Pedro Feliciano has a capsular tear in his left shoulder and may require significant surgery, Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed to reporters. There's a strong possibility that the Yankees' $8MM free agent signing won't throw a pitch for them in 2011. Cashman says he'll look for another left-handed reliever, but according to Jack Curry of the YES Network, the GM's expectations are low (all Twitter links).
"Yeah, I'll look," Cashman told Curry. "But I'm not going to find [a quality left-hander] too easily."
The Yankees would like to have a second left-hander out of the bullpen to go along with southpaw Boone Logan, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). The Blue Jays expect to trade lefty David Purcey, but he doesn't seem like a fit since the Yankees and Blue Jays play in the same division and Purcey handles right-handers better than left-handers.
The Boone Logan experiment will never end.
I don’t think Cashman is usually an idiot. In fact, I think he’s generally quite astute. However, signing Feliciano after the dude averaged more than 88 appearances per year over the last 3 years… was not smart. At least is wasn’t a 3-year deal.
Um – yeah. He’s a genuis. Go back and review most of his free agent signings over the years. If his players had the avg Cashman has, they’d probably be cut.
“He’s a genuis.”
Indeed.
Dont forget the Nick Swisher trade, Curtis Granderson trade too. I wouldn’t call him a genius but hes no idiot.
I hear where you’re coming from, but I think it’s tough to objectively evaluate Cashman given ownership’s historical fondness of superseding the GM and pursuing certain free agents. I understand that this was much more common under the George regime, but the recent Soriano signing makes me at least wonder if some of the Yankees’ free agent signings attributed to Cashman were really coming from ownership.
I also think that the “win-now” mentality established by ownership makes it challenging for Cashman to approach player acquisition and development the same way as other teams. While I agree that some of Cashman’s signings probably would have burned some smaller market teams, I assume that he would take a more shrewd approach if he were GM of, say, the Minnesota Twins.
Can’t be both ways – Either Cashman’s making the personnel decisions, in which case he’s made more bad ones then good ones, or ownership is making the decisions, in which case Cashman’s nothing more than a puppet. I think it’s the first scenario, and Cashman has made many, MANY marginal acquisitions. To his credit, Sabathia and Texiera have turned out well, but you could fill a notebook with the amount of bad signings he’s made especially when it comes to pitchers.
Why can’t it be both ways?
He makes moves and ownership makes moves — it doesn’t have to be one OR the other.
I’m pretty sure that it is both ways – we know for sure that the ownership went over Cashman’s head this offseason and signed Soriano.
no it wasn’t. He obviously did not do his due his due dilgence with Felicano’s medical records. There should have been a screaming warning sign (Danger Will Robinson) . No pitcher can pitch in 90 games and not suffer some kind of arm damage.
He’s first clue should have been when the Mets would not even consider re-signing him after they over used him.
I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract. I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract.
i smell a meme being born
My favorite part is when you wrote “I will not sign a middle reliever to a big multiyear contract”
Dontrelle Willis is an option, but it might cost ya. Ha, Joel Sherman will probably be writing a story next year with Cashman crying, “we wanted to trade for Dontrelle but Walt Jocketty never let us know he was available.”
“We wanted to trade for Lenny DiNardo but the Long Island Ducks never let us know that he was available. Valerio de los Santos, either.”
I actually laughed at this one.
The Yanks don’t seem to have much luck with lefty relievers, first Marte and now Feleciano. These guys were pretty solid too but just goes to show relievers can fall off a cliff quickly, sometimes all the pitches take their toll and you never know when it will happen. Maybe they can get Matt Thornton, kidding.
speaking to your point on the futility of relievers
So far Matt Thornton, who by and large has been the best lefty reliever in the game in recent years has a 3.21 WHIP, allowed 11 hits in 4.2 innings and has 3 blown saves.
Part of that is there has always been a concern whether mentally he could make it as a closer. I think if we had a closer he would settle down.
Maybe he can’t handle closing duties, but I would guess that he’s having a bad 4.2 IP stretch. Both pitchers and hitters slump through some combination of poor performance and bad luck throughout the year, but I these slumps garner a lot more attention when a player opens the season in one.
He’s actually been the White Sox’s best reliever for the last few years. He’s pitching horribly right now, but he has a good track record. He has a 3.53 career FIP and had a 2.14 FIP last year. The worst FIP he’s had in the last 3 years is 2.75. A large part of his issues are from his .417 BABIP, 36.8% strand rate, and 25% HR/FB rate, all of which are unsustainable. He’s struck out at least 10K/9IP and he hasn’t had a walk rate above 3BB/9IP for the past 3 years. Basically what I’m trying to say is that he has been awesome and will continue to be awesome; he’s just going through a rough patch right now. Inherited runners and defensive miscues have attributed to his blown saves, as well. I would absolutely love for the Yankees to pick him up!
David Purcey for Montero !
Yeah and Brandon Morrow for Ramiro Pena
I hear Dennys Reyes is available. He’d make a nice compliment to Sabatthia, Colon, and Chamberlain.
Silva might be up there soon too!
That’d make for a combined weight of about 1300 lbs between 5 players…
Glen Perkins AND Jose Mijares for Jesus Montero. Eh? Eh? Eh?
While your at it throw in Liriano
Hey, AROD is doing great. They don’t call him “Mr. April” for nothing.
The Yanks should stand pat for now, their righty
‘s can get anyone out!
Bring on the Killer Bs! Betances, Banuelos, and Brackman are ready to go.
Only 2 of the B’s are on the DL. And neither one is Brackman…
I’m not sure if it means anything, but there is a man at the Tigers/A’s game that is sitting right behind homeplate in the front row who is wearing a Yankees hat and an authentic Yankees jacket. Either he is a scout or he is lost.
That’s Cashman scouting for a lefty reliever.
I don’t think that it is him personally, but the matchup is Phil Coke vs Gio Gonzalez and I don’t see either guy getting traded.
What about Danny ray Herrea from the reds, he has actually been pretty productive for us when hes up in the majors, he’s a little guy with a big screwball but only throws about 85.Or D-train which wouldnt cost you neither would herrea but Dontrelle could give you 2 or 3 innings at atime and he looked good in spring training till the one bad game he got pounded in.Either one would cost next to nothing