SB Nation - Jesus Montero

New York Yankees notes: Much hinges on Damon's decision

Ed Valentine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:21:46 -0000

Who is in left field? Who is at designated hitter? Those are the basic lineup questions about our New York Yankees right now, and they all hinge -- of course -- on whether Johnny Damon will accept a contract offer from the Yankees much shorter and less lucrative than uber-agent Scott Boras would like.

Meanwhile, there is much discussion of other options should Damon decide to walk. GM Brian Cashman can talk about Juan Miranda all he wants, but we all know that is incredibly unlikely to happen.

By the way, with the Rule 5 drafting of Jason Hoffmann another question seems to be whether or not speedster Brett Gardner will be part of the outfield mix. Seems the Chicago White Sox, and possibly the Kansas City Royals, are asking about Gardner's availability.

Personally, I love Gardner. Some folks think Jason Tyner or Joey Gathright -- speedy slap hitters who have never hit enough to play regularly, when they look at Gardner. To me, he's a lot closer to Scott Podsednik, a guy who can hit enough, defend and wreak havoc on the bases. Obviously, it's not going to be with the Yankees, but I still believe Gardner can play regularly -- and do it well -- for somebody.

I mentioned Hoffmann, the Rule 5 pick, earlier. He seems like a useful reserve outfielder with some tools, and The Baseball Analysts are wondering why the Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to be trying so hard to lose him.

So why wasn't he on the 40 man roster, and why was he DFAed in September? The answer seems to be that he was redundant on the Dodgers. The 4th outfielder role is currently held down by Xavier Paul. Jason Repko also sits higher on the blue totem pole. I would have been surprised to see anyone grab Trayvon Robinson in the rule 5 draft, but if the Dodgers perceived that as a threat, it could certainly be argued that he deserves protection more than Hoffman.

Perhaps it just says more about the Yankees than the Dodgers. The Yankees currently have 4 outfielders on the 40-man roster. The first two, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher, are clearly going to be penciled into most Yankees line-ups in 2010. The other two outfielders would be lucky to be penciled in at all. Melky Cabrera is a glorified backup centerfielder. He simply does not have the production to justify being played in a corner outfield position. With the Granderson acquisition, Melky will be reduced to being a 2nd choice centerfielder, and a last choice corner outfielder. The last outfielder, Brett Gardner is not even a good option for a 4th outfielder. How Gardner has still has a job confuses me.

Hoffman would fit in well as a 4th outfielder. He can play any outfield position, and his production will likely justify his being played on a corner. He isn't a great base stealer, but he has speed on the bases, making him a good option as a pinch runner. So this replacement-level outfielder, the 6th choice outfielder on the Dodgers, would be the starting left fielder on the current Yankees roster. This was clearly a good choice for the yankees. It was also very bad planning on the part of the Dodgers if they had any interest in keeping Hoffman.

Obviously, I disagree about Gardner. I do think, though, that Melky is a better fit than Gardner as a fourth outfielder because of his ability to play the corners and to switch hit. Nonetheless, this is kind of thought-provoking.

If you are in the 'Don't trade for Roy Halladay' camp, otherwise known as the Jesus Montero Fan Club, you will hate this quote from Cashman.

"I’m hesitant to move certain young players because of what they can do for us in the here and now or in the future and the salary off-set they provide. At the same time, for the right player, I’ll move anybody."

That doesn't mean Halladay is the right player. It just means he might be, so stay tuned.

The Big Lead, maybe the best general sports blog on the planet, had a nice interview with new Yankee Curtis Granderson the other day.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is talking about his team taking a step back in 2010 to be more competitive down the road. Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy isn't buying what Theo is selling. Neither am I.

MLB Trade Rumors: Roy Halladay for Prospects Only??

raygu — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

4 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 14, 2009 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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I was all set to go to bed (12:30 am) when I read this from AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price:

#BlueJays prefer minor-league prospects for Roy Halladay, rather than big-league players

Wow! That may bring several teams not considered favorites into the mix for Roy Halladay. Here's a breakdown of some of the top prospects on the teams who have been rumored to have interest in dealing for Halladay:

Rays-Desmond Jennings, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson

Dodgers-Dee Gordon, Chris Withrow and Josh Lindblom

Phillies-Domonic Brown, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor

Yankees-Jesus Montero, Austin Romine and Dellin Betances

Red Sox-Clay Buchholz, Casey Kelly and Ryan Westmoreland

Angels-Mike Trout, Jordan Walden and Hank Conger

Now we are not sure how many prospects it will take to get Halladay, but this is a list that I am sure Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous has seen and discussed over the past 3 days.

We could see some movement with Halladay if all AA wants is a package of prospects. Stay tuned.

Poll

Which team listed will come up with the best package of prospects in a deal for Roy Halladay?

New York Yankee notes: Now, about Roy Halladay

Ed Valentine — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:42 -0000

So, the big question floating around following the New York Yankees acquisition of Curtis Granderson is what impact that has on trade talks for Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

If you are pro Halladay to the Yankees you have to be excited about the fact that GM Brian Cashman still has Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes as trade chips. If you are anti-Halladay to the Yankees you are praying that Cashman's willingness to deal Austin Jackson doesn't mean he might also part with Jesus Montero.

Bob Klapisch figures the Granderson deal makes it less likely the Yankees will be able to land Halladay.

One American League source says it's now "unlikely" the Bombers have the prospects to convince the Blue Jays to deal their ace. Having shipped Austin Jackson to the Tigers, the Yankees intend to hang on to Jesus Montero, their up-and-coming catcher. That effectively narrows the field for Halladay to the Red Sox and Angels.

Cashman knows he's taking a risk, giving Boston a free shot at a confirmed Yankee-killer. Theo Epstein is loathe to trade prospects, and has said he wants to hang on to righty Clay Buchholz. But after seeing the Yankees fortify themselves yet again, the Sox GM may have no choice but to pick up the phone and call the Jays.

John Harper of the New York Daily News figures the Granderson deal might force the Boston Red Sox to answer the Yankees by making a big push for Halladay

Early indications Tuesday were that Sox GM Theo Epstein remained reluctant to give up a package of top prospects to the Blue Jays, as well as the $100-plus million it will take to sign Halladay to a contract extension - no matter if Red Sox Nation was screaming for him to return fire on the Yankees.

But that hardly adds up to a no.

"Theo doesn't care what the fans want," was the way one major league executive put it. "He's not going to react just because the Yankees made a deal. But (owner) John Henry might be a different story.

"After everything their organization has done to turn the tables on the Yankees the last several years, (Henry) is very concerned about any perception the Sox have fallen behind them again. And he knows Halladay is the ultimate protection, whether you're talking perception or reality."

Even before the Granderson deal, where Halladay ends up was the most intrguing story of the winter. It still is.

Other notes

In case you missed it, the Brian Bruney trade landed the Yankees the first pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft.
Could Hideki Matsui end up in Oakland?
Yanks might watch Aroldis Chapman work out.

Farm system recap: Double-A Trenton Thunder

Travis G — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:26 -0000

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The Thunder were coming off consecutive Eastern League titles, but after their best hitter went down in August, any chance of a three-peat went out the window. They finished 69-72, good for third in the Northern Division.

As you might recall, Jesus Montero was promoted to Trenton after 48 games in A-ball. Montero didn't quite match his mammoth offensive output in Tampa (hitting .317/.370/.539, good for the 11th best OPS), but what should be noted is that he was at least three years younger than anyone in the top 10. More encouraging than his offense, though, was his much improved defense. He caught 33 games (DH'ed 11) and threw out 14 of 44 potential base-stealers (32%), committed no errors, and allowed eight passed balls. Considering he gunned down only 13% of base-stealers in Tampa, 32% was a huge improvement, as was his flawless fielding percentage (though the eight passed balls are still way too many). He suffered a fractured hand while catching on August 1, missing the rest of Trenton's season.

He recovered enough to play with the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. He didn't hit at all (.322 OPS), but he only played in nine games (26 AB), so take it with a shaker of salt.

Mexican-league refugee, Jorge Vazquez, quietly had a phenomenal year with Trenton. The reason you don't hear more about him is that he's 27. Regardless, the first-baseman hit .329/.357/.578 in 56 games.

22-year-old Reegie (don't call me 'Reggie') Corona had his best season since joining the organization in 2004. The reason was his career-high .397 OBP (.287 BA, .397 SLG). In fact, the switch-hitting second-baseman had more walks (56) than K's (50). Corona can run too: 118 SB, 28 CS in six years. He's never going to hit enough to be an everyday player, but he could definitely be a good utility infielder in the future (though Ramiro Pena seems to have that locked up for the time being).

A pitcher that surprisingly never comes up in trade talks (despite being among the Yankees top three prospects) is 21-year-old Zach McAllister (photo). The 6'6" right-hander had the best season by a Yankee pitcher in the whole minor league system: 121 ip, 2.23 ERA, 96 K, 33 BB, 1.08 WHIP. He's a sinker-baller - a good comp for him is Jake Westbrook, and that's probably what Z-Mac will turn into: a solid, middle-of-the-rotation workhorse.

Another sinker-baller is Dominican-native Ivan Nova. Like Z-Mac, his best assets are durability and getting ground-balls. The 22-year-old averaged 129 innings over the last three years, and has allowed only 26 homers in 430.1 pro innings. In Trenton, he threw 72.1 innings with a 2.36 ERA. Pitching to contact, he doesn't get many K's (just 47, for a 5.8/9 rate) - such a low K-rate may eventually hurt him. Actually, it did hurt him after his promotion to Scranton, when his ERA ballooned to 5.10.

26-year-old Josh Schmidt had one of the best seasons for a reliever in the system: 83.2 ip, 1.61 ERA, 96 K, 38 BB, 1.14 WHIP. His 'stuff' isn't great, but he gets results. Schmidt has a chance to help the Yanks bullpen in the next few years.

2010 guesstimates:

Pretty simple. Everyone mentioned, save for Jesus, will start in Scranton. Montero will join them soon after if he shows no ill-effects from his fractured hand.

MLB Trade Rumors: Roy Halladay to the Yankees?

raygu — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

2 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay listens to home plate umpire Mike DiMuro after Halladay hit Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz with a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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I hinted at this in my morning post, but it makes sense for both teams. The Yankees have no room for catching prospect Jesus Montero right now, so include him and Phil Hughes in a package for Halladay. Toronto's GM Alex Anthopolous has been quoted saying he wants young pitching, a catcher and an outfielder in any deal for Halladay.,

Montero is known to be one of the best hitting prospects in the minor leagues, but he apparently is not a great catcher. Here is what Baseball America had to say about his defense in a recent chat:

Steven Alengakis (Brooklyn, NY): Everyone seems to agree that Jesus Montero will not be a caatcher at the ML level. Do people within the Yankees organization/scouts see him more as a RF (considering the dimensions of Yankee Stadium) or as a 1B? Do they think he has the ability to be adequate at either of those positions?
J.J. Cooper: Outside the Yankees organization there is some doubt if there is any position where Montero will be more than a below-average defender. His lack of footspeed and his already massive size means right field is a big stretch, and there is concern that he will be below average at first base because of his limited agility. First base is a much better bet, but he looks to be a 30-35 defense wherever he goes.

And on his bat:

Joe LeCates (Easton, MD): J.J., thanks for the chat. How close is the distance between Montero and Stanton? I imagine Montero's bat is the more sure-thing of the two, though Stanton's overall athleticism and package give him more possible value?

J.J. Cooper: Very close. I originally had Montero No. 1 until as recently as last week. You summed it up, Montero's bat is a better tool than Stanton's and they have similar power, but Stanton's a much better athlete with a clear position while Montero could very well be a 20-year-old DH. In the end, that ended up breaking the logjam.

Hughes was once considered a top starting pitching prospect, but the Yankees have used him in the bullpen of late, which is fine as many teams opt to use their young starting pitchers in the pen to ease them into starting at the major league level.

Would this be enough to get Halladay? Would the Yankees have to throw in a couple lower level prospects?

Poll

Would Jesus Montero and Phil Hughes be enough in a deal for Roy Halladay?

MLB Trade Rumors: Winter Meetings Coverage Begins Monday

raygu — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:00:17 -0000

by Aaron J. Latham - AP

2 months ago: San Diego Padres' David Eckstein, left, celebrates with teammate Adrian Gonzalez, right, after they scored on Gonzalez's home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)

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We at Fake Teams will be covering the trades and signings that occur at the Winter Meetings that start today in Indianapolis. We will address the fantasy impact of the trades and signings that occur this week and throughout the offseason. The biggest name discussed at the Winter Meetings will be the Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.

Some of the rumored deals could involve the following players changing uniforms:

Steve Henson from Yahoo Sports tweeted the following last night:

The Dodgers have 3-4 teams interested in $$ Juan Pierre and a 3-team deal is being explored to get L.A. a bad-contract starter in return.
The "bad contract" starter the Dodgers might get for Juan Pierre would not be Derek Lowe, a source said. That bridge has burned.

It appears the Yankees and Red Sox are the favorites for Roy Halladay. Halladay to the Yankees for a package of Jesus Montero and Phil Hughes? Halladay to the Red Sox for Clay Buchholz and Josh Reddick? Halladay to the Phils for J.A. Happ and Michael Taylor? The Giants may make sense for Dan Uggla, but where would he play with Freddy Sanchez at second? I'd be shocked if Adrian Gonzalez isn't dealt to the Red Sox now that former Sox Jed Hoyer is the new GM in San Diego. Josh Willingham in Atlanta makes sense.

Would the rumored Milton Bradley-Pat Burrell deal result in one of the worst outfields in the majors? How can Pat Burrell and Alfonso Soriano play in the same outfield? Pierre makes sense in St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati, especially with Dusty Baker managing the Reds. Pierre for Arroyo??

Poll

Who is more likely to get traded during the Winter Meetings this week?

Down on the Farm: Part 2 of Interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect

raygu — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:00:16 -0000

Here is the part 2 of the two part interview with Adam Foster from Project Prospect. Foster and the guys over at Project Prospect recently posted their top 15 catching prospects, so head on over to Project Prospect and check out their top 15 rankings.

Fake Teams: Aside from the AFL, what prospects that you have seen this year made the biggest leap forward? Step back?

Adam Foster: James Darnell is a guy who I went well out of my way to see this year. His swing really impressed me at Minor League Spring Training. He's very athletic with a good chance of sticking at third base. And his power potential is outstanding.

Some of my colleagues who are really into college statistics pointed Darnell out as a guy who may have fallen further than he should have in the draft - he wasn't healthy his junior season. Then I bumped into Darnell's Cape Cod League coach in Phoenix one night and he said he wanted Darnell over Justin Smoak on his Cape team.

I'm not saying that Darnell is a lock to become a superstar. But he's one of the best prospects in baseball. And people who aren't giving him that kind of recognition probably haven't done their homework.

As far as guys who took a step back, unfortunately Tim Alderson was a different pitcher this year than last. He lost some movement on his fastball. And his pinpoint accuracy left him. There are guys who chose to give up some velocity to gain movement. Alderson may have gone the opposite direction in 2009, I'm not sure. But even though his curveball is already a plus pitch, he wasn't giving High-A or Double-A hitters much trouble last season. He definitely has elite control. I just don't think he's a big league pitcher without outstanding command.

More after the jump:

Fake Teams: I read in your Rising Stars game chat that you and your colleagues are not as high on the Phillies outfield prospect Domonic Brown. What are your reasons?

Adam Foster: Guys who are outstanding fast-twitch athletes can become overrated in a hurry. People like to assume that they're athletic enough to do things that other players can't. In Brown's case, there's some false information floating around that he's an elite defender. He has a very good arm and he's fast, but he doesn't get good reads or take good routes. Those skills can't really be learned. So it's highly unlikely that he'll be more than an average defensive right fielder.

Additionally, he's really not very coordinated - compared to his peers. My first reaction when I saw him bat was that he looked awkward. He gets in a crouch to try to shrink down his big strike zone (Brown is 6-foot-5). And while he has a lot of bat speed, is patient, and recognizes pitches well, he's not going to be an above-average contact hitter. There's not much he can do about that. He doesn't have very good bat control.

Keep in mind that Brown is an elite prospect. He's in the 99^th percentile for his class. I'm just dissecting the heck out of him here. If you compare him to the other guys who are at the head of the class, I don't think he stands out as one who's going to become a star. He's very good and a likely bet to become an average big leaguer. But there are a dozen or so hitters out there who I see as better prospects than him.

Fake Teams: What players who underwhelmed in 2009 do you expect to jump back into the limelight in 2010?

Adam Foster: Reese Havens is a good one to start with. He moved to second base in the Arizona Fall League and looked solid at the position. He's a polished, well-rounded hitter who can play up-the-middle defense. He was a first rounder. And had a successful junior season in college - I'd be more confident in him if he was better his sophomore year, though. His baseball resume puts him in elite company. I'll be surprised if he doesn't break out in 2010.

Don't sleep on Jon Niese and Kevin Mulvey. They are solid bets to turn into useful big league starters. You could also end up looking like a genius if you snatch up Kellen Kulbacki cheap now that a lot of people have forgotten about him. Nick Noonan was one of the youngest players in High-A and has a lot of potential. Ivan De Jesus may not be a fantasy stud, but if you play in a deep dynasty or sim league, don't forget about him - and I'm sure you haven't ;).

Fake Teams: What prospects do you feel who should be getting more press based on their talent/performance?

Adam Foster: Josh Bell is just starting to get the attention he deserves. I guess you lose some street cred when you get traded for a reliever. But the Dodgers are clearly working under the win-now model, so I wouldn't hold it against him. He can play third base and has a lot of power. If Pedro Alvarez and Brett Wallace can't stick at third - and they probably won't - then Bell starts looking like a pretty good pick for the best "true" third base prospect in the minors. I'll have to compare my video of him and Darnell this offseason, though.

Brandon Snyder is another guy who has the resume to turn into a solid big leaguer. But you don't hear much talk about him. I'm a big Drew Cumberland believer. Matt Sweeney is a breakout guy. Lorenzo Cain has fallen out of the spotlight but I still see a lot of potential in him. Che-Hsuan Lin gets lost in the Red Sox depth of athletic hitters. Jaff Decker gets overlooked largely due to some old scouting biases.

Fake Teams: Who are your top 5 hitting prospects going into 2010? Who are your top 5 pitching prospects going into 2010?

Adam Foster: At the end of the 2009 season, we ranked Jason Heyward, Carlos Santana, Jesus Montero, and Buster Posey as the game's top five hitting prospects with Dustin Ackley, Desmond Jennings, Fernando Martinez and Mike Stanton on the bubble. Those guys will account for the bulk of - if not all - the spots among our top five hitting prospects entering 2010.

We didn't get to see many of baseball's top pitching prospects at the AFL. And I still want to get better reads on some guys. But Stephen Strasburg and Brian Matusz are clearly at the head of this class. Daniel Hudson and Jeremy Hellickson were two of the most impressive pitchers I saw in 2009 - Hudson for his FB and CH movement; Hellickson for his command. Then it's hard not to like Neftali Feliz' stuff. The five guys I've mentioned were our top five pitching prospects when we put together our October top 25 pitching prospect list. Most of them should also be top five on our 2010 list.

I want to thank Adam for taking the time for this interview.

Farm system recap: Tampa Yankees

Travis G — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:30:14 -0000

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What a year for Tampa. They won the Florida State League title over the Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays) after finishing the regular season with a 77-56 record, and featured possibly baseball's best hitting prospect.

Jesus Montero led the FSL in OPS (.989), despite being one of the youngest players in the league (19). He dominated so much (.356/.406/.583) that he got promoted to Trenton after only 48 games. He's about as sure a hitting prospect a team can have, which brings us to his much-maligned defense. Catcher is the most important defensive position on the field, so there are two ways to look at Jesus: (1) because he plays a 'defense first' position, it makes any offense he gives that much more valuable (SS and CF are the same way), even if he plays sub-par defense; or (2) his defense is so bad that his offense does not make up for it. His catching stats at Tampa were discouraging, no way around it: 26 games, 56 SB, 8 CS (13%), 2 E, 3 PB. However... he improved markedly after his promotion to Double-A (which I'll cover in the Trenton segment).

On the flip-side is 20-year-old Austin Romine, a catcher who's defense has never been questioned (though he'll never hit like Jesus). Romine threw out 38 of 125 potential base-stealers (30%), with 10 errors and 11 passed balls in 80 games. Despite not hitting at a Monter-ian level, his offense is still very good for a catcher: .276/.322/.441. Romine would be the top catcher in most other systems.

Last year's third-round draft pick, David Adams, had a breakout half-season in Tampa after getting promoted from Charleston. The 22-year-old second-baseman somehow upped his slugging average 100 points, despite going to the FSL (traditionally a pitcher's league). In 65 games, he hit .280/.362/.498 (compared to .290/.385/.394 in Charleston).

There weren't any super-prospects on the pitching side. Brooklyn-native Dellin Betances has an ultra-high ceiling, but hasn't shown much after being drafted out of high school in 2006. Last season looked like the start of his ascension to the majors, but he regressed badly this year. He got hurt and only threw 44.1 innings; while his K-rate was still excellent (9/9), he gave up 48 hits and 27 walks (1.69 WHIP) to go along with a 5.48 ERA. Like Andrew Brackman, 2010 is big for him (and he's gigantic, 6'8", 245), but at least he's only 21 and doesn't have a major league contract.

The Yanks top draft pick last year (44th overall), southpaw Jeremy Bleich, had a fine campaign in Tampa: 79.1 ip, 3.40 ERA, 56 K, 22 BB, 1.27 WHIP. He's been compared to Andy Pettitte, but that's a stretch - what they have in common is handedness, average to above 'stuff,' and 'pitchability' (AKA, knowing how to pitch). The comparison doesn't hold much water considering the 22-year-old Bleich bombed in Double-A (65 ip, 6.65 ERA, 1.82 WHIP), while the 22-year-old Pettitte dominated Double-A (way back in 1994).

22-year-old Hector Noesi has quietly become one of our best pitching prospects. He was promoted to Tampa about 2/3 of the way through the year, and continued his excellent season. His decent 3.92 ERA belies his effectiveness: 41.1 ip, 40 K, 4 BB, .92 WHIP. His career stats could make him a top-10 Yankee prospect: 193 ip, 3.13 ERA, 195 K, 34 BB, 1.05 WHIP.

2010 guesstimates:

Montero's a tough call. He missed the last month of the Double-A season after breaking his hand, but he was playing well enough to make the jump before that. The injury really sucks - if not for it, he would definitely start next year in Triple-A. But the lost month is important, more for defense than offense. I'll say he starts the year in Trenton, but they'll look to promote him quickly.

Romine will also start in Trenton, splitting catching duties with Jesus, but he'll likely stay there all year. Same with David Adams.

Betances will have to stay in Tampa: he just hasn't done enough to warrant a promotion (and Tampa is the Yanks HQ, where they can monitor him closely). Noesi will start in Trenton, while Bleich will have another go-round there.

Roy Halladay a Yankee? Make this happen, Brian

Ed Valentine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:11 -0000

More photos » by Fred Thornhill - AP

Roy Halladay

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Trade prospects, and maybe Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to Toronto for Roy Halladay? Hang on to the youngsters, like Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson, and watch the Red Sox get the best pitcher available who is not already in a New York Yankee uniform?

That is the question confronting Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman this winter. Here is Jon Heyman of SI.com discussing the possibility.

Here is the most obvious reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) may now finally have a legit shot to trade for arguably baseball's best pitcher: New Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is making it clear he is genuinely willing to consider a deal with either the Yankees or Red Sox, a sharp contrast to Anthopoulos' predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, who had GMs convinced he'd never make a Halladay trade with either the Yankees or Red Sox.

And here's yet another potential reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) might have an edge this time around: While Halladay's latest desires are not yet known (and agent Greg Landry did not return calls), with a year to go before free agency a player in Halladay's position can leverage his no-trade clause to engineer a trade to a team amenable to an extension. The Yankees have not heard that this will be the case. But if that happens here, the field could be limited to the teams who can pay a franchise pitcher. This is often the case when talking about big stars, and it was two years ago when Johan Santana was being shopped by the Twins -- the field was quickly winnowed to the two New York teams plus Boston, the three teams that could most easily work Santana into their budgets.

I have only one thing to say about this. MAKE THIS HAPPEN, CASH! If there is a realistic possibility you can put Halladay in pinstripes YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!!

If it costs you Montero, so be it. The Yankees are flush with catching prospects, and Montero might end up being just a DH, anyway.

If it costs you A-Jax, so be it. He might be a good big-league player some day. He might also be Ricky Ledee or Ruben Rivera. You don't pass on Roy Halladay to keep a guy who MIGHT become a good big-league outfielder.

If it costs you Joba Chamberlain, so be it. We still don't know what Joba is, but I think we know he is unlikely to become a Halladay-caliber starter. Besides, you would still have Phil Hughes, and I will bet you a buck (yeah, I'm a big gambler) that Hughes ends up having a better -- and longer -- career than Chamberlain.

If it costs you Hughes instead of Chamberlain, well, you still have Joba. And Ian Kennedy. And Dellin Betances. And you can always throw gazillions of dollars at Aroldis Chapman.

Want a list of reasons that are probably better, and most definitely funnier, than anything I can offer why the Yankees should do this? Diehard Yankee fan Jane Heller offers such a list over at Confessions of a She Fan. I'm not exactly jumping for joy like Jane at the thought of Halladay in pinstripes, but I do love the idea.

Catching up on SBN awards

Ed Valentine — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:43 -0000

It is awards time around Major League Baseball these days. Not to be outdone, the baseball bloggers here at SB Nation held their own awards voting.

I know they aren't official. But, kinda fun to see how our results compare with the official voting.

Here is how it broke down, according to our bloggers.

AL MVP -- Joe Mauer
NL MVP -- Albert Pujols
AL Rookie of the Year -- Elvis Andrus
NL Rookie of the Year -- Tommy Hanson
AL Cy Young -- Zack Grienke
NL Cy Young -- Tim Lincecum
AL Manager of the Year -- Mike Scioscia
NL Manager of the Year -- Jim Tracy

Keep reading for a few notes that actually involve our New York Yankees.

Curtis Granderson? Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News makes an outstanding argument for why the Yankees should forget about trading for the Detroit Tigers center fielder.

To me, this would be a mistake given what Detroit would likely be asking for. Granderson is a good player and an even better person, but as we saw this year, pitching is what wins championships.

Besides, go take a look at Granderson’s numbers the past three seasons - he was an absolute superstar in 2007, but he’s declined in each of the past two years. Not a good sign. He’s a strikeout machine (141 or more in three of the past four seasons) who can’t hit lefties (he hit .183 with two home runs and nine RBI in 180 at-bats last season), making him anything but a complete player.

If Brian Cashman decides to deal his top prospects - Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero, in particular - he better make sure it’s the right deal. Outfield isn’t really the Yankees’ need right now. They can easily sign back Johnny Damon and go to war with the same trio they had this year when they won the World Series.

If Cashman is going to trade Jackson and/or Montero, it’s got to be for Roy Halladay or another stud starting pitcher. The Yankees are intrigued by John Lackey, but not to the point where they want to give him $90 million. Adding Halladay to a rotation with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett would put the Yankees in position to be the overwhelming favorite, and Halladay has already proven his ability to dominate in the AL East.

I missed this the other day, but when Brian Cashman was talking about the possible roles of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in 2010, he said neither pitcher will have an innings limit if they are starters. Hooray! No more training wheels.
Hideki Matsui may be a hero in Japan, but his agent says he won't be playing in his native country next season.
Former New York Yankee John Wetteland hospitalized after possible suicide attempt