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Curry: Millwood expected to opt out

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Kevin Millwood will likely not be joining the Yankees, the YES Network’s own Jack Curry reported via Twitter. Millwood, who signed a Minor League deal toward the end of Spring Training with a May 1 opt-out date, did not impress the club in three outings down on the farm. In his most recent appearance, he lasted just two innings, giving up six earned runs on seven hits, and the club was not impressed with his stuff or velocity. If he can find another job with a Major League team, power to him, but the Yanks are, for now, satisfied with their pitching depth. Few will shed tears over this development.

Update: Buster Olney confirms it, Millwood has opted out. It’s been real, Kevin.

Millwood throws seven innings for Triple-A Scranton

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The Kevin Millwood Comeback Tour hit the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metroplex this afternoon. The 36-year-old right-hander allowed two runs across seven innings of work, striking out three and getting nine ground balls against just one walk and three air outs. Sixty of his 95 pitches were strikes (63.2%). Donnie Collins spoke to a scout who clocked Millwood at 85-86 mph mostly, though he did touch 89 on occasion. He allowed the leadoff man to reach base in four of the first five innings, so he spent a good amount of the game working from the stretch.

Millwood’s opt-out date is just eight days away now, so the Yankees will get one more start to evaluate him before deciding what to do. My guess is that barring a total meltdown in his final minor league outing, they’ll call him up and stick him in the rotation somewhere. I guess this means Ivan Nova is officially on notice.

The Pitching Waves

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Millwood's on his way. Uh ... yay? (Photo Credit: Mike Ashmore)

Sixteen games into the 2011 season, two things are very clear about the Yankees: they have a great offense, and boy does their starting pitching stink. They’re second in the majors with a .357 wOBA but first with a 126 wRC+, hitting at least six more homers than every other team. Just wait until their .260 BABIP (third lowest in baseball) starts to correct. At the same time, the Yankees’ rotation has the worst ERA (5.06) and third worst FIP (4.38) in the American League, and their average of 5.32 innings per start is the worst in baseball.

Obviously that has to change, we’ve known that since the last September. Even if the Yankees had landed Cliff Lee, they’d still be in need of starting pitching right now, that’s how bad it’s been. That’s another post for another time, I suppose. The offense and some timely bullpen work have helped the team overcome its starting pitching problems during the first 16 games of the season, but obviously this isn’t a sustainable approach to securing a playoff berth. Some pitching help is on the way though, just not the kind of help a contender wants to rely on.

At the moment, both Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon have done a bang up job of turning the clock back, at least temporarily. Who knows how long it’ll last. Kevin Millwood will make a second minor league start for Triple-A Scranton this weekend, and there’s ten days until his opt-out clause kicks in. The Yankees will have two more looks at him before deciding what do, though you’d have to imagine that if he shows anything that looks like it could get big league batters out, he’ll be called to join the team. Millwood represents the next wave of pitching help, as unappealing as it sounds.

Behind him lies Carlos Silva, who apparently showed up to Extended Spring Training slightly less fat than the Yankees expected. He isn’t doing anything more than conditioning drills last we heard, but you have to figure he’s not far off from climbing on a mound. He did pitch with the Cubs in camp just a few weeks ago. If he goes on the Millwood plan, meaning some starts in ExST and two or three appearances with the full season minor league affiliates, then we have to figure he’s about four weeks away, at the very least. Silva, as unspectacular as he is, is the second wave of pitching help.

By the time he comes up, if he does at all, we’re talking early-June or so, which is the start of trading season. The Yankees are surely mining the pitching market at the moment, but it’s not often that teams will commit to selling off valuable pieces this early in the season. If the Twins keep tanking, maybe Francisco Liriano becomes available sooner than expected. Maybe the struggling Astros make someone available, maybe MLB’s takeover of the Dodgers put someone on the market, who knows. A lot will change over the next few weeks and the Yankees are simply going to have to bide their time until it does. For all intents and purposes, the trade market is the third wave of pitching help.

Although Millwood and Silva are the obvious guys on the way, there is also one constant: the farm system. If the Yankees need to plug hole in-between some of these veteran scrap heapers, there’s always a Hector Noesi or an Adam Warren a phone call away. Best of all, those guys are already in game shape, there’s no need to wait. The first round of pitching help, essentially Garcia and Colon, has worked out well so far, but it’s just been one turn through the rotation for both of those guys. How long it will last is anyone’s guess. Millwood and Silva will offer some alternatives (not necessarily help, but at least alternatives) in the coming weeks before the trade market heats up, plus there’s always the farm system. Until the rotation gets settled, the offense is really going to have to carry to load, and it’s certainly good enough to do that.

The plan for Kevin Millwood

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Via Brian Costello, Brian Cashman confirmed that Kevin Millwood will make his next start for Triple-A Scranton sometime this week. He just threw seven one-hit innings for Double-A Trenton on Sunday, so sometime this weekend is a safe bet. The Yankees have 11 days left to evaluate Millwood before the opt-out clause in his contract kicks in, so it looks like they’ll get to see him make two starts for Scranton before the decision needs to be made.

Carlos Silva, on the other hand, is not scheduled to pitch anytime soon. He’s in Extended Spring Training right now and is undergoing a conditioning program.

Millwood superficially strong in Double-A start

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Kevin Millwood made his first start outside of Extended Spring Training today, firing seven one-hit innings for Double-A Trenton. He lost the no-hitter with two outs in the sixth, throwing 88 pitches (53 strikes, 60.2%). It’s good that he accomplished his goal of stretching his arm out and building strength, but the performance isn’t as exciting as it appears on the surface.

Millwood walked four batters and struck out just three, generating just three (unofficial) swings-and-misses. Ten ground outs to five air outs is nice, but a guy with all that big league time shouldn’t be walking that many guys or missing so few bats in Double-A. There’s no word on his stuff – radar gun readings or what not – but I’m sure recent scouting reports of “terrible” still apply. Millwood said after the game that he isn’t sure what the next step is, but his opt-out date is exactly two weeks away. He’s got two more starts to show that he’s still got something left in the tank, but right now I remain highly skeptical.

Shockingly, Kevin Millwood looks “terrible”

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Via Jayson Stark, an unnamed source (scout? GM? fan? he didn’t specify) gave a not so glowing review of Kevin Millwood from Extended Spring Training: “He looks terrible. Here’s a guy who used to throw 94-95. Now he’s throwing 86.” PitchFX only goes back so far, but Baseball Info Solutions says he hasn’t sat anywhere near 94-95 in the last ten years, but I guess I’m just nitpicking.

Millwood will make a start for Double-A Trenton on Sunday, and he told Mike Ashmore that he threw 75 pitches last time out and should be able to get it up to 90 this weekend. “My whole thing was trying to build up arm strength and trying to get my pitch count up [in Extended Spring Training],” said the righty. “And I did that. It still probably has a little ways to go, but it’s definitely closer than it was when I got here.”

Yankees sign Millwood to minor league deal

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(AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Update by Mike (3:04pm): Marc Carig says Millwood will get $500,000 each for five, ten, 15, 20, and 25 starts, plus a million bucks if he reaches 30.

Update by Mike (12:06pm): Wally Matthews says Millwood can become a free agent if he’s not on the big league roster by May 1st. He get’s $1.5M pro-rated, so the same as Garcia.

Update by Mike (10:56am): Andrew Marchand says the terms of the contract are similar to Freddy Garcia’s. Garcia will $1.5M with the big league team plus another $3.6M in possible incentives, so it’s pretty cheap. Glad to hear Millwood is coming dirt cheap as well.

Update by Mike (8:49am): Heyman says it’s a done deal, the Yankees have signed Millwood to a minor league contract. He adds that either Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia will be in the rotation to at least start the year (presumably Ivan Nova gets the other spot) since Millwood will need some time to prepare.

Original Post (3/25/2011, 12:00am): In an effort to corner the market on players who had memorable moments in 2003, the Yankees and right-handed pitcher Kevin Millwood are “close” on “an incentive-laden minor-league deal,” Jon Heyman tweeted late this evening. The Yanks had long been linked to Millwood, but until recently, the pitcher had said he wouldn’t sign anything but a Major League deal.

For the two parties, this deal seems to be the culmination of a winter-long seduction. Once Andy Pettitte retired, the Yanks seemed to have a passing interest in Millwood and were, according to our coverage still considering him in early February and still interested two weeks after that. Millwood reportedly rejected a Minor League deal after Spring Training had started. Although he wanted a Major League deal, the Yankees continued to watch him throw. A meeting of the minds seemed all but inevitable.

As the Yanks prepare to head into the season with Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon around, this move is basically for depth. They’ll have to jettison Sergio Mitre and will most likely do so before Monday when they will owe him only termination pay. With Millwood, they know have a seventh starter in the wings with some Major League experience. He might not be as good as he once was, but if he has to hold down the fort for a few turns through the rotation, he should be adequate.

Here’s what I said about Millwood when his name popped up a few weeks ago, and the same still holds true:

For the Yankees, Millwood would simply be another piece for the depth charts and another placeholder. If someone goes down and Millwood is still out there, he would be potentially a better and more reliable choice than an unknown AAA kid. He won’t blow the world away, and he won’t throw quality innings. He will though throw innings. Maybe there’s something to be said for that right now…

The same still holds true. Beyond Freddy Garcia, the Yanks are short on Major League starting depth. Maybe Manny Banuelos would be ready by mid-season, but the club isn’t inclined to rush him. Hector Noesi and Adam Warren aren’t high-ceiling guys, and the Yanks can stash Millwood at AAA to give them depth in case someone goes down early. It’s not impressive, but it’s another piece. Hopefully, it’s one the Yanks won’t have to use this year.