River Avenue Blues

DePaula & Avelino among top Dominican Summer League prospects

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Ben Badler at Baseball America posted a list of the 20 best prospects in the Dominican and Venezuelan Summer Leagues today (no subs. req’d), though it’s just an alphabetical listing and not an actual ranking. RHP Rafael DePaula unsurprisingly made the list after his dominant showing this summer, and in the subscriber-only write-up Badler says he “has an electric fastball that sits at 93-96 mph and touches 98-99 (plus he) mixes in a sharp, power curveball that should be an out pitch and shows feel for a changeup.”

The only other Yankees farmhand on the list is SS Abi Avelino, who New York signed for $300k back in 2011. Badler says he “could be an above-average defender at shortstop (because) his actions are clean, his hands and feet work well and he has good body control.” Avelino’s offensive approach is described as “a simple, line-drive swing with good bat path that helps him make plenty of contact … He squares up balls regularly but doesn’t have much power, so his offensive game will be more about getting on base than extra-base hits.” Both Avelino and DePaula should make their stateside debut in 2013, the former with the Rookie GCL Yankees and the latter with Low-A Charleston.

Hot .GIF Action: Jose Ramirez

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It feels like right-hander Jose Ramirez has been the Yankees’ organization forever, but he’s only been pitching in the United States since 2009. Injuries have hampered his progress, but he 23-year-old showed some big time stuff last year and really climbed up various prospect lists. I ranked him as New York’s 12th best prospect but Keith Law is a much bigger fan — he ranked Ramirez as one of the 105 best prospects in all of baseball.

Ramirez threw two hitless and scoreless innings against the Phillies on Tuesday, walking Ryan Howard and otherwise getting a plethora of ground balls. He threw a ton of fastballs as you’d expect from his first Spring Training outing, but he did mix in at least one slider and a handful of changeups. The defense made a few nice plays behind Ramirez as well, including that Robinson Cano catch you see above. More .GIFs after the jump.

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The increasingly indispensable Mark Teixeira

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(Star-Ledger)
(Star-Ledger)

It was obvious Mark Teixeira’s importance to the Yankees increased as soon as they made it clear they were willfully downgrading their offense. New York signed Teixeira to that fat eight-year contract — fourth largest contract in baseball history when it was signed — assuming he would anchor the middle of their lineup for years to come, but he simply hasn’t lived up to those expectations. Teixeira was great in 2009 but has faded in recent years.

Despite that fade, Teixeira has never actually been bad with the Yankees. Last year was his worst in the Bronx but he was still a comfortably above-average hitter, producing a .251/.332/.475 (116 wRC+) line with 24 homers in 123 games. That last number was the problem though, the games played. Outside of a quad-related DL trip back in 2007, Teixeira had been a lock for 150+ games played from 2005-2011. Last summer he missed a few days with a wrist issue and more than a month with a calf strain. Let’s not forget the early-season cough as well, which didn’t keep him on the sidelines in the traditional sense but surely impacted his production. If we go back to 2010, there was the broken toe in September and the hamstring strain that ended his season in Game Four of the ALCS.

Thanks to Curtis Granderson’s injury, Teixeira’s importance to the Yankees has increased even more. They were able to withstand his declining production the last three years before their lineup (and bench) was deeper and better able to compensate. That’s not the case anymore. Derek Jeter is coming off his ankle surgery and both Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner are injury risks, meaning the lineup is even further at risk of losing its more productive players. The Yankees not only need Teixeira to stay on the field for 150+ games in 2013, but they also need him to halt his decline and improve on his offensive performance. Maybe being healthy instead of battling through a cough and a wrist problem and a calf strain will help him do that.

“Stay healthy and have fun. That’s my number one goal because I know if I stay healthy the numbers are going to be there,” said Captain Obvious Teixeira to Mark Feinsand earlier in camp. “I’m going to help my team win. Have fun, because it’s a long season, there’s a lot of ups and downs and I’ve spent my entire career just trying to stay consistent. I know there are going to be low points, I know there are going to be high points. If I can have fun during both of those then I’ll be able to have a great season overall.”

Teixeira isn’t old, he’ll turn 33 about two weeks into the season. He plays a less-demanding/non-premium position and isn’t at an age where he’s at serious risk of falling off a cliff. His numbers — specifically his batting average and by extension, his on-base percentage — have declined because he’s gotten more pull/fly ball happy, and that’s not the best combination for maximizing offensive value. It’s been three years since Teixeira was the all-fields monster he was earlier in his career, so it’s time to stop expecting that guy to come back. Getting 150+ games of better than league average production, especially in the power department, out of Teixeira is the most important thing in 2013. If he continues to battle injury and/or sees his performance slip further, the Yankees will have a very hard time compensating.

Damon has “tons of interest” in reunion with Yankees

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During a recent radio interview, Johnny Damon said he had interest in a reunion with the Yankees for what I think is the third year in the row. “You guys know that I would have tons of interest to go to New York,” he said. “But I just don’t think they would be interested … They have had plenty of opportunities and I kept raising my hand, wanting to go back and, you know, hopefully it would be a perfect fit. It always had been. Have me for six weeks and then send me off on my merry way. That’s fine.”

Damon, 39, hit .222/.281/.329 (71 wRC+) with four homers and four steals in 224 plate appearances for the Indians last season before getting released. He hasn’t hit much since leaving the Yankees during the 2009-2010 offseason and he’s much more of a DH than an outfielder these days, but at this point the Yankees have nothing to lose. Damon said he’s cool with being cut loose when Granderson returns and it’s not like there’s a standout internal candidate, so what the hell, bring him to camp and see what he has to offer. For what it’s worth, Brian Cashman responded to Damon’s comments by saying “we will focus on what we have at this time.”

Thoughts on a random Tuesday

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(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa two weeks ago today, and during that time the Yankees have lost Phil Hughes to a bulging disk in his back and Curtis Granderson to a broken forearm. Hughes is working his way back slowly but could be back on a mound within a few days while Granderson will be sidelined until at least early-May. Considering that those two are among the youngest regulars on the projected roster, these last two weeks have certainly been disheartening. Here’s a collection of random thoughts…

1. A few hours before Granderson got hurt on Sunday, I wrote a nice big post for Monday afternoon explaining why moving him to left field wasn’t a slam dunk upgrade. It was absolutely worth trying of course, but factors like his inexperience — hasn’t played left regularly since 2003 and remember, left is the infamous “sun field” at Yankee Stadium during day games — and the potential for his bat to suffer could take away from the defensive upgrade. The inexperience is a very real thing while possible offensive decline is more theoretical than anything, but it is something the Yankees would have had to monitor in camp. Confidence was another thing; being “demoted” to left in his walk year couldn’t have been an easy thing for Curtis to take. Maybe he would have used that as motivation to kick ass and prove everyone wrong, but who knows. I think Granderson is likely to return as a center fielder when he’s healthy because the Yankees will emphasize getting his bat is ready as soon as possible rather than saving a few runs on defense. We’ll see.

2. My darkhorse/never-gonna-happen left field candidate? Corban Joseph. He can hit because he has an idea at the plate — his recent comments to Chad Jennings were encouraging — with some pop from the left side, but his defense has always been a question. Joseph isn’t quick enough to play an average second base and he doesn’t really have the arm for third, so a corner outfield spot might be his best long-term position. Baseball America said “he has taken fly balls in the outfield during pregame drills” in their 2013 Prospect Handbook, so at least he has a tiny bit of experience tracking a fly ball. Thirty-two Grapefruit League games wouldn’t be enough to fully transition Joseph from the infield to the outfield — right field might be better since it’s the smallest part of Yankee Stadium — but it’s probably worth a shot. Like I said, however, it’s never going to happen. Would be interesting to see though.

(Star-Ledger)
(Star-Ledger)

3. Since Chris Stewart and Frankie Cervelli are both out of options, an injury is pretty much the only way Austin Romine could make the team. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, he could use the regular playing time in Triple-A, but I doubt the Yankees would put one of those guys on waivers and sacrifice depth at this point. One thing I will be keeping an eye on in camp is Cervelli’s throwing, which was downright awful from 2010-2011 despite a very good minor league track record. Surely you remember all those errant throws into center field. Frankie threw a runner out at second trying to steal on Saturday and made a nice throw on a steal attempt yesterday even though the runner was safe. Cervelli told Jennings that he was “rushing” his throws and developed some bad habits from 2010-2011, but he corrected them last year and threw out 30% of attempted base-stealers in Triple-A. If he has in fact gotten over those bad habits and is able to contribute more defensively, he’d be the clear starter for me. None of these guys can hit much, but Cervelli is right in his prime years (27 next week) with a tolerable career .339 OBP. The lesser of two evils, I suppose.

4. By no means am I calling Ivan Nova a slacker, but I do think David Phelps has a bit of a leg up in the fifth starter’s competition because he is so far ahead in camp. He had already thrown a few bullpens by the time pitchers and catchers reported, and he was the first projected big leaguer to a) face hitters, and b) actually get into a Grapefruit League game. Phelps told Jennings he “pushed (himself) a little more in the offseason … because (he’s) trying to make an impression,” which is exactly what he did last year. As you probably remember, Phelps opened some eyes in camp last spring by showing some serious competitiveness and more velocity than he had in the past, and it helped him win that final bullpen spot. Talent always reigns supreme, but the Yankees have emphasized makeup and work ethic in recent years in an effort to get as much as they can out of that talent. Phelps is making one hell of an impression.

Update: Kevin Youkilis shut down with left oblique issue

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9:15am: The Yankees are officially calling it a “sore left oblique,” but Youkilis told reporters it was just a stitch in his side — near the top of his hip and not so much his oblique — yesterday and he’s totally fine today. “No concerns,” he said. We’ll see.

8:51am: Joe Girardi told reporters this morning that Kevin Youkilis will be shut down for a few days with some kind of left oblique issue. Apparently it was described as a “cramp” and Girardi said they’re just being cautious. The Yankees will re-evaluate their third baseman in a few days before sending him back out on the field. For what it’s worth, a left oblique strain sent Youkilis to the DL for two weeks back in 2009.

Open Thread: 2/25 Camp Notes

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(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The Yankees lost to the Orioles this afternoon in a generally uneventful contest. Brett Gardner was the headliner for New York, going 3-for-3 with a bunt single. He slid head-first into first base in his first at-bat of the day, roughly 24 hours after Curtis Granderson fractured his forearm. Hopefully someone smacks some sense into him. No need to do that in February, especially after your 40-homer teammate got hurt.

Anyway, Jayson Nix had a pair of knocks behind Gardner and that’s pretty much it. Frankie Cervelli went hitless in three at-bats and was the only other projected big leaguer to play. The good news is that no one else got hurt today, thankfully. Here is the box score and here are my Corey Black .GIFs from earlier. As for the rest of the day’s news from Tampa…

  • CC Sabathia (elbow) faced hitters in live batting practice and started throwing sliders, which is a big step following his surgery. “It was fine,” said the left-hander afterwards. He’ll do it again in two days. [George King]
  • Mariano Rivera (knee) threw 32 pitches in his second round of live batting practice, saying everything went well afterwards. A simulated game could be he next step. [Meredith Marakovits]
  • Chad Jennings has the rest of the day’s workout assignments. Ivan Nova, David Aardsma, and Clay Rapada also threw live batting practice while David Phelps threw in a bullpen. Phil Hughes (bulging disk) did some light work in a pool and will go for a checkup on Wednesday.
  • No surprise here, but Joe Girardi said it is “fair to assume” Tyler Austin and Slade Heathcott are not in the outfield mix despite Granderson’s injury. [Andy McCullough]
  • Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Travis Hafner, Eduardo Nunez, and Kevin Youkilis are on the travel roster for tomorrow’s game against the Phillies in Clearwater. Right-hander Jose Ramirez gets the start. That game will air on MLB.tv but not YES.

Here is your open thread for the night. None of the basketball or hockey locals are in action, but MLB Network will air a pair of Spring Training game, so hooray for that. Who you see depends on where you live. Talk about that stuff or anything else here. Go nuts.