Hughes gives the Yankees a glimpse

This is a good read from the Star-Ledger's Dan Graziano on the passing of Yankee Stadium.

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2008/09/yankee_stadium_has_a_feel_to_i.html

The Yankee bullpen is going to be pretty solid next year. It's just this darn starting pitching. At least three of Sabathia, Sheets, Burnett, Mussina, Lowe, Pettitte and Pavano need to be signed. Hopefully it won't be more than one of the last three though.

I can't see it happening mind. There's just too many teams out there with a dearth of SP who'll be bidding on these guys

Sheets looks like he may be done for the year with elbow problems, just another sign the Yanks should stay away from him as a FA. Burnett is just as injury prone as Sheets well, but at least he has been able to stay healthy. Yanks should still be very leery about him.

I was nervous for Phil yesterday, but not a bad outing overall, sounds like he needs a out pitch to finish off hitters, that was what his problem was earlier in the season, can't quite finish hitters off. So Sheets may be done for the season? Yeah um the Yanks need to stay away from him, go with Burnett and of course CC. Awesome milestone for Alex!

Curt Scilling is at it again!

This Sunday's NY Times sports section is running a two-page salute to the Stadium with different people (me included) writing short pieces about their memories of the place. I'll post the link on my blog once it's up on their web site. I hear they've got an interesting variety of experiences, including an old interview with Steinbrenner about the first time he ever came to YS.

- http://janeheller.mlblogs.com

I thought it was Sheets' forearm giving im problems? He's exactly the type of guy Cashman likes...ton of potential, in a free-agent year, will command cash, & can't pitch an entire season. Yankees' fans welcome our '09 ace Ben " rub some tussin on my arm" Sheets.

According to MLB.com, it's his right elbow which has been causing him some discomfort.

cashman still works here?

arod 35HR 100RBI 100Runs 12 years is amazing

And you all still complain... now THAT'S amaing.

Bryan Hoch is right. Beyond Chien Ming Wang, who do we have next year? Wang, blank, blank, blank, blank. This is a really nice test for the GM next year. I'd slot Joba behind Wang ( assuming he is a starter ), sign CC or Burnett; Slot him third. Then I would sign Mussina to a deal, slot him fourth, and fill the five hole internally. Hughes, Aceves, Coke, Melancon, Ponson, Kennedy and Rasner are all candidates for the five spot. Hughes, Aceves and Coke will be the most likely candidates to win the spot. I like Aceves in that hole. The only uncertainties I have are:

Whether or not Joba will be starting.

Will Mussina be effective next year?

Can one of our youngsters be effective in the five whole?

As you can see, as time goes by, the first question will be answered, the other two need to be whittled down to none. Assuming Mussina is himself, then he would be good. Big IF. Same goes for the guy that toughs out the five spot. A Starting three of CC, Wang and Joba is powerful, but we still do not know if we'll sign CC and if Joba will be starting. Obviously we'll know soon, but I guess my point is we're right back to a rotation of question marks. Sounds familiar... ( 2007 ).

Thing is Melancon isn't a starter, he's a reliever, and a pretty good one who has been compared to Chamberlain. IF he has a good ST I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the pen probably pushing Chamberlain into the rotation. I seriously doubt either Rasner or Ponsoon will be back. I would rather see Hughes as the No. 5 than Aceves since he has better stuff and has more talent. Neither are proven commodities. What Aceves has been able to accomplish in his brief stint with the team doesn't guarantee him anything. Coke I can either see staying in the pen or back to the minors. I can definitely see this team giving Kennedy another shot as well, so that leaves Hughes, Aceves, and Kennedy for a shot at the No. 5 to fill out a possible rotation that includes Sabathia, Wang, Chamberlain, Mussina (?).

What's Johnny Damon doing having babies in the middle of a pennant race?

Was it John Flaherty who alluded last night to "the powerful Yankees lineup? The lineup has everyone fooled. They are a bunch of cripples hitters. They don't hit with men on base and pad their stats against weak bullpens.

Most teams have advanced scouts that file reports on upcoming teams and pitchers. Last night another young pitcher shut them down for most of the game. Either the advanced scouts are inept, or these players don't care to listen because that are "too good".

The organization has a history of pitchers and bad arms. Signing pitchers like Sheets or Burnett, who have had major arm problems would be a mistake. Sabathia is the one to go after. Sabathia, Wang, Joba, Mussina and Hughes for next year's rotation. Bullpen--Rivera(closer), Ramirez, Veras, Coke, Marte, Aceves. 12th spot--Kennedy or Giese until Melancon is ready to be the 8th inning guy.

Get a catcher from Texas. They will always take leftover pitching.

Play Nady at first with Posada playing alot there too. Alternate as DH.

Sign Abreu. I know many of you don't like him, by who has hustled more. He has put up quality numbers. Melky in center. Damon or Matsui in left(pick one-the other goes). Gardner on the team to pinch run and play once in awhile.

Need to get rid of Kevin Long, Bobby Meachem and Tony Pena. Chris Chambliss(hitting coach), Bernie Williams(first base coach), and Luis Sojo(third base coach).

I keep wondering why no one is suggesting Jon Garland from the Angels. He has been solid in his career. According to what I have read from baseball sources, he is a free agent, he has thrown 200 innings (or close) for the past 7 years. The Angels will be in a big hurt with money. They have to deal with KRod, Vlad, Lackey, and possibly Teixeira. On top of all this he is younger than Sheets and Burnett. I think Sabathia, Wang, Garland, Hughes, and Joba make up a pretty good rotation. I have seen enough of Kennedy and I'm hoping that the organization will not hesitate to put his name in any trade that will upgrade the team. If Mussina wants to come back, sign him for less than he is making and put Joba in the pen.

Congrats to Arod in passing the "Babe" I'd have to say Babe was more impressive, His homers came with a cotton filled ball not the one they use today. None the less it's still impressive! It's going to be quite an off season, Who will the Yanks sign? Will they get CC or Burnett. Maybe look to a Crawford or Upton For CF. They made a big mistake in not grabbing Aaron Rowland. Who knows, Only hope it's not CASH deciding, AND OUR COACHING STAFF IS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER... The pen is looking better..

haha the guy chipping away at the foul poll paint. What kind of souveneir is that? Maybe something like a bit of the turf, but a few flakes of yellow crap

Rayfe21, I couldn't agree with you more. I think they need to stay away from Sheets entirely. I know he has really good stuff and has proven to be a good SP, but he gets injured far too often. Burnett wouldn't be a bad target, granted he's had injury issues in the past, but for the majority of this season he's been healthy and looking really good, same thing with Rich Harden. Jon Garland on the other hand, has pitched 190+ innings in each season since 2002 (208+ IP in each of the past 4 seasons and is on pace to go over 200 IP again this season). The Yankees HAVE to get CC Sabathia, without a doubt. After CC, there will obviously be a lot of names floating around; including Sheets, Burnett, Garland, Dempster, Lowe, Harden (has an option for 2009 I think) and numerous other FA pitchers, as well as Mussina/Pettitte and other internal candidates such as Hughes, IPK, Coke, Aceves, Rasner, Ponson... but I don't see either of those last 2 names on the Yankees team come next season.

In my mind, the Yankees NEED to sign CC Sabathia, and then they NEED to sign AT LEAST 2/3 of the following names : Mussina, Pettitte, Burnett, Garland, Harden, Lowe or Dempster. The first 5 names on that list should be of a higher priority than Dempster and Lowe though, at least in my opinion. If those don't happen, the starting rotation is going to be in trouble yet again. There's ABSOLUTELY NO WAY this team will win with pitchers such as Ponson or Rasner holding down 40% of the rotation.

As for relievers, I think the bullpen will be a strength again for the Yankees, regardless if Joba is a starter or a reliever (although I personally think he should be transitioned into a full-time SP from here on out). Coke has come up to the bullpen and thrown the ball extremely well, maybe he gets a look as a lefty out of the pen. I think Marte should be re-signed as the lefty specialist (something this team has lacked and has desperately needed for some time now) combine Coke and Marte with Bruney, Ramirez, Veras and Rivera and that is the foundation of another solid bullpen. The only way I see Marte's option not getting picked up, is if the Yankees sign Fuentes (which isn't out of the question). I also think the Yankees will look into other relievers such as Will Ohmen, Rafael Soriano and Salomon Torres. I'm going to finish this long post, just so I can go into another long post lol.

Cano's swing has changed. He's square to the plate ( and therefore to the pitcher ) has a shorter stride and his swing is alot faster-- or compact, as K-Long put it. I guess K-Long has begun the refinement. Is it me, or does this team feel a lot YOUNGER today? I wouldn't mind feilding this lineup out there everyday! With the exception of having a good rotation... that rotation is horrible.

Miranda shows a good eye, but reminds me of Giambi with all the pulling. He has good power, but I would like to see him use the whole field. Brett Gardner's glove is better than most and has great range, but Melky beats him when it comes to arm strength. I think the position will go to the man with the better bat. In the end, if one of these guys shows better plate discipline, it'll be their job. I kind of like Melky better, since he is a switch hitter, but Gardner has more tools than Melky. Speed, Glove. Melky has Glove and some speed. Interesting battle for 09 Spring Training. As for first base... stay away from Teixeira! Trade for a young firstbaseman or sign Dunn-- if Miranda does good in ST, put HIM there, but PLEASE stay away from Teixeira! Let some other team get stuck with him for ten years.

As for the pitching, the 09 rotation could look like anything imaginable. My gut feeling tells me this though ( we'll see if Im right... my gut usually is ):

Wang
Burnett
Joba
Mussina
Hughes

Somehow, I do not see CC signing here. With all those West Coast rumors going around, maybe he will stick around. Giants won't sign him, L.A. won't sign him ( unless he pushes his price down ). Same thing with Anaheim. Anaheim has their hands full with K-Rod, Teixeira, Vladimir, and Lackey. If they let Lackey go, I see us jumping on him in a heartbeat.; He's a horse and has a firey mentality and would compliment Wang greatly.

I do not see the Cubs letting go of Harden, though if the Angels do go after CC, I see Garland being the odd man out there. Garland could come here in the event they turn him down.

As you can see, endless possibilties. They have second guessing my gut. LOL

As for the rest of the Yankees (pitchers not included), I think there's a decent amount that needs to happen, but not nearly as much as everyone thinks. I think the Yankees should try to re-sign Abreu for another 1-2 yrs. for $11-13mil/yr with incentives to make it just about the $16mil/yr he gets now. Why do I think they should re-sign Abreu? Well it's simple. They really don't have a replacement for him that can hit in the 3 hole and produce like he has consistently produced since he came to New York (and even prior to being in New York), and he does play an adequate RF. There are also 2 other outfielders that could be looked into, and SHOULD be looked into, and they are Carl Crawford and Josh Hamilton (Hamilton roaming CF for the next 5-6 yrs would be AMAZING). Hamilton has been a force offensively and defensively this season and Crawford is a stud all around as well. Damon and Matsui are both entering the last year in their respective contracts, and I really don't think either one of them will be back with the Yankees after 2009 (Damon I think has a better chance though out of the 2, due to his ability to stay healthy and be a very good lead-off hitter). Giambi is gone, and Teixeira is signed as his replacement. That may seem crazy to a lot of people, but seeing as about $90 million is coming off of the Yankees' payroll, there's no way they won't have the money OR the desire to sign a young 1B that switch hits for BOTH power and average, AND plays GOLD GLOVE defense. The Yankees DEFINITELY re-sign Nady, and keep him on the team for the next 5+ seasons. I don't really know what to do with the catching situation for next season though. Molina is not an everyday starting catcher, and I'm not totally sure how effective Posada will be when he's healthy and recovered from his surgery (in a perfect world, he'd be able to catch 120+ games next season, but I highly doubt that will happen). It might not be a bad idea to re-sign Pudge as insurance, if the situation calls for it and it makes sense (a 1 yr contract worth $6-8 mil wouldn't be unreasonable). Or, the Yankees could try to acquire Laird, Teagarden or Saltalamacchia from the Rangers.
If you look towards the Yankees' bench, I think a few changes can be made as well, that could help fortify the bench. The Yankees should consider signing a player such as Nick Punto, to allow for added versatility in the IF and the ability to give players a day off. Betemit is not a bad player, regardless of what some people may think. I still believe trading for him was a very good move, look at Proctor now. A bench including Punto and Betemit, as well as Melky, Matsui and Betemit would be the foundations for a great bench that would allow Girardi to work with the lineup a little more than he's been able to, without having to worry about production.

Bronxkidd, I highly doubt ANYONE will give Teixeira a 10 yr. contract. A 5-6 yr. contract is more appropriate. Garland has already said he'll be testing the FA market. I think the Angels will have their hands full just dealing with Vlad, K-rod and Lackey, before they even attempt to think about Teixeira OR CC.

Maybe they feel a lot younger next to guys like Thome and Griffey, these Sox are staggering into the postseason. I wouldn't bet against the Yanks having a better record by the end of the season. The Twins are in the process of losing 5 straight, the central has been such a rubbish division

Huuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmberto time! He's a giant...

This Humberto guy reminds me alot of Joba. He actually keeps his arm though. Joba seems to throw his arm to the plate along with the ball. Cheese... absolute cheese.

IF MOOSE GETS 19 IN HIS NEXT OUTING IS HE INLINE TO THROW THE LAST GAME AGAINST BOSTON? ALL I ASK DEAR LORD IS THE YANKEES DON'T DROP A GAME AND THE SOX GO AT MIN 3-4 UNTILL THE YANKEES SERIES TO MAKE IT EXCITING AT THE VERY LEAST.

If moose pitches on the 23rd (i think) then he'd be in line to pitch the 28th @ Fenway, the last game of the season

I should add the start against Toronto is TBA. Presumably they're not going to give it to Hughes or Ponson

The off day should make it possible. I don't see why Phil doesn't get the start I think he'll prove to be better or efficient.

Even with the off day, Moose is in line for 2 more starts, 1 vs. Toronto and the other vs the Red Sox on the last day of the season. Hmmm... wouldn't that be awesome, Moose getting his 20th W on the last day of the season vs. the Red Sox. :)

This team should stay as far away from Harden as possible. He is just as injury-prone if not more considering the nature of his injuries in the past. He missed the first month of the season while with the A's and recently missed his last start because his arm had been bothering him. He has only pitched a full season once back in '04 and this season is the second highest innings total he has put together in one season. Harden is not the type of starting pitcher this team needs. If this team foolishly goes after him it should only be for bullpen help and nothing more just to extend his career.

This team needs to dump Betapuke, I don't care how a pitcher turns out down the road, trading a valuable commodity like a relief pitcher for a mediocre bench player is always a mistake. That's the equivalent of a football team trading a starting WR for a punter. This team needs a player like Casey Blake who has shown this season that he can actually rake the ball, and can provide offense off the bench as his .279 BA and 21 HRs prove, unlike Betapuke whose numbers are deceiving because of his limited ABs. Getting rid of Betapuke and adding Blake would add far more pop off the bench, something this team could have used considering the offensive struggles of the team.

3 out of 4 wins against Chisox, two out of 3 wins vs. the Rays. Where the hell has this team been all year?

bye bye postseason

This trainwreck of a season is ending soon. We seem to be playing well now though, all it took was being effectively eliminated.

It's likely safe to say Cashman has a lot of explaining to do if he wants to keep his job. Either way, we should decide our GM for next year ASAP, he should start working for next year right away.

Boston did it in 06, they rebuilt while we got our brains beat in in the ALDS, and in 07 they won it all while we went and got our brains beat in in the ALDS again. Now we have to do the same.

Adding Casey Blake wouldn't be a bad idea, but we'd still need someone to spell Jeter for a day or 2. Blake can't play SS, so who would?

It's quite amazing all these possible FA pitchers' names being thrown about quickly followed by "stay away from him, he's injury prone..." Burnett, Sheets, Harden? Quick note to all DEREK LOWE WILL BE 36 NEXT YEAR. He's played on a crappy team and had a mid/upper 3 era in the weakest division in the league. Do we want anohter old NL pitcher? NO NO NO NO. Listen, let's face it. Moose will be back. I'll guarantee it. Unless HE decides to retire they will give him atleast a 1/1 deal. So far that makes Wang, Moose. Pettitte has expressed and interest in pitching in the new park. This year not withstanding, I think he wants to come back. He's a competitor, and Matt, say what you will but there is something to be said for a pitcher who CAN PITCH SUCCESSFULLY in NY. Look at who has proven they CANT over the years??? And almost every one of you here were nailing Moose's coffin this time last year. I put Pettitte at better than 50/50 to return. That's two strong veterans and one young CY arm. Wang, Moose, AP. You can all carp about it but reason will show you I am right whether YOU think it's right or not. There is no guarantee that CC will sign with us. Look at the Dodgers. They're going to the post season. They have a decent team for the division they are in. CC would EASILY win 20 or more out there where his family is, and where he's apparently building a house while Manny feasts on otherwise lackluster NLW pitching (he's batting .400 since he got there, think it's a STRONG division??? Maybe it was the haircut?) That leaves someone like MAYBE Garland. Didn't know he was an FA. I'd at least give him a look. Under 30. Seems to be durable. Certainly more consideration than Sheets. Burnett still worries me.

The only thing about Garland that scares me is his ERA......

Hughes is going to be great, I can feel it. He just needs another Spring to recooperate and return to the pitching he knows and has shown us in the past. I dig those glasses...?
http://theburghblues.mlblogs.com/

Sorry but What great past has Hughes shown us?? He had a couple of good starts last year then got hurt. He had a few brutal starts this year then got hurt. He had a ??? start a couple days ago- 4 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, what ever that is? In the mean time not trading him and Melky and whoever else cost the Yankees a meaningful send-off to Yankee Stadium. I would of taken the meaningfull send-off hands down. There are more PROSPECTS again this year- There will be NO MORE YANKEE STADIUM! Hope this send-off doesn't anger the past Yankee greats enough for them to put a curse on to the new stadium and future Yankee teams!

Hughes was pitching with the injury that's why he never looked right, and struggled he wasn't injured after.

OHHH I didn't realize he started the season injured and nobody stopped him from pitching for what 5 or 6 starts??? Sure.