Kuzul

For years now we at Yankees ‘n More have been writing, at one point or another during the given baseball season, that Mariano Rivera seems to be getting better with age. In an excellent post to his 3UP blog at the New York Post, Joel Sherman has the numbers to back up our contention.

From Sherman’s Post:

“But here is yet another remarkable fact about Rivera: He is arguably as good as ever and showing few signs of losing effectiveness (so maybe he really can pitch until he is 50). Over the past three years, Rivera has a 1.64 ERA. It is not only the best in the majors for that period (minimum 150 appearances), but it is the best three-year run at any time in Rivera’s Hall of Fame career. Think about that, his age 38-40 seasons have been better – at least ERA wise – than any other three-year run in his career.

“The second-best was a 1.66 he put up from 2003-05 (his age 33-35 seasons). He put up a 1.71 from 2004-06 (34-36) and a 1.87 from 1997-99 (27-29). The only other time he was under 2.00 for a three-year period was his first three seasons as a full-time closer, 1996-98, when Rivera posted a 1.98 ERA.”

One of these years, of course, Rivera will be done, either by choice or age (finally) catching up to him. Some day, and sooner rather than later, the New York Yankees are going to be forced to find a way to win without one of the greatest advantages the game has ever seen.

Count that as just one more reason why the very thought of declaring an Ivan Nova or Eduardo Nunez the deal-breaker in a potential Cliff Lee trade last season was utter nonsense. When you have a chance to basically lock down another World Series title before Mo drifts off into retirement or ineffectiveness, you don’t let guys like Nova or Nunez stand in the way!

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

New York first baseman Mark Teixeira killed any thought the Yankees (or more likely, some Yankees fans) might have had about including him in a trade that would land Albert Pujols in pinstripes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Teixeira said when asked about the possibility of his being included in a trade. “I got that no-trade for a reason. I’m going to be buried in these pinstripes.”

Good for Teixeira, who has been a guy who has embraced everything about being a Yankee from the moment he showed up in New York, and perhaps even longer than that.

More importantly, good for the Yankees. Is Albert Pujols a better player than Mark Teixeira right now? Yes, he is. Is there enough of a gap between the two to justify the massive difference between Tex’s current deal (six-year and about $140 million remaining) and what will likely be required to sign Pujols (nine-10 years for at least $250-275 million)? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Just think of what the Yankees could do with that extra $110-135 million, all while continuing to enjoy the benefits provided by the guy who is perhaps the best all-around first baseman in the American League.

The Yankees have plenty of needs right now, especially for a team that invests the resources they do, but first base ain’t one of them.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

As you likely know by now, thanks to reports in Tuesday morning’s New York Daily News and New York Post, CC Sabathia currently holds a GIGANTIC hammer—by way of his end-of-season opt-out clause—over the heads of the entire New York Yankees organization.

What’s most interesting about this…oops…I’m sorry. Did I say interesting?

I meant what’s most damning about this whole thing is that general manager Brian Cashman is not only the one who basically forced Sabathia to hold the hammer, but also the one responsible for making it so ginormous.

When asked about Sabathia’s opt-out clause on Monday, Cashman again admitted that the whole thing was his idea. He just “threw in” the opt-out clause, he says, as a way of making sure Sabathia was “comfortable” with New York.

And remember, after Sabathia signed his deal, he said was “100% committed to New York” and that he neither asked for or even needed an opt-out clause.

It was all Cashman’s brilliant idea.

Now, sources from those previously mentioned reports say Sabathia will indeed use that opt-out clause, but not because he doesn’t like New York.

He will use it because, quite frankly, he’d have to be a moron if he didn’t use it.

At the end of this season, Sabathia will be 31 years old and have four years and a total of $94 million remaining on his current deal. Consider that Cliff Lee, who is 32, just signed a five-year, $120 million contract with the Phillies and many believe he left at least some money on the table.

So, what does Sabathia get, assuming reasonable health, when he opts out of his current deal? A conservative guess would be at least six years and $140 million. That’s a minimum of two extra years (at ages 36 and 37) and another $56 million worth of risk the Yankees will be forced assume thanks to Cashman’s opt-out idea.

And here’s the real kicker: Thanks to Cashman’s inability to provide the Yankees with any real options over the last two-plus years since Sabathia signed his deal, New York’s ace has the team completely over a barrel.

In this story from Tuesday’s Journal News, the Yankees’ current rotation was referred to as “remarkably thin.”

So short of something really dramatic, the Bombers are going to be forced to give Sabathia basically whatever he wants or go ace-less.

What we are really dealing with here is multiple levels of incompetence on the part of Cashman compounding themselves into a real problem for the Yankees.

First, Cashman gave Sabathia the hammer by volunteering the opt-out clause, then he turned it into a sledgehammer by failing to provide any other options for the franchise that provides Cashman with never-before-seen resources with which to do his job.

There is a sliver of good news for the Yankees in all of this. At almost exactly the same time Sabathia figures to be wielding his GM-provided and enhanced weapon, Cashman’s current contract will expire.

Here’s hoping Hal Steinbrenner has been paying attention to just how much Cashman’s incompetence has cost and damaged his late father’s most-prized possession. After all, not only is Cashman the one who gave Sabathia his giant hammer, he’s also the one who turned the Yankees into a $200 million underdog.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

Let’s play a little game.

I’m going to give you a quote from Brian Cashman. It has been transcribed, as best as humanly possibly, word for word and stammer for stammer. The quote comes from a Tuesday afternoon Cashman interview on the Michael Kay show on ESPN radio in New York. Read the quote, then see if you can guess the question that was asked, which will be revealed at the end.

CASHMAN’S QUOTE:
“Listen, you know, as long as I can handle the, the media (Cashman laughs and Kay interjects: “you do that just fine.”) Alri… ya know… uh… di… but… after… you know… listen… I think that… I like what I do. I think I’ve gotten, maybe, better, over time, I understand the job better, I understand the people and the processes better. I think we’ve gotta a good structure and philosophy that we’ve put in place. And think we’ve, you know, my job is to hire good people to help me make, you know, better decisions, and I think we’ve got a good system, so let’s put it this way: Uh, ya, I like what I do as long as… it’s not easy… as long as I can take it, you know, both mentally and physically, and that we’re, if we’re successful with the decisions that I, I make, uh… but, at the same time if at any point I become a problem, where, for instance, the job’s not getting done to the best of its abilities, I think, the thing I’m proud about is I think we’ve got a system now in place that you know, hey, uh… we can promote people on various levels. Uh… If we lose our amateur scouting director to a GM job, I think, you know, we have people, you know, that, that can step up and step in ‘cause we’ve trained ‘em well. Just like if I lost out and they wanted to take me out, and something happened at that level, I think we have people here in place that can step up and replace me and I think that, you know, we have a great farm system, we have great players, that’s what it’s all about, on the field, we have a tremendous manager now and coaching staff  (illegible) awesome ownership… So I think that, there’s a hell of a system here in place that uh, whether I’m here, or somebody else, it’ll thrive, and uh, and I’m proud to be a part of it., and uh, and, but, at the same time, I’ll be proud to watch from a distance if somebody decided it’s time for me not to be here. But uh, that’s not stuff we’re dealing with, and, and, thankfully, and, and uh, I’m happy, and look forward to being here for, uh, as long as it works, and uh, but I’m also not afraid if it doesn’t work, you know, I’m a big boy, too, I understand all that, that comes with it. It’s not an easy job, and, you know, some years I’ve done better than others, but I’m (big breath) one thing is, I’m always trying, and will keep, that’s the Yankee way, and that’s the way George wanted it. You gotta keep fightin’, and you’re not going to be successful all the time, but you better be in it, you know, just like I’m talking about Andy (Pettitte) earlier, you gotta be all-in, and, and ya, we’re, at this stage, I’m all-in, no doubt about it.”
 
Did you make it through? Are you still awake? Did you set yourself on fire, like the guy who couldn’t stand to listen to any more of one passenger’s long, boring story in the Airplane! movie?
 
Assuming you made it this far, can you guess the question asked that prompted such a long journey of an answer from Cashman.
 
Believe it or not, that was Cashman’s answer when Michael Kay, speaking to Brian’s being the GM of the Yankees, asked him, and I quote: “Do you wanna be here long term?”
 
That was it! That’s the ENTIRE question. All seven words of it! Have you ever seen ANYBODY go so far out of the way to answer such a direct and simple question?
 
The answer, if Cashman truly wants to be the Yankees GM, is a very simple one to answer. Do you wanna be here long term? ANSWER: Yes! Or, perhaps, ABSOLUTELY! You only take the scenic route Cashman took if you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer the question.

It’s not as if Kay asked Cashman if he THINKS he’ll be the Yankees GM long term. He only asked if he WANTED to be the Yankees GM long term.

Break it down into parts and think about how often Cashman’s filibuster of an answer proved somewhere between far off-topic and absurd.

Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “We have a good manager and coaching staff.’

Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “We have a good farm system.”

Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “I like what I do and I think I’ve gotten better.”

Hey, Brian, do you wanna be here long term? “I think we can replace our amateur scouting director if he gets a GM job.”

And while we’re at it, and In the interest of saving SOME time, riddle me this, Brian. What exactly does “the way George wanted it,” and “hiring good people,” and the Yankees “having a good structure and philosophy in place,” and having “great players on the field” have to do with “do you wanna be here long term?”
 
Perhaps the closest Cashman came to actually answering the very direct question came in the final words of his filibuster. 
 
KAY: “Do you wanna be here long term.” CASHMAN: “… AT THIS STAGE, I’m all-in.” 
 
Whether he meant to or not, all of Cashman’s long-winded dancing around such a direct question proved as revealing as any direct answer the Yankees GM could have possibly offered.

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Courtedy of Yankees ‘n More

According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, New York Yankees great Andy Pettitte “has the go-ahead from his family” to pitch another season in New York, if he so chooses.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Pettitte won’t ultimately decide to retire.

It does mean, however, that the chances of his pitching in 2011 are better than they would have otherwise been. In fact, had the Yankee great’s family been against his pitching in 2011, it’s nearly impossible to imagine a scenario in which the family-focused Pettitte would have even considered a return.

While talking about the Pettitte situation on the MLB Network, Heyman went on to say that Andy also “has the Hall of Fame on his mind.” If that’s true, that’s another factor working in the Yankees’ favor.

It has also been reported over the past couple of weeks that Pettitte is working out, which is one more good sign for those of us hoping to see the lefty in pinstripes again this season. The Yankees, meanwhile, maintain their holding pattern, waiting to hear an official decision from Pettitte.

While the team wisely refuses to force the issue with Pettitte, they would like an answer before too much longer. Speaking at a breakfast event in Middlesex, Connecticut, general manager Brian Cashman said he told Pettitte “don’t ‘Brett Favre’ us.”

“I need him,” Cashman continued. “But I don’t want him to play if his heart’s not in it.”

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

Turns out GM Brian Cashman meant what he said a few days ago when declaring he would not be giving up the New York Yankees’ No. 1 pick for any of the players remaining on the free-agent market.

He just didn’t bother to check first with ownership, and they held a differing view.

ESPN’s Buster Olney has confirmed that there was “a split” within the Yankees organization regarding the signing of former Tampa closer Rafael Soriano, with baseball operations leaning against and ownership pushing for the deal.

It has been widely reported that Cashman has, since the mid-2000s, had autonomy when it comes to baseball decisions, so long as they fit within the ownership-specified budget. Obviously, that kind of control only lasts as long as those who sign the checks allow for, as it ended Thursday night when the Yankees agreed to terms on a three-year deal with Soriano.

As far as we’re concerned, Cashman’s vice-like lock on the baseball side of this organization didn’t end soon enough. It’s too bad ownership didn’t put their foot down before Cliff Lee slid off to Philly. But at least the Yankees’ winter of nothing is over, even if Cashman didn’t want it to be.

There is also word that Andy Pettitte is working out. Perhaps, in the lack of any action from Cashman, the ownership of this franchise stepping up and improving the team will spur Pettitte into a 2011 return.

Regardless, adding Soriano improves this team significantly more than anything Cashman has done since last July.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

You remember the Detroit Tiger’s Armando Galarraga, right? Would it help if I had umpire Jim Joyce stand next to him?

Just months after a bad call at first base cost Galarraga a perfect game, the right-hander has been designated for assignment, meaning his time with the Tigers is quickly coming to an end.

Detroit is confident they will be able to trade Galarraga within the allotted 10 days. In fact, the move comes only hours after the Tigers avoided arbitration with the right-hander by agreeing to a one-year, $2.3 million deal.

We’re not sure which teams are involved in the discussions for Galarraga, but if the New York Yankees are not one them, Brian Cashman should be fired for about the fifth time this offseason.

Galarraga had a so-so season last year, finishing 4-9 with a 4.49 ERA. That’s not earth-shattering, of course, but Galarraga saw a bit of a bounce-back season after a horrible 2009. He allowed 143 hits in 144 innings, and his WHIP dropped from 1.566 in 2009 to 1.344 in 2010.

Simply put, Galarraga is in the middle of what should be his prime, he is cheap in terms of both dollars and the likely cost of a trade, and he’s better than anything New York currently has lined up for the bottom two spots in their rotation.

In a market currently highlighted by the likes of Freddy Garcia and Jeremy Bonderman—both of whom have been tied to the Yankees this offseason—there is simply no logical reason for the Yankees not to be in on Armando Galarraga.

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COURTESY OF YANKEES ‘N MORE

The holidays, and 2010 along with them, are over.
 
We head into the second day of the first work week of 2011, and Brian Cashman, well, he continues to do what he’s done all winter…NOTHING.
 
Well, that’s not exactly true. Cashman did manage to wake up long enough to sign a lefty specialist, who has never pitched a day in the American League before.

Oh, and don’t forget about those broken-down scrubs like Mark Prior and Russell Martin. Now, if Cashman could just track down Doc Brown and his DeLorean, those guys might actually do what they’re being counted on to do this season.
 
But while the Boston Red Sox have made the moves that vaulted them to heavy favorites in the American League, our sorry sack-of-dog-$#!t general manager has gone from playing dress-up to alternating between long naps and burying our beloved Yankees in a massive hole of his own digging.
 
With just six weeks to go until the start of Spring Training, here’s what Brian Cashman has to show for the largest payroll in the game:

1. ONE reliable starting pitcher.
2. NO reliable setup man.
3. $56 million worth of charity wasted on a 36-year-old SS with NO range, NO bat speed, NO power and a mediocre arm.

That’s about it. Oh, and Cashman also has Eduardo Nunez and Ivan Nova. Those are the guys who Cashman declared were deal-breakers when he had a chance to add Cliff Lee before the trade deadline last season.
 
Just remember that when you’re watching Nunez sit on the bench this season and Nova hit the showers after five innings. The Mariners, after balking at the medical records on infielder David Adams, asked the Yankees for ONE of Nunez or Nova to complete the Lee deal, and Cashman said no.
 
Just another in a long line of hideous decisions made by “Elf” Cashman in the last year plus. And that decision, combined with others like re-acquiring Javier Vazquez, cost the Yankees their best chance at the 2010 World Series, and their best chance at signing Cliff Lee.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

Ten days since we last posted to our Yankees ‘n More blog. Truth be told, there has not been anything to post, so we thought we’d chime in this morning just to let people know we’re still here…waiting…and waiting…and waiting.

Sadly, there seems to be no end to the waiting. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman might as well have spent the entire winter, at least to this point, sliding down buildings on a rope while dressed in some ridiculous kid’s Halloween costume. For all we know, he has.

The New York Yankees, for all their financial might, have more holes in their pitching staff than a 20-pound brick of Swiss cheese, yet Cashman does nothing.

Well, to say Cashman has done nothing might be a little harsh. He has signed a few broken down pieces of $#!t, none of whom have been relevant for at least three years. And he did, for the second time in six months, butcher a chance to add Cliff Lee to a rotation that currently has only one reliable pitcher in it.

For his part, Cashman continues to insist the Yankees are in “a great spot.” He’s either a liar, delusional or stupid. Or, perhaps, some combination of the three. We’re less than two months from spring training, the free agent shelves are void of game-changers and the Yankees have nothing but question marks behind CC Sabathia.

From the end of July on last season, the Yankees played .500 baseball. That’s two-and-a-half consecutive months of mediocrity, and the incompetent Cashman has done NOTHING to improve the major league roster…NOTHING.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

It has been widely reported that the New York Yankees have engaged in talks with free agent Carl Crawford because they consider him a potential “plan B” should they fail to sign the apple of their eye, pitcher Cliff Lee.

What has not been mentioned at all, however, is the possibility that New York might also be considering the speedy outfielder as a “plan B” should Andy Pettitte decide to retire.

And why wouldn’t they?

If Crawford really is considered a backup plan in the event that Lee doesn’t sign on, why on earth wouldn’t he be just as good a backup plan—if not better—in the event that Pettitte decides to retire?—And by the way, it’s sounding more and more as if that is exactly what Andy Pettitte intends to do.

Think about it.

The thought behind Crawford serving as a “plan B” for Lee was that the Yankees would take the majority of the money set aside for the lefty ace and give it to Crawford, then use one of their current outfielders—most likely Nick Swisher or Curtis Granderson—to acquire a starting pitcher.

If Pettitte calls it a career, the Yankees are still one pitcher short of a rotation even IF they sign Lee.

However, they would be in better shape—who wouldn’t rather have Lee than Pettitte next year, given the option?

The Yankees could then deal one of their outfielders—we’re betting on Swisher—for a starting pitcher to fill in at the 4-hole behind CC Sabathia, Lee and Phil Hughes.

The money the team was ready to pay to Pettitte—at least $12 million—combined with Swisher’s 2011 salary—$9.1 million—would easily cover the salary for Crawford.

And don’t forget, Crawford is a guy the Yankees—especially Cashman—have pined over for YEARS now, and he’s EXACTLY the type of player—super athletic, fast, great defense—the Yankees GM has been targeting in the post-PED era.

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