Yankees Rumors

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Yankees, Storen, Mets

By Zachary Links | May 16, 2010 at 9:40pm CDT

Links for Sunday night..

The Pirates have promoted Bryan Morris to Double-A after a sensational start to the season, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The 23-year-old starter, who has a 0.60 ERA, could earn another promotion by August according to GM Neal Huntington. Morris was one of the main pieces the Pirates received in the Jason Bay trade in July of '08.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) points out that three former Yankees set-up men have been released in the last 24 hours: Chad Gaudin, Edwar Ramirez, and Brian Bruney.
Nats pitching coach Steve McCatty says that the club has not yet determined Drew Storen's role and that they will "ease him in", tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com writes that Mets GM Omar Minaya will accompany the team on their trip to Atlanta, though a team official insists that he will be there just to lend support.

Odds & Ends: Storen, Duchscherer, Johnson

By Luke Adams 2 | May 16, 2010 at 2:56pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as we wait to see if the Dodgers can extend their six-game winning streak….

Ken Rosenthal writes that the Nationals promoted the 10th overall pick from the 2009 draft, Drew Storen, today. Storen had annihilated minor league hitters across two levels this season.
Ozzie Guillen understands the reasoning behind GM Kenny Williams' recent public confirmation that he's losing patience with his ballclub, writes Ken Falkoff on MLB.com.
Two players signed to one-year deals, Justin Duchscherer and Nick Johnson, could require surgeries that would sideline them for most or all of this season. MLB.com's Jane Lee and Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork have the details.
Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets that Willy Taveras may not accept a minor league assignment if he clears waivers. Taveras was DFA'd by the Nationals last night.
Luis Ayala has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The Dodgers will have to add Ayala to their 25-man roster by Monday afternoon or release him.
Earlier in the week, MLB.com's Chris Haft floated the idea of the Giants moving Aubrey Huff to left field to make room at first base for Buster Posey. According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Huff is open to the idea and thinks Posey would do well at first base.
Speaking of Posey, John Sickels asks who you'd rather have: the Giants' prospect or Carlos Santana of the Indians.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes details the Indians' changing draft strategy, and fields readers' Tribe-related questions in a mailbag.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lists the top ten best investments made by the Pirates' current regime.

Yankees Claim Shane Lindsay

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 14, 2010 at 3:31pm CDT

The Yankees claimed right-hander Shane Lindsay from the Rockies, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. The Yankees released injured prospect Christian Garcia to make room for Lindsay on their 40-man roster.

Lindsay, a 25-year-old Australian, has a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 Triple A innings this year with 12.5 K/9 and 11.2 BB/9. The righty has always walked and struck out lots of batters, though his walk rate has never been this extreme. Baseball America praised Lindsay's mid-90s fastball and knuckle-curve in their 2010 handbook, suggesting he could appear in the majors this year if he finally stays healthy. Lindsay will report to the Yankees' minor league complex, where he'll no doubt attempt to regain his command.

Yankees Sign Tim Redding

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 12, 2010 at 7:37pm CDT

Tim Redding officially signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). The Dodgers and a Korean team also expressed interest in Redding, who was released by the Rockies this morning.

Redding, 32, had been pitching at Triple A in the Rockies organization. The righty had a 4.32 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 25 innings. He posted a 5.10 ERA in 120 innings for the Mets last year, with 5.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.

Back in 2005, Redding started one game for the Yankees. It didn't go well for anyone but the Red Sox hitters Redding faced; he allowed four walks, four hits and six runs in his lone inning in Yankee pinstripes.

2011 Contract Issues: New York Yankees

By Tim Dierkes | May 12, 2010 at 8:19am CDT

The Yankees face one contractual option after the season: designated hitter Nick Johnson has a $5.5MM mutual option with a $250K buyout. Johnson is currently on the DL with an inflamed tendon in his wrist. It seems unlikely that both sides will exercise the option.

If Johnson goes, the Yankees will be freeing up a total of $67.7MM for departing free agents. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Javier Vazquez lead the way. We'll also tack on another $2.2375 for Alex Rodriguez's salary decrease and money no longer paid to Chad Gaudin and Melky Cabrera. That's $70MM coming off the books.

Increases to players under contract total $8.5MM, with Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Robinson Cano getting raises. The Yankees also have Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes hitting arbitration for the first time. Boone Logan would be a second-timer, while Sergio Mitre fits into the fourth-time class. Even adding in the arbitration raises, the Yankees should have a good $55MM to work with without raising payroll.

Of course, a large chunk of that $55MM or so will be allocated toward new contracts for Jeter, Rivera, and possibly Pettitte. If all three re-sign near their 2010 salaries, it'll eat up most of the free money. In that case a payroll increase would be necessary to get into the mix on other big-name free agents.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the information.

Odds & Ends: Lackey, Stanton, Blue Jays, Vazquez

By Tim Dierkes | May 10, 2010 at 7:54pm CDT

Links for Monday, as Johnny Damon enjoys a little revenge against his former team…

Mark Teixeira encouraged John Lackey to sign with the Yankees last winter, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
Marlins prospect Mike Stanton will likely remain in Double A until late May or early June, an MLB source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. That will prevent the young power hitter from gaining Super Two status and an extra year of arbitration. The team would consider promoting Stanton to the majors from Double A at that point if he continues hitting well. Stanton has 15 homers already.
The Brewers signed shortstop Justin Parker, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). The 23-year-old has a .237/.334/.344 line in 584 plate appearances in the low minors of the D'Backs organization.
In a recent radio hit with The Big Show, Peter Gammons noted that the Red Sox tried to acquire Javier Vazquez during the offseason. Talking to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Murray Chass learned that the Sox also had interest in Curtis Granderson.
Kevin Gregg told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune he was open for anything regarding a return to the Cubs, but they said no.
Switching to the future tense, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports names ten players who could hit the trading block – including Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Paul Konerko, and Ted Lilly.
Baseball America's Jim Callis ranks all draft prospects from the last 20 years, based on how they were perceived before their drafts.

Latin Links: Alderson, Coa, Batista, Pirates

By Nick Collias | May 10, 2010 at 7:59am CDT

The latest from the Caribbean and beyond…

Sandy Alderson has been doing the rounds stateside to describe his reform efforts in the Dominican Republic. Aside from last week's lengthy interview with MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, Alderson spoke with the New York Times' Michael S. Schmidt on Saturday and the San Diego Union-Tribune's Tim Sullivan yesterday. One interesting revelation from the most recent piece: Alderson concedes that the strongest resistance to his presence has come not from the oft-vilified independent agents known as "buscones," but rather from what Sullivan labels "MLB employees whose interests appear to be in conflict and whose income may be a product of working both sides of the street."
The Yankees signed 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Rainiero Coa, according to Annelida Yoris Rivas at the Venezuelan paper Nueva Prensa (link in Spanish). A lengthy bio in the decidedly lo-fi Diario el Progreso gives more details: Coa is a recently converted third baseman/shortstop whose hitting in international junior tournaments drew interest from a number of clubs. However, his defense and arm behind the plate were what sealed the deal at a recent Yankees tryout in Venezuela.
Switch-hitting shortstop Jean Carlos Batista has agreed to terms with the Astros, according to the Dominican Prospect League site. Batista reportedly led the league in average and led his team in every offensive category for most of the DPL's season. Last year, Kiley McDaniel at Baseball Prospectus labeled Batista a "five-tool talent" and reported heavy interest in the prospect.
The Pirates also inked two 17-year-olds from the DPL, right-handed starter Isaac Sanchez and speedy left-handed outfielder Miguel DeAza.

Odds & Ends: Huff, Posey, Lewis, Yankees, Johnson

By Zachary Links | May 9, 2010 at 9:58pm CDT

Congratulations to Dallas Braden on throwing the 19th perfect game in MLB history. Let's check out some links from around the web..

Aubrey Huff is playing well defensively, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Catcher Buster Posey remains in Triple-A Fresno because Giants officials are not convinced that he is ready to catch in the majors, GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News. Sabean insists that the decision has nothing to do with service-time concerns. MLBTR's Luke Adams led a discussion post that touched on the issue over the weekend.
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets a quote from Fred Lewis, who says that he's happy to be on a team that never quits. Lewis was traded from San Francisco to Toronto roughly three weeks ago.
Steve at River Ave. Blues takes a look at the Yankees' offseason targets and how they've fared in the early stages of the 2010 season.
Cue the scary organ music. Jeff Zrebiec tells us that Orioles reliever Jim Johnson was placed on the disabled list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament and is seeking a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews. MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli has comments from O's president Andy MacPhail and manager Dave Trembley.
According to a team press release, the Mariners have relieved hitting coach Alan Cockrell of his duties. Alonzo Powell has been promoted from Triple-A Tacoma in his place.
In his latest mailbag, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News writes that the Reds' next manager will not be a high-priced guy with star power. That includes Lou Piniella, who plans on making Chicago his last stop as a manager.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out that ex-Braves Kelly Johnson and Adam LaRoche are mashing in Arizona.
Jason Marquis could be as little as two rehab assignments away from rejoining the Nationals, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Marquis inked a two-year, $15MM deal with the club this offseason but was sidelined after three outings in April.
Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post implores the Rockies to make a big trade.

Odds & Ends: Jenkins, Orioles, Molina, Lee, Konerko

By Mike Axisa | May 8, 2010 at 9:12pm CDT

Links for Saturday…

Geoff Jenkins told Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel that he received several offers in Spring Training this year, but they were all jobs in Triple-A, which "wasn't in [his] heart." Earlier tonight we learned that Jenkins is close to announcing his retirement.
Despite his team's poor start, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail believes his team is on the right track with their rebuilding effort, says Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News provides a follow-up to today's Bengie Molina discussion in a series of tweets. Baggarly says service time will not factor into Buster Posey's potential promotion, and doesn't think the Giants will shop Molina after Posey arrives. Baggarly adds that Molina's hamstring injury is not serious and no roster move will be needed.
Molina told Kevin Burkhardt of SNY that he wanted to sign with the Mets and was ready to move his family to New York, but was upset that they refused to increase their offer to two guaranteed years. (hat tip to Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com)
In a CMSB radio interview, Newsday's Ken Davidoff suggests that Cliff Lee and Paul Konerko will be two of the most interesting players to monitor as the trade deadline approaches.
John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle has some quotes from Eric Chavez, who admitted feeling pressure to perform since this is the last year of his contract. He also understands that the A's need a productive DH, which he hasn't been. Through 91 plate appearances, Chavez is hitting .220/.275/.305.
CC Sabathia doesn't believe that Victor Martinez's impending free agency is the reason behind his former battery mate's slow start, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier. V-Mart is hitting just .267/.330/.381 on the year, though he's picked it up of late.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post wonders why the Yankees would do business with the injury prone Nick Johnson instead of waiting out Johnny Damon. Johnson left last night's game with a sore right wrist and appears headed for the disabled list.
Ever wonder what happened to the six players that went to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera–Dontrelle Willis blockbuster? The Detroit Free Press has the answer.

Teams That Could Look For An Upgrade At DH

By Mike Axisa | May 8, 2010 at 7:27pm CDT

Designated hitter usually isn't a position that you'll see teams go out and spend big bucks to fill. Most of the 14 AL clubs have an older and fading player still under contract that can't play the field anymore, so a lot of times he'll get the spot by default. Think David Ortiz and Eric Chavez. Even when a team does go into the free agent market for a DH, they usually won't commit more than one year to a player.

Here are a few a clubs getting below average production from a roster spot designed to do nothing but hit…

Angels: After a hot start, Hideki Matsui has tailed off, and overall the team's DH's are hitting .207/.305/.342.
Athletics: Chavez isn't getting the job done, posting a .235/.284/.318 batting line.
Mariners: Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr. have gotten most of the DH at-bats, and overall the team has gotten just .189/.250/.207 worth of production. They've been rumored to have interest in Jose Guillen.
Rays: In the second year of his two year deal, Pat Burrell is hitting .222/.321/.375, which is actually an improvement from 2009.
Red Sox: Ortiz has gotten most of the action at DH, but is hitting just .178/.265/.411.
White Sox: Chicago's DH spot has been a revolving door, but overall they've hit just .204/.297/.310.
Yankees: Nick Johnson was signed in the offseason to fill this spot, but he hit .167/.388/.306 before landing on the disabled list with a wrist issue.

If any of those teams want to upgrade their current DH situation, they could turn to the free agent market, where Carlos Delgado (recovering from hip surgery), Jermaine Dye, and Gary Sheffield reside. The trade market could also prove fruitful, as players like Guillen, Lance Berkman, and Luke Scott could be made available.

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