Yankees Looking to Add Betancourt?

From Troy Renck:

Rafael Betancourt is attracting varying degrees of interest from the Orioles, Yankees and Athletics. The Red Sox had interest earlier this month. The White Sox and Angels are also looking for bullpen help...

Betancourt is under contract next year [$4.25MM] with a mutual option [$4.25MM] for 2014. To move him, the Rockies would require a valuable piece in return.

Betancourt has a 3.00 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 for the Rockies this season, while converting 17 of 21 save opportunities. If the price is right, he'd definitely be a nice addition and with Joba coming back the two of them could be a huge boost to this team down the stretch.

Yanks Acquire Chad Qualls

To make room for Quallls on the 40-man roster the Yankees have designated Matt Antonelli for assignment.

The 33-year-old was 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA in 35 games for the Phillies this season. In 31.1 innings, the right-hander allowed 16 ER on 39 hits, walked 9, and struck out 19.

D-Rob Set To Return on Friday

From Wallace Matthews:

Fresh off his second rehab appearance on Tuesday in Rochester, David Robertson is scheduled to rejoin the Yankees today in Atlanta, although he will not be activated until Friday's game against the Nationals in Washington.

"He's fine,'' Joe Girardi said. "We just want to make sure he feels OK, and if he is, we'll activate him on Friday.''

Great news for a team that seems to be hitting their stride. Matthews reiterated taht Soriano will remain in the closers role while Robertson will take over setup duties and for a team with the best record in the AL, I'd say that's the right move.

Soriano Expected to Remain Closer After D-Rob Returns

From Jon Heyman:

The Yankees intend to keep Rafael Soriano as the closer even after David Robertson's return from the disabled list, people familiar with their thinking suggest.

Soriano has been brilliant as the Yankees' third choice to close and is six for six in saves with an overall ERA of 1.96 now. Robertson, the Yankees' shutdown set-up man, would resume his set-up duties upon his return, which is expected to be in about two weeks. Robertson has a strained left oblique muscle.

Robertson has been brilliant for the Yankees as their eighth-inning guy, but one scout said, "He didn't look quite as comfortable closing games.'' Robertson was the initial closing choice after Mariano Rivera was lost with a freak knee injury.

I am 100% in favor of this decision. Closing is all about comfort level and Robertson was not comfortable in that role. On the other hand, Soriano has done it before, and as he's already shown, he can handle the job.

Boone Logan Having Some Back Problems

According to those who've watched spring training this year, Clay Rapada looks like he'll be the main lefty out of the pen as the season begins.

Yanks Sign David Aardsma

From Bryan Hoch:

The Yankees have signed reliever David Aardsma to a Major League contract.

Aardsma is coming back from Tommy John surgery performed last July 22. Aardsma is making approximately $500,000 this year with a club option for 2013.

“The move could help us in 2012, but it has a lot more eyes toward 2013,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said.

According to the article, Aardsma is about a month behind Joba in his recovery.

The Shrinking List of Left-Handed Bullpen Options

From George A. King III:

To the surprise of no one, the Yankees don't expect Pedro Feliciano or Damaso Marte to contribute at any point.

The lefty relievers, who have been on the DL since the start of the season, are working out in Tampa, but Girardi didn't paint a positive picture.

....

Feliciano has increased workouts in Tampa, but has a lot of work left before he can be considered able to return.

"Until you necessarily see him throw bullpen [sessions] at nearly 100 percent and possibly throwing batting practice sessions, you just hope you get to that point," Girardi said. "Until he can do that, I am not sure what we'll get."

Marte, who contributed to the 2009 World Series title and then appeared in 30 games last year, is running out of time.

"The days are ticking away," Girardi said. "I don't know if we will see him. I am hopeful that we do, but I can't tell you that we will."

Lefty reliever J.C. Romero asked for his release from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was granted it. The Yankees have some interest in lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes -- who recently was released by the Rangers -- but only at the minor league level.

...

If the Yankees are serious about bringing top pitching prospect Manuel Banuelos to the majors as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen, expect to see him do that for Triple-A, where he is currently working as a starter.

"If you were going to make him a second lefty per se, you would have him do it down there [at Triple-A] before you would have him do it here," Girardi said. "He would have to adapt to coming into the middle of an inning and starting an inning. When you are starting, you have your routine -- 20 to 25 minutes. As a bullpen guy you can't necessarily do that."

I still think giving J.C. Romero a shot before he asked for his release would have been a good idea. I don't really like the idea of bringing in Rhodes. I've seen him give up too many big hits to lefties throughout the years to have any real faith in him. But a minor league deal can't hurt I guess.

The idea of bringing up Banuelos is the most intriguing, and as long as it doesn't hurt or hold back his development as a starter I'd be all for it.

Yanks Among Several Teams Talking To Padres About Relievers

Last month, Joel Sherman reported that both Heath Bell and Chad Qualls would likely be available so I assume that's who the Yankees are asking about.

Sherman Talks About the Trade Market for Pitchers

From Joel Sherman:

The lefty starting market is weak. Oakland has shown no inclination to move Gio Gonzalez, especially with fellow lefties Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden out with arm injuries. The White Sox might have considered shopping John Danks, but now he is on the DL for the first time in his career with a strained oblique.

When I asked if the Dodgers’ financial plight is such that they would consider dealing Clayton Kershaw before his first arbitration year for a boatload of prospects, an NL personnel man said, “MLB will treat the Dodgers like the Rangers last year and will not sell off parts because they want it to be as attractive to prospective buyers as possible.”

The likely available lefties are Houston’s Wandy Rodriguez and Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano. Rodriguez has a good curve, but his chances of being even above average going from the NL Central to the AL East are not good.

...

As for righties, there has been some buzz that the Braves, desperate for offense, could use their rotation depth and trade a starter such as Jair Jurrjens. But the Yankees’ policy has become pretty much to run away from Atlanta pitching after having successful Braves hurlers such as Javier Vazquez, Kyle Farnsworth, Jaret Wright, Steve Karsay, Chris Hammond, Denny Neagle and Soriano blow up on them.

...

Two interesting cases to watch are the Cubs’ Matt Garza and the Marlins’ Anibal Sanchez. Cubs brass was said to be meeting this week to decide whether to be sellers. Garza has some kinship with A.J. Burnett — big stuff that has not translated to a big record, a tendency to wear out his welcome and (like the pre-Yankees Burnett) a strong record against the Red Sox. Garza is 9-4 against Boston, including 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two ALCS games in 2008. Will the Cubs decide to recoup the prospects they gave up for Garza and go into a complete rebuild mode?

Sanchez is a free agent after the 2012 season, and, unlike Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, Florida has shown no inclination to go long-term with a pitcher who has had arm problems in his past.

When it comes to relievers, the Padres, according to multiple officials, want to get out in the market quickly with Heath Bell and Chad Qualls; word is the Cardinals are trying to land Bell and shortstop Jason Bartlett. The Yankees are more interested in Mike Adams, who is earmarked as San Diego’s closer of the future and would come with that price tag. Washington is willing to move ex-Yankee Tyler Clippard, but specifically is looking for a center fielder and has focused on the Rays’ B.J. Upton.

The lefty relief market is even more unappealing right now. Another ex-Yankee, Randy Choate, probably could be had. Or the Yankees could wait until August because overpaid, under-performing types such as Oakland’s Brian Fuentes and Baltimore’s Mike Gonzalez will get through waivers and — as with Kerry Wood last year — perhaps they will try to find success with a veteran who was struggling elsewhere.

Lots of good info here from Sherman. Any relief help that wouldn't cost the Yankees the farm would be welcomed by this fan.

As far the starters, the Yankees should be OK in that department if Colon can continue to pitch well once he comes back from the DL and if Hughes regains his 2010 form. Two pretty big ifs so I understand the cause for some concern. Names like Matt Garza and Sanachez, as Sherman points out, are interesting. Either would be a nice addition to the rotation. So would a guy like Liriano, but the cost for him is going to be through the roof.

What do you guys think of the names listed by Sherman? Any interest?

Cashman Says Yanks Will Look To Replace Joba From Within

From Chad Jennings:

The Yankees will find out for certain in a few days, but right now it seems likely that they’ll be without Joba Chamberlain for the rest of this season and part of next season.

“It’s a big blow,” Brian Cashman said. “Obviously, it’s a tough thing. We’ll look from within first. We made some moves yesterday, and we’ll continue to evaluate the options we have in-house and shuffle the deck.”

...

“It’s my job to figure that out and make sure Joe has weapons to match up with late in games,” Cashman said. “Whether that comes from promotions or acquisitions remains to be seen, but that’s my responsibility.”

As for who those internal options may be Jennings mentions Kevin Whelan, Adam Warren, Luis Ayala, and even Phil Hughes. Of the four, I'd probably prefer Hughes, since he was A) So awful as a starter this year, and B) He turned the bullpen around in 2009. ALso, with Nova, Garcia and Colon they don't really need a starter at this point, and if they do they can always let Noesi get a chance.

When I first saw these quotes from Cash I assumed it was because the reliever market was thin, but according to Buster Olney, that may not be the case. Here are the names his listed yesterday at potential teams looking to trade for a reliever:

Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics -- The 33-year-old right-hander is having a decent season, with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He's under contract for this season and next, for $3.75 million this year and $4 million next year.

Mike Adams, San Diego Padres -- On one hand, San Diego could look to him to be their closer if Heath Bell is traded (and the industrywide expectation is that Bell will move soon). On the other hand, rival executives wonder whether now would be the best time to trade 32-year-old Adams to take advantage of his value -- and he would have a lot because he is arbitration-eligible and would be under team control through 2012 and because his stuff is excellent. "He's nasty right now," a scout said this week.

Luke Gregerson, Padres -- The same scout said he has seen some regression in Gregerson's stuff this year, an observation reflected in the fact that, for the first time in his career, Gregerson is allowing more than a hit an inning -- 31 hits in 27.1 innings, after surrendering 47 hits in 78.1 innings last season. His strikeout rate has gone from 10.2 per nine innings last year to 4.6 this year.

But he is experienced, and right-handed batters have a .290 on-base percentage against him.

Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs -- The fact that he makes only $1.5 million will make him extremely attractive to a number of teams, but remember, he controls this process; it's up to him whether to accept a trade to another team, and he gave the Cubs the discount because he wanted to go back to Chicago. Time will tell on whether he would rather finish this season on a contender or would rather stay with the Cubs. Presumably, other clubs will call Chicago to find out.

Michael Wuertz, Oakland Athletics -- He's experienced, and he's usually effective when healthy; right-handed hitters are 4-for-35 against him this year, with a .413 OPS.

Any names on Jennings' (internal options) or Olney's (external options) lists pop out to you? Personally, at this point I'd take a chance on any of them because they're better than nobody, which is the current setup man on this team.

Ayala Completes The Pen

Via Mark Feinsand:

Luis Ayala will be the final man on the Yankees' pitching staff to open the season, as the Bombers chose the veteran righthander over young lefty Steve Garrison.

...

Ayala, who came to camp as a non-roster invite, did not fly to New York with the team on Tuesday, but was headed north on a flight Wednesday morning.

In 8.2 innings this spring, Ayala posted a 1.08 ERA while striking out 8 and not walking a batter.

Yankees Sign Rafael Soriano

At face value, I do like this deal. Soriano will be the finest set-up man in the game, and the Yankees bullpen will be a major strength. Digging deeper, however, I'm not too keen on giving up a first round pick in a loaded draft - particularly when it means two additional picks to the Rays. As it stands, I'm not quite sure what to make of this.

Greg's Note: For those wondering about how this contract will effect the Yankees in the future, here's what Andrew Marchand had to say:

Rosenthal: Yankees Have Interest in Bobby Jenks

With Kerry Wood looking like he's headed to Chicago, Jenks would be a very solid replacement. The pen would still need a little work even if Jenks signs, but it's a start.

Rosenthal on Wood & Soriano

From Ken Rosenthal:

Among the Lee losers, the Rangers are unlikely to spend big for a reliever, even if they move righty Neftali Feliz to the rotation. But one rival exec thinks the Yankees could target Soriano as part of their post-Lee recovery program.

The Yankees could pay Soriano closer money for three or four years, effectively buying insurance for Mariano Rivera while putting his successor in place.

Kerry Wood, another free-agent candidate for the Yankees, is seeking a two-year, $12 million deal, according to one source.

I hope they can get at least one of these guys. Creating a dominant bullpen, or at least something close, should be near the top of Cashman's list. With a starting rotation full of question marks, having a solid pen is vital.

The 2011 'Pen (feat. Pat Venditte)

Over the past few years, it seems as if Yankees fans have been consistently unsatisfied with the construction and utilization of the bullpen. Oftentimes, it seems as if more concern is affixed to the 'Bridge to Mo' than to the rotation or the line-up, which seems ... well, silly is the first word that comes to mind, and it's likely the best. The Yankees bullpen has ranked among the top-five in most important categories over the past decade, and that trend has continued into this season - yet I may very well have stumbled across more articles about Chamberlain's struggles than I have about the futility of the rotation beyond Sabathia, or the struggles of Jeter. Perhaps inane would be a better word than silly...

Going forward, however, there is reason for optimism about the bullpen. Mariano Rivera appears to be an immortal Highlander, with no challenge to his throne in sight. Chamberlain seems to have figured out how to harness his stuff successfully (and with some semblance of consistency). David Robertson has been light's out over the past three-plus months, including 12.9 K/9 and 3.3 K/BB since the break. Boone Logan has become dependable, against what seemed to be unsurmountable odds earlier in the season. Some blend of Aceves, Mitre, and Nova looks quite good at this juncture, as well.

In my mind, the only real issue with the bullpen has been the organizational mismanagement of some promising arms. The four following pitchers have been dominant in the minors, yet the Yankees have been slow to promote them - and I'm not quite sure why.

Jonathan Albaladejo, Triple-A
62.0 IP, 37 H, 18 BB, 80 K, 1.31 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 1.35 FIP

Albaladejo was the butt of many jokes this Spring, due to his awful performance in Spring Training and surprising weight loss (not unlike last year's edition of Brian Bruney). Since then, however, Albaladejo has done nothing but impress. In addition to his dominant results, his stuff has never looked better. He apparently ditched his two-seamer, and now features a four-seamer that touches 95 MPH, a big breaking curveball (for which his control has improved dramatically), and a tight slider. He did well in limited action with the Yankees this year, and his 4.14 xFIP in the majors is solid in its own right. He's earned an extended look, in my opinion ... and it's a shame he hasn't received it at this point.

Jonathan Ortiz, High-A
50.2 IP, 37 H, 11 BB, 56 K, 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.21 FIP

While Ortiz is a bit old for High-A, that cannot be blamed on a lack of results - the diminutive righty performed well at Low-A two years in a row, and performed well in a half-season at High-A in 2009 ... why he's still languishing in Tampa, I'm not quite sure. I have heard Ortiz compared to Edwar Ramirez - both feature a plus change and a middling fastball, and little else. However, Ortiz's control is far superior, as is his ability to keep the ball on the ground.

Josh Schmidt, Double-A (Recently promoted to Triple-A)
55.1 IP, 38 H, 27 BB, 64 K, 2.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.27 FIP

Schmidt's handling puzzles me, as he was dominant at Double-A in 2009 (spending the entire season in Trenton), yet spent the first two-thirds or so of 2010 at the same level. A side-armer, Schmidt features a low 90's fastball and a filthy, frisbee-like slider that is nearly unhittable for righties ... and eminently hittable for lefties. That being said, there is plenty of use for a righty specialist at the Major League level, and Schmidt's earned an extended look on the merits.

Pat Venditte, High-A
69.0 IP, 44 H, 12 BB, 81 K, 1.70 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 1.42 FIP

While I understand that baseball isn't anything resembling a meritocracy, I am baffled as to why Venditte remains at High-A at this time. He's been nothing but fantastic since being drafted and his stuff has drawn generally positive reviews - it's rarely as stellar, but he's hardly a junkballer. As a righty, Venditte throws an over-the-top fastball in the low 90's (with spectacular control) and an average-ish curveball in the low 70's. As a lefty, he's a side-armer, with a mid to high 80's fastball and a high 60's slurve. His change-up needs work on both sides, but I feel that his breaking stuff is more than enough for a short reliever. To me, Venditte could be a deadly lefty specialist ... with the advantage that he could do quite well against righties with poor platoon splits.

The Improved Bullpen (Based on Random Sample Sizes)

Before jumping right in with some numbers, I'd like to point out two things. First, I am well aware of the perils of dealing with small sample sizes and selecting random periods of time (particularly when said selections are biased). Second, I believe the first point is sort of moot, as relievers are incredibly volatile ... so no sample size is safe.

David Robertson, since May 8
34.2 IP, 27 H, 20 BB, 40 K, 1.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 1.764 WPA, 2.36 FIP

Boone Logan, since May 23
19.0 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 18 K, 1.42 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 0.494 WPA, 2.62 FIP

Joba Chamberlain, since July 28
8.0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 0.260 WPA, 2.83 FIP

Sergio Mitre, as Reliever
22.2 IP, 12 H, 7 BB, 13 K, 2.38 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 0.127 WPA, 4.27 FIP

Kerry Wood, with Yankees
7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 9 K, 1.29 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 0.134 WPA, 4.63 FIP

Robertson and Logan have been quite good since their early season woes - I'm not sure that there are many that would dispute this, either. Robertson's control isn't quite where I'd like it to be, but he's striking batters out at a tremendous clip (10.4 K/9) and has been garnering weaker contact as the year has progressed. Logan's been better, as well, since Girardi began using him as something of a lefty specialist (as opposed to cannon fodder against righties) - I really can't fault his performance in any reasonable way.

Chamberlain and Mitre are sort of difficult to deal with. I, for one, feel that Chamberlain still has it in him to be a fantastic pitcher. This may be confirmation bias, but he has been excellent over his last few outings and, despite his unsightly ERA, his strikeouts and walks have been solid throughout the season. Many Yankee fans, myself included, still dread the thought of Mitre in the rotation ... but he's done well in the bullpen. Granted, I wouldn't want him in a high-leverage situation - but I think he's done better than a mop-up type of reliever at the same time.

Wood is, in my mind, the very definition of volatile. Brilliant in 2008. Up and down in 2009. Mostly down in 2010. That being said, he's done well with the Yankees. His control's a bit off and he did allow a blast of a home run, but his stuff looks fantastic ... and being out of the closer's role (and looking for his next contract) could work wonders for Wood.

Marte's set to return soon. Aceves's set to return soon. Albaladejo looks like a completely new pitcher. And Rivera's been his brilliant self. While the bullpen's been something of a roller coaster ride this season, I cannot help but feel that a corner has been turned ... and I feel comfortable when Girardi motions for a reliever going forward.

Still worried about the pen?

I've actually been pleasantly surprised with what I've seen from the Yankees pen lately. David Robertson is starting to throw the ball like he did last year, Boone Logan has been very effective, and even Joba is starting to come around. However, it's still far from a lights-out pen and a little more help can't hurt.

If you're wondering who might be on the market down the stretch, MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of 25 (23 not counting Chad Gaudin and Chan Ho Park) relievers who might slip through waivers and find themselves on a new team via a post deadline deal. The list isn't too impressive, although there are a few names that do stick out. Who caught your eye?

Another thing to thing about regarding the Yanks pen is a possible return of Alfredo Aceves. If (and that's a big IF) he could come back and pitch like he did last year I think most of the Yankees bullpen issues would go away.

Deadling Update: Yanks Still Looking For Bullpen Help

(I'll keep updating this post throughout the day with any other rumors.)

(UPDATE 1:37 PM) The Berkman deal is now official.

(original post)

From Ken Rosenthal:

Yankees will take one last run through the thin bullpen market while trying to add a bench piece.

Well, that's good.

It also being reported that they are not interested in Octavio Dotel (apparently they feel he's a bad clubhouse guy) or Ted Lilly.

Also somewhat related, Berkman and Kearns are expecting in uniform for tonight's game. I guess that means the end of the Colin Curtis/Juan Miranda era.

A Warning For Joba?

From The Daily News (hat-tip to WasWatching):

It hasn't been a banner week for Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain. First he was voted the most overrated player in Sports Illustrated's anonymous poll of major leaguers, and Saturday he got the first hint from Joe Girardi that his job as Mariano Rivera's primary setup man could be in jeopardy.

While complimenting righthanded reliever David Robertson, who struck out the side against the Rays on Friday night, Girardi put Chamberlain on notice.

"I'm not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here," Girardi said. "And we evaluate on a daily basis."

I don't know about all of you, but I'm sick of Joba and his 5.79 ERA. Robertson has been better lately (Last four outings: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K), and according to Girardi, it's due to a recent minor adjustment he made:

"It's really good to see," Girardi said. "Since he made a little adjustment, he's been throwing the ball better."

I think it's time to give Robertson a shot.

Yanks Showing Interest in Kevin Gregg

Earlier today, Domenic looked at some relievers the Yankees might look to acquire. Well, here's three guys that the Jays just put on the market.

From Bob Elliott:

Jays make RP Kevin Gregg available, re-route a Tor scout into Seattle for final 2 games of Yanks-Sea series

I assume that since the scout was at the Yanks-Mariners game that it's the Yankees who are interested, plus they have an obvious need in the bullpen.

Rod Bradford is also reporting that the Jays have also made Jason Frasor and Scott Downs available.

Scott Downs is 3-5 with a 2.65 ERA in 41 games. FIP: 3.14; xFIP: 3.58.

Jason Frasor is 3-2, with 3 saves, and a 4.67 ERA in 38 games. FIP: 3.49; xFIP: 3.92

Kevin Gregg is 0-3, with 20 saves and a 3.67 ERA. FIP: 3.67; xFIP: 3.88

I've always liked Downs and think he'd be a great addition to the pen, but Gregg or Frasor are also pretty decent options.

What do you think?