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Roster- Hallelujah, Joe (Updated with 25 man roster)

It seems that the era of "Joe's guys" may be coming to an end and we'll see players on the field based on their talent.  According to the Times today, some younger players with better spring performances are expected to make the roster over older, "trusted" players.
Nieves/Pratt/chair cushion is a tossup for backup catcher, since all of them hit under .200 this spring, and will have to be addressed with a trade during the season.  However, at first base it looks like Josh Phelps will get on the roster over Andy Phillips:

Phelps is a year younger than Phillips, who turns 30 next week, and he has 210 more games of major league experience, with a better career average (.268 to .228) and more power. Playing last season at Class AAA Toledo in the Detroit farm system, Phelps batted .308 with 24 homers and 90 runs batted in....
Phelps is batting .400 with 3 homers and 10 R.B.I. He has three seasons in the majors with at least 15 homers.

In the bullpen, Sean Henn will likely be a middle lefty over Ron Villone:
Villone signed a non-guaranteed contract that calls for him to earn $2.5 million if he makes the opening-day roster. Because he costs so much more than the rookie Henn, Villone had to pitch better than Henn to make the roster.
Instead, he has pitched worse, with a 14.40 earned run average. In nine games, opponents have batted .520. Henn has a 3.00 E.R.A. and a .182 opponents' average.

I'm not sure about Henn, but this was still a no brainer- the last couple days, Villone had the dreaded "0.0 IP, pitched to x batters in the nth" in the box score.  It's nice to see that there is some point where you can be so bad that you can lose your place as one of Joe's Guys.  It's a little sad because one reason Villone may be so terrible now is due to Joe burning him out last year.
Most importantly, it looks like CashMan is stepping in and making Joe a little more sane on these sorts of decisions:
The additions of Henn, Nieves and Phelps represent a subtle organizational shift. Villone, Pratt and Phillips all fit the classic Torre profile because of their experience. But General Manager Brian Cashman wants to make the team younger and cheaper, and Torre is on board with that.

We'll see whether this translates to things like bullpen usage during the season and whether Joe can finally start using more than 3 relievers in a given week.

Update, 12:15pm: Selections confirmed at yankees.com. Karstens will start on the DL, Bruney and Rasner also made the team. Your 2007 New York Yankees:

SP: Pavano Pettitte Mussina Igawa Rasner (Replaced by Wang in 4 weeks)

RP: Myers Henn Bruney Vizcaino Proctor Farnsworth Rivera

OF: Matsui Abreu Damon Cabrera

IF: 1B: Mientkiewicz, Phelps, Giambi (DH) 2B: Cano SS: Jeter 3B: Rodriguez IF: Cairo C: Posada, Nieves

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Great news
I am a little skeptical, but if Phelps really beat out Phillips, that is very good news. Of the three stiffs that currently make up our first base candidates, Phelps has the best chance of offering at least average offensive production.
Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Mar 30, 2007 10:02 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Looks like Nieves, Henn and Phelps
According to Lohud. Very good news. I am stunned that Torre avoided three chances to take "his guys" (read: old, formerly reliable) by leaving Villone, Phillips and Pratt off the team. Henn could work out but if not it still makes more sense than paying Villone $2.5M. I just hope that Villone doesn't sue Torre for ruining his career last summer!

On a side note, what is the over/under on Nieves surpassing the Mendoza line this season?

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Mar 30, 2007 10:13 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Good in theory
But the trade offered by Lohud was not a good one. Lieber isn't very good anymore and that would be a lot to give up for Farnsworth. He is frustrating but he has some value, especially in light of the fact that Proctor's arm is in severe danger of falling off.
Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Mar 30, 2007 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Villone may become a free agent
I think he has an out in his contract that says he can become a free agent, but it sounds like the Yanks are trying to get him to go to AAA.
Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Mar 30, 2007 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Carlos Ruiz...
...saw a blurb about Philly shopping this guy in their quest for bullpen help.  Late bloomer (28) but has moved quickly through the ranks the last couple of years.  Two questions:
  1.  Anybody think this would be a good pickup as backup catcher?
  2.  Who would NY offer?

by dewadewa on Mar 30, 2007 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe Joe
is mellowing in his old age.  It's nice that he's finally giving the kids a chance.  Maybe his change of heart came from watching other teams play in the series with youth infusions.  Regardless, this team can use some spark and hopefully the new guys can help stike the fire.

Yankee Nation - www.yankeenation.typepad.com

by yankeenationblog on Mar 30, 2007 12:20 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Regardless of who did it
These are good moves.  I'm genuinely kind of excited over Phelps,Karstens and Rassner.  It's that pre-season excitement when you feel anything can happen. Lets see if they really have any potential.

I didn't see Henn pitch at all this spring, and it's quite sad that Villone got so messed up by Joe's overuse of him, but he did not earn a spot on the team.

I'm not going to opening day at the stadium this year, so I'm probably going to hit a bar that's opening early and go watch it.  Manitoba's on the LES I think.

by Greenfuzz on Mar 30, 2007 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Manitoba's rules
I love that bar, and try to go whenever I'm back in town. Great place to be on opening day, I'm envious since I'll be at work.

by collink on Mar 30, 2007 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah
Love Manitoba's.  Love Handsome Dick, and the Dictators in general. Of course he goes by his real name of Richard.  

It's cool that it's a rock'n'roll bar, a punk bar even, that's really a Yankees bar too.  As a bonus it's also a photography sort of bar, as a photo editor, photographer I enjoy that too. Put all that together, and it's a very cool bar for me.

I spent some of the wee morning hours there on New Year's this year, they were one of the places with the late night permit and I was there till 7AM.  It was fun.

by Greenfuzz on Mar 30, 2007 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Henn throws pretty hard
he was called up one time and got pounded two years ago I think, but he's young...

by John Amato on Mar 30, 2007 9:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

he was up
last year too and got pounded.
Great Success!

by ReLaunch on Mar 31, 2007 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think RedSox fans
are even more unrealistic than some people here.  Look at their projections for Papelbon
http://www.overthemonster.com/story/2007/3/28/22443/3958#commenttop
Great Success!

by ReLaunch on Mar 31, 2007 9:28 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Phelps
Phelps hit another bomb today, let's hope he keeps this impressive pace up.

http://www.politicalguy.com (Baseball and Politics)

by bklyn231B on Mar 31, 2007 8:14 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

the bomb
I saw that homerun.  It was a nice job.  Someone in the crowd yelled, "Go Josh!" and I thought that was great.  
"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Mar 31, 2007 11:37 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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