Archive for Polls
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.
Fan Confidence Poll: March 25th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 12-17 (120 RS, 140 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: Mon. OFF, vs. Astros (Tues. on YES), @ Orioles (Weds. on MLB.tv only), vs. Pirates (Thurs.), @ Nationals in Nationals Park (Fri. on YES), @ Army in West Point (Sat. on YES), Sun. OFF
Top stories from last week:
- The Yankees signed old friend Chien-Ming Wang to a minor league contract that will pay him $3M at the big league level. He’ll head to Triple-A and serve as veteran rotation depth at least until his opt-out clause kicks in. Wang auditioned himself at the team’s complex in Tampa before signing.
- The deal is not complete yet, but the Yankees are on the verge of acquiring Vernon Wells from the Angels for a low-level prospect. They will reportedly pay him between $10-13M over the next two years. The trade could be wrapped up today.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) received a cortisone shot but is likely to start the year on the DL with continued soreness and inflammation. They are targeting an April 6th return. Mariano Rivera (headaches) is reportedly okay to pitch but is awaiting treatment. Boone Logan (elbow) has returned to game action. Clay Rapada (shoulder) will start the season on the DL and Phil Hughes (back) is likely to join him. Brennan Boesch (stiff left ribcage) will be out until Tuesday or Wednesday. Slade Heathcott (knee) has resuming running the bases but has not returned to game action. David Adams (back) and Jose Campos (elbow) both started playing in minor league games.
- Before the Wells (imminent) trade, the Yankees were looking for outfielders and “asking around about anybody” in trades — they have not called about Ramon Hernandez, however — but Brian Cashman said he isn’t looking to move David Phelps. Yuniesky Betancourt isn’t on their radar “at this time.”
- MLB in targeting Alex Rodriguez (and Ryan Braun) for potential discipline as part of their investigation into the South Florida anti-aging clinic Biogenesis.
- MLB and the MLBPA are hoping to implement a worldwide draft by June 1st.
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 18th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 9-14 (92 RS, 107 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: Mon. OFF, @ Phillies (Tues. on ESPN), vs. Red Sox (Weds. on YES and ESPN), vs. Twins (Thurs. on YES), @ Twins (Fri.), @ Tigers (Sat.), vs. Rays (Sun. on YES)
Top stories from last week:
- The Yankees added two new outfielders last week: left-handed hitting Brennan Boesch (one-year, $1.5M plus incentives) and right-handed hitting Ben Francisco (minor league deal). Matt Diaz was released.
- Injury News: Mark Teixeira (wrist) has an injury to his tendon sheath and there’s a 70% chance he will not require season-ending surgery. Phil Hughes (back) threw live batting practice and will throw a simulated game on Monday. Boone Logan (elbow) threw a simulated game over the weekend and could appear in a game next week. Clay Rapada (shoulder) isn’t scheduled to appear in a game anytime soon and could miss the start of the season. Michael Pineda (shoulder) has resumed throwing sliders as he rehabs from shoulder surgery. Slade Heathcott (knee) is out indefinitely with patellar tendinitis. Ronnie Mustelier (contusions) is day-to-day after running into a camera well.
- Among the players the Yankees had interest in last week in the wake of the injuries: Derrek Lee, Scott Rolen, and Chipper Jones. Lee already told the team no and the other two are also very unlikely to happen. Carlos Lee’s agent contacted the team as well. The Yankees didn’t like what they saw out of Bobby Abreu in winter ball and they haven’t contacted Aubrey Huff.
- The Rangers have been scouting Joba Chamberlain, but there’s no indication a deal is imminent or even being discussed.
- Gary Sanchez topped Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top ten Yankees prospects.
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.
Replacing Teixeira with a three-headed platoon
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(Charles Wenzelberg)
Barring some kind of unexpected trade, the Yankees are not going to be able to replace Mark Teixeira‘s production while he is out with his wrist injury. Say what you want about his declining performance — you’re kidding yourself if you think he’ll be easy to replace because of his typically slow starts — he was far better than anyone reasonably available as an alternative. The Yankees will simply have to weather the storm and hope they don’t fall too far out of the AL East race while their first baseman (and center fielder) are on the shelf in April.
Given the in-house options, it seems like the best way to replace Teixeira is with a three-headed platoon. Kevin Youkilis is the common player here thanks to his ability to play either corner infield spot. Against righties, the Yankees could run with Youkilis at third and Dan Johnson at first. Against lefties, they could go with Youkilis at first and say, Ronnie Mustelier at third. Here are the numbers (from 2011-2012) for a real quick comparison:
- Johnson vs. RHP: .291/.409/.549 in 678 PA
- Youkilis vs. RHP: .227/.332/.395 in 719 PA
- Mustelier vs. LHP: .305/.357/.506 in 183 PA
- Youkilis vs. LHP: .294/.407/.528 in 307 PA
Johnson’s and Mustelier’s stats come from Minor League Central because they simply haven’t played much (or, in Ronnie’s case, at all) in the big leagues. That’s going to be a problem pretty much no matter who the Yankees choose to replace Teixeira — they won’t have much of a big league track record. Obviously Youkilis is a concern against right-handers, but we knew that at the time of his signing. Maybe his work with Kevin Long will improve that production, but I’m not counting on it.
Like it or not, Johnson’s and Mustelier’s performances will take a step back from those numbers with regular playing time in the show. If they could manage league average performances against pitchers of the opposite hand while Teixeira is on the shelf, I’d be thrilled. The Yankees would be getting approximately a league average performance from the two corners against righties and much better than that against lefties (thanks to Youkili)s. This is just offensively, remember. There’s no way to replace Tex’s defense.
Now that I think about it, it would probably be easier just to keep Youkilis at third the whole time and stick the defensively challenged Mustelier at first, but the Yankees like to make things unnecessarily complicated and this way they wouldn’t have to worry about teaching him a new position. If they want to keep Youkilis at third, they could use Juan Rivera at first against lefties. He has seen more time at first in camp lately and actually played more games there (54) than in the outfield last year (46). Jayson Nix is another right-handed option, but he’s a third baseman and more of a last resort than anything. Nice fill-in player but not someone worthy of a regular lineup spot, even against lefties.
The season starts in two weeks and two days, and right now I have absolutely no idea what the Yankees will do until Teixeira returns to the lineup. I’m guessing they don’t have a firm plan in place either, but are probably leaning one way or the other. That kinda scares me. First base is one of the most important (arguably the most important) position in terms of expected offensive production, and right now the Yankees are holding auditions for an injury fill-in(s). It seems like an easy spot to fill, but no obvious solution stands out right now.
Fan Confidence Poll: March 11th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 4-11 (56 RS, 64 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: vs. Cardinals (Mon. on YES/ESPN), @ Rays (Tues.), vs. Phillies (Weds. on YES), @ Blue Jays (Thurs.), vs. Marlins (Fri. on YES), vs. Phillies (Sat., split squad on YES), @ Braves (Sat., split squad on MLB.tv), @ Pirates (Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The day we all knew was eventually coming finally arrived: Mariano Rivera announced the 2013 season will be his last as a player. He said “the tank is almost empty. The little gas that I have left is everything for this year. After this year I am empty.”
- Both Rivera (knee) and Derek Jeter (ankle) returned to game action over the weekend following their season-ending surgeries. Everything went fine and both are on track to play again this week.
- Injury News: Mark Teixeira (wrist) will miss 8-10 weeks after hurting himself during batting practice with Team USA. Phil Hughes (back) has started throwing bullpen sessions. Boone Logan (elbow) was pain-free following his latest bullpen session. Clay Rapada (shoulder) has been shutdown for 7-10 days. David Robertson (shoulder) will return to game action “shortly.” David Aardsma (groin) has already resumed throwing bullpens. Slade Heathcott (thumb) has returned to game action. Adonis Garcia (wrist) will be out 6-8 weeks. Brian Cashman (leg and ankle) did some major damage to himself while skydiving to raise awareness for charity.
- In the wake of Teixeira’s injury, the Yankees are looking at first and third basemen and have inquired about the availability of Chase Headley. They will also give Ronnie Mustelier a look at third base in camp.
- The Yankees signed right-hander reliever Chris Bootcheck to a minor league 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.
Fan Confidence Poll: March 4th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 3-7 (45 RS, 47 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: Mon. OFF, vs. Braves (Tues. on YES), vs. Dominican Republic (Weds. on YES), @ Cardinals (Thurs.), @ Marlins (Fri.), vs. Braves (Sat. on YES) @ Blue Jays (Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees have made a “significant offer” to Robinson Cano. A deal is not imminent and the two sides remain pretty far apart. It’s obvious the club would like to get this done before Cano hits free agency.
- Johnny Damon said he has “tons of interest” in returning to the Yankees following Curtis Granderson‘s injury, but the team is not interested. They also don’t have interest in Vlad Guerrero. The Yankees do, however, have interest in Chien-Ming Wang and had “major interest” in Javy Vazquez before he blew out his knee, but they don’t have interest in Kyle Lohse.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (ankle) has begun moving side-to-side during fielding drills. Phil Hughes (back) has resumed throwing, though he may not be ready in time for the start of the season. Kevin Youkilis (oblique) was shut down for a few days but has since returned to the lineup. Boone Logan (elbow) and Slade Heathcott (thumb) will but shut down for a few days even though MRIs came back clean. David Adams (back) has started swinging a bat and could soon begin more intense workouts.
- Gary Sanchez and Mason Williams both cracked Baseball Prospectus’ top 101 prospects list. Rafael DePaula and Abi Avelino were ranked among the top Dominican Summer League prospects by Baseball America. Dellin Betances will open the year as a starter with Triple-A Scranton.
- Joba Chamberlain still wants to be a starter. Melky Mesa withdrew from the World Baseball Classic because of the open left field job.
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: Replacing Curtis Granderson
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(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The dust has settled a little bit following the news of Curtis Granderson‘s fractured forearm on Sunday. The Yankees will be without their 40-homer center left fielder for the next ten weeks, meaning he will miss the first month of the season. It’s a big loss, no doubt about it, but they are lucky it happened so early in Spring Training. Things would have been a lot worse had he gotten hurt on March 24th instead of February 24th.
As expected, the Yankees insist they will plug their new outfield hole from within. The Johnny Damon talk has already fizzled out while the Alfonso Soriano talk never really got going. The only unsigned free agent outfielder who is both healthy and actually capable of playing the outfield everyday is Scott Podsednik. Thanks, but no thanks. The Yankees will stick with their internal options and see if (hope?) a better alternative pops up next month as camp winds down and roster spots are finalized. Here is a quick look at those internal options, listed alphabetically.
Zoilo Almonte
Almonte, 23, is a switch-hitter who managed a power-heavy 120 wRC+ with Double-A Trenton last year. He hit a career-high 21 homers and also stole 15 bases, though his miniscule walk rate (5.6%) and strikeout concerns (22.7%) seem to make skipping over Triple-A a risky proposition. Zoilo’s pop is legit, but the rest of the package is lacking.
Matt Diaz
Diaz was in the running for the right-handed outfield platoon bat role before Granderson’s injury, so it seems natural that he would be among the favorites for the job now. The soon-to-be 35-year-old hasn’t hit in three years (80 wRC+), due to in part to various injuries — getting stabbed in the hand by a palm tree and dealing with the subsequent infections chief among them. Diaz is on a minor league contract and was a total shot in the dark by the front office, who hopes he can recapture his 2006-2009 form (117 wRC+).
Adonis Garcia
Here’s the darkhorse. The 27-year-old Garcia signed for $400k last summer and has impressed with his bat ever since, especially in winter ball (.292/.319/.481 with six homers in 39 games). As Baseball America wrote earlier this month, the right-handed hitter “is a better fit on a corner outfield spot and doesn’t have an impact bat, but he’s shown a knack for hitting and surprising pop for his 5-foot-9 stature.” Garcia is not on the 40-man roster, which could hurt his chances.
Melky Mesa
Mesa, 26, is the best all-around player of the bunch. He can swing-and-miss from the right side with the best of ‘em (career-low 23.5 K% in 2012), but he’s hit at a better than average rate at each rung of the minor league ladder, including a ~125 wRC+ split between Double-A and Triple-A last year. Mesa has power and speed — at least 19 homers and 19 steals in three of the last four years — to go along with standout defense and a strong arm. Among players in the organization who could legitimately see big league time this summer, Melky2.0 is probably the second best defender behind Brett Gardner. He got his first taste of the show last September.
Ronnie Mustelier
Everyone loves the right-handed hitting Mustelier, the 28-year-old Cuban defector who has managed a ~144 wRC+ since signing for a measly $50k two years ago. His strikeout rate (13.0%) is strong, his walk rate (6.7%) slightly less so. The concern with Mustelier is his defense, which is poor and has gotten him moved down the defensive spectrum form second base to third to left over the last 20 months or so. He can hit a fastball though.
Thomas Neal
Neal, 25, seems to be the afterthought in all this. The righty swinger managed a 144 wRC+ with 12 homers and 11 stolen bases in Double-A last year, making his big league debut with the Indians in September. He has some Triple-A time under his belt (277 plate appearances) and is solid defensively. Neal is a long shot, but he shouldn’t be written off completely. Like Garcia and Mustelier, he is not on the 40-man roster.
Juan Rivera
Like Diaz, the Yankees inked the 34-year-old Rivera to a minor league deal so he could complete for the right-handed bench bat role. The former Yankee is, by far, the most experienced and accomplished player in this post. He’s hit to the tune of a 92 wRC+ over the last three seasons and despite being a strong defensive player once upon a time, he’s now comfortably below-average. Rivera’s best attribute is his ability to put the ball in play (12.9 K% since 2010).
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Ramon Flores is on the 40-man roster, but I have no reason to think the Yankees will jump him from High-A to MLB just to plug a one-month hole. Same goes with top prospects/non-40-man players Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, and Tyler Austin. If you want some projections for the players mentioned in this post, SG has you covered. Otherwise, time to vote…
Fan Confidence Poll: February 25th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Record: 1-1 (8 RS, 5 RA)
Spring Training Schedule This Week: @ Orioles (Mon.), @ Phillies (Tues.), vs. Orioles (Weds. on YES), vs. Blue Jays (split squad, Thurs. on YES), @ Astros (split squad, Thurs), vs. Phillies (Fri. on YES), vs. Red Sox (Sat. on YES), @ Red Sox (Sun. on YES)
Top stories from last week:
- Hall Steinbrenner is reportedly “freaked out” over the reaction to his plan to get payroll under the $189 million luxury tax threshold by next season. The owner confirmed Scott Boras knows they’re willing to discuss a “significant” contract for Robinson Cano.
- Injury News: Curtis Granderson (forearm) will mess ten weeks following a hit-by-pitch. Derek Jeter (ankle) continues to ramp up his workouts. Phil Hughes (back) has a bulging disk and figures to miss at least two weeks. Michael Pineda (shoulder) will stretch out his bullpen sessions and begin throwing changeups soon. Mark Montgomery (back) has resumed throwing off a mound. Relief prospect Nick Goody (ankle) has been shut down following a car accident.
- Despite Hughes’ injury, the Yankees do not have interest in Kyle Lohse. They are also unwilling to give up a good prospect for Alfonso Soriano, though that as before Granderson’s injury.
- Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Gary Sanchez, and Tyler Austin all ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects.
- Melky Mesa, Walt Ibarra, Gil Velazquez, Juan Cedeno, and Pat Venditte will all participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
- The Yankees are officially the Evil Empire, at least when the phrase is used in relation to baseball.
- David Price took back his comments after saying he wouldn’t sign long-term with the Yankees.
- Frankie Cervelli does not had an option remaining despite recent reports to the contrary.
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: Robinson Cano and the farm system
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Will Cano become the second homegrown Yankee to get a $100M deal? Probably. (Star-Ledger)
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been going back and forth with one-time RABer Moshe Mandel about Robinson Cano‘s impending free agency. We’ve debated almost everything, from whether they should re-sign him to how much is too much, and all sorts of stuff in between. I’m guessing we’ll discuss it a few more times between now and November.
Anyway, during one of our recent friendly debates we got into talking about what a potential mega-contract for Cano would mean for the farm system, specifically the need to produce quality big leaguers. Obviously it’s important for every team to have a productive farm system, but factors at the big league level impact just how important it is. For total rebuilders like the Astros and Cubs, the farm system is very important. For clear contenders like the Nationals and Tigers, they aren’t as crucial.
The Yankees are much closer to clear contender than total rebuilder, but the plan to get under the $189M luxury tax threshold by next year means some level of rebuilding is on order. The club will need to develop a few productive players of their own, but how a new contract by Cano impacts that need is up for debate.
The case that re-signing Cano means they’ll need more from the farm system
The exact amount is still far from determined, but it’s safe to say Robbie’s next contract will be worth more than $20M annually. Add in existing commitments to Alex Rodriguez ($27.5M), CC Sabathia ($24.4M), and Mark Teixeira ($22.5M), and the Yankees are going to leave themselves with something like $90M to fill out the rest of the roster. With three starting pitchers, one outfielder, and at least three relievers scheduled to hit free agency next winter, the Yankees will need their farm to plug some holes on the cheap. On the other hand, they won’t be desperate for a homegrown impact hitter because Cano will still be around.
The case that letting Cano walk means they’ll need more from the farm system
If the Yankees are unable to retain their second baseman, they’ll have approximately $110M in wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold going forward. They’ll have those same holes — three starters, three relievers, one outfielder — to fill plus the second base spot, and it’ll be tough to plug all those holes with free agents. The Yankees would need their system to produce an impact middle of the order bat in very near future plus other useful pieces to shore up the roster. They’d have more money to spend, but also a much bigger hole to fill in the lineup.
* * *
As I said before, the Yankees are going to need to farm system to start cranking out capable big leaguers regardless of what happens with Cano. They can thank their self-imposed payroll cap for that. Is the farm system more important with or without Cano? Moshe and I haven’t been able to agree about that, so let’s bust out the ol’ RAB pollin’ machine.
Fan Confidence Poll: February 18th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsSpring Training Schedule This Week: @ Braves (Sat.), vs. Blue Jays (Sun. on YES)
Top stories from last week:
- Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training on Tuesday, though Alex Rodriguez will not be in with the team in camp. He’ll remain in New York to continue his rehab from left hip surgery. Joe Girardi discussed a number of topics during his start-of-camp press conference.
- There is a “significant difference” in valuation during talks between the Yankees and Robinson Cano about a long-term contract. The team has not yet discussed an extension with either Phil Hughes or Curtis Granderson, who would like to remain with the team. Andy Pettitte isn’t sure if he’ll pitch in 2014, though Mariano Rivera has already made his decision. He said he would have retired in the offseason had he been able to pitch in the playoffs. Rivera will let everyone know his plans before Opening Day.
- Injury News: CC Sabathia (elbow) threw off a mound for the first time since having a bone spur removed. Derek Jeter (ankle) has started running and was given the “green light” to ramp up his rehab. He has a plate and screws in his ankle. Michael Pineda (shoulder) started throwing off a full mound and is on track to face hitters next month. The team is taking it easy on Boone Logan (elbow) early in camp. David Adams (back) is about a week behind. Cesar Cabral (elbow) continues throwing off a mound.
- The Yankees acquired reliever Shawn Kelley from the Mariners for Abe Almonte. Alex Rodriguez (hip) was placed on the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man roster spot.
- The Yankees continue to look for a veteran pitcher to stash in Triple-A, and they plan to scout Chien-Ming Wang in the World Baseball Classic. Frankie Cervelli withdrew from the WBC.
- The Yankees and Ticketmaster formed the Yankees Ticket Exchange.
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.
