Yankees activate Freddy Garcia, demote Hector Noesi

by 32 Comments

A Bench Role Reversal
Game 132: Escape from Baltimore

In a move that should surprise no one, the Yankees have activated Freddy Garcia off the disabled list in time for tonight’s start against the Orioles. Hector Noesi was sent to Triple-A Scranton to make room on the roster. September call-ups are three days away, but the ten-day rule does apply so Noesi won’t be able to come back until next week. There are some loopholes though, so I wouldn’t be shocked if he was back with the big league team on Thursday. Anyway, tonight will be Sweaty Freddy’s first start in 22 days because of that cut on his right index finger. He’s held the O’s to two runs in a dozen innings this season.

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A Bench Role Reversal
Game 132: Escape from Baltimore
  • Rich in NJ

    They would have been better off if they had kept him stretched out because he is probably one of their five best starters.

  • Ed

    The AAA season ends in a week, right? He’ll probably be back then. 10 day rule doesn’t apply if the minor league season ends first.

  • Billy Pilgrim

    He’s definitely one of their 6 best starters. Sterling says Noesi could be a starter next year. CC, Nova, Noesi, Phil, Freddy, and Bartolo as backup.

    • Craig

      Where does Burnett wind up?

      • Billy Pilgrim

        I don’t care where he ends up as long as it isn’t on our pitching staff. Nobody’s gonna trade for him so if they have to outright release him so be it. He’s one of the worst pitchers in the major leagues over the past 2 seasons. Get rid of him.

        • http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse

          I wouldn’t mind him in the bullpen, he won’t have much value there, but some. And we’d possibly only see him in blowout games. When he goes 2 innings and allows 9 runs he’ll end up in the ‘pen.

          • Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat

            The AJ Burnett Experience

            • Sarah

              Replacing the Sergio Mitre Experience.

        • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder

          He’s one of the worst pitchers in the major leagues over the past 2 seasons.

          Non-Fun Facts:
          AJ Burnett is one of 54 pitchers in baseball to throw at least 500 innings since the start of the 2009 season. In those 554.2 IP, Burnett has amassed a non-outstanding fWAR of 5.7.

          Only 8 of the other 53 pitchers have a lower fWAR during that span:
          Randy Wolf (5.2 fWAR in 603.0 IP)
          Jeremy Guthrie (5.2 fWAR in 580.1 IP)
          Mike Pelfrey (5.1 fWAR in 548.2 IP)
          Trevor Cahill (4.7 fWAR in 547.1 IP)
          Nick Blackburn (4.0 fWAR in 515.0 IP)
          Joe Saunders (4.0 fWAR in 561.1 IP)
          John Lannan (3.7 fWAR in 502.2 IP)
          Bronson Arroyo (a mind-bottling 2.9 fWAR in 597.1 IP?!?!)

          Seven men—Halladay, Verlander, Lee, Grienke, Lincecum, Felix, and CC—have at least trebled Burnett’s 5.7 fWAR in that time period.

          That’s right, according to fWAR, CC is worth more than three entire AJs.

          • http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso

            I’m not being an AJ-apologist; who in their right mind would?

            But the fact that he’s pitched 554 innings since April 2009 is a minor miracle. Can’t lose sight of that.

            • Brian S.

              Igawa could throw 500 innings, does not necessarily mean that they would be good ones.

            • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder

              But if those 554 innings are collectively worth only 5.7 wins more than a replacement player, you’re reaching the point where the opportunity cost probably outweighs the raw production.

              Had we not signed AJ, perhaps some other actual replacement pitcher would have stepped into the fray and pitched worse than AJ initially, but he probably wouldn’t have stuck around enough to be that non-great for that long. He would have been replaced with someone else, and eventually a team with the Yankees’ resources probably finds someone for the spot who can easily best a “97 innings-per-win” pace.

              (FWIW, Derek Lowe, who was also available that winter for less money and fewer years, out-fWARs Burnett 7.8 to 5.7 in 10 fewer innings.)

              • http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso

                It was defintely meant only as a ‘quantity’ comment.

                By nooooo means quality.

            • JT

              That is part of the problem. He’s giving us this performance over 3 years without getting injured!!! That means we didn’t even have a 15 day stretch where we weren’t subject to his crappiness. I’m not one to root for someone’s injury but boy am I tempted when it comes to AJ.

          • MannyGeee

            That’s right, according to fWAR, CC is worth more than three entire AJs……

            If it was their weight in gold…. yeah I said it. CC’s fat.

      • http://none Favrest

        AJ is starting Thursday. Maybe Papi will a line drive off his pitching arm?

    • Brian S.

      I hope that is not the rotation going into 2012, that would be awful. Fill Huse and Noesi are question marks (although I am still a huge fan of both) and I don’t see Freddy keeping his HR/FB rate at ~6% like he has this year. We need to go after Darvish/Wilson and possibly trade for another mid rotation starter IMO.

      • A.D.

        Interesting on who one would rather go after in Darvish/Wilson, given they probably will cost similar including posting fee, japanese pitchers don’t have the best track record, but it is Darvish in his prime (he’s 25) vs a CJ Wilson at 30.

    • A.D.

      Sterling says

      I can’t say I put a lot of faith in things Sterling says

    • http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso

      No way are both Colon AND Garcia on next year’s team. Both have done an admirable job, but were supposed to be bridge the gap to getting younger.

      CC, Burnett, Nova & Hughes will all be in the Spring Training rotation plans. If no winter acquisition is made, Phelps, Warren, Noesi and the two long-shots ManBan & Betances will compete for #5.

      It’s possible that Garcia is offered and retained via arbitration. It’s possible that Colon gets a 1-yr bullpen deal. But there’s no way that BOTH will be on the 2011 squad. No way.

      • A.D.

        No way are both Colon AND Garcia on next year’s team. Both have done an admirable job, but were supposed to be bridge the gap to getting younger.

        Agreed, that and lightning doesn’t strike twice, its a miracle they’ve both help up this long

  • Gonzo

    Noesi has roughly 68 ip this year. What do you think the plan is for next year?

    • Brian S.

      He gets neglected again.

      • icebir

        Aceves

        • http://RAB Nuke LaDoosh

          Mendoza

          • Gonzo

            So he’s a going to be a with the Red Sox either way (Aceves or Mendoza), but we don’t know if the Sox are going to get a contributing player yet.

    • A.D.

      Assuming they take peak innings he had 160 the year before, so probably good for a mostly full season of starting if they wanted him to

  • Betty Lizard

    Sweaty Freddy? Nah. It’s “ComeOOOHHHHNNN FreDDDDEEEEE!!!!!!”
    /Mariner’d

    Oh well. I love him and I’m naming my next pet, male or female, dog or cat, Freddy Garcia.

  • infernoscurse

    thats sad, who is going to bail out phil hughes next time?

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside the Elder

      Max Cherry, bail bondsman?

  • Bob Michaels

    Poor Burnett, he just can`t do it anymore.He needs a shit pie in his face.

  • MikeD

    Seems strange that he couldn’t be activated again soon as the AAA season is done; otherwise, he can’t play anywhere after Wednesday. I’m sure there’s some loophole here.

    The quickest path to the answer is find out where Noesi is right now. If he’s still traveling with the team or was sent ahead to NY, then he’s being activated this Thursday. If he truly did go to Scranton, then we probably won’t see him until next week.