Kuzul

Are you in the market for a 27th round draft pick with a good baseball eye and a propensity to hit home runs?  The Yankees decided the answer was yes with the 884th pick of the 2007 MLB amateur draft.

Brandon Laird, a 6’1″, 215 pound right-handed hitter and the brother of Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird, was a star at La Quinta High School in Westminster, CA.  As a varsity shortstop in 2004 and 2005, he hit .545 with eight home runs in 124 at bats (one home run every 15.5 ABs).  As a bonus, Laird pitched to a 1.91 ERA, 12 wins, six complete games, and 124 strikeouts in only 88 innings pitched.  He was named First-Team All-League, First-Team All-CIF, Second-Team All-American, and League MVP in his high school career.

Laird was drafted out of high school in the 27th round in 2005 by the Cleveland Indians. He decided not to sign and took his bat to Cypress College.  Since Cypress was a two year school, he would be eligible for the draft again in 2007 as opposed to 2009 had he chosen a four year college.  

All Laird did at Cypress was hit balls, and hit them hard.  In 2006, he led the team with 74 hits, including a ten game hitting streak to start the season.  In 54 games, he hit .341 with six home runs, and slugged .484.  Laird’s sophomore season in 2007 saw him get even better, hitting an amazing .392 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of .672.  

When the Yankees picked him in the 27th round, he decided to sign rather than move on to a four year college.

Laird’s first professional season was in 2007 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees

He picked up right where he left off.  

In 168 ABs he averaged .339 while slugging .577 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs.

The Yankees rewarded Laird in 2008 and moved him up to class A Charleston and it is here that he started to show his power.  In 454 At bats, he hit .273, slugged .498, and smacked 23 home runs with 86 RBIs.  

With that level of production, Laird was beginning to look like a late-round steal for the Yankees.

 He was promoted to high A Tampa in 2009 but his season did not match up to his 2008 campaign.  Laird’s stats fell in almost every category with a .266 average and he slugged only .415 in 451 ABs with just 13 home runs.  Where Laird did improve, however, is in strikeouts. He was wrung up only 75 times (compared to 86 in 2008), showing an improved discipline at the plate.

However, the Yankees felt Laird’s 2009 showing was enough for a promotion to Double A Trenton in 2010. Armed with a fresh start, Laird smashed 23 home runs in only 409 ABs (one home run every 17.8 ABs), slugging .523 with 90 RBIs, 84 strikeouts, and an OBP of .355.  He was promoted to Scranton Wilkes-Barre where his numbers dipped but he finished 2010 with a .281 average, 25 home runs, and 102 RBIs in 531 ABs.

Laird has a keen baseball eye and knows how to work a count.  However, if he could cut down on his strikeouts, his value would improve dramatically.  His OBP has sat in the .329 to .336 range, which is good for a slugger.  

The video shows Laird’s plate discipline.  He is able to work out a walk after being down 0-2 in the count and does not chase many pitches out of the zone.  His swing is long and smooth, and if he can shorten it he’ll likely make more consistent contact and improve on his strikeouts and OBP.

Laird would be the perfect fit as the fourth outfielder that the Yankees are looking for, if not for his suspect defense.  His bat is Major League ready and he should start the season at Scranton Wilkes-Barre where he can build on his hitting and improve defensively.  He has good power to all fields and can project to be a perennial 25-30 home run hitter.

Brandon Laird is just another example of the great scouting that Brian Cashman and the Yankees have found in the late rounds.  Just one more powerful reason the future looks bright in the Bronx.

The Patience Series:

Patience Part 1: Hector Noesi

Patience Part 2: David Phelps

Patience Part 3: Brandon Laird (Above)

Patience Part 4: Adam Warren

Patience Part 5: Eduardo Nunez

Patience Part 6: Gary Sanchez

Related Articles:

It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

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In 2010, the Yankees were adamantly clear that it was repeat or bust.
 
The reigning 2009 champion New York Yankees lost in the ALCS, eventually passing the World Series crown to the San Francisco Giants.
 
Most teams would be elated if that was how their last two seasons had panned out, but up in the Bronx expectations run high.
 
Reading the 2011 roaster is not going to provide much comfort, as the Bombers have more holes to fill this season compared to the last two combined.
 
Still, there are positives that weren’t there in 2009 or 2010, in particular the emergence of outfielders Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson.
 
Gardner and Granderson’s roles are more vital than ever this coming season.
 
The Yankees are confident in this duo’s abilities, so much so that GM Brian Cashman did not go after Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth during the offseason.
 
Why, and how, is this tandem so important in 2011?
 
Let’s look at both guys individually:

 
Curtis Granderson
 
Granderson’s first year in pinstripes did not start on the right foot. After hitting a game-winning home run in Fenway on Opening Day weekend, Granderson started to struggle, which turned into a slump and fans were starting to stamp him as a bad trade.
 
Granderson had only posted seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 51 strikeouts in the first half of the 2010. He also missed the entire month of May due to a pulled hamstring.
 
Things were not looking good, and frustrations were growing on both sides. Had Grandy forgotten his talents in Detroit? At the All-Star break it sure seemed that way.
 
After tweaking his swing with Yankee hitting coach/miracle-man Kevin Long, Granderson starting crushing balls again, and he hasn’t looked back since.
 
In the second-half of 2010, Granderson more then doubled his home runs going from seven to 17. His meager 24 RBIs in the first half raised by 19, as in July, August and September he had 43 RBIs, 71 hits, nine double and four triples.
 
Granderson has been known to strikeout a ton, but in those three months he only bit it 72 times in 282 at-bats, which was a marked improvement.
 
Granderson has always been an elite outfielder and his skills never faltered defensively in 2010, which kept Yankee fans optimistic.
 
What I love about Granderson is that neither clutch situations, nor location faze him. It is as simple as, he is either hitting or he is not.
 
Heading into the 2011 season, Granderson needs to continue being productive at the plate because even just getting him on base is a threat. With his leg all healed, expect Granderson to double his 12 stolen bases from last year.

 
Brett Gardner
 
Unlike his buddy above, Gardner did not struggle much in 2010. Right out of the gate, Gardner produced.
 
Gardner does not have the power bat like Granderson does, but stealing 47 bases and constantly hitting deep into pitch counts with long at-bats surely makes up for it.
 
Gardner is unique because he is a pest that pitcher absolutely dread. When at the plate, Gardner has a superior eye for pitches and draws a lot of walks, 73 in total in 2010.
 
Pitchers don’t want Gardner types to walk all the time because they’re more lethal while on the base. One extra blink, and Gardner will be on the next base.
 
Gardner is as fast as a Tasmanian devil, stealing 47 bases, but only getting caught nine times last season. Gardner’s speed was easily in the top-four in baseball, as he tied with Crawford for third in 2010.
 
Gardner finished the year with a .382 OBP, with 20 doubles, five home-runs, seven triples, 47 RBIs and 102 strikeouts.
 
Like Granderson, Gardner is a stellar defender and, at a ripe 27 years old, he is not even in his prime yet.
 
The Yankees expect big things for Gardner, not only in 2011, but also for years to come. I really like what I have seen of Gardner since he emerged in 2009 and am happy the Yankees GM and ownership did, too.

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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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I’ll start today’s post with a question.

In light of the Jets’ River & Sunset-approved upset victory over the Patriots on Sunday, has the New York sports scene wrested back control of the rivalry with its Boston counterpart?

The 2004 Series That Shall Not Be Named was a searing victory for Beantown, a comeback momentous enough that it seemed as if it might change the balance of power between the two cities forever.

The Sox went on to win the World Series that season, then did it again three years later; additional championships by the Patriots and Celtics kept Boston riding high.

But the pendulum started to swing in New York’s favor in 2008, when the Giants knocked off the previously unbeaten Pats in Super Bowl XLII; the Yankees got their swagger back by ending a nine-year title drought in 2009; and now you have the Jets, who took out the heavily favored Pats in their building on Sunday and are on the precipice of their first Super Bowl appearance in 42 years.

What does this all mean? Um, nothing I guess.

But if you’re a dorky sports fan like me, this is the stupid stuff you obsess over.

Speaking of obsessing, I’m sort of obsessed with finding out what type of reported “character issues” worried the Yankees before they plowed ahead with the Rafael Soriano signing? Was it cheating-on-his-fiance-while-on-the-road kind of character issue or a killed-a-man-with-his-bare-hands-in-the-Dominican-Republic kind of character issue?

Actually, Bill Madden shined some light on the issue in the Daily News on Saturday. It’s mildly worrisome.

I’ll let Bill explain:

Despite his league-leading 45 saves and 1.73 ERA, Soriano was hated by almost everyone in Tampa Bay last year. His periodic hissy-fits over being brought into games in non-save situations, or being asked to pitch more than one inning wore thin on Rays manager Joe Maddon. The final straw was the last game of the season — Game 5 of the ALDS versus Texas — when Maddon asked Soriano to pitch the ninth inning with the Rays trailing, 3-1. After throwing a tantrum in the bullpen in front of all his fellow relievers, Soriano trudged into the game and promptly gave up a single to Nelson Cruz and a game-breaking homer to Ian Kinsler.

Ladies in gentlemen, your successor to Mariano Rivera as New York Yankees closer!

Of course, the big picture issue with the Soriano signing—which, for the record, I had been on board with for a month—is if it actually tells us anything about a not-so-subtle shift in internal structure of the Yankees.

If the reports are true that this was an executive Hal decision and that the signing went over Cashman’s head (the GM previously told the media he would not give up the No. 1 draft pick it would take to land Soriano or another Type-A free agent), that’s a major shift in the narrative of New York’s front office.

If you recall, when Cashman agreed to stay with the Yankees following the 2005 season, it came with the assurance that he had final say on all personal moves and that the Tampa vs. New York factions that had splintered the organization would die off.

One move doesn’t necessarily mean that Cashman has lost absolute say in how the Yankees are built, but it has to be disconcerting for him as he enters the final year of his contract.

If the Yankees fail to make the playoffs this season, would the Steinbrenners use the failure as a launching point to put a hand-picked general manager in place? Remember, Cashman was George’s boy.

Could Hal be toying with the idea of a fresh start? It’s unlikely, but if Cashman continues to be overridden on player moves, he may walk out by choice.

Keep an eye on this one. It may end up being one of the juiciest subplots of the upcoming season.

Dan Hanzus writes three columns a week on his New York Yankees site, River & Sunset. He can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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Via Brian Costello of the NY Post:

[Yankees general manager Brian Cashman] did not want to sign [Rafael Soriano], but was overruled by the Steinbrenners. The team and the pitcher agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal Thursday, pending a physical.

According to the source, ownership was worried about the bullpen’s depth should Mariano Rivera suffer an injury. Cashman felt Joba Chamberlain or David Robertson could fill the closer’s role if needed. But the Steinbrenners, along with team president Randy Levine, wanted Soriano.

“He stated his case,” the source said of Cashman. “But he understood. It’s not like he threw a body block to stop it.”

This is an isolated case, the source said, and in no way reflects a lack of confidence in Cashman or his plans for the 2011 team…

…The Yankees executive said nothing has changed, but the Steinbrenners ultimately sign off on all decisions. In this regard, the Yankees are like every other team and every other business. There are levels of management, but the owners make the final call.

It may be true, maybe nothing is wrong here and that it is business as usual for the Yankees. After all, Cashman saying the Yankees are not willing to give up their pick may have just been posturing to get Soriano to backoff previous demands on a four-year, $56 million deal.

Or maybe there is something wrong here. Maybe Cashman did throw his body in front of this deal and this is the Yankees trying to spin it so that he, or the organization, don’t look bad.

Either way, the best way we are going to be able to tell is if this kind of thing continues to occur in the future. And, if Cashman, who is a free agent at the end of this year, re-signs with them. At this point it is hard to tell because neither scenario is really shocking. We’ll just have to wait and see.

When the Yankees hold a press conference to officially announce the Soriano signing there may be more light shed on to this.

One other interesting thing about this article I’d like to point out. It seems that Cashman has full faith in Joba Chamberlain, but ownership doesn’t. Cash’s stance was that if Rivera got hurt then Joba or Robertson could step in, but ownerships insistence in signing Soriano seems to suggest that they don’t feel the same way.

Related Stories

• January 14, 2011: Decision to Sign Soriano Was Not Cashman’s
• January 15, 2011: Yankees Soriano Deal Puzzling: The Ups and Downs
• January 15, 2011: Rivera Convinced Yankees to Sign Soriano & Plans to Act as Mentor
• January 14, 2011: Rafael Soriano Gives The Yankees A Great Bullpen

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What would you pay for a 6’3″, 190 lb pitcher with a mid 90s fastball, who was ranked as the 5th best prospect in Indiana by Baseball America?  The Yankees decided that the price was the 440th pick in the 2008 amateur draft.

Born on October 9, 1986 and raised in Hazelwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, David Phelps played both basketball and baseball for Hazelwood High School.  A National Honor Society student, he set the school record with a 30-inning scoreless streak and compiled a high school stat-line for the Wildcats consisting of a 2.96 ERA and 172 strikeouts in only 109.2 innings.  Those stats helped him get named to the All-Conference team and All-Metro performer while serving as a captain his junior and senior year.

He committed to Notre Dame in 2005 while being ranked the sixth best prospect in Missouri.  As a starter in his sophomore year, Phelps didn’t disappoint by posting a stellar 1.88 ERA, five complete games and 102 strikeouts in 110 innings.  The result of such a phenomenal season?  He was named to the All-Conference First Team. 

What may turn out to be a lucky break for the Yankees, he did not match his success as a junior by posting a 4.65 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 93 innings.  Expected to be drafted in the first eight rounds, he fell in the Yankees’ laps in the 14th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

Once signed, he moved through the Yankees farm system at a rapid pace.  With the A ball Staten Island Yankees in 2008; he made 15 starts in a short season.  Phelps showed what he was made of with an 8-2 record, 52 strikeouts, 18 walks, and a meager 67 hits in 72.2 innings.  His ERA was a whopping 2.72 and batters hated facing him by posting a .245 BAA.

Phelps first full professional season in 2009 was even better.  Starting the year with A ball Charleston and finishing with Tampa, he continued his rapid ascent through the system.  Starting to show his stamina, he logged 151 innings while annihilating the competition with a 2.32 ERA, 122 strikeouts with a minute 31 walks, and a .263 BAA.

Another fantastic season led to another promotion and Phelps started 2010 in AA Trenton.  He proceeded to go 6-0 in 4 starts posting a 2.04 ERA.  He allowed 63 hits and 23 walks (good for a 0.98 WHIP) striking out 84 hitters in 88.1 innings.  The cream of the crop in MLB prospects hit a meager .199 against him.  The sky was the limit for David Phelps.

Midway through the 2010 season, the Yankees promoted Phelps to AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  In 70.1 innings, his ERA was 3.07 while striking out 57 batters, issuing a microscopic 13 walks, and allowing 76 hits to the tune of a .274 BAA.  Phelps continued to carve out his workhorse mentality with a combined 158.2 innings for the 2010 season.

The numbers say that Phelps is a ground ball pitcher, evidenced by a GO/AO between 1.12 and 1.56 throughout his minor league career.  He does a good job of commanding the bottom of the strike zone and as a result does not allow a lot of home runs (20 HRs in 382.1 MiLB innings).

Sean S., from the Yankees Daily, reports “Phelps’ fastball has been clocked between 89 and 95 but will sit in the low 90s.  He has a good sinking two-seam fastball along with a plus slider.”  Phelps also features a change-up and 1-7 curveball that Sean says “if he gets to an 0-2 count, he’ll throw the breaking ball to strike them out.”

His 2.0 BB/9 average in the minors shows Phelps’ control.  If he can develop one of his offspeed pitches to become a plus pitch, it can put him at another level.  He is a legit prospect that appears to have the chops as a third or fourth type starter that can eat innings.  

Phelps has shown remarkable control with a WHIP of 1.16 through three minor league levels.  Chances are he will never be an ace type but his potential to be a third or even second type starter is there with the right development.

As of right now he will probably be given a shot to earn the fifth starter job in spring training.  If he does not, then he will start the year with Scranton Wilkes-Barre and probably be one of the first pitchers called up if the Yankees need him.  Phelps is just another example of the remarkable scouting that Cashman’s team has done to turn this once moribund farm system into one of the best in MLB.

The Patience Series:

Patience Part 1: Hector Noesi

Patience Part 2: David Phelps (above)

Patience Part 3: Brandon Laird

Patience Part 4: Adam Warren

Patience Part 5: Eduardo Nunez

Patience Part 6: Gary Sanchez

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Another day of no good news out of New York Yankees front office regarding signing a player who can help the team win in 2011. 

GM Brian Cashman’s latest rumored pursuant is pitcher Justin Duchscherer.

Once again, Cashman continues confusing Yankee fans, as Duchscherer is a nightmare version of ace Zach Greinke.

Greinke was just on the auction block, but the Yankees didn’t feel Greinke could mentally handle the bright lights in the Bronx.

Greinke had suffered from depression and social anxiety disorder, which sidelined him in 2006 for the season. Returning to the majors in May of 2007, Greinke was demoted to the bullpen but made it back to the rotation in 2008. He won the Cy Young in 2009 and has been an ace with no real injury history to date.

So, for what feels like the billionth time this offseason, the Yankees passed on a player. Instead, the Milwaukee Brewers traded for Greinke and bettered themselves for 2011.

At the time, Cashman’s excuse for not going after Greinke seemed to make sense.

That is why this Duchscherer rumor is so off-putting, here is why:

Now 33 years old, Duchscherer’s first full season in the majors didn’t come until 2004 as a reliever for the Oakland A’s.

This happened the same year 25-year-old Greinke debuted as a starter for the Kansas City Royals.

Unlike Greinke, Duchscherer has had brief periods of major league success, both out of the bullpen and as a starter.

Duchscherer’s career year-by-year is a mess, and he was on the same team each season except for a 2001 stint with the Rangers. To make life easier, below is a timeline from his first full season to present; all with the Oakland A’s:

2004-2006: Pitched in relief all three-seasons, appeared in 171 games for a total of 236.5 innings and 195 strikeouts. Named to the 2005 All-Star Team.

2007: Placed on DL on May 14th with season-ending hip surgery.

2008: Moved to starting rotation, named to the All-Star Team, placed on DL August 18th for the season due to hip and back injuries.

2009: Out for the season due to elbow injury in Spring Training, missed entire season as he suffered from major depression.

2010: Came back as a starter, won four of his first five starts in April but never started again due to hip injury, out for the season.

Wow, this looks like another Cashman gem.

Duchscherer has had an injury-plagued career and is about to turn 34 years old, well passed his prime.

Duchscherer’s depression has been a life-long issue, but it got so severe it impacted his ability to pitch.

Isn’t this the reason the Yankees were concerned about Greinke being able to handle playing in New York?

Depression is a serious condition for many people, so I understand the need for both players to take personal time.

What I don’t get is why Greinke, who since his LOA has won a CY Young and is a certified ace, was such a concern, but Duchscherer is not?

Duchscherer has spent the majority of his pro career on the DL than on the mound with recurring hip, back and elbow issues.

Greinke is healthy, is seven years younger and hasn’t even hit his prime playing years yet.

Trading for Greinke now looks like another HUGE miss for Cashman.

This offseason is looking more disastrous for the Yankees than originally thought, even after losing out on Lee.

If any of the latest rumors pan out, the Yankees will have acquired Colon, Duchscherer, Prior and Jones this offseason. 

Just re-reading that last sentence is enough to make any Yankee fan want to vomit.

Cashman and crew should know better, as Yankee fans will boo the hell out these guys the minute they step foot in the Bronx.

That is if all four aren’t on the DL already when Spring Training starts.

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The latest name spinning on the pinstripe rumor mill is five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones.
 
Don’t get excited just yet Yankee fans, as Jones is far cry from the star he once was as an Atlanta Brave.
 
Currently, Jones is a 33-year-old, washed-up center-fielder who sat atop the most elite of hitters list from 1997-2007.
 
Since leaving Atlanta at the end of the 2007 season, Jones signed a two-year, $36.2 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 
After batting .158 with three home runs, 14 RBI and 72 strikeouts in 209 at-bats, Jones was released after his first season. Jones only played in 75 games, as he had season-ending knee surgery.
 
The Rangers signed Jones to a minor-league deal in 2009, where he hit 17 home runs and 43 RBI in 82 games and finished with a .214 batting average.
 
Next up, the Chicago White Sox took a chance, as Jones posted a .230 batting average, with 19 home runs and 48 RBI in 107 games.
 
I think the scariest stat is that in Jones’ last three seasons, he has struck out 221 times in his 768 at-bats. That translates into a strikeout every fourth time Jones records an official at-bat.
 
This is another desperate stretch by GM Brian Cashman to add a cheap player who could be motivated back to greatness on the Yankees.
 
Jones is still at an age where he could be darn good, as he is younger than both Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and numerous other players who are still thriving.
 
This means it’s attitude, not skill, that tripped up Jones, and that is much worse because he didn’t care to work anymore.
 
Look, it is never a good sign when a team pays a player to leave, especially one with Jones’ unspoiled history of 10 years with 25+ home runs.
 
Cashman keeps telling Yankee fans to be “patient,” but this is just another stupid attempt with minimal hopes to save his own ass.
 
Now, the New York Yankees have successfully been tied to every known name free agent in this whirlwind of a failed offseason.
 
What boggles my mind is why the Yankees have not signed the league’s best closer from 2010, Rafael Soriano, yet.
 
If Cashman claims he won’t give up the draft pick for Soriano, I guess the Yankee motto of “winning now” is no longer the theme.
 
Well, might as well lose another big-time arm because of the cost, but if Cashman thinks Jones or Colon will turn to gold, he needs to get his head checked.
 
The Yankees have the money, so what the hell is the problem? Not getting a free agent for fear of losing a draft pick surely doesn’t sound like the Cashman I have known. Must be Hal and Hank making a business decision again without thinking.
 
All I can say to Brian Cashman and company is this: We Yankee fans still want to win in 2011, so why don’t you?

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