Noteworthy News 11/12/13

Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Hiroki Kuroda all rejected their qualifying offers of $14.1 million which would have kept them in pinstripes for another year. Absolutely no surprise to me, although, I truly hoped that Grandy would accept as this will probably prove to be the nail in his Yankee coffin. However, according to this tweet by Mike Puma of The New York Post, the Mets are on the chase for Granderson. Makes sense; Mets had one of the worst offensive outfields in the majors last year. It would certainly feel strange to see Grandy in a Mets uniform, but it would be cool for him to stay in New York. I will still, however, keep my fingers crossed; I am truly a Granderson fan.

Several headlines came out of Yankeeland in the last day or two. Here are the most noteworthy:

• Yesterday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Kansas City Royals are now in contention for the services of Phil Hughes, This would put Hughes back under the tutelage of former Yankee pitching coach, Dave Eiland.

• According to Bill Madden of the Daily News, at present, Cano is garnering no interest from any major league team other than the Yankees. Right now, Cano's price tag is too high.

• Jerry Crasnick of ESPN also tweeted yesterday that the Yankees have signed outfielder Antoan Richardson to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Richardson is a switch-hitter with incredible speed and a lifetime on base percentage of .381.

• Some positive news on Alex Rodriguez, our embattled third baseman met with the family of Avonte Oquendo, the autistic teenager from Long Island City who disappeared from his school on October 4 and hasn't been seen since. This, reported by Ken Davidoff, also of The Post. A-Rod spoke with Oquendo's mother, grandmother and brother at La Marina restaurant in Upper Manhattan in an effort to lend his support in their search for the missing teen. 

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Noteworthy News

The measure of true greatness? When the accolades and achievements continue to come, even after retirement. Yesterday, Mariano Rivera was named AL Comeback Player of the Year by Major League Baseball; a remarkable accomplishment following a great bounce-back season, after suffering an ACL injury in 2012 which sidelined him for the year. Congratulations Mo, I don't think we fanatics ever get tired of saying that. Here's more news from around Yankeeland:

• The Yankees made one-year, qualifying offers to Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Hiroki Kuroda for $14.1 million yesterday. Each player has until next Monday to accept or reject the offer.

• Our beloved former manager Joe Torre will join great former managers Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox on the Hall of Fame expansion era ballot next month. Also on the ballot as a holdover, is our much loved, missed and esteemed, Mr. George Steinbrenner.

• The New York Post reported yesterday that the Yankees are looking at Detroit's Omar Infante as a possible replacement at second for Cano, should they fail to re-sign him. Detroit has no plans to extend a qualifying offer to Infante, so if the Yankees did acquire him, they would not forfeit a draft pick to his former team.

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Kuroda Sparkles; Yankees Take Series Against Baltimore

AP Photo / Kathy Willens

Hiroki Kuroda was at his best last night, limiting the Baltimore Orioles to 5 hits but no runs as he pitched a complete game shutout in the Yankees 3-0 series win.

You would think during a shutout game that a starting pitcher would have to mix in a bevy of different pitches going through a lineup several times. But Kuroda managed to shut down Baltimore throwing nothing but splitters and sinkers. There may have been a few times he threw a curveball and he only threw one fastball the entire night to Adam Jones. The result was the Orioles being mainly limited to hitting ground balls.

In the end, Kuroda would allow 5 hits, no walks, and would strikeout 5 over 113 pitches.

I don't think anyone believed that Joe Girardi would keep Kuroda in the game for the ninth inning. With the Yankees leading by three, it would have been a save opportunity for Mariano Rivera. Also, considering how important pitching is to the Yankees right now, it would have been the right move for Girardi to rest Kuroda for the last frame. But Kuroda showed no signs of fatigue, and would have pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th, if not for Jayson Nix's fielding error that allowed Nick Markakis to reach first base.

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And while the loud bats of Robinson Cano and Kevin Youkilis were silenced last night, the Yankees got all the offense they needed in the fifth inning from Brett Gardner. After Brennan Boesch scored on a sacfly from Nix, Gardner hit a two run home run to right field scoring Francisco Cervelli, who had previously singled to left field.

Alex Rodriguez was with the team in the dugout for the second game in a row last night. Looks like Alex is re-acclimating himself to the fans and the media following all the drama of the Biogenesis scandal. I like that he's supporting the team this way and besides, no need to stay "underground" if you're not guilty, right?

The Yankees get the night off tonight but will begin interleague play against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Ivan Nova will get the start--and a chance to keep his spot in the rotation--against RHP Brandon McCarthy. Andy Pettitte's start has been pushed back to Friday, as the Yankees want to proceed with caution and give him more time to rest his back. Game time is 7:05 pm.

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Clock Is Ticking On Phil Hughes

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There's really no way to say this except to be brutally honest: if Phil Hughes does not find a way to win games, he's going to find himself working out of the bullpen.

I could be way off about that, but it's what I believe to be true. Hughes laid another goose egg yesterday afternoon to the Orioles, helping the Yankees to a 5-3 loss. He gave up 3 home runs, 2 walks and 9 hits pitching in only 3 innings. In his two combined starts this sesson, Hughes has allowed 17 hits and 8 earned runs in a measly 7 innings.

Granted, Hughes is coming off of a back injury that had him sidelined during Spring Training. And he did pitch earlier than expected following the Yankees' horrific 1-3 start, so perhaps he simply needs more time to get his pitching groove back. But the Yankees may not be willing to show much more patience for Phil when they are relying on pitching to win games, and when they have David Phelps waiting in the wings.

Phelps was originally slated for last Saturday's start against Detroit which was eventually given to Hughes. Today, Phelps came in in relief and pitched brilliantly, allowing only one hit and striking out 6 in 4 innings. This was the kind of pitching performance that helped him earn in a spot in the rotation out of Spring Training. This will be the kind of pitching performance that will earn him a spot back on to the rotation in replacement of Hughes.

There is another variable to this situation, however. Ivan Nova was horrible in his first outing against Detroit and the Yankees appear to have a short leash on him also. If he bombs out in his second start, whenever that is, Phelps could replace him giving Hughes a reprieve. But if Nova bounces back with a solid win, the pressure will be on Hughes to make a decent game of it in his next outing.

And the Yankees offense wasn't great today, as the bats were cooled by Orioles pitcher, Jason Hammel. Only Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells and Francisco Cervelli were able to get hits, with Hafner and Wells both hitting solo home runs.

Hiroki Kuroda will get the start in Sunday night's game against LHP Wei-Yin Chen. Game time is 8:05 pm.

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The Big Bats Come Alive In Cleveland

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Last night was a big night for Travis Hafner, who was visiting Cleveland for the first time since signing with the Yankees during the offseason. Hafner spent 10 years with the Indians, and the home crowd showed their appreciation with a standing ovation when he was introduced during their Opening Day ceremony.

Then, Hafner went to work in the first inning, hitting a 3-run home run off of Ubaldo Jimenez to give the Yankees an early 3-0 lead. The home crowd then serenaded him with boos.

It was the first hit of Hafner's 2-for-3 night in the Yankees 11-6 beating of the Indians. It also marked his 100th home run at Progressive Field. Hafner would go on to single in the third inning and take two walks; both leading to runs scored.

Robinson Cano finally broke through his slump. He put four runs on the board for the Yankees, two of which came off of solo homeruns. Cano would go 3-for-4 for the night complementing his homers with a double to left field.

And Vernon Wells had yet another stellar offensive outing, going 3-for-4 with 2 singles and a double.

Hiroki Kuroda came into the game with a 3-0 lead but gave it up in the first inning. He walked his

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first batter Michael Bourn, then gave up a single to Asdrubal Cabrera. Jason Kipnis would follow with a sacfly to right scoring Bourn. Singles to Nick Swisher and Michael Brantley, and another sacfly to Mark Reynolds would lead to 2 more runs scored.

But Kuroda managed to hold the Indians to 3 runs into the 6th inning. In the end, he gave up 5 hits, 3 runs, walked 4 and struck out 6. After the game Kuroda reaffirmed to the media that there was nothing wrong with the right finger that was injured in his first outing against Boston.

Tonight, Andy Pettitte gets his second start against RHP Carlos Carrasco. Game time is 7:05 pm.

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Yankees Lineup for 4/8/13

Eduardo Nunez rejoins the lineup. Here are this afternoon's starters:

Brett Gardner CF - .160/.250/.280
Robinson Cano 2B - .130/.200/.130
Kevin Youkilis 3B - .409/.480/.727
Travis Hafner DH - .350/.409/.500
Vernon Wells LF - .294/.429/.706
Ichiro Suzuki RF - .111/.190/.111
Eduardo Nunez SS - .364/.462/.455
Lyle Overbay 1B - .211/.250/.263
Chris Stewart C - .167/.167/.167

Hiroki Kuroda RHP - 0-1, 13.50 ERA

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Formula Works Against Verlander In Yanks Win

AP Photo / Carlos Osorio

It would take solid pitching and early runs to keep Detroit's Justin Verlander from dominating today's game. Fortunately, the Yankees were able to do both and secure their second win of the season, shutting out the Tigers 7-0.

CC Sabathia was not entirely on top of his game this afternoon, but he he gave the Yankees a strong outing, giving up only 4 hits and walking three in 7 shutout innings. CC mixed up his pitches today throwing more changeups than usual and putting more velocity on his fastball. He was only able to induce 4 strikeouts which is a low mark for him, but he managed to keep the bats of Detroit's lineup to grounders and fly balls; it proved to be enough to prevent the Tigers from scoring any runs.

But most notably, CC completely shut down the "meat" of the Tigers' lineup. Two of his 4 strikeouts came against Prince Fielder who struck out swinging in the first and fourth innings. All three of Miguel Cabrera's at-bats against CC ended in groundball plays. For the afternoon, Cabrera would never get on base.

David Robertson came in to pitch the 8th inning and would pick up where CC left off. Although he gave up singles to Torii Hunter and Fielder for his first hit of the afternoon, he struck out Cabrera and Matt Tuiasosopo swinging and induced a pop-up from Victor Martinez.

And although it was not a save situation, Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning. He too gave up 2 singles to Omar Infante and Ramon Santiago, but induced a groundout and flyout from Brayan Pena and Austin Jackson, respectively. He closed the game with a strikeout that caught Hunter swinging.

The offense got to work right away against Verlander. Although there were no runs produced in the first inning, Kevin Youkilis doubled on a fly ball to center field. In the second, Francisco Cervelli doubled on a flyball to left scoring Ichiro Suzuki, who was on first base after a force out. After Lyle Overbay flied out to left, Jayson Nix hit a monster home run to left. The Yankees were up 3-0 and never looked back.



AP Photo

Two more runs came in the third as Eduardo Nunez scored on a sacfly from Ichiro, and Vernon Wells scored on single from Cervelli. Nunez came in to pinch run for Travis Hafner on third base. Before the game, Nunez told Girardi that he could not go, as the pain and inflammation in his bicep muscle continues to prevent him from swinging a bat. He is however, available to pinch run.

In the ninth, after singles to centerfield, both Nix and Brett Gardner scored on another single from Youkilis.

And the Yankees are getting all that they've needed from Youkilis, Hafner and Wells. In place of Alex Rodriguez at third, Youkilis is batting .409 with 9 hits, 4 runs and 4 RBIs in his first 22 at-bats. Hafner is hitting to a .350 clip, having gotten a hit in all 6 games thus far. Wells is hitting .294 with 5 hits and 4 RBIs on two solo home runs.

Tomorrow, Hiroki Kuroda will keep his place in the lineup following his fnger injury, to face the Cleveland Indians against former phenom Ubaldo Jimenez. What I'm looking forward to, as I'm sure many of you are, is to see what Nick Swisher will do against his former team. Needless to say I'm hoping this won't be a good series for him. Game time is 4 pm.

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Welcome Sights in Yankee Loss

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Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave tonight's game against the Red Sox in the second inning after suffering an apparent contusion to the middle finger of his right hand. The blow was inflicted by a "comebacker" from Shane Victorino who, thus far, has hit nothing short of fantastic against Yankee pitching.

Seeing Kuroda walk off the field stung like the most painful bee sting you could ever experience. With the majority of the Yankees' regular starters in the lineup down with injuries, it will take stellar pitching to keep this team in contention, so seeing one of the best pitchers in their rotation go down does nothing to reassure fanatics that this team can stay afloat; I'm sure what it did was cause an already panicked fan base to dub the 2013 campaign as the Season of Murphy's Law. In the short term, you believed that the Yankees would probably lose their second game of the season which they did, 7-4. Cody Eppley provided little in relief of Kuroda, giving up 4 runs in the third to give Boston a 6-0 lead. The inning was all Boston needed to secure their second win and the series.

But from every negative comes a positive, and tonight, hope came from the bats of Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells.

In the 4th inning, Hafner knocked a blazing line-drive single into the Yankees bullpen; his first of the

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season and the first for the team. Wells, who went 3-for-4 tonight, crushed a 3-run home run to left field off of Alfredo Aceves. The homerun was also his first of the season.

Both homers are a welcome sight for a team that, in missing it's 3 top home run producers--Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira--will lose a bounty of homers that have been their bread and butter for the last few seasons.

Even more important, this is what the Yankees were hoping to get in signing Wells and Hafner; particularly Hafner as he will be the team's DH for the majority of the season. As for Wells, all 3 hits tonight came on fastballs; the first from starting pitcher Clay Buccholz at 93 mph. He looks like the Wells from a few years back when he was the star of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup. Wells was always an excellent fastball hitter, but his production had gone down in recent seasons as he's been plagued with injuries. Seemingly healthy, the Yankees are hoping that he's regained some of his bat speed and can provide much needed offense in the middle of the lineup. If tonight is any indication, the team will get from Wells exactly what they signed him for.

Tomorrow, our beloved Andy Pettitte will try to avoid a sweep against righty Ryan Dempster. Game time is 7:05 pm.

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Andy Will Rejoin Yanks in 2013

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Woo hoo!!!

So we were all able to breathe a little easier last week when news came that Hiroki Kuroda and the Yankees were able to agree on a one-year deal that would bring, arguably the best pitcher for the team in 2012, back to the rotation for 2013. With Kuroda and CC Sabathia in tow, the focus became on just how long the Yankees would have to wait before Andy Pettitte would make any decision on his return to the Bronx. Now fanatics, the wait is over.

According to yankees.com, Andy will be back with the club for 2013 and a deal will be made sometime this week. According to a source, Andy's salary for next year will be in the range of $10-$12 million. His salary for 2012 was $2.5 million.

So the Yankees now seemingly have their rotation in line, with Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova in the 4 and 5 spots, respectively. Nova had a down year in 2012, going 12-8 with a 5.02 ERA, a marked difference from his 16-4 record and 3.38 ERA in 2011. Hughes had a decent year with 16-13 record and 4.23 ERA.

And it looks to be another wasted season ahead for pitcher Michael Pineda, as the Yankees are not looking for him to make any real contribution to the club next year; this according to Brian Cashman and pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Coming off of the shoulder surgery that kept him out of the rotation in 2012, he's showing no signs of progress. Matter-of-fact, when asked about his status last week after he threw a mound session, Cashman said Pineda had "zip" on his fastball. Unlike elbow surgery, shoulder surgery is a lot less predictable in terms of recovery. The Yankees can only bring Pineda back as his shoulder allows.

What's next? Mariano Rivera is also expected to agree to a one-year deal with the club "soon," according to reports.

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What A Home Opener Should Be

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A Friday afternoon in the city. Sixty-five degrees under bright, sunny skies. A capacity crowd at the stadium. A beloved member of The Core Four throwing out the first pitch. And the afternoon capped off by a 5-0 shutout of the Angels. The Yankees made my day yesterday. *Curses* to not being at the stadium!

Jorge Posada, returning to the stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, was a great moment. It was odd seeing him run out their in "civilian" clothes, though; just made it even more apparent that he would no longer be out their playing in pinstripes. I loved that he was able to throw the ball to his dad, the man whom he credits for making him such a great baseball player. And it was nice how the team stood behind him while he was on the mound. They'll never forget everything Jorge did for the team, and I'm sure yesterday will rank high on his list of great Yankee memories.

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So I guess all Alex Rodriguez needed was to get a whiff of the air in the Bronx. After a five-game slump, he came out blazing in yesterday's game, going 3-for-4 with two singles and his 630th home run. He also threw in a stolen base for good measure. Alex is now tied with Ken Griffey, Jr. for 5th place on the all-time home run list, and needs 30 more to tie Willie Mays for 4th place. I think he can get that done this year; last season was the first in 14 that he didn't reach the 30 homer mark, and regardless of how bad the season played out for him, I'm not ready to give up hope that A-Rod can still put up big power numbers.

And how about Nick Swisher? He's been coming up with big hits for the Yankees, and today, his three-run, base-clearing double in the first inning proved to be the game winner. Swish has been seeing the ball really well, and is looking good at the plate; he's not swinging at too many pitches out of the zone and is fouling off balls pitched inside. I'm expecting him to have a season comparable to 2010; this is a contract year for Swish and with his name having been bounced around in trade talk for the prior two seasons, it's a no-brainer that he'll have to show the organization why he's more valuable to them than not.

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But today's game was really about Hiroki Kuroda. He pitched 8+ innings of shutout ball, allowing just five hits and  two walks while striking out six. He showed all four of his pitches--fastball, slider, sinker and curveball--mixing speeds anywhere from 78 to 93 mph. He had great command throughout the game, and showed a steady demeanor for a pitcher making his debut at the stadium. It was nice to see him bounce back from his shaky start in Tampa Bay.

And Curtis Granderson hit his second homer of the season; a line drive over the porch in right field that barely looked like a double at the point of contact. Grandy started Opening Week slow, but has picked up the pace rather nicely in the last few games.

Today, Phil Hughes gets his second start and will face CJ Wilson. There are two things I'm hoping will happen: Wilson doesn't make the Yankees regret not signing him in the offseason, and A-Rod and Albert Pujols go toe-to-toe in a match-up of the active home run leader versus his heir apparent. Today's game starts at 1pm on FOX.

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Wild First Loss for Yankees

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In what was one of the oddest Opening Day games that I believe I've ever seen, the Yankees had their first loss of the season, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6. Questionable managing, bad pitching , and a shocking ending all conspired to give fans of both teams an opener they probably won't forget for some time.

What went wrong:

The Micro-Manager Is Girardi - If what we saw yesterday was any indication of what we can expect to see this season from Joe Girardi, well, we won't be witnessing anything new. In classic overthinking Girardi-style, the manager had CC Sabathia walk infielder Sean Rodriguez, loading the bases for Carlos Pena in the first inning. The first inning. Girardi, acting on Pena's 4-for-35 numbers against CC, gambled that he would not be able to turn on CC's fastball, but he did, hitting a grand slam and putting the Rays up 4-0. We know that Girardi is a smart baseball guy, and his numbers as a manager with the Yankees are the best of any manager in the past four years. But moments like that are what make fans cringe, and cry for the burning of "Girardi's Binder." The move made no sense, particularly since CC had not been in the game long enough at that point to correct the poor movement on his fastball, which was obvious from early on.

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Sabathia Not Ace-Like - Again, Sabathia struggled with the command of his fastball yesterday, and the Rays took full advanatage early on. He walked his first batter--Desmond Jennings--on a full count. Two batters later, he gave up a single to Evan Longoria. Next came the walk to S. Rodriguez, followed by the grand slam from Pena. In the third inning, he would give up another home run to Longoria. CC settled down somewhat after that, not allowing any more runs for the next four innings, but he gave up four more hits and another walk to Jose Molina. CC's best pitch seemed to be his breaking ball, which he used to get outs yesterday. He was able to use his slider in some spots, most notably in the fifth inning when he struck out Pena with men on second and third. But CC's ace pitch is his fastball. He struggled with it during Spring Training, and needs to get it going now.

Mad Maddon - Joe Maddon can thank a shaky Mariano for saving his hide yesterday. The Rays manager made two horrible moves late in the game with his team down 6-5, first sending newbie Jack Vogt up to pinch-hit against David Robertson in his first major league at-bat. Strikeout. Maddon followed this by having catcher Jose Molina "squeeze" with two strikes. Molina bunted foul, and the Yankees headed into the ninth inning still up by a run.

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Really, Mo? - In a career first, Mariano Rivera not only blew the save in his first opportunity on Opening Day, but he blew the game. He gave up a single to Jennings, followed by a triple to Ben Zobrist, which tied the game at 6-6. Girardi then had Mo walk Longoria and Luke Scott to load the bases with no outs. Mo managed to strikeout S. Rodriguez, but would give up the winning single to Pena. He had no command of his cutter, pitching high in the zone and missing the corners. We know that this won't be a regular problem for our closer, but it was still a bit scary to see Mo fold the way he did.

What went right

A-Rod Being A-Rod - Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-3 yesterday, hitting a double to center in his first at-bat, and singling to center in the third inning against James Shields. A-Rod scored two runs and played excellent defense at third, saving a run in the fifth by catching a hard line drive from Elliott Johnson which stranded Longoria at third.

Brian Blanco/EPA

Ibanez Making History - Raul Ibanez got his first RBI of the season by grounding out to second base and scoring A-Rod in the second inning. He followed that with a monster 3-run home run in the third, again scoring A-Rod and Ribinson Cano. The four RBIs made Ibanez only the second Yankee to achieve that in his first game wth the team. Roger Maris was the first to do it.

The Great Houdini - In typical fashion, David Robinson managed to get himself into trouble, only to strike his way out of it. In the eighth inning, he walked S. Rodriguez and gave up a single to Pena which put both players on the corners. Robertson then dug in, striking out all of the next three batters. Classic.

Next Up - The Yankees and Rays have a 7:05pm start for tonight's game. It will be a matchup of   Hiroki Kuroda vs. David Price.

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Andy's Arrival Sparks Warning From Girardi

Ron Antonelli/New York Daily News

Andy Pettitte officially arrives in Spring Training camp today, and it has apparently sparked some "words of wisdom" from Yankees manager, Joe Girardi. If you read my last post on Andy's call-in to ESPN's The Michael Kay Show, and if you're a Yankee fan with half-a-brain, you know that he will be part of the starting rotation. This leaves the dilemma of who will be in and who will be in the bullpen once Andy makes his 2012 debut, and Girardi has put his pitchers vying for a coveted rotation spot on notice. The following is an excerpt from Mark Feinsand's piece last night in the Daily News:

“If you don’t want somebody to take your job, pitch that way; it’s really simple,” Girardi said. “Let’s say the job was given to you and you were struggling; they’re going to look for someone to give the job to. You have to produce. That’s the world we live in in New York. It’s not like, ‘You’re this guy and we’re going to give you 20 starts no matter what happens.’ We don’t live in that world here.”

Clearly, these remarks are aimed at Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda have already been guaranteed their spots in the rotation. So what does it mean for each pitcher individually?

Michael Pineda - He must get some speed back on his fastball. His once mid-high 90's fastball has only reached a speed higher than 92 mph once so far this Spring. It is not Pineda's style to paint corners, an ability that has helped other great pitchers in the past who lost velocity on their fastball (think Mike Mussina). So, he'll need to work in getting his fb above 95, while trying to make improvements on his changeup, a necessary third pitch that he'll need to be a successful strikeout pitch in the AL East.

Ivan Nova - Nova has to forget about blaming his catcher for his woes, and get back to throwing the changeup that made him a success last season. He also has to improve on the command of his fastball. Hitters are getting ahead of him in the count as he continues to miss his spots. With just 4 starts under his belt, Nova has given up 5 runs in two of them (Mar. 3 against Toronto; Mar.18 against Baltimore) and has a combined 11 earned runs and 16 hits in just 12.2 IP. What seemed like a sure thing that Nova would be in the rotation, has now become riddled with doubt.

Freddy Garcia - I guess for Garcia, it will be up to him to maintain the craftiness of his 88 mph fastball. He has what Pineda lacks - the ability to paint corners. If he can come back and repeat his performance from last season, I believe the Yankees will make him a starter. Bad news for the youngsters, especially since Garcia's made it clear to the Yankees that he's not looking to be traded, and intends on competing for a slot.

Phil Hughes - Hughes has actually looked very good this Spring. After a shaky first start against Pittsburgh on March 6, Hughes rebounded greatly in his last two, and pitched to an  ERA of 1.08 when the Yankees beat the Nationals last Friday. Hughes appears to have improved on his pitch mechanics and the velocity of his fastball. He also seems to be using his changeup more as a strikeout pitch, which is reminiscent of his stellar campaign in 2010. If he continues to pitch well, I don't see how the Yankees will justify putting him in the bullpen.

Which leads to my opinion that the 5th spot in the rotation could be a juggling act for Girardi. He's already said that the team has no plans of employing a 6-man rotation, and it wouldn't look good for the Yankees if Pineda, with all the hype surrounding his trade, were to lose his spot to Garcia. Girardi may have to consider the PR aspect of his decision, and opt to make the 5th spot a platoon position. I could be reaching on this, but it is feasible. We'll have to wait and see how it all plays out once Andy takes the mound.

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Fans: A-Rod Biggest Story For Yankees In 2012

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Fan Poll results are in, fanatics! As I expected would happen, the majority of you agreed with me, that Alex Rodriguez' health would be the Yankees biggest story this season. An obvious choice, A-Rod is still considered one of the best players in the game today, having more than the ability to completely affect the outcome of games.

While Robinson Cano has risen to become the Yankees best hitter and one of the most potent players in their lineup, A-Rod is still their best player. Finishing last year with slash numbers of .276/.362/.461, I'm projecting those numbers will change to approximately .295/.400/.560. These numbers slightly represent the median between his numbers in 2008 and 2009; all except his OBP (.400) numbers, which were very close in those two years, and were relatively close to the two years prior. I think these numbers are good enough to represent a great comeback season for A-Rod.

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What I also expected from the Fan Poll, was that the starting rotation would come second in votes. On paper, the rotation appears to be the best in the East, but there are still many questions to be considered. How will CC Sabathia's weight loss affect his performance? Will Ivan Nova be able to repeat what he accomplished last year? Where will Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda be placed in the rotation, and how will they fare in New York? Can Phil Hughes get back to the pitcher he was in 2010 and regain speed on his fastball? Where will Freddy Garcia fit in? These are all questions that we can't know until months down the line, but are all suggestive of how well the Yankees will do this year.

Many thanks to those of you that participated in this poll. A new poll will be available soon.

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Fifth Spot Belongs to Phil Hughes

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Baseball, like any other business, is full of politics. Sometimes, in order to keep "order," so that feathers aren't ruffled, management will tell an employee what they need to hear, instead of what they've already decided. As could be the case now with Brian Cashman and pitcher Freddy Garcia.

Below is an article from Joel Sherman of The New York Post, which pretty much confirms that, as per Cashman, Phil Hughes has already won the 5th spot in the Yankees rotation. This disspells the "illusion" that he and Garcia will be competing for it. Hughes' age, the Yankees investment in him and that they are only committed to Garcia for one year, seem to be the mitigating factors at play here. 

It will be interesting to see how other members of the media latch on to this story, as I am sure that Hughes, Cashman and Garcia will probably be asked to respond.

TAMPA — We can pretend there is a competition going on for the Yankees’ No. 5 starter spot, but that is what it is. Pretend. The WWE stages more realistic battles.

The Yankees are saying it is Freddy Garcia vs. Phil Hughes. But their general manager is also saying this: He believes Hughes is, right now, a top-of-the-rotation starter. That has not been said about Garcia since, oh, about 2001.

So this is a competition only because the Yankees want to sell you that this is a competition. They do not want a prideful veteran in Garcia to be offended. They do not want Hughes, who showed up out of shape last year, to feel he is being handed anything. And with six weeks to Opening Day, the potential for injury or stumble means the Yankees see no reason to publicly declare even a front-runner, much less a winner.

But understand this: The competition is rigged. If it is close, Hughes wins. If it is advantage Garcia, but only slightly, Hughes wins. Hughes can only lose this by doing what he did last spring, having his fastball go on a mysterious hiatus. The early signs are Hughes’ better dedication to offseason conditioning has led to less gut and more heat.

Normally anything in February or March should be ignored, but it was obvious in his first live batting practice session yesterday that Hughes’ arm was quick and his fastball had life.

“It is a heavier ball,” Russell Martin said. “He changed his body. He looks more explosive. He has more arm speed, which leads to a better breaking ball and more deception on the changeup.”

For his part, Hughes is mostly dismissing early signals as pretty inconsequential and promoting the idea of a fierce competition in which he must earn his way into the starting five.

But, again, we turn to the general manager, Brian Cashman, who when asked about rotation competition talks about “six guys for five spots.” But when asked specifically about Hughes, Cashman says: “Aside from last year he was viewed, and not just by us, as one of the better young arms in the game; with success to prove it. He was a dominant reliever for us in 2009 and an All-Star as a starter in 2010. Why would I judge him by last year when he was injured? It feels like everyone wants to take him down a peg. I think he is a top-of-the-rotation starter.”

And why exactly would “a top-of-the-rotation starter” not be at least the No. 5 man? Especially when the words associated with Garcia are “dependable,” “competitive” and “savvy.” When he was signed for one year at $4 million, the Yankees had not yet pulled off their trade for Michael Pineda or their signing of Hiroki Kuroda.

So not only was Garcia in the starting five, but so was A.J. Burnett. The additions of Pineda and Kuroda to join CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova enabled the Yankees to trade Burnett and, now, de-emphasize Garcia. If everyone is healthy (big if) come April, Garcia will be the long man, a proven safety net.

The sport has been gravitating the past few years toward more high-end pitching, and the Yankees believe to survive in the AL East you have to have elite stuff. Garcia finished last year at 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA. But against Boston and Toronto, the two best offenses in the division not belonging to the Yankees, the righty was 2-5 with a 5.31 ERA. Hughes had a 7.43 ERA against teams with a better than .500 record. But the Yankees do not think that was the real Phil Hughes.

At 25, he is 10 years younger than Garcia. These days the best Garcia can do is maintain his now-limited fastball and rely on his unflinching nature and high pitching IQ to compensate.

Also, the Yankees are committed to Garcia only through this season. Hughes, though, as young as he is, can be a free agent after next season. So, right now, he is like a college senior who has yet to declare a major. Is he starter or reliever, back end of the rotation or front?

Cashman believes he is front of the rotation. So the No. 5 competition today is just theater. Nevertheless, Hughes’ scholarship ends after this. Time to declare who he is.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Don't Be Mad At Bobby Valentine

All this afternoon and evening, I listened to the waves of disgruntled Yankee fans who ripped Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, for the negative comments he made about Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter today. From Facebook to Twitter, to ESPN Radio, to The Mike Francesa Show, throngs of fanatics let it be known just how ridiculous and stupid it was for Valentine to make his comments, especially in regard to The Captain. In Yankeeland, any negative talk of Jeter is considered sacrilege.

If you were hiding under a rock today and haven't yet had a chance to read up on Valentines curious comments, here's the jist of what you missed:

AP Photo/Eric Risberg

On Jeter's famous "Flip Play:"

"I think [Jeter] was out of position and the ball gets [Giambi] out if [Jeter] doesn't touch it, personally.

"That was amazing that [Jeter] was there. I bet it's more amazing that he said he practiced it. I don't believe it.''

On Jason Varitek's "scuffle" with A-Rod in 2004:

Via 5boroughsports.com

"He was a man's man, he was a big hitter when needed, he was the leader of the pitching staff. … He was able to beat up Alex, all that stuff. He was exactly what he was supposed to be.''

So, Valentine turned what would have been an uneventful Tuesday, into a news-worthy day for both baseball journalists and bloggers, like myself. When I first read his comments online, I thought to myself that the inevitable reaction from Yankee fans would be more than what I would need to fill up an entire blog post. I could have filled this page with quotes from numerous worshippers of all things Yankees, but I decided to take a different approach. I decided to plead with the Yankee faithful to not be mad at Valentine, but to instead, be thankful.

Why would I ever ask this? I know it's a little crazy for me to expect that Yankee fans could ever not relish in the opportunity to bash any member of the Red Sox, let alone its manager. It's a simple reflex reaction that we've had programmed in us since we became Yankee fans and learned of this historic rivalry. It fuels us; helps ignite that feeling of superiority that we all agree belongs on our side, as the championship ratio between our boys and theirs isn't even close.

And because Valentine had the absolute audacity to dismiss Jeter's "Flip Play" as a "bad" play, and not recognize The Captain for his obvious genius in that moment, would justify any fanatics reason to let off a few chosen words for the Red Sox new manager.

Yet, I find myself still asking you all to forgive Valentine, and recognize his comments for what they really were: a way to rejuvenate the rivalry that would have taken a back seat to the fodder that had become Red Sox Nation.

Boston had become nothing more than a joke this past winter. After being touted the team to beat in the AL East before the 2011 season even began, the Red Sox would see themselves not even making it into the playoffs. Terry Francona was fired as manager after failing to get his team, with all its talents, back to World Series play, and amidst accusations of having lost control of his club. Then there was Jon Lester's  disclosure of drinking beer and eating fried chicken during games, which had become Boston's biggest storyline during the offseason. And, former GM Theo Epstein, who did a great job of building a championship team for Beantown, decided to escape the mutiny, and take his talents to Chicago.

While we may love to see the Red Sox weak and vulnerable; their fans embarrassed and ashamed, what good would it do us as devout Yankee fans to pounce on an unworthy opponent? The rivalry between our ball clubs has always been at it's very best when both teams were at full strength. Boston is coming into 2012 with a questionable pitching staff; a lineup that could see Carl Crawford have another down year offensively, as he continues to rehab from wrist surgery; the question of who will co-chair David Ortiz' role as leader, now that Varitek has announced his retirement and now that a "beer ban" has been enforced.

The Yankees on the other hand look like a strong contender to recapture the AL East, and possibly, another championship. The acquisitions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda have arguably made the Yankees rotation the best in the East, with pitchers like CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes coming into Spring Training camp in the best shape of their careers. Same for Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher, who dropped the weight and built muscle in hopes of having a better season offensively. While there is still the question of A-Rod's health, his recognition of what he needs to do to remain healthy, combined with getting help from orthokine treatment for his left knee and right shoulder, could prove him more dangerous than he's been in a while.

The Yankees are obviously the "better looking" club heading into the season, and Valentine knows it. I mean, again, beside the talk of beer, what else did anyone care about with Boston this winter? Valentine is smart enough to know that so much of what goes into the Boston mystique, has so much to do with this rivalry. He had to find a way to make that the focal point, as it's been more true than not that the Yankees are Boston's main focus. So why not heat things up again with a few sarcastic quotes that were sure to get the response it got today? And why not redirect Boston's "problems" from all the attention it's been getting, and start a war of words that could translate into historic matches during the season?

And another thing fanatics, keep in mind that Valentine has no love lost for the Yankees. While the Mets were certainly a far better team under his guard than they are now, they were always the underdogs in New York. Kinda like the Giants and the Jets. Valentine's clubs could never outshine what had become the greatest Yankee dynasty in decades. When the two teams met in the World Series in 2000, it would have been the one way, the only way, for Valentine to make the world believe that he managed the better club. Didn't happen, and now Valentine has what is probably his last opportunity to get revenge. Mincing the Jeter play is a great way to start.

So I say to you all, let this go. Valentine is doing what he has to do, and we could be the beneficiaries of some fantastic games against Boston as a result. All we have to hope for, is that the Yankees respond by doing what they do best: winning.

(Quotes courtesy of USA Today)

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Fan Poll: What Will Be the Yankees Biggest Story in 2012?

Via wikipedia.org

There are a lot of questions for the Yankees going in to the 2012 season. Although they improved their bullpen depth with the signings of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, other factors will play a huge role in how successful the team will be this year. One of the biggest factors being the health of Alex Rodriguez.

What do you think will be the major X-factor in the Yankees making another trip to the World Series this year? Please check out the fan poll at the top right and let your opinion be known. Poll closes on February 29 at 11pm.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Yankees Sign Kuroda; Trade Montero, Noesi for Pineda

So much for a quiet offseason.

As per Wallace Matthews of ESPN NewYork.com, the Yankees made two big moves yesterday--one that most fans in Yankeeland might have expected; the other that I'm sure probably comes to many as a complete shock.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Jesus Montero, the Yankees young, prodiginal power-hitting slugger and Hector Noesi, one of the Yankees top pitching prospects who proved his mettle in the Bronx late last season, were traded to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Michael Pineda, the 6-foot 7-inch phenom who turns 23 years old next week.

About an hour later, the Yankees added another big arm to their rotation, signing former Dodger Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10 million. The deal is contingent on Kuroda passing a physical.

This is a big disappointment to many fanatics who fell in love with Montero after his stellar showing with the Bombers last season. In 18 games, Montero batted .328 with four home runs, four doubles, 20 hits and 12 RBIs. He also had a perfect post-season going 2-for-2 and scoring a run in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

But it has always been my contention that Montero would at some point be traded for stellar pitching. Groomed as a catcher, he doesn't have good defensive numbers behind the plate and I always felt that he was too young to assume the role of a DH which is the position he would have been slated for. It was clear that the Yankees thought highly of Montero as they refused to use him in many trade offers, so it's obvious that the team and Brian Cashman think very highly of Pineda.

Otto Greule/Getty Images

The Dominican-born soon-to-be former Seattle Mariner pitched a 9-10 record in 28 games with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in his first major league season last year. Pineda's showing was impressive enough that he was selected to the All-Star game and came in fifth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Pineda's top pitch is his fastball which reaches the mid to high 90's, a hard slider with good tilt and a changeup that he throws in the high 80's. Don't be surprisd if this kid pitches second in the rotation behind CC Sabathia.

Associated Press

Kuroda posted a 13-16 record and 3.07 ERA last season with 161 strikeouts in 32 starts. The righty has three pitches: a fastball that sits in the low 90's, a slider that reaches about the mid 80's and a split fastball that tops out at about 87 mph. The Yankees being able to sign Kuroda to a one year deal at $10 million was a bargain compared to what they would have given up in payroll to Edwin Jackson who they were still in talks with. Jackson was rumored to be looking for a multi-year deal at $15 million per.

So on this Friday the 13th, a day for bad luck and superstitions, the Yankees pull off moves that could possibly make them the team to beat in the AL East. With all their pitching questions answered, what's left is probably the re-signing of Eric Chavez, hopefully.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper