Dotel Prefers Yankees

Just got a note from my favorite source today.  Remember our New York barber friend who's in tight with Octavio Dotel?  My source got another haircut today, and Dotel's preference was revealed to be the Yankees.

According to my source, both the barber and another friend of Dotel's were confident that the reliever wants to pitch for the Yankees.  In addition, Dotel believes he will be ready to pitch by opening day. 

Signing Dotel could make up for the Yanks' failure to get Rudy Seanez and would give them a strikeout heavy, dominant bullpen.  In Mariano Rivera, Kyle Farnsworth, and Octavio Dotel, the Yankees would have three men capable of closing games.  It could be reminiscent of the famous Lidge-Dotel-Wagner trio. 

No new word on Dotel's merengue album at this time.

Update: Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yanks are closing in on a one-year, $2MM deal with Dotel.  Looks like the reliever got his wish.  Rosenthal mentions a possible June return to a Major League mound for Dotel; based on my info I think it'll happen in May.

Thanks to Dan

Comments

[Alan]

Kyle Farnsworth capable of closing games? Did I suddenly wake up in Bizarro-world?

[RumorMonger]

Either that or you woke up during the 2005 season.

[Truth]

During the NLDS?

Farnsworth is COMPLETELY incapable of working under pressure or going to bed before the bars close. He's going to be a disaster in New York.

[erik]

This sounds like the same goofball stuff us Cardinal fans got jerked around on with the Burnett deal. Any time I hear "my sources tell me", I automatically think it's BS

[RumorMonger]

Hey Erik, whatever it's worth to you is fine. If you look at the previous post involving the barber, he did nail the Cards' and Mets' interest before it hit the newspapers. Believe it at your own risk, but I do have faith in "my source."

Truth, as for Farnsworth - I think you're oversimplifying. You're saying that the cities of Atlanta and Detroit have no bars? That zero of the 70 awesome regular season innings Kyle pitched in 2005 had pressure? That his 2001 and 2003 also featured zero pressure or nightlife? I'm not quite ready to say Farnsworth is COMPLETELY incapable based on THREE INNINGS.

[erik]

Well, I do enjoy the site. Sorry, I guess I still feel a little burned by the whole Burnett debacle.

I hope you are wrong, I'd like to see Dotel in StL. But if you are right I'll have more confidence in your source.

[RumorMonger]

The Burnett tease was really crappy for Cards fans, I can see that. But good sources can still be wrong and things can change, keep in mind.

[Nick]

Yep...Farnz can close games....
-Astros Fans. =)

But I dont trust more for his bench clearning brawl abilites, and thats about it. He has a 100 MPH heater...big league hitters can mash that, they need a few pitches...if nohing else is working for him, which it usually isnt. (See Biggio hommering off of Wagner on an inside fastball)

Combine that with the Media in NY, Kyle might be a mess there.....

Also Dotel wont be ready till mid year right? Then he starts in AAA ball to work his way up...so who knows how he pans out.

Rivera is a hammer...other two are big question marks in my mind.

[Nick]

Yep...Farnz can close games....
-Astros Fans. =)

But I trust him more for his bench clearning brawl abilites, and thats about it. He has a 100 MPH heater...big league hitters can mash that, they need a few pitches...if nohing else is working for him, which it usually isnt. (See Biggio hommering off of Wagner on an inside fastball)

Combine that with the Media in NY, Kyle might be a mess there.....

Also Dotel wont be ready till mid year right? Then he starts in AAA ball to work his way up...so who knows how he pans out.

Rivera is a hammer...other two are big question marks in my mind.

[RumorMonger]

If we are to trust my barbershop source, Dotel will be ready by Opening Day.

[Brian]

Not smart. It takes 12-15 months to fully recover from TJ surgery and that would only be 10 months. ANd if he is ready by opening day, that means he is pitching in spring training, so that would mean 9 months. If Dotel is trying to have another TJ surgery, Opening day would be fine.

[RumorMonger]

Dotel made the decision on June 2nd, from what I can tell here:

http://kffl.com/player/4764/mlb

According to this article, Jason Grimsley's 9 month timeline was the fastest recovery known.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/1214dbside1214.html

So you have to figure he's ready by April rather than March, and not prepared for opening day. Brian's analysis looks pretty solid.

[Truth]

No Monger,

I'm basing my judgement on following his career since he was a minor leaguer. Farnsworth has the stuff to be a great closer. But as soon as the spotlight's on him, he melts like an ice cube. This has been proven time and again, and the New York spotlight is notorious from seperating the men from the boys. He didn't face such scrutiny in Detroit or Atlanta.

[Teetz]

Not just three innings. Farnsworth melted down in the 2003 playoffs and the second half of 2004. There are bars in Detroit and Atlanta, but not nearly the nightlife a Yankee in New York will give you. Farnsworth does not have a good breaking ball, which will forever doom him when he has to face pressure situations (aka: will have to face good teams with good patient hitters)

[Alan]

Listen.. as a bitter Cubs fan, I had nothing but high hopes for Farns. And I saw them dashed one shellacking at a time. Truth is, his years have been a roller coaster ride. Sure the guy has flashes of brilliance, which entice you into counting on him, only to end up taking it in the shorts. He has historically shown an up year followed by a down year. '01=great, '02=crap, '03=great, '04=supercrap, '05=great, '06=megasupercrap?

[RumorMonger]

Haha, yes I have witnessed the same trend as a Cubs fan. I really don't know what to expect from him for the life of this contract.

[Doubting Thomas aka Erik]

I'm a believer! :-)