Open Thread

Good evening all.  We had our first interview with a Yankee Prospect today if you haven’t read it scan down below for our interview with Slade Heathcott.  This is your Open Thread feel free to talk about whatever you like.  I will get you started with some links and notes.

* According to ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine, former Cubs GM Jim Hendry has been hired by the Yankees.  Hendry will function as a special assistant to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as part of a multi-year agreement.

* Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports the Red Sox have offered free agent right-hander Edwin Jackson a one-year contract worth between $5-6 million.

Open Thread

Good evening all.  This is your open thread feel free to talk about anything you wish.  Below are some topics to get you started.

* A-Rod sold his NYC condo and actually made a profit on the deal.  Check the article out it has some pictures.

* Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Red Sox have made an offer to free agent Roy Oswalt.

* Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM reports that the Red Sox have also made an offer to Edwin Jackson

* According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, teams have been informed that Yoenis Cespedes is a free agent.

* The MLB channel will unveil The 2012 Top 100 Prospects tonight at 10pm.  Check it out.

Also to note Andruw Jones is now on the roster (as of today)  so I assume he has completed his physical.  It is official here is an article from the WSJ.

Open Thread

This is the Open Thread feel free to comment on any baseball related topics you want to bring up.

Here are some things you may want to discuss…..

* Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reports that the Yankees are “60-40” to become more aggressive in adding to the roster before spring training.

* Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the Diamondbacks are showing interest in free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon.

* Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the asking prices for free agent starters Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda and Edwin Jackson “have come down significantly.”

Here is a Poll as well….

Yankees only interested in a 1 year deal for Jackson & Kuroda

Yankees only interested in a 1 year deal for Jackson & Kuroda

by Matt S.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are only interested in a one-year deal for Edwin Jackson or Hiroki Kuroda. Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner met with Jackson’s agent, Scott Boras, at the owners’ meetings this week, but has yet to approve expanding payroll to add a significant player. The 28-year-old right-hander is reportedly seeking a five-year deal worth about $15 million per season, so Boras will likely continue to shop around for now. Kuroda, who is also drawing interest from the Red Sox, is reportedly looking for a deal worth $12-13 million per season. Sherman suspects that the Bombers will wait out the market, perhaps signing Jackson, Kuroda or even Bartolo Colon to a one-year pact.

 

Source: Joel Sherman on Twitter

Hal Steinbrenner and Boras met to discuss Edwin Jackson

Hal  Steinbrenner and Boras met to discuss Edwin Jackson

by Matt S.

According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner met recently with agent Scott Boras to discuss right-hander Edwin Jackson. Jackson is said to be seeking a five-year deal worth around $15 million annually, which is why interest has been so low. If he makes that asking price a little more attractive, things could pick up quickly. E-Jax posted a 3.79 ERA and 148/62 K/BB ratio in 199 2/3 innings last season between the White Sox and Cardinals. The Orioles have also expressed interest this winter.

Our own writer Fishjam just recently wrote about E-Jax coming to the Yankees on a 2 year deal. Click here to read that article.

Source: Jon Heyman on Twitter

Would EJax take 2 years?

EJax is eerily similar to Matt Garza

Despite the clear need for a starting pitcher, most Yankee fans want no part of Edwin Jackson.  Despite the fact that he’s been a solid pitcher with great stuff and a chance to improve at the age of 28, he isn’t attractive to the Yankees because of his perceived cost. 

Scott Boras is looking for a 5 yr deal for around $15M per season which based on the contracts given to Burnett, Lackey, D.Lowe, Buehrle & CJ Wilson, is pretty much what the price has been on the Free Agent market.  That being said,  all of those contracts were colossal busts with the exception of Buehrle & Wilson where the stories have yet to be written.  So no one is knocking down the door for Jackson at that price.

If I had to guess I’d say he’ll have to come down to 4 yrs @ $11-12M to find interest.  However, even that is more than the Yanks want to spend because of the payroll flexibility they’d like to maintain heading into 2014.  That being the case, perhaps there’s room for compromise that helps all 3 parties – Yankees, Boras & EJackson.

What if the Yankees offered $15M per season for 2 years?  Boras gets the $15M he asked for, Jackson pockets $30M and re-enters Free Agency at still young age of 30 and the Yanks get a #3 starter with #2 potential while still not touching their 2014 Payroll.

I’m not excited by the prospect of Jackson and $15M is more than I’d be comfortable paying him, but for only 2 years it’s not a bad idea. Let’s do a quick comparison of Jackson and Yankee trade target Matt Garza over the last 3 years:

	W	L	IP	ERA	XFIP	K/9	BB/9	GB%	HR/9	SIERA	WAR
Jackson	35	30	623	3.96	3.93	7.08	3.03	44%	0.92	4.06	11.2
Garza	33	32	605	3.73	3.89	7.96	3.05	40%	1	3.85	9.7

 Comparing stuff, Jackson averages 94.5 MPH on his Fastball and throws a nasty 87 MPH Slider, which is his best pitch.  He throws a 2-seamer and mixes in a Change & Curveball about 11% of the time.

Garza is a little more well-rounded but averages 93.7 MPH on his Fastball and throws an 86 MPH Slider as his out pitch.  He also throws a 2-seamer and mixes in the Change & Curve slightly more at 23%, although neither are effective pitches.

So their numbers are nearly identical, they were born 2 months apart and their stuff is very similar too.  What would be the difference in cost?

Garza will likely earn a combined $21M over the next 2 years in arbitration before becoming a Free Agent.  From what we hear, he would also cost 1 or both of Banuelos & Betances plus more in a trade.

If you could get Jackson at a cost of $30M over the next 2 years and KEEP Banuelos & Betances, wouldn’t that be a much better scenario?  You could also even out the costs by picking up$24M of AJ Burnet’s contract to dump him on someone. That would save the $9M difference and make the net cost of Jackson the same $21M that Garza would make.

I like Garza as a pitcher and think he’s tougher and a better all-around pitcher. But Jackson’s stuff and nearly identical numbers as Garza over the last 3 years is hard to ignore.  I know the chances of Jackson accepting a 2 yr $30M deal are slim but if it comes down to accept a 4 yr-$40M deal with Baltimore or a 2yr-$30M deal with New York, which would you choose?  Boras has done the unconventional before and last yr steered Rafael Soriano to the Yanks as a set-up man on a closer’s deal.  It’s not entirely impossible.

I’m not sure this is a good idea but it’s food for thought.  Would you be interested in EJax for 2 years?

Open Thread

Door 1.....2......or....3?

Do you remember Let’s Make a Deal with Monty Hall?   Well you dressed up and got to pick which door you wanted and it could be a new car or a donky.  It was just a guess and was either hit or miss.  Well the Yankees have three options behind the door with Oswalt, Kuroda, or Edwin Jackson.  All could either be hits or misses depending on your likes and dislikes. Here is your open thread.  Share which one you would like and also share which one you do not like.

Enjoy the night everyone!!!

Yankees Talk With Kuroda, Jackson & Oswalt

Yankees Talk With Kuroda, Jackson & Oswalt

By Delia E.

After the Yankees mention that they are thinking of increasing the payroll, the Yankees mention that they are talking to Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda & Edwin Jackson according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The Yankees have mentioned that they wanted to add another arm in the rotation but they aren’t willing to pay just any cost for a pitcher. With Spring Training less than 6 weeks away, the Yankees are running out of time and they need to think of an option and fast.

Hiroki Kuroda still looks like that he is the most likely to sign with the Yankees since he has been easily known to have a 1 year deal, but Edwin Jackson is a more solid & versatile pitcher. With Edwin Jackson he has pitched in the AL before, so he might be an interesting target to go after.

Offers for Roy Oswalt have been cool since he has had back injuries, but he has also been known to take 1 year deals. The downside with Oswalt is that like Kuroda, he has not pitched in the AL before.

The Yankees should take advantage of this and sign at least one of them but knowing what Brian Cashman has done this off-season, we might not see any of them in pinstripes come time for Spring Training.

Spanning the Yankee Blogs: Garza, Jackson, Prospects, Nova, PED’s

Hello all and welcome to another installment of Spanning the Yankee Blogs. If you’re new to the site, every week,  I link the best articles out there in the Yankee “blogosphere”.

Enjoy the links……..

* An A-Blog for A-Rod has released their Top Yankee Prospects as well.  Here is 5 through 1.

* Bleeding Yankee Blue opines that Boras will mess things up for Edwin Jackson.

* NY Baseball Digest feels that Matt Garza is worth the asking price.

* Pinstripe Alley details what to make of Anaheim’s spending splurge.

* River Ave Blues thinks out loud about Ryan Madson.

* Road to Yankee Stadium has an interview with Yankees Pitching Prospect Shaeffer Hall.

* The Captain’s Blog says MLB’s loose lips could sink PED Policy.

* The Yankee Analysts discuss the  realistic expectation for Ivan Nova in 2012.

Yankees Turn Attention Towards Edwin Jackson

Yankees Turn Attention Towards Edwin Jackson

By Delia E.

After the Cubs had made the trade offer very clear (Betances, Banuelos or Montero for Matt Garza), the Yankees have turned their attention to free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson.  According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Yankees are nowhere near a deal with Jackson, but they get the feeling that he might be a solid pitcher for the middle of their rotation.

It’s rumored that Jackson is looking for a deal between $15M-$17M annually. Scott Boras (Robinson Cano’s & A-Rod’s agent) has compared Jackson to C.J Wilson, Mark Buerhle, John Lackey, A.J Burnett (pre-Yankees) & Derek Lowe.

If getting Edwin Jackson doesn’t work then the Yankees can turn to trading or to the free agent market for the likes of Gavin Floyd, Wandy Rodriguez, Roy Oswalt & Hiroki Kuroda.

The only attempt for pitching the Yankees have made was submitting a $15M bid for Yu Darvish. The Texas Rangers won the bid.

Yankees have “looked at” LHRP Mike Gonzalez

Yankees have “looked at” LHRP Mike Gonzalez

by Mike D.

Via SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees are looking for left-handed relief help, and have looked at Mike Gonzalez as a possible option. In 53.1 innings for the Orioles and Rangers, Gonzalez pitched to a 4.39 ERA / 4.11 FIP / 3.73 xFIP line, with an 8.61 K/9 and a 3.54 BB/9. I took a more in-depth examination of Gonzalez as a possible addition to the bullpen here.

Heyman goes on to note that the Yankees do not like the current prices of Edwin Jackson and C.J. Wilson, and despite what Hal has publicly stated, they are still a bit “gun-shy” regarding Japanese pitchers such as Yu Darvish. He also states that it is unlikely that the Yankees will trade for Atlanta’s Jair Jurrjens. Heyman sees a trade for John Danks of the White Sox more likely and sensible.

Hot Stove Targeting: Edwin Jackson

In Edwin Jackson’s young career he is already familiar with 6 different teams (Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals) which means that he has been thrown around a lot (It would have been 7 teams but Jackson only lasted 2 hours as a Toronto Blue Jay in that bizarre 3 way team trade that occurred in the 2010 offseason, hence never actually playing a game at the Rogers Center). Jackson was a part of the 2011 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals but he didn’t help much in the World Series getting only a loss in his only start. Now that Edwin Jackson is on the market for free agency we wonder: is Edwin Jackson a right fit for the New York Yankees?

Positives:

Edwin Jackson has a lot of experience in the American League and the National League which means that he will know how to handle certain situations in each league. In addition to that experience, Jackson is 28 years old, and should be in his prime. When Jackson plays as a full time starter he is a moderate strikeout pitcher with his strikeouts ranging from 104-181K’s., and a K/9 around 6-7. Jackson doesn’t give up a lot of HR’s, and is able to get a good amount of ground-balls (43.8 GB% in 2010 and 49.4 GB% in 2011). Jackson has been to the All-Star game once as a Detroit Tiger in 2009, but other than that has not won any other awards. He has great stuff there is no doubt, and he is a good pitcher.                      

Negatives:

This one is a little easier to explain. Edwin Jackson is a carbon

...but his carbon copy numbers like A.J Burnett could prevent the Yankees from signing him

copy of A.J Burnett. Jackson usually has his up and down years, and is pretty inconsistent throughout the season. In his career Jackson is a 60-60 pitcher with a 4.46 ERA. Although, if you look at a year such as 2010, his FIP of 3.86 did not line up with his 4.47 ERA that year. If you look at his postseason numbers, they aren’t that pretty. In the 2011 NLCS, Edwin Jackson had an 8.53 ERA and in the World Series a 5.06 ERA. He started off the 2011 postseason on the right foot, when he had a 3.00 ERA in the NLDS. In his career in the postseason Jackson has a 4.91 ERA with a 1-1 record. You may be wondering why I keep bringing up ERA. Well the answer is very simple; Edwin Jackson gives up a lot of runs (like A.J Burnett).

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Series	Rslt	W	L	ERA	H	R	ER	HR
2008	24	TBR	AL	ALCS	W	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	0
2008	24	TBR	AL	WS	L	0	0	4.50	2	1	1	1
2011	27	STL	NL	NLDS	W	1	0	3.00	5	2	2	0
2011	27	STL	NL	NLCS	W	0	0	8.53	11	6	6	4
2011	27	STL	NL	WS	W	0	1	5.06	3	3	3	0
2 Seasons (5 Series)						1	1	4.91	21	12	12	5
1 NLDS						1	0	3.00	5	2	2	0
1 ALCS						0	0	0.00	0	0	0	0
1 NLCS						0	0	8.53	11	6	6	4
2 WS						0	1	4.91	5	4	4	1

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/21/2011.

Is Edwin Jackson A Fit for The Yankees: If the Yankees get Edwin Jackson then that is their decision, but I do not see the Yankees pursuing him as he reminds me too much of A.J. Burnett. The numbers, the strikeouts, the inconsistency are a carbon copy of A.J. Burnett. Yankees fans get frustrated with one A.J. Burnett in New York; do the Yankees really want a second A.J. Burnett?

If the Yankees were really serious about Edwin Jackson they would try to get him as early as possible before another team gobbles him up, but with the Yankees being eerily quiet in the offseason, they may not be as interested as everyone else thought. Then again they could be planning on how to get multiple pitchers during the December Winter Meetings, but as of right now the Yankees haven’t seemed all that interested in Jackson and frankly I don’t think he’s a perfect fit for the Yankees.

Morning Bits: Buehrle, Jackson, Cabrera, Cano

Good morning everyone! Just 102 days until pitchers and catchers can report for Spring Training! Here are your morning links:

– The Yankees have become very interested in free agent Mark Buehrle and he could become their top target.

– The Yankees have also started speaking to another free agent Edwin Jackson

– Former Yankees OF, Melky Cabrera was traded to the San Francisco Giants for starter Jonathan Sanchez.

– Yankees writer Jack Curry blogs about how Robinson Cano and his father Jose Cano felt at home when they trekked to Taiwan for the All-Star series

 

Preliminary discussions with Edwin Jackson have begun

Preliminary discussions with Edwin Jackson have begun

by Mike D.

According to George King of the NY Post, the Yankees have already talked with right-handed free agent starter, Edwin Jackson. This comes as no surprise, as the GM Brian Cashman has made it clear the Yankees will be in strong pursuit of starting pitching. We already know Cashman has talked to Bob Garber, the agent of C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt.

Thoughts on the Future of the Rotation

Should C.C. be back next year at any cost?

It is likely that:

[1] C.C. Sabathia will opt out of his contract this off-season.

[2] He will return to the pinstripes next year.

[3] C.C. will receive a massive contract of at the very minimum 5 years and $120MM.

However, at what point in the contract negotiations should the Yankees consider alternate options?

Joel Sherman of the NY Post says that if Sabathia wants a considerable amount past 5 years and over $120MM, the Yanks should at least look elsewhere.

If Sabathia wants more, the Yankees have to seriously consider another direction rather than accept greater long-term risk.

In my opinion, Sherman hits it right on the money here. C.C. is 31 years old, and somewhere around 290 pounds. Look at the facts: another 7 year contract would take him to the 2018 season, and Sabathia would turn 38 that season. No offense in any way to C.C., but the combination of being overweight with a history knee problems, and in his upper thirties does not bode well for the Yanks. However, the luxury of having a true ace should never be downplayed. C.C. is an absolute horse. He’s been one of the Yankees’ best free agent signings in the modern years.

Year	W	L	W-L%	ERA	GS	IP	H	ER	SO	ERA+	WHIP
2009	19	8	.704	3.37	34	230.0	197	86	197	137	1.148
2010	21	7	.750	3.18	34	237.2	209	84	197	136	1.191
2011	19	8	.704	3.00	33	237.1	230	79	230	147	1.226
NYY (3 yrs)	59	23	.720	3.18	101	705.0	636	249	624	140	1.189

But- there have been some signs of weariness in the second half of this season and in the playoffs. Are the 1,198 innings he’s thrown in the past five years catching up with him? That is a question the Yankees front office should deeply think about. I’m not saying I don’t want Sabathia back in the Bronx next year; a long-term contract is a risk of gigantic proportions. It’s like the A-Rod contract for a pitcher.

Sherman also discusses possible alternatives to signing Sabathia to a massive contract.

“With that pen and a powerful offense, could they survive if — for example — they lost Sabathia, but signed Wilson and traded for someone such as the A’s Gio Gonzalez or White Sox’ John Danks? “Can you win with five No. 3 starters and strength everywhere else,” the NL personnel man said. “Yes, I think you can. I think the Rangers are doing it right now.”

If you think about it, the Yankees could certainly survive without Sabathia in their rotation next year. That is, if the Yankees take advantage of the rest of the free agent and trade market. A cluster of simply solid-to-very good pitchers could potentially work. Let’s take a look at the options Sherman gives. We’ll profile Gio Gonzalez, John Danks, and other pitchers later, but for now… The Yankees could swing a deal for Gonzalez, as the Athletics are offensively deprived and already have plenty of strong, young pitching. They could rebuild without Gio in their rotation. The White Sox are in some strange sort of rebuilding mode, and Danks may become available. You also have to consider other trade options, such as Matt Cain of the Giants. Say you sign C.J. Wilson, trade for Gonzalez/Danks, and possibly sign an innings-eater like Edwin Jackson or Mark Buehrle. Then you fill in the holes with Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, and one of the young-guns like Adam Warren or Hector Noesi. As for Burnett, who knows. All of a sudden, you have a solid, playoff-caliber rotation, without a massive 7 year / $140+MM contract. Then you have a pretty good amount of flexibility.

However, the Yanks would not have a clear ace. As Sherman and his source say, the Rangers don’t have a clear #1, even in Wilson. They have a team built on a solid rotation, a tremendous offense, and an excellent bullpen. Look where they are: up 2-1 in the ALCS.

Ideally, C.C. Sabathia does not opt out of his contract, but we simply have to expect the worst. Any deal exceeding Cliff Lee’s 5 years/$120MM contract, should alert the Yankees to at least consider an alternate plan.

 

Stat Insert Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/12/2011.

NYY vs. SEA – 7/25/11

 

Let’s make it 16 straight losses for the M’s, Freddy. As mean as that sounds…

Lineup:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher DH
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones RF
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Brett Gardner LF

Pitchers:

Freddy Garcia (8-7, 3.21) vs. Jason Vargas (6-8, 3.94)

And some deadline notes/rumors before the game:

• A rival executive tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Yankees will add a lefty relief pitcher via trade. Duh!
• Joel Sherman of the NY Post says that the Yankees will not trade Manny Baneulos, Dellin Betances, Jesus Montero, and Austin Romine unless a premier, number 1 starter becomes available.
• Also according to Sherman, the White Sox have spent a considerable amount of time scouting the farm systems of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies. In case Edwin Jackson becomes available (or even John Danks), the two teams could potentially make a trade.
• The Yankees like A’s lefty Gio Gonzalez quite a lot, and would “pay big to get”. Despite Oakland falling out of contention, they are still refusing to talk Gonzalez. If he did become available, Gonzalez would be one hell of a guy to get, as he is only 25, and has a 2.67 ERA.
• Jon Paul Morosi now says that the odds of an Ubaldo trade are around 50/50. Sherman says that the Yankees are concerned “about Ubaldo’s inconsistency, all-out delivery (arm trouble?), (and) coming to AL East.” If there truly are these concerns, then the Yankees should by no means give up 2+ top prospects for Jimenez.
• Bob Klapisch says the Yankees are interested in Hiroki Kuroda, but have had no recent discussions with the Dodgers. It’s also known that Kuroda may not accept a trade to the east, let alone a trade at all.

Enjoy the game. Lots of rumors going on, with 5 days remaining until the day of the trade deadline.