Archives for 2013

A-Rod will have surgery next week, likely out until All-Star break

January 8, 2013 by Mike 40 Comments

During a conference call with reporters, Dr. Bryan Kelly announced that Alex Rodriguez will have surgery to repair his left hip next Wednesday. He expects A-Rod to be out until the All-Star break, but he also admitted they won’t know the extent of the cartilage damage until they actually cut him open. That could push his return date back even further.

I highly recommend Joel Sherman’s article about the procedure, in which Kelly spoke at length about the condition of A-Rod’s hip and its potential impact on his performance, as well as expectations going forward. He also explained why the injury was not diagnosed sooner. There’s an awful lot of information in there about a situation we outsiders don’t really know much about, so make sure you check it out to get a better understanding of what exactly is going on.

Yankees will play one-game exhibition at Nationals Park

January 8, 2013 by Mike 5 Comments

The Yankees will end Spring Training with a one-game exhibition against the Nationals in Nationals Park, the team announced. The game will be played on Friday, March 29th at 2pm ET. The regular season begins two days later on April 1st.

These end-of-camp exhibition games are nothing new. The Yankees played a pair of games at the Marlins’ new building last March, and back in 2009 the Cubs came to Yankee Stadium for two games before the season opener. The Yankees swept a three-game series in the nation’s capital last season, and I know a lot of RAB readers were on hand for that one. I don’t know when tickets will be on sale, but it should be pretty soon. I’m sure the Washington faithful will appreciate getting one last chance to say goodbye to Mike Morse, amirite?

Tuesday Night Open Thread

January 8, 2013 by Mike 125 Comments

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According to a recent Harris poll, baseball is the second most popular sport in the country behind football. A distant second, but still second. That’s not all that surprising, but what is surprising is that college football is in third place and isn’t far behind baseball at all. There’s a chance it could jump into second with baseball falling into third in the not-too-distant future, but I’ll have to see it to believe it. Baseball is in great shape right now and the creation of the second wildcard should increase interest since more teams will have a shot at the postseason. Then again, college football is implementing a four-team playoff tournament in 2014. Who knows.

Anyway, here is tonight’s open thread. The Nets are playing tonight and that’s pretty much it as far as local sports go, but don’t worry, hockey will be back in less than two weeks. Talk about whatever you like here. Enjoy.

Update: Yankees “pessimistic” about signing Hairston

January 8, 2013 by Mike 34 Comments

Tuesday: The Yankees are “pessimistic” about signing Hairston according to Andrew Marchand. As is the case with pretty much every free agent they target for a part-time role, they’re concerned he will jump at the chance for more playing time elsewhere.

Monday: Via Wally Matthews: Free agent outfielder Scott Hairston will make a decision about his next team within “a matter of days.” Both the Yankees and Mets remain involved, but it’s unclear if they’re the two finalists or if other clubs are still in the mix.

“I think he’s a good fit for either team … But there are different roles at each place and Scott is deciding which is the best option for him,” said agent Casey Close. The 32-year-old Hairston is both the best right-handed hitting outfielder left on the market and demanding a multi-year contract. That could knock the Yankees out of the running, which wouldn’t be a complete travesty. Here’s my Scouting The Market post on Hairston if you need a reminder about what he brings to the table.

Prospect Profile: Corey Black

January 8, 2013 by Mike 17 Comments

Corey Black | RHP

Background
A Southern California kid from San Diego, Black played both baseball and football at Mission Bay High School. He was a four-year varsity player on the diamond, though he missed most of his junior season due to Tommy John surgery. Black was primarily a shortstop as a prepster, and he wasn’t much of a pro prospect despite hitting .431 with seven homers as a senior. He went undrafted in 2009 and followed through on his commitment to San Diego State.

Black was a two-way player under head coach Tony Gwynn (yes, that Tony Gwynn) as a freshman, going just 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts as a utility infielder while pitching to a 7.04 ERA in 47.1 innings. He struck out 50 and walked 27 in his seven starts and seven relief appearances. Black saw much more time on the mound as a sophomore, posting a 3.56 ERA with 78 strikeouts and 42 walks in 73.1 innings. He made eleven starts and eight relief appearances while also going 1-for-6 at the plate.

[Read more…]

Update: Yankees have interest in Mike Morse

January 8, 2013 by Mike 143 Comments

3:48pm: Jim Bowden says the Yankees have been among the “most active” teams trying to acquire Morse, along with the Mariners (his former team) and Rays.

2:31pm: And so it begins. The Yankees have interest in acquiring Morse according to Andrew Marchand and Jon Heyman. It makes too much sense.

12:31pm: The Nationals have agreed to re-sign Adam LaRoche to a two-year contract according to multiple reports, which presumably frees up Mike Morse for a trade. Washington has a full outfield (Bryce Harper, Denard Span, Jayson Werth) and LaRoche at first, leaving no room at the inn for the 30-year-old right-handed hitter.

Morse has hit .296/.345/.516 (133 wRC+) these last three years and is owed $6.75M in 2013 before becoming a free agent next winter. He’s an obvious fit for the Yankees as either an outfielder or DH, and Mark Zuckerman says the Nats would likely seek a lefty reliever (Boone Logan!) and starting pitching depth in return. The two teams match up very well for a trade. I’m not the biggest Morse fan in the world, but this needs to happen.

Injury Updates: Jeter & Cervelli

January 8, 2013 by Mike 13 Comments

Got a pair of injury updates to pass along…

Derek Jeter (ankle) is on track to be ready for Opening Day according to Brian Cashman. “He’s doing very well … He has progressed as the doctors had hoped,” said agent Casey Close. The Cap’n is out of a walking boot and has been jogging in a pool and riding a bide. He has yet to do anything baseball related, but Close says his client doesn’t start doing that stuff until mid-to-late January anyway. [Wally Matthews]
Frankie Cervelli (whiplash) has been cleared after taking a foul tip to the mask in winter ball. He was evaluated both in Venezuela and back in Tampa by team’s doctors. “We brought him in just to take a look at him and made sure he was fine … He was cleared and there were no injuries, so he’s free to resume play if that’s what he chooses to do,” said Cashman. Cervelli has had four concussions in the last eight years, not including a separate whiplash scare. [Bryan Hoch]