Yankees need a couple of left handers

by djoep2000 on May 28, 2011 10:14 AM EDT

Started looking through the rosters of potential left-handed pitchers in the big leagues. To my surprise only one relief pitchers stood out. That lefty out of the pen was Scott Downs and his 5 million dollar contract with the Angels. Then again only a fire-sale seemed to be in order for the Yankees to pick up a good lefty in anyone's rotation. Very obvious that no team within our division will want to improve the Yankees.

Here is my brief list of potential available left handed starters:

Mark Buehrle -- Seems to head the list because of White Sox failures this year and that 14 million owed

John Danks -- Potential galore but erratic is the word and 6 million owed.

Francisco Liriano -- His consistency for the Twins is the problem and 4.3 million owed.

Johan Santana -- Disable list and Mets need to dump his 19 million salary. Will admit he is intriguing.

Wandy Rodriguez -- Astros need help and none seem to be in their farm system. Easily see dumping his 7.5 million.

Joe Saunders -- 5.5 million owed, best reason for Diamondbacks to part ways with him.

Ted Lilly -- The Dodgers have 8.166 million reasons to let him go.

The Yankees sure seem to match up well with these teams and their needs, in regards to a trade.

The best trade match up maybe for Liriano. The Twins have a problem at catcher. Do they continue to punish their best player behind the plate. Should they move him to another position or at least make him the everyday DH and back-up catcher. Is it desperation time in Minnesota? We have the backstops to entice them.

The White Sox are near capacity on their budget and will need to move either Danks or Buehrie but when is the question? What will the Sox want for either of these player.

Then Wandy Rodriguez comes to mind. With so many holes in their line-up maybe the easiest trade possibility.

Next on the list is Joe Saunders, Ted Lilly or Johan Santanna. Question here is do we really want any of these pitchers. Santanna is the most intriguing but will he recover from his surgery to even be able to pitch this year. If so will he return to his former self?

The Angels have Scott Downs but he will come at a huge price. Maybe too steep for a left handed reliever. I would have given up the first round draft choice for him.

Man-Ban anyone? Maybe sooner than later. He is the stud lefty on everyone's radar in our minor league system.

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Comments

Don't worry I have my left hand.

Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.

by Jeterian 2 on May 28, 2011 11:05 AM EDT reply actions

I'm going with the Man-Ban option...

I really don’t see the lefty situation as a major problem. We seem to be doing okay.

by yanksrule on May 28, 2011 11:05 AM EDT reply actions

Though, of course, I want someone othr than Logan on that mound...

by yanksrule on May 28, 2011 11:06 AM EDT reply actions

We need lefties

in the pen. Our starters have been pretty good. And please, no PLEASE, no Liriano. You’d think you would have learned a lesson by now about injury risks, not to mention he hasn’t been very good.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on May 28, 2011 11:24 AM EDT reply actions

Exactly.

Yes, that is Kyle Kuric

by TheRealSlimShady on May 28, 2011 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Why does it make a difference which hand a starter throws with?

We need a lefty in the pen because our strategy of signing older relievers who have been overworked elsewhere to multi-year contracts has somehow gone awry.

As for the rotation we need quality…righty, lefty, whatever. I don’t think Nova, Colon and Garcia will be a viable 3-4-5 all season, but the way they’ve pitched so far has bought us time. We don’t have to go out and overpay for mediocrity right now. We’ll see who’s available in July.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on May 28, 2011 12:26 PM EDT reply actions

Well since Logan seems to get righties out better than lefties this year

Getting another lefty in the pen may not be a bad idea. However, a lefty reliever, not a starter is what they should look for. Feliciano is likely done for the year, and Damaso Marte also probably isn’t coming back until at least September if not out the whole season as well.

NOT Man-Ban. He needs to be groomed in the minor leagues to be a starter- no sense rushing him to the majors to fill a middle-relief role. We don’t need him coming up to be a reliever and then we’ll have the whole starter/reliever debate all over again.

"God, I hope I wear this jersey forever."- Derek Jeter

by nyyrocks29 on May 28, 2011 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

MANNY BANUELOS IS A STAHTING PITCHA

Unless you're a pitcher or Gustavo Molina, kindly SWING THE BAT and ignore the Binder's bunt signal.

by Andrew GM on May 28, 2011 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Nah

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on May 28, 2011 2:13 PM EDT reply actions

Nope

I will not walk so that a child may live!
"Sometimes I feel like home runs aren’t hits," he said afterward. "But they are hits." -The genius who is in charge of our team.

by Briceratops on May 28, 2011 2:51 PM EDT reply actions

is feliciano out for year, what lefties can we get in pen

by jadedeed2327 on May 29, 2011 2:02 AM EDT reply actions

I actually like John Danks

i would easily want him to replace nova or garcia/colon if they run out of water from the fountain of youth or if hughes still sucks. I don’t know the cost but the thing with danks is that his “traditional numbers” aren’t pretty in terms of ERA, Win- loss and etc so that might actually lower his cost. But his xFIP is decent and has a decent ground ball rate and easily can slot in as a number 2/3 type pitcher behind CC and AJ (his numbers this year is similar to AJ’s). He’s also under control for 1.5 years and still young so unlike buehrle, he can be here to stay.

by lololol on May 29, 2011 7:35 AM EDT reply actions

How long has it been since Marte has pitched

sheesh

The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. ~ a fortune cookie.

by Cup Noodles on May 29, 2011 1:54 PM EDT reply actions

If they decide to make a trade for a starter, I think Johan Santana is an interesting option. I think it’s pretty much guaranteed that the Mets will want to get rid of his contract, so if he comes back from the DL and shows that he’s still an elite level pitcher, we might be able to get him without having to give up any of our top 3 prospects, or maybe just one of them, if we take on most of his salary.

So now the guys in the subway are saying Jesus is coming on October 21, 2011, but that would mean he wouldn't be on the playoff roster, let alone be eligible for it. I really don't know where these guys are getting their information from...

by Wraithpk on May 29, 2011 6:24 PM EDT reply actions

Trading for Johan Santana on July 31st...

Would mean taking on a guaranteed $62.5 mil through 2013 for a guy coming off a serious surgery. I can’t believe that even the Yankees would be willing to do that.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on May 30, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Because there’s a chance of acquiring an ace for not much.

Yes, that is Kyle Kuric

by TheRealSlimShady on May 30, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Not much in terms of players...

But $62.5 mil over 2 1/2 years is still a huge commitment. I can’t believe that any team would invest that in someone who may never be anything close to what he was.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on May 30, 2011 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

We would’ve invested that kind of mone for Lee, who is older and would be in his decline.

Yes, that is Kyle Kuric

by TheRealSlimShady on May 31, 2011 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions

But Lee is currently at the top of his game and not rehabbing from serious shoulder surgery. Giving Lee 7 years would have been a bad idea, but at least they could have been confident they’d get a couple good ones. With Santana you risk getting nothing.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on May 31, 2011 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

We wouldn’t have to take on the whole salary. From what I’ve been hearing, the Mets would pay up to half his salary, but we would have to give up some prospects. They are pretty desperate to shed payroll, if Santana comes back and looks like his old self, we might be able to get him for pretty cheap, both in money and prospects.

by Wraithpk on Jun 1, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Liriano just went back onto the DL. Bringing in Mets is like bringing in smallpox - infested blankets to the indians (native, not Cleveland).

None of the suggested arms has really pitched better than any starter already out there. Some have been much worse. The Yankees pen is not as bad as everyone seems to be treating it. Even without the expected performance from Soriano, or any performance from Feliciano and Marte, the guys they do have have been no worse than anyone else’s pen. Who wouldn’t want Mariano and Robertson? Even the much- maligned Joba is better than an average reliever.

by designatedquitter on May 31, 2011 3:39 PM EDT reply actions