Down on the farm, the Clippers signed Rob Stratton. I saw him at A ball, circa 1999. Prototypical swing for the fences slugger. Curiously, he was with another AAA team this year - must have gotten released as he wasn't traded. So he's probably a middling AAA or very good AA player. Why the Clippers (read, Yankees) would want him, I don't know. I seriously doubt he'd be better in the OF than Melky or Bubba. Perhaps Cashman is looking for this year's Small, but as an outfielder. Of course, there were some atrocious picks before he got Small.

Any word on Proctor? He looked gimpy after that play in the 9th.

Cliff, you're "MASH" theme was ripped off by WCBS radio this morning, as they played "Suicide is Painless" underneath an interview of Giambi.

I understand that Sturtze may be a great guy in the clubhouse, but for a few effective months, however, he has been awful for his entire career.

Last season, his ERA was below 4.00 in only one month, and his post AS ERA was over 6.00.

I'm sorry his career may be over, but he has no place being on this roster, and neither does Erickson or Small.

3 as I pointed out in yesterday's thread, Ramiro Mendoza has now pitched 11+ scoreless innings for AAA-Columbus. Maybe the Yanks want to stretch him out (long relife/spot starter?), but I think a couple more solid innings in Columbus and Ramiro NEEDS to be up here with the big club.

Once Dotel and Pavano are ready, we're looking at a Unit, Mussina, Wang, Chacon, Pavano rotation and a logjam in relief with Mo, Farnsworth, Wright, Myers, Vallone, Dotel, Proctor, Mendoza, Small, and (gasp!) Strurtz in the pen.

My guess is that if Dotel is legit, we will see a strong push on the part of the Yankee FO to trade Wright and Sturtz (or an outright release). I don't think the Yanks can afford to trade Wright AND Small because, with the injury history of Pavano and the questions surrounding Johnson, we will need a spot starter as security should one of the starters go down.

Maybe send Small down to AAA to start every fifth day and act as an insurance policy?

Anyone think we could get Abreu for a package of Wright/Duncan/minor leaguer "X"? The Yanks would have to cover some of Wright's contract but the Phils need another power arm in their rotation.

4 Mendoza has indeed dominated in his three AAA appearances, continuing his uniformly excellent performance since the beginning of his rehab last August. Curiously, one of his three appearances was a start. I'd like to see him replace Small in the pen in the very near future.

I'm not counting on Meat for anything, but if he does come back and can do what Wright is doing (5-inning starts with a 5+ ERA, a low standard to be sure), I'd dump Wright on someone. While the other triple-A starters have been disappointments (none moreso than Matt DeSalvo), Darrell Rasner appears to be ready to step into the rotation if needed.

With Sturtze (hopefully) out for the year, dumping Wright and demoting Small will get that logjam down to the current seven, with Dotel replacing Erickson when the time comes. Matt Smith can fill any hole that might open up and Colter Bean can continue to pitch to windmills.

4 If Pavano takes Erickson's roster spot, and Dotel takes Small's, whose spot does Mendoza take?

Small's 2005 season was an anomaly; I don't think he has a useful role to play with the Yankees. That's why I was hoping that he would have been traded during the off season.

Sturtze is likely out with season ending surgery.

Why would the Phillies trade Abreu given that they could win their division?

I would rather acquire someone like Craig Wilson, who could be had for a much cheaper price.

Alex, A Dave Mathews reference? The Commonwealth thanks you.

Trust between a manager and a pitcher is a vital thing. Once it's lost how is it ever retrieved? Sturtze lie may be as significant as his injury in ending his Yankee career.

You hate to see a guy get hurt. I hope he can get his career back on track. It seems terribly unkind to wish him gone while he's down but .....

Dave Mathews? Gawsh, I hope not. Not that Billy Ray Cyrus is any better. Got that damn song stuck in my head now. If it weren't for the fact that it now reminds me of the You Got Served episode of South Park I'd be angrier.

[8} Well Cliff, not that I approve but it is a lyric. "....the space between the heart and the mind."

I don't know from Dave Matthews, so any reference was accidental. Shame the Yanks couldn't notch the "w" for Moose last night.

Hopefully, they get tonight's game in.

I don't understand how a pitcher who has a torn shoulder can go out there 18 times and not show his injury! Isn't that one of the main jobs of a BP and piching coach, to notice that your pitcher's arm is falling off in a bad way?

And Joe's comments clearly show his managerial problem: You don't let a guy keep playing because of their heart or general warriorness when they clearly suck.

From Giambi's comments it seemed like he'd be out a day or two max...

7 Yes, the lie is the end here. As the occasional defender of Sturtzie here, I have officially signed off. Where do I mail the papers?

Why would you want Abreu when you can get Torii Hunter, who fits like a glove (pun intended) with this team?

Well I guess the thanks is retracted. However I thank you because any D.M. reference would be incredibly weak.

9 Oh that. Made me think of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, but that's about the heart being the mediator between the hands and the brain, a very different message with more socioeconomic implications than purely philosophical ones.

12 Jay, you've defended Sturtze and are now arguing for Torii Hunter over Abreu? The first argument should tell you something about the strength of the second.

1. Abreu is a NL player
2. An indifferent defensive player at best; read boring.
3. He's overpriced. You really think he is 5 mil better than Hunter?
4. He's a below average to average baserunner.
5. Do you think this lineup needs more power?

So long Tanyon, and thanks for the Sturtze.

Sorry you had to get hurt, and that's why you left, but when you lie bad things happen. If you learn anything from this, learn that you should never screw with the New York Yankees.

Wishing you a relaxing retirement (we hope),

Yankee Fans Everywhere

Any time a team has trouble scoring > 2 runs, it's going to be pretty darn hard to win.

Sucks that last night was winnable, unlike Sunday. Tonight we're going to have score some runs.

Unfortunately, the lack of scoring only increases pressure to make a trade and drives up the prices. The extra OF is what we knew they needed all along. Instead of making the deal in the off-season, they can overpay for one now. Even if Shef comes back strong, Bernie is still d-u-n and is still the 4th OF/DH. You know, cause hearts win ballgames and we all know Bernie has a great heart. Good times!

BTW: On what ground can a GM even justify an Erickson to the kids working their butts off in the organization? That his wife is hot? Seriously, the fact that Giambi said so? That he once pitched in big games? How can you even justify the signing? And then the call-up? Like he's the top bullpen guy in the organization? Just embarrassing all around. Plus, as Cliff note 5, the other options are more than adequate. What role would Erickson have that couldn't be filled by someone else? Even as a long man, if you even expect him to keep the game close, you're in trouble already. If it's to soak up innings, no one else in the organization could do a better job or deserves a shot?

Then of course there's the backup 1B slot. Who gets the blame there? Phillips for not producing in his 37 AB's? Torre for playing him once a week? Cashman for thinking Torre would somehow give this guy a chance? And now we're getting close to the breaking point of that experiment.

I personally can't see how this team makes it by without making a trade for an extra bat somewhere along the line. But unless we do some serious fleecing (at which the GM is more known for getting fleeced) there's little to move short of the longer-term higher ceiling guys (Cano, Wang, Hughes, Tabata). Duncan could have been moved in the off-season - not now. Melky's improved his value but not enough to get anyone in return. Phillips will end up being a throw in. Bubba probably too.

This GM will not move Wright for the simple reason that Meat will likely spoil sooner or later. And while Rasner could probably fill-in at the 5th slot, it ain't happening. It's one thing to discover Chacon and Small when you have no other choice - it's another to back yourself into that corner. Unless that corner in the first place is depending on Meat and Wright and Brown to give you significant innings. Hey, at least we have pitching and defense. It's saying something that Wright is has the most value of all of our chips. Now if only we could score some runs.

Things could be worse though. For Meat, we could have traded this guy:

Hanley Ramirez (22 yo) .333 .394 .480

Just looked at Abreu's sb stats. I take back #4 but add that baserunning is a learned art and there's a whole new learning curve to a new league.

16

1. So what? So was Sheffield.
2. Hunter's 'exciting' defensive play in CF hasn't been relevant since about 2001.
3. Dear lord YES! Look at the difference in their OBP!

Bobby Abreu, career OBP: .412
Torii Hunter, career OBP: .320

4. I'm sorry, but that's just wrong.

Abreu, career: 246 SB, 79 CS, 76% success rate
Hunter, career: 98 SB, 46 CS, 68% success rate

5. Power is useful but a .400+ OBP is even more useful. Plus, look at this:

Abreu, career: 917 BB, 1062 K = 1.16 K/BB
Hunter, career: 246 BB, 692 K = 2.81 K/BB

Any more questions? =)

16

1) So was Gary Sheffield.
2) Neither Matsui nor Sheffield are strong defenders, like them (Sheff especially) Abreu more than makes up for any defensive deficiencies at the plate.
3) Yes I do. Hunter is an average hitter whose good years in the field are behind him. Abreu is an elite hitter and . . .
4) That's completely wrong. Abreu's baserunning is a large part of why he's underrated. He stole 31 bases at a 77% clip last year and 40 at an 88% clip the year before. He's a perpetual 30/30 threat.
5) With Matsui out for most of the year and Sheffield dealing with a wrist injury that could have a lingering effect on his swing, yes.

14 Cliff, Wow, Fritz Lang is a different kettle of fish that I didn't see coming. It sure works though. I think the underlying message in Metropolis concerns the reconciliation of class warfare on precisely philosophical or theological lines. It is ultimately a rejection of a socioeconomic analysis or approach. To the extent there is a socioeconomic theme it is limited to describing the struggle between the wealthy owners of capital and those they exploit – labor. I think this theme is further explored in obvious ways in my other favorite of his "M".

Mankind's ability to see what it wants to see rather than what is actually there is limited only by its imagination. Imagination is part of what makes us human. I see what I see in Fritz Lang as do you. He saw what he thought he saw in a battered and broken world. Mr. Torre saw what he saw in Sturtze as part of the Yankees' pen. I guess it's all subjective. Anyway you look at it though Sturtze was wrong to lie.

19 Jim Thome, Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield - all good hitters, all made the switch with no problem.

Given that NL pitching is generally better than AL pitching, you'd think hitters would have an easier time going from the NL to the AL.

Truth be told, if the cost for Hunter is less than the cost for Abreu, I think Hunter is a fine option. But if Hunter and Abreu cost the same, Abreu is the man.

Ha! Shaun beat me to it. The new league thing is overrated. It effects pitchers who do/don't have to deal with the DH, but it doesn't effect hitters much if at all and I can't see how it would effect basestealers either.

Truly this is the only Yankees blog where Billy Ray Cyrus/Dave Matthews Band/Fritz Lang get discussed in the comments alongside the relative merits of Bobby Abreu vs Torii Hunter! =)

20 MFD, tough on our boy jayd but brother you are soooooo right. That 400+ OBP would look sweet in this lineup right now.

24 I just had to respond, Cliff. I've been an Abreu fan since his first year in Philly. The dude can rake; I'd love to see him in pinstripes.

And, not that this is important at all, but it would drive the Red Sox fans, and their FO, nuts if the Yanks got Abreu. If they got Hunter, I imagine the reaction would be more "meh" and less "#%()&@ Yankees!".

20 Love the comparison, but Abreu is not going anywhere. Gillick is not Wade and they're going to be in a tight race all season long.

Who could they even get from the Yanks that would make that trade even the least bit appealing? Since they can win now, they'll need someone to help them win now. That player does not exist on the Yankees.

The one guy that could work is Craig Wilson. The problem there is he does little to help the team's extreme splits against lefties as Cliff pointed out in the off-season. Further, he can play the OF but he's more a Millar-type. And Littlefield isn't an idiot either. They can't just trade Bubba and Phillips. No, the Pirates will want something back. If this deal was easy, it would have already made it. Fact is, other teams need help and have deeper prospect lists (Indians, Angels).

23 I'll go a step further and say I'd only take Hunter at an extreme discount or in a dump trade.

14 Yes, but class warfare is by definition an socioeconomic issue and the opening line I was referencing refers specifically to that struggle between the hands (working class laborors) and the brain (wealthy business owners). That it is the heart that is to be the mediator (the philosophical or theological resolution of which you speak) doesn't change the fact that the context is entirely socioecomonic. It is that class struggle the motivates everything in the entire film.

27 Shaun, you trade Wang, Crosby and Duncan for Abreu? Cause that's what it would take.

29 Even then, there will be competition for Hunter - thus driving up prices. I can't imagine the Yanks getting him at a price anywhere remotely appealing to us.

28 I agree completely, Rob. I was just addressing the discrepancy between Hunter and Abreu. I don't believe the Yankees have more than a snowball's chance of landing Bobby unless Cashman uncorks some sort of wacky blockbuster deal that none of us see coming.

We have one asset that is already at the major league level and underpaid. Is there any way the Yankees role the dice on Wright and Pavano and decide to move Chacon? He is clearly a top 3 in this rotation, maybe a top 2. It would be a hell of a gamble. If Sheff isn't able to get back soon do they go that way? Do they go that way anyway?

Wouldn't Gillick have to go for that in combination with Melky or a Kevin? I'm not advocating it but it has occurred to me. In fact, as I type I realize I'm against it. Does anyone think it makes any sense?

28 Unless Gillick is looking to dump salary, which he may be. Abreu is owed a lot of cash this year and next. Meanwhile, Burrell and Gordon both get big upticks in their '07 salaries. And Myers and Utley will be due huge raises via arbitration. The Phillies' owners aren't know for spending lots of $$$$.

Craig Wilson would be a fine option, too. And I think he could be had for next to nothing. Littlefield doesn't value Wilson at all, or he wouldn't have traded for Casey or signed Burnitz to a $6 mil deal. I bet Wilson can be had for cheap.

6 Look, I'm not going to get on here and sing the priases of Abreu because, as I noted in a post from a few days ago, Phillies fans have had their share of complaints about the guy (i.e. lazy, headcase, unfocused, etc.).

However, having said that, the guy can hit. His patience at the plate is very "Yankee-like" and he's a legit power threat/run producer.

To answer your questions as to why the Phils would part with Abreu:

1. Money. They want to rid themselves of his contract.
2. The emergence of Ryan Howard as their true #1 power threat. With Howard, their offense is now very lefty heavy. They need a righty batter and hope that they can either trade Abreu for one or use the money they save to trade for a high-priced right slugger.
3. Above all, they need a starting pitcher. Theiur rotation is mediocre and need a legit starter to compete in the AL East.

This past weekend my brother-in-law in Philadelphia floated this scenario:

Yanks trade prospects to Phils for Abreu. Phils then trade package of Yankee and Phillie prospects to Marlins for Dontrelle Willis.

I'll take that!

30 Rob, nope, Wang is too high a price to pay.

I don't expect a deal for Abreu to happen either, but if the owners are pressuring Gillick to dump salary . . .

33 MFD, I'd also be against moving Chacon. Maybe Gillick would take Jaret Wright off our hands? He's not too expensive and can be bought out next year . . .

Rob Neyer mentioned Raul Ibanez as an alternative. If the Mariners would part with him for a B-grade prospect or two, I'd say Ibanez is a good option too.

Littlefield is a complete idiot. How he got an extension this year is beyond me. He has nothing in his resume with the Pirates that shows he's competent. And I don't think you can say NL pitching is generally better than AL pitching, I think it's more a product of weaker lineups with pitchers batting, but I suppose that's a conversation for another day...

32 Unfortunately, the current GM is very conservative - too conservative to some eyes.

That rules out:
1) A blockbuster of any kind
2) Trading even 'spare' parts on the big club (Wright)
3) Trading anything whiffing prospect status (Duncan or Melky)
4) Taking a chance on unknown commodities or risky options (be it Bean or Meat)
5) Trading anything that currently has value to the Yankees (Chacon or Wang)

The only times he's broken these rules have been for 'surefires' (Clemens) or his infamous American Ace contest (Weaver to Vazquez to Unit).

Neglcting all of that, would you unpopster trade Wang, Crosby, and Duncan for Abreu? Cause IMO, that's what it would take.

And even Wilson is not so easy. Littlefield knows he's well liked and he'll be expected to get something in return. Phillips and Crosby won't cut it.

Remember the Yankees' financial advantage is not what it once was and the lure of picking up an excess $$ contract can be met by many clubs.

The Angels are hurting for offense too. Since they have better prospects to offer, they drive the price up, be it Abreu or Wilson. No, the Yankees will end up paying to make up for their short-sightedness this winter.

36 What does MFD stand for?

I'd take Ibanez if the Yanks get the seven-string model with the hand grip. \m/

37 Littlefield is showing improvement in the organizational approach. That's worth something (maybe not an extension) and the reason why even Wilson won't come cheaply esp. with Casey out of action until June.

38 I would say Soriano to Arod also dispells the "conservative" theory.

41 That falls into the surefire exception and I meant to put it down.

Otherwise, the GM's strengths have not included trades that acquire value.

29 Well Cliff I guess we disagree again. It's much more interesting this way don't you think so? The theme in Metropolis is that the heart must be the mediator between the mind and the hands. The character Fredor, who is in essence the mediator or the heart, is filled with love and he mediates between the mind or capitalists and the hands or labor. All this is brought forth through various metaphors, among them are included: Marxist themes, Biblical themes, Norse Mythological themes, German Mythology. The imagined futuristic socioeconomic struggle is another metaphor, it is not the underlying theme of the film which is that through love of one another and only through that love will mankind reconcile differences, among these socioeconomic, that are wholly artificial and ephemeral.

If socioeconomic issues are a theme they are so only to the limited extent that they are ultimately irrelevant. Remember Fredor, of the upper city is rejected by his own kind not because of a class distinction but rather because of their failure to love. Good and evil, sin and redemption as well as ultimate salvation are themes. It is precisely the rejection of mundane socioeconomic questions that concerned Lang here. It is purely a cautionary tale. IMHO.

MFD = My Fellow Dutchman. SP and me (I) both attended Union College. The sports teams are refered to as Dutchmen. Therefore .... We realized we did here on BB when talking about upstate NY pizza. Just another example of why, for me, this is the best place on the net.

Well you certainly dismantled many of my points by using superior arguments, which I've always felt was a form of cheating. Remaining however was the 5 mil differential in salary. I will grant you that Abreu could be the 2nd coming of a Sheff with speed but the dealing Wang or Chacon + prospects is not amenable to anyone.

I see Torii at 8 mil with a significant bump in performance when he arrives in the bronx. One of his problems has been playing below average against the Royals and big time against Oakland NYY and Boston. Now he gets to do it all the time. He's begging for a bigger stage. The guy is a player. And he's too expensive for the Twins so he's gone. We have the prospects and no one is going to deal front line players for him.

There's a chance we can get him and I hope so.

38 Rob, I'm not so sure that a Wang, Duncan, Crosby package would be necessary for Abreu. As I said, the Phils want to clear cash. I think they'd take a lesser package as long as the Yanks pick up Abreu's full salary.

But, I also think the Phils would want either a legit starter in return or a prospects package so that they could use them to get a legit starter. I would part with Small, Wright, and MAYBE Chacon (call me a dreamer, but I have a good feeling about Meat).

In regards to Chacon, his constant magic/tightrope act will eventually come around to bite him in the arse. Balls put in play will eventually find gaps. So, I might be willing to deal him now before the clock strikes midnight and he turns into a pumpkin.

42 I know Rob you have made up your mind on this. But here are a few more "exceptions":
1. Womack (zero or negative value) for prospects (some value)
2. Roger Clemens for David Wells, Homer Bush and Graeme Lloyd
3. David Justice for Ricky Ledee and two minor league prospects

Do these exceptions also prove the rule that Cashman doesn't acquire value through trades? If so, how many exceptions does it take for it no longer to prove the rule?

43 Very well put, wsporter, though one could argue that the upper city types' failure to love is a gross characterization of the upper classes and that Fredor's rejection is simply further commentary on lack of compasson shown by the upper classes. That Fredor is both upper class and compassionate makes him an outcast, that's class commentary.

The film's ultimate argument for rejection of class distinctions and reconciliation of societal differences is not made despite the existing socioeconomic hierarchies, but because of them. That Lang arugues that they should be irrelevant does not mean they are irrelevant. Your argument that the socioeconomic differences can be used as a metaphor for other distinctions that tear our species apart is excellent, but it doesn't mean that Lang's decision to use class disctinctions to illustrate this larger point was a random one.

Hidden in all this mumbo jumbo is the fact that I think we ultimately agree on this film, but I interperate the opening metaphor about the heart mediating between the hand and the brain to be a more direct commentary on class differences (we do seem to agree that here the brain=upper/executive classes and the hand=lower/working classes), whereas you take it as a more general commentary on the need for compassion to mediate between thought and action (which works as well if not better).

45 I think we've all been waiting for the bubble to burst on Chacon now for about a year. It may be that we have to bite the bullet and acknowledge that despite his peripherals he is what he appears to be. It's not like he hasn't been around the league a couple of times. I haven't looked but my sense is that since we've acquired him 3 out of 5 starts are solid quality starts, 1 is rough quality and the other is plain rough. Sounds like a good solid number 3 starter to me that could be considered a number 2 in a pinch.

It's a description of a guy you can trade if you have a comparable piece to plug in as a replacement. In our case who is the comparable piece?

How is signing guys like Sean Casey and Burnitz showing an improvement in an organizational approach? That's not even mentioning the horrific way he's handle waivers and Rule 5 guys. To say Littlefield isn't an idiot considering the length of time he's been GM there and the moves he's made is just ignoring the facts. The Yanks need to make a move and Wilson could be an effective short-term solution. Don't let your personal opinion of Cashman enhance Littlefield's...

44 "One of his problems has been playing below average against the Royals and big time against Oakland NYY and Boston."

Assuming all of that is true, the Yankees want a guy who struggles against the worst team in baseball? They want a player whose stats will drop because he won't get to face their pitching anymore? What you wrote is an argument for the Royals to acquire Hunter, not the Yankees.

39 (murphy pees pants due to laughter)

it's all about the steve vai model. \m/

50The knock on him is that he tends to have letdowns against weaker opponents and gets up for the bigger rivalries/challenges. I think that problem gets solved when he's on the bigger stage surrounded by players of his own and superior abilities.

In the meantime I am more than happy with Bubba. But I see Bubba as Torii Light.

Any word on who the Yankees are actually dealing with or thinking of?

47 Well I guess that is about it Cliff, I can see how the film can legitimately be interpreted as an investigation of class differences and socioeconomic themes. Thanks for your comments on the film. It's a favorite of mine. I really enjoy discussing those issues and don't often get an opportunity to do that.

I started looking around for any comment from Lang to resolve the question but I can't seem to find anything. (I really don't want to write this mmo I'm working on) I think we both see the important things in the film, especially as they concern human compassion. My son of course considers the hot robot the main attraction. Well maybe what's important is the film is still important. Thanks again.

I think it's going to be Lew Ford of the Twins. Ford is cheap and expendable (4th on their OF depth chart)and the Twins need pitching depth.

How about Ron Villone for Lew Ford? Matt Smith can do what Villone is doing (nothing) if the Yankees need a second lefty but based on Torre's bullpen usage so far Villone is an trading asset who doesn't play. He wouldn't be wasted on the Twins - especially with Francisco Liriano moving to their starting rotation.

can someone tell me if Shef has a no trade clause in his contract?

45 Given a choice between shedding cash and making the playoffs, IMHO the Phils choose the latter. Small, Wright, or Chacon are not surefire imporvements over what they have. And they need a OF to replace Abreu, esp. with Rowand out. So that's at least Wang and Crosby there. Duncan is there to make the offer competitive against other clubs - it's not like no one knows Bobby's value. Heck, if we're debating it at least everyother MLB FO should be.

And remember, unpop, we're not the only club that can take on salary. In this day, any salary we take on is 1.5 times what other clubs would take on (the contra-Beltran argument). That's not an advantage and in fact could be seen as a distinct disadvantage.

1. Sure, if you want to say Womack was his one quality trade, I'll grant you that.
2. I said Clemens, and should have said A-Rod, were surefire no-brainers. Given the cash (at the time) and players involved, they were both easy calls.
3. I have two takes on Justice. One is: Even a stopped clock keeps the right time twice a day. The other is: Justice was served well, but only for half a season (albeit an important one). On the other hand, Ricky Ledee is better than Bubba Crosby and would have been for us the last three years. Jake Westbrook won 29 games in the last two years for Cleveland. And even Zach Day has proven to be a league average starting pitcher and is still only 27. So three full-time ML'ers for a half-season of Justice and one Serious. It depends on how important these things are to you.

If anything portends of this year's trade, it will be #3. Yeah we can get a half season of Hunter. But for three future ML'ers, I'd rather not.

54 you're kidding, right?

The Yanks need a LF who will come close to putting up Matsui's production, not Lew Ford and his .229AVG/1HR/5RBI bat.

Melky can realistically match Lew Ford's proiduction in his sleep.

52 Torii light? So you're saying he's like a leage-average player but worse. Yeah, that sounds right.

54 Villone is among the top four Yankee relievers in innings pitched. Ford ain't hitting a lick. He was bad last year, he's worse thus far this year.

49 Hey, I'm not saying that Littlefield is a top ten GM or anything. Just that he's not an idiot and Wilson will have value to other teams - that drives up his price. The Yankees won't get him cheap. It still might be a good move, but they will likely have to move two guys we'd like to see with the club.

But Casey was doing well until he got hurt. Burnitz was an ooog-ly signing. Still, the man pulled in Freddie Sanchez, Jason Bay with Perez, smart move to resign Jack Wilson. Littlefield's not an idiot.

56 Rob, the Phils don't need an OF. They have Dellucci - who Gillick clearly though enough of to acquire even without an opening in the OF to play him - and Shane Victorino, who's a pretty good player for what he is. Think a younger Jason Michaels with more pop.

And who would be able to take on Abreu's salary besides the Yanks? The Angels already have a RF (hello Vlad). The Mets are the Phils' division rivals. No way the White Sox up their payroll any higher. The Red Sox would probably need to move salary to take it on. The Rangers have nothing to offer. The Astros are saving their coin for Clemens.

This is all academic probably but interesting nonetheless.

55 unpopster, at least accoring to mlbcontracts.blogspot.com (link on the right), Sheff does not have a no-trade.

Personally, I would stand pat for anything short of an Abreu (which I find extremely unlikely to happen). I would trade for Abreu only because if I had Abreu I would relegate Sheffield to the DH spot permanently.

Everyone's busy blaming the current scoring drought on Crosby / Cabrera but the truth of the matter is:

Last 7 Games
Damon .192/.250/.192
Jeter .296/.345/.407
Giambi .192/.250/.423
GOB .130/.160/.348

Crosby .364/.417/.545 (Not to mention A+ defense)
Cabrera .267/.313/.267

We're not scoring any runs because 1-3 in the order are slumping and GOB is our DH. I'm not saying Bubba and Melky are great players, but we don't need to trade a solid RPer like Crosby to get an aging Torii Hunter or a mediocre 1B from the Pirates. Keep Crosby and Cabrera and go out and get Reggie Sanders who can be had cheap.

60 But not enough of Dellucci as an everyday guy.

The Angels are decent competition for his services and will at least keep the price high. They don't have that pesky soft cap hanging over them, could DH Vlad or LF Bobby, and have better prospects to offer.

But all of this really is moot. The Phils see that they have a chance this year. Gillick is too smart to mess with that.

61 Excellent point on the slumping Damon and Giambi, Count, I unfortunately left that out of my pre-game post yesterday due to having to post it in a hurry.

That said, Bernie is part of the problem we're discussing.

Here, here Count. Nice comparison.

The worst of it is any of the Columbus 'boys' (Russ Johnson, Mitch Jones, Kevin Thompson) would out-produce GOB.

Sorry, the real worst of it is I have yet to cheer for Damon and am already sick of his slappy-happy hitting. It's like Bush's re-election. I saw it coming, nothing I could do, and will have to endure for 4 years. And Bush's numbers will be high in year 4 compared to Damon.

aging tori hunter, "below average"... you guys are harsh. The guy is 30, one year older than Andy Phillips. He is also mentioned as one of the best defensive cf in the game. Think of Johnny Damon with an arm...

65 Read my post from yesterday, Jay, Damon is an average defender. So is Hunter at this stage of his career, just because a guy has a good defensive rep (see: Jeter, Derek) doesn't make it true. More pertinant to Hunter's situation: defensive ability can fade more quickly than reputation. Back to Damon, Johnny's a much better hitter than Torii. Rob 64 it's a slump, everyone has them (the Yanks as a team are about to have a nasty one). I like what I've seen from Damon at the plate this year.

Littlefield is defintely an idiot. Does the Aramis Ramirez trade ring a bell? Losing Shelton in the Rule 5 for $250k? The only thing that drives up Wilson's price is that the Yanks are looking for an OF. EVERYBODY'S price goes up when the Yanks are involved. That doesn't make Littlefield a decent GM, it just makes him aware of what is a basic tenet of baseball deals these days...

66 Rationally I know it's a slump for JD. But his impotent, and pull happy, stroke has me screaming so damn much. Yeah, I have some serious baggage there, but short of Damon hitting a grand slam for the Yanks in a Game 7 against the Sux, I can't ever see that going away.

That Yankee slump you allude to couldn't come at a worse time. With series against the Mets and Sux coming up, if they don't break even in those games, the pressure to make a move will be intense.

63 I hear you on GOB Cliff, but...

If you trade for Craig Wilson, GOB will still be in the lineup on a regular basis -- the loser will be Andy.

If you trade for [insert outfielder here], GOB will still be in the lineup on a regular basis -- Melky will be headed back to Columbus.

In other words...no trade you guys have discussed here will resolve the GOB situation -- unless it's accompanied by a lead pipe upside Torre's head. :-) At least trading for Sanders wouldn't cost us something valuable.

I can't accept going for Tori. Great glove, but a weak stick. If we're looking for a replacement for Matsui (and possibly for Shef for next year) I'd rather see some pop in his bat. Abreu sounds good, but not at the cost of Wang or Chacon. Right now there is the good Moose (may the bad Moose be banished for all time), Johnson -- who's a question mark trending down, Wright -- at best a fifth starter, and the oft injured Pavano. Wang and Chacon have shown success here, the Yankees are going to need both of them. Duncan's on the DL, dunno if anyone would take a risk on him at the moment.

As for Metropolis, remember that to Communists, everything is political. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some strains that included love as being a political act. Great flick by the way; I love the lighting in old black and white movies.

67 You're right on those trades Chuck. But:

Freddie Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez for Brandon Lyon, Jeff Suppan, and Anastacio Martinez?

Giles for Bay and Perez?

The man's not an idiot but he's not great either. My only point is that Wilson's not going to be had cheaply. If you agree with that, then we have no disagreement.

69 Here's my hope: Melky and Bubba play well enough, particularly defensively, that the after the Yanks pick up a budget-priced corner OF via trade and Sheff is reactivated, Joe sticks with Melky with the occasional Bubba in left, puts the new guy in right, and DHs Sheff. That pushes Bernie to the bench except for spot work against lefties.

I also hope they call up Colter Bean and decide to give me free season tickets behind the Yankee dugout.

68 The slump will happen in part because they've got games against the Mets and Sox (and the Tigers, and then Boston again) coming up. Since they've gotten back from that opening road trip their schedule has been pretty light. They've done what they were supposed to do with it (19-11, 18-8 if you take out the four games against Boston), but the bill's coming due at the worst possible time.

69 You are absolutely right, Count. Wilson displaces Phillips and maybe platoons with Bubba. But GOB will still get his AB's.

Even Reggie Sanders will mean less AB's for Bubba.

Perhaps with even more playing time, the folly that is GOB's playing time will become obvious. Torre did bench him last year. So hopefully he will again once Shef returns. Really Bubba just needs to jump GOB on the depth chart and some sanity will have returned.

GOB.. sorry folks.. unless something wacky happens not happening.. heres an ESPN interview prior to last week's Sux game:

ESPN: Bernie being back is nice.. Wud u ever pinch hit for him..

Torre: Never.. i will be run out of the stadium if i pulled him out.. i cant do it..

Only person who can save us from GOB is GOB.. gold-old bernie should hang up and chase away the ghost..

but his agent was quoted as saying Bernie wants to play a few more years.. and he was not kidding..

72 You forgot the stretch limo to take you to and from the games.
I think Melky and Bubba are decent enough defensively at the moment. Melky's going to have some more rookie moments, I just hope they aren't too many.

65 jayd I really like Torii Hunter. Hunter is a great centerfielder or at least he once was. Fielding efficiency and range factors seem to stand in mute contradiction to that point. He plays hard and with a smile and that's a wonderful thing. He is clueless as a hitter. I once heard him described as a guy who would swing at a pickoff move. Have you seen his OBP? He is barely replacement level. In fact he may not be.

People used to scream that Bernie was a creation of the NY media. If that's the case there must be a conspiracy of international proportion that has turned Hunter into a combination of Shoeless Joe and Paul Blair. I would not trade for him. I would not sign him.

72 Not sure, if I'd go that far with the cause and effect, Cliff. The top of the order has been slumping against decent, not great (save Haren), pitching.

Under your OF scenario, that's six OF's meaning either 11 pitchers or no Phillip/Cairo as backup 1B.

Shoot I'd just be happy with Shef's return to see Melky in left until the end of June at least. Then make a move if necessary. Bubba (against righties) and Shef could platoon in RF and Shef (against righties) and Bernie could platoon at DH.

BTW: I didn't realize Bean was such a big 'boy' (6'6" 250). He must really lack gas to not get a chance?

Torii Hunter on his hitting style a couple of weeks ago in the St. Petersburg Times...

"I don't have time for that," Twins center fielder Torii Hunter said. "I'm more aggressive. I just hack. If I went up there and was patient, I wouldn't be the guy I am."

Because THAT'S the type of hitter we need replacing Godzilla. UGH

I don't know if this was mentioned yet. (LENN ROBBINS article from the NY post on Sunday) But I don't see GOB going to the bench anytime soon.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05142006/sports/yankees/63705.htm

Torre
"I have probably a closer relationship with Bernie than I ever have had with any player, and it's been a two-way street."

78 Put Yogi Berra and Vlad Guerrero in that description as well. And, no, I'm not saying Torii Hunter is either Vlad or Yogi - just putting a little perspective on the remark. Cano is a hacker, too. If he were walking alot he wouldn't be the guy he is, either.

58 Only 3 of Villone's 13 appearances have been in games decided by 3 runs or less. It doesn't appear as though he's anything more than an inning eater for Torre. I like Villone but I'd rather move him than prospects for a stop gap OF. We need two OF, not 1. Maybe Bubba and Melky do a good job, maybe not. I trust Lew Fords 1200 ML ABs more than I trust Bubba's 200 ABs or Melky's 50 ABs. Ford looks weak this year but Chacon was 2-16 in '04-05 when we got him Colorado. I see vintage Chad Curtis in Lew Ford (hopefully Jeter won't hate him).

Lew Ford
Offense - 1247AB .281/.359/.415 40 SB 8 CS
Defense - Better than Sheffield and Bernie, average at best.

81 Curtis is a good comp. Solid OBP, no power. The Yanks don't need that sort of player, they need a real life hitter. What's worse, Ford's poor average has pulled his OBP down to league average at best.

Villone is very dealable, I was just saying it's not like he never pitches, there have just been a lot of blowout innings thus far this season.

I donno if a certain Mr Mariner's name has been brought up.. Mr ICHIRO anyone.. it may take a mountain of prospects.. but even as i type i realise that means we have 3 leadoff type players.. but wud it make sense to have him or go after him..

83 Please no. Ichiro's another guy who's Avg. hikes up everything else. For instance, he's SLG .372 right now. For a RF, that's pretty bad, even with his arm.

And it would take a ton to get him, then we get the priviledge of paying him 13 mil a year.

Tino said on BT there's no way Seattle ever trades him.

82OK, Cliff GM, if that's your assessment and you don't like Torii and think Abreu is too much to pay for, then where do you go? Lew Ford? (It was news to me he was a .280 lifetime)

A couple things to keep in mind.
1) Matsui will be back next year (I'm not counting on September) so any LF should be for one year only -- cutting down on whom and how much.
2) Getting a stud for RF will basically be telling Shef, we don't want you back next year, unless it's as a DH. Shef might not like that, and I could see his wrist "hurting" for a while. He already doesn't want to rush back, and as it is a contract year I can't blame him from a financial standpoint.

Well if they get a stud RF or get a CF and move Damon to RF, Cash shud pickup Sheff for next yr, plain and simole, with a foot note that 80 to 90% of the time he will DH.. u know what he will love that..

86 Whoa, easy on Cliffy. He's one of many here pessimistic about other options.

The fact is, there's just not a lot to be had. A bunch argued the merits of Jason Michaels this off-season, and he's Bubba-esque in Cleveland so far. Either we overpay for someone, or there's little available. Remember, at the time Paully O for Roberto Kelly was not a trade most fans were in favor of. So it may mean trading a Duncan and Bubba for one of the Arizona guys. Or to Tampa Bay for one of their youngster. Or overpaying for Craig Wilson. Or overpaying for Soriano.

Or doing nothing.

The fact is, few teams think they're out of it yet. So prices are really high. In a month the dealing market will be better.

More still, it's not like the Yankees are in terrbile shape. The pitching, save one giant Johnson, has been great. The hitting has been great too. If Jeter, and Damon, and Giambi start producing this week, they'll win half their games. If Shef comes back next week, they're only missing Matsui. Melky has yet to convince me that he can't play and Bubba is doing nicely as well. Overall you make a trade if you can and wait if you can't.

RBJ 86, Yankaholic 87 has it right, if they get someone solid, he plays right next year and Sheff DHes and loves every minute of it. He came to NY to DH and didn't expect to play the field and he hits better as a DH. That said, I don't move Damon unless the guy I get is Andrew Jones or the like. Torii Hunter, as established, need not apply.

88 Rob, Amen on all points. What happened that should make Rob G the voice of reason and moderation? This is an odd life.

In an underground bunker, at an undisclosed location, the Tampa "Braintrust" is hard at work, convincing George that they need a strong veteran, like Ron Gant or Delino Deshields to come to the Bronx.

Scott Erickson calls and puts in a good word for both Shane Mack & Tony Torasco.

The Boss nods his head and takes it all in.

Now this friends is one sorry looking lineup.

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Bernie Williams RF
Andy Phillips DH
Miguel Cairo 1B
Melky Cabrera LF

Of course Giambi is out with a stiffy.

But why oh why is Phillips not in the field. Unless that would mean Cairo as the DH? I guess having two OF's on the bench is better than having no one available to play the IF? Ugh.

Here's one reason to have Thompson up over Reese: Tonight he starts.

Even still, Bubba in right and Bernie DH with Phillips in the field would have been too difficult to figure out given that Bubba's a lefty.

91 The King (and I don't mean Elvis) is taking his hacks off a batting tee at an undisclosed location. He's doing 5 push up a day and drinking carrot juice laced with Maalox to get in shape. He is waiting for the phone to ring. Common Cash give the man a call.

I have not seen Reese play, but i would have him over Bernie with GOB doing DH, Andy at 1B, Cairo keeping the bench warm.

I wonder if out of sheer boredom Kevin Reese isn't playing bellow his skill set at AAA. If you look at his line Avg .257, OBP .336, OPS .376, 9 BOB, 19 SO, 2 SB and 2 CS he clearly isn't performing as the number 1 OF on the Clippers roster. His slide seemed to start last year and it has continued. Can it be that he's lost a little something due to the apparent hopelessness of his situation?

88 Amen.

I can't get over how many of you are prepared to completely gut the farm system to make up for one week of low scoring.

Sorry I forgot which idiot in the Post it was yesterday, but one of them was bemoaning the fact "things were so bad for the Yanks" that Cano was batting fifth. OMG! That's horrible! A guy who's been hitting .321/.346/.420 in the 7-8 slots is going to be hitting 5th?!? Put me on suicide watch! It's an unmitigated disaster. LOL

This is the kind of thinking that put the Knicks where they are. "Gee - Let's trade Chacon and Bubba for a RF with a career .774 OPS." That's not an upgrade, it's a panic move. There's a reason why Lew Ford is making $425,000 this year -- well, besides that he plays for the Twins. :-)

Hey, I'm willing to trade Wright in a heartbeat as I also believe Meat is going to be a pleasant surprise in June - September. I will consider trading Melky, Andy, Duncan or Bubba for the right player...like Abreu. But trading Chacon for any outfielder you guys have named so far -- repeat ANY outfielder -- is downright insane. Chacon is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA over his last five starts. His ERA is 3.10 in 18 starts as a Yankee. You're willing to trade that for Lew Ford? For Craig Wilson?

91 ROTFLMAO!

89
Cliff I wasn't coming down on you. I was thinking outloud to everyone who wants us to trade gobs of stuff to get a player for one year.
Does Shef only want to DH? If so, fine, but then what happens to Melky, and Giambi's at first so Philips gets buried on the bench.
Best case scenario is for Melky to shine in the next week.

____ HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Sori 174 490 175 .280 .320 .502
Tori 141 532 98 .267 .320 .459

Both make 10 mil. Both are 30.
Tori is better on D (probably)
Sori is faster/better power - 30/30 Guy.
Give Sori a 4 yr contract as an OF'er and the guy will bust out.

Sori this year:
AVG .285 | HR 12 | RBI 25 | OBP .327 | SLG .544

I know people hate his swing-at-all-costs attitude, but put him in RF, Melky in LF, and Shef at DH

Damon
Jetes
Shef
Giambi
ARod
Sori
Posada
Cano
Melky

That's a pretty good Matsui-less lineup.
How can you talk of Tori or Lou without bringing up Soriano?

I keep telling myself I need to stop reading the Michael Kay q and a's, but I just couldn't help myself today. Here are my 2 favorites from today's column:

KAY: Geez, what exactly would you like Joe Torre to do? You can actually say, in the only example you have given, that you would rather have Andy Phillips hit in a clutch situation rather than Miguel Cairo. And as for this infusion of youth, who exactly would you bench? The only place the Yankees could get younger would be by playing Bubby Crosby over Bernie Williams, but Williams, although older, is a much better player.

As for calling up people from the minor leagues, that is not Joe Torre's job. Brian Cashman makes the decision on who to call up when someone is injured. And do you really think the organization would call up Erickson if they thought that Colter Bean was the better choice? Why would they do that? It doesn't make sense.

And as for the team being injury prone because of age, well, injuries happen to everyone. Are veterans more susceptible? Of course, but the Yankees have always been a veteran-laden team and they've won eight straight AL East titles.

I have never really understood this preoccupation with getting younger when using veterans has been nothing but positive for the organization. And last time I checked, they have two second-year players, Canó and Wang, playing huge roles and one 21-year-old, Melky Cabrera, playing every day. How many more youngsters do you want to have play?

KAY: Dear Tony,
I don't see what you see. I think Bernie is still a viable player and is not hurting the team at all. He has done a nice job, albeit wtih one bad play, in right, and he does not look overmatched at the plate. That being said, I am not a believer in a player "tarnishing" a great career by hanging on too long. Was Willie Mays' career tarnished because he was stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series? No. The whole thought of that simply offends me and always has.

Also, what exactly are Torre's other options with Sheffield and Matsui out? Not any better than Bernie Williams, I'll tell you that.