Open Thread: 2/25 Camp Notes

February 25, 2012 by Mike Axisa 44 Comments

Dellin Betances — (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The first full squad workout was held today, after position players officially reported on Friday. Here’s a recap of the day in Tampa…

As always, Chad Jennings has today’s bullpen and hitting groups. All the projected big league pitchers threw in the bullpen today except Ivan Nova, who threw live batting practice. Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, David Phelps, D.J. Mitchell, and Kevin Whelan did the same.
Pretty much everyone took batting practice today, and apparently Eric Chavez was launching bombs. Austin Romine was the one guy who didn’t hit, sitting out due to a sore back both today and yesterday. [Jennings & Bryan Hoch]
“I’m still mad about ’09 World Series,” joked new DH and former Phillie Raul Ibanez, who also said the Yankees have “[all the] criteria you’d want” in choosing a new team as a free agent. He spent some time in minor league camp talking to young players yesterday, which is pretty neat. [Erik Boland & Ken Davidoff]
“I take enormous pride in hitting fourth,” said Alex Rodriguez after today’s workout. “I’m going to make it as difficult as possible to take me out of that position.” A-Rod also said that his knee feels healthy, and that he plans on playing way more than 99 games this season. You know, just in case you thought he was planning to play less. [Dan Barbarisi, Mark Feinsand & Boland]

Here is tonight’s open thread. The Rangers are the only local team in action, though the NBA Skills Competition is on as well, if that’s your thing (8pm ET on TNT). Talk about whatever you like here, go nuts.

Tyrone Sharpton

Line for Hughes: 19 wins, 3.60 ERA and 188 K’s. Book it
- Kevin Winters
  
  Cashman is that you?
- Phil Phuckin’ Hughes
  
  Phantastic.
  - Punny Joker
    
    may his potential be phulphilled
- STONE COLD Austin Romine
  
  18-8 3.00 Era 124k’s
  
  If he’s healthy he’ll put up 2004 Carl Pavano #’s.
corshep

Can someone explain to me why the Yankees are talking about a 3 year deal for Martin? I get that he’d probably cost more in free agency. However, wasn’t he released from the Dodgers? I understand he’s above average, but if he was released from a team and made it all the way to the Yankees, why would he make huge bucks as a free agent.

Save your money to re-sign Hamels and Grandy and stay under $189 million.
- Needed Pitching
  
  he wasn’t released, he was non-tendered because he was coming back from a hip injury and was due a big payday in arbitration
  
  The Yankees signed him as a free agent, not through the waiver process
- JobaWockeeZ
  
  Because Romine is an unimpressive candidate as COTF and his AAV if he signed that extension was team friendly. If they wait it out for Yadier or Montero then it’ll cost them a lot more.
  - whozat
    
    and there’s also the possibility that those guys won’t even hit the market at all. Martin could easily wind up being the best catcher on the market next offseason, and the Red Sox will probably need a catcher as well.
    - jjyank
      
      Exactly. There is nothing wrong with offering Martin a team-friendly extension and hope that he accepts. If he really wants market value, then Cash tabled the discussions. It seems that the Yanks’ policy is not “no extensions, wait for contracts to expire”, but rather “see if player X will take a team-friendly deal, and if not, deal with it at free agency”. Nothing wrong with that strategy.
      
      I like Romine, but I also don’t see him as the catcher of the future. If the cacher of the future is a guy like Murphy or Sanchez, then it makes all the sense in the world to keep Martin around as a stop-gap.
    - jayd808
      
      “will probably?” How ’bout now?
the creator

more important than any of that is, I pooped my pants today.
- Paul VuvuZuvella
  
  You did indeed “create” something.
- http://www.bronxbombersreport.com Craig Maduro
  
  Those sharts can be sneaky man.
- Rainbow connection
  
  Me too
Paul VuvuZuvella

Chavez was launching bombs this time last year too. He was locked in until around Third weekend of April IIRC, and then not so much.
Manny’s BanWagon

am I the only one who thinks it ridiculous that Ryan Braun is walking around like he was exonerated?

The guy is as guilty as sin and got off on a technicality because of the stupidity of a courier. His only defense was that someone went into the basement of the courier’s house and added synthetic testosterone to Braun’s sample. The only people who could actually believe that also believe OJ and Casey Anthony are innocent too.

I’d have much more respect for Braun if he admitted he made a mistake and served his suspension like a man.
- jjyank
  
  I agree that Braun is probably guilty. However, the way the case played out doesn’t make it that simple.
  
  Let’s say you were Ryan Braun. Your test was a false positive. You are innocent, and planned to argue the test. Then it comes out that there was a serious breach of custody, and the whole thing might be thrown out because of it. Do you go ahead and argue the “false positive” case to get off? Or do you argue the chain of custody route? I don’t claim to be a lawyer, or even know much about law proceedings like this (though my girlfriend is a Georgetown Law student), but it seems to me that even if you’re innocent, you take the breach in the chain of custody route, simply because its easier.
  
  Honestly, I do thing Braun is probably guilty. However, thanks to the incompetence of the MLB, we will never know for sure.
  - CP
    
    Do you go ahead and argue the “false positive” case to get off? Or do you argue the chain of custody route?
    
    You argue both. Or at least present evidence for both. I understand and agree that the procedural errors were the easiest (and probably only) way that the results would get thrown out. The issue I have is that nothing has been reported that would call into question the test results. Considering the details that were released/leaked about the breach in protocol, if anything was presented to dispute the validity of the test itself, that should have gotten out. Even if it wasn’t presented in the arbitration hearing, you would think that Braun would have mentioned something in his press conference. Based on all of the information I have, I am convinced that he used steroids and the test was correct.
    
    That being said, the decision to overturn the suspension was probably a correct one. I say ‘probably’ because I don’t know the details of what was required under the testing agreement, but I trust that the arbitrator ruled based on the policies.
    
    My only hesitation about the ruling is that the drug testing is supposed to be jointly administered by MLB and the MLBPA. If the test results can be thrown out because of an error by a contractor that is agreed to by MLB and the MLBPA, what is to stop the MLBPA to just push for the cheapest, shoddiest company to do the collecting and handling?
    - jjyank
      
      Like I said above, I agree that Braun is most likely guilty, and I will not view him in the same light (and also not draft him for my fantasy team, stupid or not). I was simply saying that it is in all fairness, we can’t say that for sure, thanks to the MLB not following its own rules. We can all have our own judgements on Braun, and I also think he is guilty, but that can no longer be proven. It’s a shame that a procedural violation allowed the case to be thrown out, but such is life.
      
      Your assertion that the MLPPA hires the shoddiest company to handle these proceedings is a valid concern. I would also be interested regarding the concerns about the contracting.
    - Plank
      
      I don’t think the PA is against drug testing, they want accurate results (both side should.) They don’t want one of their players thrown under the bus because of sloppy work and protocol not being followed, which is what happened here.
      
      MLB agreed to an appeals process and is now whining that their appeals process didn’t work. It’s the sourest of sour grapes. Either accept the arbiters ruling or try to change the process.
      
      The PA allowed blood testing in the current CBA, I’m sure they could have gotten the agreement done without that. I really don’t think they are against testing.
  - Plank
    
    According to the terms of the JSA, False positives aren’t appealable. Chain of Custody was one of the few things that could be appealed. And he won.
    
    There was a major breach of the rules that happened here. The breach was that the test results became public at all. The results are only supposed to be announced upon a failed appeal or if the player doesn’t appeal. Someone should lose their job over this.
    
    If protocol were followed, the test and the appeal would have been kept private since Braun prevailed. Instead, he will be forever looked down upon by some because one person decided to leak confidential information (probably because they knew he would win and it rightly wouldn’t have reached the light of day.)
    - Plank
      
      ~~JSA~~ JDA
  - CJ
    
    If I’m Ryan Braun I’m saying fuck you, you can’t suspend me for 50 games after my urine sample was sitting in some guy’s refrigerator for a weekend before sending it to a lab. That may be a loophole but it’s bullshit incompetence. I don’t care if it’s manny Ramirez, get your shit together MLB. It’s a disgrace.
- fin
  
  It wasnt even a chain a custody issue per se. The guy in charge of WADA testing said that the chain of custody certainly met their standards. The issue was the wording in the MLB drug testing proceedures. It doesnt even sound like they will change thier proceedures, but rather change the language of the rules, so that under the same circumstances, things would be handled the same and not be an issue. I think that Braun probably deserved to get off on the technicality but is pretty much assuredly guilty.
  - Manny’s BanWagon
    
    The thing that annoys me the most is the way he’s parading around like he’s been vindicated and that makes me like the guy much less than if he admitted what he obviously did in the first place.
    - CP
      
      The thing that annoys me the most is the way he’s parading around like he’s been vindicated
      
      I agree, but he’s walking around like he’s exonerated, not vindicated:
      
      http://twitter.com/#!/AaronRodgers12/status/172810610017439744
      - CJ
        
        He may have opened the door to this circus MLB calls PED testing. This is really why MLB didn’t care or bother to test, it’s an expensive shit show with plenty if opportunities for trouble. And, they caught a guy they dont want to suspend.
- Tom Zig
  
  This article sheds some light on the situation. It makes it seem like the defense attorneys were able to make into more than just a procedural chain of custody issue.
  
  http://www.chadmoriyama.com/2012/02/ryan-braun-what-you-dont-know-about-his-case-is-important/
  
  I’m very curious because according to Will Carroll (@injuryexpert), Braun’s attorneys were somehow able to recreate the conditions of the breach of chain of custody (i.e. sitting in the basement/fridge/whatever it was for 44 hrs) and show that those same conditions caused elevated testosterone levels. Obviously I’m paraphrasing here. I’d like to read Will Carroll’s article on the matter, but I don’t have a kindle and I can only find it in kindle format.
  - Tom
    
    That interview was highly misleading… they were able to show how the epi ratio (T/E) test COULD be impacted but they made no mention of whether they were able to replicate the CIR test failing.
    
    The CIR test is the one that actually identified the BANNED substance and ESPN interviewed several experts who deemed it impossible that ‘clean’ urine would suddenly start synthesizing an exogenous (non body made) testosterone simply be sitting out at room temperature.
    
    Braun’s team has been masterful as they have focused everyone’s attention on T/E ratios yet there is this pesky other test (which is far more accurate and conclusive) that identified a BANNED testosterone that does not normally occur in the body.
    
    I expect over the next few days there will be people claiming they were able to replicate the test, yet it will be failed to be reported that they are talking about just 1 of the 2 tests that the sample failed.
    
    http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/page/OTL-Ryan-Braun/ryan-braun-defense-raises-more-questions-doping-experts
    
    “The IRMS test determined that the testosterone in Braun’s sample was synthetic. Catlin and other experts said they do not believe it is possible that a sample could somehow develop exogenous testosterone, unless it were tampered with.” (by tampered they meant someone contaminating it )
  - CP
    
    What is so special about the sample being left in someone’s house that would not have applied if it were left at a FedEx facility? If this is really possible, then it would call into question EVERY positive test for high testosterone.
Mattchu12

Even though I know that Cano murders lefties, it is still irking me to see back-to-back lefties in the 2-3 spots with Grandy-Cano. Obviously, it’s the right move (assuming that Gardner won’t be that .280/.380 bat we keep hoping to see) but still. Anybody else irked?
- G
  
  No.
- Plank
  
  What alternative would you want? I don’t see a solution that has better hitters getting more at bats than that.
  - Mattchu12
    
    If Gardner can become that .280/.380 bat, I’d love to see Gardner-Jeter-Cano-ARod-Grandy-Teix, but l’m not holding my breath for that.
    
    Or if Jeter can improve his numbers against righties, I’d like see him leading off with Swish batting 2nd, love that OBP. I could even go for a combination of the two and have Gardner-Swisher-Cano-ARod-Grandy-Teix, but you know Jeter will either be batting first or second, so the first two are my initial ideas.
    - Mattchu12
      
      Another idea would be Jeter-Grandy-ARod-Cano. It’s just the two lefty thing is normally a flag, so it’s there in the back of my head even though I know that neither is a liability against lefties, just one of them things.
- Jesse
  
  There’s actually a small part of me that is, but it’s not a big deal because both can mash lefties.
- Rainbow Connection
  
  Selig won’t let the Yankees break them up. It’s a conspiracy.
  - Jesse
    
    Whatever benefits the Brewers is what Selig will make the Yankees do.
Jimmy McNulty

So I got a PSVita…can’t wait for the Show.
- Mattchu12
  
  I just bought a PS3, so I’m eager to try out the Show. I’ve been a 2k guy since I’ve been an XBOX 360 guy, but I hear great things about it. So happy baseball is back.
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  Haven’t read up on it yet, and have been out of the loop on video games for about a year other than IPhone apps. That being said, it’s hard to go back once you’re used to downloading things onto a device with enough HD space on it not to need memory cards and the such. Pluses to the Vita, I would imagine, would be an actual controller and more complicated games. Thoughts?
Tyrone Sharpton

anybody got reviews on fire + ice?
- YanksFanInBeantown
  
  It’s a bunch of fun and has quality food for a buffet-ish place.