The Best Trades Are Those Not Made

This time last year we were talking about top prospect Austin Jackson who was arguably one of the best outfield prospects to come through the Yankee farm system since Bernie Williams. He ended up having a good all around season at Triple-A, maintaining a batting average around .300. He was also solid defensively, chasing down fly balls with his above average speed.

Unfortunately he was rewarded for this performance by becoming the cornerstone of the Curtis Granderson trade, which today looks very one-sided. Unfortunately not in the Yankees favor, and may look even worse in the future. Jackson and the other players given up, Phil Coke and Ian Kennedy, have each had good seasons this year:

Jackson: .307 batting average; 64 runs; 25 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. At this pace he should project to about 200 hits for the year. He has been a solid lead off hitter and defensive centerfielder. Referred to by manager Jim Leyland as the "total package".

Coke: In 52 games so far he has a 2.60 ERA and 38 K. He has been a very serviceable lefty reliever for the Tigers.

Kennedy: Has started 22 games for Arizona and has 6 wins, an ERA of 4.40 and 113 K. Right now he is a back of the rotation starter who should get better as he pitches more.

The evaluation of this trade will continue for awhile but unless Granderson, who is 6 years older, makes a major contribution the remainder of the season, it could become more obvious that the Yankees were fleeced. Of course some will argue the negatives about Jackson like the strikeout rate or lack of power, but his progress over the next couple years will also have a lot of impact on the analysis.

I personally like the trades the Yankees don't make a lot better. Like the one that kept Phil Hughes with the Yankees.

Today we have another prospect at Triple-A that I hope the Yankees can resist trading. He's 20 year old Jesus Montero who won the game for Scranton last night with a walk-off, 2 run home run. In 22 games after the all star break he is batting .395 with 6 HRs; 15 RBI and a .460 OBP. He is getting better offensively by the game and his defensive skills as a catcher have also been improving.

He has already almost been traded once. Hopefully he will get a shot to impress in September so he can give the front office some more reasons not to trade him.

Hughes or Santana? Jackson or Granderson?? Montero or ????

Coke Looking At Trade As A "Blessing In Disguise"

From B.J. Hansen:

"The trade was definitely a shock because I grew up in the Yankees system," says Coke. "At the same time, it is more than likely a blessing in disguise."

The Tigers are considering moving Coke from the bullpen to the starting rotation next season.

"When I go back there I'm going to make sure I give it everything I got and see if I can lock down that job," adds Coke. "If not I can always go back to the bullpen and contribute there."

"I'm not really worried about it, as long as I have someone give me a ball and tell me to ‘go get em,'" says Coke.

While he did give up a few too many homers last year, Coke was a valuable part of the pen and came up big a few times down the stretch. Hopefully he does well in Detroit.

Good luck, Cokey.

Granderson Trade Analysis

The one thing this trade shows is that fans (or at least me) really are incapable of judging what it will take to trade for a player. Yesterday I was dismissing the idea that Cashman could get Granderson without giving up one of Joba, Hughes, or Montero. However, he got it done with a package centered around Austin Jackson. Personally, I think this is another great Cashman trade here.

In Granderson they get a 28 year old centerfielder who will hold down the position for a very long time at a cheap price. Granted, he's coming off the third straight year of decline but their is reason to think he will bounce back and he's still an extremely valuable player if this is all that he is. He plays solid defense and is two years removed from an MVP type year. His career wOBA is .358 and he plays a very solid centerfield. He's a consistent 20-20 guy who still was worth 3.4 wins last year in an awful year.

The biggest problem with his dissapointing 2009 was that a lot of his FB base hits from the previous years turned into fly ball outs. His FB% shot up about nine points while his GB% sunk about ten points. His BABIP accordingly shrunk but his HR/FB% remained the same. It seems a little flukey but even if it becomes a trend, that short right field porch might give him a few more homers. The guys at fangraphs.com ranked Granderson as the 22nd most valuable player in baseball and they really didn't give up all that much.

Obviously, its tough to see A-Jax go. We've invested a lot of time into watching him grow and develop but you have to give up something and he clearly doesn't have the type of potential that Montero, Hughes, or Joba show. His 2009 season saw him take a few steps backwards and it was probably a good idea to trade him while his flashy BA was still nice and high. Realistically, if A-Jax ends up as good as Curtis Granderson the Tigers will be delighted and probably a little surprised. Ian Kennedy's stock has fallen since the days of "The Big Three" and at his point I don't think their was going to be much room for him on the Yankees. After all, you have the front two spots locked up to huge contracts and a load of other guys trying to make the other spots. Phil Coke is a throwaway to be honest with you. We saw from Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez how quickly a previously reliable reliever can suddenly turn to nothing.

All in all, its not all that impressive of a package for a guy like Granderson. I'm not completely sure what comes next for the Yankees. Obviously, they still are going to go hard after Pettitte and keep tabs on Lackey with the slightly diminished pitching depth. However, Jackson would have been a major piece in any sort of deal for Halladay and I really don't see the Yanks making two blockbuster trades in one offseason coming of the heels of #27. So, I think this makes any possible trade for Halladay even less likely. It puts less pressure on them with the whole left field/DH situation as well. They're still going to sign a guy but they no longer need two, though its still a possibility. It makes Gardner and Melky much more expendable as well.

I'm very happy with the trade myself. Its good to see the Yanks fire the first shot in the AL East winter wars.

Burnett and Coke Discus Their Embarrassing Night

First some quotes from Burnett via Mark Feinsand, Sam Borden, and Chad Jennings:

“I had a chance to do something special tonight and I failed,” he said. “I let all the guys in here down and I let a whole city down. These guys played their heart out for all nine innings, but I didn’t give us a chance to win.”

"I feel like I let 25 guys down,” he said. “I just couldn’t get it to go where I wanted it to go."

"It's me. You've got to take it hard. This one's on me. You can't blame it on anyone else."

That pretty much sums it up well.

And now some quotes from Coke via Brendan Prunty:

"That wound up being the outcome," a somber Coke said afterward. "Those two home runs in the inning. I mean, I’m pretty embarrassed for myself and the way that all went."

"[The pitch to Utley] was right down the middle," Coke said. "Better not miss your pitch if you get one there. And he didn’t."

As for Ibanez's blast:

"It was in the right area, as far as being off the plate — on the outside corner of the plate," he said. "It was up, it was above his belt and I mean, he’s obviously a good hitter. He got the log on the ball and it went out."

...

"All I can do is hope that we can come back and win the game after going out and screwing up as bad as I did," Coke said. "But I came up short and it ended up being those two runs instead of a tie game. That’s what we end up losing the game by."

...

"I want the ball in the game tomorrow," Coke said. "That’s the only thing I’m thinking about."

Yea, I wouldn't bet on that happening. I think the next time we see Phil Coke will be in spring training.

Damon Works On His Hitting

After hitting an embarrassing .083 (1-for-12) in the ALDS, Johnny Damon was at Yankee Stadium today and hit in a simulated game. Along with Damon, Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston Jr., Brett Gardner, and Francisco Cervelli also took part in the simulated game.

Five pitchers threw in a simulated game in an effort to stay sharp during the break between the first round and ALCS. Chad Gaudin threw 50 pitches, Alfredo Aceves threw 30, David Robertson threw 20, Phil Coke threw 20 and Damaso Marte threw 15.

Nick Swisher was also in the Bronx today for his normal batting practice session. And CC Sabathia threw his normal bullpen session.

Cano Comes Up Big in Walk-Off Win

(REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
TOR	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	0		3	14	1
NYY	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0		4	7	0
	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18		R	H	E
TOR	0	0	X	X	X	X	X	X	X		3	14	1
NYY	0	1	X	X	X	X	X	X	X		4	7	0

WP - Chad Gaudin (5-10)
LP - Shawn Camp (1-6)
When the Yankees are playing a close game in the late innings of a game, you just feel like they're going to win now. All year, they just have been able to win big games like this. The story is going to be Cano's big clutch hit but first lets give some mention to the other guys that put Cano in a chance to win it in the bottom of the eleventh inning.

The game started off rather ominously for the Yankees. A.J. Burnett got into and out of trouble in the top of the inning with some of the control problems we saw earlier in the year. The real scary part came in the Yankees half of the inning when Derek Jeter got hit by a pitch in the foot. He remained in the game but was visibly in pain and would be pulled later. Instead of charging the mound and tackling the pitcher, Jeter decided to just take his base. After a double by Damon he would score on a ground out hit by Jorge Posada. Already more than they got for A.J. for the first nine innings of his last start.

After this, the two teams would trade solo homers. The Jays bounced back as soon as the second started with A.J. giving a homer to career minor leaguer, Randy Ruiz. Damon would give the Yanks back the lead with a shot to right in the third, and Cano would hit a homer in the fourth, as well. A.J. was cruising through five and things looked pretty good. The trouble hit in his last inning when control problems bit him again. Vernon Wells grounded out to start the inning very innocently. Burnett seemed to lose it after that. Back to back singles to Randy Ruiz and Edwin Encarnacion had him in a tough spot and the tying run on base. A wild pitch put both of them in scoring position. One run scored on a Raul Chavez single. A strikeout got him close to the end of the inning but his second wild pitch of the inning tied the game up. He got the last out without further incident but the damage was done.

The sixth would be the last inning for both starters and it became a battle of the bullpens. For the next five innings the two bullpens would battle each other, matching up zero for zero. For the Yankees, it was a job that would have to get done without the benefit of Mariano Rivera. However, Phil Coke, David Robertson, Phil Hughes, and even Chad Gaudin worked together to keep the Jays off the board in another impressive display by the relief crew. They gave the Yankees hitters enough time to find a guy they could hit when the Jays ran Sean camp out for one inning to many. The eleventh started with a Matsui strikeout. However, that was the last out that they'd get. Alex Rodriguez was painfully hit in the elbow and, not only opted to avoid charging the mound and tackling the pitcher, but also stayed in the game. Posada hit a single to left centerfield to bring up the day's hero, Robinson Cano.

I think we all know what happened next, Cano lined one out to rightfield over the fielders head, just missing a cheap home run. It didn't matter though and the single he was credited with was enough. A-Rod scored easily and Cano, who has struggled so much in the clutch this year, got the pie in the face. The Yankees emerge from what was a great homestand victorious but at a steep price. Those HBP's really seemed to hurt Jeter and A-Rod. Posada also really got banged up behind the plate in a day game after a night game. Tomorrow they'll have to try and avoid a hangover with their "B" lineup. This west coast trip could be big for them. I know some people have left them for dead. However, the Red Sox seem to have been inspired by Youkillis' idiotic mound charging incident and are only a few games away from putting themselves right back into the division race. They need to keep winning and they'll have to do it next week without Joba.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	.317
Pena, R, SS	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.273
a-Teixeira, PH-1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286
Damon, LF	4	1	2	1	1	0	1	.287
Matsui, H, DH	5	0	0	0	0	2	3	.260
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	1	0	0	1	2	.257
Posada, C	5	0	1	1	0	3	3	.282
Cano, 2B	5	1	2	2	0	0	2	.317
Swisher, 1B-RF	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	.244
Hinske, RF	4	0	0	0	0	3	2	.252
Hairston, J, SS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.259
Cabrera, Me, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	.275
Totals	37	4	7	4	3	10	17
a-Popped out for Pena, R in the 10th.
BATTING 2B: Damon (26, Romero, R), Rodriguez, A (12, Romero, R). HR: Damon (22, 3rd inning off Romero, R, 0 on, 0 out), Cano (18, 4th inning off Romero, R, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Pena, R; Damon 6; Rodriguez, A 2; Posada; Cano 5. RBI: Posada (53), Damon (67), Cano 2 (60). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cano 2; Pena, R; Posada. GIDP: Matsui, H. Team RISP: 1-for-8. Team LOB: 7. BASERUNNING PO: Pena, R (1st base by Chavez, R). FIELDING DP: (Pena, R-Cano-Swisher).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Burnett, A	6.0	10	3	3	2	7	1	3.71
Coke	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.88
Robertson, D	1.1	0	0	0	1	1	0	3.24
Hughes, P	1.1	2	0	0	0	2	0	3.49
Gaudin (W, 5-10)	2.0	1	0	0	1	3	0	5.03

Pitches-strikes: Burnett, A 107-68, Coke 3-3, Robertson, D 26-17, Hughes, P 16-14, Gaudin 44-25.

BLUE JAYS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, GW Single in 11th)

HONORABLE MENTION: Johnny Damon (2-for-4, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, R)

Tomorrow's Game

Yankees @ Mariners
Game Time: 10:10 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS
LHP CC Sabathia (12-7, 3.76) vs. RHP Ian Snell (2-8, 5.42)

Who's Next in Line? The Bullpen

The second in this series of posts. There is a very good chance that the next starter will be be one of the former starters currently in the major league bullpen. Their are a few positives to pulling a guy out of the bullpen in that no roster finagling is required because everyone is obviously on the 40 man roster. The cons are equally obvious, chief among them is that they'd lose one of their most effective relievers. Here's what the Yankees have to be looking at there.

Phil Hughes - There are some people that think he should be in the rotation tomorrow. His future still appears to include starting and he projects to be one of the starting five next year. Earlier in the year he struggled as a starter. He was good and bad but other than one exceptionally awful start, he was mostly good. Of the in house options he is probably the best man for the job. However, he has been so ridiculously good in the bullpen its really tough to move him. Is he a good enough starter to match his value as an outstanding reliever? It a tough call.

Alfredo Aceves- They already experimented with Aceves starting a game last month and he hasn't been the same since. Something tells me they're going to be hesitant to do that again. Although, he was extremely impressive for a few spot starts last year in September it looks like his home is in the bullpen. Aceves doesn't have the impressive ceiling of Hughes or Joba and, until recently, has been a critical cog in the bullpen. His ability to shut down a team for two or three innings every few times out would be sorely missed. He wouldn't be missed as much as Hughes but he probably wouldn't be as good a starter either.

Phil Coke- I know most fans have already forgotten, or never knew that Coke was a starter but he was. Until late last year he was pretty much the only notable lefty starter the Yankees had in their system. Although never really regarded as having a serious chance at sticking in the big league rotation, he put up some nice minor league numbers. Last year in 118.1 innings as a starter in AA he put up an FIP of 3.01, in 17.1 AAA innings it was 1.53. Besides that, he wouldn't missed nearly as much as Aceves or Hughes in the bullpen. On the other hand, you can't really expect him to be better in the rotation than in the bullpen and he hasn't been any better than mediocre in the bullpen. I'd shocked if they went with him in the end.

The final part will come tomorrow morning.

Game thread below.

Trouble in the Bullpen

Other than last night's game, the Yankees have been rolling. A large part of that has been the unbelievable jobs they've been getting from the bullpen. Mariano and Hughes have been untouchable and Coke and Aceves have also done a great job. However, with Aceves sore shoulder, I'm feeling a little uneasy with the bullpen situation. Are these guys going to hit a wall soon with all the innings they've thrown?

Joe Girardi has done a good job of spreading out his innings from the bullpen. However, they're still fourth in the league in innings pitched and Alfredo Aceves is suffering from a sore shoulder. The Yanks had this problem last year to. Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez were cruising along until August when they hit a wall and just lost it. I have faith in Hughes and Mariano. However, lets hope Coke and Aceves don't become this year's Edwar and Veras.

I'm sure Cashman realizes this to. I just hope that he doesn't make the same mistake he did last year. Last year he went out and gave up Jose Tabata for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. It looked good at the time and in the end the Pirates didn't get to much either. However, Marte in particular has been a complete disaster. Now we're faced with a similar option in Scott Downs or any number of "proven" relievers. The right move isn't to go out and give up quality prospects for guys like that. Instead, Joe Girardi needs to give other guys more innings. Mark Melancon was excellent last night and should get more innings, David Robertson looks good, and Brian Bruney definitely has shown he potential to be great.

As we get into the stretch, the Yanks need some more depth in the bullpen and can't let themselves fall into the same trap they have in the past by trusting overworked guys like they have in the past.

Yanks Finish Homestand With Comeback Win

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
OAK	2	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0		5	12	0
NYY	4	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	X		7	12	1

WP - Phil Coke (2-3)
LP - Dallas Braden (7-9)
SV - Mariano Rivera (29)

Any time you can go 9-1 on a homestand, you have to be pretty happy. When you consider the 5 1/2 game swing in the AL East, its even better. The pitching stole the headlines the past ten games but today, the offense bailed out the starter.

It was obvious what type of game it was going to be at the very start. Sergio Mitre ran into immediate trouble and gave up two runs in the first inning on a handful of hits. However, the Yanks bounced right back in the bottom of the inning. Jeter and Damon both got on base to put the Yanks in scoring position. Teixeira and Posada would make easy outs and it looked like Dan Braden and the A's might escape unscathed. The Yanks would finally get some clutch two out hitting though and got their first run of the game on a single from Hideki Matsui. Nick Swisher then walked and Robinson Cano would clear the bases on a big double. Cano got thrown out on the way to third but the damage was done.

Both starters would then settle in for a while to some degree. Mitre got tagged for another run in the fourth but until the sixth that was it for the scoring. In the sixth, Mark Ellis hit a two-run homer off Phil Coke to briefly give Oakland a one-run lead, but the Yankees would have a big inning in their half. Cano wouldn't exactly start things off promisingly with a ground out but Melky walked and a rare Cody Ransom double set up a big hit for the captain. Jeter delivered with a two-run single. He then got picked off but that still wasn't the end of the scoring. Damon hit a double and Teixeira drove him in. At this point the Yanks had a 7-5 lead.

It took some interesting bullpen maneuvers but Joe Girardi got the final nine outs of the game with a combination of Hughes, Rivera, and Bruney. All in all, a very nice homestand for the Yankees. The road trip ahead is going is going to be tough but right now the Yankees are in a pretty good position.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	1	2	2	1	0	4	.321
Damon, LF	4	2	1	0	1	0	3	.279
Teixeira, 1B	5	0	2	1	0	1	2	.281
Posada, C	4	0	1	0	1	1	3	.287
Matsui, H, DH	4	1	1	1	1	0	4	.252
Swisher, RF	3	1	1	0	1	1	2	.235
Cano, 2B	4	0	1	3	0	0	1	.309
Cabrera, Me, CF	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	.287
Ransom, 3B	4	1	2	0	0	1	2	.200
Totals	34	7	12	7	7	4	21
BATTING 2B: Cano (26, Braden), Ransom 2 (9, Braden, Braden), Damon (22, Braden), Swisher (21, Breslow), Teixeira (26, Ziegler). TB: Jeter 2; Damon 2; Teixeira 3; Posada; Matsui, H; Swisher 2; Cano 2; Cabrera, Me; Ransom 4. RBI: Matsui, H (44), Cano 3 (52), Jeter 2 (43), Teixeira (72). 2-out RBI: Matsui, H; Cano 3; Teixeira. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Damon 2; Matsui, H 2; Jeter. Team RISP: 4-for-14. Team LOB: 10. BASERUNNING PO: Jeter (1st base by Braden). FIELDING E: Mitre (2, throw). DP: 3 (Mitre-Jeter-Teixeira, Jeter-Cano-Teixeira 2).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mitre	5.0	9	4	4	0	1	0	5.91
Coke (BS, 4)(W, 2-3)	1.0	2	1	1	0	0	1	3.80
Hughes, P (H, 8)	1.1	1	0	0	1	3	0	3.43
Bruney (H, 8)	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	5.30
Rivera, Ma (S, 29)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	2.11

ATHLETICS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Derek Jeter (2-for-4, 2 RBI, R)

HONORABLE MENTION: Robinson Cano (1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI)

Tomorrow's Game

Yankees @ Rays
Game Time: 7:08 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS
RHP A.J. Burnett (9-4, 3.74) vs. James Shields (6-6 3.70)

Future Shines on Old Timer's Day

(REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
DET	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		1	4	0
NYY	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	X		2	5	1

WP - Joba Chamberlain (5-2)
LP - Edwin Jackson (7-5)
SV - Mariano Rivera (26)

Another day, another pitcher's duel between the Tigers and Yankees. Nobody could have anticipated a game that would equal yesterday's between Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia. However, Joba Chamberlain and Edwin Jackson did their best. On a day celebrating the Yankees past, it was the stars of today and tomorrow that won the game for the Yankees to sweep a first place team and put them just one game behind the Red Sox.

The game did not start off well. Joba got into a jam right off the bat and it looked like he was off to another bad outing. The Tigers threatened to score with first a walk and then a single. However, Joba got out of it and would go on to pitch one of his best games of the year. The Tigers would strike first though with a solo shot from Craig Thomas in the fourth. What's interesting, though, is how well Joba recovered.

In other starts, Joba might have started nibbling and then given up another, bigger homer. However, today he came right back to get the next three guys and Detroit would only threaten one more time, in the pivotal fifth. That was hardly Joba's fault though. Nick Swisher let a ball hit by Curtis Granderson get through his legs with one out in the inning. The batter being Curtis Granderson, it became a triple. Joba then hit Placido Polanco with a pitch to put runners on the corners with one out. Have no fear though, Joba got Miguel Cabrera to hit an easily handled pop up. Joba completed the inning with a a strikeout of Marcus Thames and an emphatic fist pump. Joba cruised for a little while more and let the two Phils (Hughes and Coke) and Mariano finish the game.

Their isn't nearly as much to write about the offensive side of the game. Edwin Jackson matched Joba with zeroes but lost his shutout the same inning Joba did. Jackson got a quick two outs in the fourth but then ran into some trouble. A-Rod tied things up with his own solo homer. The Yanks would threaten more that inning with two walks but wouldn't score. Mark Texeira then broke the tie with a moonshot to rightfield that would give the Yankees the lead and win.

Joba was really impressive in this one and its great to see him give the Yanks some length. He probably could have gone even longer had Girardi not been so cautious but nobody can complain about 6.2 innings, 1 run, 8 K's, and 3 BB's. He was throwing hard and challenging hitters. If he does that in the second half, the Yankees are going to have a potent weapon on their hands. Its great to see the Yankees sweep a first place team and with a Boston loss at the hands of Roy Halladay, they're now just a game back in the division.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	0	0	0	0	2	1	.321
Gardner, CF	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	.277
Teixeira, 1B	4	1	2	1	0	0	2	.280
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	2	1	0	1	1	.255
Matsui, H, DH	2	0	0	0	2	1	1	.263
Posada, C	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	.282
Cano, 2B	3	0	0	0	0	0	5	.308
Swisher, RF	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	.235
Cabrera, Me, LF	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.281
Totals	27	2	5	2	5	5	13
BATTING 2B: Teixeira (24, Jackson, E), Posada (12, Jackson, E). HR: Rodriguez, A (19, 4th inning off Jackson, E, 0 on, 2 out), Teixeira (23, 6th inning off Jackson, E, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Teixeira 6; Rodriguez, A 5; Posada 2. RBI: Rodriguez, A (52), Teixeira (67). 2-out RBI: Rodriguez, A. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Cano 3; Teixeira. GIDP: Cano; Cabrera, Me. Team RISP: 0-for-5. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING E: Posada (5, throw).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chamberlain (W, 5-2)	6.2	3	1	1	3	8	1	4.05
Coke (H, 10)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3.96
Hughes, P (H, 6)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	3.70
Rivera, Ma (S, 26)	1.0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2.25

TIGERS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joba Chamberlain (W, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira - both went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI.

Tomorrow's Game

Yankees vs. Orioles
Game Time: 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS

LHP Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.85) vs. RHP David Hernandez (2-2, 3.94)

Checking In On Prospects: The Graduates

And here's the end of this series of posts. This will be on the guys that were considered prospects before the year and have already made an impact on the ML team already this year. Take note of the word impact.

Alfredo Aceves: Ace has become one of the most valuable players on the Yankees right now. He can go multiple innings for them out of the 'pen and can shut down the other team in key situations. His value to the Yankees right now is irreplaceable. The only question with him is whether or not he's going to slow down in the second half after being used so heavily in the first. Relievers are always very volatile. However, at the moment it definitely looks like the Yankees have successfully developed at least one pitcher.

Ramiro Pena: Pena has a reputation as an all glove, no hit shortstop and when he got the call to the majors he didn't disappoint. He put on a fielding clinic at third, short, and second and was an improvement over Angel Berroa or Cody Ransom. His offense, although meager, exceeded expectations as well. His line of .267/.308/.349 isn't exactly impressive. However, he practiced the fundamentally sound baseball that Yankees fans have been desperate to see for the past few years. He stole a couple bases and was adept at situational hitting. He was even capable of laying down a few bunts when the situation called for it. When Cody Ransom returned from his injury, Pena got sent back to Scranton where he's hitting very well and learning how to play the outfield. I'd be willing to bet that we'll see him back in the Bronx by the end of the year and that he's going to be a member of the Yankees bench for a long time.

Phil Coke: Coke has become a very useful piece in Joe Girardi's bullpen and I assume he will remain this way. After an impressive showing last September, Coke made the ML team right off the bat this year. He got off to a mixed start. He was earning the trust of Girardi and looked reasonably good. Whenever he came in though, he made you nervous. Since then though, Coke has pulled things together and become a very reliable lefty. I don't have all that much faith in him but he's looked good so far and can at least get lefties out. Another example of a mediocre starter that has turned into a good reliever.

Francisco Cervelli Nobody expected Cervelli to see the ML's this year, let alone starting games for the Yankees. He was off to a terrible start offensively for Trenton and never really impressed with the bat. He has always gotten on base at a decent clip but the power was nonexistent. However, when both Jose Molina and Jorge Posada went down, within days of each other, the Yankees were forced to turn to the tandem of Cervelli and journeyman Kevin Cash. Cervelli wasn't exactly a godsend but he did a solid job. His bat was bad (.215 EQA) but his fielding won rave reviews. He gunned down 48% of runners (Jose Molina only matched that in his best years) and pitchers loved the way he called games. Like Pena, I doubt he'll become a starter. However, he's going to be a part of that Yankees bench for years to come and fans already love him.

Brett Gardner: Gardner has blown everybody away this year. First of all, his fielding has been outstanding. I don't need to bring up the stats to prove that but the consensus among them is that Gardner is one of the best centerfielders in the game. His offense has also wildly exceeded our expectations. His line of .282/.352/.404 was considered best case scenario for Gardner and puts him solidly above average as a hitter. If that was it he'd be a solid player. However, you can't talk about Gardner without mentioning his speed. He wreaks havoc on the base paths, distracting pitchers and putting himself in scoring position in key situations. Its possible he could hit 40 stolen bases this year. When was the last time a Yankee did that? Rickey Henderson? Gardner is going to work in a rotation with the other outfielders for the rest of the year and should get plenty of playing time, as long as he continues to produce.

Grading The Relievers

I will only be grading relievers currently on the roster and Jonathan Albaladejo. The reason I will include him is because I have a feeling he will be back with the team fairly soon.

Alfredo Aceves: 5-1, 1 SV, 2.02 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 40 IP, 30 H, 9 ER, 8 BB, 34 K - as a reliever.

"Ace" has been leaps and bounds better than anything the Yankees would have expected. He's a long-man, short-man, setup guy, mop up guy, in other words he's been anything the Yankees have needed him to be. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, his versatility has helped solidify the Yankees bullpen.

Grade - A


Jonathan Albaladejo: 4-1, 5.04 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 25 IP, 27 H, 14 ER, 11 BB, 16 K

He hasn't been great, but at this point in their careers he might be a better option than David Robertson, and he's definitely a better option than Brett Tomko who is rarely being used.

Grade - C


Brian Bruney: 3-0, 4.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 12 H, 9 ER, 10 BB, 18 K

He was supposed to be the team's setup man and after getting off to a hot start it looked like he was a perfect fit. Then the injuries came and have turned him into a disaster. Since coming off the DL the second time he's 1-0 with a 7.04 ERA, and in 7.2 IP has allowed 6 ER on 9 hits, walked 8 and struck out 5.

Between his ineffectiveness and the lies about his injury he has been one of the biggest disappointments in the Yanks pen.

Grade - D


Phil Coke: 1-3, 1 SV, 3.99 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 38.1 IP, 26 H, 17 ER, 14 BB, 31 K

After some rough times in April Coke has turned his season around. He's been one of the more reliable Yankee relievers and has held lefties to just a .192 batting average.

Grade - B


Phil Hughes: 0-0, 0.98 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 18.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 19 K - as a reliever.

The numbers speak for themselves, the guy has been absolutely lights-out as a reliever and has become the teams primary setup man. He's throwing 94-96 with a filthy curveball.

Grade - A+


Mark Melancon: 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 K

After being thrown into the fire back in May and then sent back down before being recalled this month. His stuff looks like it could be MLB material if he just got more work in. He's only thrown 5.2 innings so I can't really grade that.

Grade - INCOMPLETE


David Roberston: - 1-0, 3.57 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 22.2 IP, 16 H, 9 ER, 16 BB, 34 K

The numbers look pretty good, but don't let them fool you, Robertson has had a lot of trouble with inherited runners, allowing over 50% of them to score, which is awful.

He's struck out 34 in 22.2 innings so the stuff is there, he just walks too many (16) and has been put in far too many high leverage situations.

Grade - C-


Brett Tomko: 1-2, 5.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 20.2 IP, 19 H, 12 ER, 7 BB, 11 K

He's an adequate mop up guy, but that's about it. I can't remember too many big outs he's picked up this year. Can you?

I didn't expect much from him anyway, so that will keep his grade in the C range.

Grade - C-


Mariano Rivera: 1-2, 23 SV, 2.43 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 37 IP, 30 H, 10 ER, 3 BB, 43 K

He's the greatest closer ever, and he's having another fantastic season. He blew the save against Boston in Fenway and the Yanks have never recovered from that loss as they have still not beaten the Sox. That alone will drop his grade a half grade, but besides that he's been exactly what we expected, maybe even more when you consider he's coming off surgery.

Grade - A-


OVERALL: Coming into the year the pen was supposed to be one of the stronger areas of team. The failures of pitchers like Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, and others set the pen back a long way. With the additions of Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves they are just now finding themselves as a unit. It is very important that Aceves stays away from the rotation and remains in the pen. Along with that Brian Bruney has to regain his early season form. The first one is almost guaranteed, the second is a much bigger if, but if Brueny can get back into a grove the Yankees pen can be what we expected in coming into the year.

Grade - B-/C+

How do these grades stack up with yours?

Hughes Becoming a Weapon Out of the Pen

From Anothony DiComo:

And according to Girardi, he can. For the Yankees, perhaps the brightest spot in this weekend's series loss to the Marlins was Hughes, who so impressed his manager with a perfect inning of relief Saturday that Girardi was prepared to use Hughes out of the 'pen again the following day -- but only if the Yankees had a lead to protect.

Hughes, it seems, has become the eighth-inning setup man of choice for the Yankees, thanks to his success out of the bullpen in recent games. He has graduated to the point where Girardi is not afraid to use him in back-to-back games, and is not afraid to use him against the league's best hitters.

"He's adapted so well," Girardi said. "We've been really pleased with what he's done down there. It's a pat on the back to him, because it's not easy doing what you're not used to doing."

"It's still the same mound," Hughes said. "The preparation is a little different, but once you get out there, it's the same as if you're starting a game."

Which is something Hughes won't be doing for a while. When the Yankees made this decision to put Hughes in the bullpen, they did so under the premise that it would be temporary -- two weeks or so, general manager Brian Cashman said, was likely the limit.

The Yankees didn't want to keep Hughes in the bullpen for too long, because they valued him as a starter. And a prolonged relief assignment would sap Hughes' endurance, to the point that he would no longer be able to last deep into games.

That day, when the Yankees made their announcement, Girardi was asked how he would handle the situation if Hughes showed a bullpen aptitude like that of Joba Chamberlain, whom the Yankees thrust into a similar situation late in 2007.

Girardi responded by saying it would be a nice problem to have. And now, it's a nice problem that he does have.

Realizing how valuable Hughes has become to his bullpen, Girardi said he has ditched all plans to send Hughes back down to Triple-A, preferring success now to endurance later. Though the Yankees still envision Hughes as a starter in the long run, he may not be one again for a while.

Cashman's two-week window has come and gone, with Hughes compiling a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, striking out 12 and walking two. And because the Yankees are treading carefully with former setup man Brian Bruney, easing the previously injured reliever back into action, Hughes has become a valuable bridge to closer Mariano Rivera.

"We haven't talked about it lately," Girardi said of sending Hughes back to Triple-A. "Our starters are all healthy and have been throwing the ball pretty well. Right now, we like having him down there, so we really haven't talked about it lately."

"He's getting really important innings, and learning how to pitch in pressure situations and tight situations," Girardi said, "which is a real good thing."

I still think Hughes will be a good starter, and that's where I think they Yankees should have him once the 2010 season begins. They're going to need someone to replace Andy Pettitte anyway. But for now I really love what I've seen from Hughes coming out of the pen. His fastball is the best we've ever seen it, and his curveball has been excellent as well. Mix in the occasional cutters and changeups and you can see why he's been so nasty.

That said, Brian Bruney would still be my eighth inning guy. And that's not a knock on Hughes, because I'm sure he could handle the role just fine, but eventually he will go back into the rotation, whether it's this year or next, and Bruney will remain in the pen.

With Mariano at the end, Bruney in the 8th, Phil Coke and Hughes sharing the seventh inning duties, and Alfredo Aceves working as a super utility pitcher - basically doing it all, middle relief, long reilef, short relief, whatever - the Yanks should have a very solid bullpen for the remainder of the year. Mix in guys like David Robertson, who despite his rough inning last night has still been very imporessive, and you only add depth to an already strong unit.

It's amazing what getting rid of a little dead weight and replacing it with guys who throw strikes can do for a bullpen.

What do you think, should Phil Hughes remain in the pen for the rest of the season?

Hey Phil, Grow Up

Phil Coke came into yesterday's game and walked the first batter he saw, ninth place hitter Trevor Crowe. Now we know how bad leadoff walks are, but they're even worse when the hitter is batting a robust .184/.262/.237 with no homers and 4 RBI this season. Then after the game he decides it's a good idea to blame home plate umpire Jeff Nelson.

From Marc Carig:

"I thought it was a strike," Coke said of the 3-2 fastball, which Nelson ruled missed inside against Indians leadoff man Trevor Crowe. "I wouldn't want to redo anything."
...

"Fastball in," Coke said, apparently expecting the benefit of the doubt (not that he has the track record to reasonably expect such a thing). "I thought it caught the corner of the plate and had late finish in, almost a little cut at the end of it. I've done that who knows how many times before, got that kind of finish and gotten a call there. But I didn't get it this time."

First of all, what about the other three balls you threw to a .184 hitter? Was that Nelson's fault too? And second, the pitch wasn't even a strike.

The pitch is circled in blue.

I hate these umpires as much as anyone, and I think that in general they do a terrible job. That said, Coke is a 26-year-old that has done absolutely nothing in this league, and to publicly question an umpire at this stage of his career is mindless. The fact that he's crying about a pitch where the ump made the right call makes it even more of an embarrassment.

Are things turning around for the Yankees bullpen?

With Brian Bruney back in action the Yankees bullpen got a huge boost this week, but even prior to his return the Yankees pen started to turn things around. Over their last ten games the Yanks' bullpen is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the last 10 games. Jose Veras is still awful and can't throw a strike, but with the rest of the mix they have now the Yankees bullpen is slowly rounding into form. Bruney is back, Alfredo Aceves is becoming a weapon, Phil Coke and Jonathan Albaladejo are improving, and even Brett Tomko has been solid.

Do you think the bullpen have turned a corner or do you think they will go back to blowing games regularly?


(Yes, I know I probably just jinxed them.)

Some More Spring Training Quick Cuts

I mentioned the other day that YES was relaunching their website. Well, the new page is up and it looks pretty good.

They also have a bunch of new Spring Training Quick Cut videos up, although they did not post them on YouTube so I cannot embed them in site. They have new editions from Kevin Long, Dave Eiland, Jose Molina, Phil Coke and Brian Bruney, and you can check them all out by going here.

Also, Bob Lorenz has a new blog on YES, it's call The Blog. Check it out.

Coke May Be The Main Lefty Out Of The Pen

From Bill Madden:

There are those around the Yankee camp - most notably the manager himself, Joe Girardi - who are becoming convinced that Phil Coke, initially believed to be destined for starting duty at Triple-A Scranton, has the talent and makeup to handle lefty relief duty, be it long or short, for the big club.

"Last season I showed them I could come out of the bullpen after having success in Double-A as a starter, and that I'm capable of handling whatever opportunities they care to give me. Do I have a preference? For that I have a simple answer. I prefer they either give me the ball every day or every five days."

So far this spring, Girardi has sort of done just that. After a few short one-inning efforts, Coke was called upon to relieve Andy Pettitte in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, when he was left in to pitch three innings. Afterward, Girardi insisted Coke was not a candidate for the long relief job (that remains up for grabs from among Brett Tomko, Jason Johnson, Dan Giese and Alfredo Aceves), but rather as more of a "hybrid" middle man who could give the Yankees more than one inning. Nevertheless, there seems to be a growing sentiment that Coke, and not Marte, could wind up being Girardi's best lefthanded option in the pen.

"The difference," said one camp observer, "is that Coke has big, um, guts and isn't afraid to throw strikes, while the other guy (Marte) can't ever repeat his delivery and has trouble throwing strikes."

"I was told exactly what's occurring here," said Coke, "to be ready to go to camp as a starter, even though we might want you to go back to relieving. I'm just happy to play baseball. I mean, this is the New York Yankees! Starting, relieving, it doesn't matter!"

First of all, I like the guy's attitude. He just wants to play and help the team as much as he can. That's always a good thing. There are far too many players, in all sports, who are overly concerned with what their role is. Shut up and play the game.

Second, in my opinion Coke will play a larger role in this pen than Marte will this season. That's not saying Marte won't be important, because he will, but I think Coke's ability to work multiple innings will make him the more valuable pitcher.

With that said, Coke and Marte together will make the Yankees relief corp that much more of an impressive unit. Having two lefties gives Girardi a lot of options and obviously makes it harder on the opponent.

Coke To Stay in the Pen

According to Peter Abraham Joe Girardi told him that Phil Coke would be pitching out of the bullpen.

“He’s a guy we see being able to pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen. That’s how we’re going to try and develop him,” Girardi said. “Right now, he’s not a starter.”

There had been some talk earlier in the offseason that they would develop him as a starter, but I think the Yankees are making the right decision keeping him in the pen.

More Yankees Prospect Stuff

As is normally the case during this time of year there are a lot of stories about prospects. The latest comes from SNY.TV's Michael Salfino, who goes over the Yankees top ten prospects. (hat tip to WasWatching.com)

Baseball America editor John Manuel, always a great help to us here, listed the Yankees' top 10 prospects as follows (in order): outfielder Austin Jackson, catcher Jesus Montero, pitcher Andrew Brackman, catcher Austin Romine, pitcher Dellin Betances, pitcher Zach McAllister, pitcher Alfredo Aceves, pitcher Phil Coke, pitcher Mark Melancon, third baseman Bradley Suttle. Complete information on all of these players is available in Baseball America's 2009 Prospect Handbook, which can be ordered here.

But first let's address Manuel's suggestion here (subscription required) that Jackson could possibly propel himself into the Yankees lineup as the starting center fielder as early as this upcoming season. Our scout disagrees.

"He's not close enough. Jackson is like the Mets' Fernando Martinez. He has to do something. Let's see some numbers, not just scouting reports. He's going to fall somewhere between Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu. Is that too big a range? Yes. But he's all projection now. While he passes the eyeball test, the numbers haven't been there."

This exchange on Jackson set me up to mock those who compare Montero to Mike Piazza. Our scout quickly chastened me. "He does have Piazza-type bat speed. The bat projects even at first base, and [that's] even in New York, which doesn't settle for anything less than top shelf at a corner spot given their payroll. He's very impressive in the cage. Behind the plate, he's much less so and my sense is that he probably can't play there."

Dellin Betances is a real Frankenstein -- 6-foot-8 -- with a monster of a fastball. Being this tall presents challenges as well as opportunities, says our scout. "The problem is always repeating delivery. But tall guys get better depth to their breaking stuff and better downhill plane to their pitching. And Betances does throw overhand and has a really promising knuckle curve. But when he comes down a little in his arm slot, he really starts to telegraph his pitches. Can he sustain his velocity as a starter? That's my big question with him. Doing that will require him to improve his delivery."

The Yanks are preparing lefty Phil Coke to be a starter this year, and our scout thinks this is a mistake. "I can't see him contributing to the Yankees as a starter in '09. But I do like him in the pen. He hardly touches 90 mph as a starter but was up to 94 in relief, but mostly in the 92 range. That's pretty tough when you're going lefty on lefty in the pen and it's enough to survive even against some big-league righties. But Coke doesn't spin the ball well enough to start."

Melancon is being groomed to replace Mariano Rivera as closer, and I was skeptical because none of the Minor League numbers really pop. That's a mistake, says our scout. "He's been hurt. Discount the stats. He throws hard and the curve is good. He's at least a seventh- or eighth-inning guy and I do project him as a future closer."

For the rest of the article, including some info on Zach McAllister, Bradley Suttle, and Alfredo Aceves, click here.

Some More Stuff

From Sam Borden via Peter Abraham:

The 40-man roster move was Shelley Duncan being designated for assignment. … Brian Cashman said Phil Coke has been told to prepare to come to camp to work as a starter.

He really loves playing the game and has a lot of fun out there, which made him very easy to root for. Hopefully he catches on somewhere. Good luck Shelley.

I like Phil Coke a lot, but I'm not sure how well his stuff will translate as a starter at the major league level. However, as Peter said on his blog, "At worst, you build up his arm strength."

There's going to be a lot of competition for that fifth starter role, which should make for a very interesting spring.