jacksonianmarch

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/yankeesblog/yankees_talk_to_johnson_about_dh_ArWNyq7G9zvanoGKoP9EEL Well, enough about Miranda. The Yankees are negotiating with Nick Johnson to be the full time DH.

My guess is that the most suitable alternative is to wait a yr and go after Mauer or deal for AdGon then since he'd probably come a bit cheaper

probably Miss Cleo

Well, the question becomes, do you deal them or make room for them when they are ready. If they dealt Westmoreland, Kelly, and Anderson, where would other holes crop up? They would probably resign Gonzalez long term. Meaning that 1b, 2b, and 3b would be locked up long term and CF would be locked in for another 3 yrs of control in Ellsbury. So Anderson really has no place in this organization. Both COF spots open after 2011, but Westmoreland probably isnt an option for then anyway since he'll probably not be ready. The rotation would see one spot open in the next 3 seasons with Beckett leaving after 2010 presumably, but would Kelly be ready for the big stage in Boston for 2011, probably not. So, there is a very good chance that the holes being created over the next few seasons would not be filled by these guys anyway. So, dealing them makes a ton of sense.

SO as it stands right now... 1. Jeter SS 2. Granderson CF 3. Teixeira 1B 4. Rodriguez 3B 5. Posada C 6. Swisher RF 7. Cano 2B 8. Cabrera/Gardner LF 9. Miranda DH The top 7 are kickass. The 8 hole would be dicey and the 9 hole could be awesome or abysmal.

I made a typo. I was wondering if Vlad could be a Johnny Damon comp, a guy who can play enough OF to not be the full time DH, but someone who will split time at the DH spot as well to rest the balky legs.

So, most people don't know Juan Miranda. Well, let me educate you. He was a Cuban defector who had hit for both average and power in the Cuban leagues. By the time he came to america, though, he missed a couple seasons due to an attempted and failed defection. He eventually signed a 4 yr deal in Dec 2006 and began work in earnest the following yr. Here are his minor league lines... 2007- 24yrs old- .265/.350/.471. OPS of .821, 34 doubles, 16HRs between A+ and AA 2008- 25yrs old- .287/.384/.449. OPS of .833, 22 doubles, 12HRs at AAA, limited to 99G 2009- 26yrs old- .291/.367/.501. OPS of .868, 30 doubles, 20HRs between AAA and MLB Now, this guy can mash at the highest levels. He has shown a propensity to hit for solid, above average power, he can hit for a good average and he has a great eye. This past yr, he actually hit lefties better than righties, meaning that he isnt as much of a matchup nightmare as some of the other players on the team (notably Granderson). So, why the hell would this guy, who has crushed upper level pitching, be passed over so, so, so many times? Well, offensively, he was ready in 2008. But defensively, he'll never be ready. I think a700 said it about Uggla, but this guy is such a butcher in the field that he carries a meat cleaver onto the field. So, he isnt much of an option at 1b, although that's his position. He has enough foot speed to be an emergency outfielder, but he certainly doesnt have the arm for RF nor the range to be the full time LFer. So, for the most part, this guy is a DH. And in 2008, Matsui and Giambi were there and in 2009, Matsui was there full time. 2010 might be the only chance this guy has to break in as a semi-regular, since Girardi has made it clear that he wants that position to be fluid for now, and with Montero coming up the pipe, the DH spot is likely to be split between him and Posada. So, overall, we have an offensive option who is definitely MLB ready to be a DH and a soon to be MLB ready option who will likely be starting catcher at SWB in Montero. The offense will be fine. And hence, why the yankees are looking for a player that will not need to DH full time in 2010.

If you give SD those three guys, I doubt Hoyer rejects the deal

Its kinda funny how Damon is negotiating through the press again. He doesnt want to take a pay cut even in this economy and he thinks he's getting 3 yrs? I absolutely pass on that if I was Cashman. Hell, if I was Cashman, I might dip into the well again and start looking for other 1 yr deals or a trade partner like Colorado for Hawpe. As long as we got a peak at the medicals, I wouldnt be too upset with Guerrero on a 1 yr deal. If he had his knees fixed, he could possibly be a DH for us, and his upside as a hitter far surpasses anything Damon brings to the table.

JESUS CHRIST HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE LOW BREAKING BALL, I'VE SEEN IT, WATCH THE GAMEZZZ

Now, lets say the sox relent and deal Casey Kelly, Ryan Westmoreland, and Lars Anderson. That gives SD a replacement at 1B for 2011, a top notch SP prospect who'll crack the bigs likely in 2012, and an OF prospect who should crack the bigs in 2013. Lets just say Theo makes that move. Here's the order 1. Ellsbury LF 2. Pedroia 2B 3. Gonzalez 1B 4. Youkilis 3B 5. Ortiz DH 6. Martinez C 7. Drew RF 8. Cameron CF 9. Scutaro SS with a rotation of 1. Lester 2. Beckett 3. Lackey 4. Buchholz 5. Matsuzaka I'll tell you what, that would be one hell of a tough team to beat.

Hmmm. The Sox have the opportunity to deal from a minor league cache of players and improve their team by a lot or deal from their major league team and improve their team a little. This is interesting. Lets say the deal involves Ellsbury and Buchholz. Lets just say that those two head to SD for Adrian. Here are the lineups next to each other... 2009 1. Ellsbury CF 2. Pedroia 2B 3. Martinez C 4. Youkilis 1B 5. Ortiz DH 6. Bay LF 7. Drew RF 8. Lowell 3B 9. Gonzalez SS This is what it would look like IMO for 2010 1. Pedroia 2B 2. Drew RF 3. Gonzalez 1B 4. Youkilis 3B 5. Martinez C 6. Ortiz DH 7. Cameron CF 8. Hermida LF 9. Scutaro SS The middle of the lineup is a bit more formidable when you trade off Bay for Gonzalez, but the bottom of the order with Cameron, Hermida, and Scutaro is gonna be another black hole. I actually think last yr's lineup was deeper. And the defense improves in CF and at 3B. It makes a lateral move at LF (Hermida is a pretty crappy OFer as was Bay) and at 1b from Youk to Gonzalez, and worsens at SS from AGon to Scutaro. By adding Lackey, you shore up the 3 hole, but the loss of depth pushes Wakefield back into the rotation, something I thought the sox wanted to avoid. Regardless, lots of moving pieces, certainly better in the rotation in terms of reliability, but the offense isnt as deep and the black hole at the end worsens, especially with Cameron's capacity for K's.

Your lineup at the end of the yr was... 1. Ellsbury CF 2. Pedroia 2B 3. Martinez C 4. Youkilis 1B 5. Bay LF 6. Ortiz DH 7. Lowell 3B 8. Drew RF 9. Gonzalez SS The only hole I see is in the 9 hole, and that doesnt change much with Scutaro.

36. Jimmy Paredes, 3B, 20yrs old- NYP .302/.336/.410. Paredes is a very intriguing prospect who has a chance to put himself on the map next yr in the long season leagues. He is status post labrum repair, which weakened his arm a bit. He has the range and the glove to play the middle infield as well, and right now I am not sure if he is pegged for one spot or the other. He has a massive amount of speed to burn as evidenced by his 23 steals in 54 games. Strengths- He makes solid contact, has gap power now and should develop average to above average power, plays the field well, and has top notch speed Weaknesses- His arm injury may make 3b impossible at the higher levels. His approach is a bit too aggressive as well, as evidenced by the 10BB and 30K in 215PAs Ceiling- Depends on the position. As a corner IFer, he'd buck convention since I dont think he'll have 20 homer power. But if he sticks in the middle infield, he could be an above average SS should he continue to develop as he has Projection- I am gonna run into this a lot in the back end of the rankings, but it is hard to say since his current and his future are pretty far apart, even though he has a solid season in 2009 ETA- He has Pirela, Nunez and Pena above him at SS, and Cano, Adams and Joseph ahead of him at 2b. I bet he goes one level at a time. He'll be in Charleston next yr 37. Bryan Mitchell, RHP, 18yrs old- No stats. Mitchell was a big bonus late round pick in 2009 and has the chance to make Cashman look really good. He's got a good fastball for an 18yr old and has a plus curve now. But he has a long way to go. Strengths- Low 90s heat as an 18 yr old with a solid frame and a plus curveball now. Weaknesses- His inexperience and the lack of a plus change are the big ones, but he's one of the more advanced 18 yr olds you will ever see Ceiling- He's got a top of the rotation ceiling Projection- as with all pitching prospects, health is just as big as stuff, so we'll see if he weathers the minor league injury storm ETA- He might skip the short seasons altogether in 2010, but he likely will end up in the NYP 38. Sean Black, RHP, 21yrs old- NYP- 6-0, 1.62ERA, 0.78WHIP, 6.1K/9IP 3.1K/BB. Black was a highly touted high schooler when he was selected in the 2nd round a few yrs back. But a trip to Seton Hall wasnt what he had dreamed of. He was hit pretty hard, prompting many to think he was a bust. But it turned out that he had metal bat syndrome. He has a new approach and was absolutely lights out in the NYP. Strengths- Big frame, pinpoint control, and a plus sinker/change combo made him dominant in the NYP. Weaknesses- He needs to develop a breaking ball that has bite to it in order to progress as a starter. Also, for a sinkerballer, he didnt get a lot of grounders, nor does he strike out batters Ceiling- I see him as a middle of the rotation starter in the future Projection- I think it is very easy to see him in the pen since he has a 2 pitch arsenal and he's pretty significantly blocked at the higher levels ETA- He'll be in Charleston in 2010 and depending on his role going forward, he'll either move one yr at a time (starter) or rifle through the system (as a reliever) 39. Kevin Whelan, RHP, 25yrs old- AA/AAA 4-0 2.47ERA, 1.28WHIP in 67.1IP, 11.4K/9IP, 2.1K/BB. Whelan is the perfect example of stuff vs control. Whelan is a dominant reliever with lights out closer stuff. But he just doesnt have control of it. I am surprised he didnt get taken in Rule V, though, he is the kind of arm that teams look good in retrospect acquiring. Strengths- 96+mph fastball, the best splitter in the system, maybe the entire minors and a plus slider are 3 solid strengths for Whelan. He has also improved over the past few seasons Weaknesses- He struggles with fastball command, causing walks, lots and lots of walks Ceiling- If something clicks and he can consistently locate his heater, he'll be a closer now. Projection- I have a feeling he harnesses it enough to crack the big leagues, but I doubt he will be accurate enough to be a trusted reliever. Reminds me a lot of Bruney ETA- He'll make his MLB debut this yr so long as he doesnt fall off a cliff 40. Hector Noesi, RHP, 22yrs old- A/A+ 6-4 2.92ERA, 0.95WHIP, 9.1K/BB, 7.9K/BB. Noesi was one of those feel good stories for the yankees this yr. He went from being depth in Charleston to a true prospect story. And all of that was based on his impeccable control and the development of his curveball. Look at the K/BB. That is not a type. Nearly 8Ks for every walk, 118Ks to 15 walks in 117IP. Thats not bad Strengths- Low to mid 90s heater, plus curveball now and a league average change with impeccable command has put him on the map Weaknesses- He needs to prove this wasnt a fluke, cause without the curve, he isnt worth much Ceiling- I see Noesi as a middle of the rotation starter, his command plays out better in the rotation Projection- If he puts up another solid season, he'll be trade bait. He has solid stuff, but other guys have better stuff and I have a feeling Noesi gets dealt ETA- He'll probably start the yr in AA and should see big league action in 2011.

Pierre is exactly the kind of player Guillen wants. Imagine the futile power out of the top two in that order. Pierre and Pods. Wow.

He'll get a yr or two more AND should expect a couple mil per yr more. I wouldnt put a 6yr $120mil deal out of reach

Their pitching wasnt their biggest problem when Bay left.

Jason Bay may have f***ed himself here. The sox have officially signed off on him and the Yankees have said they have no interest long term. Bay might have to choose between 5 yrs in Flushing or a shorter deal to go to Seattle or the Bronx. Losing the sox and seeing the Angels fill their offensive hole with Matsui has severely limited his options

Lets just say this, the Lackey signing made this deal a lot sweeter. He is a massive downgrade in offensive production for a team that really had offensive identity issues at the end of last season.

I think ARod is looking for someone with bigger breasts or a bigger penis. Hudson is good looking from the neck up, but has the figure of a 12 yr old boy.

If we sign him, I wonder who moves to the pen? And if it would be a permanent move. Joba to the pen to setup Mo would probably be the best answer.

Yankees "very" interested in Sheets

Branyan is a FA

Cabrera is signed for a long time, and with the recent deals being made some of the financial burden has lifted. I doubt they are actively shopping him either since he's the center of their franchise