Winn Finds A New Home

After his short Yankees career came to an end last week, Randy Winn has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He pinch-hit in their 5-4 extra innings win today, and went 0-for-1. It will be interesting to see what he can do in the NL, because he looked done in his short stint with the Yanks.

Winn Designated For Assignment

According to Chad Jennings, to make room for Curtis Granderson on the roster, the Yankees have designated Randy Winn for assignment. Jennings says the Yankees stuck with Russo for his versatility. Earlier today I suggested that this would be the best move for the Yanks, and apparently they felt the same way.

With Granderson back is it time for Winn to go?

With Curtis Granderson ready to be activated later today it's now decision time for the Yanks as they decide what their corresponding roster move will be. As Ben over at RAB pointed out earlier today, the Yankees have three options: they can send Ramiro Pena or Kevin Russo back to Triple-A, or they can designate Randy Winn for assignment.

Obviously, the easiest move--although probably not the best--for the Yanks would be sending down one of the youngsters. If they designating Winn for assignment it would mean the end of his Yankee career and I'm not sure the Yankees want to go down that road this early in the season. So, by sending either Pena or Russo down it would allow them to keep all three and whoever went down could get regular at-bats in Triple-A.

If that's the road the Yankees decide to take, Kevin Russo would probably be the one to go. Which would be a shame since he's been such a nice addition to this team. He can play all over the field, and has also hit better than the other two. However, with five outfielders already on the roster, Pena, who's a better infielder, becomes more valuable.

But is that the best for this team?

To me, the answer is no. While Winn has been a good player in the past, he was mediocre last year and has been invisible for the Yanks this season. And with both Russo and Pena on the roster, the Yankees would have a ton of flexibility with two bench players that can play almost anywhere on the field, plus, they've both been better than Winn. It's probably not the decision the Yanks will make, but I'd like to see them stick with the kids.

What do you think the Yankees should do?

Rosenthal: Nick Johnson Will Have Surgery

This tweet comes from Ken Rosenthal:

Sources: Yankees' Nick Johnson to undergo surgery on right wrist Tuesday. Likely out until July.

Here's a little more from Ben Shpigel:

“This is not a quick fix,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “This is going to be a while.”

Johnson said he would have the surgery “probably tomorrow.” He has been told that he will need four to six weeks of rest before he can swing a bat again. Johnson elected to have surgery after an injection of anti-inflammatory medication did not help, and after he reported no improvement from the exercises and treatment he was doing with the training staff.

“I’d rather not keep waiting and take care of it,” Johnson said.

...

“We’ve done all the treatments we can do,” said Johnson...

This is obviously bad news for the Yankees, who now are without a DH for the next 6-8 weeks. Juan Miranda is probably not the long-term answer, although I'm sure the Yankees will see what they can get from him over the next few weeks when they face right-handed pitching. Expect to see a lot of Marcus Thames against lefties, and Randy Winn will also get some more at-bats while Johnson is out.

Like I've said a few times over the last few days, I'd like to see the Yankees give Jorge Posada a few more games at DH while Johnson is out. Mainly because it will give Francisco Cervelli more playing time. So that's another option.

Granderson Headed To DL

LoHud's Josh Thomson is reporting that the results for Curtis Granderson's MRI are back and show that he has a Grade 2 strain of the left groin. He will be placed on the 15-day DL either and the Yanks will callup Mark Melancon from Scranton-Wilkes Barre. There is no timetable for his return at the moment.

You figure Brett Gardner will start in center everyday now, with Randy Winn and Marcus Thames splitting the left field duties. As of now I assume Thames will start against lefties and Winn will start against righties.

If there's a positive in all of this, it's that Mark Melancon will get another shot in the big leagues, and with the way the bullpen has looked lately they could use another arm. In 13 games for the Yankees last year, Melancon went 0-1, with a 3.86 ERA. In 16.1 innings he allowed 7 ER on 13 hits, walked 10, and struck out 10. This year for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre he's 3-0, with a 1.76 ERA in ten games. In 15.1 innings pitched, he's allowed 3 ER on 13 hits, walked 5, and struck out 15.

Winn: ""I was horrible" last year

Yesterday, Randy Winn spoke to the media about his awful 2009 campaign, and how he's looking to rebound. Here's more from George A. King III:

"I was horrible, terrible," Winn said yesterday. "It was terrible, there is no two ways about it."

...

"I have a couple of theories I am running with," said Winn, who has a chance to be the starting left fielder or could be the fourth outfielder. "We will see. When I see live pitching I will get a better indication of where I am at. I went back to basics [in the offseason], you do that when you have a horrific year. That's when you react and try different things, when you don't have a good year. I didn't make major changes, I just went back to basics."

...

"At this point I have no idea what the role is but because of my versatility, I think I will fit well," Winn said. "I am able to play all three outfield spots and I am able to hit in a lot of places in the lineup. Those things will help me fit well."

It's good to see a player that doesn't make excuses. Those types of guys always do better in New York. The fans here are not big on excuses.

Also according to King, Girardi is open to the idea of having Winn start, as well as just about any other role he could fit:

"Anywhere from a fourth outfielder to a starting outfielder," said the manager who will work Winn in the corners during spring training. "We will see how it shakes out. Whatever nine guys give us the best chance to win on that day, that's what we will do. As for a role, he gives us depth. It will iron itself out."

While Winn is nothing special anymore, he's a player I think Joe Girardi can use properly. We all know he likes to use different lineups from time to time and as long as he doesn't let things get out of hand (like he did in '08) it's led to success. Winn will obviously give him even more options to work with, which should only help the Yankees in the end.

Harold Reynolds Answers Questions About Yanks

From the NY Post:

Q: How much will the Yankees miss Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon?

A: I didn't like letting either of them go. Matsui really mastered the DH role, not everyone can sit around all game and excel in four at-bats. And It's hard to imagine the Yankees without Damon. He brought so much thunder to that team at the top of the order with his coolness, calmness and experience.

Q: Are they still the World Series favorites?

A: Yes, because they added Curtis Granderson and Randy Winn. Watching Granderson in Detroit -- his potential is off the charts. ... And Winn is a tremendous professional player. . . . If you are not going to bring back Damon, they brought two complementary guys who will do a nice job.

Q: The biggest spring training competition for the Yankees is for the fifth starter's spot with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes as the top candidates. Who do you think is better off in the rotation?

A: Neither, both should be in the bullpen. If you look at Hughes, Chamberlain, (Damaso) Marte, (Mariano) Rivera at the end of games, you are now asking your starters to go six innings. That's a tremend-ous lift and takes a major burden off the starting pitcher. I think that's a formula that can win them another World Series

I agree with the his answers to the first two, but not the third. I do think one of them should start this year, and both should probably be in the rotation next year. The Yankees can still have their starters go six without either Joba or Hughes in the pen and still put themselves in a great position to win most games, especially when you consider that Hughes or Joba could be two-inning setup guys if they need to be.

What are your thoughts?

Yanks Sign Thames (Updated)

UPDATED: I neglected to mention this when I originally posted this, but it also turns out that Winn was signed for less than the $2 million being reported when news of the deal first broke. He will actually be getting a $1.1 million base salary with an additional $900K in performance bonuses. It could still end up being $2 million, but at least it's not guaranteed.

The Yankees were pretty busy today as they not only made the Randy Winn signing official, but also snagged themselves another option for left field by adding Marcus Thames on a Minor League deal. If he makes the 25-man roster Thames will make $900K.

Thames has spent the last six seasons in Detroit, but made his MLB debut back in 2002 with the Yanks. You might remember his first career at-bat when he took Randy Johnson deep for a home run.

Last season with the Tigers, Thames hit .252/.323/.453 with 13 HR and 36 RBI in 258 at-bats. I'd be pretty surprised if he did not make the 25-man roster coming out of spring.

Winn Talks About His New Team

From Janie McCauley:

Randy Winn believes his versatility makes him a good addition to the Yankees, and he's eager to get started with the reigning World Series champions come spring training.

"They're the World Series champions from last year and I have a chance to compete and get some playing time," Winn said in a phone interview Tuesday night with The Associated Press from the Bay Area where he still lives. "I thought it was a great fit, being a versatile guy who can play all three outfield positions and can hit anywhere in the lineup."

...

"I'll be low-key," he said. "I'll let (Alex) Rodriguez, (Derek) Jeter and CC (Sabathia) do all the talking."

He also said that the Yankees were the only team that made a formal offer, which makes me wonder why they had to pay him $2 million.

Still, he sounds like he has the right attitude for the situation, which is never a bad thing. Hopefully he can be a value part of the 2010 team.

2010 Yankees-Red Sox Comparison: Center Field

Well I screwed up the first time so let's try this again.

Yankees- Brett Gardner- Right now, if I had to bet I would say that Brett Gardner will be getting the vast majority of starts in left field in 2010. Sure, Randy Winn will get some starts against lefties and we might see a little bit of Rule V draft pick Jamie Hoffman (in left, pushing Granderson to center and Gardner to the bench) but Gardner appears to be a better player than both at this point. Offensively, Gardner was a pleasant surprise last year. He wasn't anything special but he managed to carry his weight and get on base at a reasonable rate. I'd take a .345 OBP from him again in a heartbeat. He can also use his speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths and put himself in a position to score. Gardner stole 25 bases in 31 attempts and was dubbed the "fastest white guy" that Nick Swisher has ever seen in his life last year. He's not going to give you much power, if any at all, but you don't really need all that much offensively from the #9 hitter.

Gardner's real value is in his fielding though. Had he played enough games to qualify last year, his UZR/150 of 15.4 would have been second among centerfielders to only Franklin Gutierrez of the Mariners. According to Fangraphs.com he was worth 2.1 wins and 9.3 million dollars in 2009. All while making less than a million dollars for the year. I believe that would make him the biggest bargain on the Yankees. He played similarly excellent defense in his brief time in New York in 2008 and its probably a pretty safe to bet on him having another great defensive season in 2010.

The loss of Melky stings a little. Though he was far from spectacular in any area and was starting to get to the point where he was making a little more than you'd have like, he was a solid all-around player that could man all three outfield spots. However, Gardner is the superior player and the Yankees were smart to hang onto him while trading Melky for a pitcher as good as Javy Vazquez. Though centerfield is a weakness for the Yankees, it shouldn't really be all that crippling.

Red Sox- Mike Cameron- Cameron was a very nice signing for Boston and a guy I was hoping the Yankees would pick up. The journeyman outfielder has been on six different teams in his long career and Boston will make it seven. Though he's never had a batting average higher than .273 in 2005 for the Mets, he makes up for it by playing gold glove defense and providing some power at the back of the lineup.

Most of his value is in the field. Last year he put up a UZR/150 of 10.3 and the year before it was 15.6. Not quite as good as Gardner but still very very good. Good enough that its only a difference of one or two runs over the course of the season. Their should be some concern about Cameron's range declining in 2010 as he gets older but Fenway Park doesn't exactly have the most spacious outfields. I wouldn't be to worried about much of a decline there. Cameron is a top knotch defender who should be near the top of the league in UZR by the end of the season, unless he gets hurt of course.

Offensively, he gets the job done. He's clearly not an average hitter but he can get on base at a reasonable rate (.342 OBP last year). He'll hit 20 or 25 home runs a year to and we could see that number go up as he moves into Fenway Park. He's nothing special at the plate, and he is starting to age a little, but he's a pretty safe bet to contribute around ten runs or so above replacement level offensively. The biggest concerns with him are injuries (he has never played a full season) and age (he turned 37 last month).

Advantage- Red Sox- It shouldn't be all that difficult to see why Boston has an advantage here. Gardner is a solid, young player who will get the job done in the Yankees lineup. Though he hasn't shown much with the bat, his fielding has been exceptional. However, Cameron is nearly as good in center, if not as good, and he can actually hit a bit. Injuries or a sudden, unexpected, decline for Cameron are the only things that could really push Gardner ahead. The Yankees can make up for the lack of offense in center in other areas though.

Winn over Johnson for $1.2MM more? Why?

I've been defending Cashman when it comes to the Johnny Damon situation. However, when it comes to the Yankees signing Randy Winn for $2MM a week and a half before the Dodgers land Reed Johnson for the bargain basement price of $800K, I can only scratch my head.

Vizzini over at NoMaas broke it down nicely today. Basically, the only major difference between the two is that Johnson, a right-hander, hits lefties -- career .841 OPS vs LHP compared to Winn's .758 OPS against lefties. Winn is also coming off a terrible year against lefties that saw him post an OPS of just .384, while Johnson had a very nice .903 OPS against southpaws.

Based on the Yankees' needs and the price, signing Johnson seems like it would have made a lot more sense than Winn.

What do you think?

Girardi Happy With Roster

Yankees manager Joe Girardi spent his Saturday with Bernie Williams at the Greentree Country Club in New Rochelle, N.Y., at a charity event to benefit the Hillside Food Outreach. He spoke about the current state of his team, here's some of what he said from Bryan Hoch:

"I like what we've done, but I'm going to miss the players that we had," Girardi said. "Whenever you win as a group, you're going to miss not only what they did on the field, but their personalities.

"I'm going to miss Melky [Cabrera]. We're all going to miss Melky and [Hideki] Matsui and Johnny and [Phil] Coke. We're going to miss them, but we've gotten younger, we've added rotation depth, and our young relievers have another year of experience. Are we better? I don't know, but I like our club again."

...

"The thing is, everyone's going to play," Girardi said. "That's the bottom line. I believe that sometimes guys need days off. We had the situation last year where everybody thought we had too many outfielders and [Xavier] Nady got hurt [in April]. I don't think we can have too much depth. Having four guys gives us good depth, and that's important, because you never know what's going to happen."

He also spoke about Johnny Damon, specifically the chances he could return at the trade deadline:

"You never say never," Girardi said. "The possibilities in baseball are endless. I don't think anyone is quite sure from our standpoint where Johnny is going to end up. But Johnny was a great Yankee, we loved having him, and we're going to miss him."

Girardi on Granderson and the outfield allignment:

"Curtis is the type of player that would do anything that you ask of him," Girardi said. "I've talked to our outfielders. We're going to see what happens in Spring Training. We're not necessarily going to nail down one position and tell a guy, 'This is where you're going to be.' We might have to make some adjustments with the players that we have. All of our outfielders are versatile, and I really believe that."

And Winn:

"I think he can be a good player for us," Girardi said. "I know people have talked about Randy Winn replacing Johnny Damon, and that wasn't why we signed Randy Winn. We signed Randy Winn so we'd have depth to make sure we have depth and make sure that we have competition. If someone gets hurt, we have enough people to fill the spot. Randy Winn has been an everyday player for a long time. We're comfortable with him in that spot."

Starting with the first few comments he made, I feel the same way. I like what they've done, but I'm going to miss the guys that left. Honestly, I don't think there are many Yankees fans out there who won't miss Matsui, Damon, and Melky.

I'm not even going to touch the idea of Damon coming back at the deadline. Like I said the other day that's way too far ahead to start considering.

I continue to love everything I hear about Curtis Granderson. He seems to have the perfect attitude for the situation, which will only help this team in the long run. And I see the Winn signing the same way Girardi does. Sorry to those who believe he's Damon's replacement (The Daily News), but he's not. He's simply here to add depth to the roster, that's it.

The roster itself is pretty much built for a manager like Girardi. A lot of spots to give guys off, a good amount of speed, and good depth. He'll be able to mix and match throughout the year and keep everyone fresh like he did so well in 2009.

Fangraphs On The Winn Signing

From Dave Cameron:

Randy Winn signs with the Yankees. This is a somewhat odd move, not because Winn isn’t useful (he is), but because of Winn’s unbelievably terrible line against LHPs a year ago. We’re talking about a switch-hitter with no platoon split over his career (.765 OPS vs RH, .758 OPS vs LH) who just posted one of the single worst lines against LHP of any player in the history of the game.

.158/.184/.200. That’s unfathomably bad. Most pitchers hit better than that. But for 125 at-bats, Winn was utterly useless at the plate, going 19 for 120 against southpaws.

And despite that, the Yankees signed him to be their fourth outfielder and presumably split time with Brett Gardner, who is a left-handed batter that has been fairly heavily platooned as a major league player. It’s just strange that in a winter where lefty mashing outfielders are plentiful, the Yankees chose a reserve outfielder who performed so poorly against LHPs to backup their starting LF who they may not trust to start against LHPs.

Its not a bad move. Winn’s a useful player, the price is right, and his 2009 performance against lefties looks like a fluke. But it’s just a weird one.

I pretty much feel the same way about the move; not bad, but weird considering the Yankees needs.

Yanks Sign Randy Winn

Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees have reached and one-year agreement with outfielder Randy Winn, pending a physical. Sherman also tweets that the Yanks "considered Winn a better overall player than Reed Johnson, though Winn is not a good hitter from RH side" and believes Winn the last $2 million in the Yanks budget.

This would seem to officially end Johnny Damon's career in pinstripes.

The switch-hitter had a down year in '09 hitting .262/.318/.353 with 2 HR, 51 RBI, and 16 stolen bases in 149 games with the Giants. Unless he can regain his 2008 form when he hit .306/.363/.426 with 10 HR, 64 RBI, and 25 steals. I'm guessing he'll start the season splitting time with Brett Gardner until one of them proves they deserve more playing time. He'll get most of his time in one of the corner outfield spots where he has been very good throughout his career.

I'm not sure how much the 35-year-old has left, but it's a pretty good move for the Yanks, who continue to improve their team defense, specifically in the outfield.