Managing the Yankees

People and Baseball fans are following the trade rumors thread of Roy Halladay. They are so attached to it that they forgot about what the Yankees need to sacrifice to get Halladay. As of today the Blue Jays are looking for a starter, a shortstop, and a catcher. I just don't like the idea of giving to much talents for just one player (even if I know that Roy Halladay will surely dominate in New York). And in addition to that Halladay would demand a salary like CC Sabathia (so much for the Yankees cost-cutting).

With so many hurdles and distractions for the Yankees to get an additional pitcher aside from Andy Pettitte coming back, I think it is better for them to go to a better route. A safer route....The Free agency.
And who better to go for than the top Free agent in 2010, former Angels Ace John Lackey. We all know that the Yankees are interested in Lackey but there are no serious talks yet.
The Yankees should consider getting Lackey than Halladay. Lackey is not as great as Halladay but he is not far behind. Lackey has good control of an excellent arsenal that includes above average heat, a slider, change and a great curve.

He is a top of the rotation workhorse and has been the Angels top gun for so many years now. What I like about John Lackey is his tenacity. He is a tough competitor and always wants to stay in the game to finish an inning. Remember that Lackey was upset when Angels Manager Mike
Scioscia pulled him out in the Game 5 of the ALCS. Just like Pettitte, Lackey wants the ball in his hands especially in crucial games. Lackey is a proven winner.

Lackey is looking for contract similar to AJ Burnett's ($16.5 million annually). The Angels only offered Lackey around $10-12 million. The Yankees should make an offer to Lackey somewhere in between of his demands and the Angels offer (maybe around $14-15 million) and locked him for 4-5 years. He is still at his prime and capable of playing competitively for another 4-7 years.

My only concern is why are the Angels not aggressive in signing their Ace. Remember that the Angels starting rotation would be thin if Lackey leaves. There might be a indication on the problem with his elbow. I don't know. I'm confused with the Angels' apparent willingness to let him walk, which some see as a sign that they know something about the health of his arm that others don't.

What is a Designated Hitter or DH? A Designated Hitter is a baseball player that is assign to bat in place of the pitcher. This allows the pitcher to concentrate on pitching and by this it speeds up the game (less bunting). This was adopted in MLB by the American League in 1973 and the game has never been the same ever since.

Although there are a lot of criticism especially from the National League where there should be no specialization in baseball, no division of labor and everyone should play the "whole game".
I would still be in favor of the DH rule. Why? For so many reasons. For one it reduces the injury of your pitchers. Imagine them running along the bases. Look what happened to Yankees former Ace Chien-Ming Wang who suffered a foot injury while running the bases against the Houston Astros. Since that injury, Wang has never been the same "double play" pitcher.

Another reason is who would want to see your pitcher strike out a lot or worse commit to a double play which would end the inning. It destroys the beauty of baseball. There would be less home runs, decreased hitting and more bunting. No wonder the American League always take the World Series home-court advantage because of their DH advantage.

The DH offers American League managers several options in setting their team's line-ups:

• They can employ a full time Designated Hitter like World Series MVP Hideki Matsui
• They can use left-handed hitting DH against a right-handed pitcher and vice versa
• It allows them to give a positional player a partial day-off

The beauty of the DH is it creates long, productive careers for players who are getting up in age, who have history of injuries and who are weak fielders. One good example is the case of Hideki Matsui. His shaky legs showed he can't play the outfield anymore but his batting prowess is still marvelous (20+ HR and 90+ RBI). The Yankees can't ignore the fact that Matsui is still valuable to the team employing him as their full time DH in 2009. It work wonders for them.

This coming season the Yankees are thinking what to do with their DH spot. Matsui is a free agent and the Yankees still wants him. However there are other Yankee positional players who needs to treated carefully (health wise) to prolong their career. Guys like Posada, Jeter, Damon (if signed), and A-Rod. The inability of Matsui to play the outfield gives the Yankees no choice but to go to another route.

I strongly suggest to bring up guys form the Farm system. Young stallions like Austin Jackson, Juan Miranda, Ramiro Pena, and Jesus Montero. They are still raw and a lot to prove. But this is the perfect time for them to see some action in the majors. It will be a good training ground for them while relieving old guys like Posada from time to time, giving them a partial day-off (DH spot).

For the Yankees who have several positional players creeping up on age "must" keep their DH spot open next season. And it is essential for them to bring up good sluggers from their Farm in order to maintain their offense intact. We will be seeing a new DH for next season.

So who would you want to be the Yankees' DH for the next season?

Two time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, San Francisco's Ace is considered one of the best starting pitchers in the game today. Often called as "The Freak" for his long stride and unorthodox pitching mechanics. He also has the ability to generate high velocity pitches (sometimes 98-99 mph) despite his small frame 5'11" ,172 lbs.
Lincecum is still young (25 yrs old) and still has a long way to go on his illustrious baseball career.

This off-season Lincecum will pursue a one year deal with the Giants around $ 10 million or more. Lincecum is expected to handle his arbitration year by year in an effort to maximize his earnings. The Freak could reach CC Sabathia's salary $ 23 million or his fellow team mate Barry Zito $ 18 million sometime soon. Lincecum salary of $ 650,000 is considered pocket change and his value has zoomed way way up.
Lincecum is still under contract with the Giants until after the 2013 season ( 4 more years). But the Giants must give their Ace a good deal year after year or else... The Yankees will come in and get him.

Yes Folks. Even with Roy Halladay trade rumors swirling in, when it comes to the Yankees pitching is never enough. Although there are no rumors regarding the San Francisco's Ace pitcher and I'm pretty sure that the Giants will do anything to keep their No. 1 pitching phenom in their rotation.
But guys like the Freak doesn't come available all the time and the Yankees being a powerful and wealthy organization must not let this things go overlook. We should at least consider getting the Freak. So from this day forward I will keep all the Yankee fans out there informed about updates about the Freak. Won't you like to have a starting pitcher who is still young but can pitch like Sabathia and Halladay.

The only concern about Lincecum is his health in long term. Pitching experts say that Lincecum can't pitch effectively for the long haul because of his small physique and his body might not able to withstand the long innings being played by a regular starter. He is simply not as big as Sabathia or as tough as Halladay. In Science that theory may be true but in the world of baseball anything is possible. How many times did we see a young pitcher dominate then later falter the following year. Or how many times did we witness a star pitcher playing in a All-Star game who is not prioritized in the draft.

What I'm saying is why are those people concerned about the future so much and not think about the present. Tim Lincecum is hot. He is today's sensation. He is a pure strike-out artist with an elite fastball, curve, and change-up. Being a two time Cy Young Award winner is not something to crack at. He earned it and is capable of getting some more.

And for me, I would love to see the Freak playing for the Yankees. I'm sure the Yankee fans would welcome him with open hearts and the Steinbrenners would welcome him with open bank accounts.

The Controlled Fury in New York. Let's see what will happen in the future. We don't know what the crystal ball holds for the Yankees but one thing for sure that the Yankees won't mind having another tremendous pitcher like Lincecum in their rotation.

I will keep you posted on the Freak's status. That is if you like to have him.

Chien-Ming Wang was the New York Yankees Ace in 2006 and 2007. In both of those years he compiled 19 wins in a season. Wang even came close to winning the Cy Young award finished second to Johan Santana in 2006. He has several good pitches in his arsenal but is known for his sinker. Wang's sinker enables him to create ground balls resulting to double plays. Thus therefore lowering his pitch counts to go deep into games. He was destined to be a star pitcher in New York.

Then injuries came. In 2008, he suffered a right foot injury while running the bases during an inter-league game against the Houston Astros. Wang was diagnosed with a torn Linsfranc ligament of the right foot which caused him to end the remainder of the season.
In 2009, Wang's ERA ballooned to 9.64 and there was speculations that his previous foot injury caused him to compensate with the rest of his pitching motion. Wang was diagnosed with weakness in the muscles with both hips and was placed on the disabled list.

All of a sudden Wang turn from Hero to Zero. Now the Yankees are thinking if they want to bring their former 19 win Ace Pitcher. According to Dr. Andrews (Wang's doctor), Wang's shoulder was doing remarkably well and is looking forward for rehab.
Wang's agent Alan Nero says Dr. Andrews cleared Wang to begin throwing on Dec. 1. The quicker he can get himself on a mound the more likely the Yankees are to keep him around. Personally I think it is wise for the Yanks to keep him. He will probably be back in action by the end of April or May, 2010.

The Yankees almost certainly will not tender Wang a contract, which would cost $5 million at the least. But Wang still prefers to play with the Yankees if they still want him.

Most of the critics says that he is done. Wang should pack up his bag and look for a new home. But if the Yankees get him cheap, it is worth considering signing him. Who knows Wang might be back to his old self. It's worth the risk for keeping the sinker ball specialist. Give Wang a shot for one more year. If Wand did not produce and suffered another injury (Probably neck this time), the Yanks will just have to count their losses and move on. But what if Wang stayed healthy and performs well. The Yankees starting rotation will be deep especially of Pettitte comes back.

I think it's worth a shot to give Wang another run to redeemed himself. I'm starting to miss Wang's double plays where we used to see him pitch till the 8th inning and got an outstanding 18 ground ball outs.

There are rumors that Yankees are considering trading JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, BRETT GARDNER, and IAN KENNEDY. According to Toronto Blue Jays organization they are looking for arms and power for their prized pitcher Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays will be receiving 2 promising young pitchers who are believed to be a star someday.
Joba Chamberlain is touted as one of the best prospect in the Yankees Farm system. He has a pretty good fastball and slider and has demonstrated good command on his pitches. The Yankees have envisioned him to be their starter but someway Joba always goes to back to the Yankees bullpen where he first started his career in pinstripes.

I think Joba will fit perfectly with the Blue Jays either if he is a starter, a middle relief pitcher, or a closer. There is no big pressure in Toronto unlike in New York. And Toronto will give Joba time to blossomed. Same thing goes with Ian Kennedy, who can't seem to find his niche with the Yankees. He too will fit perfectly in Toronto.
The Blue Jays might not be getting power in Brett Gardner but they will be getting speed (a lot of it). Gardner' speed will give Toronto a new dimension with his base stealing and aggressiveness. If he only improved his batting average he could be Toronto's lead-off hitter.

Bottom line Toronto will be getting 3 young and promising athletes that are cheap. This will benefit the Blue Jays payroll and they will have mobility to add players that they need from the Free Agency pool.

For the Yankees, they will be getting another ace in their rotation. Roy Halladay will definitely give the Yankees another shot at the World Series title. He is not as young as the 3 Yankees but he is not that old. Halladay can still perform at his level for another 5-8 years. Just think of it this way, with Halladay coming in, opponents will be threaten to face the Yankees because of their monstrous rotation. You got CC Sabathia as your No. 1 pitcher, followed by Halladay in No. 2 (No. 1 in other teams). Then you have AJ Burnett in No. 3, plus the coming of Andy Pettitte at No. 4. Add or mix players from the bullpen of the farm system to complete the rotation. Chad Gaudin, Ace Aceves, Phil Hughes are those who are considered to participate in the starting rotation.
That's pretty deep. If you got that kind of a rotation there's a small chance for the opposing team to get a win against the Yanks. I'm sure the Yankees won't mind spending money on Halladay. Halladay is like a carbon copy of CC Sabathia. So you got 2 former Cy Young award winners in your starting rotation.

Personally I would prefer to trade away Phil Hughes than Joba. I think Joba would be the next Yankee closer when Mariano Rivera retires.

So let's keep our ears on the ground for what will happen with the Yankees transaction. A player like Roy Halladay won't be easy to find and even if the Yankees want to stick to their budget they will be force to open their wallet just to keep Halladay away from the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is probably the most talk rivalries in sports history. Ever since the time of Babe Ruth up to the acquisition of Mark Teixeira this two teams have been going at it for quite some time. Now they are at war for the services of Ace Roy Halladay.

Boston is much more desperate than the Yankees. They lost the Divisional Series this year to the Angels. Their Rotation is not that deep and injuries have hampered their chances of advancing to the ALCS. The Yankees on the other hand is thinking of reducing their payroll and is planning not to be aggressive as they were when they hired guys like CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Teixeira last season. Still getting Halladay wouldn't hurt. Even if Andy Pettitte comes back the Yankees need more depth in their rotation so that they won't do the risky "3 man rotation" which they did in the post-season.

AJ Burnett, the former Blue Jay and team mate of Halladay would be exhilarated to have Halladay on board. Roy Halladay was Burnett's mentor and Halladay was responsible for Burnett's success for teaching how to throw the right pitches at the right location. Halladay also taught Burnett how to avoid injuries and taking care of his health.

Roy Halladay is considered one the best pitcher in the game today and plays a Cy Young performance all season long. He is an incredibly gifted workhorse. He sets hitters up with his fastball, works the strike zone, and uses a lethal off-speed arsenal to put them away. Halladay is also incredibly durable, intense, and hard-working, he's truly the definition of an ace. Every team in baseball would definitely want him. But getting Halladay's services would cost heavily. Halladay is still in contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for 2010 and has full no trade clause. Toronto new GM Alex Anthopoulos said he is open for trade talks for their star pitcher but for a good price. Boston is offering Clay Buchholz plus more promising prospects in their farm.

If the Yankees wants to join, they should at least consider trading Joba Chamberlain and/or Phil Hughes. Toronto is also interested in other Yankee prospects like Jesus Montero, Austin Jackson and several young pitchers.

The Yankees must join the bidding war even if they are not seriously interested in getting Halladay. This is just to up the ante and value of Halladay and forcing the Red Sox to almost giving everybody away from their farm system.

If you would ask me, I would like to get Halladay. Having Halladay would almost be an insurance for the Yankees to grab their 28th World Series title. Halladay is known as a Yankee killer. His 18-6 record against the Bronx Bombers attests. If the Red Sox gets Halladay, that would spell disaster for the Yankees. So it would be best for the Yankees to get Halladay to give them a 20+ wins and not to bitter rival Red Sox. His salary would only cost $ 15.75 M in 2010. So you get him cheap for one year.

The problem is Halladay would be a Free Agent at the end of the 2010 season and would demand a bigger pay and longer contract. Even if Halladay deserves to get a large contract and the Yankees can afford him, the Yankees will have a behemothic payroll. Remember that Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera would also be Free Agents at the end of 2010 and the Yankees would definitely commit first to this two loyal and outstanding players. Can the Yankees fit Halladay in their payroll? I think not! Unless they want to go back to their over-spending days.

And why would the Yankees trade their young stars like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes (even if they are not as great as Halladay) for a guy who the Yankees might lose to Free Agency at the end of 2010. Toronto also said that they are interested in Jesus Montero and they would want to add the youngster in the trade package. Montero might not have the catching skills but he is still young and his hitting power is "off the charts" and is something that the Yankees must keep. Halladay is turning 33 years old on May 2010. He is no spring chicken and have had some share of injuries. It is foolish for the Yankees to give away 4-5 promising guys for a 33 year old ace pitcher. The odds is not so good for the Yankees if they made the deal.

The best thing for the Yankees to do is to keep their young stars (Joba and Hughes) and prospects (Montero, A-Jax, etc.). They are still young and comes in cheap. Plus they have the potential of being a star in the league or at least contribute for the Yankees success.
The Yankees spend enough money last year to get talents like Sabathia, Burnett and Tex. This time it is wise for them to concentrate on using and developing Home-grown talents like Cano, Joba, and A-Jax. Balancing veteran leadership and young talents is essential and key for the Yankees to win it all.

As for Roy Halladay, let's just hope the Blue Jays wont strike a deal with the Red Sox. Because all the Yankees can do is to bluff and fool the Red Sox and hope that the Blue Jays would get a lot in return for a prize of just one pitcher.

The New York Yankees are blessed. They have the best closer of all time in Mariano Rivera. How many times did we see him close games in clutch situations. How many times did we hear Mariano's entrance song "Enter Sandman" which means exit time to the opponents. How many times did we see him use his famous "cutter" that until now the league hasn't found a way to solve it.

The Yankees won't be the 2009 World Series Champs without Rivera as their closer. Rivera is such an important and integral part of the team that he even played more than one inning just to make sure to clinch a win. In fact it became a trend in the Championship series and the World Series where starting pitchers like CC Sabathia would pitch 7-8 good innings (eliminating the set-up guy) then passing the ball the the Yankees great closer. It worked effectively as the opponents can't rally back and has simply no answer to the great pitching arsenal of Mariano Rivera.

And to add insurance to the Yankees winning ways, Rivera said that he is planning to play 5 more years. Yankee fans are hoping that Rivera is not kidding. At the age of 39, Rivera showed no signs of slowing down. And barring injuries, 5 years is a realistic plan for Rivera.

Problem is the remaining staff in the Yankees bullpen. During the 2009 season, the Yankees pen are probably the best in the league with Phil Hughes as Rivera's set-up man and newcomers like David Robertson, Ace Aceves, and Phil Coke providing stability and consistency. But in the post-season, the Yanks bullpen was evaporated forcing Mariano Rivera to play extra innings to ensure a win.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that Yankees bullpen is still strong (even if they faded in the post-season). That holds true, but there is uncertainty in pitching. A pitcher can be a MVP caliber this year and drop out of the rotation next year. Just look at Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels. Last year he was MVP of the world series with 1.80 ERA. This year Hamels played poorly allowing 5 earned runs in Game 3 of the World Series and was credited with a loss. Looking for consistency in pitching is very hard to find nowadays.

That is why the Yankees must think to bolster their bullpen even if that is not their biggest need this off-season. Rumors is that the Yankees are considering signing Free Agents like Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano (both Type A Free Agents). Or the Yankees might consider placing young pitchers like Joba and Phil Hughes in the pen if they were able to bring back Andy Pettitte and/or sign a Free Agent pitcher like John Lackey.

Either way, Mariano Rivera needs help. He can't do it all alone. He can't carry the bullpen on his own even if he has Superman type of skills. Getting help from their farm system or through free agency will help the Yankees closer and if that is done 5 years for Mariano Rivera is not an impossible feat.