Tidbits: Cano, A-Rod, Betances, DH and Pineda

Fanatics! It's been a while, and I'm sure many were wondering where the hell have I been for the past two weeks. Well, I was sick for a "minute," and needed to step back a bit from doing anything, literally. Then computer issues, which are always a bummer, hampered my "ability" to post. Don't know why, but Blogger, which is the web host for Bomber Boulevard, is extremely sensitive, and if there are any "bugs" on my computer, it simply will not cooperate. Other programs might slow down, but Blogger just shuts down...lol!

But anyhoo, I'm back and looking forward to getting my baseball brain back into the game. I won't go over everything that has happened with the Yankees in the two weeks that I've been away; I'll just recap some of the more interesting stories that I've been paying close attention to thus far this Spring:

"Silent Spring" for Cano - Robinson Cano is having a very slow offensive start to Spring Training thus far, and I only bring this up because he's Robinson Cano. Nothing to really worry about here; we're constantly told that ST games are just "practice" games for players to prepare for the season, although, I believe thay take it more seriously than that. I'm sure Robbie is not too thrilled with his output nonetheless: .167 AVG on 3-for-18 hitting, .200 OBP, .167 SLG and .367 OPS. Robbie also has yet to connect on a home run. Again, nothing to really worry about here, as this is reminiscent of his ST start last year. Robbie is one of those players that knows how to "turn it on" once the season begins.

A-Rod Having Another Good Spring - While his offense has slowed a bit in the past week, Alex Rodriguez is putting together another fantastic ST campaign. A .333 AVG on 6-for-18 hitting, Alex has knocked in 4 runs in 7 games and is slugging at a .611 clip. This is a very good sign of Alex's health being on the right track. I have noticed, however, that he is a bit slow on the basepaths; perhaps there is still more work to be done in regards to his left knee. It was revealed recently that he not only sought advice from Kobe Bryant on the orthokine treatment, but also from Phoenix Suns star Grant Hill. Hill recommended that Alex work with Dr. Mike Clark, a physician who believes in strengthening the entire body rather than focusing on specific areas.

More Improvements for Pineda - Michael Pineda is having an impressive ST thus far, and is continuing to make more improvements by revamping his changeup. Great idea. But Pineda's fastball numbers are what need improving, and he'll need to get some speed back on his pitch if he wants to be successful against the arsenal of slugging in the AL East. Mark Feinsand of the Daily News wrote a piece yesterday on Pineda's fb "issue," which doesn't seem to be of much concern to him or the team. But it is still worth noting that he has yet to reach the mid-high 90's this Spring; radar numbers that made him such a threat with Seattle last season.

The Non-factor Is Branyan - So much for the potential "high reward" that would have come from Russell Branyan's "low risk" minor league contract. Branyan has been sidelined with his recurring back injury this Spring, and it's safe to say at this point, he will not be making the team out of ST. It was probably a done deal for Branyan once the Raul Ibanez signing was made official, but it would have been nice to see what he still had left with his bat.

Short, But Sweet for Betances - Dellin Betances has not seen much time on the mound thus far, but has still been very good. In his 4 innings pitched, he's struck out 2 batters and has yet to have a run recorded against him. He has in that short period also allowed 3 hits and 2 walks, but overall his growth continues to look good. I'm rooting for Betances to make at least one visit to the majors this season.

 The DH Edition: Ibanez and Jones - Neither of the Yankees Dh options are making a good case for themselves this Spring. Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones are hitting to a .094 AVG, combined! I reiterate, ST is for "practice," and now is the time for players to get all the kinks out and get into a groove. Let's hope that once the season begins, these two will find their stroke and solidify the middle of the lineup.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Rangers Win Yu Darvish Sweepstakes

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With all the talk this week of the Toronto Blue Jays offering up a whopping $40 million to $50 million to bid for the rights to Yu Darvish, it was the Texas Rangers who utilized the stealth tactic to walk away the winner. According to a report by T.R. Sullivan who covers the Rangers for MLB.com, the team posted a crazy $51.7 million fee to negotiate with Darvish's team in Japan. The Rangers have until 4 pm CT on January 18 to make a deal, otherwise, Darvish remains with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Rangers keep their money.

So are the Yankees losers? My opinion is a loud, resounding NO!! Darvish is a star in his own right, but unproven in the MLB. Besides, the price tag set by Toronto was absolutely ridiculous; you had to figure that the Yankees were out of this at that point. the Yankees are said to have placed a bid in the range of $20-$25 million which is still a lot considering the $75 million, 5-year contract Darvish is said to be looking for.

It had been rumored weeks ago that the Rangers were seriously looking at Darvish and that this might have come down to them and the Yankees going head-to-head as they did last year for Cliff Lee. But Toronto quashed all that hype last week and was assumed the front-runner. With no other teams seeming to want to go near what the Blue Jays offered, it was easy for Texas to swoop in and win the bid.

So with Darvish off the Yankees Christmas list, what's next? There are still some good starting pitchers available; Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez rank high on my personal faves list, but only if the Yankees can acquire them without giving up too much. The Oakland A's want Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances for Gonzalez; Edwin Jackson's free agent price tag seems to be turning the Yankees away. Hiroki Kuroda is high on the Yankees' radar, but is seeking a 1-year deal similar to what he earned last year which was $12 million. That's a lot of money that the Yankees may not be willing to pay.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

More Player Moves

Yankees released pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo today. The righty is off to Japan where he'll pitch for the Yomiuri Giants according to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News.

Albaladejo finished his season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre posting a 4-2 record and a 1.42 ERA. He appeared in 10 games with the Yankees during the second half of the regular season and had a 3.97 ERA with no decisions. Albaladejo had little success during his major-league tenure with the Yankees and so the team decided to release him as they prepare to set their 40-man roster.


Yankees RHP prospects Dellin Betances, Ryan Pope and infield prospect Brandon Laird, were added to the 40-man roster in a move to protect them from being acquired in next month's Rule 5 draft. 

Betances, a Brooklyn native, was drafted in the 8th round pick of the 2006 draft with a $1 million signing bonus. He struggled early on in his minor-league career, being shutdown early in 2007 with the Staten Island Yankees due to forearm tightness. He bounced back in 2008 with Low-A Charleston going 9-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 22 starts, but faltered again in '09 with High-A Tampa; in only 11 starts, he went 2-5 with a 5.48 ERA. He was shutdown early again, this time to have surgery to reinforce a ligament in his elbow.

Pope was a 3rd round draft pick in 2007. He began his minor-league career that year with the Staten Island Yankees going 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 games. In AA Trenton this year he went 4-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 46 games. He appeared in 3 games with the Yankees during 2010 and went 0-0 allowing one hit and recording one save.

In stints with both AA Trenton and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Laird hit. 281 with 25 homers and 103 RBIs. He was acquired as a 27th round pick by the Yankees in 2007 and played in their Gulf Coast League that year.  

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper