $523,800 this season.

Note: The Payroll & Roster page has been updated with these numbers.

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Edit: I just realized that Cory Wade is included in that article. I read back on January 11th that Wade had agreed for $500,000, but apparently I read wrong.

Do You Believe The Yankees Will Reach $189m?

Imagine each penny is worth $1 million.

A few times now I've talked about the Yankees goal of getting at or under a $189 million payroll in 2014, in order to avoid paying even more in Luxury Tax and Revenue Sharing fees to MLB. And there's been plenty of talk about just how important that goal is to the team.

A week ago Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that it is indeed the goal of the team to reach a payroll of $189 million in two years, and month ago I took a look at the possible roster in 2014 to see if the Yankees could sign Cole Hamels this offseason and get there.

Well, there's nothing new to report on this, however MLB Trade Rumors polled their readers on this subject. They asked if the Yankees would get to $189 million in 2014, and as of right now their readers don't think so, as over 70% of readers said "no".

Personally, I'm leaning towards "no" as well. Although it's possible for them to get down to that level of payroll, I believe winning is way more important to them. And knowing that winning is very important to the team's revenue, that opinion is strengthened. Basically, the team could save around $50 million in 2014 by getting at or under $189 million (the real number is impossible to know, but the final number seems to be in that area). But if the team misses the playoffs in 2014, they could lose more than $50 million in ticket sales, merchandise sales, playoff perks, etc. So it wouldn't make sense, financially, for them to be okay with missing the playoffs in order to reach $189 million.

The Luxury Tax and Revenue Sharing fee is based on the final team payroll, not the payroll at the beginning of the season. Which means any pick-ups during the season via trade, or whatever, counts. So this is a conversation that will happen until the 2014 World Series is over with, and possibly longer if the team misses their goal and decides to try again in the future.