Thursday, September 18, 2008

On the bright side . . . .

So, at the end of last season, Yankee management said they wanted to go in a different direction and that Torre would not be coming back. Joe Girardi was going to be the replacement to take the team in said direction. . . since then, Torre has taken the Dodgers to a commanding divisional lead and the Yanks are sitting comfortably in 4th. . . Which direction was that again??

While this season is lost, maybe all is not when you look toward '09 as you guys have already started to do. Here are my thoughts as of now

- On the bright side . .

. . about $80 million is coming off the payroll due to free agency.

. . they can use that to sign CC Sabathia, AJ Burnette, and/or Mark Teixeira. Maybe all three.

. . Wang, Chamberlain, Matsui and Posada will be back, and hopefully healthy.

. . Xavier Nady will be back.

. . Phil Hughes, Al Aceves, Phil Coke, and Humberto Sanchez will all be a year older, stronger, and ready to contribute for a full season.

. . Brett Gardner, Cody Ransom, Jaun Miranda, and Justin Christian will be allowed to compete for full time spots next season.


My question marks: Do we re-sign Moose, Giambi, or Abreu? What do we do with Ian Kennedy or Kei Igawa?


Who knows, maybe not making the playoffs will prove to be a blessing in disguise.



Off Topic: Is Manny Ramirez an MVP candidate?

22 comments:

old professor said...

It will be a long off-season. LA being in first place with a "comfortable lead" has more to do with the division they are in versus who the manager is. LA, I believe, is the only team above
.500 in the division and they have fewer wins than any other division leader in baseball.

Regarding next year: Posada will be back with three years remaining on his contract - there will be serious questions about his ability to throw effectively enough to catch regularly (your mother had the same surgery two years ago and I believe her fastball comes in at about 42mph). Burnett would be a good signing as would Sabathia (though he appears to be one hamburger away from a heart attack)- I believe the Yankees will overpay one or both of them to bring them in. If they sign one and bring Mussina back, the Rotation could be Free Agent, Mussina, Wang, Hughes, Aceves. Kennedy has a lot of growing up to do and Igwa will remain in the minors collecting his salary or be traded. Bullpen could be set with: Rivera, Coke, Bruney (if he resigns), Marte, and maybe Veras (he faltered somewhat at the end). I believe Sanchez will also be in the pen.

Gardner and Christin still have to prove they can hit major league pitching. I like the fact the Yankees are using the last few games to see if some of these guys can play in the bigs. The outfield will have a lot of question marks: will Damon be back, what to do with Melky, do they re-sign Abreu, what about Matsui (who seems to have disappeared the last four games)?

Giambi will not be back nor will Pettitte.

Crash said...

I was reading an "insider report" somewhere that said Yankees management will not bring back Mussina, Pettitte, or Giambi. They still like Abreu but not at $16M.

I think you will see Miranda at 1B for the majority of this last week. IF he does well in spring training next year he could be the starting 1B next year.

I think it's an interesting tell that despite being out of the playoffs, Melky has still not seen any considerable playing time. I think Girardi is ready to pencil Gardner into the starting spot for next season. The YES broadcast was making a point to mention that Kevin Long likes him and isn't worried about him hitting at this level.

Crash said...

ESPN has a rank the top 25 baseball moments in Stadium history (no football games or papal visits).

Pretty interesting.

Here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/rank?versionId=1&listId=182

The Scooter said...

OK, It's time to put the GM hat on, huh?

Well here it is:

Sabathia signs with the Yankees...he can't resist the cash and extra year that Stick Michael gives him...YES STICK MICHAEL, NEW YANKEE GM.

Burnett Signs....wants to play in NY very badly

Cano, Melky and Humberto Sanchez traded to Pittsburgh for Nate Maclouth.

Orlando Hudson signed to play 2B

Abreu re-signs (for less than $16 mil, Crash.

Giambi..GONE
Pettitte...Retires
Moose...Retires
Damon...sent to KC for a young mid-level arm (Yanks to pick up part of his salary)

Opening Day Lineup:

Hudson 2b
Jeter ss
Abreu rf
A-Rod 3b
Nady LF
Maclouth CF
Posada C
Matsui DH

Who's on First?? I don't know...third base (For you Abbot and Costello fans).

Rotation:

CC
Wang
Burnett
Joba
Hughes

Bullpen

Mo
Marte
Bruney
Veras or Ramirez
A young guy


Start printing the '09 WS tickets

Crash said...

The "young guy" in the pen will be Mark Melancon.

It looks like both Trenton and S-WB won their respective championships. Old Prof. the manager of the Trenton Thunder is Tony Franklin...yes that Tony Franklin, 39 year veteran of baseball who started his managerial career with the Geneva Cubs in 1982.

Interesting to see that Igawa led S-WB in wins (14), Ks (117) and ERA (3.45)...why does he suck so bad at the next level??? Hopefully they can trade him based on those minor league #'s.

old professor said...

Scooter, I am impressed that you even know who Abbot and Costello were. Is Orlando Hudson a free agent and hasn't he been hurt for a good portion of the last month?

Pittsburgh may be foolish enough to make that trade. After all they took Karstens instead of Coke. (Karstens by the way is now 2-6 with the Bucs).

I don't agree that the Stick will be the new General Manager. Long shot kick Girardi upstairs and make Randolph the manager. Actually, I truly believe that Cashman will be back. I don't see him going to Seattle nor do I see him in Philly.

Has there been a 57 sighting - apparently the strain of watching the Mets is too much for him. And exactly when was the last time he updated his blog site??

Middle Relief said...

Out of commish due to travel from the G-men game - will put a new post later tonight.

The Scooter said...

I just read an article by Heyman on SI.com and while I still like the trade I proposed a few days ago (Cano, Melky and Humberto Sanchez for Nate McClouth), he seems to think that their might be a fit with Torre's Dodgers.

Cano and Melky for Matt Kemp and Casey Blake?

That solves you center field AND your first base problems and it leaves a whole boatload of cash left to throw at Sabbathia and Burnett.

old professor said...

Scooter, exactly who would you play at second. Kemp has been a clubhouse problem for two years in LA so you would propose bringing that kind of problem into the Yankee clubhouse??

I don't believe the Yankees have given up on Cano. Melky may be a different story. He will be relegated to the minors if something doesn't change soon.

The Scooter said...

Like I have said before, Prof....I'm a big fan of Cano too, regardless of his apparent slide in production and hustle this year....that being said, let's face it, he is the Yankees single biggest trade asset.

Orlando Hudson signs to play second. He was hurt in August on a freak play, but he should be 100% by Spring Training.

I think Kemp's attitude problems are behind him. He has been a model citizen this year in LA. Great defender, great speed, great offensive upside.

Crash said...

Scooter I think Casey Blake is a free agent.

Kemp however,is a true talent and will be a guy we're talking about for some time. His "attitude problems" were coincidentally with Jeff Kent, who isn't exactly winning any awards for model citizen in the clubhouse, and did anyone notice the Dodgers started playing better as soon as Kent left the clubhouse with a season ending injury...just something to think about. Plus Kemp is only 24. His best years are still coming. This guy is a legit .300-30-100-100 guy with 30 steals. Think Bobby Abreu 7 years ago.

I think your trade is undervalued from the Dodgers perspective. The Dodgers were only willing to trade Kemp for a top name brand guy, like Matt Holliday, Mag Ordonez, etc. Offering Cano would be a starting point, Melky is an unnecessary throw in. They would have to offer Hughes in that deal, only after the Dodgers back off the demand to include Wang. I know I'm sounding like a broken record but Cano, Melky, and Kennedy for Kemp and a B level pitching prospect could get the job done. I would make it Hughes and Kennedy if they would give up Kemp and James Loney.

Matsui is done for the rest of the season. He did not travel with the team and elected to have surgery now (yesterday I think). He should be good to go in the spring.

The Yankees have such a logjam at OF-DH-1B they need to move about 3 of those players.

The Scooter said...

Crash, you might be right about me undervaluing the Dodgers' end of the deal. I guess I'm counting on Torre's love for Cano to balance it out. We know Torre is a fan of Melky's too so throwing him in the deal would give the Dodgers insurance if Andrew Jones continues to hit Micky D's more often than he hits the baseball.

If Cano, Melky and Kennedy get that deal done the Yankees should do it in a heartbeat.

I think the only way Hughes goes, is if Cashman does not come back as GM. He would get KILLED in this town if he traded him the winter after he refused to part with him for Santana.

old professor said...

On a lighter less relevant note, has anyone noticed the Muts are about to play themselves out of the playoffs for another year. They have pretty much handed the division to the Phillies and now are only one game in front of the Brewers in the race for the wildcard (it does appear both the Brewers and Mets are trying to give the wildcard spot to the other). How do you lose a game by giving up a grand slam to the opposing pitcher??

If the collapse occurs I can hear 57 now - "FIRE OMAR". He may actually be right on that.

old professor said...

Just read that the Mets are moving their Triple A affiliate from New Orleans to Buffalo beginning in the 2009 Season. The agreement appears to be for two years. (Wonder where the Indians Triple A is going).

Anonymous said...

sounds like SU is set to fire football coach

Crash said...

Cleveland AAA team is moving to Columbus. The team will still be called the Clippers. It's a 4 year deal through the 2012 season.

By the way with only 2 series left, are 2 sweeps possible??? Red Sox are facing the Indians, Lee pitches tonight. I would think that's one win. I'm rooting for Cleveland big time the next couple of days. Boston is 5-5 over their last 10 while Cleveland has won 7 straight. Yankees are 8-2 over their last 10 and need to take care of Toronto. It would be very interesting if the last series against the Sox actually meant something. A know a lot has to happen but it's only 6 games...

Crash said...

I didn't know SU still had a football team.

old professor said...

The SU Program has literally become completely irrelevant under Greg Robinson. He was brought in to SU from Texas, where he served as defensive coordinator and had a hand in the recruiting process. His arrival at Syracuse was heralded as the big step needed in rebuilding SU Football after the mediocre years of Paul Passqualoni.

It is questionable if anyone could have destroyed a program quicker. He has not been able to recruit any top caliber players from Florida, California, or Texas (which begs the question why would any top recruit want to leave warm weather for Syracuse)nor has he been able to keep top local talent either (reference Mike Hart who played High School at a Syracuse area school).

Regarding the slim possibilities of the Yankee-Red Sox series being meaningful for the wildcard, stranger things have happened. The collapse of the Phillies long ago and the Mets last year. Anything is possible, but it would take the Indians sweeping the Sox and the Yankees sweeping the Blue Jays.

The Scooter said...

I would go to ST John Fisher College before I went to SU...just sayin

The Scooter said...

September 23, 9:59 PM

Officially eliminated from the Playoffs.

GO DODGERS!!!!!!!

old professor said...

Moose guts it through after being hit on the elbow. The guy is a complete professional. Here's hoping he gets his 20th win on Sunday. If he does that will leave him thirty shy of three hundred. Does he come back next year??

Bullpen continued to impress: Coke still has not given up an earned run, Bruney comes through again and Chamberlain mustered up with the bases loaded (Okay Marte was again disappointing though it did look like a very tight strike zone).

Scooter, you got to root for the Cubs. No world series in 100 years. It is time for the goat/hex to leave.

Crash said...

The halo above Joe Torre just got a little brighter now that the Yankees have missed the playoffs and the Dodgers are all but in (magic number is 3). In the Stadium Farewell Tribute, I know a lot was made about Roger Clemens not being mentioned anywhere...but what about Joe Torre. Not mentioned once. Talk about disrespectful.

I know it means nothing now, but I still hope the Yankees can sweep Boston and Mussina wins his 20th against them at Fenway. Did you see them celebrating last night like they had just won the World Series??? The only one who should be celebrating like that is Jason Bay.

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