jacksonianmarch

there are those who suck, and then there are those who are traitors. We dont usually have traitors, because traitors love green and we have lots of it. If ARod opts out, he will be a traitor and no, he wont be forgotten.

Give him time. I think Bard could still be very good. If they retooled his mechanics, you need to give him a yr. Look at Alan Horne. He came out of college as a high risk, high reward guy. They retooled his mechanics and his walk totals soared to 1 every 2 innings in his first minor league season. This season, he has cut his walk totals in half and has seen a huge rise in his K rate. Bard is that kind of guy. If they fixed his mechanics this yr, next yr will be his biggest yr.

you may be right. I honestly think Boston may be tougher to play in than NY.

WMP in CF could be interesting.

He's improving. Albeit slowly.

at least he didnt get a knife in his back like everyone on Fire Theo's wishlist.

actually, WMP had to be removed from the lineup because he couldnt stay healthy. Both seasons where he showed promise in Cincy ended with hamstring issues.

that is correct. No more draft and follows.

theo's fault again.

Theo screwed up on him. LOL.

you missed my post amending that.

12ER in 19.1IP vs Contreras, Buerhle, and Vazquez.

Maholm is good too. Chacon is garbage.

we started hitting against the white sox, which is no small order. They can pitch, they just cannot hit.

touche. But at the same time, our backup OFer was already starting in CF for the injured Damon. If Melky was riding the pine and Abreu had been playing as bad as he did when he hit rock bottom, then I'd probably have clamored for Melkman. BTW, what I find interesting is that the yankees have found their stroke 2 seasons in a row when Melky became a full time player again. Probably coincidence, but I really like the kid.

Kennedy really has been a draft day steal. His mechanics were cleaned up and now he is throwing as hard as he ever has with plus command and control and very strong off speed stuff. I am excited about him.

Well, last yrs draft continues to look like a huge success. Kennedy and Chamberlain are now in AA. Kontos started well in Tampa before being injured. Betances, even though he has been relegated to Ex ST work, has apparently cleaned up his motion to the point of near perfection, and the apparent recovery of Mark Melancon from TJ surgery have the yankees looking brightly into the future. Add to that their deal for Humberto Sanchez, Ross Ohlendorf, Kevin Whelan, and Anthony Claggett and you have 4 more arms that could be contributors to the Yankees. Add to that the draft day bonanza where the yankees nabbed two of the best power arms in the draft in Carpenter and Brackman, another power sinkerballer in Olbrychowski, and a "fast mover" in Pope, the high school arms of Peavy, Barreda, and Mahoney and the yankees pitching system has really become the premier pitching system in the game. BUT, when you have all of this talent, what the hell do you do with it all if the premier prospects dont falter. An interesting predicament to say the least. In years past, the yankees would be looking down to the GCL to find their best pitching prospect. Now, their best is at the MLB level (granted on the DL) and there are tons still waiting in AAA and below. But what happens when they all reach the top and there isnt any room at the inn? This season, the yankees have a rotation that is 4 deep with a rotating 5. 1. Wang 2. Pettitte 3. Mussina 4. Clemens 5. Clippard for now. With the return of Hughes, Clippard goes back to AAA. At AAA... The rotation will be... Clippard Igawa White Wright DeSalvo Who is that ???. Well, rumor has it that with Kennedy and Chamberlain moving to AA, both Brett Smith (and his 2nd best ERA in the EST league (to Buchholz btw) and Alan Horne (tied for league lead in K's with Clay Buchholz) are rumored to be coming up. This likely moves Steven White and his oft injured status into a role that may be better suited for him, relief. It likely also moves Matt DeSalvo into a relief role, even though his AAA ERA this season is in the low 1's. So, updated AAA rotation... AAA Smith Horne Igawa Wright Clippard Where does that leave AA? AA Chamberlain Kennedy Jones Marquez Lavigne Of the above few players, only Lavigne is considered an "organization player" ie a filler. Now where does that leave us? Well, that is nice and fine, but consider the players who are returning. Ross Ohlendorf was AWFUL to start the yr, very very wild, which was very uncharacteristic of him. It was later found that he had a back injury that cause the wildness and hence has been DL'd. But he is expected back this season, and would likely fit into the AAA rotation. Humberto Sanchez had TJ surgery in ST and is expected to return next season. Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner will both return this season as well. Chamberlain and Kennedy may be in line for promotions by the start of campaign 08. What is one to do? Well, there is an issue here as well.... In 2008, the yankees rotation already has 4 slots full 1. Wang 2. Hughes 3. Pettitte 4. Mussina So where do all these pitchers fit, especially now that 2 high end prospects have pushed their way into AA and soon into AAA? Well, this likely leaves us with no other choice but to trade. Now for whom is the question? Guys like Chase Wright, Steven White, and Jason Jones are guys who are back of the rotation guys as is, so they'd be the least valuable but also the least likely to be missed. Then there are the middle of the road guys. Ohlendorf, Marquez, Kontos, and even Igawa. They could fetch something much nicer, but also could be inning eating guys in the future that we'd be giving up on for pennies on the dollar. And THEN, there are the guys who could really fetch a good amount. The big guys. Betances, Kennedy, Chamberlain, Horne, Clippard. These guys could be the centerpiece of a deal in getting something very valuable, but young pitching is something you dont want to give up on. Either way, Cashman has stocked us to the gills with pitching talent, and unfortunately, it is getting a little hard to breathe at the top. I expect some deals to be pulled off. But what is available. Hmm. In terms of need, right now, the yankees really dont need rotation. Their top 4 should keep them afloat and their 5 could be held down by Hughes when he returns, getting a starter at this juncture is not useful. Relief has been an area of unexpected concern. Bruney's velocity and control seem to have gone away with the increased workload, Gas can and Farns have proven to be nothing short of useless and Proctor has shown signs of wear. Bringing up a guy like Britton or Edwar Ramirez could help, but in actuality, Mo really needs a hammer to help. Linebrink is available. Fuentes for a kings ransom, maybe. Who knows. I do expect the yankees to deal off some of this surplus in this area. Now for the other needs. First base is something that jumps out and a guy like Tex certainly available. But they wont accept junk in return. They'd want one of the coveted guys for him, and at this point, I dont think they'd take the worst one of the bunch in Horne. They'd want Chamberlain, Kennedy or Betances, and right now, that aint happening. Maybe a Sweeney from KC. Who knows. Either way, expect the yankees to be active at this deadline, and they sure have some coin to spend both in prospects and cash.

I really dont get why so many people are on Francona for using WMP instead of Drew. Lets compare. JD Drew in 176ABs has done this... AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS .244/.353/.364/.716 WMP in 83 ABs has done this... .241/.323/.434/.756 Hence, they both have the same average, JD reaches base at a little better clip while WMP hits for power well more than JD has thus far. And, the OPS bears it out. There isnt need for a defense when you wish to play someone who has a higher OPS. Does DL Drew have a track record? Absolutely. But at the same time, DL Drew has had some serious injury concerns AND came into this yr already nicked up. This very well could be the decline phase of DL Drew's career, especially if his shoulder is as bad as they said it was in December. Whereas with WMP, who knows. A couple things for the nitwits out there. A: WMP for Arroyo was a stupid trade. Period. I dont think there are many who will pileon about this one. B: What the hell is Francona to do when he has s*** for one option and diarrhea for another? Alright. Now, in the 3 seasons he has gotten over 275ABs, he has put together a composite OPS in the .820 range. That is very, very good. Combine that with him being 25, and you have something working there. Is there a flaw in giving WMP a ton of time? Yes there is. Awful defender and he is also a bit of an injury liability. BUT, when it comes to him or Drew, right now, WMP is the better player. Hell, WMP is sluggin 70 points higher even AFTER Drew had a 2 homer and a double game. So in conclusion, if Drew was kicking ass and Francona was using WMP instead, then that would be stupid. But right now, WMP has actually been the better slugger, and in the 5 hole, OBP isnt the biggest factor attributed to success. You want a guy who can hit the ball a long way to drive in the big boys ahead of him. And right now, that guy is WMP in comparison to Drew. Now dont get me wrong. I am not here to stir the pot on this. I just find it interesting that people look at the salary and figure he has to be the better player. Because right now, the highest paid guy isnt. And one other thing. Drew has the track record, the injuries, and also is much older. WMP has the potential to put it all together one day. This potential should make Francona think about using him more. Because if WMP can put it all together, he might become integral to your plans. Right now he is a spare part. Yet the spare part has been better than glass drew to this point.

btw, according to the trenton thunder article, Kennedy has been sitting in the low 90s all season, and has been clocked as high as 94 in his starts. The velocity is back, and so is his effectiveness.

2.2IP 5H 3ER 3BB 2K in his last start. There is speculation that he will be optioned once his 30 day rehab stint ends in a few days. With Tavarez pitching serviceably, the sox are playing it slow, as they should.

Greg Peavey was interviewed by pinstripes plus and said that he was honored by the yankees drafting him. He also said the yankees have already talked about contract with him and he is intent on signing. The Yankees will likely pay well over slot, but the idea of him being ironclad bound to OSU is waning. Looks like we may get him.

2 things the Cavs have in their favor. Technically, the series hasnt started yet. That happens when a home team loses a game. So, they should be alright (haha, yeah) And they stormed back on the Spurs to make a blowout a game yesterday. I am gonna be an optimist and say this series doesnt end in Cleveland.