New York Yankees News: Waiting on Burnett & Early Tampa Arrivals

by Travis G on Feb 14, 2012 6:07 AM EST in New York Yankees News

A.J. Burnett... Pittsburgh... probably gonna happen... yada, yada, yada

Assuming the trade happens, where would Burnett rank in terms of all-time Yankees busts? (Hey, he stayed healthy, which is more than Carl Pavano can say.)
Some of the early arrivals to Tampa include The Captain, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Justin Maxwell, Ivan Nova, Ramiro Pena, Dave Robertson, Austin Romine and Cory Wade, according to LoHud.
Alex Belth profiled one of the forgotten new members of the team: RHP Hiroki Kuroda. It's a really great read that deserves your attention.
EJ Fagan previewed the 2012 bullpen over at TYA.
It looks like Hector Noesi will finally get a real shot to be a starter in Seattle.
David Ortiz and the Red Sox agreed on a one-year, $14.6M contract.
I get dozens of emails each week about one thing or another to promote, but this one is actually unique and intriguing: A place to find (and then play) recreational sports in your area. We spend so much time watching sports that we often forget that they began because people enjoyed playing them.

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kevin brown, pavano, igawa, jaret wright will always be some of the worst signings ever. However I will put AJ just a step above these guys because his ability to stay healthy, how many games did wright pitch for us….15? Still angry about him.

Also AJ has pitched pretty well in october so he has that for him too and was a pretty big part of the WS run.

by DOC CARTER on Feb 14, 2012 6:48 AM EST reply actions

it could be worse

he could be lackey

by DOC CARTER on Feb 14, 2012 6:49 AM EST up reply actions

THIS

overall, yea not one of Cashman’s best signing, but at least he did have some highlights with us, the fact he stayed healthy for three years when probably none of us expected him to, and he was a positive clubhouse force.

by GriffMan on Feb 14, 2012 7:15 AM EST up reply actions

You’re thinking of Pavano, not Wright

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Feb 14, 2012 8:39 AM EST up reply actions

Pavano was made of glass ur right

but Jaret wright was made of that suger glass they use in movies, so much softer. I cant remember a game when Jaret actually pitched never mind pitched well.

by DOC CARTER on Feb 14, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

Wright: 40 GS over two years
Pavano: 26 GS over four years

I’m pretty certain I saw Wright win a game in Baltimore in 2006 actually. I also remember a short span of time when he took several hard comebackers, it was like guys were aiming for him.

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Feb 14, 2012 9:57 AM EST up reply actions

Kevin Brown was a good trade. He was coming off a great year, and the Yankees (having just let Pettitte walk and watching Clemens retire and un-retire) needed a starting pitcher to take them back to the WS.

He was good in 2004, but too stubborn to admit he couldn’t take the ball in the playoffs. Then again, who else was going to take the ball? Javy Vazquez? Obviously, scapegoating for 2004 and punching a wall earn him a lot of ire, but when he was on the mound he gave us everything he had.

"Love and fighting... Love and fighting, and a little wine. Then you are always young, always happy."
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by jscape2000 on Feb 14, 2012 9:08 AM EST up reply actions

javier vazquez?

I know we traded for him, but i still see him as a bust.

by yanksrule on Feb 14, 2012 6:46 PM EST up reply actions

ummmm

if your talking about when we got him from ATL then yes, However it was only a year so not nearly as bad as the others I named who had pretty big contracts. But the first time around he was actually pretty good.

by DOC CARTER on Feb 14, 2012 6:58 PM EST up reply actions

HE'S A HEADCASE, THEY NEED TO CUT THEIR LOSSES NOW!!

"The pressure is more than double," says Yamakawa, who told me that Kuroda went to a doctor last summer when he was having trouble sleeping at night. Unbeknownst to his teammates Kuroda spent two nights in the hospital. The doctor said that stress was keeping him awake. "But he is good at switching his mind when he’s on the mound," Yumokura said.

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Feb 14, 2012 8:45 AM EST reply actions

But, seriously…good article, thanks for linking it.

This has got to be a good thing:

the pitcher will be reunited with his old catcher Russell Martin. "He was sad when Martin left," says Yumokura. He said that ‘Martin is the only catcher for me.’"

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Feb 14, 2012 8:47 AM EST up reply actions

The worst signings are those that you know are idiotic from day one, and for some reason the team doesn't...

See Jaret Wright. Javier Vazquez round 2. Rafael Soriano, Steve Karsay, Pedro Feliciaino, Damaso Marte and any other 30-something middle reliever on a multi-year deal.

Then there are signings that are based on sound logic but just don’t work out for some reason. Carl Pavano, Javier Vazquez round 1. These were two guys who looked like they could help us but didn’t.

A third category would be signings that weren’t bad in their own right, but look bad in the context of what else was available. Choosing Gary Sheffield over Vlad Guerrero, for example.

A.J. falls into a fourth category. Overpay. These are players with some value who the Yankees just paid a lot more than they were worth in terms of money and years. A-Rod is the ultimate overpay. A.J. was a guy who had been inconsistent his entire career, but to acquire him, the Yankees needed to pay him like a star, and they decided to, despite his flaws.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Feb 14, 2012 8:52 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

This.

"Love and fighting... Love and fighting, and a little wine. Then you are always young, always happy."
My Blog | Twitter

by jscape2000 on Feb 14, 2012 9:09 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I'd agree with this

Given how important he was to that ‘09 title, I just can’t put AJ on a bust list. Not the greatest contract, but far better than some of those listed

Re: Sheffield, wasn’t the choice there between Shef and Carlos Beltran?

by Dr. Copp on Feb 14, 2012 9:32 AM EST up reply actions

I think Carlos Beltran was the following year, because remember he became a big free agent after the show he displayed in the playoffs with the Astros.

by Cinemanrt on Feb 14, 2012 12:15 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with most of this

except that Javy Vazquez part 2, no one could really see that coming. Dead arm and ineffective halfway through the season? Based on his previous year in Atlanta, that was a good trade that just turned out to be a bust.

I agree with Dr. Copp in that I don’t necessarily consider AJ a bust, just not a good contract that looks worse when his true value presents itself on the field (innings eater, but inconsistent).

I’d rank Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano as the biggest busts in the last 12 years considering the number of games they collectively pitched for the Yankees in the MLB. Igawa (between 2007 and 2008, he pitched in 16 games, started 13) and Pavano (between 2005 and 2008, he pitched in 26 games, including 0 in 2006) combined for 42 total games (217.1 IP over a collective 6 seasons). That’s just sad.

by phonty on Feb 14, 2012 9:56 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, pretty much!

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"
ImNotAHRHitter

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Feb 14, 2012 3:12 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with most of this, except I don’t think Vazquez round two was stupid and A.J. wasn’t an overpay.

Vazquez was coming off an amazing 2009 and was only asked to be a 4th starter, meanwhile the Braves offered 5 years, $80M for A.J. so it’s not like the Yankees outbid themselves for him. They needed pitching badly.

Getting paid $16.5M per year does not mean you’re getting paid like a star, but like an above average free agent, which is exactly what A.J. was. $16.5M a year is about 3-3.5 WAR per season to live up to the contract.

Contributing writer for Pinstripe Alley.
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by Frank Campagnola on Feb 14, 2012 7:22 PM EST up reply actions

The question was 'all time busts.' Reach back into your collective memory.

Hear Frank Costanza screaming at George Steinbrenner “Jay Buhner for Steve Kemp!!!”
How could we let this go?

Also, does anyone recall that we owned the version of Randy Johnson who couldn’t get through the 5th inning? Huge bust. How about Kenny Rogers, who was very good unless he was in pinstripes. Actually, a lot like Burnett in that he would be coasting along, 4 innings, 1 hit, and then be gone in the 5th, charged with 5 runs.

If you’re a fan of the 80s, I give you Roy Smalley, Butch Wynegar, Steve Sax, and the used- up but still game Phil Niekro.

by designatedquitter on Feb 14, 2012 2:31 PM EST reply actions

I don’t see what was wrong with that Johnson trade whatsoever.

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Feb 14, 2012 3:50 PM EST up reply actions

Maxwell

I hope Justin Maxwell gets serious consideration for the 5th OF spot on the 25 man roster. I know he and Andruw would be kind of redundant, but I like his power potential and he was absolutely mashing and deserving of a call-up last year before he got injured.

Against a tough LH pitcher, we could have him and Andruw in the lineup together occasionally or, at the very least, he’d be some decent RH pop off the bench late in games. I just think he deserves it after his performance in AAA last year. So much more upside than a player like Dickerson…

by ECClarke on Feb 14, 2012 4:41 PM EST reply actions