Ransom Returns to Scranton

Chad Jennings is reporting that Cody Ransom has cleared waivers and has accepted his assignment with the SWB Yanks. He will join the team tonight in Norfolk. And just to annoy us fans he will probably get a September call-up.

Claggett Headed To Toronto, Ransom Headed Out

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: Sweeny Murti just posted on his Twitter page that Cody Ransom is "out."

George A. King III is reporting that "Right-handed reliever Anthony Claggett is expected to join the Yankees tonight in time for their game against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre."

The 25-year-old was 4-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 32 games (two starts) for the SWB Yanks. In 59.2 innings allowed 20 ER on 55 hits, walked 24, struck out 34, and opponents were batting .248 against him.

He pitched in one game for the Yanks this year back on April 18th in the Bronx against the Indians and got lit up for 8 ER on 9 hits in just 1.2 innings pitched.

The question now is who will get sent down or DFA, will it be Cody Ransom? I have to assume it will be, but the Yankees have surprised me before.

Why Is Cody Ransom Still On the Team?

Before I understood it. Pena still has some things he can learn in AAA. Maybe he can improve his hitting a bit and him learning centerfield would be nice. Besides, losing Ransom would cost us a little depth. He also hit .300 last year, he deserved another chance. However, now we have Jerry Hairston Jr. and I'm just really confused.

The stats are pretty well known. Even Hairston's meager .312 wOBA dwarfs Ransom's .265. Ransom really has not impressed me defensively at shortstop or second and judging by UZR, Hairston can match up with him pretty well. Its not a huge deal as long as he's not starting games but Ransom really should be headed the same way as Angel Berroa and Brett Tomko, out the door. Shelley Duncan's bat would be a nice addition to the bench and I don't understand why Cody Ransom is still on the team.

Ransom deserve a roster spot over Pena? I Don't Think So

Yesterday, Peter Abraham discussed what would happen with the Yankees roster when Jose Molina makes his return, a return that is not too far away. He could be back as soon as a few days from now.

Basically Pete says that the Yanks will keep Ransom and have to decided whether to send down Francisco Cervelli or Ramiro Pena if they decide to keep three catchers, or even send both down and call up a player like Shelley Duncan or John Rodriguez who are both having big years in Triple-A.

Now I understand that the Yanks want these guys to develop in the minors, but so far we've seen much more development out of these two at this level than we might have in all their time spent in the minors. Also, if the Yanks just don't want to carry three catchers that's perfectly fine, and the right thing to do then would be to send Cervelli to Scranton and let him play everyday.

But if they decided to send down Pena and keep Ransom it makes very little sense to me. I know it would probably mean they'd have to lose Ransom for good, but really, who cares? Do the Yankees really see that much value in this guy? Because I sure don't. Pena is a better fielder, he's faster, and while Ransom might be the better hitter, so far he hasn't shown it this season. In fact, I'll take that back, I don't even think Ransom is a better hitter, after all we are talking about a guy with a lifetime hitting line of .239/.325/.412.

The 2009 Yankees are a better team with Ramiro Pena, not Cody Ransom.

Another Injury Update From Tampa

Here's another update from Tampa on the injured Yankees from the AP via ESPN:

New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada played five innings of defense in an extended spring training intrasquad game Wednesday and is hopeful of rejoining the team during a series that starts Friday night in Cleveland.
...

He ran from first to third on a single and threw out a runner attempting to steal second base. The five-time AL All-Star played three innings in the field during a simulated game Tuesday.

"It feels good when I'm running," Posada said. "The hamstring is good. Now it's seeing some pitches, getting some at-bats and catching more."

Posada, hitless in four at-bats, flied out twice, struck out, reached on an error and walked.

Outfielder Xavier Nady (right elbow ligament) and infielder Cody Ransom (right quadriceps) also took part in the extended spring game as designated hitters.

Nady went 1 for 3 with a walk. Ransom hit a long homer off Humberto Sanchez and walked twice.

Backup catcher Jose Molina, out with a left quadriceps strain, went through extensive defensive drills, but did not participate in the extended spring game.

I like Cervelli a lot, and he's done a lot for this team both offensively and defensively since being called up, but it will be great to get Posada back. Also, the way Matsui and Swisher have been hitting, getting Nady back would help a lot too, even if he's only going to be able to DH.

Injury Updates From Tampa

From the AP via ESPN:

New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada could play in an extended spring training game this week.

Posada, sidelined since straining his right hamstring while sliding during a May 4 game against Boston, took batting practice, threw and participated in a running program on Monday.

"Maybe Wednesday or Thursday," Posada said after working out at the Yankees' minor league complex. "It's now a matter of getting into baseball shape."

Outfielder Xavier Nady (right elbow ligament), catcher Jose Molina (strained left quadriceps) and third baseman Cody Ransom (right quadriceps) worked out with Posada. All three also took part in the running session.

Nady could be the designated hitter during a minor league game in the next couple days, and Molina might be ready by late this week.

Also, left-handed reliever Damaso Marte, out with left shoulder tendinitis, has resumed throwing on level ground.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, coming back from right elbow ligament replacement surgery, threw four innings in an extended spring training game against Philadelphia minor leaguers.

That should get you up to date on all the injured Yankees.

Four Injured Yanks Heading To Tampa

From MLB.com:

A quartet of rehabbing Yankees will leave for Tampa on Sunday -- Xavier Nady, Jorge Posada, Cody Ransom and Jose Molina all are slated to travel to the team's Minor League complex.

Manager Joe Girardi said Nady (ulnar collateral ligament surgery) could possibly get into an extended spring training game sometime this week, and depending on their legs, so could Posada and Molina.

As for Brian Bruney, he said today that his tendon is still sore and he will try to play catch tomorrow and hopes to return early next week.

Melancon, Robertson and Berroa Called Up

According to Pete Abe, Mark Melancon, David Robertson, and Angel Berroa have all been called up to replace Chein-Ming Wang, Brian Bruney, and Cody Ransom on the roster. We all heard out about Robertson last night and the other two we learned about this morning.

(Melancon, Robertson, and Berroa)

Berroa was hitting .316/.365/.491 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 14 games for Triple-A Scranton. Melancon was 2-0, and had struck out 17 and walked just three in 10.1 innings scoreless innings. And Roberston was 0-1, with a 0.00 ERA, and has struck out 14and walked just two in 8 innings.

With Melancon coming up it probably means that Bruney is headed to the DL, which is a terrible blow to this team.

Injury Updates and More Bad News

UPDATE 12:15 A.M: Cashman doesn't seem too worried about Bruney, but he said that Wang will need at least 10 days to two weeks to rehab a hip injury. According to Bryan Hoch, Wang has "weakness in the adductor muscles of both hips."

According to Joe Girardi on the postgame show Chien-Ming Wang is headed to the DL and David Robertson will take his place on the roster tomorrow. This also means that Phil Hughes will most likely start on Tuesday against the Tigers.

Cody Ransom has a quad injury and Girardi thinks he's going to be out for a while.

Brian Bruney has a "cranky elbow" and he's headed back to New York for an MRI.

Between all this crap and tonight's terrible loss, it was an all around crappy night for the Yankees.

Kevin Long and His Hard-Hit Ball Chart

Apparently Kevin Long isn't too concerned with Cody Ransom's awful start to the '09 season. Why? Because of his hard-hit ball chart, which Long uses as a tool to keep players' confidence up. Here's some more from Marc Carig:

Long keeps his own tally during games and frequently shares the data with players, especially those who need to hear it, like Ransom. From the chart: Robinson Cano, who has been on fire to start the season, leads the Yankees with nine hard-hit balls. Derek Jeter is second with eight. Not surprising.

But guess who's also tied with Cano for the team lead? Cody Ransom.

"When you look at that, it doesn't concern me at all," Long said. "I thought he was swinging the bat better than his numbers. He probably pressed a little bit because he wants to get a hit the last couple games. Before that, I thought he was doing fine and thought he had a little hard luck."

Long admits he's not the most subjective in his count. Sometimes, he rewards effort just as much as the results. The point, he said, is to keep positive thoughts flowing for players even when the hits aren't falling.

"If it's a soft lineout, I'll give them a hard hit," Long said. "I'm a little more lenient obviously. I'm looking at how did he handle a certain pitch. Maybe it was a tough pitch and he was able to stay on it and through it long enough to line it to right. Not scorched, but hit good. I like to pound that quite a bit."

I think this chart is good idea and it has probably has helped many players, but at the same time I think Long should be a little more subjective with what he determines is a hard-hit ball. I've watched every at-bat Ransom has had this year, and there's no way he's hitting the ball well. He's 2-for-24 and he's struck out 8 times in 24 at-bats. He's also not doing the little things, last night in a game that was already over, he failed to drive in a runner from third with less than two outs. Really, I can't see how it's possible that he is near the team leaders in hard hit balls.

As Carig points out in the article "Much of success as a major league coach hinges on mastering the art of reassurance," and there's no doubt about that. But isn't another major job of a hitting coach to find and fix problems with a players' swing?

What do you guys think?

Girardi Says He's Going To Stick With Cody

From Marc Carig:

Meanwhile, Girardi said he is sticking with Ransom, who is off to a horrendous start. The Yankees chose to stay with the career minor-leaguer Ransom when Alex Rodriguez went down with his hip injury. Ransom has committed an error at third and is just 1 for 20 at the plate.

Any more of this and the Yankees might have to consider allowing Ramiro Pena a shot at filling in.

"I think there's some frustration there. I think he wouldn't be human if there was no frustration," Girardi said of Ransom. "He hit a ball hard on (Saturday) just foul. I mean he hasn't really had any luck. I'm happy with the way he's playing and his effort. It will turn. You know it's going to turn. It's just not fun to start out this way"

How does he "know it's going to turn" around for Ransom? Cody Ransom is a career minor leaguer, maybe there is a reason for that.

Ransom said he believes his luck will turn.

"I've hit a lot of balls hard and I've had some good at-bats, I feel like," Ransom said. "I'm not going to change anything. I just hope they start falling."

Good at-bats? I count one in the last three games; his walk in the seventh inning yesterday. Besides that he's looked completely overmatched.

I hope Ransom can turn things around, but if he can't how long will Girardi wait before making a change?

Should The Yanks Sign Dallas McPherson?

Well, Mike Axisa from River Ave. Blues and Rob Neyer think they should. McPherson was released yesterday by the Marlins and could be brought in to play third base.

(Before I go on I want to congratulate the guys over at River Ave. Blues for their recent content partnership with the YES Network. For more info on the partnership check out this post over at RAB)

Moving on... Here's some more on McPherson from Mike Axisa:

First things first, McPherson had a phenomenal year last year (.275-.379-.618) in his first healthy year since 2004, but he was in an extremely favorable environment. The PCL is a hitters' league in general, plus Albuquerque is at altitude (his home OPS was nearly two hundred points greater than his road OPS), giving him another nice boost. Translating his numbers to a neutral MLB environment (via the MLE Calculator) gives you a .207-.295-.440 batting line with a Mo awful 181 strikeouts in 468 at-bats. The .233 IsoP is dead sexy, and that's pretty much right in line with his .213 career mark. There's no doubt about it, the guy can hit the ball a long way. He just struggles making contact.

The second part you need to understand about his offense is his massive platoon split. A lefty, McPherson hit just .217-.308-.528 against his fellow southpaws last year, down from .285-.395-.635 against righties. In his big league career (128 total games), he's managed just a .176-.218-.297 line off lefties, with a 38.5% strikeout rate. If the Yanks were tempted to bring McPherson aboard, it would have to be in a platoon situation only, which is fine because Cody Ransom is a righty and annihilates lefties (1.056 career OPS).

Here are McPherson's numbers against right-handers in the majors: .263/.318/.498 with 16 HR and 40 RBI in 321 at-bats. Not bad. Also, Ransom is just a .221/.323/.371 against right-handers in 140 at-bats throughout his career. Although last year he did hammer right-handers to the tune of .345/.441/.793 in 29 at-bats. I know, small sample size.

I think a platoon of McPherson and Ransom could turn out to be very good for the Yanks while they wait for A-Rod. The move would force either Ramiro Pena or Angel Berroa - whichever makes the team - off the roster, which isn't that big a deal.

Neyer goes on, saying that the Yankees don't know exactly what they will get from A-Rod once he comes back, and that even though "Brian Cashman knows a lot more about Rodriguez's long-term prognosis than I know. But I don't know that Cashman will be able to live with himself after the season, if for want of a platoon third baseman the pennant was lost."

So what do you think, should the Yankees sign McPherson?

Ransom The Leading Candidate To Replace A-Rod

From Bryan Hoch:

Certainly, the Yankees would prefer to have their superstar third baseman ready and available to play come Opening Day on April 6, the torn labrum in his right hip carefully coached onto the field. But should that not occur, Ransom is the front-runner to help New York patch its lineup.

"Cody is a professional player," Girardi said on Thursday. "He has experience all over the infield, he has pop in his bat. Cody is one of those guys that gets dirty all the time and plays extremely hard. He has a great attitude."

"Right now, that's probably what we'd have to think about," Girardi said. "There's a lot that can change in the next four or five weeks, but Cody has a lot of experience playing on that side of the infield. He's shown that he's got pop in his bat. He's a very good defender. We'll have to wait and see."

Here's what Ransom had to say about the situation:

"I'm not going to change the way I approach the spring or getting ready for the season. I've got to go about my business the way I would, whether I was trying to get ready to be a utility guy or a third baseman. You hate to have something happen, especially to a guy who is such a big part of the team."

"As a team, we can pick up the slack a little bit. Everybody is in Spring Training, going about their business the way that they would had he not been injured.

"I know personally, I'm going about it the same way, trying to get ready for Opening Day and hopefully be on the team, and see where it goes from there."

Besides Ransom, the only internal option is Angel Berroa. They're not going to throw Nady there, he's played the position three times in his career, and there's no point in moving Teixeira across the diamond. He hasn't played third since his rookie year.

Outside the organization there are some other options. Mark Grudzielanek, a career .290/.332/.395 hitter, is one and probably the most likely as he's a free agent.

I've also heard some people mention Mark Teahen, Bobby Crosby, Melvin Mora, Mark Loretta, Bill Hall, Chone Figgins, and even former Yankee Aaron Boone. My preference would be Figgins, but he's the least likely to be added. Not only would he cost an arm and a leg, but I doubt the Angels have any interest in trading him. Besides Figgins, I think Grudzielanek would be a nice addition.

UPDATE: Peter Abraham had a few more suggestions; Scott Rolen, Brandon Inge, Hank Blalock, Garrett Atkins, and Chad Tracy.

He also says that he spoke with Dr. Robert Buly of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan who is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in hips, and that he says that at some point A-Rod will "have to bite the bullet and have the surgery. It’s going to get progressively worse and for the patient, it’s pretty miserable.”