Weekend Odds and Ends

by jscape2000 on Feb 16, 2008 11:14 AM EST in New York Yankees News

I'm feeling a little under the weather today, so this is just a quicky.

Wang lost his arbitration hearing yesterday. Randy Levine:

"It should be noted that the $4 million figure which we submitted is the highest arbitration award ever for a first-time arbitration-eligible starting pitcher. Therefore, this should not be viewed as `a loss' for Chien-Ming Wang. He is a valuable member of our team and we felt that we had reflected this in our filing number."

Hank is running his mouth. And maybe preparing to run Brian Cashman out of town:

"My concern is the same that it's always been: I'd like to have a great ace pitcher like everybody else would," Steinbrenner said. "I'd love to have a Santana or a (Josh) Beckett. Hopefully that's not a move we should have made that I'm going to be (ticked off) about.

"I think by the end of the season, we could have that in Chamberlain."

No pressure, big guy.

Keep a close on Scott Kazmir's performance this season. The 2007 AL strikeout champ could be up for grabs. h/t MBTR.

It's a good thing that Joba and Andrew Brackman won't be diving back to firstbase very often.

Pete A. also has a hilarious story about Carl Pavano.

Click the link, I promise it's worth it.

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AL East Prospects

First off, hope you feel better, everyone seems to be coming down with something lately.

Secondly, I am curious to hear thoughts on the Yanks prospects for the upcoming season. I think both the Yankees and Red Sox have a false sense of security with their starting rotations (more so with the Sox than the Yankees). But each lineup should be strong enough to mask any weakness on the front end. Maybe I am too doom and gloom, but I don't think the Yanks have what it takes to get it done this year. In the end, the Yanks lose out by 2 games in the division and take the Wild Card. But neither the Yanks or the Red Sox will represent the AL in the fall classic.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 16, 2008 12:17 PM EST reply actions

well then

why bother even watching?

sheesh.

I start every season with unbridled optimism. Whether there is reason to or not. Just because.

Secondly, I don't think that it's easy to predict a winner before the season has even started. Who knows who gets hot in October? Who goes down with injuries (remember last spring?) Who collapses after a 14 game lead? Who knows? That is the beauty of sports.

2006 St. Louis Cardinals anyone? 2007 NY Football Giants? (different sport but fresh in my mind).

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Feb 16, 2008 4:03 PM EST up reply actions

Re:

Let's also remember that it was the Boston Red Sox who completely collapsed at the end of 2006 and finished in 3rd Place behind Toronto.

The Red Sox were anything the prohibitive favorites to win the World Series one year ago today and the same argument can be applied with the Cardinals in 2006 and the White Sox in 2005.

by anaconda on Feb 16, 2008 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

Well

I think the Yanks are going to take it all. Until they're mathematically eliminated, I'm going to keep thinking that.

The Yanks definitely have a shaky rotation, but unlike other years, I think they've got enough quality depth in the minors to deal with anything short of an '07-esque disaster with the entire rotation on the DL.

The Red Sox have the same concerns with less minor league depth to cover it. But they still have plenty of pitchers for an average season injury-wise. The Red Sox barely held off the Yanks for the division last season, and we put 5 or 6 different starters on the DL, most of them all at once. The division crown was ours, and like Mouth in Goonies, we're taken it back.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Feb 16, 2008 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

Kaz

Kazmir will never be traded within the division. Most likely destinations would be Cubs, Angels, Mariners, etc.

by The Professor on Feb 16, 2008 5:58 PM EST reply actions

I can't even muster the energy

to make a comment on the Pavano situation other than this: The Yankees should excuse him from spring training. Does anybody really need to see that guy around the clubhouse?

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Feb 16, 2008 6:28 PM EST reply actions

Seriously

I don't like having him around.

He could run over Joba's foot in the parking lot or something. And the girls Glass Carl hangs out with are like Kim Basinger from The Natural - hot but bad news. Hope he doesn't take them to any parties.

Then again maybe it's good for the kids to see up close what an MLB douchebag looks like - kind of a scared straight program.

by matthaggs on Feb 16, 2008 7:34 PM EST up reply actions

that has to be true

The Yankees offered him something to keep him out of this situation and he declined. What a buffoon. My understanding is that Pavano is just about the only Yankee in recent history to get such horrible treatment (and we've had some players who were fairly well disliked by a lot of people and they were still not ostracized like he is).

I can't see any of the kids becoming what he has become. I hope they all steer clear of him. I can't see them not unless they feel sorry for him seeing as how everyone else treats him like a pariah. I could see some of the kids just trying to be nice. I hope they stay away. Far away.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Feb 16, 2008 8:12 PM EST up reply actions