Around the Yankee Galaxy: Aceves the frontrunner

by Travis G on Mar 14, 2010 7:00 AM EDT in New York Yankees News

Another stellar performance from Alfredo Aceves has him on the tips of everybody's tongues. He threw four innings of one-run ball yesterday against Baltimore, raising his spring ERA to 0.90 -

"He looked real good," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I thought he threw the ball exceptionally well. Ahead in the count all day for the most part, used all his pitches, changed speeds, in and out, really good."

In three spring appearances covering 10 innings, Aceves has allowed only a single run, though Girardi has maintained that the competition won't be decided on numbers alone.

George III plans to be in attendance at the home opener on April 13th to see his club receive their World Series rings. It'll be his seventh as the Yankees owner.
Nine Yankees were demoted from the major league roster yesterday. Among the group were Kei Igawa, Andrew Brackman and Chris Garcia.
Curtis Granderson is beginning to feel like a Yankee -

As Granderson is seeing, everything with the Yankees is bigger than life, from the media following the team to the deal that is made of anything the new guy does - such as his invitation ride to Lakeland with Derek Jeter on Wednesday. Alex Rodriguez rode shotgun, Granderson took the back seat in the purring Mercedes.

"You sit there and go, 'Man, do I call home and tell my friends who I got a ride with?'" Granderson said.

The Yankees aren't ready to move Jesus Montero off catcher -

"Every year you hear: ‘When are the Yankees going to move him off catcher? He's not this, he's not this,' " General Manager Brian Cashman said. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. We're going to do what we think. All the tools are there, all the ability is there. With that bat, if he can stay behind home plate? Wow."

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It's something like this that gets me pissed off

Aceves has good form coming into this season, and people want to make him our 5th starter based on…4 starts? Against AAAA teams? There’s no doubt he’s impressed, but calling him our 5th starter is premature. Let him be the long-man, make the spot start here and there, and if he impresses throughout the season then you consider dropping Joba/Hughes to the pen. Granderson was hitting sub-.100, but we’re not thinking of demoting him to AAA, are we?

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

Vince Lombardi

by moose35 on Mar 14, 2010 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

Joba and Hughes

are also facing “AAAA” teams. How else are you going to base your opinion? He’s been better, he deserves the position.

by david d on Mar 14, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

He's been better for 3 or 4 games

Joba was very good and Hughes dominated big league batters last season. They’ve shown much more than Aceves has or will ever show, so the whole “spring training competition” thing is silly.

Vince Lombardi

by moose35 on Mar 14, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Aceves pitched well last year too.

I thought Aceves deserved a shot last year. He was very consistent and dependable last year. I’m not surprised that he is doing well this spring. If they are truly using spring training as the measure for the 5th spot and it really is an open competition between 5 guys…then let the best man win regardless of the hype given to Hughes and Chamberlin.

by dzfromny on Mar 14, 2010 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

Aceves

Aceves is a guy with mediocre to below average stuff who throws strikes and gets ahead in the count which allows him to use his breaking pitches to get outs. He reminds me a lot of a less talented El Duque. But that doesn’t change the fact that he has mediocre stuff which major league hitters will figure out if they see him 2 or 3 times a game. The Yankees have had him in their system for 3 or 4 years now and I’m sure they know what he is – a 5th starter at best who projects better as a middle reliever.

Joba and Hughes on the other hand are guys who have the potential to be top of the rotation starters. Even if they wouldn’t pitch as well as Aceves out of the 5th spot in 2010 and 2011 respectively, which I don’t agree with, it makes more sense to use the spot to develop them. While many fans are unwilling to accept young pitchers struggling as they learn to pitch in the big leagues, that’s how it has to be done. Hopefully the Yankees realize that.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Mar 14, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Aceves has much better than mediocre stuff. Just because a pitcher throws hard doesn’t mean they can get anyone out. Aceves has the ability to miss bats and make hitters swing at his pitches in counts favorable to the pitcher rather than in hitters counts. There are many pitchers in the majors with the same type of pitches and speed as Ace and they are front line starters for some teams. Guys like Harang,Hudson,Hochevar, these are pitchers who overpower you with blazing speed they know how to pitch. Aceves knows how to pitch and that is all the FIFTH starter has to do is get through 6 innings and let the bullpen take over.

by ae2cdk on Mar 14, 2010 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Aceves Better as Long Relief

Aceves should stay as long relief… he was awesome last year.
The battle for #5 starter should stay with Joba & Hughes.
I expect Joba , without an innings limit, will win the job with Hughes in the pen but this could be switched if Joba continues to underperform in ST.

Agree with Cash, Montero should be groomed to hopefully take over for Posada when he retires.

by YANKEES FOREVER on Mar 14, 2010 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

Aceves pitches too well for long relief

The long reliever ideally shouldn’t be needed too often. He eats innings when your starter gets blown out early and trys to keep the game from getting too far out of hand. Why waste Aceves in that situation? I think he’s been more consistent that Chamberlin or Hughes. I think he could easily win 12-14 games.

Mitre and/or Gaudin become trade bait after spring training unless one wants to stay in shape in the minors. They can be used to restock the farm system.

by dzfromny on Mar 14, 2010 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I keep wondering...

if this is really a competition. I guess, because it’s early. you can’t say one person is the #5 starter. With that said, Girardi has said that the the decision will not be decided on numbers alone. OK, then what else do you use? Numbers come from performance and Aceves’ numbers, so far, are better than Hughes and definitely Joba. I just think that the numbers don’t matter because they know who they want. I think Joba has to do horrible (which has done so far) to lose the #5 slot.

by Mondoas on Mar 14, 2010 4:29 PM EDT reply actions

When you look at a pitchers outing in spring training numbers really don’t show everything. Is he repeating his delivery consistently?,is he working on a specific pitch like he was asked to do?,is he pitching according to the situation and not just throwing? There are a lot of factors that go into evaluating an outing other than the results although the end line is what the pitcher is judged on. Sometimes you can have a guy throw well hit his spots and still lose and conversely a pitcher can walk the ballpark and win. Which one of those is the better outing? So when the coaching staff says they are evaluating more than just numbers these are the things IMO that also factor in.

by ae2cdk on Mar 14, 2010 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Would it be the end of the world if Aceves was the 5th starter?

If he flamed out either Chamberlain or Hughes could take over. Meanwhile having both Chamberlain and Hughes in the pen with Rivera would essentially mean that any game which the Yanks lead after the 6th is over.

by designatedquitter on Mar 15, 2010 11:28 AM EDT reply actions