Archive for Polls
Phil Hughes and his looming contract
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(Jamie Squire/Getty)
We’re not even half way through the 2013 season — seems like a perfect opportunity to discuss Phil Hughes‘ looming contract situation! The once-heralded prospect from California reached The Show back in 2007. Six-hundred and seventy-five innings (and several injuries) later, he’s amassed a career 4.40 ERA (4.25 FIP), which equates to a cumulative 10.1 WAR according to FanGraphs. In terms of peripheral stats over the course of his career, he’s struck out 7.62 per nine, walked 2.82 per nine, and surrendered 1.27 homeruns per nine. With that said, he’s only 26 year’s old and seems to be heading in the right direction (though his last start wasn’t wonderful). This season, he’s pitched to a 4.43 ERA which is actually just a touch over his 4.15 FIP. His strikeout and walk rates have been better than his career norms so far, and with any luck, his HR/9 rate will end up closer to his career norm than the inflated rate we witnessed all last season.
So here’s the rub. The Yankees have the option of proposing a qualifying offer to him after this season. Should they go that route, Hughes would remain in pinstripes for another season at a salary in the neighborhood of roughly $13-15M. This would delay his free agency for another year should he accept the offer (and would presumably qualify the Yankees for a supplemental first round draft pick if he chooses to take services elsewhere). Subsequently, if Hughes reached free agency in 2015, he’d be potentially competing for another contract against guys like Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Masterson, or Max Scherzer among others — obviously, the list of potential free agents can and probably will change rather drastically as teams attempt to retain their players between now and then (complete 2015 list here).
The Yankees could forgo the qualifying offer altogether after this season and let Phil simply test the free agent market — which would probably be in Phil’s best interest financially. 2014 brings a mediocre group of free agents that includes notable names such as Tim Lincecum, Matt Garza, Roy Halladay, Dan Haren, Jon Lester (who has a $13M club option), Colby Lewis, Shaun Marcum, and Josh Johnson. Lincecum and Halladay seem to have lost a lot of their star power (due to declining ability and injuries), and I’d be surprised to see Lester’s option does not get picked up. I’d also be surprised to not see Johnson, Garza, and maybe even Shields get traded (and extended) before then, which would all of a sudden makes that list a lot less interesting. Depending who else is available on the market will heavily influence Hughes’ perceived value.
Or, the Yankees could take an alternate and perhaps more desirable path, and buy out Hughes’ 2014 season in addition to a few more with an extension. Technically, the Yankees could also try to trade Phil before this decision has to be made, but seeing as though they’ll likely not be sellers by the deadline, I just don’t see this happening, nor do I think they would get a ton in return anyway. On the one hand, the Yankees face a perilous rotation situation next season. Pretending Michael Pineda is healthy and effective (and that alone may prove to be an excercise in absurdity), that leaves the Yankees with … well, it leaves them with CC Sabathia and Pineda. After that, it’s some combination of David Phelps, Ivan Nova, and not much else. I’d love to believe Manny Banuelos could be in the mix, but that’s probably waaay to optimistic given his rehab timetable and overall progress. Maybe Hopefully Andy Pettitte and/or Hiroki Kuroda are coaxed into another year in pinstripes, but that is not a garauntee by any means given their age and vocalized interest in retirement.
(Elsa/Getty)
On one hand, having Hughes in the mix would certainly make the rotation a bit more digestable on paper, plus it’s comforting to know what weaknesses you have in a player rather than finding out down the road what baggage someone else brings. On the other hand, there are the talks about an austerity budget which poses a definite financial dilemma, and might be the biggest contributing factor as to why the Yankees may pass on Hughes (along with others) altogether. To be absolutely clear, I hope the Yankees elect to bring Hughes back – not because he has become the wunderkind that was advertised throughout the minors, but because I think he’s a younger alternative to many of the options out there, and honestly just about as effective at this point. To Hughes’ credit, he has also shown occasional capacity to be more than just a back-of-the-rotation type of arm. Also, I don’t necessarily envision the Yankees acquiring another headline-caliber pitcher — the Sabathias of the world are hard to come by after all, but who knows.
So let’s say for a moment that the Yankees roll the dice on Phil and offer him an extension. What might that contract look like? When asked this very question during Thursday’s RAB Live Chat, I whimsically answered five years, $50M. In retrospect, that price seems a bit conservative – though the number of years seems realistic enough. Really, that’s the price I would want the Yankees to pay, although I would definitely not complain with a four year, $52M agreement similar to Edwin Jackson’s. In actuality, I’d be surprised if it didn’t cost more though. Perhaps five years, $60M seems more plausible. At that rate, Hughes would still have some legitimate wealth, and wouldn’t completely break the bank for the Yankees (not to mention the contract would still include his peak years). For what it’s worth, we’ve also seen guys like Jered Weaver sacrifice a few dollars to stick around with a team he’s comfortable with, and maybe Hughes would do the same for the Yankees (though that’s not necessarily the norm nor would I expect it).
Interestingly enough, Baseball-Reference’s comparitive list of pitchers’ performance most similar by age includes Kyle Kendrick and John Lackey. Kendrick isn’t really useful for contract comparisons as he’s basically going through the same process himself. Lackey could make for an interesting discussion though. If Hughes performs very well for the remainder of the season (especially if the pitchers market becomes increasingly scarce), an inflated contract could become more likely. In his final year with the Angels, Lackey was making $10M. Boston rewarded him with a five-year, $82M salary. This is also similar to the deal that Anibal Sanchez received from the Tigers (though his included a club option). Both of these contracts are probably “best case” scenarios for Phil — but they are still within the realm of plausible. After all, how many times have we seen a team overpay a guy for whatever reason. Also, other organizations may not worry as much about his fly ball tendancies if their stadium is more pitcher friendly.
Conversely, if Hughes has a really disappointing season from here on out, he could end up with an offer closer to Rickey Nolasco, say, a three-year, $36M pact — or, a few years to re-prove himself at a standard rate. Given the premium placed on pitching, the fact that teams have money to spend and Hughes’ favorable age, I’d bet he lands a contract closer to Lackey before I’d bet on one similar to Nolasco — though my guess is he’ll fall somewhere in between, ultimately ending up slightly above Edwin’s arrangement. In any event, the Yankees have some tough decisions to make. Whatever they ultimately do, I’m sure it’ll be scrutinized heavily. In the meantime, what would you do?
Fan Confidence Poll: May 13th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 5-1 (24 RS, 15 RA)
Season Record: 23-13 (157 RS, 138 RA, 20-16 pythag. record), 1.0 games up in AL East
Opponents This Week: @ Indians (doubleheader, Mon.), vs. Mariners (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), vs. Blue Jays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- Following Monday’s off-day, the Yankees opened a three-game interleague series with the Rockies in Colorado. Hiroki Kuroda made one bad pitch in Tuesday loss, but Brennan Boesch‘s late-inning hit gave the team a win the next day. New York took the finale following a lengthy mid-game rain delay.
- The Yankees went to Kansas City for a three-game weekend series next, and they put a hurtin’ on the Royals in the series opening win. They hung on for another win on Saturday, then completed the sweep yesterday.
- Injury News: Alex Rodriguez (hip) has resumed baseball activities. Frankie Cervelli (hand) is still five weeks away from doing anything baseball-related. Curtis Granderson (forearm) has started playing in minor league rehab games with Triple-A Scranton. Ivan Nova (triceps) made a minor league rehab start in Extended Spring Training, but he felt something in his side yesterday and has been shut down. Joba Chamberlain (oblique) will make a minor league rehab appearance on Tuesday. Eduardo Nunez (ribcage) was placed on the DL. Robinson Cano (foot) is fine after x-rays showed no break following a foul tip. David Robertson (hamstring) has since returned to action. Last year’s first rounder Ty Hensley (hip) is expected to miss the season following surgery.
- Infielder Alberto Gonzalez was acquired from the Cubs and subsequently called up when Nunez hit the DL. They Yankees are planning to call up David Adams on Wednesday, the first day he is eligible to join the big league team.
- Dellin Betances has been permanently shifted to the bullpen. A slew of minor leaguers were released, including Gil Velazquez, Cody Johnson, Ryan Pope, Juan Cedeno, and Shaeffer Hall.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: March 6th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 3-3 (21 RS, 26 RA)
Season Record: 18-12 (133 RS, 123 RA, 16-14 pythag. record), 1.5 games back in AL East
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, @ Rockies (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), @ Royals (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week opened with a three-game set against the Astros, who came to the Bronx and blew the Yankees out in the first game on Monday. The team had to grind for a win on Tuesday, then they held on to take the series finale the next day.
- Following Thursday’s off-day, the Yankees were shutout by the Athletics in the opener of their three-game series. Phil Hughes dominated in Saturday’s win, but a late-inning homer sent them to a loss yesterday.
- Injury News: Alex Rodriguez (hip) has been cleared to begin baseball activities. Michael Pineda (shoulder) is throwing in the mid-90s during Extended Spring Training games. Curtis Granderson (forearm) has started playing in Extended Spring Training games. Mark Teixeira (wrist) has started taking batting practice. Kevin Youkilis (back) and Joba Chamberlain (oblique) were placed on the DL while David Robertson (hamstring) and Eduardo Nunez (rib cage) are day-to-day. Ivan Nova (triceps) feels no pain and has started playing catch. Jose Campos confirmed he missed most of last year with a small fracture in his elbow.
- The Yankees are looking for a right-handed bat. They acquired infielder Chris Nelson from the Rockies in a minor trade, but he doesn’t satisfy their needs against left-handed pitchers. Nelson replace Corban Joseph on the roster, who was optioned back to Triple-A after being called up when Youkilis was placed on the DL.
- Cody Eppley was designated for assignment to clear room on the roster for Preston Claiborne, who was called up to take Joba’s spot on the roster. Eppley has since been outrighted to Triple-A.
- Chien-Ming Wang did not exercise the first opt-out clause in his contract. He has four more opt-out dates coming.
- Robinson Cano confirmed his new agents have yet to talk to the Yankees about a new contract.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Poll: Which injured player do the Yankees miss the most?
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(Elsa/Getty)
No team has been more beset by injuries this year than the Yankees. They’ve used the DL ten times already, the most in the big leagues. Some injuries are more serious than others, and some absences are more noticeable than others. Still, ten players on the DL one month into the season is a little extreme.
With a lineup that is averaging just four runs per game since the blowout Indians series (team 106 wRC+ overall), it’s clear the offense doesn’t pack as much punch as it once did. The Yankees can’t hit lefties at all — .225/.300/.365 (78 wRC+) as a team — and the injuries are a major reason why. The pitching staff has been pretty awesome (4.22 runs per game, 3.64 FIP), and that’s why the club owns the second best record in baseball at 17-10.
Some of those injured players are getting closer to a return, and a month gives us a good enough to look to determine which guy the Yankees have missed the most. With all due to respect to Kevin Youkilis, Ivan Nova, and Frankie Cervelli, this is limited to players who started the season on the DL and would have unquestionably made the 25-man roster if healthy. That means no Michael Pineda and Cesar Cabral, basically, and it leaves us with four prominent position players.
Curtis Granderson
The Yankees lost their top power hitter five pitches into his Grapefruit League season, when an errant J.A. Happ pitch broke Granderson’s forearm and put him on the DL for more than two months. Curtis played in his first Extended Spring Training game just yesterday, getting two at-bats before it started raining. The Yankees have hit an MLB-best 38 homers this season, so they haven’t been the powerless punch and judy offense so many (including me) expected. Still, losing a legitimate 40-homer hitter is a blow to any team.
Derek Jeter
October ankle surgery turned into an April setback, which will force the Cap’n to the sidelines until the All-Star break. Jeter hit .316/.362/.429 (117 wRC+) last season and that’s close to impossible to replace at the shortstop position – the team’s shortstops are currently hitting .214/.289/.264 (52 wRC+) – but the Yankees especially miss his right-handed bat against lefty pitchers. He hit .364/.399/.542 (157 wRC+) against southpaws in 2012, and boy would that fit nicely atop the lineup these days.
Alex Rodriguez
The Bombers knew about A-Rod‘s hip injury in December, so they were able to secure a more than capable replacement in Youkilis. That said, the old and broken down version of A-Rod produced more in 2012 (.272/.353/.430, 114 wRC+) than the totally awesome and rejuvenated version of Youkilis in 2013 (.266/.347/.422, 108 wRC+). The difference is especially noticeable against lefties, where A-Rod massively outproduced his third base replacement (152 vs. -40 wRC+). Rodriguez’s right-handed bat would fit perfectly into the middle of the lineup, especially against southpaws.
Mark Teixeira
Teixeira hurt his wrist in mid-May while with preparing for the World Baseball Classic with Team USA, so the Yankees didn’t have much time to find a replacement. Lyle Overbay has been decent overall (98 wRC+) and much more than that against righties (.322/.375/.610, 163 wRC+), but he’s also been useless against lefties (-63 wRC+). Despite his decline, Teixeira was very productive last year (.251/.332/.475, 116 wRC+), especially against lefties (.269/.333/.531, 129 wRC+). Once again, that ability to mash southpaws is something the Yankees miss in a big way right now.
* * *
Four players who, in recent years, occupied the top four spots in the lineup. All are missed in their own way, but some are definitely missed more than others.
Fan Confidence Poll: April 29th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 5-2 (24 RS, 24 RA)
Season Record: 15-9 (112 RS, 97 RA, 14-10 pythag. record), 2.5 games back in AL East
Opponents This Week: vs. Astros (three games, Mon. to Weds.), Thurs. OFF, vs. Athletics (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week opened with three games against the Rays in Tampa, and the Yankees dropped the opener because they couldn’t hit Matt Moore. Ichiro Suzuki got the big hit in Tuesday’s win, but they couldn’t do anything offensively in the series finale loss.
- The division rival Blue Jays then came to the Bronx for a four-game weekend set. Robinson Cano gave the Yankees a win with a go-ahead homer in the series opener, then they came back for another win on Friday. Travis Hafner carried the Yankees to their third straight win on Saturday before Lyle Overbay helped the team complete the rare four-game series sweep yesterday.
- Injury News: Frankie Cervelli (hand) will miss at least six weeks after suffering a fracture on a foul tip. Michael Pineda (shoulder) pitched in a simulated game and reportedly hit the low-90s. Ivan Nova (triceps) was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation. Curtis Granderson (forearm) has started taking full swings. Mark Teixeira (wrist) is still limited to dry swings. Kevin Youkilis (back) returned to the lineup for one game but has since been sidelined with more stiffness. He will go for an MRI today. Triple-A outfielder Thomas Neal (hamstring) was placed on the DL. Minor league righty Nick Goody (elbow) had Tommy John surgery.
- Left-hander Vidal Nuno was called up from Triple-A to replace Nova while Austin Romine took Cervelli’s spot. Derek Jeter was placed on the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man roster spot for Nuno.
- There were further indications the Yankees may scrap the plan to get under the $189M luxury tax threshold in 2014 and beyond. The team did not offer Jose Valverde a contract this offseason.
- MLB is reportedly investigating Cano for some loose connections to Biogenesis. Top outfield prospect Mason Williams was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge.
- Eduardo Nunez is expected to fall just short of the Super Two cutoff after the season.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: April 22nd, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 4-2 (28 RS, 26 RA)
Season Record: 10-7 (88 RS, 73 RA, 10-7 pythag. record), 2.5 games back in AL East
Opponents This Week: @ Rays (three games, Mon. to Weds.), vs. Blue Jays (four game, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with an off-day before the Diamondbacks came to town for the first interleague series of the year. The Yankees won both the first game and the second game of the series in come-from-behind fashion, but they were unable to complete the sweep on Thursday.
- The Yankees then headed up to Toronto for a three-game set with the new-look Blue Jays, and they blew their division rivals out in the series opener. They took the second game of the series in extra innings but couldn’t finish the sweep yesterday.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) has a new fracture and will be out until after the All-Star break. He does not need surgery. Both Curtis Granderson (forearm) and Mark Teixeira (wrist) have been cleared to swing a bat. Michael Pineda (shoulder) is scheduled for his first simulated game since surgery this week. Kevin Youkilis (back) is day-to-day with some stiffness. Cesar Cabral (elbow) and Clay Rapada (shoulder) continue to rehab in Tampa.
- The Yankees will stick with their internal infield options following Jeter’s setback.
- The NHL is planning to have two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium next January.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Poll: When Will Derek Jeter Return?
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(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
It has been nearly six months since Derek Jeter had his left ankle surgery and nearly one month since he was setback by inflammation and required a cortisone shot. Yesterday we heard the Cap’n had to scale back his rehab work over the weekend, and that was before Joe Girardi confirmed Jeter isn’t particularly close to appearing in rehab games. From Andrew Marchand:
“[Early May] was a date that was thrown out there,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “The easiest way for me to say it is he will be back when he is back — when he can physically do it on an everyday basis, and I don’t think any of us will know the exact date until we go through some trial and error.
“He is not ready to play in games. I don’t think they necessarily have an exact date where they know he is going to play in games. We’ll just go day by day and see how he feels.”
(snip)
“Sometimes you can take too many ground balls,” Girardi said. “They talked about lessening that load just because he was taking so many. Derek is such a creature of habit. To get him to break a cycle sometimes is difficult. He is going to want to do as much as he can as soon as he can, so we are just trying to make sure we don’t go too fast. But there was no setback.”
Girardi added that the scaled back the workload was not a setback — they’re making sure he doesn’t press too hard and aggravate anything, apparently — but saying Jeter “will be back when he’s back,” doesn’t sound particularly promising.
The Yankees will continue to rely on Eduardo Nunez at shortstop for the time being, assuming pitchers stop hitting him with pitches at some point soon. Jayson Nix is safe as the utility infielder even though he’s been dreadful on both sides of the ball so far. They simply don’t have another option right now. I do think they should start combing the trade market for a better backup infielder though, especially since a 38-year-old shortstop with a bum ankle will be need a capable backup even once healthy.
Anyway, the Yankees will be without Jeter for what will almost certainly be the entire month of April. How much longer will be miss after that? Who knows. Let’s find out what everyone thinks.
Fan Confidence Poll: April 15th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 4-1 (36 RS, 14 RA)
Season Record: 6-5 (60 RS, 47 RA, 7-4 pythag. record), 1.0 game back in AL East
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, vs. Diamondbacks (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), @ Blue Jays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week opened with a four-game series in Cleveland. The Yankees won the series opener as Robinson Cano finally broke out of his slump, then they won the second game in blowout fashion. The final two games of the series were rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 13th.
- The Yankees returned home to play the Orioles in a three-game set, and they took the opener thanks to an Adam Jones error and a triple play on Friday. Phil Hughes got pounded in Saturday’s loss, but Hiroki Kuroda threw a shutout in yesterday’s win.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) is taking batting practice and doing some light running. Michael Pineda (shoulder) faced hitters in a live batting practice session for the first time since surgery. Curtis Granderson (forearm) has resumed throwing. Mark Teixeira (wrist) has not yet been cleared to swing a bat. Andy Pettitte (back) had his start pushed back to Friday. Alex Rodriguez (hip) has been cleared to run slowly on a treadmill. Eduardo Nunez (wrist) is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch. Cesar Cabral (elbow) was scheduled to pitch in game this weekend.
- The Yankees re-signed Clay Rapada to a minor league contract, and he recently threw a simulated game as he works his way back from shoulder bursitis. The “top of the Yankees hierarchy” was behind the Ichiro Suzuki re-signing.
- MLB suspects A-Rod of purchasing documents from the South Florida clinic Biogenesis regarding performance-enhancing drugs, but they don’t have any actual evidence.
- The Yankees will have between $1.18M and $1.88M to spend on international amateur players this year, depending on whether there is a worldwide draft or regular old free agency.
- Yankee Stadium is the “preferred venue” for an NHL game next January.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: April 8th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 2-4 (24 RS, 33 RA)
Season Record: 2-4 (24 RS, 33 RA, 2-4 pythag. record), 2.0 games back in AL East
Opponents This Week: @ Indians (four games, Mon. to Thurs.), vs. Orioles (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The regular season finally got underway, but the Red Sox spoiled the Opening Day by beating CC Sabathia on Monday. Boston took the second game of the year following an off-day before Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera gave the Yankees their first win of 2013 on Thursday.
- The Yankees traveled to Detroit for a three-game weekend series, but both Ivan Nova and the bullpen got smacked around in Friday’s loss. Phil Hughes was activated off the DL and returned in Saturday’s game, but again the pitching was not good enough. Sabathia carried the team to a much-needed win yesterday.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) started taking ground balls and hitting off a tee over the weekend. Mark Teixeira (wrist) was given the okay to remove his brace. Hiroki Kuroda (finger) is scheduled to make his next start after getting hit by a line drive. Eduardo Nunez (biceps) is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch. Ty Hensley (hip) will miss 2-3 months after having surgery.
- Robinson Cano fired Scott Boras and hired CAA Sports and Jay-Z’s new Roc Nation Sports agency. It’s unclear how (or if) the change will impact extension talks, but you have to think hiring Jay-Z increases the likelihood Cano will remain in New York.
- The Yankees officially released both David Aardsma and Clay Rapada, who were removed from the 40-man roster before the season. They never discussed Joba Chamberlain in a trade with the Rangers. Cody Eppley was optioned to Triple-A to clear room on the roster for Hughes.
- The Yankees set an all-time record with a $230.4M Opening Day payroll. Their draft pool will be worth a touch less than $8M this summer.
- Right-hander Rafael DePaula struck out 11 in his long-awaited U.S. debut as the minor league season got underway.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: April 1st, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 14-18 (140 RS, 156 RA)
Regular Season Record: 0-0 (0 RS, 0 RA)
Regular Season Schedule This Week: vs. Red Sox (three games, Mon. to Thurs.), @ Tigers (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The Yankees made a flurry of moves before finalizing their 25-man roster yesterday, most notably acquiring Vernon Wells from the Angels in exchange for two non-prospects. New York will pay $13.9M of the $42M left on his contract, and the money is structured so the outfielder counts as $0 for luxury tax purposes in 2014. The Yankees also signed Lyle Overbay to a minor league contract.
- David Aardsma and Clay Rapada were designated for assignment in part because the team doesn’t want relievers who are unable to throw multiple innings. Juan Rivera was released while David Adams was released and re-signed to a minor league deal to clear another 40-man roster spot. Sam Demel was outrighted to Triple-A after being claimed off waivers, though Dan Otero was lost on waivers after being claimed a few days earlier.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) took the last few days off to get rid of lingering soreness and could resume activity today. Mark Teixeira (wrist) has been taking ground balls and swinging a bat one-handed, and he could get the okay to lose his brace during Monday’s checkup. Curtis Granderson (forearm) is healing well but is still a ways off from resuming baseball activity. Phil Hughes (back) will open the season on the DL and could rejoin the rotation the second time through. Michael Pineda (shoulder) will face hitters in two weeks for the first time since surgery. Travis Hafner (general stiffness) missed Saturday’s game but is expected to be fine for the regular season. Boone Logan (left fat) is fine after being hit by a line drive. Slade Heathcott (knee) has resumed baseball activity. Ronnie Mustelier (knee) will miss the start of the season.
- Russell Martin offered to sign a one-year deal worth $9-10M to return to New York this offseason, but the Yankees passed. The World Baseball Classic will cover Teixeira’s salary while he is on the DL since he got hurt while with Team USA.
- The Yankees placed 11th and 14th in Baseball America’s and Baseball Prospectus’ farm system rankings, respectively.
- The 2013 draft order is finally set, and the Yankees will own three of the top 33 picks and north of $7M in draft pool room.
- The Yankees are now worth $2.3 billion according to Forbes.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
