Second Attempt at my Playoff Roster
by Brandon C. on Sep 28, 2011 10:04 AM EDT
in New York Yankees Analysis
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PrintRan into some troubles with this last time, so making the point clear. This is my playoff roster, not who I expect the Yankees to use. Here is the original post, but I will explain the changes I have made in this article.
The Yankees officially have clinched everything they possibly can heading into the playoffs. The Yankees brass is meeting today to decide who will make the playoff roster, and I think I should help. If Brian Cashman is reading this, here is how I think the Yankees playoff roster should look.
25 Players: (14 hitters, 11 pitchers)
Catcher- Russell Martin
Infield- Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, Eric Chavez, Derek Jeter, Eduardo Nunez
Outfield- Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Andruw Jones, Chris Dickerson
DH- Jesus Montero, Jorge Posada
SP (in order)- CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia
RP- Aaron Laffey/Luis Ayala, Bartolo Colon, Phil Hughes, Boone Logan, Cory Wade, Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, Mariano Rivera
Explanations after the jump.
Changes:
Eduardo Nunez over Ramiro Pena: Yes, Ramiro Pena's defense is outstanding, but Pena struggled to make simple plays this week. Nunez dropped a perfect bunt the other day, while Pena could not. Nunez may be more prone to errors, (mentally and defensively) but his speed, bunting ability, and ability to at least not be awful at the plate is more like to help the Yankees than Pena's defense.
Chris Dickerson over Greg Golson: Dickerson and Golson were two players I watched very closely over the last week. Sure, it's a small sample size, but Dickerson excelled where Golson struggled. Dickerson is just the slightest bit slower than Golson, to the point that it barely makes a difference. Yet watching Golson, I noticed he seemed a little hesitant on the base paths. Golson would take a lead, then inch back, then inch forward, then almost get picked off. Golson also misjudged a few fly balls, to make a minor note.
Overall, it may be due to the lack of playing time that Golson has received to explain his minor struggles, but the Yankees have trained Dickerson for this role all year, so he should get it.
A.J. Burnett off the roster, Bartolo Colon to the bullpen: A.J. Burnett is the #4 starter in the ALCS for the Yankees, if it is up to me. Colon would remain the bullpen for the entire playoffs, so I give him a spot on the ALDS roster in that same role. Burnett can prepare for an ALCS start, if there is one, in Tampa, or with the team. This is not a punishment for Burnett, but rather deciding not to waste a spot on a pitcher that wouldn't be used anyway.
Freddy Garcia #3 starter: Simply put, Garcia has looked the most impressive of Colon/Garcia/Burnett, and does not seem to be fatigued, like Colon does.
Aaron Laffey/Luis Ayala instead of Hector Noesi/A.J. Burnett: Already explained Burnett, but this came down to match ups vs. lefties. Hector Noesi sports a .302 BAA vs. lefties, which is much worse than Luis Ayala's .245, and Aaron Laffey's .247. I don't think the Yankees need two lefties in the pen, but I think the Yankees need two pitchers, I don't care which hand they throw with, that can get lefties out.
Laffey can pitch long relief, Ayala has pitched better this season, but gives up tons of line drives. Either would be fine with me.
Thoughts?
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Hughes
Just curious, in your breakdown, in what scenario does Hughes ever pitch? I guess 13th inning situation? But if he’s not realistically going to, then I’d rather have a fourth starter (A.J.?) for game 4 if they decide they need it based on injury/performance/short rest/rainout, etc.
Hughes isn't starting anymore
He’s probably not healthy enough to, and if he is, the Yankees wouldn’t do it.
Burnett is my 4th starter.
I guess Hughes is a flexible choice in the bullpen. If Colon just pitched, use Hughes. If the Yankees don’t want to go to any of the big four (Wade, Soriano, Robertson, Rivera) they can use Hughes.
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"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
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I just think the need for a second “long man”, which Hughes isn’t really anyway, is much less likely to be used than the fourth starter, even in the short series. You really want Nova to pitch on three days rest? Or Freddy? And if you do pitch Nova on three days rest and he doesn’t have it after the first inning, I’m not sure Hughes is your man, I’d rather have my fourth starter (AJ) waiting in the wings prepared to go.
I’d rather have CC pitch back to back days than see A.J. start game 5. (No, I would never actually do that to CC)
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Writer/Editor for Pinstripe Alley, Blueshirt Banter
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
"Every day is a great day for hockey."
I think Valdes should probably take the Laffey/Ayala spot if we play Texas
They have a more lefty-laden lineup, and it seems like Valdes is a little better against lefties, or at least I think he has been for the past couple of weeks. Since Laffey and Valdes are more or less interchangeable, so you might as well go with the hot hand. If we get Detroit, Ayala should probably be the last guy.
by long time listener on Sep 28, 2011 10:58 AM EDT reply actions
In Valdes’ career, lefties hit .319 vs. him. No, that is not a typo.
Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc
Writer/Editor for Pinstripe Alley, Blueshirt Banter
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
"Every day is a great day for hockey."
I didn't know it was that bad
Valdes has seemed better than Laffey over the last couple of weeks, but that’s a pretty small sample. I do like going with the hot hand, but if there’s really a stark difference in their career numbers, I wouldn’t trust a couple of weeks of my perception over a marked difference in their performance.
by long time listener on Sep 28, 2011 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I pick Laffey. Laffey has a .269 career BAA lefties.
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Writer/Editor for Pinstripe Alley, Blueshirt Banter
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
"Every day is a great day for hockey."
Neither Laffey nor Valdes really excites me.
We’re only talking about facing one or two batters in the 6th inning. After that, it’s Soriano, Robertson, Rivera. Valdes has looked better recently, but I wouldn’t be thrilled seeing either one come in with men on base.
The rest of Barndon’s roster seems about right. I’m glad he came off the Pena delusion. I haven’t looked up the numbers, but I remember at least a couple of times when Pena was brought in as a defensive replacement and promptly commited errors. His defense is only marginally better than Nunez’ and Nunez is a far more dangerous hitter.
by designatedquitter on Sep 28, 2011 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d love to see stats that show Nunez is only slightly worse defensively than Pena. I’m not being sarcastic, either, if I see those stats I’ll change my mind. It’s not about Pena’s defense changing my mind, it’s about the rest of the little things Nunez does better.
I really, really hope the Yankees don’t ever use Valdes in a game again. Ever.
Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc
Writer/Editor for Pinstripe Alley, Blueshirt Banter
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
"Every day is a great day for hockey."
My thoughts on your thoughts...
Agree with the infield. Pena hasn’t done very much in the way of defense lately. I still believe he is the better defender, but he hasn’t looked too great this season. Could be lack of playing time, but I haven’t felt any comfort whatsoever when he’s been put in the lineup. I still feel no comfort when Nunez is in the field, but he is 100% more likely to contribute offensively, so he gets the nod from me, too.
Agree with the outfield. I like Dickerson. Offensively, he reminds me of Cervelli a little bit. Not great by any means, certainly not consistent, but he gets his hits and, I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, they seem to be timely hits. Really good outfielder. He’s speedy enough, so I have no issue with him being slightly slower than Golson. Obviously Golson hasn’t had much playing time, but there’s nothing we can do about that now. Dickerson definitely gets the nod from me over Golson, both defensively and offensively.
Agree on the platoon DH.
Agree on the SP for the ALDS and ALCS. If we do indeed get Detroit in the first round, I like the idea of throwing a junkballer at them. They’re really good offensively, and I’m inclined to believe they’re good fastball hitters, just like Texas, Boston, and, well, the Yanks are. Garcia absolutely should be the #3 starter throughout the playoffs, barring an irreparable implosion. I also want AJ as the #4 starter in the ALCS. Well, actually I want Good AJ as the #4 starter.
Bullpen: Ehhhh. I don’t know. Definitely yes to Wade, Soriano, D-Rob, Mo. Obviously. A-Rod’s Logan would be great to have in there. I hope he shows up. Laffey…actually impressed me in his outing against Boston. He got in some trouble, but made some really good pitches. Plus, I’m sure he’ll be in there anyway because of his handedness, so I may as well try to find things I like about him. Ayala over Noesi? Maybe. I’m trying not to judge Noesi on his last 2 outings too much, because I imagine being a spot starter twice in a week is different than being used once every 3 weeks. You could be right, though, and maybe his last 2 outings messed him up a bit, but I just don’t like the way they’ve handled Noesi. He came up, did a great job, and was probably the least used reliever in the pen. Like he was being punished for pitching well. So maybe he gets left off the roster, but I swear, he’d better be given a shot at the rotation next season (irrelevant rant, I apologize). I don’t know how I feel about Hughes/Colon in the pen. Well, I do, and that’s that I think it’s a fine idea, but I just don’t want to see either of them in an important situation over, say, Wade. Wade can pitch long relief, too. He pitched what, 2 2/3 against Boston? He also pitched 3 not that long ago, in an extra-inning game, right? Now, if April Colon can come out of the pen, then that would be amazing and I would be fine with using him in a big spot. But how likely is that? I’m also pretty sure 2009 Hughes won’t be making any appearances, so I view him more as an innings eater, god forbid we’ll need one.
Overall, I like your roster.
Reporter: "Joe, how closely were you following the Red Sox score on the scoreboard throughout the game?"
Girardi: "Well, I mean, it's hard not to see it. Our scoreboard's really big."
"Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bullshit that is." - Hank Steinbrenner
by Ella Grace on Sep 28, 2011 11:10 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
My thoughts on your thoughts!
Colon would be a long guy, I’d rather have Wade for the 5th/6th and Colon for 1-5 if anyone gets hurt or is ineffective. Colon could be Garcia’s official back up, too. I don’t want to waste Wade for a few days for a couple of innings in a blowout game, while Colon, or Hughes, could fill that role.
Noesi’s struggles didn’t really affect my decision, I just don’t think I would choose him over the other two.
Follow me on twitter @nyybrandonc
Writer/Editor for Pinstripe Alley, Blueshirt Banter
"No matter what I talk about, I always get back to baseball."
"Every day is a great day for hockey."
My thoughts on your thoughts on my thoughts:
Oh, trust me, I definitely don’t want to waste Wade on one game and have him unavailable for a game. But if it’s a situation where the SP needs to be pulled and if we hold it and/or keep it close (like, 1-2 runs in the 4th/5th) we can win, then I think we’d go with our best chance, no?
I get what you’re saying about Noesi. I’m just crossing my fingers that Ayala 1) never comes in with runners on, because they will score, and 2) can keep up his ridiculous lucky streak of hard hits balls hit right at someone.
Reporter: "Joe, how closely were you following the Red Sox score on the scoreboard throughout the game?"
Girardi: "Well, I mean, it's hard not to see it. Our scoreboard's really big."
"Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bullshit that is." - Hank Steinbrenner
by Ella Grace on Sep 28, 2011 11:25 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t understand the point of all these “playoff roster” posts….Why don’t we just discuss when we actually find out what it is? And then give our opinions on what we agree or disagree.
"Unpleasant Internet Dude"
formerly known as "Rude Internet Guy"
why do we even go on a blog and discuss the Yankees?
Its not like we have any control over them and our enthusiasm will get us anywhere
Discussing
events or things that are happening or have happened is a little different than everyone and their mother speculating what the playoff roster should be, especially when it will be announced in less than 24 hours.
"Unpleasant Internet Dude"
formerly known as "Rude Internet Guy"
who cares
Discussing is all about opinions and that’s the point of this post: to talk about opinions. When the real thing comes out everyone will have their opinion about that too
Royals lefty Bruce Chen is among Boston’s trade targets as they consider acquiring a starter for a potential Thursday play-in game
Please do this Theo, please. The Sox would have to give up something BIG to get anyone at this point and it would be for only 1 game.
Yankees should make a waiver claim on him if they try to clear him
by D1andonlyDman on Sep 28, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
just to be jerks? sure, why not?
Unfortunately, I think we would be the last AL team to get a shot at him (after TB and BOS)
he may have already cleared waivers
I don’t think they have to put the guy on waivers right before the trade. They just have to put him on waivers after August 1. The Royals might have already done that, and no one claimed him (because who would? It’s Bruce Chen!), so now he can be traded. If he does have to clear waivers, the Red Sox would get a shot at him before the Yankees would. But I wonder how it would work with the Rays – I’d think they would LOVE the chance to hit against Chen, but they’re also probably dying to get at Lackey.
by long time listener on Sep 28, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Hmmm
From the post:
25 Players: (11 hitters, 14 pitchers)
I can’t count any more..? Or am I missing something?
"Unpleasant Internet Dude"
formerly known as "Rude Internet Guy"
by david d on Sep 28, 2011 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
You need more than 11 hitters
I would say you will only put 12 pitchers and 13 position players on the staff
Burnett
Like it or not, they will carry him in the LDS because he is a flake and you don’t want to risk having him acting like a flake without confidence in a LCS start.
Barnd, I for once agree with you!
Pretty much have no complaints. Dickerson over Golson, Nunez over Pena both of which I agree with.
As for AJ and Freddy, I completely agree about both of them as well. I have a very strong feeling that the rotation spots are those two guys, and they’re deciding on who gets the start in the ALDS. Whoever gets the start makes the roster, the one who doesn’t start stays off the roster and prepares for an ALCS start. 100% agree with that.
I also hope that should they make it to the ALCS and then hopefully the World Series, they decide on CC 1-4-7, Nova 2-6 and then Garcia and Burnett get one start each in the other games. A traditional format would wind up having one of those two guys starting a deciding Game 7, and as big a fan as I’ve always been of AJ that idea simply terrifies me.
Ayala over Laffey though. For everything people like saying about him, he’s been here all year and kept his ERA under 2. He’s earned it.
Welcome to the Majors, Jesus!
Now PLAY HIM MOAR!!
About Ayala:
As long as he comes in with no one on base, he’s fine, but he’s allowed countless inherited runners to score.
Reporter: "Joe, how closely were you following the Red Sox score on the scoreboard throughout the game?"
Girardi: "Well, I mean, it's hard not to see it. Our scoreboard's really big."
"Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of bullshit that is." - Hank Steinbrenner
by Ella Grace on Sep 28, 2011 3:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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