The non-waiver trading deadline in baseball has come and gone. The dust has settled and I'm ready to give out my grades for the two New York teams.
Yankees: Many thought the Yankees needed to do something. Many assumed they would be able to acquire that #2 starting pitcher after Cliff Lee spurned New York dollars for Philadelphia familiarity. It didn't happen. That's not to say it was for lack of trying. The Yankees kicked the tires on former Rockie and current Indian Ubaldo Jimenez. However, the Rockies asked for Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and Manny Banuelos, or Dellin Betances. The Yankees rightfully said no. Jimenez, according to AL scouts, is not considered #2 starter material for the AL East. He may have been an ace in Colorado but the Al East is a different beast altogether. Then there was Wandy Rodriguez, the Astros lefty who is set to make $39 million over the next few years. He isn't an ace either but he is paid like one and was treated like one by the Astros in trade talks. GM Brian Cashman could have had either of those players but he felt the Yankees young prospects and Phil Hughes were all equal or had the potential to be greater than what was offered. Kudos to Cashman for not letting himself be held hostage. After all, the Rockies got less than what they were asking for from the Yankees in their trade with the Indians despite the fact that the Indians gave up some decent talent but it was nowhere close to the level of talent Cashman was asked to part with. Many of the experts have said the Yankees are losers at this trade deadline but I couldn't disagree more. As a GM of a contending team with a strong farm system you don't go out and make trades for the sake of making trades. Sure, this is the first season since 1999 that the Yankees failed to make any deal but did they really need to? Currently they are in contention with the Boston Red Sox for the AL East crown and they currently hold a comfortable lead in the Wild Card. They have done that with this so-called makeshift rotation behind C.C. Sabathia. The truth of the matter is the talent that was out there at this deadline did not represent enough of an upgrade to deal two prospects in Baseball America's Top 30 (Montero and Banuelos). Another hold up was the denial of the Yankees request to have an MRI taken of Jimenez's shoulder. Why would the Rockies deny an exam on an arm that they wanted so much for? In fact, why would the Rockies trade their ace who is under team control for a few more years and makes less than $5 million annually? It just doesn't add up. Perhaps there is something wrong there or there is something that worried Colorado enough to trade their best starter. The truth of the matter is that this year Ubaldo's numbers have looked eerily similar to A.J. Burnett's and the Yankees already have a Burnett, why mortgage the farm for another one? The experts can call the Yankees losers at the deadline all they want but their farm system has good depth at starting pitching and it should be able to step in if something happens to Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, or Phil Hughes. Because of this I give Cashman and the Yankees an A at this deadline. Refusing to be held hostage for players that did not significantly improve their chances of winning the World Series was the right move.
Mets: The Mets have been in a quandary for most of the season. They have been playing very good baseball and weren't that far out of it. However, GM Sandy Alderson took the Mets job with a plan, to get the Mets back to contention for years, not just a season. He traded away closer Francisco Rodriguez in a salary dump move. This freed up over $15 million next year because of the games finished clause in Rodriguez's contract that he was on pace to surpass. That money can now go towards re-signing Jose Reyes or, if Reyes bolts, bringing in a decent starter like C.J. Wilson. Alderson also traded away Carlos Beltran and, although the move was unpopular with some Mets fans, it brought back Zack Wheeler who could be a potential top-of-the-rotation kind of guy. Coupled with Matt Harvey and the Mets are now looking pretty solid pitching wise for 2013 and beyond. Alderson didn't blow up the team. He could have. But those returns would have been negligible. Instead he took two players who were not part of the long-term future and turned them into financial flexibility and a potential ace. Even if Wheeler doesn't pan out he still did the right thing so this analysis will not change over the years. Going into this season everyone expected the Mets to blow up the team and trade away David Wright and Jose Reyes. That didn't happen because it didn't have to. If the Mets are able to re-sign Jose Reyes and David Wright stays healthy and they get Ike Davis back at 100% next season and Johan Santana is healthy then you have a pretty decent team capable of making a run at a wild card spot. With Johan supposedly coming back this season the Mets can always use this time as an audition for other teams and trade him for younger pitchers if they so desire. The Mets now have options, something they needed. Alderson needed flexibility going into this offseason. He needed to put a little gas in the minor league tank. He achieved all of that. The Mets get an A.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
1st and 10
-The Seahawks have given Sidney Rice a five-year $41 million contract. That's great but who exactly is throwing the ball to him? Tavaris Jackson? Charlie Whitehurst? Good luck Pete Carroll.
-The New England Patriots obtained Albert Haynesworth from the Redskins for a 2013 fifth-round pick. Call me crazy but I think New England just got a steal here. Yes, Haynesworth was a huge baby in Washington but New England will either make him fall in line or cut him. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Haynesworth might have a big year. If he passes the physical which is as big an "if" as Haynesworth himself.
-Reggie Bush is now a Dolphin. Not sure if he is what the team needs. Yes, they needed a running back but Bush is not close to an every down kind of back and if the Dolphins are expecting second-round pick Daniel Thomas to shoulder the load they might have more problems than they think. Trusting a rookie this year to shoulder a significant load is dangerous.
-Is there anyone out there who has gotten less respect than Donovan McNabb? McNabb is now on his third team in three years after the Redskins traded him to Minnesota for two 6th round picks over the next two years. I think McNabb could have a decent season if Minnesota gives him reliable receivers. Letting Sidney Rice walk was not a good start.
-Now that the Pirates are hovering around first place is there any team that is synonymous with futility in sports anymore? For evidence I submit the Cincinnati Bengals. I think Bruce Gradkowski is going to be their starter. Wow. Fun. This whole Carson Palmer saga is like watching two little children fight over toys.
-The Jets have made Santonio Holmes a very rich man. They had no choice. Without him their offense stutters and probably falls on its face.
-I think the Redskins have been in Washington, D.C. too long because they are starting to operate like Congress. They spend money like it isn't theirs on useless projects, for example Albert Haynesworth, and just about every other free agent that walked in the locker room. They often get no results from said spending sprees and then try to fix the problems by going out and throwing money around. They have an owner who doesn't have a clue. They just signed a guy (Donte Stallworth) who killed a man while driving drunk. Yep, maybe the Redskins are truly at home n D.C. At least Congress will go out and root for them.
-The Giants released center Shaun O'Hara this past week and signed former 49er David Baas to a deal. Baas played center last season for the Niners and was a guard before that. It is still unclear if the Giants intend to use Baas as a guard and bring back O'Hara on a cheaper deal or if they will use Baas as center. Despite being injured last year O'Hara was one of the better centers in football and is an all around great guy. Personally, I think the Giants should bring him back but that could just be the fan in me talking.
-Speaking of the Giants, it appears they are one of two teams Plaxico Burress is interested in joining. The Steelers being the other. I don't think anyone would have predicted that. Most experts had him signed up for Philly the second he emerged from prison. I liked Burress during his time with the Giants and would love to see him back. However, I don't know where he fits in with Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and youngsters Ramses Barden and Victor Cruz and Jarrell Jernigan at that spot. The idea of having Burress show Barden how to use his size in traffic is intriguing. Plus, it does create major matchup problems for opposing defenses. Eli can throw 50 times a game and rack up 4,300 yards with an effective Burress teaming up with that receiving corps.
-The Eagles signed Jason Babin, who had 12.5 sacks last year for the Titans. Babin teams up with Trent Cole to give the Eagles a very good defensive end tandem. Just what the rest of the NFC East wanted to hear.
-If the Giants want to contend this year they must sign Mathias Kiwanuka, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss. All three are extremely talented players at their respective positions and Kiwanuka was leading the team in sacks last year and should be a number one priority along with Smith who also is coming off an injury plagued season. Those injuries should give the Giants a little bit of a discount as those players would have cost the Giants big money over a full season. They need to take advantage of that and get these guys signed.
-The New England Patriots obtained Albert Haynesworth from the Redskins for a 2013 fifth-round pick. Call me crazy but I think New England just got a steal here. Yes, Haynesworth was a huge baby in Washington but New England will either make him fall in line or cut him. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Haynesworth might have a big year. If he passes the physical which is as big an "if" as Haynesworth himself.
-Reggie Bush is now a Dolphin. Not sure if he is what the team needs. Yes, they needed a running back but Bush is not close to an every down kind of back and if the Dolphins are expecting second-round pick Daniel Thomas to shoulder the load they might have more problems than they think. Trusting a rookie this year to shoulder a significant load is dangerous.
-Is there anyone out there who has gotten less respect than Donovan McNabb? McNabb is now on his third team in three years after the Redskins traded him to Minnesota for two 6th round picks over the next two years. I think McNabb could have a decent season if Minnesota gives him reliable receivers. Letting Sidney Rice walk was not a good start.
-Now that the Pirates are hovering around first place is there any team that is synonymous with futility in sports anymore? For evidence I submit the Cincinnati Bengals. I think Bruce Gradkowski is going to be their starter. Wow. Fun. This whole Carson Palmer saga is like watching two little children fight over toys.
-The Jets have made Santonio Holmes a very rich man. They had no choice. Without him their offense stutters and probably falls on its face.
-I think the Redskins have been in Washington, D.C. too long because they are starting to operate like Congress. They spend money like it isn't theirs on useless projects, for example Albert Haynesworth, and just about every other free agent that walked in the locker room. They often get no results from said spending sprees and then try to fix the problems by going out and throwing money around. They have an owner who doesn't have a clue. They just signed a guy (Donte Stallworth) who killed a man while driving drunk. Yep, maybe the Redskins are truly at home n D.C. At least Congress will go out and root for them.
-The Giants released center Shaun O'Hara this past week and signed former 49er David Baas to a deal. Baas played center last season for the Niners and was a guard before that. It is still unclear if the Giants intend to use Baas as a guard and bring back O'Hara on a cheaper deal or if they will use Baas as center. Despite being injured last year O'Hara was one of the better centers in football and is an all around great guy. Personally, I think the Giants should bring him back but that could just be the fan in me talking.
-Speaking of the Giants, it appears they are one of two teams Plaxico Burress is interested in joining. The Steelers being the other. I don't think anyone would have predicted that. Most experts had him signed up for Philly the second he emerged from prison. I liked Burress during his time with the Giants and would love to see him back. However, I don't know where he fits in with Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and youngsters Ramses Barden and Victor Cruz and Jarrell Jernigan at that spot. The idea of having Burress show Barden how to use his size in traffic is intriguing. Plus, it does create major matchup problems for opposing defenses. Eli can throw 50 times a game and rack up 4,300 yards with an effective Burress teaming up with that receiving corps.
-The Eagles signed Jason Babin, who had 12.5 sacks last year for the Titans. Babin teams up with Trent Cole to give the Eagles a very good defensive end tandem. Just what the rest of the NFC East wanted to hear.
-If the Giants want to contend this year they must sign Mathias Kiwanuka, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss. All three are extremely talented players at their respective positions and Kiwanuka was leading the team in sacks last year and should be a number one priority along with Smith who also is coming off an injury plagued season. Those injuries should give the Giants a little bit of a discount as those players would have cost the Giants big money over a full season. They need to take advantage of that and get these guys signed.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Trade Candidates
The July 31st, non-waiver trading deadline is quickly approaching so I thought I would take a look at some of the players who are being mentioned in rumors.
B.J. Upton, OF, Rays: Upton was once a highly touted prospect, showing that he possessed five tools. Now, his power is kind of there, his speed is still there, but his ability to hit for average has vanished. Earlier in the year I labeled Upton as one of the most overrated players in the game. So far this season he has only proven me correct by hitting .229 with 15 homers and 52 RBI's. He also has 13 doubles and no triples while stealing 23 bags. Upton has regressed almost every year after his stellar 2007 campaign where he hit .300 with 24 homers and 82 RBI's. He plays a decent centerfield, though not quite gold-glove caliber. The Washington Nationals are said to be lusting after Upton and, according to reports, would offer up the moon for him. To me that is just silly. Washington's best chance for success if further development of their young players, not trading them. Sure, Upton is only 26 but he has been in the league since he was 19 and has had seven years to prove something. The NAtionals would be wise to stay their course. They have a progressing Danny Espinosa who is being mentioned for NL Rookie of the Year, a rehabbing Stephen Strasburg who could return in September, the top prospect in all of baseball in Bryce Harper at AA, and a wealth of other prospects including Anthony Rendon, Tyler Moore, Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, and a wealth of others. In the next five years this team should develop into a power in the NL. Why risk that by trading for a player who has only regressed every year since 2007-08? All Upton is is a strikeout waiting to happen. If they can get him without giving up major prospects or anyone on their current roster then I would give it a try. Maybe a change of scenery would help. More likely it won't. the only thing that will help Upton is Upton and I don't think he cares enough to do that.
Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets: Beltran is enjoying a resurgence this season. He leads the NL in doubles and has shown he can still hit the home run and his knees are holding up. The Mets are in limbo right now, not fully committed to a rebuild but not exactly stocking up for a stretch run. The Mets are stuck in a limbo of uncertainty. Injuries have derailed what could have been a surprise season for them. Maybe not a playoff berth but a winning record wasn't out of the question. Still isn't. However, Beltran is 34 and entering free agency this offseason. The Mets need to get something in return for him since he doesn't fit into their long-term plans. Teams like the Giants, Phillies, Braves, Pirates, Indians, and Rangers all could use Beltran's pop. The Mets are trying to pry a top prospect out of the deal since Beltran really is the best bat on the market right now. Getting a key player in return for Beltran is imperative for the Mets. They need someone who will be able to step in in a year or two, whether its a pitcher or position player, and contribute.
Mike Adams, RP, Padres: Adams is viewed as the best relief option on the market and the Padres are asking a lot in return for him. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has maintained that he won't go crazy for relief pitching this year, especially with Rafael Soriano coming off the DL this week. There are a lot of teams that could use Adams as either a set-up man or closer who might overpay for him. Personally, I'm not a big fan of giving out huge contracts or offering up big-time prospects for relievers. Look at the Yankees history with big name relievers to find out why. Relievers are probably the most volatile commodity in baseball, dominating for a year or a few and then flaming out. Rare is the Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, or Dennis Eckersley. With that being said, there are still team who have a real shot at making the playoffs this year who could use someone like Adams. The Pirates could always use someone to set-up for Joel Hanrahan who is enjoying a fine season. The Cardinals bullpen has been something of a spectacle this season as well and they could use him. Both the Cardinals and Pirates are tied with the Brewers for first place with the Reds breathing down all their necks and the Brewers now have Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford to close out games for them. Adams in St. Louis could mean the difference between playoffs or golf.
Tyler Clippard, RP, Nationals: Clippard is a wins vulture, somehow escaping even bad outings with a "W." A new baseball term has even come into fashion in his honor, "Clip" as in clip the win. He isn't dominating but gets the job done by keeping hitters off balance with a variety of breaking stuff and a decent enough fastball. Clippard is still young and is coming off his first All-Star Game appearance so he could bring in a decent prospect or two. The Braves, Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, and a slew of other teams have shown an interest. I personally like Clippard having seen him pitch at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and meeting him a few times. However, being a nice guy and good pitcher in the minors are on the opposite pole of reality. Clippard is still a good set-up man but, like with Adams, I think the Nationals will have to be very pleased with the package they take away from the deal which would prohibit me from trying to acquire him, especially when combined with his mediocre performance level in high leverage situations.
Heath Bell, RP, Padres: Bell is the closer in San Diego but is not their best reliever (that would be the aforementioned Mike Adams). Bell would like to stay in the NL but you can't always get what you want. All the teams previously mentioned in the Adams and Clippard paragraphs would be in play for Bell as well. Since he would cost less in terms of prospects than Adams, I would target him instead if I'm the Cardinals GM. He has shown he can close and the cost is lower. In a bad economy, like this one for available players of all positions, you sometimes have to clip coupons and use them wisely. With Adams overshadowing Bell in drool factor among teams someone like the Cardinals just might be able to swoop in and grab Bell with their coupons.
The trade market this year is not as cut and dry as in years past. There are a ton of teams that are hovering around respectability that will prohibit them from becoming sellers. Hell, even the Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in a tight race in the NL Central where three teams share the lead and the Reds are only 3 games out in 2nd. Not even the Twins, with their 47-54 record are conceding defeat. There is a complete lack of depth right now in the market. That's not to say trades won't develop. Hell, the Marlins could trade Hanley Ramirez tomorrow, you just can't predict it. Either way, this is among the best periods in all of sports and we should all sit back and enjoy the ride. Hopefully our favorite teams don't become stupid and trade their best prospects for spare parts.
B.J. Upton, OF, Rays: Upton was once a highly touted prospect, showing that he possessed five tools. Now, his power is kind of there, his speed is still there, but his ability to hit for average has vanished. Earlier in the year I labeled Upton as one of the most overrated players in the game. So far this season he has only proven me correct by hitting .229 with 15 homers and 52 RBI's. He also has 13 doubles and no triples while stealing 23 bags. Upton has regressed almost every year after his stellar 2007 campaign where he hit .300 with 24 homers and 82 RBI's. He plays a decent centerfield, though not quite gold-glove caliber. The Washington Nationals are said to be lusting after Upton and, according to reports, would offer up the moon for him. To me that is just silly. Washington's best chance for success if further development of their young players, not trading them. Sure, Upton is only 26 but he has been in the league since he was 19 and has had seven years to prove something. The NAtionals would be wise to stay their course. They have a progressing Danny Espinosa who is being mentioned for NL Rookie of the Year, a rehabbing Stephen Strasburg who could return in September, the top prospect in all of baseball in Bryce Harper at AA, and a wealth of other prospects including Anthony Rendon, Tyler Moore, Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, and a wealth of others. In the next five years this team should develop into a power in the NL. Why risk that by trading for a player who has only regressed every year since 2007-08? All Upton is is a strikeout waiting to happen. If they can get him without giving up major prospects or anyone on their current roster then I would give it a try. Maybe a change of scenery would help. More likely it won't. the only thing that will help Upton is Upton and I don't think he cares enough to do that.
Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets: Beltran is enjoying a resurgence this season. He leads the NL in doubles and has shown he can still hit the home run and his knees are holding up. The Mets are in limbo right now, not fully committed to a rebuild but not exactly stocking up for a stretch run. The Mets are stuck in a limbo of uncertainty. Injuries have derailed what could have been a surprise season for them. Maybe not a playoff berth but a winning record wasn't out of the question. Still isn't. However, Beltran is 34 and entering free agency this offseason. The Mets need to get something in return for him since he doesn't fit into their long-term plans. Teams like the Giants, Phillies, Braves, Pirates, Indians, and Rangers all could use Beltran's pop. The Mets are trying to pry a top prospect out of the deal since Beltran really is the best bat on the market right now. Getting a key player in return for Beltran is imperative for the Mets. They need someone who will be able to step in in a year or two, whether its a pitcher or position player, and contribute.
Mike Adams, RP, Padres: Adams is viewed as the best relief option on the market and the Padres are asking a lot in return for him. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has maintained that he won't go crazy for relief pitching this year, especially with Rafael Soriano coming off the DL this week. There are a lot of teams that could use Adams as either a set-up man or closer who might overpay for him. Personally, I'm not a big fan of giving out huge contracts or offering up big-time prospects for relievers. Look at the Yankees history with big name relievers to find out why. Relievers are probably the most volatile commodity in baseball, dominating for a year or a few and then flaming out. Rare is the Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, or Dennis Eckersley. With that being said, there are still team who have a real shot at making the playoffs this year who could use someone like Adams. The Pirates could always use someone to set-up for Joel Hanrahan who is enjoying a fine season. The Cardinals bullpen has been something of a spectacle this season as well and they could use him. Both the Cardinals and Pirates are tied with the Brewers for first place with the Reds breathing down all their necks and the Brewers now have Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford to close out games for them. Adams in St. Louis could mean the difference between playoffs or golf.
Tyler Clippard, RP, Nationals: Clippard is a wins vulture, somehow escaping even bad outings with a "W." A new baseball term has even come into fashion in his honor, "Clip" as in clip the win. He isn't dominating but gets the job done by keeping hitters off balance with a variety of breaking stuff and a decent enough fastball. Clippard is still young and is coming off his first All-Star Game appearance so he could bring in a decent prospect or two. The Braves, Yankees, Rangers, Red Sox, and a slew of other teams have shown an interest. I personally like Clippard having seen him pitch at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and meeting him a few times. However, being a nice guy and good pitcher in the minors are on the opposite pole of reality. Clippard is still a good set-up man but, like with Adams, I think the Nationals will have to be very pleased with the package they take away from the deal which would prohibit me from trying to acquire him, especially when combined with his mediocre performance level in high leverage situations.
Heath Bell, RP, Padres: Bell is the closer in San Diego but is not their best reliever (that would be the aforementioned Mike Adams). Bell would like to stay in the NL but you can't always get what you want. All the teams previously mentioned in the Adams and Clippard paragraphs would be in play for Bell as well. Since he would cost less in terms of prospects than Adams, I would target him instead if I'm the Cardinals GM. He has shown he can close and the cost is lower. In a bad economy, like this one for available players of all positions, you sometimes have to clip coupons and use them wisely. With Adams overshadowing Bell in drool factor among teams someone like the Cardinals just might be able to swoop in and grab Bell with their coupons.
The trade market this year is not as cut and dry as in years past. There are a ton of teams that are hovering around respectability that will prohibit them from becoming sellers. Hell, even the Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in a tight race in the NL Central where three teams share the lead and the Reds are only 3 games out in 2nd. Not even the Twins, with their 47-54 record are conceding defeat. There is a complete lack of depth right now in the market. That's not to say trades won't develop. Hell, the Marlins could trade Hanley Ramirez tomorrow, you just can't predict it. Either way, this is among the best periods in all of sports and we should all sit back and enjoy the ride. Hopefully our favorite teams don't become stupid and trade their best prospects for spare parts.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Ubaldo and the Yankees
Rumors have started swirling recently about a possible trade involving the Yankees and Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez. It is rumored Colorado sees Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero as a possible solution at first base and a deal could center around him and either Dellin Betances or Manny Banuelos, the Yankees top two pitching prospects plus some others. Given the Yankees recent history with National League pitchers I have to wonder if this deal makes sense for the Yankees.
So far this season, Ubaldo has struggled. Sure, he is pitching better now after an 0-5 start but the question must be asked, why did the guy who finished third in the NL Cy Young voting last year get off to such a rough start? Was he jealous of the deals Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki were given by Colorado? Was his arm not 100% after throwing all of those innings last year? His velocity has been down this year which could explain why he has been as hittable this season. His swing and miss rate is down to 7.5% after having never been below 8.9% between 2007 and 2010. Still, he does get a lot of strikeouts and groundballs, offsetting those numbers a little. However, his track record in the playoffs isn't very ace-like and his interleague numbers are very blah to say the least. His numbers against the American League are very similar to what A.J. Burnett is posting now. He owns a 6-4 record, 4.08 ERA, 7.3 K/9 ratio (down from his normal 8.1 career rate) in 79.1 innings against teams on the Junior Circuit.
The comparables to A.J. Burnett are pretty uncanny this season. Jimenez has thrown a couple of good starts only to look terrible on his next couple. This year Burnett's line is: 8-7, 4.15 ERA, 97 hits allowed in 119.1 innings, 52 walks, 100 K's (7.5 K/9) and a 1.24 WHIP. Jimenez sports a 5-8 record, 4.08 ERA, 101 hits allowed in 110.1 innings, 43 walks, 99 K's (8.1 K/9) and a 1.30 WHIP. Eerily similar. Burnett is a little wilder and gives up the long ball (17 this year compared to Jimenez's 8) a little more often but the numbers are very close to each other. Do the Yankees really want to give up a boatload of prospects for a guy who might just be another A.J. Burnett?
OK, so A.J. never had a season like Jimenez did last year. Jimenez was a true ace last season. However, this season he has been anything but. In a league where offense is no longer king, one has to wonder what is behind Jimenez's recent downturn. Is it arm related? He did have major shoulder surgery in 2004 while in the minors. Sure, it was in 2004 but shoulder problems can linger and become an issue again, especially is the pitcher puts a lot of strain on his shoulder, or even elbow. Jimenez throws a bunch of pitches that put strain on those joints. Aside from his 2 and 4 seam fastballs he throws a slider and splitter which can strain even the strongest elbows. I'm not saying he is injured but his long term health must be questioned if you are going to give up the farm.
Now for the big question, can Jimenez handle the American League? We have seen many good pitchers come over from the National League to the Yankees only to become shells of their former selves. Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright (he saw his big success come in the NL hence the 3 year, $21 million deal the Yankees gave him), Kyle Farnsworth, Javier Vazquez, Chris Hammond, Paul Quantrill, and even Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown come to mind although they were good or great in the AL before moving on to an extended NL stay. I'm not saying Jimenez would follow in their footsteps but it is worth noting.
All of this is just speculation, much like the speculation that Colorado would trade their ace pitcher who is under a team friendly contract until 2014. I don't see why they would even dangle their best pitcher, regardless of how tough a year he is having. Colorado is 8 games out of first place in the NL West and they have been known to make a crazy second half comeback. I just don't see why, unless they are completely blown away by an offer, they would part with their best pitcher who is still just 27 years-old. If an unbelievable offer came their way then I would understand but why would a team like the Yankees offer up a whole slew of their best prospects for a guy who is pulling an A.J. Burnett impersonation this season? The Yankees would be much better served to bring Jesus Montero up to the big leagues to replace Francisco Cervelli who has been downright dreadful on both sides of the game, allow Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances (both of whom have made every guru's top 50 prospects list) to develop and eventually take their places in the rotation or bullpen in the next couple of years. All three of those kids are among the top prospects in the game, and would all be cheaper and under team control for a long time. If they develop as projected, or if even one does, it still gives the Yankees more payroll flexibility and still gives them a helluva player at that position, whether it is DH, pitcher, or catcher. There are very few pitchers in this game right now that I would trade 2 of those kids for and three of them are on the Phillies roster (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels), two are on the Red Sox roster (Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz), one is already a Yankee (C.C.) and one is in Seattle (Felix Hernandez).
Bottom line, while Jimenez is intriguing because he might be the best available (or semi-available) starter on the market this year. However, I wouldn't give up the farm to get him. Nor would I trade him if I were the Rockies unless he was a real clubhouse cancer and just stopped pitching because he felt bad he wasn't given a new contract. I don't see this trade matching up.
So far this season, Ubaldo has struggled. Sure, he is pitching better now after an 0-5 start but the question must be asked, why did the guy who finished third in the NL Cy Young voting last year get off to such a rough start? Was he jealous of the deals Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki were given by Colorado? Was his arm not 100% after throwing all of those innings last year? His velocity has been down this year which could explain why he has been as hittable this season. His swing and miss rate is down to 7.5% after having never been below 8.9% between 2007 and 2010. Still, he does get a lot of strikeouts and groundballs, offsetting those numbers a little. However, his track record in the playoffs isn't very ace-like and his interleague numbers are very blah to say the least. His numbers against the American League are very similar to what A.J. Burnett is posting now. He owns a 6-4 record, 4.08 ERA, 7.3 K/9 ratio (down from his normal 8.1 career rate) in 79.1 innings against teams on the Junior Circuit.
The comparables to A.J. Burnett are pretty uncanny this season. Jimenez has thrown a couple of good starts only to look terrible on his next couple. This year Burnett's line is: 8-7, 4.15 ERA, 97 hits allowed in 119.1 innings, 52 walks, 100 K's (7.5 K/9) and a 1.24 WHIP. Jimenez sports a 5-8 record, 4.08 ERA, 101 hits allowed in 110.1 innings, 43 walks, 99 K's (8.1 K/9) and a 1.30 WHIP. Eerily similar. Burnett is a little wilder and gives up the long ball (17 this year compared to Jimenez's 8) a little more often but the numbers are very close to each other. Do the Yankees really want to give up a boatload of prospects for a guy who might just be another A.J. Burnett?
OK, so A.J. never had a season like Jimenez did last year. Jimenez was a true ace last season. However, this season he has been anything but. In a league where offense is no longer king, one has to wonder what is behind Jimenez's recent downturn. Is it arm related? He did have major shoulder surgery in 2004 while in the minors. Sure, it was in 2004 but shoulder problems can linger and become an issue again, especially is the pitcher puts a lot of strain on his shoulder, or even elbow. Jimenez throws a bunch of pitches that put strain on those joints. Aside from his 2 and 4 seam fastballs he throws a slider and splitter which can strain even the strongest elbows. I'm not saying he is injured but his long term health must be questioned if you are going to give up the farm.
Now for the big question, can Jimenez handle the American League? We have seen many good pitchers come over from the National League to the Yankees only to become shells of their former selves. Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright (he saw his big success come in the NL hence the 3 year, $21 million deal the Yankees gave him), Kyle Farnsworth, Javier Vazquez, Chris Hammond, Paul Quantrill, and even Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown come to mind although they were good or great in the AL before moving on to an extended NL stay. I'm not saying Jimenez would follow in their footsteps but it is worth noting.
All of this is just speculation, much like the speculation that Colorado would trade their ace pitcher who is under a team friendly contract until 2014. I don't see why they would even dangle their best pitcher, regardless of how tough a year he is having. Colorado is 8 games out of first place in the NL West and they have been known to make a crazy second half comeback. I just don't see why, unless they are completely blown away by an offer, they would part with their best pitcher who is still just 27 years-old. If an unbelievable offer came their way then I would understand but why would a team like the Yankees offer up a whole slew of their best prospects for a guy who is pulling an A.J. Burnett impersonation this season? The Yankees would be much better served to bring Jesus Montero up to the big leagues to replace Francisco Cervelli who has been downright dreadful on both sides of the game, allow Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances (both of whom have made every guru's top 50 prospects list) to develop and eventually take their places in the rotation or bullpen in the next couple of years. All three of those kids are among the top prospects in the game, and would all be cheaper and under team control for a long time. If they develop as projected, or if even one does, it still gives the Yankees more payroll flexibility and still gives them a helluva player at that position, whether it is DH, pitcher, or catcher. There are very few pitchers in this game right now that I would trade 2 of those kids for and three of them are on the Phillies roster (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels), two are on the Red Sox roster (Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz), one is already a Yankee (C.C.) and one is in Seattle (Felix Hernandez).
Bottom line, while Jimenez is intriguing because he might be the best available (or semi-available) starter on the market this year. However, I wouldn't give up the farm to get him. Nor would I trade him if I were the Rockies unless he was a real clubhouse cancer and just stopped pitching because he felt bad he wasn't given a new contract. I don't see this trade matching up.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Grading the Front Offices and Managers
Both the Yankees and Mets entered this season with a ton of question marks. The Yankees lost out on Cliff Lee and saw Andy Pettitte retire leaving what appeared to be a gaping hole in their rotation. The Mets were surrounded by questions about their economic stability and are embroiled in a billion dollar lawsuit and new GM Sandy Alderson has had to work around a media that is always asking him when he will start the big fire sale. Life in New York is not easy. Not for Brian Cashman and not for Sandy Alderson. It doesn't get any easier on the field for Joe Girardi, who is expected to win the World Series every year, or Terry Collins who has to prove this Mets team is good enough to contend. Here are their grades for the first half of this year:
Brian Cashman: He lost out on Cliff Lee, saw Andy Pettitte retire, and saw the rival Red Sox sign Carl Crawford and trade for Adrian Gonzalez. Things were not looking good for the Yankees. It wouldn't get better for Cashman as days after losing out on Lee and with Crawford already in Boston, Yankee owndership circumvented Cashman and signed Rafael Soriano to a ridiculous contract leaving question about who is running the team swirling around the Bronx. Cashman's offseason looked impotent, especially when he signed Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league deals. Colon and Garcia were considered by many to be washed up has-beens with nothing left to give. Still, Cashman needed arms to compete for roster spots. So far, the Colon and Garcia signings might have been the salvation of the Yankees first half. Both have pitched extremely well and have provided innings to ease the burden on a depleted bullpen that has seen Joba Chamberlain lost for the year and Rafael Soriano for an indefinite amount of time. The other big free agent signing of the year, Pedro Feliciano, was supposed to give the Yankees a veteran lefty arm to supplement Boone Logan and get lefty hitters like Crawford, Gonzalez, and David Ortiz out. Feliciano has yet to pitch in a game this year due to arm issues. Losing Feliciano, Cashman's big free agent signing, hurt. Cashman's first half, which includes this past offseason, was not very good when measured by expectations. He is saved only because Colon and Garcia are pitching well. Still, its hard to overlook the shot across his bow by the Steinbrenners with the Soriano signing, a disaster in itself so far, and the fact that he didn't land Cliff Lee, and Feliciano, who had been abused by the Mets over the years, goes down before getting into a game. I'm not even mentioning the child-like way he handled the Derek Jeter negotiations. Overall grade: C-
Joe Girardi: It's never easy being the manager of a team that everyone expects to win every year. Having the largest payroll will do that. To Girardi it's just another day at the office. Injuries to his main bullpen cogs not named Mariano have left him scrambling for answers. He has had to rely on kids like Hector Noesi, Lance Pendleton, Cory Wade, Amaury Sanit, Jeff Marquez, and veteran retreads like Buddy Carlyle, Luis Ayala, and Sergio Mitre. Some have surprised, like Wade and Ayala. Others have been good. While others, like Sanit have been disasters. He has also had to deal with a contentious relationship with Jorge Posada whose outburst in Boston threatened to rip apart the team, questions about where a struggling Derek JEter should bat, and a host of other issues on a day to day basis. A 1-8 mark against the Red Sox hasn't helped matters either. Still, the Yankees are right there, hovering around first place with the Red Sox, and Girardi has this team playing well. Take away those losses to the Red Sox and the Yankees have a 6 game lead in the East. Right now the Yankees are on pace for 97-98 wins. Not too shabby. Grade: A-
Sandy Alderson: When he took the job as Mets GM he knew he was facing a daunting task. He was handed over the keys to a car that needed major repairs but would still be expected to take to the road. He surrounded himself with some very good baseball people in Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi, among others and has not blown up the team for the sake of a total rebuild. The Mets have responded by going out and playing some good baseball despite the truckload of injuries to key players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Ike Davis, not to mention staff ace Johan Santana. He just traded Francisco Rodriguez and cash to the Brewers to prevent the Mets from having to pay $17.5 million in a vesting option for two players to be named later. Freeing up that money for next season helps pave the way to resigning Jose Reyes. It would have been very easy for him to just blow up a team that has not played up to its potential in recent years or has been hit by enough injuries that would make entire hospitals weep at the workload. With the trade deadline approaching he will have his work cut out for him but he has a plan and will be prepared. With a baseball braintrust like he has assembled, how can he not be? Alderson's overall grade: B+
Terry Collins: Managing the Mets might have been one of the least appealing jobs in all of baseball. The financial questions swirling around ownership, the roster of underachievers and DL candidates, and the New York press hovering about like vultures waiting for the death to swoop in and pick at the remnants. Into this cauldron stepped Terry Collins, a man who last managed in 1999 and whose 444-434 record didn't instill a ton of confidence in the Mets fanbase. Collins has responded by leading the Mets to a 46-45 record at the break, leaps and bounds above where anyone expected to see this team at this point. Throw into that the fact he has not had Johan Santana all year, has lost Ike Davis, David Wright, Angel Pagan, and Jose Reyes to injuries for parts of this season, and has juggled a lineup that has included Justin Turner playing second and third, Willie Harris playing everywhere, and Scott Hairston getting significant playing time. Still, the Mets are above .500, a small miracle that has kept the Mets faithful hopeful that there might be a future for this club. His overall grade: B+
Brian Cashman: He lost out on Cliff Lee, saw Andy Pettitte retire, and saw the rival Red Sox sign Carl Crawford and trade for Adrian Gonzalez. Things were not looking good for the Yankees. It wouldn't get better for Cashman as days after losing out on Lee and with Crawford already in Boston, Yankee owndership circumvented Cashman and signed Rafael Soriano to a ridiculous contract leaving question about who is running the team swirling around the Bronx. Cashman's offseason looked impotent, especially when he signed Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league deals. Colon and Garcia were considered by many to be washed up has-beens with nothing left to give. Still, Cashman needed arms to compete for roster spots. So far, the Colon and Garcia signings might have been the salvation of the Yankees first half. Both have pitched extremely well and have provided innings to ease the burden on a depleted bullpen that has seen Joba Chamberlain lost for the year and Rafael Soriano for an indefinite amount of time. The other big free agent signing of the year, Pedro Feliciano, was supposed to give the Yankees a veteran lefty arm to supplement Boone Logan and get lefty hitters like Crawford, Gonzalez, and David Ortiz out. Feliciano has yet to pitch in a game this year due to arm issues. Losing Feliciano, Cashman's big free agent signing, hurt. Cashman's first half, which includes this past offseason, was not very good when measured by expectations. He is saved only because Colon and Garcia are pitching well. Still, its hard to overlook the shot across his bow by the Steinbrenners with the Soriano signing, a disaster in itself so far, and the fact that he didn't land Cliff Lee, and Feliciano, who had been abused by the Mets over the years, goes down before getting into a game. I'm not even mentioning the child-like way he handled the Derek Jeter negotiations. Overall grade: C-
Joe Girardi: It's never easy being the manager of a team that everyone expects to win every year. Having the largest payroll will do that. To Girardi it's just another day at the office. Injuries to his main bullpen cogs not named Mariano have left him scrambling for answers. He has had to rely on kids like Hector Noesi, Lance Pendleton, Cory Wade, Amaury Sanit, Jeff Marquez, and veteran retreads like Buddy Carlyle, Luis Ayala, and Sergio Mitre. Some have surprised, like Wade and Ayala. Others have been good. While others, like Sanit have been disasters. He has also had to deal with a contentious relationship with Jorge Posada whose outburst in Boston threatened to rip apart the team, questions about where a struggling Derek JEter should bat, and a host of other issues on a day to day basis. A 1-8 mark against the Red Sox hasn't helped matters either. Still, the Yankees are right there, hovering around first place with the Red Sox, and Girardi has this team playing well. Take away those losses to the Red Sox and the Yankees have a 6 game lead in the East. Right now the Yankees are on pace for 97-98 wins. Not too shabby. Grade: A-
Sandy Alderson: When he took the job as Mets GM he knew he was facing a daunting task. He was handed over the keys to a car that needed major repairs but would still be expected to take to the road. He surrounded himself with some very good baseball people in Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi, among others and has not blown up the team for the sake of a total rebuild. The Mets have responded by going out and playing some good baseball despite the truckload of injuries to key players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Ike Davis, not to mention staff ace Johan Santana. He just traded Francisco Rodriguez and cash to the Brewers to prevent the Mets from having to pay $17.5 million in a vesting option for two players to be named later. Freeing up that money for next season helps pave the way to resigning Jose Reyes. It would have been very easy for him to just blow up a team that has not played up to its potential in recent years or has been hit by enough injuries that would make entire hospitals weep at the workload. With the trade deadline approaching he will have his work cut out for him but he has a plan and will be prepared. With a baseball braintrust like he has assembled, how can he not be? Alderson's overall grade: B+
Terry Collins: Managing the Mets might have been one of the least appealing jobs in all of baseball. The financial questions swirling around ownership, the roster of underachievers and DL candidates, and the New York press hovering about like vultures waiting for the death to swoop in and pick at the remnants. Into this cauldron stepped Terry Collins, a man who last managed in 1999 and whose 444-434 record didn't instill a ton of confidence in the Mets fanbase. Collins has responded by leading the Mets to a 46-45 record at the break, leaps and bounds above where anyone expected to see this team at this point. Throw into that the fact he has not had Johan Santana all year, has lost Ike Davis, David Wright, Angel Pagan, and Jose Reyes to injuries for parts of this season, and has juggled a lineup that has included Justin Turner playing second and third, Willie Harris playing everywhere, and Scott Hairston getting significant playing time. Still, the Mets are above .500, a small miracle that has kept the Mets faithful hopeful that there might be a future for this club. His overall grade: B+
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Grading the Mets
Who would have thought they would be above .500 at this point in the season? Certainly not I. Injuries have hit this team like a runaway truck on the Santa Monica Freeway and yet their car is still able to drive. Let's grade them out.
Jose Reyes: Has put on a show of his talents as he is about to enter free agency. Still can't shake the injury bug though. When on the field he was the NL MVP. A+
Carlos Beltran: Has stayed healthy and has been very productive. Mets couldn't ask for more from him right now. A
Daniel Murphy: Has filled in beautifully for the injured Ike Davis. Whatever the Mets ask of him they get and then some. Not a power hitter but will get the job done. A
Justin Turner: Another guy the Mets have asked a lot of only to see results come forth. Timely hitting overcome his defensive shortcomings. Where would the Mets be without him? B
Ike Davis: Thirty-six games into this season he was lost to injury. He was on pace to emerge as one of the better first basemen in the NL. A-
David Wright: He was lost after 39 games. Hasn't been the same player he was only a couple of years ago. His defense is still outstanding but his bat needs to have its holes filled. C+
Josh Thole: Has been hit and miss all season. The Mets would like some consistency from him. C-
Ronny Paulino: The Mets catcher has surprised many by hitting .320. Has been everything Thole was supposed to be. B+
Ruben Tejada: He was never known for his bat but I think the Mets would sign for his .261 AVG if he continues to develop his defense. Learning on the job. B-
Jason Bay: A .237 AVG, 6 homers, and 28 RBI's is not what you would expect from him. He will have one good game followed by ten bad ones. He needs to step up or step down. F
Angel Pagan: Injuries impeded his season. The MEts need the Pagan from last year if they want to continue to progress. C+
Scott Hairston: An outfield fill in who has played up and down. Still, a nice 4th outfielder to have because there is pop in that bat. Maybe not at Citi Field but its there somewhere. C
Willie Harris: A lockerroom leader. Harris will play anywhere he is told. His offense isn't great but his versatility gives Terry Collins lots of options. C
R.A. Dickey: Started off poorly but his knuckleball came back and he reemerged as the surprise ace of last year. Where would the Mets be without him? B-
Dillon Gee: Whoa! Where did he come from? After Chris Young went down Gee came up and started winning.8-3 with a 3.76 ERA is something the Mets will take any day of the week. A-
Mike Pelfrey: Supposed to be the ace in Johan Santana's absence. Has regressed from any improvements he made last year. D-
Chris Capuano: A nice pick-up by the Mets. This cheap option has been pitching very well for them at the back end of the rotation. Tied for the lead in wins with 8 but has a .500 record. B-
Jon Niese: Continues to improve, exactly what the Mets were hoping for. He probably won't be an ace but he is a good lefty option right now for a team that badly needed him to take the next step forward. B
Francisco Rodriguez: This is the K-Rod the Mets were hoping for when they signed him to that huge contract. The Mets still want to get rid of him and his big money option for next season though. A
Jason Isringhausen: Back from the dead and pitching very well in the set-up role. Not bad for a guy many didn't think had it anymore. B
Bobby Parnell: The talent is there. The results? Getting there. Could be the future closer of the Mets if he continues to improve like he has. B+
Pedro Beato: Good ol' Petey Beato has done a good job, giving the Mets another late inning option. Not bad for a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles system. B-
Tim Byrdak: The 37 year old lefty has been, well he is in the League because he throws left-handed. Nothing more. Lefties are hitting .259 off of him so he hasn't been an ideal LOOGY guy. D
D.J. Carrasco: He comes in when the Mets want to punish themselves for playing above everyone's expectations. There are better options out there. F
Taylor Buchholz: Was pitching well until he was put on the DL for shoulder fatigue and will be kept there as he battles depression/anxiety. B
Jose Reyes: Has put on a show of his talents as he is about to enter free agency. Still can't shake the injury bug though. When on the field he was the NL MVP. A+
Carlos Beltran: Has stayed healthy and has been very productive. Mets couldn't ask for more from him right now. A
Daniel Murphy: Has filled in beautifully for the injured Ike Davis. Whatever the Mets ask of him they get and then some. Not a power hitter but will get the job done. A
Justin Turner: Another guy the Mets have asked a lot of only to see results come forth. Timely hitting overcome his defensive shortcomings. Where would the Mets be without him? B
Ike Davis: Thirty-six games into this season he was lost to injury. He was on pace to emerge as one of the better first basemen in the NL. A-
David Wright: He was lost after 39 games. Hasn't been the same player he was only a couple of years ago. His defense is still outstanding but his bat needs to have its holes filled. C+
Josh Thole: Has been hit and miss all season. The Mets would like some consistency from him. C-
Ronny Paulino: The Mets catcher has surprised many by hitting .320. Has been everything Thole was supposed to be. B+
Ruben Tejada: He was never known for his bat but I think the Mets would sign for his .261 AVG if he continues to develop his defense. Learning on the job. B-
Jason Bay: A .237 AVG, 6 homers, and 28 RBI's is not what you would expect from him. He will have one good game followed by ten bad ones. He needs to step up or step down. F
Angel Pagan: Injuries impeded his season. The MEts need the Pagan from last year if they want to continue to progress. C+
Scott Hairston: An outfield fill in who has played up and down. Still, a nice 4th outfielder to have because there is pop in that bat. Maybe not at Citi Field but its there somewhere. C
Willie Harris: A lockerroom leader. Harris will play anywhere he is told. His offense isn't great but his versatility gives Terry Collins lots of options. C
R.A. Dickey: Started off poorly but his knuckleball came back and he reemerged as the surprise ace of last year. Where would the Mets be without him? B-
Dillon Gee: Whoa! Where did he come from? After Chris Young went down Gee came up and started winning.8-3 with a 3.76 ERA is something the Mets will take any day of the week. A-
Mike Pelfrey: Supposed to be the ace in Johan Santana's absence. Has regressed from any improvements he made last year. D-
Chris Capuano: A nice pick-up by the Mets. This cheap option has been pitching very well for them at the back end of the rotation. Tied for the lead in wins with 8 but has a .500 record. B-
Jon Niese: Continues to improve, exactly what the Mets were hoping for. He probably won't be an ace but he is a good lefty option right now for a team that badly needed him to take the next step forward. B
Francisco Rodriguez: This is the K-Rod the Mets were hoping for when they signed him to that huge contract. The Mets still want to get rid of him and his big money option for next season though. A
Jason Isringhausen: Back from the dead and pitching very well in the set-up role. Not bad for a guy many didn't think had it anymore. B
Bobby Parnell: The talent is there. The results? Getting there. Could be the future closer of the Mets if he continues to improve like he has. B+
Pedro Beato: Good ol' Petey Beato has done a good job, giving the Mets another late inning option. Not bad for a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles system. B-
Tim Byrdak: The 37 year old lefty has been, well he is in the League because he throws left-handed. Nothing more. Lefties are hitting .259 off of him so he hasn't been an ideal LOOGY guy. D
D.J. Carrasco: He comes in when the Mets want to punish themselves for playing above everyone's expectations. There are better options out there. F
Taylor Buchholz: Was pitching well until he was put on the DL for shoulder fatigue and will be kept there as he battles depression/anxiety. B
Grading the Yankees
OK, so here we are at the All-Star break, fresh off of Jeter's momentous conclusion of his 3,000 hit milestone and of Robinson Cano's display of power during the Home Run Derby. Times are good for the Yankees and their fans. Here are my grades for the Yankees so far:
Derek Jeter: I will start with the Captain since he leads this team. His first half has been a sadly predictable one, ground balls and little power. However, after injuring his calf he came back with a seemingly renewed stroke that showed some extra base life. His play in the field has been steady. His batting average spiked after his 5-5 day and now sits at .270. The Yankees need more consistency out of him at the plate going forward. Hopefully, his rediscovered power after his DL return remains. C+
Curtis Granderson: Where would the Yankees be without Granderson? Offensively he is the Yankees MVP. He brings a dynamic that the Yankees offense has lacked for a while. This was the Curtis Granderson the Yankees were hoping for. A+
Mark Teixeira: The power is definitely there but not his batting average. Nobody would have thought a .244 average would be attached to Teixeira's name after his hot start. Then again, who would have pegged him for 25 homers either? He needs to be a little more consistent. B
Alex Rodriguez: His power has been sapped by nagging injuries but A-Rod has posted a .295 average or higher for most of the year. Currently on the DL after having knee surgery, he will miss 4-6 weeks. Hopefully his power returns as well. A-
Robinson Cano: Only for Robinson Cano would a .297, 15, 57 line be a little disappointing. He is still one of the best second basemen in the game, if not the best. Even though this might be a down year it is still a damn good one. A
Nick Swisher: This is a contract year for Swisher and he has not responded with production. He hovered around .200 for far too long but has really stepped it up to raise the average to .249. He was never a hitter for average anyway but his home run production is a bit off. He is currently on pace for 19-21 homers which is a bit below his norm. A strong second half is needed from him. C-
Jorge Posada: His season started off ugly. Aside from a few homers he wasn't hitting at all. His mental breakdown in Boston only complicated things but something seemed to click afterwards and he started hitting. His average sits at .230 and he only has 9 homers but what else can you expect from a 39 year-old former catcher? This should be his last season and Yankee fans should show him some appreciation as the clock winds down on a storied career. That said, he needs to keep hitting. D
Russell Martin: He started off looking like the Russell Martin of old, hitting for average and power. He has since tailed off and has seen his average dip to .220 and hasn't homered since June 29th, his 10th of the season. His defense has been solid, if not splendid. He earned a trip to the All-Star game but it looks like catching all of these games has taken its toll on him. Despite that, the Yankees thought he was only a stopgap and he has exceeded expectations. C+
Brett Gardner: A slow start and going back and forth in the lineup didn't help but he has turned it around. He needs to be more aggressive on the basepaths and smarter too. Still a catalyst. B-
CC Sabathia: He is the ace of the staff and has pitched his best baseball since donning the Pinstripes. Nothing more can be expected of him. Cy Young contender. A+
Bartolo Colon: When he signed few people thought he would even make the team. However, Colon has emerged as a workhorse #2, making him one of the best offseason signings in the first half. A short stint on the DL for a leg injury hasn't slowed him much. A
A.J. Burnett: After last season anything Burnett could give you past the 3rd inning would be a blessing. He hasn't been great but he has kept the Yankees in the game...for the most part. C+
Phil Hughes: After one of the worst starts ever, Phil spent quite a while on the DL, apparently suffering from a dead arm. He has made one so-so start since coming off the DL but looked much better. The Yankees thought they would be seeing an emerging ace. Instead, they are trying to save his career. Too few games for a grade though. Incomplete
Ivan Nova: He seemed to get better with every start. That still wasn't enough to save him from a demotion to AAA. That is not indicative of Nova's season but rather a testament that the Yankees rotation has been performing very well so far. He will get the ball every fifth day down in Scranton for the time being but he showed the Yankees he can be dependable. B+
Freddy Garcia: Like Colon, few thought he would stick. And, if he did stick, that he would be pedestrian enough to keep the Yankees in the game. Well, it looks like everyone is wrong. He has surpassed everyone's expectations and has pitched to the tune of a 3.13 ERA. He gets out of the jams he gets into and keeps the Yankees in games. Nobody expected this from him. A-
Mariano Rivera: Still Mariano. A+
David Robertson: Whatever the role he has filled it admirably. Walks too many but strikes out oh so many more. A+
Joba Chamberlain: Tommy John surgery ended his season but he was excellent before being shelved. Not enough to grade though. Incomplete
Rafael Soriano: He was awful before being shelved on May 14th with arm ailments. He would get an F if he were healthy. Incomplete
Luis Ayala: Didn't make the team out of Spring Training but that hasn't stopped him from being one of Girardi's most reliable bullpen arms this season. A complete surprise. A-
Boone Logan: What happened to the progress made last year? Hasn't gotten lefties out as he is supposed to. His failures have the Yankees searching for a replacement but has shown some improvement that might ease the Yankees fears. D-
Cory Wade, Hector Noesi, Lance Pendleton: The bullpen fillers have been pretty good. Wade is emerging as a viable late inning reliever and Pendleton has performed a lot better than many expected. Noesi's future is probably still as a starter but he has shown he can get MLB hitters out. A
Andruw Jones: He was signed to hit lefties. He has a few homers off of them this year but that's about it. Defense is a mark above average but is no longer an offensive threat. F
Eduardo Nunez: Filled in nicely for Jeter offensively. His defense is still a big question mark though. Will get more playing time with A-Rod out. B-
Francisco Cervelli: Brian Cashman admitted Jesus Montero was better all around and Cervelli hasn't done anything to disprove that notion. His defense is atrocious. His offense is only there when men are on base. A .214 hitting catcher is acceptable only if the defense is there. It isn't. Still doesn't know Curtis Granderson doesn't play second base. F
Chris Dickerson: Filled-in here and there and didn't embarrass himself or the team. Not bad for a fifth outfielder who was sometimes called upon to start. Also has displayed excellent defense when necessary. B-
Eric Chavez: This poor guy has no luck. He was hitting well until he broke a foot running the bases. Seriously, how does that happen? Has had nothing but setbacks during rehab. He was hitting well and playing excellent defense when he was healthy though. Incomplete
Ramiro Pena: Batting under .100 with a .091 AVG. I knew he was a light hitter but not that light. His defense has been just so-so. The emergency AAAA infielder. Incomplete
Up Next: The New York Mets
Derek Jeter: I will start with the Captain since he leads this team. His first half has been a sadly predictable one, ground balls and little power. However, after injuring his calf he came back with a seemingly renewed stroke that showed some extra base life. His play in the field has been steady. His batting average spiked after his 5-5 day and now sits at .270. The Yankees need more consistency out of him at the plate going forward. Hopefully, his rediscovered power after his DL return remains. C+
Curtis Granderson: Where would the Yankees be without Granderson? Offensively he is the Yankees MVP. He brings a dynamic that the Yankees offense has lacked for a while. This was the Curtis Granderson the Yankees were hoping for. A+
Mark Teixeira: The power is definitely there but not his batting average. Nobody would have thought a .244 average would be attached to Teixeira's name after his hot start. Then again, who would have pegged him for 25 homers either? He needs to be a little more consistent. B
Alex Rodriguez: His power has been sapped by nagging injuries but A-Rod has posted a .295 average or higher for most of the year. Currently on the DL after having knee surgery, he will miss 4-6 weeks. Hopefully his power returns as well. A-
Robinson Cano: Only for Robinson Cano would a .297, 15, 57 line be a little disappointing. He is still one of the best second basemen in the game, if not the best. Even though this might be a down year it is still a damn good one. A
Nick Swisher: This is a contract year for Swisher and he has not responded with production. He hovered around .200 for far too long but has really stepped it up to raise the average to .249. He was never a hitter for average anyway but his home run production is a bit off. He is currently on pace for 19-21 homers which is a bit below his norm. A strong second half is needed from him. C-
Jorge Posada: His season started off ugly. Aside from a few homers he wasn't hitting at all. His mental breakdown in Boston only complicated things but something seemed to click afterwards and he started hitting. His average sits at .230 and he only has 9 homers but what else can you expect from a 39 year-old former catcher? This should be his last season and Yankee fans should show him some appreciation as the clock winds down on a storied career. That said, he needs to keep hitting. D
Russell Martin: He started off looking like the Russell Martin of old, hitting for average and power. He has since tailed off and has seen his average dip to .220 and hasn't homered since June 29th, his 10th of the season. His defense has been solid, if not splendid. He earned a trip to the All-Star game but it looks like catching all of these games has taken its toll on him. Despite that, the Yankees thought he was only a stopgap and he has exceeded expectations. C+
Brett Gardner: A slow start and going back and forth in the lineup didn't help but he has turned it around. He needs to be more aggressive on the basepaths and smarter too. Still a catalyst. B-
CC Sabathia: He is the ace of the staff and has pitched his best baseball since donning the Pinstripes. Nothing more can be expected of him. Cy Young contender. A+
Bartolo Colon: When he signed few people thought he would even make the team. However, Colon has emerged as a workhorse #2, making him one of the best offseason signings in the first half. A short stint on the DL for a leg injury hasn't slowed him much. A
A.J. Burnett: After last season anything Burnett could give you past the 3rd inning would be a blessing. He hasn't been great but he has kept the Yankees in the game...for the most part. C+
Phil Hughes: After one of the worst starts ever, Phil spent quite a while on the DL, apparently suffering from a dead arm. He has made one so-so start since coming off the DL but looked much better. The Yankees thought they would be seeing an emerging ace. Instead, they are trying to save his career. Too few games for a grade though. Incomplete
Ivan Nova: He seemed to get better with every start. That still wasn't enough to save him from a demotion to AAA. That is not indicative of Nova's season but rather a testament that the Yankees rotation has been performing very well so far. He will get the ball every fifth day down in Scranton for the time being but he showed the Yankees he can be dependable. B+
Freddy Garcia: Like Colon, few thought he would stick. And, if he did stick, that he would be pedestrian enough to keep the Yankees in the game. Well, it looks like everyone is wrong. He has surpassed everyone's expectations and has pitched to the tune of a 3.13 ERA. He gets out of the jams he gets into and keeps the Yankees in games. Nobody expected this from him. A-
Mariano Rivera: Still Mariano. A+
David Robertson: Whatever the role he has filled it admirably. Walks too many but strikes out oh so many more. A+
Joba Chamberlain: Tommy John surgery ended his season but he was excellent before being shelved. Not enough to grade though. Incomplete
Rafael Soriano: He was awful before being shelved on May 14th with arm ailments. He would get an F if he were healthy. Incomplete
Luis Ayala: Didn't make the team out of Spring Training but that hasn't stopped him from being one of Girardi's most reliable bullpen arms this season. A complete surprise. A-
Boone Logan: What happened to the progress made last year? Hasn't gotten lefties out as he is supposed to. His failures have the Yankees searching for a replacement but has shown some improvement that might ease the Yankees fears. D-
Cory Wade, Hector Noesi, Lance Pendleton: The bullpen fillers have been pretty good. Wade is emerging as a viable late inning reliever and Pendleton has performed a lot better than many expected. Noesi's future is probably still as a starter but he has shown he can get MLB hitters out. A
Andruw Jones: He was signed to hit lefties. He has a few homers off of them this year but that's about it. Defense is a mark above average but is no longer an offensive threat. F
Eduardo Nunez: Filled in nicely for Jeter offensively. His defense is still a big question mark though. Will get more playing time with A-Rod out. B-
Francisco Cervelli: Brian Cashman admitted Jesus Montero was better all around and Cervelli hasn't done anything to disprove that notion. His defense is atrocious. His offense is only there when men are on base. A .214 hitting catcher is acceptable only if the defense is there. It isn't. Still doesn't know Curtis Granderson doesn't play second base. F
Chris Dickerson: Filled-in here and there and didn't embarrass himself or the team. Not bad for a fifth outfielder who was sometimes called upon to start. Also has displayed excellent defense when necessary. B-
Eric Chavez: This poor guy has no luck. He was hitting well until he broke a foot running the bases. Seriously, how does that happen? Has had nothing but setbacks during rehab. He was hitting well and playing excellent defense when he was healthy though. Incomplete
Ramiro Pena: Batting under .100 with a .091 AVG. I knew he was a light hitter but not that light. His defense has been just so-so. The emergency AAAA infielder. Incomplete
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