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Open Thread: One week of baseball left

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It’s a quiet night in Yankeeland as the players and fans have spent the day reflecting on last night’s Yankee Stadium finale. But just because the Yanks are off doesn’t mean baseball stops.

Across town, as the Mets look to close out Shea Stadium, the team has entered their annual September swoon. Already out of first place, they’re playing the Cubs with their October hopes on the line. In Atlanta, the Phillies are looking to hold on to their slim NL East lead. In Cleveland, the Red Sox are searching for that one win to clinch a playoff berth while we’re hoping the improbable can happen.

Meanwhile, we’re always have CC. Jon Heyman chimes in with yet another Yankee-filled column, and this one’s a doozy. He says it’ll take “crazy” money for CC to come to the AL and the Bronx. Funny thing about the Yanks is that they just happen to have crazy money lying around in piles. Heyman also believes that Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte will be gone but that Mike Mussina will retire.

He also mentions two other items of note: The Yanks have all but given up on Melky Cabrera and will be looking for a center fielder this off-season. Second, Robinson Cano remains the Yanks’ biggest trade chip, and it is Heyman’s view and his view only that the Yanks could explore trade options. Considering the younger/better mantra the Yanks are attempting to adopt, I don’t see the team moving Cano.

So as the evening wears on, and baseball heads to a finish, use this thread for an open thread. Speculate on the Yanks. Check in on the pennant races. Nothing is off-topic.

Open Thread: What about Andy?

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The Facts:

  • Since July 31st, Andy Pettitte has a 7.02 ERA and has a 1.75 WHIP.
  • Opponents are hitting .288-.337-.422-.756 off him this year, roughly equivalent to facing all Derek Jeters.
  • Pettitte’s ERA at Yankee Stadium is nearly two runs higher than it is on the road this year.
  • He’s 36 years old.

Is Pettitte falling off a cliff right before our eyes, or is he just in a rut? Either way, the Yanks will have to decide what to do with Andy next year. Given that he’s a Type-A free agent, offering him arbitration is a no brainer … or is it? Is he worth $16M a year?

What do you think, should the Yankees try to bring Andy Pettitte back next year (assuming he doesn’t retire)? Talk it out here while we wait for the West Coast game to start.

Open Thread: September call-ups

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A week from today, 25-man rosters will be eligible for expansion. Anyone on the 40-man roster can be called up and played just like they were on the 25-man. It’s one of the more exciting times of year for prospect nuts, who can get a chance to see some players who are close to seeing big league playing time.

The Yankees cannot afford such a luxury this year. They’ll call up players, for sure, likely after the minor league playoffs conclude. From these additions, however, the Yanks will be looking for production. They can’t afford to stroll out scrubs during the final month of the season, where they’ll hopefully be scratching their way to a 14th consecutive playoff berth. If you can’t help, there’s a seat for you on the bench, in other words.

The question is, who do you think will have the best chance of helping the team down the stretch? Can we get some useful relief innings out of Scott Patterson? Will Al Aceves make his way onto the 40-man? Can Phil Hughes right the ship in time for prime time?

Open Thread: The fate of Derek

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Once upon a time, Derek Jeter was the Yankee Golden Boy. In 2000, he captured both the World Series and All Star Game MVP to complement his fourth World Series ring in five professional seasons, and it seemed as though many more would be on the horizon.

Well, over the last eight seasons, by and large, Derek during the regular season has not disappointed. He is six hits shy of 2500 and has a lifetime batting line of .316/.387/.459. While the World Series title to complete the hand of rings has eluded him, that’s more a reflection of the team than of Derek. The Yanks, after all, have made the playoffs every year of his career.

But lately, something’s happened with Derek. The New York media, once the biggest fans of the Yanks’ media-savvy — and don’t forget attractive — young short stop, have come to regard him with a skeptical eye. It’s a prime example of “What have you done for me lately?”

Case in point: This year, Derek, who entered 2008 amid MVP expectations, is having a very quiet year. While a 4-for-4 day yesterday moved his triple slash numbers upward, he’s hitting a very un-Jeterian .295/.356/.404 on the year. His power is well below his career norms, and he’s hit into 19 double plays already this year. Playing his age 34 season, Derek has turned in a singles hitter — one very expensive singles hitter.

And therein lies the rub. As a recent column in The Publication That Must Not Be Named opined, the Yanks could very well be facing a future without Derek Jeter as soon as 2011. His contract, which now pays him over $21 million a year, is up in 2010, and if Derek continues the decline brought about, whether we like it or not, by his age, the Yanks will have a short stop on their hands who can’t really field the position and won’t be the hitter he once was.

Of course, there’s a flipside. There’s always a flipside in baseball. Derek Jeter is the Yankees. He’s been their captain for a long time, and while A-Rod is more or less the face of the franchise these day, the team is still Derek’s. The Steinbrenners, as iYankees remind us, also plan to take care of Jeter once this deal is up, and I don’t think Hank meant in the Tony Soprano sense of the word.

So this is what I leave you with on an off-day in August prior to a vital six-game road trip: What do you do with Derek Jeter? The Red Sox are about to unceremoniously dump their captain, but Derek’s line is far cry from Jason Varitek’s pitiful .215/.305/.339 effort this year.

Should the Yanks re-sign Derek and prime fans for a potential run at 4000 hits? Should he be their short stop? Should he move? And how much should a 36-year-old Derek Jeter earn? I’d hate to be in Brian Cashman’s, Hank Steinbrener’s or Hal Steinbrenner’s shoes when it’s time to pull the trigger on this move in two years?

Open Thread: NY Football

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The Yankees suck. Or at least they do right now. They’re on pace for about 86 wins, which would be their lowest total since 1995, and the first time they’ve won fewer than 90 games since 2000. But enough of that, let’s forget about the Yanks for a night and talk some football.

So who’s going to throw more INT’s this year, Eli or Fav-ruh? Will D’Brickshaw break out this year? How much will the G-Men miss Shockey?

Whatever you guys wanna talk about, have at it here. J! E! T! S! Jets Jets Jets!!!

(h/t to Nady Nation for the topic)

Open Thread: To re-sign or not to re-sign?

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So we’ve got a game at 10 p.m. on a Friday night. Let’s while away the hours debating the 2009 Yankees. And as an added bonus, we’ve even got a rare RAB poll.

When the season draws to a close in a few months and the Yanks’ Front Office begins the process of reconstructing a roster for 2009, the folks in Baseball Ops will have a few decisions to make. Two of the tougher choices facing the Yanks this year will come internally and involve two of their more productive but older players: Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi.

In one corner, we have Abreu, the Yanks’ right fielder. On the season, Abreu is hitting .291/.363/.474 with 15 home runs and a team-leading 76 RBIs. While still good, his triple-slash numbers are well off from his career norms of .300/.400/.500, and at 34, Abreu is definitely past his offensive prime. In the outfield, his defense is merely okay. He has a stellar arm, but throwing accuracy has always been an issue for him. He isn’t the quickest guy in right, and his range has never been a plus baseball trait.

For the Yanks, Abreu represents a dilemma. Bobby wants to stick around, and he would be a good guy for the Yanks’ outfield. There is, however, a but. Right now, the Yanks are waiting for Austin Jackson to land in the Bronx. With an ETA of 2010, the Yanks don’t really need to sign an aging and declining player like Abreu to a deal longer than one or two years. Abreu will probably want a three- or four-year deal monetarily in line with what Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon have.

Meanwhile, the Yanks should have a glut of outfielders next year. For better or worse, Melky will probably still be around; Damon and Matsui — who should be healthy — are under contract; and Xavier Nady will play a role on the 2009 Yankees as well. Does Bobby Abreu fit in or do the Yanks say, “Thanks, but we’d rather have the draft picks”?

In the other corner, we have Jason Giambi. His situation is a bit more delicate. Similar to Abreu, Giambi has expressed a desire to stay in New York, and the Yankees are holding a $20-million option or a $5-million buyout on the Giambino’s deal. On the season, Jason is hitting .256/.391/.518 with 22 HR and 65 RBI. He seems to run hot and cold, and while he had a great series in Texas, he had been scuffling of late.

The Giambi decision is a bit more nuanced than the Abreu situation. First up is the option that the Yanks won’t pick up. If the Yanks cut Giambi and he signs somewhere else, the team will have, in effect, paid him $5 million to play against them, and the Yanks have never been too keen on that approach. Next up is age. Giambi, while healthy this year, will play his age 38 season in 2009 and doesn’t figure to be around for too long. The Yanks need to get younger, and they need a first baseman. Mark Teixeira looks awfully appealing.

So what do you do with Jason Giambi? Should the Yanks pay him to play elsewhere? Should they re-sign him to split time at first base and DH again? While Chuck Johnson recently penned a piece for the YES Network’s site calling for the Yanks to dump Giambi, I don’t think there’s an obvious answer to this one. It’s far, far easier to make the case against Abreu than it is to advocate for or against Giambi.

As always with these open threads, play nice in the comments and vote in the poll below. At this point, I’m voting for Jason Giambi but not Abreu. Number 53 still has a chance to change my mind though.

Which potential free agents should the Yanks try to re-sign for 2009 and beyond?
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Open Thread: Is The Boss a HOFer?

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Site Note: We’re upgrading to a dedicated server, so the site may act a little squirrelly as the switch is made over the next few hours. Please be patient if the site acts up a little tonight, everything will be much better by tomorrow. Thanks.

George Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees for a mere $10M back in 1973, and has watched the team grow into a $1.2 billion dollar mega-franchise. The most recognizable owner in sports has had his share of highlights, low lights, and all sorts of in-between lights, and remains as recognizable as ever despite handing the reins over to sons Hank & Hal. He’s been suspended from baseball for paying people to dig up dirt on one of his players, he revolutionized a new income stream by being the first owner to sell his team’s television rights to a cable network, he was indicted on 14 criminal counts for improper contributions to Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign, and he’s donated millions of dollars to charities of all shapes and sizes, most of which was done outside of the public eye.

During last weekend’s HOF induction ceremony, both Goose Gossage and Dick Williams shared their thoughts on Big Stein’s HOF candidacy, and that candidacy is what we’re here to discuss tonight. Does Steinbrenner belong to be immortalized in the Hall of Fame?

Many claim that he’s ruined baseball by exploiting his team’s financial advantages, others claim that he’s helped increase the game’s popularity to record highs. He may best be known for his firey temper and a revolving door of managers, but his contributions, particularly to the Tampa community, will leave the longest lasting impression of Mr. Steinbrenner.

What do you think, does The Boss belong in the HOF? Discuss it here, and play nice.