Quiet for Cashman at Winter Meetings

by Travis G on Dec 2, 2011 11:23 AM EST in New York Yankees Rumors

Brian says to not expect much during the Winter Meetings next week. Outside of CC's extension, it's been a pretty boring offseason for us.

New Boston manager Bobby Valentine is considering Bill Buckner for his hitting coach.
Heath Bell signed with the Marlins for $27M over three years. San Diego will receive a sandwich and second-round pick for losing him. The Padres compensated by hiring ex-Mets GM Omar Minaya.

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As a side note, Cashman challenged Bobby Valentine to rappel with him next year.

I really hope this is true.

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 2, 2011 11:48 AM EST reply actions

The closer market scares me

Mariano Rivera’s contract is up after this season, and at age 42 there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to hang them up for good.

My gut tells me that Brian Cashman knows that relievers are way overpriced and generally pretty replaceable, and so he won’t do anything stupid as they try to find a replacement heading into 2013.

However, given Yankees fans’ obsession with finding the “heir to Mo”, I fear that some may not learn from the Rafael Soriano mistake and break the bank for a Proven Closer©.

Jesus Montero has to be a full-time catcher, or the Yankees have to trade him. One or the other. Based on the age and contracts of the other players on this team, that's the only place he fits long-term on the Yankees roster.

by 3460kuri on Dec 2, 2011 12:05 PM EST reply actions

I think our next closer is already on the team and I think we’ll be in good shape. I’m not concerned.

Romine!

by david d on Dec 2, 2011 12:11 PM EST up reply actions

+1

Not to take away from the fact that I want to see Mariano pitch for as long as possible, but I agree

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 2, 2011 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

yeah and I think he set a major league record for k/9 innings last season

Boone Logan is a good boy. So is David Robertson. Team A.J.

by goyanks69 on Dec 2, 2011 12:40 PM EST up reply actions

I think he ended up forth last season

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 2, 2011 1:04 PM EST up reply actions

nope

http://www.pinstripealley.com/2011/10/26/2515267/david-robertson-k-9-and-the-next-yankees-closer

Boone Logan is a good boy. So is David Robertson. Team A.J.

by goyanks69 on Dec 2, 2011 3:39 PM EST up reply actions

the link in "best" goes to a BR page that just loads and loads

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/pitching/_/sort/strikeoutsPerNineInnings/type/expanded-2/minip/40

what am I looking at here then?

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 2, 2011 3:56 PM EST up reply actions

I fixed the link

this one should work. DRob was the best in AL history with a min. of 50 ip.

by Travis G on Dec 2, 2011 4:47 PM EST up reply actions

gotcha, thanks

when I pulled those numbers I just grabbed 40IP…two of the three above him are in the NL and the other only threw 43.1

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Dec 2, 2011 5:19 PM EST up reply actions

So do I, but do the Yankees is what matters.

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by Brandon C. on Dec 2, 2011 12:43 PM EST up reply actions

I would have thought this was part of why they signed Soriano

So, in that sense they’ve already made their expected stupid signing, and another should not be needed.

by waw on Dec 2, 2011 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

those same fans will say no one from outside the organization can be the “Heir to Mo” That won’t stop people from demanding the latest Closer or Levine trying to sign another overpaid reliever, but i think after seeing how the Soriano contract worked out there’s no way it could happen again. I expect them to try Robertson out, have Soriano set up (if he’s still on the team) but I wouldn’t be surprised if we signed another high paid setup man or even a lefty.

by jetanumba2 on Dec 2, 2011 12:24 PM EST up reply actions

Unless he blows up this season for some reason....

David Robertson should be the next closer. We also have Joba whose “stuff translates better in the pen” and Hughes who “can’t cut it as a starter” to consider.
Cashman and Girtardi seem to love High Socks, so I am pretty confident he’ll get the opportunity , but I think we’l;l sign an aging or former closer to be “insurance” in case Robertson “can;’t handle the 9th.”

*Please note the idiotic portions of this post are in quoteations.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Dec 2, 2011 12:46 PM EST up reply actions

I like Robertson as much as the next guy

But he’s a perfect example of why relievers can be so fickle.

He was about a 1 WAR pitcher in 2009 and 2010, which is very useful. All of a sudden, he becomes a 3 WAR pitcher in 2011, with a pretty 1.08 ERA, and what changed?

He went from a .330 BABIP to .290. He went from a 75% baserunner strand rate to 90%. He went from an 8% HR/FB rate to 2%. His control didn’t improve. His K rate and GB rates improved a bit, but not enough to justify the jump.

Maybe something changed in his makeup, pitch selection, and so on, but it’s going to be awfully tough for him to sustain his 2011 numbers without doing something like cutting his walk rate in half.

by 3460kuri on Dec 2, 2011 1:03 PM EST up reply actions

he cut his walk rate in the second half i believe (feel free to prove me wrong) and increased K

by jetanumba2 on Dec 2, 2011 1:36 PM EST up reply actions

I agree that he needs to cut down the walks

But if I recall correctly, his HR/fly ball ratio was out of whack for the first half of 2010, and his walk rate was pretty high. He got those both straightened out and was much better in the second half, and that carried over into 2011. And his strikeout rate has been pretty good his entire major league career. No reason that can’t continue.

by long time listener on Dec 2, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

Robertson’s HR/FB rate was 2.3% in 2011. Prior to that, it was consistently around 8%.

His strikeout rate is phenomenal, but it’s tough to be a shutdown reliever when you’re consistently walking 1 out of every 8 batters you face. Doesn’t mean he can’t be good, I just need to see him do this for another season before I annoint him as the team’s closer.

by 3460kuri on Dec 2, 2011 1:48 PM EST up reply actions

I didn't know his HR/FB rate was that low in 2011

I agree it comes down to him cutting down on his walks. I would say he’s still the top internal candidate to take over for Mo if Mo leaves after this year, but a lot can change in even one yar, and if his HR/FB rate goes back to normal and his walk rate doesn’t decline, it’d leave him a bit of a question mark. Even if he comes down to earth, though, I’d probably rather go with him than throw $12 per year for multiple years at someone just because that guy happened to rack up a few saves.

by long time listener on Dec 2, 2011 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

Plenty of pitchers become better later in their career when they learn to reduce walks.

Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax come to mind, and Robertson is younger than either when they went from erratic to brilliant.

I wouldn’t count Hughes out of the rotation quite yet. It often takes a year to get past dead arm syndrome.

by designatedquitter on Dec 2, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

Rec Generating Database
Jedi Master A-Rod is a poster on Pinstripe Alley. He can be reached by clicking the "Reply" button below his comments.

by Jedi Master A-Rod on Dec 2, 2011 3:18 PM EST up reply actions

after careful consideration

That is my second-favorite Twitter account behind Tripping Olney. And just ahead of Old Hoss Radbourn.

by long time listener on Dec 2, 2011 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

the Sanchez, Culver and Heathcott picks are baffling

There is virtually zero chance that any of them will even get a September callup and pinch run or play in a blow out. One or two of them may get called up to hang around the club and work out, but I’m putting over under on actual game appearances for all three of them combined at .5, and taking the under.

by long time listener on Dec 2, 2011 3:16 PM EST up reply actions

Every player on the roster for SWB and Trenton (and their major league counterpart) would have to spontaneously combust for any of those guys to have a shot at being on the Yankees next year. Probably even the year after that.

lol B/R

Rec Generating Database
Jedi Master A-Rod is a poster on Pinstripe Alley. He can be reached by clicking the "Reply" button below his comments.

by Jedi Master A-Rod on Dec 2, 2011 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

Apparently Gary Sanchez is better defensively than Jesus Montero.

Oh.

"Don't you think it's strange that you'll make more money than President Hoover this year?"
"Why not? I had a better year than he did." - G.H. Ruth

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by Andrew GM on Dec 3, 2011 3:19 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not really expecting Cash to do much

Trades are things that just happen, it’s tough to really see it coming in a lot of situations. Especially in baseball. And I feel a trade is the most likely scenario, since there are no available pitchers the Yankees really seem interested in and the starting lineup, for the most part, is the same as last year (Montero replacing Posada).

I could see a couple moves made to strengthen the bench, but otherwise I’m not surprised that he’s laying low.

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by nyyrocks29 on Dec 2, 2011 4:51 PM EST reply actions

Didn't the Granderson trade happen at the winter meetings?

I know that was different since the Tigers made it clear they were going to trade him. Still there are usually a couple of big moves made at the meetings, so I hope we’re involved in one of them.

Which I may regret saying a week from now when Montero’s an Astro and Wandy Rodriguez is a Yankee.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Dec 2, 2011 6:26 PM EST up reply actions