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Murti: Troy Glaus reached out to Yankees about a comeback

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Via Sweeny Murti: Retired third baseman Troy Glaus reached out to the Yankees about a potential comeback in the wake of Alex Rodriguez’s new hip injury. The team instead signed Kevin Youkilis to fill-in at third base. Cody Ransom, who filled in for A-Rod during his first hip surgery in 2009, reached out to the team as well.

Glaus, 36, hasn’t played since 2010 but is supposedly 100% physically after battling knee and shoulder problems late in his career. He had some monster years with the Angels in the early-aughts (including a league-leading 47 homers in 2000), though he finished his career by hitting .240/.344/.400 (104 wRC+) with the Braves in 2010 while playing first base because the shoulder problems prevented him from making the throw from third (also, Chipper Jones). The Yankees need a right-handed bat (preferably in the outfield) and if Glaus is willing to come to camp and compete for a spot as a non-roster player, I’d be all for it. There’s no way he should get a guaranteed contract though.

Sunday Trade Deadline Open Thread

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The trade deadline is 4pm ET on Tuesday, and the Yankees will definitely be in the market for a fill-in third baseman with Alex Rodriguez on the DL with a broken bone in his hand. Pitching help — both rotation and bullpen — could also be a target, though they figure to be done looking for outfielders following the Ichiro Suzuki pickup. We’re going to keep track of any Yankees-related trade deadline rumors right here throughout the day, so check back often for updates. The latest stuff will be on the bottom…

  • Chase Headley is still an option for the Bombers, who could use him at third base while A-Rod is hurt and then potentially stick him in right field to replace Nick Swisher next season. The two sides have not exchanged names yet, and the Yankees worry the asking price will be too high [Ken Rosenthal & Joel Sherman]
  • The Yankees did try to acquire Marco Scutaro before he was traded to the Giants on Friday night. They wanted Colorado to foot a significant portion of the $2.25M left on his contract, but that wasn’t happening. [Jon Morosi & Sherman]
  • Rockies right-hander Rafael Betancourt is on the Yankees’ radar. He’s under contract for $4.25M next year and continues to post fantastic peripherals (2.88 FIP), though he’s one of the most fly ball prone pitchers in the game (career 29.6% grounders). You’re also going to pay a premium for a Proven Closer™ tag, so I prefer teammate Matt Belisle. [Troy Renck]
  • The Yankees have not been aggressive in their pursuit of Headley but they have inquired. Don’t expect them to part with much of anything for a stopgap third baseman. [Marc Carig]
  • Some other names that have popped up in the team’s third base search include Willie Bloomquist, Brendan Ryan, Yunel Escobar, Chone Figgins, Jose Lopez, Cody Ransom (!), Mark Reynolds, and Scott Rolen. Obviously some are more available and desirable than others. [Jon Heyman]

Is Cody Ransom an upgrade over Jayson Nix?

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(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

I can’t imagine many Yankees fans look back fondly on the Cody Ransom era. He was a late-season call-up in 2008, hit two homers and two doubles in his first four at-bats in pinstripes, then failed spectacularly in 2009 after getting a chance to replace the injured Alex Rodriguez on an everyday basis. Overall, Ransom posted a 97 wRC+ in 137 plate appearances for New York despite being declared a better fit for the team than A-Rod. It was a crazy time.

The now 36-year-old Ransom is back on the market after being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks earlier this week. He hit four homers and put together a 148 wRC+ in 58 plate appearances for Arizona before getting the axe in favor of the younger Josh Bell. The Yankees are stuck with Jayson Nix as their utility infielder at the moment because Eduardo Nunez had to be sent to Triple-A for defensive incompetence, but Nix isn’t anything to write home about himself. There’s actually some merit to bringing Ransom back for an encore.

Since both guys are classic Quad-A types, we’re talking about a marginal upgrade at the 24th or 25th roster spot. Ransom has performed better in limited big league time (90 vs. 71 wRC+) and the two guys have nearly identical Triple-A track records, though Cody offers a little more power (.183 vs. 164 ISO) and on-base ability (8.8 vs. 7.6 BB%). The biggest difference between the two probably comes on defense, as Ransom is a true shortstop capable of playing the position for weeks at a time if need be. You can’t say the same about Nix, though he has the advantage of being able to play the corner outfield spots.

Anyway, I don’t want to waste too much time talking about a move that would be largely inconsequential. Ransom is not a guy you want in the lineup on an everyday basis but like Nix, he has a skillset suited for a big league bench. It’s just that Ransom’s skillset might be a better fit for the Yankees even though he’s seven years old than Nix and has already had one forgettable stint in pinstripes. Claiming him off waivers and dumping Nix would be a justifiable move but hardly a season-saver. If they pass, well that’s no big deal either.

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Breaking News: Cody Ransom gets his World Series ring

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I know you were all worried, but our long national nightmare is over. Conor Foley reports that before last night’s Triple-A Scranton game, manager Dave Miley presented Cody Ransom with his 2009 World Series ring. Ransom was in town with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate. Last year’s Opening Day third basemen put up a sparkling .265 wOBA for the Yanks, and prior to the season some people actually thought he was a better option than Alex Rodriguez. I can’t seem to find that article online anymore, though.

So, how long until it ends up on eBay?

The Cody Ransom Era isn’t over quite yet

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A few days ago, while I was away, Mike succinctly summed up my feelings on Cody Ransom. He might be able to jump high, but he’s not really a viable Major Leaguer. Shortly after that post, the Yanks designated Cody Ransom for assignment. According to Chad Jennings, Ransom has cleared waivers and will rejoin AAA Scranton with a minor league contract. Despite the Twitter love for him, no other team in baseball wanted a 33-year-old infielder with a 57 OPS+ and 25 strike outs in 86 plate appearances this year. While some fear we might see him again in the Bronx when rosters expand in three weeks, I don’t see the team clearing a space on the 40-man roster just to call up Ransom on Sept. 1.

Get this man off the team

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Cody Ransom makes God kill kittens

Let’s look at some numbers, shall we?

  • Cody Ransom vs RHP: .200-.289-.415
  • Cody Ransom vs LHP: .176-.243-.265
  • Cody Ransom vs all kinds of pitchers: .200-.268-.347
  • Cody Ransom in day games: .182-.250-.341
  • Cody Ransom in night games: .294-.294-.355
  • Cody Ransom with the bases empty: .121-.237-.242
  • Cody Ransom with RISP: .217-.280-.348
  • Cody Ransom leading off an inning: .000-.000-.000 (11 plate appearances!)
  • Cody Ransom when he sees a pitcher for the first time in a game: .000-.136-.000
  • Cody Ransom when he sees a pitcher for the second time in a game: .286-.286-.429
  • Cody Ransom when he sees a pitcher for the third time in a game: .143-.250-.286
  • Cody Ransom as a 3B: -32.9 UZR/150
  • Cody Ransom as a SS: -6.3 UZR/150
  • Cody Ransom as a 2B: +1.2 UZR/150 (woohoo, barely above average!)
  • Cody Ransom as a 1B: -28.6 UZR/150
  • There are 399 Major League players who have gotten at least 80 plate appearances this year, and just 27 of them have been worth less to their team than Cody Ransom in terms in wins over replacement, or WAR.

There is no reason for this man to occupy a spot on any team’s 25-man active roster. The fact that he is employed by the Yankees and is on their $201,449,189 payroll is an insult to my very existence. Roster spots are precious because they are limited, like outs in a game, yet the Yankees continue to waste one on this sorry excuse for a ballplayer and expect to survive in a division where efficiency and maximizing resources reigns supreme.

Get Cody Ransom of this team and away from a Major League ballclub.

Nady cleared to play in Extended Spring

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PeteAbe, writing for his actual paper and not the blog, notes that injured outfielder Xavier Nady has been cleared to play in Extended Spring Training. Nady will (or did) begin playing today. I’m assuming that Nady will just DH for the time being, but it’s progress nonetheless. The Yanks begin the NL park portion of their interleague schedule on June 19th, and you can bet they want to have that extra bat available off the bench by then. Alex Rodriguez spent about ten days rehabbing (a far different injury) in EST before returning to the lineup earlier this month. So I’m hopeful that Nady can make it back in time for mid-June.

Pete also mentions that Jorge Posada, Jose Molina and Cody Ransom started working out in Tampa yesterday. Posada could see some game action later in the week. Hip hip, Jorge. (h/t TYU)