Results tagged ‘ Freddy Garcia ’
Yankees want Garcia to return
Now that CC Sabathia’s situation has been taken care of, the Yankees may next turn some attention to right-hander Freddy Garcia. The pitcher’s agent, Peter Greenberg, told the New York Post that the Yankees have interest in Garcia’s return for 2012.
“There’s definitely interest on their part and there’s interest on Freddy’s part in coming back,” Greenberg said.
Garcia is a Type B free agent, so the Yankees would get draft pick compensation if they offer Garcia arbitration and he signs elsewhere.
With 6-man staff, rotation questions loom for Yanks
TORONTO — The decision to go to a six-man rotation isn’t as cut-and-dry as “it gives those veteran arms an extra day of rest.” Just ask Freddy Garcia, Sunday’s starter and a guy you’d think would be perfectly suited to get extra time in between starts. Talking to him Saturday, he sounded rather peeved at the idea that he has to wait so long to make his outings. Sure, he’s 34 and has probably already thrown more innings (136) than the Yankees expected to get from him all season.
But he doesn’t feel pitching on five- or six-days’ rest is in any way ideal.
“You want to pitch every five days, man,” Garcia (pictured left by The Associated Press) said. “You get used to pitching every five days. It’s too long. Seven days, it’s a long time. But, you know, that’s the way it is right now. You have to deal with that.”
Garcia and 38-year-old Bartolo Colon — who has thrown 156 innings so far — each have higher career ERAs on five days’ rest than they do with the standard four. But the bigest problem may be ace CC Sabathia, who has a 4.56 ERA in his last eight starts, with seven of those coming on extended rest.
“We have a six-man rotation, so what are you going to do?” Garcia said. “That’s what we got.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has kept his staff at six games for almost two months now, and he’ll keep it that way at least through Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Rays. After that, it’s time for some tough choices. Who will be sent to the bullpen? Who will make up the postseason rotation? And, perhaps most importantly, how is he going to make it so that CC starts Game 1 of the American League Division Series?
Girardi is dodging any postseason questions right now because he just wants to clinch first. But tough decisions are on the horizon.
If you had to pare the rotation down to four for the playoffs right now, who would it be? …
– Alden
Game 132: Yankees at Orioles
August 29, 2011 – Oriole Park at Camden Yards — 7:05 p.m. ET (YES, WCBS 880 AM)
YANKEES (79-52)
Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez SS
RHP Freddy Garcia (10-7, 3.16)
ORIOLES (53-78)
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Mark Reynolds 1B
Ryan Adams 2B
Nolan Reimold LF
Robert Andino 3B
RHP Alfredo Simon (4-6, 4.30)
Umpires: HP – Vic Carapazza, 1B – Laz Diaz, 2B – John Hirschbeck (CC), 3B – Wally Bell.
Garcia’s cut finger clears up Yankees rotation drama
Freddy Garcia has been scratched from his scheduled start Sunday.
As such, Garcia has been scratched from Sunday’s scheduled start against the Rays. Burnett will go instead, manager Joe Girardi said. Girardi said that Garcia cut it four or five days ago in a kitchen accident and was unable to throw his split on flat ground today.
“I’m not sure when we’ll get Freddy back,” Girardi said. “It’s not real deep, but it’s where he throws his split. It rubs on his split on the side of his finger, so the decision was made.”
The Yankees’ pitching plans at Kansas City, thus, are as follows –
Monday: Ivan Nova
Tuesday: Bartolo Colon
Wednesday: CC Sabathia
So… what if Hughes pitched well today and Garcia had been completely healthy?
“I don’t have to answer that question. That’s the beauty of this,” Girardi said.
Game 107: Yankees vs. White Sox
CHICAGO — Greetings from U.S. Cellular Field, the first of a whopping 21 road games this month, and the first of a week that will finish at Fenway Park.
Derek Jeter is out of the Yankees’ lineup after being hit by a pitch in his right middle finger on Sunday, and the competition between Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova is seemingly on. The Yankees announced they were going with a six-man rotation this week, with Nova — who gave up two runs in seven innings during his big league return on Saturday — starting Thursday, Bartolo Colon sliding back to Friday, CC Sabathia pitching on normal rest Saturday and Freddy Garcia getting the nod on six days’ rest Sunday.
More on that later, but just know this: Hughes’ Tuesday start is a big one. He knows it, and they know it.
In other news, Alex Rodriguez (knee surgery) is slated to be in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday and plans to resume workouts by Thursday. How long would it take for him to get back once he starts those workouts? Joe Girardi wouldn’t say, but mid-August is at least looking good.
Here are your lineups …
YANKEES (64-42)
Brett Gardner, LF
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Eric Chavez, 3B
Jorge Posada, DH
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Francisco Cervelli, C
Pitching: LH Sabathia (15-5, 2.56 ERA)
WHITE SOX (52-54)
Juan Pierre, LF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Carlos Quentin, DH
Adam Dunn, 1B
Alex Rios, CF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Gordon Beckham, 2B
Brent Lillibridge, RF
Brent Morel, 3B
Pitching: RH Jake Peavy (4-4, 5.27 ERA)
– Alden
If Phil is right, do the Yankees need Ubaldo?
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — That’s the question I’m pondering from St. Pete, just a few hours before the start of a four-game series against the Rays and just a few hours removed from a very convincing start by Phil Hughes.
Hughes looked awfully close to that 18-game winner from 2010 against the Blue Jays on Sunday, when he notched his first win and first quality start, retired eight of his final nine hitters he faced and registered just 80 pitches through six innings. He could’ve gone longer, but Hughes (pictured left by The Associated Press) went deep enough to make a very important point — he looks like an effective starting pitcher again.
Over the All-Star break, the right-hander worked with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on better aligning his stride towards the plate and adjusting his curveball grip. That grip gave him a much sharper breaking ball he was able to use as a reliable No. 2 pitch to offset his four-seamer (one that consistently sat in the 92- to 93-mph range and got better as the game wore on).
Now, the question: If Hughes truly is back, and he’s the 2010 version again, do the Yankees need Ubaldo Jimenez?
Here’s the thing about Jimenez: Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd doesn’t really have to move him. It reminds me a lot of the situation with Padres closer Heath Bell in recent years. Jimenez is under club control for a while (signed through 2012 with two additional club options thereafter), he’s awfully affordable (making no more than $8 million through 2014) and his stock is rather low (Jimenez is 5-8 with a 4.08 ERA in 18 starts this year — though he does have a 2.56 ERA since the start of June).
Since the Rockies are 9 1/2 games out of first place and the starting-pitching market is weak, it’s not surprising they would shop him. But considering all the above-mentioned factors, it’s no wonder Colorado seeks the sun and the moon for the services of Ubaldo (pictured right by the AP).
MLB.com colleague Thomas Harding says the Rockies are at least listening to offers for Jimenez, but a deal remains unlikely. Peter Gammons, meanwhile, put the chances of a deal at 10 percent. We all know how quickly things can change as the non-waiver Trade Deadline draws closer, though.
With regards to the Yankees, the names that have surfaced as potential pieces to a deal are the likes of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Ivan Nova and Jesus Montero (though SI.com is reporting today that Montero wouldn’t be the centerpiece of the potential trade, since the Rockies don’t view him as a catcher).
Now, if Hughes is right, then the Yankees would have an in-house rotation of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Hughes at the top, with the final spots going to any two between Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Nova.
Would they still need Jimenez to make a return trip to the playoffs? And would it be worth it to give up what the Rockies would want in return?
Curious to hear your thoughts.
Some links from the series finale in Toronto …
* Efficient Hughes looks strong in first win
* Yankees Notebook, on Gardner, Dickerson, Teixeira and A-Rod
* Yankees intend to push Rays down standings
– Alden
Game 91: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
TORONTO — Joe Girardi didn’t expect his bullpen to log so many innings so quickly into the second half. But two games removed from the All-Star break, the Yankees’ skipper already finds himself needing a long, bullpen-saving start from ace CC Sabathia. The Yankees’ relief corps logged 7 1/3 innings on Thursday, then three more on Friday. In that span, five different relievers were used, with Sergio Mitre going twice. Because of that, Mitre won’t be available today, and there’s a good chance neither will Hector Noesi, who’s two days removed from pitching 3 1/3 frames.
“It happens during the course of the season and you just have to prepare for it,” Girardi said. “You need some distance out of your ace today, and that’s the bottom line. And I think we’re covered. But if something were to happen to CC in the first inning, then it’d be a little tough today.”
Lucky for Joe, Sabathia is one of the best second-half pitchers in baseball.
Or perhaps the best.
In terms of second-half performance from 2006-10, Sabathia leads all Major League starters who qualify in ERA (2.64), wins (41) and strikeouts (490). For his career, the burly left-hander has a 3.67 first-half ERA and a 3.31 second-half ERA. Now, he’ll be looking to get the Yankees back on track after they dropped back-to-back games, and look to snap the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak.
A lot of the talk pregame, once again, centered on signs. Russell Martin claimed the Blue Jays were picking up his signs on Thursday. Then last night, Girardi opted to go with multiple signs even with nobody on base, which led to a lot of mound trips and some confusion that may have taken Freddy Garcia out of rhythm (though nobody really used that as an excuse). Pregame today, Girardi vaguely addressed the issue of teams taking other measures besides their own baserunners to pick up signs, saying: “Sometimes we have inclinations that things might be happening in certain ballparks. We’re aware of it, and we try to protect our signs.” Blue Jays skipper John Farrell then denied that any of that is going on at Rogers Centre.
More on that soon.
For now, here are the lineups, with Jose Bautista still out for the Blue Jays and day-to-day with a sore ankle. It’s looking like he won’t play on Sunday, either. Curtis Granderson has the day off from the turf, and Martin gets a blow behind the plate with the quick turnaround …
YANKEES (53-37)
Derek Jeter, SS
Granderson, DH
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Andruw Jones, LF
Brett Gardner, CF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Pitching: LH Sabathia (13-4, 2.72 ERA)
BLUE JAYS (47-47)
Rajai Davis, CF
Eric Thames, RF
Yunel Escobar, SS
Adam Lind, 1B
Edwin Encarnacion, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Travis Snider, LF
J.P. Arencibia, C
John McDonald, 3B
Pitching: LH Ricky Romero (7-8, 3.09 ERA)
Some links from last night …
* Garcia bested on night to forget for Yanks
* Yankees Notebook, with stuff on Nunez’s learning curve, Jeter’s popularity and Colon’s health
* Martin blames himself if Blue Jays knew signs
– Alden
Rotation spot gives Garcia some relief
Freddy Garcia exhaled at his locker this morning when someone congratulated him on being named the Yankees’ fifth starter.
“Thank you,” Garcia said. “Finally.”
A notoriously poor spring performer, Garcia knew he had to have a decent Grapefruit League to win a rotation spot. He wasn’t fantastic, posting a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings, but it was obviously good enough.
“I’ve been working really hard this spring to be here,” Garcia said. “They made a decision. I’m the No. 5 starter and we’ll go from there.”
Garcia came into camp battling with Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre and Bartolo Colon for a roster spot. Nova won the No. 4 job and Colon’s strong spring displaced Mitre, who was dealt to the Brewers on Friday for outfielder Chris Dickerson. Garcia said he couldn’t take anything for granted.
“You never know. I’m not the one making the decision,” Garcia said. “For me, I worked really hard. They’re looking for two guys to help them for the next six months. I think I can do that, so I think they made the right decision.”
Bryan Hoch
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