SB Nation User Blog: jpoppejr

Possible trades?

jpoppejr — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:33:04 -0000

Looking at the other teams, I think a trade for a temporary replacement to fill A-Rod's void will be very tough, but here are a couple of ideas:

Pirates - Jack Wilson (horrible contract, slides to 3B); Nate McLouth (who the Yanks love but is another lefty hitter) for Hughes, Melky, Swisher (Yanks cover $3 million of salary) - this is effectively a way for Pirates to get rid of Wilson's salary and get MLB ready youth and a servicable player in Swisher

Arizona - Chad Tracy (another lefty) for Swisher (Yanks cover $3 million of salary) and Kennedy - another salary dump for Arizona.

Brewers - Bill Hall (yikes, those strikeouts) for Kennedy and Coke - salary dump

Orioles - this is a long shot - Mora for Kennedy and Melky (Pie who?)

A's - Nomar (no Crosby!) for Kennedy

My favorite possiblity is the Pirates, but I think we are looking at Ransom.

Comments.

Jeter above reproach?

jpoppejr — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:49 -0000

As a Yankee fan, and more importantly a baseball fan, I am somewhat concerned about today and the remaining names on the "list". I love this game and my fear is the possiblity that Jeter may have used. We all know that he is the golden boy of baseball and what happens if he is on the list?

While Jeter's ABs per hits and RBIs are fairly consistent the ABs per HR appear strange. I know there are a lot of quantitive bloggers here, any plausible explanations?

						ABs per
	AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	H	HR	RBI
2001	614	191	21	74	311	3.2	29.2	8.3
2002	644	191	18	75	297	3.4	35.8	8.6
2003	482	156	10	52	324	3.1	48.2	9.3
2004	643	188	23	78	292	3.4	28.0	8.2
2005	654	202	19	70	309	3.2	34.4	9.3
2006	623	214	14	97	343	2.9	44.5	6.4
2007	639	206	12	73	322	3.1	53.3	8.8
2008	596	179	11	69	300	3.3	54.2	8.6

Relative strength to the Yankees

jpoppejr — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:53:38 -0000

With pitchers and catchers reporting today, I figured I would take a look at the projected lineups of the teams I think the Yankees will need to battle this year.

I may be a subjective Yankee fan, but I think they have the best team going in. Although the Red Soxs are close.

Your thoughts?

Projected Lineup (per Rotonews)
	Angels	Rays	Red Soxs	Yankees
C	Napoli	Navarro	Varitek	Posada
1B	Morales	Pena	Youkilis	Teixeira
2B	Hendrick	Iwamura	Pedroia	Cano
SS	Aybar	Bartlett	Lowrie	Jeter
3B	Figgins	Longoria	Lowell	A-Rod
LF	Abreu	Crawford	Bay	Swisher
CF	Hunter	Upton	Ellsbury	Damon
RF	Guerrero	Joyce	Drew	Nady
DH	Rivera	Burrell	Ortiz	Matsui

SP	Lackey	Shield	Beckett	CC
SP	Santana	Kazmir	Dice K	Wang
SP	Saunders	Garza	Lester	Burrnett
SP	Weaver	Sonnanstine	Wakefield	Pettitte
SP	Ortega	Price	Smoltz/Penny	Chamberlin

Position strength relative to Yankees (5 point scale)
C	-1	-1	-2
1B	-2	-1	-1
2B	-1	-2	1
SS	-1	-1	-1
3B	-2	-1	-1
LF	0	2	1
CF	1	1	1
RF	2	0	1
DH	0	0	1
OFF TOTAL	-4	-3	0


SP	-1	-1	0
SP	0	1	1
SP	-1	-1	0
SP	0	0	0
SP	-1	0	-2
SP TOTAL	-3	-1	-1

Bullpen	-1	-1	0

TOTAL	-8	-5	-1

Terminate A-Rod's Contract?

jpoppejr — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:11:01 -0000

For the lawyers out there, do the Yankees have a basis for terminating A-Rod's contract? Did he misrepresent himself through the use of steroids?

If not, can the Yankees refuse to play him? Stick him on the bench or designate him to the minor leagues? As long as they pay him, can they do want they want? Or would A-Rod have a claim that the Yankees were acting in bad faith? Would the union step in and stop such actions?

I would love to see the Yankees take a stand, even if it hurts the team financially or winning. Similar to what the Knicks are doing with Marbury.

Poll

What would you like the Yankees to do with A-Rod?

Try to terminate the contract

20 votes

Send to the minor leagues or sit him on the bench

6 votes

Nothing, let him play

53 votes

Trade him (eat a significant part of the contract)

6 votes

85 votes | Poll has closed

Yankees overspent?

jpoppejr — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:38:02 -0000

Considering what is going on with the remaining FAs, do you think the Yankees over spent this off season?

I contend no. Their moves set up the franchise for the next three years at a minimum. Take a look at the very weak FA pool next year. Yikes!

I think the Yankees were very smart to secure the three big guys early and let the other teams fight over mediocrity. It may not have been the smartest economic move, but a very good baseball strategy.

The Yankees have another $32 mil coming off their payroll after the 2009 season. Their outfield will be weeded out with Matsui, Damon and Nady FAs. Holliday is the only big time FA scheduled for next year. Seems like a match made in heaven?

Would you take Manny for $7 mil a year?

jpoppejr — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:43:42 -0000

So, let's say Manny agrees to a three year, $20 mil a year deal. If possible, would you move Matsui ($13 mil) and Nady ($6.55 mil), get some mid level minor leaguers and eat $7 mil of Matsui's salary? A net of $7 mil increase to the Yanks' payroll but how would the lineup look?:

Damon (LF), Jeter (SS), Manny (RF), Tex (1B), A-Rod (3B), Cano (2B), Posada (C), Swisher (DH), Melky (CF)

Probably not ideal.

Your thoughts?

Joe Benedict Torre

jpoppejr — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:07:04 -0000

Talk about bitng the hand that feeds you. Wasn't the headline "Clueless Joe" when Torre came to the Yankees. Now, in the safety of the Dodgers and the post Manny-the-savior routine last year, Torre sends these bombs? I just do not get it! Anyone notice anything strange with Torre's performance below? Maybe a career saved by Jeter, Posada, Tino, O'Neill, Mo and now Manny? Good luck Clueless on handling your depleted team in 2009.

C'mon Giradi do a Coughlin - moderate the discipline and watch the team fly!

G W L PCT

NewYorkM   709 286 420      .405
Atlanta          486 257 229       .529
St.Louis          706 351 354     .498
NewYorkY   1942 1173 767   .605
LosAngls       162   84   78        .519
+----+-----------+--------+---+-----+----+----+------+------+
TOTAL       4005 2151 1848   .538

Abreu?

jpoppejr — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:13:10 -0000

So with Pettitte resigned, the Yankees have completed an incredible off season of strengthening their SP and pitching flexibility. I am so excited about how the Yanks can progress now. They have excellent flexibility in using the big 3 pitchers from 2008 and hopefully the lower expectations will enable them to excel.

Now, should the Yanks just finish things by resigning Abreu? It sounds like he is down to 3 years at $10-$12 million per season. He is consistently a top 40 player in all around stats. By resigning Abreu for three years, the Yanks could unload Damon, Matsui, Nady, Swisher or any combination for some young catching prospect and reload minor league pitching?

Figuring Nady and Swisher will be traded the following lineup would be great:

Damon (LF), Jeter (SS), Abreu (RF), A-Rod (3B), Tex (1B), Cano (2B), Posada (C), Matsui (DH), Cabrera (CF)

Figure A-Jax comes up in Sept and slides in LF next year when Damon is not renewed.

Thoughts?

Manny or another SP?

jpoppejr — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:03:59 -0000

Assuming that the Yankees are not done with FA, who would you rather see the Yankees get - Manny or another SP?

I like that idea of another SP because it increases the team's flexibility with Joba. However, having Manny in the lineup almost guarantees a playoff spot and it is hard to imagine not making the playoffs.

While I contend that the Yankees' payroll is not out of line when you consider the attendence and COLI (see previous post), can you imagine the outcry across baseball if the Yankees get Manny?

So, let's look at the two scenarios:

Get Manny - hurts defense; increases OF log jam; incredible jump in offense productivity; allows Yankees to move Damon, Nady, Swisher, Matsui for a back of rotation SP or decent RP.

Get Oliver Perez - quality #4 or #5; enables Joba to move to closer role when Mo retires or if Joba's body cannot handle being a SP; more patience with Hughes; more leverage when Wang is up for FA

I think I'm leaning towards a SP. What are your thoughts?

Can the Yankees sign another A type free agent?

jpoppejr — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:14:10 -0000

With Lowe being rumored to have been offered a seemingly bargain priced contract of $12 million per year for 3 years by the Mets, I was wondering what fellow Yankee fans think about the Yankees offering a 3 year, $42 million contract with an automatic one year extension at $14 million if Lowe pitches in excess of 150 innings in his third year?

If it is interesting, then the next question is can the Yankees sign another Type A free agent since they have already signed three?