Alex Rodriguez Might Accept A Trade

(UPDATE) Alex Rodriguez is once again not in the lineup for today's rescheduled game 4.

I was busy at work all day yesterday so I was unable to post, but if you missed it, there was a ton of talk about Miami being a possible destination for Alex Rodriguez if the Yankees do try an unload his contract this offseason. Well, today we have this report from Bob Nightengale that says if the situation was right, Alex, who has a full no-trade clause, may accept the deal:

Take a good, long hard look at him.

This will be the last time you'll ever see Alex Rodriguez in a New York Yankees uniform.

We might have already seen him play his last game for the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees, desperate for offense, and set to play in an elimination game Wednesday night, benched their greatest and most expensive star for the second consecutive game.

Though Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers was postponed by rain, the Yankees already tipped their hand and had him on the bench, leaving A-Rod humiliated.

The Yankees are making it loud and clear they want Rodriguez out as quickly as possible.

Rodriguez, his pride and ego damaged beyond repair, is now telling close friends that he won't stand in the way.

Rodriguez, who has a full no-trade clause, won't ask to be traded, a person familiar with Rodriguez's thinking told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

...

He will welcome a trade, the person says, but it must to be to another big-market club. Hint: He won't be going to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The most likely choices would be the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

First, let me say that A-Rod has been awful this October. However, so has 90% of the starting lineup so really, why are we still blaming everyone's favorite scapegoat?

To me, this whole situation was made much worse by Joe Girardi, and his benching of A-Rod for the last two games -- though he can still make up for the game 4 benching today if he has any clue. There are reports of a fractured clubhouse, and that he's completely lost the team, which only makes this 0-3 feel that much more insurmountable.

The decision to bench A-Rod is only made worse by his replacement, Eric Chavez. Chavez has been virtually invisible in his plate appearances this postseason and also made that costly error in game 3 that might have cost the Yankees the game and a chance to get back in this series.

Does this mean I think A-Rod would have gone 4-for-4 with a homer off Verlander? No, but I do think A-Rod could get his swing going if given the chance, especially away from all the boos in the Bronx. There's no reason to further embarrass the guy and disrupt the clubhouse for a replacement that has also done nothing this series.

No matter what the outcome, the thing that sticks out to me the most is how poorly the Yankees and Girardi have handled this mess. If you think about how good we all felt about this team after that four run 9th on Saturday it's amazing how quickly things have changed.

Sure, there is still more baseball to be played and mistakes could be corrected. Maybe A-Rod is in the lineup today, gets a couple hits, and the Yankees actually win a game in this series. Or maybe, and much more likely if you ask me, things just get worse, the Yankees get swept, and this really is the end of A-Rod in New York.

The Stats Say The Yankees Won't Miss A-Rod

Here's the story from ESPN Stats & Info: it was worth passing along:

According to AccuScore, which utilizes 10,000 computer simulations, A-Rod’s absence won’t impact the Yankees much. Assuming Rodriguez misses eight weeks, it won’t cost the Yankees even a full game. Regardless of whether he’s there or not, the odds of them winning the AL East are still better than 97 percent.

In terms of history, it’s unlikely the Yankees will surrender their eight-game lead in the AL East. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the largest lead the Yankees have had at any time in a season in which they did not finish in first place was six games in 1933 (June 6-7).

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The Yankees haven’t been affected much over the past three seasons when Rodriguez is not in the lineup. Since 2010, they’re a combined 63-29 (.685 win percentage) without him and 188-142 (.570 win percentage) with him.

A-Rod’s power has declined significantly over the years. Since winning his last MVP in 2007, his at-bats per home run rate has more than doubled. He hit a homer once every 10.8 at-bats in 2007 but has homered once every 23.5 at-bats this season.

His slugging percentage has taken a hit recently as well. His .449 slugging percentage this season is his lowest since 1995 (.408).

Entering Wednesday, 16 third basemen were qualified for the batting title. The cumulative batting average and slugging percentage of those 16 players is slightly better than Rodriguez’s numbers this season.

The article also pointed out that Eric Chavez has actually had better numbers than A-Rod this season in several key areas, including slugging percentage, home run percentage, isolated power and strikeout percentage. As I stated yesterday, my main concern with Chavez is his health, but if he can remain in the lineup I think he’ll handle replacing A-Rod pretty well.

Some of these stats are easy to push aside. The teams wins and losses with and without A-Rod are, for the most part, irrelevant. Unless we're going to sit here and break down the winning percentage of the teams the Yankees played with and without him, and then factor that into the results, you're not really getting the entire story.

The most important thing that the stats are neglecting is that Rodriguez was finally starting to get locked in at the plate. In his last 11 games, he was hitting .349/.391/.581 with 2 HR 6 RBI and 4 doubles. So, if we're talking about replacing that version of A-Rod then Chavez can't come close. But as we've seen, Rodriguez clearly not the player he used to be so it's very possible that the hot stretch wasn't going to last.

At the end of the day, I do believe the Yankees will be fine without Alex. Will it cost them a game or two here or there? Maybe. But they've survived losing the greatest closer of all time, their starting left fielder, a top of the rotation starter, and various other relievers and position players for weeks at a time, so they'll survive this.

.... Unless Chavez gets hurt. Then they may have a few issues.

Cashman: Chavez is our replacement for A-Rod

From Wallace Matthews:

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he has found a replacement for Alex Rodriguez without even making a phone call to another team.

"Eric Chavez is the solution," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday, one day after Rodriguez suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch from Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez.

"Chavez is the solution and Jayson Nix is the solution, and whoever we have in the farm system are going to have to be the solution," Cashman said. "I'm very comfortable with Eric Chavez as Alex's replacement."

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"Because we're going to get him back, I don't see this as a particular area of need," Cashman said. "It doesn't mean I won't listen."

Among the third baseman expected to be available at the trade deadline are Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres, Placido Polanco and Ty Wigginton of the Philadelphia Phillies and Chone Figgins of the Mariners.

"I'm not about to gut my farm system for any of those guys," Cashman said.

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Chavez's injury history makes him a risk as an everyday player, but Cashman is confident in the veteran's durability.

"That's his job, to fill in as needed," he said. "That's what he's here for. I expect him to be able to play third base for us every day, and to play it well."

I'm not sure this is the right move, or non-move, for the Yankees. Mainly because I'm concerned about how fragile Chavez has become and the dire situation they'll be in if he does go down. However, from everything I've read today the asking price for all viable replacements is pretty high and Cashman is probably right that it's not worth gutting the system for any of those guys.

Yanks Resign Chavez to One-Year Deal

The deal is worth $900K.

Yanks To Sign Chavez and Ibanez Once AJ Deal is Approved

Bill Hall, and the (Not So) Super-Utility Bargain Bin

This post is syndicated from The Yankee Analysts.

With the hot stove dwindling just below a simmer, yesterday saw Ken Rosenthal "break" a story with respect to the Yankees' interest in ... Bill Hall. This is indicative of, at the very least, Cashman's continued interest in having a veteran presence to spell Alex Rodriguez. A more optimistic and/or pessimistic view may be that the team is looking to send Eduardo Nunez packing - be it to Scranton to work on his ability to be the shortstop of the future, or to another team ... with the reader determining which version is the better-case scenario. Regardless of your preference, it seems unlikely that the team will do anything other than supplement their bench with such a signing. While none of this is particularly exciting, perusing the list of remaining free agent infielders should be a bit more than an exercise in futility ... so, there's that.

Bill Hall

The method to this madness, Hall "batted" .211/.261/.314, good for a 55 wRC+ and -1.6 fWAR, for the Astros and Giants in 2011 on the heels of a solid 2010 with the Red Sox (.247/.316/.456, 107 wRC+). His defensive metrics range from passable to horrific, albeit in small sample sizes at every position but catcher, with 3B being his best position ... and one that he did not play in 2011. At 32, he's a relatively known commodity, in that he's consistently inconsistent. His ability to man the outfield in a pinch does add some value.

Read more »

Heyman on Yanks: Chavez, Jones, Gonzalez

I like the idea of bringing Jones and Chavez back a lot. They were both solid bench players and there's no reason they can't do the same, or better, next year. Chavez obviously has his health issues, but even if he has to spend some time on the DL it's worth bringing him back.

As for Gonzalez, since coming to the AL he's certainly been knocked down a beg going 3-5 with just 2 saves and a 4.27 ERA in 85 appearances for the O's. Prior to his move to the AL, Gonzalez had an impressive 2.57 ERA 302 appearances for the Pirates and Braves. Clearly age is either catching up with the left-hander, or he's a pitcher better suited to face lineups where pitchers hit.

He was pretty good against lefties in 2011, holding them to a triple-slash of .214/.264/.311, so maybe there's some value there. Not sure the move is necessary, but as I've said a thousand times, extra pitching is always a good thing.

MLBTR's Top Ten Minor League Deals of the Year

MLB Trade Rumors came out with their list of the top ten minor league deals of the season. Between the top ten and honorable mentions, five Yankees signings made the list.

1. Bartolo Colon, Yankees. He didn't pitch at all in the Majors in 2010, but this year Colon has a 3.33 SIERA in 152 innings. He's been a major cog in the Yankees' rotation. Some of his success may be owed to offseason stem cell treatments, which Yankees GM Brian Cashman was not aware of at the time of the signing.

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4. Freddy Garcia, Yankees. Colon and Garcia have provided the Yankees 280 innings of 3.63 ball. Baseball's biggest spenders got a ton of bang for their buck on minor league deals this year.

Eric Chavez, Cory Wade and Luis Ayala made the honorable mention list. I've written about this before, but it's worth mentioning again that Cashman has always been great at landing some major impact players on small and/or minor league deals. This year, maybe more than any in the past, these small moves are one of the main reasons why the Yankees are 4 games up right now.

Posada To Bench, Chavez To DH For a While

Soraino Survives Back-To-Back Outings, Should Be Back By Friday

From Bryan Hoch:

Yankees right-hander Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless inning on Monday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and is on his way to re-joining the big league club.

Soriano recorded two groundouts and a strikeout in a hitless frame against Syracuse, the Nationals' top affiliate, throwing just 11 pitches (eight strikes).

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was pleased that Soriano has successfully pitched in back-to-back games, but said that Soriano wouldn't be available to them until Wednesday, at the earliest.

New York has an off-day on Thursday, so the Yankees could also decide to hold off on activating Soriano until Friday, when the team opens a four-game weekend series with the Orioles.

Hoch also mentioned in the article that Eric Chavez could be back as soon as today.

Chavez Back Tuesday, Soriano Wednesday, A-Rod in Mid-August

From Ian Begley:

The New York Yankees could have third baseman Alex Rodriguez back as soon the second week in August, according to general manager Brian Cashman.

In an interview on that aired Sunday on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight," Cashman said Rodriguez is "doing very well" in his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

"He's in a pool. He's on a bike. (He's) still got a little bit of a limp, which is normal. But I'd be looking at him (returning) maybe the second week of August, you know, at the earliest for me," Cashman said. "That's just us being conservative. I think we can push it and get him back sooner but, why? Our offense is strong."

...

Cashman also believes setup man Rafael Soriano will return to the Yankees on Wednesday or Thursday.

... Cashman, speaking before Soriano's outing on Sunday, said Soriano will make another rehab appearance Monday and -- barring any set-backs -- return to the Bronx shortly thereafter.

"If everything goes right, he'll do back-to-back (appearances) today and tomorrow and then I'll activate him probably Wednesday. Wednesday or Thursday," Cashman said.

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In other injury news, Cashman said backup infielder Eric Chavez will return to the Yankees on Tuesday.

Good news all around.

In case you were wondering, Soriano threw an inning in relief today for the SWB Yanks, allowing a run on one hit (a homer) and a strike out in one inning of work. Eric Chavez went 0-for-4 for Single-A Tampa.

Chavez & Soriano Could Return This Homestand

From Matt Fortuna:

Rafael Soriano and Eric Chavez may return to the Yankees sometime during their current 10-game homestand, manager Joe Girardi said on Friday.

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Chavez, who has a bone bruise on his left foot, played in his fourth rehab start for Tampa on Friday, and went 1-for-4 with a double, playing seven innings at third base for the second straight night.

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Girardi said he would like to see Chavez go through a nine-inning game before moving forward.

"You'd like to be able to get him back-to-back games to know that he can do that for you if you wanted him to do that," Girardi said of Chavez before Friday's game. "But besides that, not a whole lot. Just to see how the foot responds. It's one thing to DH, and then it's one thing to play the field and be on it all the time -- how's that foot going to respond? And as long as it's responding well, we have him play a couple days in a row, I don't see why we wouldn't consider him a player for us."

Soriano is scheduled to pitch in his third rehab game either Saturday or Sunday. Girardi also wants to see Soriano throw on back-to-back days before having him rejoin the team.

Soriano & Chavez Continue Rehab Down in Tampa

Rafael Soriano made his second appearance in his rehab stint with the Tampa Yankees, allowing a run on two hits in one inning pitched.

Eric Chavez was also in the game, and for the first time during his rehab played 3rd base. He went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Chavez Picks Up 4 Hits in 2nd Rehab Game

Eric Chavez went 4-for-5 with two runs scored today as Tampa beat Jupiter 10-3. It was Chavez second straight day as the designated hitter. He will play third tomorrow when Tampa travels to Bradenton to face the Marauders. Rafael Soriano will also pitch in Thursday's game.

Chavez & Soriano Start Their Rehab In Tampa

Eric Chavez and Rafael Soriano began their minor-league rehab stints today in Tampa 11-0 loss to Jupiter.

- Chavez DH'ed and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

- Soriano pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits including a homer, and struck out 1.

More Updates: Soriano, Chavez & Marte

From Chad Jennings:

Eric Chavez is bothered by a sore back, but apparently he felt better yesterday, and “he should be able to get back to work soon,” Girardi said.

Of the players currently on the disabled list, Rafael Soriano is closest to a return. He’s throwing live batting practice today. “He’s getting to a point where we could see him in a (rehab) game fairly quickly,” Girardi said.

Damaso Marte is still just throwing bullpens and not ready to face hitters.

Chavez Dealing With Bad Back

From Chad Jennings:

Eric Chavez’s back is bothering him again. “He’s having some back issues right now, so I can’t tell you when we’re going to get Chavy back or if we’re going to get Chavy back,” Girardi said. “You wonder if the back is related to the foot, walking different or trying to run different. Right now there’s no time table when he’ll be back.”

A Setback For Chavez

According to Marc Carig, Eric Chavez strained his back today while rehabbing down in Tampa. He's been shut down for the time being. I'm sure they'll run the usual tests to determine the severity of the injury and once that's done we'll know more.

Jeter Take Live BP & Other Rehab Updates

From George A. King III:

After jogging for first time since straining his calf, Derek Jeter expressed some optimism about his return to the Yankees.

“Everything is good. Steps in the right direction,” Jeter said from Tampa.

Jeter took 30 swings of live batting practice on the field — thrown by former hitting coach and current minor league instructor Gary Denbo. The shortstop then took seven ground balls before a thunderstorm hit. Jeter returned after the rain delay, played some catch in the outfield and did some light running in outfield — three lights sprints, he ran backwards and side-to-side.

King also reported that Eric Chavez took BP with Jeter and Bartolo Colon threw 60 pitches in simulated game. He struck out three and allowed two hits. If the Yankees decide that Colon doesn't need rehab start in the minors he could be back for the Mets series.

Chavez, Colon & Jeter Continue Working Their Way Back

From the AP:

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter threw for the third straight day Thursday as he rehabs a strained right calf muscle that landed him on the disabled list.

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The Yankees’ captain has been working out at the team’s spring training complex. He could increase his on-the-field workout in the next couple days.

Also, right-hander Bartolo Colon and infielder Eric Chavez increased their onfield drills as they rehab injuries.

Colon, sidelined by a strained right hamstring, ran sprints in the outfield for the first time in addition to his third consecutive day of long toss. Chavez, out with a broken left foot, said he was fine after running from home to first around a half-dozen times.