A look at the Yankees by position: Infield

As we near Spring Training I will be starting a five part series that breaks down the Yankees by each position and I will ask key questions about each player at that respective position. I will even talk about non-roster invitees that don’t have much of a shot to make the bigs. In this edition I will break down every Yankees infielder, excluding catchers, from superstars like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, to non-roster guys like Eric Chavez and Ronnie Belliard.




1B. Mark Teixeira: Big Tex had a down year last year batting just .256, struck out 122 times and brought in only 108 RBIs. He also sustained a hamstring injury in the ALCS to close out his 2010 campaign. Teixeira will need to have a bounce back year if the Yankees want to make the playoffs. The key question for Teixeira is can he get off to a better start so he doesn't have to dig out of a deep hole once May and June come around?




2B. Robinson Cano: Cano had a great season last year batting .319 while hitting a career high 29 HRs, and driving a career high 109 RBIs in his first year in the number five spot in the order. Cano also committed just three errors on defense, because of this Cano earned his second All-Star appearance while collecting a Gold Glove and his second Silver Slugger. He could have easily won the AL MVP, but he ended up finishing third in the voting. Cano was also great last year in the postseason; he batted .343, hit four homeruns while having an OPS of 1.132. The key question for Cano is can he keep up his MVP type caliber status? With players like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada all past their respective peak years Cano will have to be a consistent force in the lineup to keep the Yankees as an offensive power.




SS. Derek Jeter: Like Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter had a down year. The Yankee captain hit a career low .270 and hit just 10 HRs and did not produce clutch hits, especially with the bases loaded. With 20 at bats and with the bases loaded Jeter had only one, count 'em, one hit. He does have six RBIS in those situations with two of them coming on a walk, but the killer is Jeter struck out seven of the 20 times in these situations. That will have to improve. Another thing Jeter will have to improve on is his defense. Yes, Jeter won a Gold Glove while just making a small handful of errors, but his range has dropped dramatically. Not to mention he had all the drama in this off season with trying to work out a deal to stay a Yankee. He eventually signed a three year pact with a possibility for a fourth. The key question for Jeter is can he rebound? That may sound like a dumb and simple question, but it is true. He'll eventually turn 36 by the middle of the season, and the myth in baseball is once you turn 35 years old your career goes downhill quickly. That myth is looking more like a fact and Jeter could fall into that trap if he doesn't have a bounce back year.




3B. Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod, like Jeter, batted .270 on the season. But unlike the Yankee captain, Rodriguez missed nearly 30 games with an injury, yet he had 30 HRs and 125 RBIs, the most since his 2007 MVP season where he had a ridiculous 156 RBI’s that year. But in the 2010 campaign his average wasn't that high, thus he didn't get many hits. Yet when he did get those hits he made the most of them which is an important thing he'll have to continue. Let’s not kid ourselves Alex Rodriguez is going to be closer to the 2009 and 2010 Alex and not the 2005 and 2007 Alex where he won those MVP awards with the Yankees. The key question for A-Rod is how will he adjust? How will he adjust to getting older? He's now approaching 35 years of age. Like I said with Jeter, it’s the myth in baseball that players, especially elite players, fall down hard once they reach 35. Alex Rodriguez isn't the 45 homerun, 140 RBI guy with a .320 average anymore, instead he’s closer to a .275-.290 guy with 30, maybe 35 homeruns max, to go along with 125 RBI, tops. He has also struggled with injury problems over the years missing about two months’ worth of games those past two years. Is he pushing himself too much? We all know Alex is a very hard worker, probably the hardest working guy on the team. Will he have to tone it down a bit? It should be an interesting watch, and like always the spotlight will be on him.



Infield. Eduardo Nunuez: You can say what you want about Nunez having a very good glove, and about him having a pretty good bat, but what you can't say about Eduardo Nunez is that he'll have a spot in the lineup sooner rather than later. You're dead wrong if you even fathom that. Now this isn't a bash Eduardo Nunez post here. All I’m saying is there isn't a spot for him really if you think about it. Nunez was a starting infielder in the minor leagues. He has a tremendous glove and a very good bat. He should be a good young starting shortstop for a building team, but not for the Yankees. In Eduardo's limited time with the Yankees he had a solid .280 average in 30 games with 50 at bats where he belted one homerun and drove in seven. He also stole five bases in limited time, which is very good. On the defensive side he committed one error in 83 chances as a third baseman, and at short he didn’t commit an error in 39.1 innings of work. The question for Nunez is if he makes the big league roster can he handle being a backup? It’s very difficult to be a starter in the minor leagues but then once you hit the bigs you find yourself on the bench.



Infield. Ramiro Pena: Although he’s had a relatively short career it seems as though Pena has been around for a while. Pena is a lot like his team, a member of the 2009 World Series Champion Yankee team, batted .287 with 115 at bats. On defense he committed five errors at mostly shortstop and third base in over 200 innings of work. In 2010 he fell off when he batted .227 with 154 at bats. The question for Pena is the same, how will he do coming off the bench? He may be used to it more than Nunez because this will be his third season at it, if he makes the club. His bat is a glaring weakness, and with some of the roster moves by General Manager Brian Cashman there will be some competition this spring. Girardi isn't putting in Pena's name in pen on the 25 man roster, that you can count on.



Infield. Eric Chavez: Chavez has been plagued by injuries for most of his career; he hasn't played a full season since 2006. In fact in the last four seasons combined Chavez has played a grand total of 154 games. His injury issues have been a major concern, but when he is healthy he can produce. When Chavez was starting games for the A's in the early to mid 2000's he had at least 20 homeruns in each of those years to go along with at least 70 RBIs during the year 2000-2006. Also, Chavez earned six gold gloves for his outstanding efforts at the hot corner. If he makes the team he won't be a starter by any stretch, he'll be used all over the infield and maybe as a DH here and there but by no means will he see significant playing time, barring injury. There are two questions for Chavez, but the second question can only happen if the first question is a yes. The first questions is can he stay healthy? Like I said before Chavez has played just 154 games the past four seasons. He’s proven he can be a nice power bat off the bench with a very good glove, especially at third. The second question is like Nunez, Chavez has been a starter for a long time so how will he react to being a bench player if he makes the 25 man roster? Also, a bonus question, how will Chavez react to not getting a sure spot on the roster this time around? The Yankees signed Chavez to a non-roster invitee deal, thus getting an invitation to spring training. Will he be able to step up and stay healthy?



Infielder. Ronnie Belliard: Like Eric Chavez, Ronnie Belliard is a non-roster invitee. Last year with the Dodgers, he batted just .216 in 162 at bats and just a .295 OBP. But the year before in 2009, he joined the Dodgers midseason after being traded from the Washington Nationals. Belliard was on fire with his time in LA that season batting .351 with a .398 OBP in just 24 games with the Dodgers. He eventually took over second base previously filled by Orlando Hudson, aka the "O-Dog". If Belliard makes the Yankees Opening Day roster he'll be a bench player and he'll have to be a guy who can play all four spots on the infield. So the question for Belliard is, will he be able to play multiple positions in the infield and will he be able to do it effectively? The Yankees didn't get him for his .216 average last year. They're looking more for the 2009 Belliard, but more in a pinch.



There you have it. Those are the infielders the Yankees have who are competing for a shot at making the big leagues. In my next edition I'll be examining the Yankees outfield. Stay tuned!

Andy Pettitte's keeping his talents in Texas

Its official, Andy Pettitte made his decision. No it wasn't like the LeBron James debacle this past summer but it was a big decision. It took Pettitte nearly two months more to decide this year around weather to comeback or not. This is a big loss for the Yankees. Right now the question isn't weather he's a hall of famer or not, we have five years to debate that. The real question is; can the yankees get enough out of their starting pitchers to reach the postseason?

Right now, if the season were to start tomorrow, the Yankees would have a starting rotation that consists of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett, Ivan Nova, and Sergio Mitre, yikes! As you can see the Yankees have a real problem. Especially with the number four and five starters in Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre. Ivan Nova was pitching in the minors last year until September call ups, and Sergio Mitre is a boarderline mop up man in the bullpen. Also, A.J. Burnett struggled tremendously last year posting an ugly 10-15 record with an uglier 5.26 ERA in 33 starts. And, Phil Hughes struggled in the second half of the season going 6-6 with a shaky 5.03 ERA while allowing 14 HRs. He did rebound in the ALDS against the Minnesotta Twins pitching 7 shutout innings allowing just four hits and striking out six. But in the ALCS against Texas it was a different story. In two starts he pitched just 8.2 innings with an 11.42 ERA while walking seven and striking out six.

In my last issue I talked about the Yankees newest starting pitching additions which include Mark Prior, Bartolo Colon, and Freddy Garcia. Right now in my opinion unless one of them is near perfect in Spring Training, or an injury to Ivan Nova and/or Sergio Mitre, one or two of those guys will make the rotation. I dont think any of those guys have a good shot to make it, but I wouldn't be shoked out of my mind if one of them make it. If you read my last post you would know that I would favor Freddy Garcia.

Also the Yankees have a surplus of young minor league pitching down on the farm. That list includes Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Hector Noesi, Adam Warren, David Phelps, and Andrew Brackman. Now I doubt even one of these guys breaks camp as the number five starter. But don't kid yourself, barring a blockbuster trade by Brian Cashman to bring in current Seattle Mariner ace Felix Hernandez the Yankees will call up one of these kids by seasons end. Until that time the Yankees will have Betances and Banuelos start in AA. And they'll probably have Noesi, Warren, Phelps, and Brackman start in AAA. It will be interesting to see.

For now the Yankees will have Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre fill the number four and five spots, respectively. Like we said earlier Nova came up in September to start a few games for the Yankees. Nova seemed to pitch pretty well the first two times in the order but come the third time around he struggled. This is why he was just 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. In order for Nova to stay in the majors the entire year he will have to improve on pitching to the opposing lineup the third time around. Meanwhile Sergio Mitre fills in the number five spot. Although everyone knocks on Mitre for his poor performance in the postseason, (10.13 ERA against Texas in 2.2 innings in last years ALCS) he has pitched well in the regular season. Last year in 27 games, three starts, he had a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings, while allowing just 43 hits during the season. He probably won't repeat that kind of season, but we'll see.

With this in mind the pressure will be back on Cashman after failing to sign Cliff Lee and failing to convince Andy Pettitte to comeback he will now have to try to trade for a quality starting pitcher. There were rumors in November about the Yankees trying to trade for Felix Hernandez. That was shot down and the Mariners will not trade him maybe until the July 31st trade deadline if they are terrible like they were last year. There was also a false rumor a few weeks ago the the Yankees would send Brett Gardner and minor leaguer, and brother of Gerald Laird, Brandon Laird to the Los Angeles Angels for Ervin Santana. That would have been a good move for the Yankees if it was a true rumor. Yes I know that was an oxymoron, but either way if that deal would have happend we wouldn't have to worry about the Yankee rotation. Brian Cashman, the ball is in your court so make a move...Now

Prior to the 2011 campaign Yanks get some Colon and a Chief

Although the title of my most recent entry may have left readers in disgust I will try to make sense of the recent off-season starting pitching pickups by the New York Yankees and find out if they can crack the starting rotation.

The first flyer picked up by Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman was Mark Prior. The former Chicago Cub, Texas, and San Diego minor leaguer signed another minor league deal with the Bombers on December 15th. Prior hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2006 because of lingering arm troubles. In '06 with the Cubs he posted a 1-6 record with a bloated ERA of 7.29 in nine starts. Prior signed a minor league deal in 2009 and 2010 with the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers, respectively, both times Prior failed to reach the big leagues. But GM Brian Cashman took a flyer on him. Also, with former Chicago Cub pitching coach Larry Roethschild joining the Yankees Cashman could have believed that he could get Prior back on track.

The second flyer taken by Cashman came more then a month later. Cashman signed former Cleveland Indian, Montreal Expo, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim/Los Angeles Angel, and Boston Red Sox Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal on January 26th. Colon hasn't pitched since 2009 when he posted a 3-6 record with a solid 4.19 ERA with the Chicago White Sox in 12 starts. Like Prior, the 2005 AL Cy Young winner Colon has had troubles with arm issues since that '05 season just making 47 starts in the last five seasons. Also, Colon has not only had arm issues, he has had weight issues. Colon weighs a cool 245 pounds with his 5 foot, 11 inch frame. Just something to watch.

The third and final flyer taken by Cashman was former Seattle Mariner, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Philly, and Detroit Tiger Freddy Garcia was picked up on January 29th. Like Mark Prior and Bartolo Colon, "The Chief" signed a minor league deal and was also invited to Spring Training. The former 2005 World Series champ has also struggled with arm problems. But unlike Prior and Colon, Garcia did pitch in 2010. He made 28 starts with the Chicago White Sox and earned a 12-6 record posting a 4.64 ERA in that season. Right now I would say Freddy Garica is the clear cut favorite out of those three cast offs due to the fact he has pitched in recent play.

Although if the season were to start today Mark Prior, Bartolo Colon, nor Freddy Garcia would break camp as the number four or five starter for the Yankees. But we are still several weeks away from the Yankees even getting to camp so there are still a lot of possibilities. Right now the leading candidates for the number four and five starters are Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre. Also contending for a spot are minor leaguers Adam Warren, Dellin Betances, and Manny Banuelos although they are even bigger long shots compared to Mark Prior, Bartolo Colon, and Freddy Garcia.

Memo to Yankees... Sign Sori!

The Yankees are still waiting for Andy Pettitte to make his decision on weather to return or not. There have been reports that if Pettitte retires the Yankees will probably sign former Rays closer Rafael Soriano. But, if Pettitte comes back the Yankees will probably not sign Soriano. Here's an idea for Brian Cashman and the Yankees hiearchy: Sign Rafael Soriano no matter what.

The Yankees still probably have bullpen issues. After Kerry Wood signed a cheap one year deal with the Chicago Cubs the Yankees have a bit of a hole in the setup position. Yes the Yankees signed former New York Mets lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano, but he's a situational lefty. Feliciano isn't getting three key outs in the eighth inning. Right now that role will be filled by the eratic Joba Chamberlain and the streaky David Robertson, who imploded in last years postseason. Rafael Soriano would be a great fit. According to espnnewyork.com Scott Boras told the site that Soriano would be willing to take his talents to the Big Apple at the right price. Ok I made up him "taking his talents to the Big Apple" part but you get the idea.

Yes Rafael Soriano is 31 years old and yes he is pitching in the American League East if he joins the Yankees. But he has been very dominant as a setup man with the Atlanta Braves in the past. Also, if he joins the Yankees that means he won't have to face the Yankees, obviously. He won't have to face Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and the rest of that lethal lineup. He'll still have to face Boston and Toronto, but not the Yankees with possibly five future hall of famers. Also, hes pitched in the East Coast for the last few years with Tampa Bay and Atlanta. So he's used to facing big time teams on the East Coast where baseball matters more. That will definatly help. And finally, the Yankees have the money. The Yankees lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes so they have tons of money available for a setup man eventhough he'd be getting closer money.

This would be a great fit for the Yankees. They'd be filling a hole in the bullpen. Soriano would be a setup man until Mariano Rivera retires then he'll slide into that role as an elite proven pitcher. A must sign for the Yankees.

Moves that Cashman must make now that Lee is in Philly

Following the stunning news of Cliff Lee signing with the Philadelphia Phillies the Yankees still have a hole to fill in their starting rotation even if Andy Pettitte comes back. They could go to the trade market, the free agent market, or they could go young with Ivan Nova. I’d go with Nova, but we’ll see. But those aren’t the only moves that need to be made.

                Not only do the Yankees need to get at least one other starter they still have holes to fill. They need to finish out the bullpen, bench, and figure out who the starting catcher is.

                With the Yankees signing former Dodger catcher Russell Martin they have a solid everyday catcher. Marin had good seasons with LA in 2006-2009 but struggled in 2010. He should be rejuvenated playing in a big time market on the east coast. He has a very good arm. He, unlike Francisco Cervelli and Jorge Posada, can throw out base runners consistently. It’s a nice sign by Brian Cashman and it could spell the end for Jesus Montero, who could eventually be traded to a club with an elite starting pitcher. Remember he was offered for Cliff Lee when he was in Seattle and Roy Halladay when he was in Toronto. Also this move keeps Austin Romine in the minors and Francisco Cervelli to the backup catcher spot.

                In the bullpen they re-signed Mariano Rivera. A slam dunk move. They released standout reliever Alfredo Aceves. The Yankees are reportedly willing to sign him to a minor league deal and an invitation to spring training. The Yankees then re-signed Sergio Mitre who had a 3.33 era in the regular season. The Yankees also let go long relievers Chad Gaudin and Dustin Mosley to the Nationals and Padres, respectively. Also, the Yankees signed one of the best lefties on the market in former Met Pedro Feliciano. That’s a very good move because he’s a lefty that can get lefties out; he’s pitched in New York, obviously. And if used right he’ll be a great asset. The Yankees could still sign one more right handed reliever now that Kerry Wood recently turned down a two year, 10 million dollar offer from the Yankees and Red Sox to sign with the Cubs for one year and one and a half million. They could make a splash and sign closer Rafael Soriano to be the setup man until Rivera retires. Or they could sign former Ray Grant Balfour. That’s a more likely option.

                And finally, the Yankees need to fill out their bench. You know Francisco Cervelli will be there and either Ramiro Pena or Eduardo Nunez will man the pine. But that leaves two spots there. I argued that the Yankees should resign Melky Cabrera. But that’s a moot point because he signed with the Kansas City Royals. They could sign former Yankee Jerry Hairston. As we saw in ’09 he can play infield and outfield at a solid rate, and he’s cheap. Also the Yankees could sign Marcus Thames. But he was used mostly as a DH. That won’t work this year because Jorge Posada will be the primary DH. I say they will sign another power bat just incase.

               

A few backup plans if Lee re-signs

It seemed that the Yankees would be the favorite to keep Cliff Lee once the ALCS started. That theory has since changed. The Rangers upset the Yankees in six games thanks to the heroics of Lee and the rest of the Rangers. Lee dominated the Yankees in his game three start, going eight innings of two hit, no run ball. The Rangers then went to the World Series and Cliff Lee may want to stay as a Ranger.

                Although Lee struggled in the World Series against the eventual champion San Francisco Giants, he still shared many memories while being with the Texas Rangers. He won game one and the clinching game five against the AL East Champion Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. And like we said before he dominated the Yanks in the ALCS. And Lee also got to bond with his teammates, something that may be hard to let go. Yes, the Yankees have offered him an absurd seven year, 160 million dollar contract, but the Rangers have offered him a ‘menu’ of contracts. No one knows how much the contracts are worth, or for how long, but I’m sure they are close to what the Yankees offer. Plus, Lee lives in Arkansas, much closer to Arlington then the Bronx. Also, the Rangers are a young club, unlike the Yankees. And with that the Yankees may be closer to the cellar then the top of the division come the sixth or seventh year of Lee’s potential contract--due to the older stars such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, A.J Burnett, among others. I have a feeling that Cliff Lee may sign with the Rangers, although I am not 100% sure.

                So, with that the Yankees should at least ponder some backup plans. And there are plenty. First, the trade market. The big glamor player is Zack Greinke; I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole. First of all, the Yankees would have to trade an abundance of good young talent, and Yankee GM Brian Cashman doesn’t like to do that. For example, following the 2007 season the Yankees could have traded Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Melky Cabrera to the Twins for ace Johan Santana. He didn’t. Santana got sent to Queens with the Mets and has had injury problems. Again in 2008, the Yankees could have traded for ace CC Sabathia when he was with Cleveland. Like the Santana deal the Yankees had to give up a load of talent to just get the star pitcher, they would also have to obviously pay that pitcher a big contract. The Yankees instead waited until he was a free agent, and then sign him. By the way, the Yankees won it all in 2009, Sabathia’s first year with the team. But, my second point is that Zack Greinke has had a history of anxiety issues. He spent a number of times on the disabled list due to those troubles, preceding his CY Young run in 2009. I don’t like that because he was, and still is, pitching in a small market in Kansas City. Just imagine him having issues like that with the Yankees, and you thought A.J Burnett and Randy Johnson were bad.

                Also, the Yankees could try to go within to find their next starter. Ivan Nova was solid starting for the Yankees in September, posting a 4.50 ERA, while pitching in big situations. Nova is blessed with tremendous talent.  He has a 94 plus mile per hour fastball, with sink. He has a big 12-6 curveball, and a very good changeup, along with an improving slider. I personally believe Ivan Nova will have a better career then Phil Hughes, who has made an All Star team and pitched in big games. I’d take Ivan Nova over Zack Greinke if I was the Yankees any day.

                Those are essentially the two options the Yankees have. The free agent market has next to nothing following Cliff Lee in the starting pitching department. Also, the Yankees will by trying to convince Andy Pettitte to pitch “one more year.” We’ll see, it should be very interesting. But with the Boston Red Sox adding slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and speedy leftfielder Carl Crawford to the mix, the signing of Cliff Lee is even more important for the Bombers.   

Yanks re-sign Jeter, Rivera…. Finally

Finally, the Yankees re-sign their two legendary players, shortstop Derek Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera, to three and two year deals, respectively. Now all the talks about having Eduardo Nunez playing short, or signing Orlando Cabrera, or making a blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins that would send Hanley Ramirez to the Bronx are over, finally.

                On Thursday the Yankees agreed to a two year contract worth 30 million to Mariano Rivera. Rivera asked for two years, and he got two years. But, on the other hand, Derek Jeter and his agent, Casey Close, asked for at least for five years worth at least 23 million per year. They weren’t close at all, no pun intended. Jeter and the Yankees agreed to a three year, 51 million dollar deal. That’s more like it.

                Money wise the Rivera contract was a no-brainer, but Jeter’s was a little different. Jeter is not going to be an elite player for five years while earning 23 million a year. The Yankees have fallen in this trap before. See Alex Rodriguez and his 10 year deal he signed following the 2007 season. They can’t do it again with another aging left side of the infield player. This is a great deal for the Yankees because they won’t have to pay big bucks for a 40 year old infielder.

                Now, the Mariano Rivera deal was a little interesting. There were reports that the Boston Red Sox offered Mariano Rivera the same contract, Mo was smart enough and stayed with his team. Now, if Rivera did the unthinkable by going to Boston, the Red Sox would have non-tendered closer Jonathan Papelbon’s contract, thus making him a free agent. Very interesting. We’ll see how Papelbon reacts in the 2011 season. He struggled in 2010 by posting a 3.90 ERA, worst in his career by far, and blowing eight save opportunities.

                There’s really not much else to say about these two deals. Except for that they had to be done, and they were done. Also the Yankees didn’t get suckered into a bad contract like they have before. See Alex Rodriguez, A.J Burnett, Carl Pavano, etc. But, the Yankees aren’t even close to being finished with their off-season checklist. They still have to sign Cliff Lee, another setup reliever, and a lefty reliever, among other minor moves.