And the Winner is....

With the halfway point of the season rapidly approaching I have decided to hand out my midseason awards a week early.

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox. Nobody can argue with this one. Gonzalez has taken to being away from PetCo Park like a duck to water. Through Tuesday, Gonzalez was leading the American League in batting, hitting at a .356 clip to go along with 16 homers and 71 RBI's. He leads the league in hits and is also second in the AL in doubles. Runners Up: Jose Bautista, OF/3B Blue Jays, Curtis Granderson, OF, Yankees.

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers. He is 10-3, has added another no-hitter to his resume, owns a MLB leading 0.84 WHIP, has whiffed 124 batters, and possesses a 2.38 ERA. He has been one of the reasons the Tigers have made up all the ground on the Indians and are now battling for AL Central control. Runners Up: Jared Weaver, SP, Angels, James Shields, SP, Rays.

AL Rookie of the Year: Michael Pineda, SP, Mariners. Pineda has been one of the AL's dominant starters, forming a lethal tandem with Felix Hernandez. Pineda owns a 1.03 WHIP, 2.65 ERA, and 99 K's in 102+ innings. He will be mentioned in Cy Young conversations if he keeps this up. Runner Up: Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Rays.

NL MVP: Jose Reyes, SS, Mets. Reyes is setting himself up to be the first ever Mets player to win an MVP award by leading the Majors in triples with 15, hits with 119, is second in stolen bases with 30, and owns a .352 batting average, good enough for second in the majors. If he hits a single, it becomes a double. Reyes is, the most interesting man in baseball. Runners Up: Prince Fielder, 1B, Brewers, Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers.

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies. What? You expected R.A. Dickey? Halladay is 10-3 with a 2.40 ERA, has 123 K's, and leads the NL in complete games. They will probably rename the NL version of the award after Halladay in a few years. He is the new Greg Maddux. Runners Up: Jair Jurrgens, SP, Braves, Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies.

NL Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves. Twenty-three saves, a 2.63 ERA, and 1.12 WHIP earn Kimbrel the honor here. He also has struck out 65 in 41 innings. Runner Up: Danny Espinosa, 2B, Nationals.

Trade Candidates

July is almost here and the MLB rumor mill is starting to spin up. If you listen closely you can hear the gears starting to grind. This year things might be a little different. It seems as if some parody has crept into the Major League Baseball landscape making trading partners that much harder to find for teams that want to bolster their roster for playoff push. Even the 32-44 Minnesota Twins have a reasonable shot at making the playoffs right now, or maybe they did before their entire outfield landed on the DL and they lost five straight. Houston, San Diego, the Chicago Cubs, and perhaps the Royals all figure to be sellers when the dust settles. The Mets can go either way, as can the Pirates, Marlins and Dodgers. The White Sox could also look to unload a player or two. Well, let's take an early look at some of the guys who might be moved before or at the deadline.

Ryan Dempster, SP, Cubs. Dempster figures to be one of the few starters put on the market with a proven track record. He can strike hitters out, has shown he can win as a starter (48 wins over the last 4 seasons) and would fit in nicely in just about any needy contenders rotation, especially at the back end. He is 34 years old and holds a player option for next season. He signed a 3-year deal worth $38 million which isn't terrible in today's market for a #2-3 starting pitcher. The numbers are eerily similar to A.J. Burnett, only Dempster used to be a pretty good closer at one point. A team like the Yankees might be looking for pitching help. Phil Hughes is still on the DL, though he is rehabbing right now and cold return in a couple of weeks. Bartolo Colon is on the DL with a leg injury but he hasn't exactly had the best track record in recent years in regards to health. The Yankees have been connected to Dempster once this season, right around the Yankees visit to Wrigley. I would expect Dempster to exercise his right to become a free agent as he looks for one last good contract so he will be a rental player and shouldn't command a ton in prospects. Other potential suitors could be the Cleveland Indians where veteran presence in a rotation filled with unproven kids and Fausto Carmona is needed for a playoff push; the Arizona Diamondbacks whom nobody expected to contend and whose rotation is led by Ian Kennedy, a nice pitcher but not an ace; and the Texas Rangers who might be looking for some pitching help after Alexi Ogando has been getting rocked in his past couple of starts and might be better suited for the bullpen.

Francisco Rodriguez, RP, Mets. K-Rod has been having himself an excellent season so far. Bullpen help always seem to be a number one need of most playoff bound teams and adding K-Rod to either set-up or close games would be a huge bonus, at least in theory. K-Rod has announced he would be willing to set-up for a contender so that automatically put the Yankees in the conversation but I don't see them getting involved. The Yankees already have Rafael Soriano under contract to provide setup help for Mariano Rivera. Instead, I see the Texas Rangers being the biggest suitor for K-Rod. They can have him set-up this year and then move to the closer spot next year while shifting Neftali Feliz to a starting spot. The Boston Red Sox might be another landing spot for K-Rod. The Red Sox bullpen has been pounded by injuries and with the future status of Jonathan Papelbon up in the air the Red Sox might decide to pull the trigger on a deal here.

Heath Bell, RP, Padres. Another closer for a team out of contention, Bell has been consistent over the past few years and might be one of baseballs most underrated closers. Since the Phillies can't hope to pry K-Rod away from the Mets, Bell might be the apple of their eye. Ryan Madson has been filling in very well for Brad Lidge going 15 for 16 in save chances. However, I don't know if the Phillies are better with Madson closing over Heath Bell. Acquiring Bell would enable the Phillies to slide Madson into a setup role (or to place Bell there if they so desire) and strengthen a so-so bullpen. And, if Lidge makes it back there is another reliable arm with playoff experience to add to the mix. The Cardinals could also be in the market for Bell. Currently the Cardinals are relying on Fernando Salas to close their games. He has been good but isn't a known entity like Bell. The Rangers could also be in the mix.

Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Astros. The Astros are the worst team in baseball and figure to be sellers once their ownership situation gets settled. Rodriguez is probably their best trade chip and could command a nice haul of prospects to help rebuild. The Yankees might be in the mix since he represents a longer term option than Dempster and is two years younger than Dempster. The problem is finding out who is running the Astros and dealing with them. The Astros will treat Rodriguez like an ace in negotiations when he is more like #2-3 guy. I don't know if the Yankees would be willing to pay the ransom price for him but with few starting pitchers of value on the market they might have no choice if they don't see any options in the minors.

Michael Bourn, OF, Astros. Speed is reemerging in baseball and few possess the talents of Bourn who is leading the majors in stolen bases. He can hit leadoff and immediately get into scoring position. He has ten steals of third among his 33 stolen bases on the year so he is a threat. He is decednt in getting on base, doing so at a .351 clip so far this season. Bourn would be a boon to just about any team right now with a slim margin of making the playoffs. However, you can forget about the Yankees and Red Sox getting involved, they already have a quite a few good outfielders on their rosters. The Indians have a need in the outfield where Austin Kearns and his sub-.200 average are patrolling the outfield with Shelley Duncan the backup, or vice versa. Michael Brantley is ok as a leadoff guy but doesn't have nearly the speed and dynamic ability to change the game as Bourn does.

Brett Myers, SP, Astros. Diminished velocity and extreme fly ball rate are not exactly formulas for success. Myers has survived due to, well I don't know how he has survived...perhaps lack of options in Houston. Myers is only 30, and is currently sporting a 4.65 ERA in the pitcher friendly National League. His fastball sits around 87 MPH and has served up 1.81 HR/9 this year. To make him even more prohibitive, he is due to earn $11 million next season and can be bought out for $3 million after 2012, or his option can be picked up for a cool $10 million. I really don't see a good landing spot for Myers. The numbers don't add up and the Astros are sure to treat him like the ace he was last year but is definitely not this year. Maybe, if the Astros pick up a portion of the salary and don't ask for a lot in prospects they might be able to find a taker.

Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets. If the Mets decide to become sellers, Beltran would be one of their biggest trade chips and one who might garner the most interest. Several teams in need of some offensive pop could jump into the Beltran pool. Teams like the Twins, Rangers (although they seem set at OF they do have some injury prone OF'ers), Giants, and maybe even the Yankees could put their toes in the water.

Jose Reyes, SS, Mets. Reyes said he won't discuss a contract extension during the season so he is primed to hit the open market. The Mets right now are hovering around .500 and trading Reyes, who is arguably the National League's most dynamic player, would send shockwaves through an already shellshocked fanbase. If the Mets feel they can get better value than the two first round picks in next year's draft then they should bite. Still, Reyes is just a rental player so the chances of finding someone willing to take on a player who has announced he will test the market are going to be slim at that price. The Reyes situation mirrors the Mets season, in or out? Contending or not? Trade or no trade? Perhaps the Mets should hold onto Reyes and get the two draft picks. Or maybe they should trade him. Thankfully, I'm not Sandy Alderson whom I do not envy in this situation.

There are plenty more players out there who could make an impact at the deadline. Jason Kubel of the Twins, Joakim Soria and Jeff Francoueur of the Royals, and Mark Beurhle, Edwin Jackson, and John Danks of the White Sox all could be major chips cashed in by their respective teams. I will revisit this subject later.

Fly Balls

-Imagine you are the manager of a team that just rattled off 11 wins in 12 games, your team is 15-6 in the month of June and you are without your best pitcher who is still rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery. Your best player just came back after spending over 50 days on the DL. What do you do? Resign of course. That is exactly what Nationals manager Jim Riggleman did after his team beat the Mariners 1-0 on Thursday afternoon. Riggleman didn't want to be a lame duck manager, said he wanted job security, so he quit his job. Wait, you wanted job security so you quit your job? If I am a baseball GM I wouldn't even consider a guy who literally quit on his team. Something tells me his heart just wasn't in it, wasn't in this team. If it was he wouldn't have quit, he would have let the numbers do the talking and forced GM Mike Rizzo to re-sign him. Well, stupid is as stupid does and stupid did.

-I am getting really fed up with the Yankees handling of Jesus Montero. There is no way Francisco Cervelli is better than Montero in any facet of the game. Brian Cashman even admitted as much recently. When Jorge Posada was a youngster they didn't keep him at AAA until Joe Girardi was ready to leave. Nope. they brought Posada up and allowed him to learn on the job. If the Yankees want to see what this kid is really made of bring him up, allow him to spell Russell Martin a couple of days a week, thereby keeping Martin fresh, and allow him to DH against lefties. That's 3-4 games a week he could be playing in. And when he sin't playing he could learn from Tony Pena, Russell Martin, Jorge Posada, and Joe Girardi, all former catchers how to better field his position. Right now Montero is batting over .290 at AAA and people around him, including former All-Star catcher Butch Wynegar, think he is bored. Wynegar even said the kid was MLB ready. C'mon Cashman, bring him up!

-Ron Artest has filed for a name change. His new name? Metta World Peace. Ummm, yeah.

-With the 17th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft the New York Knicks took Iman Shumpert, a 6-6 PG from Georgia Tech. The Knicks passed on Chris Singleton from Florida State to get Shumpert. Wait, wasn't Iman a model from the 1990's? Anyway, the kid is supposed to be a good defensive player, something the Knicks need but will not use under Mike D'Antoni.

-The last pick in the NBA draft, the Mr. Irrelevant of the NBA was Isaiah Thomas, Jr. We knew Isaiah Thomas was irrelevant in the NBA for quite some time. At least Jim Dolan didn't order the Knicks to draft him, now that would have been interesting.

-The New Jersey Nets had a very nice draft. They traded with the Celtics for Marshon Brooks, a pretty good scorer who can slide right into the #2 guard position. In the second round they traded for Bojan Bogdanovic, who ranked second in the Euroleague in scoring. I don't think he will be around for a year or two but the Nets needed some extra scoring punch. The Nets then went for defense and rebounding when they took Jordan Williams from Maryland. He is small at 6'9" but he has the instincts. I'll give the Nets an A- for their draft.

-The Knicks draft wasn't as exciting. They could have something if their first rounder Iman Shumpert learns from Chauncey Billups all that he can in running an NBA offense. Until then they have a perimeter defender who should at least contest opposing ballhandlers when Billups is off the floor. They obtained big man Josh Harrellson from Charlotte in the second round. Harrellson is big, has little offensive talent, and will be lucky to crack D'Antoni's strict rotation. Knicks grade is a B- but if Shumpert develops into their PG of the future then this becomes an A.

-There are rumors swirling around the New York Rangers and Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators. Depending on what the Senators would want in return for Spezza he would be an excellent fit on Broadway. However, I don't think a deal will happen, not with Brad Richards a free agent. Spezza had knee issues last year that limited him to 60 games but he is a playmaker and goal scorer, just what the Rangers need. I can't see Ottawa wanting to trade him though, nor do I see the Rangers wanting to part with a lot of the kids they have patiently developed.

-I am not understanding Joe Girardi and his insistance on playing Andruw Jones over Brett Gardner in left against left-handed pitching. Gardner is hitting .278 against lefties with more walks (5) than strikeouts (4) in 36 at-bats. Andruw Jones is hitting .241 against lefties in 58 at-bats but has 21 strikeouts and only 6 walks! Oh, its because Jones has homered 4 times off of lefties this year? Crap Girardi! Look, Joe, I don't disagree with a lot of what you do but give Gardner the playing time. He has earned it. If it makes you feel any better Joe, Gardner and Jones have the same amount of homers (4) but Andruw is only hitting .213 while Gardner is hitting .286 now. C'mon man! Be smart! Put the best lineup out there!

-Don't look now but Ivan Nova is now 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA. He is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in June. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for this kid.

Foul Tips

-Phil Hughes began his rehab assignment and it seems that whatever was bothering him is now gone because his fastball touched 95 MPH. He went 4.1 innings for Staten Island, throwing 61 pitches, 41 of them for strikes, striking out 7 and walking one. The Yankees could really use a healthy and effective Phil Hughes for the stretch run. If Hughes does come back healthy and effective, I don't think the Yankees need to run out and cough up prospects for a rental starter. It wouldn't make sense.

-Yankee prospect, Tim Norton, might be done as a baseball player. After making his AAA debut and striking out 2 batters in his one inning of work, Norton apparently suffered a severely torn shoulder labrum. This is really bad news as he was probably going to be a candidate for the Major League roster due to his 46 K's in 30 innings at AA and AAA.

-The Yankees came to terms with their first selection in the 2011 Draft, Dante Bichette, Jr. They paid him just over slot, a $750,000 signing bonus. I think the kid is really eager to get started. Hopefully his work ethic doesn't take a hit. He will start the year with the GCL Yankees.

-Jesus Montero is going to be a DH according to all the experts. Gary Sanchez? Well, his defense is worse than Montero's. Sure, the two guys are projected to hit like crazy but where do you play them? Is Sanchez fleet enough for an outfield spot? Right now, it looks like Austin Romine (currently on DL for a concussion) and J.R. Murphy are the Yankees backstops of the future. Murphy can also rip with the bat.

-The Pittsburgh Pirates are only 4 games out of first in the NL Central. They are flirting with .500 and, although this doesn't seem likely to continue, it might mean the beginning of a new era in a black hole of baseball. Maybe.

-The Seattle Mariners are only a half game out of first in the AL West. After last year's performance nobody would have guessed Seattle would have a winning record as of June 19th. But they do, at 37-35.

-The Minnesota Twins are 9-1 in their last ten games. Looks like this team is going to try to claw its way back into the thick of things.

-Eighty year-old Jack McKeon has agreed to become the interim manager of the sliding Florida Marlins. The Marlins are 1-18 in June. Good luck Jack.

-He may not be the best player in this year's NBA Draft, but Jimmer Fredette of BYU is certainly the most intriguing. He can either be a nice scoring option off the bench or he can fade into obscurity after a couple of ineffective years. I can see him doing a J.J. Reddick impersonation in the NBA but I don't know if that is worth a high draft pick. Chad Ford has the Pacers taking Fredette at #15. I don't know if I would take him that high. The Knicks are also an option at #17.

-Will the Mets be buyers or sellers? Or will they stand pat at the trading deadline July 31st? I definitely can't see the Mets as buyers and I don't think they will trade Jose Reyes either. To do so would infuriate a slowly reemerging fanbase. I see the Mets trying to unload a Jason Bay but don't think they will be able to. David Wright isn't going anywhere and if the MEts can hold their heads around the waterline they will be getting Ike Davis back which would sure up their defense and add some much needed pop in their lineup. If Beltran stays healthy and Davis comes back ready to play I can see the Mets sticking around. then again, this is the Mets and bad things seem to come in bunches these days. However, they owe it to their fans to do what is best for the future of the franchise. Even if they keep Reyes and lose him in free agency, so what? You get 2 first rounders for him. Add in another possible first rounder or two for Beltran and lookie what you got here, the beginnings of a new farm system. I trust Sandy Alderson to rebuild this team. He knows what he is doing and has the baseball people around him that might be among the best assembled braintrust in all of baseball.

Slap Shots

-A decent job was done by Brian Gordon, the recently signed 32 year-old pitcher who made his first Major League start today against the Rangers. He gave up 7 hits and walked 3 while striking out three. He loaded the bases in the 5th and then hit a batter, forcing in a run. However, against a vaunted lineup he kept the ball in the park. He will probably start against the Reds next week.

-Congratulations to the Boston Bruins on their Stanley Cup win over the Vancouver Canucks. And to hell with Vancouver fans. They make Philadelphia look good. They rioted in 1994 after their team lost on the road to the Rangers and they did it again after Boston beat them at home. Seriously? Riots? You need to start fires and break into department stores because your team lost? Here is one thing you can learn from New York, Vancouver. I have never seen riots break out, win or lose, in New York. Class up Vancouver, you are a damned disgrace. It's a game. Live with it. I didn't riot after the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees in a 7th game. I thought Canadians were supposed to be a friendly, easy-going folk. May you never win a Cup you classless bunch of animals. I really wish I was a cop in Vancouver last night.

-Great job the last two days by recent pick-up Cory Wade. While I don't know if it will last, it shows you don't need to spend a fortune on middle relievers. Luis Ayala is another example. If only the Yankees learn from this. No more Rafael Soriano contracts! And, I know that wasn't Cashman but the whole crew needs to learn from this.

-The Florida Marlins are 1 for June so far. Yes, it is June 16th and the Marlins have one win this month. They just got swept by Philadelphia. Not looking good down there. And someone please tell me what is wrong with Hanley Ramirez.

Remember When?

I know many of us collected baseball cards growing up. Whether you were a serious collector or just bought a few packs, you have probably owned at least one baseball card in your life or felt what it was like to open a pack and see what players awaited you inside. I grew up in the 1980's and 1990's, an era known for having what amounts to worthless cards due to a flooded market by Topps, Upper Deck, Donruss, Score, Fleer, and a host of other short-lived companies or subsidiaries of the bigger companies. Even today, you can pick up a box of late 1980's and early 1990's cardboard for a few bucks. Even though many of the cards are not worth very much I still hold a soft spot in my heart for the days when I traded cards with my friends and used to fill boxes and binders with my cards. I had so many cards that I used to make forts for my army men when I was younger, turning a stack of cardboard into a firebase for my grunts in the carpeted jungles of a faraway land. Those days are gone but the memories remain. Memories I fear kids today will never get a chance to make.

Card collecting has gone from a kids and adults hobby to a mostly adult hobby. Gone are the packs for $0.50 and in are packs that cost $5.00. What kid can afford that? Gone are the days where you might have one or two cards in a set of a certain player and now there are seemingly 300 different variations of the same card with different color borders. Do I, a casual collector to this day, really need a Mark Teixeira card with a black, red, green, purple, orange, gold, silver, and magenta border? No. It might be more fun if there were a different picture on the card making it unique but I'm not interested in adding 300 different bordered cards to my collection. I used to collect Derek Jeter cards but that is not a possible goal because there are tens upon tens of thousands of Jeter cards out there. It's insane. Collectors today will never be able to accomplish what was so easy in the past, actually collecting the cards. With eBay, kids rarely trade cards anymore. I remember hanging out after school and spending the afternoon trading cards. We might have gone down to the local convenient store and spent $3 and came back with 6 packs of cards and then commenced trading Butch Wynegar for Don Baylor or Cal Ripken for Kirby Puckett. Today, kids need a full-time job to collect cards. Even at Wal Mart cards are $4.97 for a pack of Bowman. It's crazy. It's no longer about the hobby in many respects but about finding a card to sell it on eBay. Last year it was Stephen Strasburg. This year it isBryce Harper. Who knows who it will be next year?

When Topps won exclusive rights to produce trading cards for baseball I thought it would be a good thing. It would take away the massive amounts of different cards there were for each player and make it easier, and slightly more affordable, to collect once again. I am wrong. Topps, with its subsidiary of Bowman, has flooded the market with variations and parallels and shiny refractors and small subsets within sets that makes it almost impossible to collect an entire set. Where is the fun in that? The last set I actually collected and completed was the 2008 Upper Deck baseball set, one of the last years Upper Deck was allowed to print MLB logos. It was a nice set, easy to collect because it was void of thousands of parallels and variations. The design wasn't terrible, a foil name and the team name and position of the player that accompanied sharp pictures. The picture was the card. There was no border to offer variations for. I was able to collect Series 1 and Series 2 with few problems, save for a few hundred doubles. Now, with Topps being the only player, I don't think we will ever have such an easy go of collecting again. I'll still dabble in card collecting every now and then. I dabbled this year with Bowman buying a few packs until I got my Bryce Harper Bowman Chrome RC. Now I am satisfied. I'll stick to buying Yankee team sets because that's the only team I truly care about with the occasional Washington Nationals team set mixed in for the Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, and later the Bryce Harper cards. To me the fun and the passion are gone right now. I love my collection but it is impossible to collect anymore. I will still enjoy a chase every now and then as I did this year with Bryce Harper but, for the most part, its just too hard and too expensive to collect as I did as a kid and that's sad.

Layups

-The Yankees signed Brian Gordon today and announced he will make the start on Thursday in place of Bartolo Colon. Gordon, who has 4 innings of Major League experience under his belt, was pitching well for the Phillies AAA team, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Gordon owns a 56/7 K/BB ratio in 55.1 innings so far and a 38% groundball rate. Gordon appeared in 4 innings with Texas back in 2008 and fared pretty well in 3 relief appearances. He was born August 16th, 1978 in West Point, New York. He does have 15 minor league seasons under his belt. Personally, I would have started Hector Noesi and signed Gordon as bullpen insurance, just like the Yankees did with Corey Wade and Greg Smith this past week.

-Is it me or is most of the news about the Finals about the Heat losing rather than the Mavericks winning? Seriously, do we really need all this LeBron coverage? What about Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki...don't they deserve some credit here? Don't the Mavericks deserve their time in the sun? Has any losing team ever received this much credit? Enough already. Let the Mavericks enjoy their moment and shelve the LeBron talk until next season.

-Marc Berman wrote in the New York Post today that the Knicks should abandon the 3-star plan taken by Miami this offseason. Wait, what? The Knicks should avoid signing Chris Paul or some other big free agent in 2012 because Miami fell two games short of a championship? That might be the dumbest thing I have ever heard from a sports columnist in years, or ever. What Miami did is not exactly new. Having three stars is not new. Miami just overpaid for Chris Bosh and instead should have signed several role players to fill needs around the court. They didn't. But does that mean Miami will never win a championship? No. It is asinine to assume anything in sports after one season.

-Mets pitching prospect Matt Harvey is dominating the Florida State League. It is time for the Mets to bring him up to AA and see how he does. I understand why the Mets are taking it slow with Harvey after watching Jenrry Mejia go down for Tommy John Surgery. However, the Mets should be reservedly aggressive with Harvey. He has the makings of a number 1-3 starter, something the Mets don't really have right now. I don't know where Dillon Gee is going to be in three years but if this year is an early indication Gee could be a decent starter. The Mets could have three decent starters in Mejia, Gee and Harvey. At least one of them should become a good MLB starter.

-Ryan Zimmerman is back after missing 58 games due to an abdominal strain. Zimmerman is the face of an up-and-coming franchise. The Nationals missed his bat and his glove over the past 2 months but have kept their heads near the waterline. They won't compete this year but when Bryce Harper, Tyler Moore, Anthony Rendon, and Stephen Strasburg all come up or come back from their own injuries the Nationals might be a force in the NL East.

-Who comes back first? Johan Santana or Rafael Soriano? Santana might be back by August or September. That's too late for the Mets to try and trade him this year. However, if Santana comes back, does well and stays healthy the Mets might be able to dump him next year for some very good prospects. If I'm the Mets I do that because they aren't winning anything anytime soon and Sanatana isn't getting younger, or healthier for that matter. A team like the Yankees might part with a couple of prospects. If I'm the Yankees I'm staying away though. Not worth the money he is being paid right now.

DOCTOR!!!

Injuries are a part of baseball. Every team puts a few players on the disabled list every year, some of them key players. The Nationals lost Ryan Zimmerman for a few weeks. The Giants lost Buster Posey for the whole year. The Twins lost Joe Mauer for a few weeks. The list goes on. It happens. So far, the Yankees have had to deal with a few injuries, most notably Phil Hughes (not really sure if he was actually injured or if his fastball was just dead), Rafael Soriano (elbow), and Joba Chamberlain (Tommy John surgery). Throw in a missed week by Russell Martin for a bad back and now Bartolo Colon and Derek Jeter to leg injuries and you have the makings of a mess in waiting. So far, the Yankees have not put Russell Martin on the DL, instead, leaning on Frankie Cervelli to do the catching which has been something of an adventure since he all of a sudden becomes a Steve Sax/Chuck Knoblauch clone when it comes to throwing out runners at second base. Derek Jeter seems headed for the DL after suffering a Grade 1 strain. Not the end of the world but with Jeter it is better to get back 100% rather than risk further injury by letting him take the field before he is ready. Ramiro Pena will probably get called up to be the backup infielder while Eduardo Nunez tries to fill in at short.

The loss of Colon, Mike Axisa writes at Riveraveblues.com, will probably be a blessing in disguise. Colon hasn't thrown too many innings in the last few years and this shut down might actually help prevent Colon from tiring out or suffering a major arm injury. It will also give one of the younger kids, a Hector Noesi, Adam Warren, or David Phelps a chance to taste a big league start or two. I agree with this logic. It is better to have these kids come up now than in the middle of September as the Yankees are fighting for a playoff spot. It might turn out to be a huge boost for the Yankees.

What isn't a huge boost is losing your top two set-up men in Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain is done for the year and might not be back until June or July of next year. Soriano, well, nobody knows when he is coming back. The loss of those two pitchers hurts more because David Robertson now has to fill in for them and bridge the gap to Mariano Rivera. Don't get me wrong, Robertson is an excellent pitcher. He actually deserves a shot at being Mo's bridge. However, it is going to hurt the Yankees because they now don't have an arm like Robertson's to come in and put out the fire in the 5th, 6th, or 7th. Who will fill the void? It could be Kevin Whelan who walks a lot of guys but has been getting a lot of strikeouts. It could be Hector Noesi who has performed very well in his short time in the Bronx. Lance Pendleton? Maybe, but I doubt it. Amaury Sanit? No way. Tim Norton? Well, he would be an excellent option with his strikeout rate (46 K's in 30 innings at AA and AAA) but he is now on the DL in Scranton. He probably would have been the best bet to fill in for Robertson as Robertson fills in for Soriano/Chamberlain. One thing is certain, the trade market right now isn't clear and prying away a top reliever from any team will cost more than he is worth. Right now, the Yankees must be patient. Let the kids come up and see what they can do. Like teaching a toddler to be potty trained there will be mistakes and accidents but its all part of the learning process. The Yankees have to keep the faith in whomever they call up and keep giving them the ball until it is clear that that pitcher isn't major league ready.

The Yankees will suffer a little without Jeter. They will lose a few games because nobody like Robertson could come in and put out the fire that a starting pitcher ignites. They will lose a game because losing Colon is like losing an ace and its a lot to ask of a rookie to fill an ace's shoes. It still isn't the end of the world. The heavy hitters in the Yankees lineup remain, for the most part, healthy. CC Sabathia is still healthy. A.J. Burnett has thrown a few excellent games. Mariano is still Mariano. It will take some time but the Yankees will be better in the long haul if they don't overreact and allow the kids to show what they can do. Soon enough Phil Hughes will come back. Bartolo will come back. Soriano will come back. Jeter will come back and resume his quest for 3000 hits. Russell Martin will return and give the Yankees excellent defense behind the plate with some pop in his bat. The doctor is in and he is hard at work.

Pop-Ups and Foul Tips

-The New York Yankees were able to accomplish something that hasn't been done since 1913 on Thursday night, lose 6 straight home games to the Boston Red Sox. Just to put that in perspective, the Yankees didn't even have Yankee Stadium back then. So, congratulations Yankees.

-The New York Yankees have very big, very real problems. First, their bullpen which was supposed to be their biggest strength has turned into a huge potential weakness. First, free agent signee, Pedro Feliciano, their supposed lefty neutralizer, goes on the DL without throwing a pitch. He is followed by the other free agent signee, Rafael Soriano, who, when he did throw a pitch, wasn't very good at it. Now, Joba Chamberlain is on the DL and likely out for the year after hearing he might need Tommy John surgery. Boone Logan remains up and down, and the rest of the bullpen is pieced together by guys fresh from AAA or guys like Luis Ayala who is trying to put his career back on track. This is probably not what Brian Cashman envisioned this offseason.

-So who is available to step up into the bullpen void for the Yankees? Well, at AAA there is Kevin Whelan who has posted some excellent numbers as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's closer. Whelan is 1-1 with 18 saves, a 1.67 ERA, 30 K's, 6 BB's and has allowed only 17 hits in 27 innings. Tim Norton, who just made his AAA debut this past week was also an option before landing on the DL for a reason I am not sure about. He was 1-0 and struck out two batters in 1 inning at SWB but was lights out with Trenton where he posted a 1-0 record and 1.55 ERA with 44 K's in 29 innings. George Kontos is another option. He has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.64 ERA and has struck out 32 batters while walking 11 in 30.2 innings. All the other guys we have seen in the Bronx already this year. Mark Prior is another option but he is still on the DL at SWB after 1 game. The good news is its not an arm issue. Andrew Brackman has been too wild at AAA to earn a call-up and would be a disaster in the pen right now given his inability to stay in the strike zone.

-I am still shocked that the Nationals were able to secure Anthony Rendon at pick #6 in this weeks draft. Could a Nationals-Royals World Series be a possibility down the road?

-Francisco Cervelli, filling in for Russell Martin who is dealing with some back issues, gave his best Chuck Knoblauch/Steve Sax impersonation during this Red Sox series. Three throwing errors on attempted steals at second base have to have Yankees brass scratching their heads. All his throws tail away from second which is probably the result of rushing his throws. Either way, I am surprised the Red Sox didn't try to exploit it more.

-Jeff Marquez made his Yankees debut last night. He was part of the Nick Swisher trade but the White Sox released him and the Yankees claimed him. So, seven years after getting drafted, the kid makes his Yankees debut.

-First it was Eric Hosmer. Now Mike Moustakas has been called up by the Royals. Nice to see the Royals doing what is best for the baseball side of operations by bringing these kids up and not worrying about arbitration years down the road.

-The Sporting News came out with their list of the Top 50 baseball players as voted on by MLB executives. Albert Pujols was number one followed by Troy Tulowitzki, Felix Hernandez, Joey Votto, and Tim Lincecum. Jose Bautista was #23. Joe Mauer was #9! Really? Wow. Robinson Cano was #12. I don't know how you put Mauer that high. Must be the Head and Shoulders commercials. How Bautista is #23 I will never know. Notable Yanks and Mets on the list: Cano #12, CC Sabathia #15, A-Rod #17, Mark Teixeira #26, Mariano Rivera #29, and David Wright tied at #41 with Ubaldo Jimenez. First of all, Wright at #41 and no Jose Reyes on the list. Right now, Wright is not in the top 50 and Reyes is in top #15, period.

-Don't look now bu the Dallas Mavericks are one win away from beating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The Heat are by no means out of this but I don't think many people expected this. Many hoped for it though.

-After having trouble scoring an goals in the first two games, the Boston Bruins are exploding on Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo. That series is tied 2-2.

-Getting back to the NBA...I am thoroughly shocked the Mavs are up 3-2 right now. Dirk got hurt in Game 1 and the Mavs really lack that second superstar. Still, there they are. But, how can you count out any team that has Dwayne Wade and LeBron James as options 1 and 1A?

-Joba Chamberlain is proof positive that no matter how much you coddle and arm it will still break down if that's what its gonna do. The Joba rules didn't protect Joba anymore than letting him throw too many pitches hurt him. Its not what you do to an arm, its what the arm does when throwing. Shoulders and elbows don't know about rules.

And that's all I got. Enjoy the day. Oh, and my fellow Yankee fans, don't worry. The Sox left town, we can resume winning I hope.

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The Yankees and Mets Drafts

The New York Mets, with the 13th pick in the draft selected Brandon Nimmo, an outfielder out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Nimmo didn't have a high school baseball team so he had to play Legion baseball. This pick is purely a credit to the Mets scouting department who went and saw the kid play. What they saw they liked. He is a lefty bat that should develop the power necessary to hit some balls out of Citi Field, especially if they move the fences in. Nimmo is the kind of pick that has to have MEts fans a little excited, he could be their corner outfielder for years to come. Hell, I'm sure some Mets fans would take this kid over Jason Bay right now! I'm not saying this kid is a super-prospect but he had to be doing something right if he got noticed without a high school baseball team. While its always hard to project if a kid will make the Majors, I do see Nimmo becoming the Mets left fielder, or right fielder, for years to come down the road. It might take a little while as the kid adjusts to the new level of competition so for a few years Mets fans will playing Finding Nimmo.

The Yankees didn't have a first round pick this year because the Steinbrenner Braintrust (wait, I thought Cashman had autonomy here) decided signing Rafael Soriano was the better route. So, the Yankees selected 51st overall, thanks to the Marlins signing Javier Vazquez. With that pick, the Yankees selected Dante Bichette, Jr. Yep, son of former Major Leaguer Dante Bichette who was a member of those Coors Field inspired Colorado Rockies teams that launched balls into orbit. Little Bichette is a two-time All Central Florida Player of the Year. He was not on ESPN's Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects List. However, the kid did hit .640 (55-86) with 14 doubles and 10 home runs and 40 RBI's in 30 games as a senior in high school. Keith Law says the power is there but he questions Bichette's hit tool, whatever that means. I think the Yankees might finally have drafted a power bat that plays into a corner outfield slot after years of drafting toolsy guys without much pop (Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson, etc.) Bichette, Sr. and Joe Girardi are close friends so if the kid eventually makes it and if Girardi is still managing the kid will basically be playing for an uncle. Overall, I like this pick. The Yankees needed some power bats that play into corner outfield positions and Bichette, Jr. definitely has that. Bichette has committed to play at the University of Georgia where he is slated to become the teams starting third baseman but, given the closeness of Giardi and his father, I think something can be worked out fairly quickly to get this kid into pinstripes.

Fastballs and Curves

-Tonight is the MLB Draft where Gerrit Cole is slated to be taken first overall by the Pirates. A couple of years ago, in the 2008 MLB Draft, the Yankees took Cole with the 28th overall pick. Cole, a Yankee fan growing up, passed on the Yankees offer and went to UCLA. Now, Cole will be a Pirate or Mariner.

-Plaxico Burress was released from prison today and is now free to begin his search for a new team, when the labor problem is resolved of course. It feels like Plax served one of the longest sentences in athletic history. There is no doubt in my mind that his sentence didn't fit the crime. Totally overblown by New York City. He made a stupid decision and he paid for it by enduring a lot of pain and will deal with it the rest of his life from the embarrassment stemming from the nightclub incident. When he owned those guns outside of New York they were all legal. He should have registered them in New York but there should be a federal mandate that allows weapons to be transferred easily from state to state. Afterall, states don't guarantee the right to own guns, the Constitution does and last I checked all the states ratified that document.

-Taking Plax's place in the prison system will be former Mets and Phillies standout, Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra has not exactly led the glamorous life since leaving baseball. He has been linked to steroid use and now faces 25 counts of grand theft auto, attempted grand theft auto, identity theft, and a few drug possession charges. Apparently, Dykstra and two other men were trying to lease high end cars using false information and then claiming these cars as a credit on a phantom business. If convicted, Dykstra can face up to 12 years in prison.

-This NFL labor crap is killing me. I love the offseason for baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. I love playing GM and deciding who should where and all that. I get excited to think what new players the Giants will bring in and who will be donning the blue uniforms next season. Now, there is none of that in the NFL. Everyday this dispute goes on without resolution is one less day for rookies and free agents to get acclimated to new teams. This could seriously hurt the product on the field next year. Fans expect to see highly touted number one draft picks take the field and show what they can do. Now, without the ability to learn the plays they might not make much of an impact at all, especially the quarterbacks. Free agents who will pull down millions might not have the time to adapt to the new systems and could look terrible through the first few weeks of a season. This whole NFL situation just sucks.

-Through 46 games this season, Yankee prospect Slade Heathcott has already surpassed last years triples, and home run totals. In 2010, Heathcott hit 2 homers and 3 triples in 76 games. This year he has 4 of each so far and is only 5 doubles shy of last season's mark of 16. Progress.

-Yankee prospect Gary Sanchez returned from extended Spring Training after having some "attitude problems." Apparently, Sanchez, 18, refused to do some things coaches asked him to do. Hopefully, he got it all out of his system and he get back on track as a top prospect.

-Speaking of Yankee farmhands, J.R. Murphy might be doing more to establish himself on next years list of top prospects than anyone else in the Yankee system right now. He is currently posting a .321/.366/.502/ line (AVG/OBP/SLG) while slugging 6 homers and 20 doubles. Last season he hit .255/.327/.376 with only 7 homers and 15 doubles. Murphy was drafted as a catcher but he has been getting playing time in the OF and at the corners this year since the Yankees have Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and Gary Sanchez as catching prospects ahead of him. If he continues to improve like this he might be a legit candidate for third (if he can play defense there) or a corner outfield slot. He is just raking this year.

-One Yankee prospect whose star is falling is Andrew Brackman. He is clearly having issues adjusting to AAA. In 10 starts, a total of only 46.1 innings, Brackman has posted a 2-4 record with a 6.80 ERA. He has walked 36(!!!!!!!) while striking out only 37 and has surrendered 49 hits. The stuff is there but he has been waaay too wild this season. He is a big guy at 6'10" so his mechanics might be a little off. In 2009 he was terrible before finding his groove in 2010. However, time is running out on Brackman who signed a major league contract after being drafted in 2007 which means he is eligible for free agency after this season. I can't see the Yankees letting someone with his stuff just walk but he will have to take a huge pay cut to continue on as a Yankee.

-Jesus Montero only has 4 homers so far this year and 10 doubles. He is hitting .297 now, down from his lofty start. Maybe he is just bored down in Scranton? Maybe he is working on his defense? I can't imagine he has just lost his power overnight. I'm betting on him being bored down there since this is his second season at AAA. He will get called up eventually, especially if Jorge Posada keeps swinging and missing.

-Yankee farmhand and former Braves prospect Cody Johnson has 10 homers in 183 at bats. He also has 81 K's and only 10 walks! He reminds me of the character played by Joaquin Phoenix in the M. Night Shamalan movie, Signs. Seriously, 81 strikeouts?!?!? At AA?!?!?!?! Good luck dude.

-Cody Johnson seems to be indicative of the type of filler-type guys Yankee GM Brian Cashman has brought in for minor league depth. There seem to be a lot of high strikeout guys who can hit the long ball sprinkled in around the Yankee minor leagues. There is Justin Maxwell, who leads the SWB Yankees with 72 K's and is second on the team in homers with 16. Then there is Jorge Vazquez who leads SWB with 18 homers and is second on the team in K's with 68. Just for measurement, Jesus Montero is third on the team in K's with 49. Montero is also third on the team in homers, tied with, get ready for this one.....Ramiro Pena! That's right, Ramiro Pena has more home runs than Brandon Laird, who hit 25 last season at AA and AAA.

-Wanna know if Bryce Harper is the real deal? The answer is yes. He has 13 homers, 12 stolen bases, 14 doubles, 41 RBI, a .610 SLG %, a .434 OBP, and is hitting .338. He also has 32 walks and has K'd just 46 times. For an 18 year-old kid those are PHENOMENAL numbers. Good for the Nationals for not rushing this kid through the sytem, they are letting him develop, keeping his confidence up, and it will pay huge dividends in the end.

-Here are some updates on some other Yankee Prospects:

Tim Norton has 44 K's in 29 innings out of the pen in Trenton. He owns a 1.55 ERA and 0.69 WHIP.

Dellin Betances is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA, striking out 50 in 45.1 innings. He has been a little wild, walking 22 but it hasn't hurt him yet.

Manny Banuelos is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 46.2 innings. He has allowed 26 walks and 38 hits but has struck out 42. Not bad overall numbers. I still think he will be the best of the "Killer B's" but only time will tell.

-Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the MLB Draft if thats your thing. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup is also on at 8.

Just Some Stuff Around Sports

-Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was amazing. I still think Raffi Torres was offsides by a hair though.

-The Brad Richards era in Dallas may be coming to an end. He announced on Thursday that he won't re-sign with the Stars until the ownership situation there is resolved. This prompted Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk to discuss the possibility of trading his rights before Richards becomes a free agent on July 1. Ummm, Joe, where were you three months ago? You are going to lose your best player, and one of the better players in the NHL, and hope you can trade his rights? Umm, Joe, Richards has a no-trade clause. Good luck.

-There is already heavy speculation that the New York Rangers will attempt to sign Brad Richards this offseason. The Rangers lacked a true playmaking center this season and Richards would give Marian Gaborik someone to play alongside. If Richards does become a Ranger then Chris Drury will probably be gone so that the salary fits in with the Rangers cap. Adding Richards should elevate the Rangers into Cup Contenders as well. But then again, everyone thought the same thing when Scott Gomez and Chris Drury came over.

-Despite Rafael Soriano and his bloated ERA, and then losing him to the DL along with Damaso Marte and the Yanks other free agent signee, Pedro Feliciano, the Yankees have the best bullpen ERA in the majors at 2.88. Pretty amazing when you consider Lance Pendleton, who couldn't stick with the Astros 25-man roster after being selected by them in the Rule 5 Draft, Luis Ayala, Buddy Carlyle, Hector Noesi, and Amaury Sanit have all filled in at one point or another. Not to mention Joba has had his struggles and Boone Logan has looked terrible. Just goes to show you, you never know where bullpen help will emerge from and it doesn't make sense to spend big money on free agent relievers. Didn't work with LaTroy Hawkins, Stave Karsay, Kyle Farnsworth, etc., etc., and probably won't work with Rafael Soriano either.

-Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka will undergo Tommy John surgery. Not sure if that is good news or bad news for the Red Sox.

-The Mavericks tied up the NBA Finals on Thursday night as they came back to beat the Heat a couple of days after the Heat did the same to them. Gotta credit Dirk Nowitzki for not allowing his tendon in his left hand to be an excuse...so far.

-Good riddance to Ohio State head coach, or should I say former Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel. After calling the Miami Hurricanes program "dirty" a couple of years ago, Tressel has seemingly been on a mission to outdo the 'Canes by racking up NCAA violations. Tressel, in my opinion, should never be allowed to coach in college again. He failed the school, failed the kids he promised to mentor, and failed himself.

-Jason Bay might be one of the worst free agent signings ever made...by any team. He only has 3 extra base hits in his previous 31 games including zero over his last ten games, and on the season only has four doubles and two homers to go with a measly ten RBI's. He is currently hitting .228 this season. As a Met, Bay has 8 homers, 57 RBI's, and only 24 doubles and 6 triples in 129 games. Eddie Whitson, a horrendous signing by the Yankees in 1985 is a close second.

-Nice win by the Mets on Thursday, coming from behind to win 9-8 after being down 7-0. A little side note on that game, not a single Pirates pitcher has an ERA over 3.76 after today's game while the Mets featured three pitchers who sport ERA over 5.00. Those three are, Mike Pelfrey, Tim Byrdak, and Robbie Parnell. The game also featured Chris Capuano being inserted as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning for Nick Evans. However, Terry Collins changed his mind and sent Josh Thole out to hit for Capuano. Thole walked.

-Ivan Nova better start pitching if he wants to keep his spot in the Yankees rotation. Phil Hughes should be off the DL by mid-July and Carlos Silva is waiting in the minors. Nova's days might be numbered right now.

-How long do the Yankees stick with Jorge Posada at DH? He is 0-the year against left-handed pitching, has a batting average that is lower than some pitchers, and cannot play the field too often. Right now, and I hate to say this about one of the best catchers in recent Yankee history, he is just clogging up a roster spot that can be better used on someone else which would give Joe Girardi a little more flexibility when making up the lineup.

-Only three Yankees are not leading in the voting results for their respective positions. Russell Martin leads catchers, Mark Teixeira leads first basemen, Robinson Cano leads second basemen, Derek Jeter leads shortstops, Alex Rodriguez leads third basemen, and Curtis Granderson is second among all outfielders. That leaves Jorge, Nick Swisher, and Brett Gardner the only three Yankees not leading. However, Swisher is 7th among outfielders and Gardner ranks 11th. Cano leads all Yankees with almost 1.2 million votes.

Well, that's all for now. Enjoy whatever it is you enjoy doing.