Updates: Kevin Whelan up, Joba under the knife

June 10, 2011 by Mike Axisa 63 Comments

Update (6:28pm): Joba was placed on the 60-day disabled list and Chris Dickerson was send down to make room for Whelan on the roster. I don’t get that at all. Thirteen pitchers when three of them are pop-up guys? When one of you catchers has a bad back? How does this roster construction make any sense?

Original Post (4:30pm): Via Donnie Collins, Kevin Whelan is on his way to New York and will be activated before tonight’s game. It’s unclear who will be sent down, but my money’s on Amaury Sanit. Figure that either Joba Chamberlain or Justin Maxwell will be placed on the 60-day disabled list to clear a 40-man roster spot. Whelan’s been absolutely awesome for Triple-A Scranton this year, striking out 30 and walking just six in 27 innings. He does have a history of walking guys and getting hurt though, but he was clearly the top call-up candidate. The Yankees just might actually get some return from the Gary Sheffield trade after all.

Meanwhile, the Yankees announced that Joba Chamberlain with undergo Tommy John Surgery on Thursday. Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation, and the Yanks should get their right-hander back within 9-12 months. My money’s on a return by the All Star Break next year. Considering Joba never really felt the pain associated with ligament damage and had been throwing quite well, this is a blow for the team. We can dream that the club will reassess his future role in the pitching staff. (Additional reporting by Benjamin Kabak.)

Total Dominication

I’m going to the game tonight, so sad Montero wasn’t called up.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  It’s only a matter of time before he gets the calls. Cervelli is lost out there and Martin is dealing with a bad back.
Gonzo

I heard someone on the radio say he is going into Papa John’s surgery.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  Better Elbow. Not as Fat. Papa John’s
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  Raul Mondesi had about 20 or 30 Papa John’s Surgeries. Each month.
The Big City of Dreams

“We can dream that the club will reassess his future role in the pitching staff”

————————–

Joba could be 40 and ppl will still dream.
Cy Pettitte

what’s the deal with Kontos? coming up or not?

http://twitter.com/#!/swbyankeesTT/status/79261446566969344
- Gonzo
  
  He was hanging out with Zach Galifinakis, Ed Helms, and Bradley Cooper last night.
  - the tenth inning stretch
    
    Let’s hope he doesn’t have a copyrighted tattoo on his face now.
    - Clay Bellinger
      
      Actually, I hope he does.
MrPappageorgio

The fact that Martin is hurt and Montero hasn’t been called up is mind-boggling. I can’t fathom it…

I assume this has something to do with starting his clock? Something about before the end of June if he gets called up they loose like a certain amount of time before he hits free agency?
- Gonzo
  
  Russell Martin since May 1st: .191/.321/.315
  - NYinTX
    
    His BABIP has been hovering around .200 since May 1st. Maybe a lot of bad luck?
    - Gonzo
      
      Since his name doesn’t rhyme with Poor-Hey Tostada, I think BABIP applies.
      
      It’s funny how so many people will write off BABIP luck when it doesn’t fit their narrative.
- Ed
  
  Montero just got over an eye infection. He was just cleared to play again. He wasn’t an option.
ansky

I think the longer Montero is down in AAA the more likely they see him as a trade chip and not a catcher. They may not want to bring him up for fear it could hurt his value.
- http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
  
  If the Yankees are going to deal Montero, it had better be for an ace.
  - David, Jr.
    
    It would only be for a top young starter like a Madison Bumgarner, and that could happen.
    - Clay Bellinger
      
      I don’t think it would necessarily have to be a “young” starter. They were willing to part with him for Lee last year.
      - David, Jr.
        
        You could be right, although Lee is in a different category than most. I am thinking of maybe for a young pitcher of similar potential as Montero has as a hitter.
        
        EricVA
        
        I doubt the Yankees would trade Montero for a pitcher with potential. It’d only be for a proven starter. They have enough guys with potential.
    - JobaWockeeZ
      
      Eww no. He’s overrated. He doesn’t miss bats and he doesn’t GB enough. Probably can’t do that in the AL East.
  - ansky
    
    What ace though? Who is available? Felix isn’t. Johnson, Kershaw aren’t.
    - http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
      
      No one really. That’s the problem.
    - JobaWockeeZ
      
      Cashman agrees.
- Karl Krawfid
  
  Don’t know why, the kid is gonna hit.
  - ansky
    
    Not saying I agree. We all think he is going to hit. However he has more value as someone we know can hit, but THINK can catch.
    I want him up here now.
    - Karl Krawfid
      
      He could have Value at DH or Catcher for this team.
      - ansky
        
        The one thing we know is he will likely hit better than our DH and can’t catch any worse then Cervelli.
        
        Bring me Jesus
        
        Karl Krawfid
        
        Pretty much!
- http://Facebook.com/andrewjcalagna Drew
  
  I comepletely agree with you. If not now, then when is the right time to bring him up? The only reason I can see is the eye injury and they don’t want to throw him into the majors after a couple of days off, but even then it’s a weak argument.
  - ansky
    
    Watching Cervelli catch, there is no other reason that he hasn’t been called up. It’s not like the Yankee Brass is seeing things in Cervelli that we aren’t. He is awful. Now with Martin tweaked, give him 2 weeks with catching almost every day. if not then you know he is just trade bait.
    - David, Jr.
      
      I agree with you. If Montero isn’t called up now, with all of the elements of the situation that the Yankees have, I become very suspicious about a blockbuster involving him.
    - Voice of Reason
      
      He’s been playing pretty poorly, the non-super 2 call up season JUST opened (they were absolutely never going to call him up before then), and he’s been out with an eye infection until today. I wouldn’t read into it.
CP

I wonder if Joba will have issues in rehab because of his high pain threshold (or lack of
sensitivity to his UCL). One potential risk is pushing too hard – before the surgery has fully healed.
- http://myspace.com/bksmalls Smallz
  
  My biggest concern with Joba is it takes a ton of hard work to rebound from TJS and if you do you can come back better than before but Jobas work ethic and conditioning has always been somewhat of a concern for me.
http://myspace.com/bksmalls Smallz

Excited to see Kevin Whealan. Definetley not excited to see Cervelli behind the plate again tonight.
- http://facebook.com/andrewjcalagna Drew
  
  Martin is out again? Fucka me Luigi.
Cy Pettitte

LoHud saying Dickerson was optioned
- nycsportzfan
  
  come on? If this is true, do the yanks realize, guys who actually do there job are supposed to be the ones who u reward, not the guys like Sanit and Marquez, who are trash.. The yanks are twisted the way they handle the Minor Leagues, i will never understand there logic..
nycsportzfan

Whos getting the call up to TRIP A with Norton being hurt and Whelan and Marquez or Sanit being on the big club? I’d like to see Craig Heyer get a shot at TRIP A..
the tenth inning stretch

Thank Mo, finally Whelan gets a shot.
Brian

Thank God the front office didn’t call up Montero! I wouldn’t want to miss another game from Cervelli!
- Brian
  
  This isn’t to say I didn’t want Whelan up too, but there should have been two on that bus to the Bronx.
Monteroisdinero

Montero will probably get the call up before the next road trip. Less spotlight/pressure on the road and he can try to get his batting eye (battling eye infection?) sharpened these next few games.

I too would be worried about Joba’s conditioning/weight these next 9-12 months but heck-he can still run and diet.

One can hope.

No Dickerson=more Swish from the left side. Torture but hey-it’s only June 10th.
http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder

My guess is the biggest thing preventing a Montero callup is actually Jorge Posada’s recent hot streak (.500/.563/.571 in the past 7 days, 295/.404/.409 in the past 28 days) plus his recent hits against lefties.

I’m sure the club would rather promote him and give him not just Cervelli’s backup role but also a big chunk of Posada’s plate appearances at DH, but you have to ride Jorge’s hot hand and see if he gets his season fully back on track.

We’d all like to swap Cervelli’s appearances for Montero’s, since Cervelli suddenly can’t throw the ball on a straight line, but you also want Montero playing every day and getting better. It’s a tradeoff that will be made eventually, but the club probably wants a little more time for Martin to get healthy and Jorge to keep hitting.

JMHO.
- Voice of Reason
  
  It’s almost as if Jorge Posada’s BABIP is regressing to the mean in predictable fashion.
- IRF
  
  Agree with all of this.
  
  One other thing to consider is that if the team is trying to trade Cervelli, then calling up Montero and benching/sending down Cervelli essentially wipes away all remaining value he has.
  - Gonzo
    
    Hmm, maybe the Giants would ignore everything about Cervelli and just trade for a catcher?
    
    Also, I know Jorge probably wouldn’t agree, but dang, the Giants would look better if Jorge was their catcher.
- Yankee Bigot
  
  Cervelli can throw on a straight line…..straight to centerfield.
- Guest
  
  Montero has had quite a bit of time down in AAA, especially for an elite hitting prospect. I know he’s been struggling a bit recently, but let’s be real, that’s not because he’s overmatched down there. He’s struggling because he’s in a mini-slump. He’s proven all he needs to prove in AAA. Hitters, even great ones, go into mini-slumps all the time. And Jesus in a mini-slump is still >>>>> Cervelli at the plate. His bat is major league ready now and I don’t think he will get any better as a hitter if he gets more AAA seasoning.
  
  The strongest argument for keeping him in AAA is he needs as many innings as possible behind the plate to work on his defense. But, from what I have heard, his defense has improved from atrocious to below average. Given the crappy behind the plate defense we have been subjected to over the last few years (other than when Martin is catching), I don’t think this will lead to a major drop-off for the Yanks.
  
  Further, while I’m sure reps are the best way for him to get better, it doesn’t hurt that the Yanks have a ton of catchers/ex-catchers Montero can learn from while up with big club (Pena, Girardi, Martin, Posada). He can still improve defensively at the big club just by working with these guys even when he is not catching.
  
  So what we have is a catcher who has had 1 1/3 seasons of AAA, proven all he needs to prove down there with the bat, a bunch of catchers/ex-catchers to help him hone is craft defensively, an injured/already overworked starting catcher, and a crappy back-up catcher.
  
  It’s time for the Jesus.
  - CMP
    
    I’ve been against bringing up Montero. I felt he needed more seasonong and he hasn’t exactly picked up this year where he left off after a tremendous 2nd half last year but at this point, they have absolutely nothing to lose.
    
    He can be the righty half of the DH platoon with Posada and catch a couple of days a week backing up Martin instead of the atrocity also known as Cervelli.
    - http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
      
      Yeah, but the point I’m making is, I don’t think the team wants to platoon either Montero OR Jorge. They want Montero hitting both lefties and righties, and they want Jorge to keep improving against lefties and not need a platoon partner.
      - CMP
        
        I guess Montero is gonna have to stay in AAA then because Posada is without a doubt lasting this season.
        
        No way he’s walking away from all that money and no way Cashman is releasing a borderline HOFer and definite future member of monument park.
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
        
        I didn’t say Montero’s NEVER coming up, just that Jorge’s awakening bat pushed back the timetable a bit.
        
        If Martin and Posada are both healthy and hitting, Jesus will still probably be promoted by sometime around the ASB. The next hot streak he goes on (or the next cold streak Posada goes on) will be the impetus.
        
        Thunderbirds are go.
        
        Guest
        
        Wish I saw this before I wrote the below. We’re all in agreement.
        
        One big happy family!
      - Guest
        
        I totally see your point TSJC. I just think the team is wrong.
        
        Montero, for someone of his youth and ability, has a surprising amount of high minors experience. He’s been AA or higher for the equivalent of two full seasons and AAA for 1 1/3 seasons.
        
        He’s got nothing left to prove down there at the bat. Yes, we will be somewhat stunting his development behind the plate; but really, we all know that’s not where his value will lie. He’s, by most accounts, improved to “well, he’s not cover your eyes bad anymore.” With his bat, that’s sufficient. And given his size, lack of athleticism, how much better than that could he get.
        
        I think what they gain from calling up to be a back up catcher and platoon DH is far greater than what they lose from having him “develop” further in AAA. He’s ready at the bat and doesn’t need to see more AAA pitching. He’s limited defensively as is. This is not like calling up Phil before he could develop a change-up or Joba before he pitched in AAA.
        
        It’s a close call, definitely, but I think keeping him down there is no longer the move.
Monteroisdinero

One thing about Cervelli catching is we will see what kind of adjustment our middle infielders make for his throws. If they always tail to rf, Cano better get his butt over there. No excuses.
- http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder
  
  Yeah, I’m almost (keyword: almost) as mad at Jeter and Cano as I am with Cervelli.
  
  He’s done it three times in two games. Catch the damn ball, Derek; step off the base if need be and concede the steal. And run harder to the hole, Robinson.
  
  Help a struggling teammate out a little, for Mosakes.
  - CMP
    
    Cano and Jeter have to do a better job but for god sakes, how can a catcher in the big leagues not be able to throw the ball within a couple of feet of 2nd base?
    
    He can’t hit worth a shit and right now, he has to be one of the worst defensive catchers in the league right now. I can’t understand why the hell he’s even on the team.
CMP

If Joba is able to come back, he likely won’t be useful to the Yankees till 2013 since it takes about 18-24 months to really come back 100% from TJS.
Cuso

I don’t know why, but I just doubt that Montero is going to debut at YS3.

Really feel that it’s gonna happen on the road. And it works out perfectly in NL parks when Girardi has the chance to employ double-switches late in the game.
Opus

Losing Joba? Bah, he’s one of the most overrated players in baseball, should be no big deal, right?