Kuzul

A few weeks ago, Brian Cashman made headlines.  He made a comment, stating that when Derek Jeter’s time at shortstop is over, he would be moving to center field.  It’s almost unthinkable that the best shortstop the Yankees have ever seen might be vacating the position soon. 

Even so, it’s not uncommon to see a move like this.  For example, the legendary Mickey Mantle moved from center field to first base after years of abuse on his legs caught up to him. 

Cal Ripken Jr., one of the most complete shortstops the game had ever seen, permanently moved to third base in 1997.  However, perhaps the most famous move for a player was Babe Ruth moving from pitcher to power-hitting outfielder. 

Jeter will not be mentioned among the Yankee greats who patrolled center field; he will be remembered for what he has done at short.  It’s interesting, though, to speculate where some of the younger players in the MLB might end up as their careers progress. 

Here now are 20 stars that might be on the move to different positions before their careers are over.  

Note: This list is not ranked in terms of how big of a star each player is. 

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You will never see it on CNN or Fox News.

It will never appear on the front page of any newspaper across the globe.

You will never see it in a documentary on Discovery or the History Channel.

It will never be spoken of in any church on any given Sunday.

Yet according to many Yankee fans and sports media alike,  Andy Pettitte seemingly walks on water.  He is apparently the Yankees own personal second coming and the only one that can salvage their upcoming season.

Andy Pettitte, all by himself at the ripe old age of 38 and coming off his best statistical season cut short by injury, can save the entire Yankee season single-handedly.  

Apparently.

Andy Pettitte, the man that left the pinstripes for the uniform of the Houston Astros (for whatever reason you want to believe), can single-handedly save the season for Derek Jeter and company just by showing up it seems.  It was apparently because he left that the Yankees never won during his absence and only when he came back did they win again.  Yes, I get it. Right.

Apparently his mojo went on strike last season.

Andy Pettitte, the man who puts everyone through the same “will he or won’t he” dance every off season—the one who needs to decide every off season if he wants to play for the team that put him on the map—has, and he alone, the mojo that can fix what’s wrong with the Yankees of 2011.

Oh YES! Testify my brother!

Imagine that—Andy. Pettitte. Is. A. Super.Hero.

Newsflash.  If the Yankees landed Cliff Lee, you know the other dude that apparently walks on water, the Yankees would not be calling Pettitte and the fans would not be clamoring for his return so much.

If WE GOT LEEEE!!!!!, it would be nice to have Andy too.

Now—WE DID NOT GET #%&^$ LEE!!! WE NEED #^z*(^&$ PETTITTE!

If the Yankees landed Lee, Pettitte would be playing because the pressure would be off.  Without Lee, Pettitte knows he will be looked upon to be a savior.  It’s not a role he wants, never has.

Who the heck wants to come back for the grind with a sketchy back at age 38 if you are expected to hoist the team on it?

Andy Pettitte is many things but stupid is not one of them.

As a Yankee fan, Andy Pettitte will always hold a special place in my heart—but Andy was the one Yankee that taught me to not get used to Yankees staying Yankees.

The Yankees “Desperately Need” Andy Pettitte?

He would be nice to have, he surely could help, but “Desperately Needed”?

Sorry but this Yankee fan refuses to drink the Kool-aid so many of you are apparently drunk on.

One can argue that Andy Pettitte is a borderline Hall of Fame pitcher right now but we know he won’t get in. He is a Yankee and well there is that lil’ PED thing.  No one can argue that he is now, and will always be a legendary Yankee.  No one can argue (except the BBWA and the Elitist Brethren of the H.O.F), that he has been one of the best left handed pitchers in the history of the game.

However, and with all due respect to the many columnist out there including some of my fellow Bleacher Report columnists, stating that the ‘Yankees Desperately Need Andy Pettitte” is quite frankly a joke.

Could they use him?  Absolutely.

Could he help them?  Sure if he stays healthy.

Will he all by his awsome-ness save the season?  Umm…no.

Listen folks, I have been a Yankee fan since 1976.  Andy Pettitte is one of my all-time favorite Yankees, but he is neither the saving grace or nail in the coffin of this team.

It’s time to get real.

Yes I get the fact that he not only knows how to pitch in New York, but he knows how to win in New York.  I get that.

Yes I get that he is a big game pitcher and his presence on the mound motivates the players behind him.

I also understand that he is but one man.  He is 38 years old.  He is prone to injury.  His heart is not 100 percent committed to the game or the team.

Did you get that last part? His heart is not 100 percent committed to pitching.  I don’t think that when he came back from injury last year he was fully committed either.  I think the injury was a wake up call that he just did not want or need to do this anymore—or at least for a whole season.  I think before the season was over last year he knew that was it—or that was it for an entire season.

See where I am going? (Hint…repeated references to “entire season”…hint, hint).

The Yankees missed out on Cliff Lee, whom by the way also does not walk on water despite what the media and some fans believe, and all the sudden the Yankee Universe is coming to an end and Andy Pettitte is the only one with pinstripe tights and cape?

Shoot, why even play the season, just hand the trophy to Philly for the next five years and send everyone on vacation.

There is a reason the games are played on the field and not paper.

Come on people, this is nothing new in the world of the Yankees.  Pettitte would be nice to have but the Yankees are hardly desperate here.

Let’s look at this realistically.  How many games do the starters need to win the East or the Wild card and make it to the playoffs?

In a very strong East and in an improved American League in general, the Yankees, or any team for that matter, will not get into the post with anything less than 90 wins, in my opinion of course.

With a very good staff, okay we will use the Philadelphia Phillies dammit—a team can only hope for 63-65 wins max (18, 15, 12, 10, 8= 63) and that is really pushing the envelope.  Most team only get 40-48 wins per starting rotation but most teams don’t make the playoffs.  A good chance to dance requires a minimum of 55 wins out of the rotation with a decent bullpen backing it up.

The Yankees have, arguably, one of the best pens in the game (on paper). So what about the starters?

What can we expect given the rotation New York is fielding this year WITHOUT Pettitte?

The 2010 San Francisco “World Champions” top three starters won 43 games. They had a rotation of six and their “regular” top five starters won a total of 58 games.

More relative, if slightly less recent, we can look to the 2009 World Champion Yankees who went with a 4 man rotation most of the year and their 4 starters won a total of 55 games. 

Sabathia won 19, Pettitte won 14, Burnett, yes that guy, won 13 and Joba Chamberlain (I just threw up a little in my mouth), won nine.

C.C is still around.  Anyone think he can’t win, oh say 18 games in 2011?

Hughes chipped in eight wins in relief that championship season and turned in 18 wins a year later despite stamina problems the second half which should be corrected come this season.  He may not win 18 games again this year but is anyone doubting he cannot win oh say 14, like Pettitte did in 2009?

Can anyone on the Yankees current Staff win 12?  Yes, A.J Burnett, who averages 12 wins per season, and won 13 in 2009 when the Yankees won it all.  Yes he is coming off a poor season of 10 wins but they Yankees pitching staff is focusing heavily on his mechanics and I believe he can win 12 games this season, simply because he won 13 for New York in 2009.

That’s 44 wins among three starters right there people.

 “Desperate”?

How many wins will Ivan Nova notch?  No one ones but I would not be scared to bet the house on eight wins.

Freddy Garcia has a decent chance to make the Roster.  He rebounded last year and won 12 games for Chicago. I am not fool, so I am not expecting that so let’s be reasonable and give him eight.

Okay.  Of those five starters, if that is how it falls (and who the heck knows), without Pettitte the Yankees starting rotation would notch 60 wins…

“Desperate”?

Garcia does not make it and Sergio Mitre is there? Okay—five wins for him, that’s still 57 wins by starters.

That is still two more than the 2009 World Champion Yankees and one less than the pretenders to the throne last season.

Hell, Sabathia could go down on injury in his first game and everyone else wins less than 10 games and the Yankees finish last.  What would Andy’s presence do then?

There is a reason they play the game one out and one inning at a time people.  No team wins games in the off season.  Calm your doom engine down.

The 2011 Yankee Bull pen, on paper, is a lot stronger than the 2009 version so excuse me if I actually seem hopeful. 

Pettitte, at best, would contribute maybe 14 wins, his yearly average, if healthy and playing a full season which it appears he won’t do.  At age 38,  the chances he works the entire season anyway given his health issues is a huge risk without enough reward for him, his family or the club.

Even if he returned and won 11 games, it is possible that Nova or Garcia can equal that total.

STOP before you go there—no way shape or form am I suggesting Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia are equal to Andy Pettitte.  I am using realistic reasoning here (hopeful is another word), to get everyone off the “we need Andy or Armageddon is a coming’” bandwagon of doom.

Oh and btw, before you start on the “Andy is a big game pitcher and we will need him for the playoffs!”  He is.  I cannot argue with that however, no one knew when he pitched his first post season game that he would be the post season stud he has become.  Another in pinstripes can be born this season, who knows.

Andy Pettitte is a big game pitcher.  Andy Pettitte is one of the greatest Yankees and left handed pitchers in the history of the game.

Andy Pettitte is also one man, aged 38, coming off a great season that fell far short due to injury.

Andy Pettitte is not the answer folks.  He is a cog in the machine—he is not the machine itself.

However, have faith though my friends, all is not totally lost.

Andy Pettitte is also a business man and a smart one at that.  He learned something of value from Roger Clemens, his former mentor.  No, I am not talking about using PEDs.

Pettitte has learned to earn a full season’s salary for half a season of work so if the Yankees are somehow still in the show at the half way mark, rest assured the call to Deer Park Texas will be made and Pettitte will once again don the pinstripes in yet another quest for Glory.

However, it would only happen under certain conditions.

The rotation the Yankees have, as rag tag as it is, is not far off from the cluster mess that showed up in 2008.  If each performs up to expectations or level of talent, the Yankees will be in position to make that call for Mr. Big Game at the mid mark.

Before he answers the call, it must be right for Pettitte. 

In order for that to happen the Yankees must be healthy.  They need Sabathia at his ultimate Cy Young best, Hughes to live up to his hype, Burnett to get his head from out his backside and just pitch and Nova, Garcia or someone else to step up and do the unexpected .

Pettitte will be back for the stretch run is there is one and if and only if it’s almost a certainty they will get in.  Andy wants to be along for the ride.

He just does not want to drive the bus.

Like I said earlier—the man is not stupid.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmy Rollins hasn’t been the same player since his 2007 NL MVP year.  He’s struggled to stay on the field.  Before 2008, Rollins played in 154 plus games in each of his first seven seasons.  He’s missed the 154 game plateau in two of the last three years.  He played in 137 games in 2008, 155 in 2009, and 88 last season.   

The great thing for the Phillies is that this is Rollins’ contract year; money is motivation.  Rollins is 32, so this could be his final opportunity to get a multi-year offer. 

If he can stay on the field for 154-plus games, he will get paid.

Let’s take a look at ten contracts that Jimmy Rollins may be targeting….. 

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Before I get started, a tip of the cap from all of us in Red Sox nation to Theo Epstein, our maverick genius, our watchful protector, our Dark Kni-…never mind. But I stand in awe of what the 37 year old son of Brookline, MA has accomplished.

For the services of Adrian Gonzalez, he still managed to keep Jose Iglesias and our draft picks. Under the cover of darkness, he locked up one of the most complete outfielders in the game and disrupted the Yankee-Lee negotiations with his free hand.

For his next trick, he avoided any long, bloated contracts for relievers and secured the services of two solid bullpen arms, one from a division rival. Bruce Wayne he is not, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find a cape and mask in his secret lair.

Lost in the frenzy over the immediate impact the new additions will make, I’m equally amazed at how well Epstein & Co. has set up the Red Sox to remain successful over the next several seasons. As much excitement as the 2011 campaign holds, I am equally looking forward to the team’s potential 2, 3, and as much as 5 years down the line. Here are a few reasons why…

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This winter has exposed cracks in the New York Yankees’ organization.  What was once the proudest and most cohesive unit in baseball has reverted to the days of factions between the New York front office, headed by GM Brian Cashman, and the Tampa brain trust, led by the Brothers Steinbrenner.

The winter was mostly inactive, until the Steinbrenners overruled Cashman in signing Rafael Soriano, a free agent Cashman didn’t want because he wanted to protect the Yankees’ first round draft pick.  Recently, Cashman allowed himself to go on the record suggesting Yankee captain Derek Jeter move to the outfield by the end of Jeter’s contract, igniting a media frenzy in the New York papers.

Numerous sources indicate that Cashman may leave the Yankees organization for a smaller market club when his contract ends after the season.  And to that, Yankee fans should say good riddance.  Brian Cashman has been the most overrated general manager in all of sports for the last ten years.  

While Cashman has made some good moves over the course of his tenure (trading for Scott Brosius and Chuck Knoblauch in 1998, getting major contributions from Shawn and Aaron Small in 2005), most have been relegated to obscurity (Chili Davis anyone?).

The only reason Cashman has been able to survive for so long was that he was able to win multiple World Series Championships with teams that Gene Michael built.  

His mistakes are further covered up by the Yankees’ huge payroll, which allows the team to eat bad contracts without problems, like Carl Pavano’s in 2004 (who Cashman greatly considered bringing back this offseason) or AJ Burnett’s in 2008, contracts that would devastate other teams.

So, to Brian Cashman I say, “Be careful what you wish for.”  Leaving a great gig like the Yankees will be a day you rue for years to come.  Sure, you may get more power with a mid-market club, but you’ll miss the ability to sign any free agent you want, as well as the pomp and circumstance of New York.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Recent comments from New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman have fans screaming for his head. In just three short days, Cashman has become public enemy No. 1 in New York after his comments on two New York radio shows. 

Most feel that being the general manager of the biggest wallet in baseball is one of the easiest jobs you could get.

Your goal every offseason? Sign the biggest and best free agents available. Don’t win the World Series in 2008? No problem. Just go out and write checks to Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia and lo and behold…a World Series title! Problem solved. It’s that easy to be Brian Cashman, right?

Well, in the biggest market in the world, with the harshest media in the world, Cashman has to watch what he says at all times and be sure not to step on the very wealthy toes of the Steinbrenner Empire.

Cashman may have done just that.

One of the biggest questions of the Yankee offseason this year concerned their franchise shortstop, Derek Jeter. Coming off the worst statistical season of his career, how much was Jeter worth? The two sides fired back and forth for weeks before the Yankees finally came to their senses and resigned Jeter for three years and $51 million.

But when asked about Jeter’s future with the Yankees on the Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio, Cashman said he would be “surprised” if Jeter was still the Yankees’ shortstop by the end of his new deal.

Listen folks, Cashman is not wrong. You know it’s true, whether you’re willing to admit it or not.

Jeter is 36-years-old. He’s older than every other shortstop and he’s too old by baseball standards to stay at his position. When the time comes for Jeter to change positions, the outfield is where he’ll go. It’s going to happen so get ready.

Now, I don’t necessarily think Jeter can move to center field of all places, a corner position would probably better suit him, but he will have to change positions. The list of players to finish their career at shortstop is way too short to think Jeter will add his name to it.

Not to mention that the Yankees have a far superior defensive shortstop waiting to take over in Eduardo Nunez. Yes, Jeter won a Gold Glove in 2010, but let’s be real here for a second—he didn’t deserve it. Yes, he had an excellent fielding percentage (.989), but his limited range kept him from making a lot of plays, which didn’t count against him.

The change is coming people, and rather than make a comment about Jeter not finishing his career with the Yankees, he simply said he wouldn’t finish at shortstop.

After the Derek Jeter comments, the Brian Cashman “greatest hits” catalog kept growing.

During a Q&A with New York radio host Mike Francesca, Cashman was asked: “When you look at this Yankees’ team right now, on paper, before you make a move for a pitcher and clearly you will…who’s a better team this morning (Tuesday morning) on paper, Yankees or the Red Sox in your mind?”

Cashman’s answer? “Red Sox.” Is he wrong? Again, no.

Cashman went on to say that the Yankees have the superior bullpen and their position players are comparable to the Red Sox, but what sets them apart is that the Red Sox have the better starting pitching; that they have their starters set while Cashman is still looking for a fourth and fifth starter.

As it stands right now, the Yankees’ starting rotation is made up of CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett. After that, it’s a huge question mark. You can forget about Cliff Lee. You can forget about Carl Pavano. Heck, you can forget about Armando Gallarraga.

As Cashman said, the Yankees are going to sign a starting pitcher, but who they’ll sign is another issue entirely.

So until the Yankees find a way to improve their starting rotation, the Red Sox are the better team and Cashman is not wrong for saying so. And instead of claiming Cashman has no confidence in his team, perhaps the Yankees can use his statements as motivation this season.

Should Cashman have made these comments about Jeter and the Red Sox? Maybe, maybe not. But is what he said wrong? No. He’s right about Jeter and, at the moment, he’s right about the Red Sox.

The truth hurts people, we all know that, and whether or not you feel a monkey could do his job, the fact is that Cashman, like all general managers, has made both good and bad deals while with the Yankees.

Yankees fans don’t like hearing that the face of the franchise won’t stay at shortstop. They also don’t like hearing that their hated rivals are a better team.

However, they’ll have to get used to it, because it’s all true.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With football season coming to a close, many sports fans now turn their attention to the sunny beacon of hope that is spring training.

Even at this early stage of the season, it is always fun to pick who will win the major awards and which teams will be playing in October, but the following goes one further, not only picking those things, but also making some more player-specific predictions for all 30 teams.

So here are my 50 bold predictions for the 2011 season, because when you predict 50 things, you’re bound to be correct on at least a few of them, right?

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A lot has gone on in New York Yankee Universe since losing to the Texas Rangers in the 2010 ALCS and handing the title of “reigning champions” over to the San Francisco Giants.
 
So, how are the 2011 New York Yankees looking heading into the season? Let’s take a look.

 
The Offseason Summary:
 
The New York Yankees headed into the offseason with high expectations, but everything seemed to take a turn for the worst.
 
Yankee Captain and New York icon, Derek Jeter’s new contract negotiations became a soap opera and the press had their claws all over it.
 
Fans were pissed, some at Jeter but mostly at the organization for the belittling and penny pitching games being played on the Captain. It all worked out in the end, but it did leave bruises behind that hopefully won’t linger too long, but you never know.
 
That followed the news that Cliff Lee was not going to play in the Bronx, but instead went back to his old team in Philadelphia.

It came as a shock because the Yankees usually get whatever they go after.
 
Now that time passed since Lee’s decision, it was a humbling experience and a needed one, particularly in Yankee Universe.

For Yankee fans, it makes them realize that not every player’s dream is to be in pinstripes; for the team, they will have to work that much harder for anything they earn this season.
 
Hey, at least Yankee-haters can’t use “the buying championships” excuse any longer, as that torch has now been lit in Boston and Philadelphia too, and that is a fact.
 
One resigning that GM Brian Cashman sealed up without much drama, was that of closer Mariano Rivera for two more seasons.
 
Owner Hal Steinbrenner, who finally took some charge and made his daddy proud too, made a vital move by adding Rafael Soriano to the roster. Soriano was the AL’s best closer in 2010 and is elated to be Mo’s set-up man.

This move gives the Yankees the best eighth and ninth arms in the game, but it also provides a back up in case Mo’s age catches up to his talents.

So, how do the Yankees look heading into 2011?
 
The Yankees look like one of the best teams heading into 2011 and will contend again in 2011.
 
Here are some hopes that could make the Yankees season even better:
 
1. AJ Burnett has been working his butt off this offseason, now let’s see if it pays off.
2. One of our pitching prospects is good enough to win a rotation spot.
3. Pettitte could make a decision.
4. Cashman trades for King Felix in June.
5. A-Rod and Jeter both have career years.
6. Teixiera doesn’t struggle at the plate past April.

Is there anything else to note regarding the 2011 New York Yankees?
 
Of course, but this list could go on forever and talk many directions so here are a few:

• The Yankees play in the AL East and it looks to be tougher than ever.

• The Bombers can still hit, as their line-up is atop the best in baseball list.

• My bet is that Robinson Cano to be unbelievable this season, along with the Yankee outfield of Swisher, Granderson and Gardner. This groups production is more important in 2011, as they are the Yankee future.

• After watching the Red Sox GM Theo Epstein win with homegrown players, Yankees GM Cashman followed that formula by growing the Yanks farm the past few seasons. So far, it has produced Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano and of course, the “Core Four.” Funny that Epstein and Cashman, in a sense, have traded places this offseason.

• This season would be the time to bring up one or two formidable youngsters, at least one has to be a pitcher, and see how they fair in the Bronx. The innings limit need to be handled a lot better than the “Joba Rules” by Girardi and company.

• Speaking of Girardi, he seems to be a good fit so far. It wouldn’t hurt if he kept his binder in the clubhouse sometimes.

• The Yankees are not being viewed as the favorites for anything this season, as almost all predictions have been Phillies vs. Red Sox in the 2011 World Series. This group doesn’t like to be doubted and statistically, the franchise fairs better as the underdogs.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Baseball purists and new-age sabermetricians have argued about the existence of “clutch” hitting ever since statistical evaluation became possible. But whether you believe in the advanced metrics or not, you can’t deny that certain players have a penchant for coming through when it matters the most.

Here are the 10 last hitters than an opposing pitcher wants to see in the bottom of the ninth inning with the winning run on base.

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Despite the fact that pitchers and catchers report in less than a month, there is still plenty developing and remaining to be decided for a number of teams across Major League Baseball.

Players are still out there looking for jobs, and general managers are still trying to fill in holes via a key free agent signing or trade. 

This week saw some big names catching on with new teams, so now is as good a time as ever to take a step back and try to rank some offseason winners and losers based on the moves they did or didn’t make during the Hot Stove season.

It’s obviously true that games and championships are not won during baseball’s offseason, but the restructuring and maneuvering of teams can have a huge impact.

I’ll go over 10 teams that improved, while also covering 10 teams that digressed during baseball’s offseason, and get you primed on what to expect for the new faces in new places across Major League Baseball.

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