Masahiro Tanaka's First Start

Possibly the biggest story of the off season and spring training was Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka. After a dominating spring training and a long journey from his home country, Tanaka made his first start for the New York Yankees.

The $155 Million man. 

Tanaka's first start was against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, and he was welcomed by the first batter he faced, Melky Cabrera, who hit a home run. After that home run he did get Colby Rasmus to gound out and proceeded to strike out Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Tanaka made Bautista and Encarnacion look silly in these two at bats. Encarnacion would later get two hits off of Tanaka, but Bautista would be held hitless.

Although he never reached 100 pitches Tanaka was pulled after 7 innings allowing just 2 earned runs on 6 hits. He faced one of the best lineups in the American League on Friday and he proved to many what he could do. Tanaka did not get rattled after the home run, he kept his composure and proceeded to pitch a great game. His next start will be against another great lineup, the Baltimore Orioles, at Yankee Stadium.

The New York Yankees

The Yankees were very busy this off season making some of the biggest stories this winter. The departure of Robinson Cano opened the door to sign outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury from their rival, the Boston Red Sox. They also landed superstar pitcher in Japan Masahiro Tanaka, who finished 24-0 in the Nippon League.

The Yankees also added Brian McCann a big addition given that they recieved barely any production from the catching position in 2013. The Yankees also went on to sign Carlos Beltran to replace Curtis Granderson who signed with the Mets. Minor additions include Kelly Johnson, to man third base due to A-Rod' suspension and Brian Roberts to replace Cano at second base. Here is how I would make the lineup in 2014.

1. L. Brett Gardner         LF 108 OPS+
2. R. Derek Jeter            SS 114 OPS+ in 2012
3. L. Jacoby Ellsbury     CF 114 OPS+
4. S. Carlos Beltran        RF 128 OPS+
5. S. Mark Teixeira        1B 115 OPS+ in 2012
6. L. Brian McCann        C  115 OPS+
7. R. Alphonso Soriano DH 112 OPS+
8. L. Kelly Johnson        3B 99 OPS+
9. S. Brian Roberts        2B 89 OPS+

The Yankees bolstered thier pitching rotation by adding Masahiro Tanaka the Japanese Phenom who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He has pitched in two spring training games and his splitter is masterful, no wonder why people have been saying it is the best in the world. Fan favorite Any Pettitte retired for a second time and Phil Hughes signed with the Twins. Here is how the rotation may look in 2014 with the fifth spot up in the air.

1. L. CC Sabathia           85 ERA+
2. R. Hiroki Kuroda        122 ERA+
3. R. Ivan Nova             130 ERA+
4. R. Masahiro Tanaka    1.27 ERA in Japan
5. R. Michael Pineda       101 ERA+ in 2012

The bullpen for the Yankees took a serious blow as member since 1995 retired, Mariano Rivera. David Robertson is going to take over as closer, but the rest of the bullpen is not very impressive. Boone Logan was replaced by Matt Thornton and the rest of the pen is up in the air, but David Phelps and Adam Warren will make the team as starters or relievers.

Yankees Sign Masahiro Tanaka

Like many predicted the New York Yankees won the bidding war on Masahiro Tanaka, in part due to the fact that Alex Rodriguez's suspension was upheld. Tanaka will be pitching in New York under a 7 year $155 Million contract that contains an opt out clause after the forth season. Tanaka is 25 and compared to Clayton Kershaw who is also 25 Tanaka was just $60 Million shy of his deal making Tanaka the second largest contract given to a pitcher this off season.

Tanaka, as mentioned earlier is 25 years old and has already pitched 7 complete seasons for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. He has racked up 1315 innings in those 7 seasons which did concern many clubs, but I don't see it as a concern, I think he will make the transition nicely, just like Yu Darvish.

To compare Tanaka to Darvish, both pitched in the same league, Darvish for the Nippon Ham Fighters, so they have been facing the same players over the past few seasons. Yu Darvish also pitched seven complete seasons before coming to the United States and racked up 1268 Innings, so I do not see the concern with Tanaka pitching just 47 innings more. In his last three seasons Darvish pitched in Japan his ERA was 1.73, 1.78, and 1.44 respectively. He also averaged roughly 200 innings pitched per season those last three seasons. As for Tanaka the last three seasons he pitched his ERA was 1.27, 1.87, and 1.27 respectively. Tanaka averaged roughly 200 innings pitched per season those last three seasons as well.

The difference between Tanaka and Darvish is the fact that Davish has "strikeout stuff," but there is not enough significant evidence to support that claim. In Tanaka's career in Japan he had 8.5 K/9 and Darvish had 8.9 K/9, so they are actually statistically similar. Tanaka does feature a great splitter/slider combination and can reach 94-95 on his fast ball but averages around 91-92. Comparisons for Tanaka come to Hiroki Kuroda.

The Yankees needed pitching rather badly, and now they have four given arms in their rotation. Tanaka will likely take the third slot just to be safe behind Sabathia and Kuroda. The next step for the Yankees in this busy off season would to add to their bullpen and improve on their infield depth.

Beltran Signs With The Yankees

Carlos Beltran is returning to New York

Carlos Beltran signed a 3 year $45 Million contract with the New York Yankees which includes a no trade clause. Beltran had many options including Boston, Kansas City, St. Louis, Baltimore, and Seattle to go to this off season, but Beltran wanted to return to New York where he spent 7 seasons with the Mets. The Cardinals now have a serious hole in their lineup as Beltran provided much production and a non right handed bat The Cardinals may explore outfield option Shin Soo Choo and Nelson Cruz, but for the Yankees they have a surplus of outfield bats.

The Yankees now have Beltran, Ellsbury, Ichiro, Gardner, Soriano, and Wells as players who can all play the outfield. Trade rumors have arisen that either Ichiro, Gardner, or Soriano may be on the move, but that move will probably occur later at the winter meeting. The Yankees are in need of starting pitching, a closer, a second baseman, and a third baseman if Alex Rodriguez does in fact get suspended for the 2014 season.

Potential trade partners for the Yankees may be the Cincinnati Reds for Brandon Phillips or Homer Bailey, the Philadelphia Phillies for Chase Utley or Jonathon Papelbon, the San Francisco Giants for Pablo Sandoval, the San Diego Padres for Chase Headley or Houston Street, the Houston Astros for Matt Dominguez , the Los Angeles Angels for Howie Kendrick or Ernesto Frieri, or the Royals for Mike Moustaka
s or Greg Holland.

We're Leaving. Cano Signs With The Mariners. Granderson Signs With The Mets. And More

Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano has signed a 10 year $240 Million deal with the Seattle Mariners. In the wake of the Yankees signing Jacoby Ellsbury they allowed Robinson Cano to leave. Depending on what other bats the Yankees add, the departure of Robinson Cano may not be so upsetting. With the addition of Brian McCann, Ellsbury, Kelly Johnons, and possibly another player the Yankees
will improve their production at several positions and lose production at only second base. The Yankees may explore trades for Howie Kendrick, Brandon Phillips, or other second baseman, or take a more conventional route and sign free agents such as Omar Infante or Stephan Drew. With the departure of Robinson Cano I would personally bat Ellsbury third and have Gardner lead off with a right handed bat with some speed behind him.

As for the Seattle Mariners, Cano is not the end of their off season acquisitions. With Robinson Cano being the lone star in their lineup the Mariners are looking to add another bat. That bat is speculated to be Choo, Napoli, Carlos Beltran, or Nelson Cruz. I speculate they could trade for Matt Kemp for a few prospects, but the Mariners are serious in their pursuit of starting pitcher David Price. It has been said that the Mariners are willing to make a package featuring pitching prospect Taijuan Walker and second baseman Nick Franklin. A pitching rotation with Felix Hernandez, David Price, and Hisashi Iwakuma may bring back memories of the Mariners from over a decade away. A trade including Mike Zunino and Dustin Ackley may be able to land Matt Kemp or another impact bat. Signing another free agent will especially put the Mariners in competition for 2014.

Curtis Granderson

Curtis Granderson has apparently reached agreement the New York Mets worth $60 Million over 4 years. Granderson will bring much needed power to the Mets lineup and provide protection for David Wright. Already in an outfield with Juan Lagares, Eric Young Jr, and Chris B. Young, Granderson will probably play a corner outfield position. In three full seasons with the Yankees Granderson hit 108 home runs, but in the three full seasons in Detroit he played prior to coming to the Yankees, he hit 75 home runs. Although hitting coach Kevin Long changed his swing Yankee Stadium dramatically changed his stats for the better. Playing in Citi Field Granderson's days of 40 home run seasons are gone.

After being non tendered by the Blue Jays JP Arencibia has found a new home in Texas. The Rangers were looking for a catcher and instead of going after McCann, Pierzynski, or Saltalamacchia, the Rangers to the cheaper alternative by giving Arencibia to a 1 year $2 Million deal.

The Astros continued their quest to improve for the 2014 season by signing starting pitcher Scott Feldman to a 3 year $30 Million deal. After a successful season between the Cubs and the Orioles posting a 3.86 ERA in 186 innings pitched. After trading Jordan Lyles in a deal for Dexter Fowler, Feldman fills a hole in the Astros rotation.

The Marlins continue their under the radar moves by signing shortstop but likely second baseman Rafael Furcal. He will 36 in 2014 and has a career .284 career batting average and a .267 batting average from 2010-2012. Furcal missed all of 2013, but is expected to rebound in 2014.

Ellsbury, Morneau, Saltalamacchia Sign. Fowler, Gentry, Lindblom, Bell, Smith Gregerson Traded

Jacoby Ellsbury in his new uniform

The biggest news of yesterday's busy day was the signing of Jacoby Ellsbury. The New York Yankees signed the All Star Jacoby Ellsbury to a colossal 7 year $148 Million deal. Ellsbury will join an outfield with Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki probably making the best defensive outfield in the MLB. Ellsbury has had some fluctuation in his stats from year to year, but he has been someone consistent. He has put up a .297/.350/.439 slashline for his career, and has one dominating season under his belt. Ellsbury has led the league in stolen bases 3 seasons and has a 162 game average of 55 stolen bases. With an average annual war of 3.9 and assigning $5 Million to each win above replacement Ellsbury seems to be worth the deal. Johnny Damon is a similar player to make the transition from the Red Sox to the Yankkes via free agency, and he saw some success. Damon's average home run totals increased from 14 to 19.25 per season. That is a 37.5% increase. If the same can be said for Ellsbury, who has an average home run total of 15 home runs per season, you can expect him to hit about 20 home runs a year in Yankee Stadium. Combined with his speed and defense, Ellsbury will be an impact player for the Yankees, although his signing most likely takes them out of competition for Cano.

Justin Morneau

In the wake of Todd Helton's retirement the Rockies signed slugging first baseman Justin Morneau to a 2 year $13 Million deal. Morneau was traded to the Pirates mid season and was a big help for getting them to the post season. He hit 17 home runs last year playing most of his games in the spacious Target Field, and has a career average of 22 home runs per season.   Morneau is still relativley young at 32, but has battled some injuries the past few seasons, only playing 150 games total between 2010 and 2011. The Canadian born Morneau will slot in very nicely in the Rockies lineup which is projected to be Gonzalez, Tulowitzki, Morneau, Cuddyer, for a 3-6. The home run numbers are expected to rise for Morneau playing in Coors field.

It was reported that the Rays acquired Ryan Hannigan in a trade yesterday, but that turned out to be a 3 team with Heath Bell also headed to the Rays. Hannigan had a down year in 2012 with his batting average not cracking .200. Heath Bell will play for his 4th team in 4 years after what could be called a bounce back season. His ERA dropped from 5.09 to 4.11 after going from the Marlins to the Diamondbacks. With the signing of Juan Oviedo and the trade to acquire Heath Bell, the chances of Fernando Rodney returning to the Rays are bleak.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

The Miami Marlins signed free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a 3 year $21 Million deal. Salty has been pretty productive for ta catcher during his time playing for the Red Sox. In 3 full seasons in Boston the backstop put together an OPS+ of 104 over those 3 seasons. His slashline of .244/.306/.437 slashline during his time in Boston is significant given his defensive capabilities. With this signing I think the Marlins are up to something especially with their reluctance to trade Giancarlo Stanton. Watch out for the Marlins in the trade market and the free agent market as they may be flying under the radar.

After trading Jemile Weeks for Jim Johnson the Athletics made another move by trading for outfielder Craig Gentry and right handed reliever Josh Lindbolm. With the departure of Chris B. Young the Athletics were in search for an outfielder and they went to Gentry who's game revolves and speed and batitng average. His career .280 batting average in two full seasons proves Gentry's capabilities. Lindbolm's ERA has steadily been climbing but the ballpark he has been playing in has steadily been getting smaller. Going from Dodger Stadium to Citizens Bank Park to Rangers Ballpark his ERA went from 2.73 in 2011 to 5.46 in 2013. Lindbolm's ERA will resort back to around 3.00 as he moves to the spacious Oakland Coliseum.

Luke Gregerson

The Athletics further added to their bullpen after getting both Lindbolm and Johnson by trading outfielder Seth Smith for right hander Luke Gregerson of the San Diego Padres.  Smith hovers around a .265 batting avage with an on base percentage .100 points higher. He gets on base, and hits for average power with an average of 14 home runs per season. Gregerson has been an extremely effective and healthy reliever in San Diego the first 5 years of his career by pitching 347 innings and holding a 2.88 ERA in his career and a 2.60 ERA in the past 3 seasons. The Athletics are seriously building an effective bullpen, possibly soon to be the best in baseball.

The Houston Astros made their first splash of the off season by trading for center fielder Dexter Fowler from the Rockies in exchange for pitcher Jordan Lyl

Dexter Fowler

es and outfielder Brandon Barnes. In his first 5 full seasons Fowler has a 103 OPS+ with an on base percentage of .367 staying consistent by year. He swipes an average of 17 stolen bases and hits an average of 7 home runs, which is pretty good for a lead off hitter. Fowler will set the table well for the Astros with Jose Altuve following him.  Lyles hasn't found much success with his consistent ERA over 5 in his first 3 seasons, which is mot expected to go down in Colorado where ERAs tend to inflate. Brandon Barnes will be 28 in 2014 and has also not found much success in his first full season. He hit 8 home runs with a .289 on base percentageand a 50% stolen base percentage. This trade was probably done to free up salary so I expect the Rockies to make another move either for a starting pitcher or an outfielder.

Yankees Sign Brian McCann

The Yankees made the big news of the day by signing free agent catcher Brian McCann. The deal is worth $85 Million over 5 years with a vesting option for a 6th year $15 Million. McCann was the best catching option on the free agent market and the Yankees needed to improve their catching depth the most. The two were a match made in heaven for one another.

How does McCann look in a Yankee uniform? 

McCann will probably find success in New York. McCann has played at least 100 games in every season of his career and at least 120 games in all seasons except 2013. Health hasn't been much of an issue for McCann, but may become one as his contract continues. McCann will be 30 years old in late February and 35 years old when the contract is completed, so the transition to the American League will benefit McCann given that he can DH on occasion.

Of course McCann will not only be heading to the American League, but Yankee Stadium, the left handed hitter's Heaven. The heavy hitting catcher has hit at least 20 home runs every year since 2006 except 2007 where he hit 18, over those 8 seasons McCann has average 131 games played, .277 avg, .350 OBP, 21 home runs, and 80 RBI. His numbers have dropped the past 2 seasons only reaching a .230/.300/.399 and .256/.336/.461 slashline in 2012 and 2013 respectively. It seems as if McCann is trending back in the direction of his career average after his terrible 2012 campaign. Since he will be playing in Yankee Stadium, you can expect at least a 20% increase in his power numbers. Meaning since he has an average of 21 homers and 80 RBIs per season, you can expect McCann to hit close to 25 home runs and drive in 96 RBIs in 2014.

The Yankees will have McCann until he is 35 years old, which is after his prime. McCann will have to maintain roughly an average WAR of 3.0 in order for the contract to be worth it in the end, but one can only consider that in 2019. McCann is very capable of making a big impact for the New York Yankees, and you can expect big things from him in 2014.

New York, New York

It's so nice they named it twice, well at least it is nice for one team in New York. The Yankees lost a lot of power in the 2013 off season, but they should still be able to contend, but with a new strategy. The Mets however are still rebuilding, but may do better than 2012.

The 2000 Subway World Series

The Bronx Bombers might have to be renamed "The Bronx Hit and Runners," because a few of their big bats will not be present in their 2013 lineup, but it is faster than ever. Nick Swisher departed for Cleveland, Russel Martin signed with the Pirates, Alex Rodriguez is injured, Raul Ibanez signed with the Mariners, and Eric Chavez signed with the D-Backs. All these players contributed heavily to the power of the Yankees, but Travis Hafner and Kevin Youkilis will try to replace some of this power in 2013.

1. L. Ichiro RF           95 OPS+
2. R. Jeter SS            114 OPS+
3. L. Cano 2B            149 OPS+
4. S. Teixeira 1B        116 OPS+
5. L. Granderson LF  116 OPS+
6. R. Youkilis 3B        99 OPS+
7. L. Hafner DH         121 OPS+
8. R. Cervelli C           No recent stats
9. L. Gardner CF        92 OPS+  in 2011

The rotation for the Yankees is pretty good, with CC Sabathia as the ace, followed by two veterans and two young pitchers. In 2012 the Yankees' rotation was strong throughout the season and especially strong in the playoffs. David Phelps will compete with Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova in spring training for a spot. Nova is a bit shaky and Hughes is having back problems so the chances of Phelps making the rotation are strong.

1. L. CC Sabathia 3.34 ERA
2. R. Hiroki Kuroda  3.32 ERA
3. L. Andy Pettitte 2.87 ERA
4. R. Phil Hughes 4.23 ERA
5. R. David Phelps 3.34 ERA in bullpen and rotation

The bullpen for the Yankees in 2012 was without Mariano Rivera, he is hinting again that this upcoming season may be his last. Rivera's 2012 replacement, Rafael Soriano, left the Yankees to sign with the Nationals, so that is major blow to the Yankees, but they still have great set up man David Robertson. Boone Logan, David Aardsma, and Joba Chamberlain are also notable names, but they are basically wild cards.

I project 91 wins for the Yankees in 2013.

"You see David, you are the favorite third baseman in the city"

The Mets flirted with signing Michael Bourn for a long time, but he eventually signed with the Cleveland Indians. The Mets also lost outfielder Scott Hairston to free agency, who signed with the Cubs. Additionally Jason Bay was released by the Mets and signed with the Mariners. They still have a pretty decent lineup, but it is not the best. Catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud should be called up sometime in the season.

1. R. Tejada SS 90 OPS+
2. L. Murphy 2B 102 OPS+
3. R. Wright 3B 143 OPS
4. L. Davis 1B 110 OPS+
5. R. d'Arnaud C .975 OPS in AAA
6. L. Duda RF 98 OPS+
7. L. Baxter LF 115 OPS+
8. L. Nieuwenhuis CF 91 OPS+

The starting rotation for the Mets won't be as good or as heart warming in 2013 without RA Dickey, but I think it will still shock many people. With the addition of Shaun Marcum and many prospects, it may be even better than 2012's rotation. Dillon Gee may hold the 5th spot in the rotation until the well praised prospect Zach Wheeler (3.26 ERA in AA-AAA in 2012) comes up to the majors.

1. L. Johan Santana 4.85 ERA
2. R. Shaun Marcum 3.70 ERA
3. L. Jon Niese 3.49 ERA
4. R. Matt Harvey 2.73 ERA
5. R. Dillon Gee 4.10 ERA

The bullpen for the Mets is up in the air. For a while there was rumors about signing Jose Valverde, but now it seems like they won't even bother. Bobby Parnell is expected to close games in 2013 and he had much success in 2012 with a 2.49 ERA. Frank Francisco and Brandon Lyon found themselves in the bullpen for the Mets as well. Francisco didn't have a great season in 2012, while Lyon pitched to a 3.10 ERA.

I project 74 wins for the Mets in 2013.

Jerry Meals

It's not often that an umpire would get so much attention, but Jerry Meals is the most hated man in New York today. Last night Jerry Meals was the umpire at first base for the Yankees-Orioles game. If the Orioles won the game, the two teams would be tied for first. If the Yankees won, they would have a two game lead over the Orioles and a three game lead over the Rays.

The game came down to the top of the 9th inning. The Yankees were finally rallying and they got to a point where it was 5-4 with runners on first and third with one out. Mark Teixeira was back in the game since straining his calf and wasn't running all that well. The Yankees' first baseman hits a ground ball to second and the Orioles record the out at second and then the throw to first. Teixeira slid into first base and was obviously safe. Click Here to view the play.

A still shot of the play

It is true that umpires can't get the plays right all the time, but that play he has to get right. Umpires are just like players. They can make 999 great calls and then 1 bad call in a big situation. In 1986 Bill Buckner had a .989 fielding percentage and missed one ball in the playoffs. That one botched play will now leave Buckner associated with terrible fielding forever, even though he is one of the best first baseman ever.

The same can be said for umpires. Jim Joyce is one of the game's best umpires. He blew one call in the famous "Imperfect Game." Now the veteran umpire is associated with umpires making terrible calls. People just have to realize that players aren't perfect and the same goes for umpires.

Then there is the ongoing debate about instant replay. If instant replay was added to the game, the game would be extended to probably 4 hours. The managers would want to abuse it, on every close call the instant replay would be used. I recommend that there be a 5th umpire (7th in playoff games). This umpire would sit in the video room and review every play to make sure that it was the right call. If a manager protests a call, 3 out of the 4 umpires on the field (4 out of 6 in play off games) would have to agree to review it. The 5th umpire would then be notified and then review the call. A phone similar to the phone to the bullpen would be installed in every home dugout and that is how the on field umpires would contact the review umpire. The review umpire would then reveal his call via telephone and the call will remain the same of be changed.

A Long Way to Travel

Ichiro had a really far way to travel last night when he heard he was traded to New York. He had to make a very long trip to the other dugout. Ichiro was acquired by the Yankees in exchange for the two minor league pitchers DJ Mitchell and Danny Farquhar. Ichiro will bring an aspect that the Yankees haven't had this year; speed. The injury to Brett Gardner has left the bases basically motionless. Ichiro is batting just .261/.288/.352 this season, but his defense is a definite upgrade over Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones.

Detroit and Miami completed a trade yesterday as well. Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez are going to Detroit in exchange for Jacob Turner, Rob Brantly, and Brian Flynn. Infante will make a big difference for the Tigers, because their production from second base has been terrible this season. Infrante is hitting .287/.312/.442 this season. Sanchez will make the pitching rotation more stable after Verlander. Sanchez has a 3.94 ERA with 5 wins, but that is result of the Marlins offense.

A trade for Dempster was leaked yesterday before it was official. The rumors say that Dempster will go to Atlanta for young pitcher Randall Delgado. Dempster tweeted that he had not yet been traded, but it is very likely. Dempster will be huge addition to the Braves and keep them in competition with the Nationals.

Trouble in NY

The Yankees have always been a well hitting team and this year the pitching has finally come around. The Yankees have been on a stretch where the starting pitchers have gone 6 or more innings consistently with a low ERA.

Before the season started the Yankees traded top catching prospect Jesus Montero for the 22 year old pitcher Michael Pineda. Pineda was injured before the season started and that was where the pitching problems began. It was a blessing to the Yankees and their fans when word that the 240 game winner  Andy Pettitte was making a return from retirement to fill the roll.

In the beginning of the season Freddie Garcia and Phil Hughes were no where as good as they were in the past and eventually Garcia would be sent to the bullpen. Hughes has shown why he won 18 games in 2010 in a few games, but it seems like you get all or nothing when he pitches.


Perhaps the biggest blow to the Yankees was the injury to Mariano Rivera. Rivera tore his ACL and partially tore his meniscus. X-Rays also showed he had a blood clot in his leg. Rivera would undergo surgery and be out for the entire year. The all time saves leader hinted this might be his last season, but he said he will come back next year. Rafael Soriano has taken over the role as closer. 


Yesterday the Yankees put CC Sabathia on the 15 day DL with a strained abductor muscle. That was a huge blow to the Yankees to lose their ace starter. During yesterday's game against the Indians Andy Pettitte took a ball off the ankle and X-rays showed that it was fractured. Pettitte is said to be out for a minimum of 6 weeks.   


The Yankees may hit a rough patch now, but their offense could bail them out. Pettitte should return somewhere in August. In August and September the Yankees play a lot of games against the American League East. They will get Joba Chamberlain and David Aardsma back soon to help the already good bullpen. 


Adam Warren and Freddie Garcia are said to fill the gap for Sabathia and Pettitte, but other alternatives could be a trade. Rumors have flown around that Zach Greinke, Cole Hamels, Ryan Dempster, and Matt Garza are available for trade. The one acquisition that has held much significance is the signing of Hiroki Kuroda who has a 3.40 ERA in 15 games this season. 

Why Does Everything Happen On Friday?

The first thing to write about is Justin Verlander's dance with a no hitter. The Tigers supplied Verlander with a 6 run lead entering the top of the ninth. Verlander had just over 100 pitches and 12 strikeouts with 1 out into the 9th. Then a fate that happened to so many pitchers before a seeing eye single up the middle. Verlander finished the game with a complete game shutout 1 hit and 2 walks. It would have been his 3rd no hitter.

The second thing that happened on Friday was just dandy. Dandy Andy, Andy Pettitte looked like he was still in the early 2000s with his stellar performance on Friday. Pettitte pitched 8 shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out 9 and allowed only 4 hits and 1 walk. Pettitte's fastball was around 87-89 MPH, but it was his curveball and his cutter that looked just masterful. The Reds' hitters just couldn't hit it. The Yankees won 4-0

The Blue Jays beat up on the Mets on Friday night in a 14-5 victory in Toronto. JP Arencibia went 3-5 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI's and 3 runs scored. The Jays had their way with the Mets not only on offense but on pitching.  Ricky Romero pitched 6 innings allowing only 3 hits and 4 walks. He struck out 6.

Kerry Wood was a phenom in the late 90s and early 2000s, but in 2012 he retires from baseball. In his final game with the Cubs Kerry Wood did what he did best, struck out his batter. A 3 pitch strikeout to ride off into the sunset with must be nice. You have to wonder what would the Cubs be like if Mark Prior and Kerry Wood would have stayed healthy, but anyway Wood takes his 4 200+ strikeout seasons home.

Another thing that has been occurring in the past few weeks was a heat up from Albert Pujols. Pujols has a few home runs now, but still isn't his MVP self. He is scoring runs and collecting RBI's and the Angels are winning ballgames. It looks like Pujols may be arriving soon.

The Shift

The shift is a term dreaded by power hitters all around baseball. It was made popular in recent years and used almost instinctively by some managers. The shift was first used against the great Hall of Fame player Ted Williams, but he was so good he hit through it.

The Royals shift for Teixeia 

One of the players in 2012 most heavily effected by the shift is Mark Teixeira. For Mark Teixeira the short stop plays right over the second base bag and the second baseman plays on the outfield grass while the first baseman hugs the line. The only way for Teixiera to be insured a hit is to hit the ball in the spot where they aren't standing or over their head for a home run. Teixeria chooses to hit the home run most of the time, but he could have a much higher batting average if he just chooses to hit the ball to the left side.

The shift is one of the most frustrating things to a hitter and a fan, but it almost always works. It seems like whenever Mark Teixeria makes contact its hit right at a fielder. Its a rally killer. The shift is being used more and more by managers and teams may start training players in the minor leagues to sacrifice power (pulling the ball) for base hits, hence using the whole field. To go back to Teixeira, out of 98 at bats he hit the ball to the right side 47 times and only 15 times was it a hit. He has a total of just 33 hits on the season; 23 as a left handed hitter. 2009 was arguably his best best season with the Yankees and teams did not shift as drastically. That year as a left handed hitter he hit .282. In 2011 as a left handed hitter Teixeira hit only .224. In 2011 Teixeia hit 24 home runs as left handed hitter and 15 as a right handed hitter, so he is still productive.

Teixeira said he would bunt in 2012 if teams continued to do the shift, but he has yet to do it. You have to think, how many hits are you willing to sacrifice for a home run?

Old Timer in the Bronx

The 39 year old soon to be 40 year old Andy Pettitte pitched his first game since 2010 yesterday. He received the loss in the game against the Mariners. He went 6 1/3 innings and gave up 4 runs. Lets look at his Pitching Performance Value.

Pettitte got 19 outs and the average OPS that he got out was .648. To put that along side 7 hits, 3 walks and 4 runs Pettitte's PPV is 30.78. That is relativity low, but for a first start back in the major leagues it isn't too bad. As Pettitte gets more work and the nervous feelings go away Pettitte can be a legitimate force later  in the season. 

Yu Got What I Need

Two stars from Japan went head to head last night. The game between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers was practically broadcasted worldwide. The Rangers came out on top in a 2-0 win over the Yankees.

Yu Darvish was spectacular. He pitched 8 and 1/3 innings collected 10 strikeouts and didn't give up a run. Hiroki Kuroda gave up 2 run over 6 and 2/3 innings while getting 5 strikeouts. There was a lot of hype on this game and the end resulted in Yu Darvish proving that he can compete at at major league level.

Kuroda has the 5th most wins in Japan and Darvish is a superstar in Japan. There two going head to  head was a trill for people all of the world. Both performed well, but Darvish just baffled the Yankee hitters.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

What a busy Saturday April 21, 2012. A perfect game, a 9-0 comeback win, a double header between two powerful teams, and several great pitching performances.

Lets start off with The Humber Games. The 21st perfect game in MLB history goes to the 29 year old Phillip Humber. Collecting 9 strikeouts against The Seattle Mariners Humber enters baseball history as another pitcher to complete baseball immortality. A very exciting game for baseball fans all over the country and congratulations to Phillip Humber.

The next thing to talk about is the greatest rivalry in sports history. The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the first game of a 3 game set 6-2. In game 2 of the weekend series The Red Sox looked dominant through the first 6 innings. Starter Felix Doubront pitched 6 innings and gave up just 1 run, a solo home run to Mark Teixeira. Doubront was taken out after the 6th inning with a 9-1 lead. The problem for The Red Sox this season has been the bullpen and yes they did not perform well. A grand slam and a 2 run double for Nick Swisher and a 3 run homer and a 2 run double for Teixeira lead The Yankees to  an momentous 15-9 victory over The Red Sox.

A double header between The Tigers and The Rangers took place on Saturday as well. In the first game Rick Porcello got rocked pitching only 1 inning while giving up 8 runs. The Rangers got an easy victory in that game. In the night game Justin Verlander took the hill for The Tigers and Neftali Feliz took the hill for The Rangers. Feliz went 8 innings giving up 3 runs and Verlander went 6 innings giving up only 1 unearned run. The two teams split the double header.

AJ Burnett made his first start of the season after recovering from an injury in spring training. He pitched 7 shutout innings against The Cardinals. He was acommponied by Justin Verlander, Stephan Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw and Phillip Humber as starters to not allow a run on Saturday.





What will Sunday hold?

A Change In Pitching

The New York Yankees had a completely different pitching rotation every year since 2008. Every year its different and 2012 is the same story. On Friday the news broke that Andy Pettitte is coming out of retirement for a $2.5 million 1 year minor league deal. He will definitely make it to the major leagues and probably the rotation if he pitches effectively, but now the Yankees have seven starters again.

In 2008 The Yankees' rotation consisted of Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes/ Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, and Ian Kennedy. Pettitte would win 14 game with an ERA around 4.5, thanks to the Yankees' offense. Wang would suffer an injury in 2008 and wouldn't complete a full season, he would never be the dominant 19 game winner he was the previous two season and wouldn't be the same pitcher again. Chamberlain and Hughes would split time, Hughes didn't do very well, but Joba held a 2.60 ERA over 100 innings. Mike Mussina would win 20 games for the first time in his career and Ian Kennedy would just do terrible and pitch only 39 innings.

2009 was a significant change for The Yankees. CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett joined Andy Pettite, Chamberlain/Hughes, and Wang after Mussina retired. Sabathia won 19 games with a 3.37 ERA, Burnett won 13 games with a 4.04 ERA, Pettitte would win 14 with a 4.16 ERA, Chamberlain and Hughes would be ineffective. Wang would prove to be done with being a decent starter and be replaced by Aceves, Mitre, and Gaudin.  The Yankees would still win the World Series that year.

In 2010 CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes would take control of the first 4 spots. Sabthia would win 21 games and finish 3rd in Cy Young voting. Burnett would pitch to terrible 5.26 ERA. Pettitte would bounce back and have a 3.28 ERA although being injured for a portion of the year. Hughes would finally emerge and win 18 games for The Yankees.

2011 was when the abundance of pitching struck. Joba Chamberlain had officially become a reliever, but The Yankees still had their usual pitchers. CC Sabtahia, AJ Burnett, and Phil Hughes. Andy Pettite "retired" and didn't pitch in 2011. Hughes would be out most of the season due to an injury. The veterans Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon would come to the rescue along with rookie Ivan Nova. Sabathia would win 19 games again and pitch to a 3.00 ERA. AJ Burnett would prove he isn't as great as said to be and have a 5.15 ERA. Colon would have a 4.00 ERA, Garica would have a 3.62 ERA and Nova would have a 3.70 ERA.

Finally looking at the 2012 season The Yankees had 7 starting pitchers, then they traded AJ Burnett, so then they had 6. Now with the addition of Andy Pettitte they have 7 again. CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Phil Hughes, and Andy Pettite have to compete for 5 spots. It is pretty much a given that Sabathia, Kuroda and Pineda will have a spot in the rotation, but the remaining pitchers have to work hard to start ball games.

You can see how much the pitching rotation has changed since 2008. Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes/ Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, and Ian Kennedy has become CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Micheal Pineda, Andy Pettitte, and Hughes/Garcia/Nova. Pettitte can't pitch from the bullpen, because the Yankee Fans wouldn't be happy about that; so you can expect him to start the baseball games when he returns in mid-May.

Mark Teixeira

I'm sure we have all heard about Mark Teixeira saying he will be laying down bunts this year to avoid hitting into the shift. As a left handed hitter Teixeira hit 100% of his home runs to right field. and 62% of his hits went to right field as a left handed hitter. The shift is a good idea from the opposing managers.

When Teixeira is hitting against the shift the third baseman moves all the way next to second base. Teixeira's mentality is: If there is no one at third base, i'll just hit it over there. His on base percentage vs right handed pitching is .325. If there is a right handed pitcher on the mound 74% of time then Teixeira has a problem. There should be an increase in Teixeira's on base percentage but a decrease in his home runs if he goes through with this.

The opposing team will notice that Teixeira is getting on base due to the bunt and will move the players back to normal alignment. When back to normal alignment Teixeira can swing for the fences and not hit into the shift. Teixiera will probably hit 5th this season so his overall performance wont be as important as it was when he was hitting 3rd. If Teixeira can get everything together and get on base and continue to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 RBI's The Yankees will again have a devastating line up.  

The New York Yankees

The Yankees finished 2011 with a record of 97-65, but were eliminated in the ALDS by The Tigers. They made some changes this off season to make sure that doesn't happen again.

The major changes The Yankees made were changes to the starting rotation. They traded Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda. This was probably one of the most even trades of the year. Montero had 69 plate appearances with 4 home runs and 12 RBI's. It was a small sample size for the Yankees, but pitching was more important. The Yankees also signed Hiroki Kuroda to a 1 year $10 million contract. A very efficient deal. With these two acquisitions the Yankees' pitching rotation will probably be the following:



CC Sabathia: 19-8, 147 ERA+, 237 IP, 230 K.
Hiroki Kuroda: 13-16, 121 ERA+, 202 IP, 161 K.
Michael Pineda: 9-10, 103 ERA+, 171 IP, 173 K.
Ivan Nova: 16-4, 119 ERA+, 165 IP, 98 K.
Freddy Garcia: 12-8, 122 ERA+, 146 IP, 96 K.

By the way all their names end with "A." Can you think of a good name to call them. Like the Phillies had H2O in 2010.

The bullpen for the Yankees is also a strong point. They have the great Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, and Rafael Soriano. Rivera had a 1.91 ERA, 44 saves and 8.8 K/9 rate. Robertson had a 1.08 ERA, and 13.5 K/9 rate, As for Soriano, he had a rough season, part of it being injured. He had a 4.12 ERA in 2011, but he has a 2.86 ERA over his career. The combination of these three pitchers gives the Yankees the best 7th, 8th and 9th inning relief pitcher combination in baseball.

The Yankees also have one of the best lineups if not the best. The only two teams that compare to the compare to The Yankees' lineup are The Boston Red Sox and The Texas Rangers. Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Curtis Granderson all hit over 20 home runs. Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Curtis Granderson all had an on base percentage of .350 or greater. Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixiera all drove in more than 100 RBI's. That's a quick summation of the power provided by The Yankees. In 2012 Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter will be back for the entire season. Also I predict that Brett Gardner will have a break out season.

The Yankees are currently working out a deal to trade AJ Burnett to the Pirates for salary relief and probably a couple of minor league players. As for Phil Hughes he may be fighting with Freddie Garcia for the 5th spot in the rotation or Hughes can be the 6th inning man in the bullpen. Also The Yankees are on the verge of signing or trading for a DH. They would prefer a left handed DH to face right handed pitching, because he will platoon with Andruw Jones, who will face left handed pitching.

The Seattle Mariners

In 2011 The Mariners finished the season at 67-95 and of course they want to change that. We all know about the big trade between the Yankees and Mariners this off season. The addition of a powerful bat will be nice to have in  a young line up.

Shipping Pineda off to New York in return for Jesus Montero was probably one of the most even trades of the off season. The Mariners needed a powerful bat, and The Yankees needed a good young pitcher. In 18 games and 69 plate appearances the much talked about Montero hit 4 home runs, drove in 18 RBI's and had a .406 on base percentage. Over 28 games Pineda pitched 171 innings, striking out 173 with a WHIP of 1.099 and an ERA of 3.74. Pineda is 23 years old and Montero is 22 years old.

The Mariners still have one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, Felix Hernandez. The 2010 Cy Young award winner hit a tiny bump in the road for the 2011 season elevating his ERA from 2.27 to 3.47. He still won 14 games and pitched 233 innings so there is nothing to worry about. Felix will go back to his regular self in 2012.

Another thing The Mariners will need to do to be successful in 2012 is make sure Ichiro is hitting like Ichiro. Ichiro has been on the decline since 2009 which is normal for a player in his late 30's. In 2009 Ichiro had a .386 on base percentage, In 2010 a .359 on base percentage, and in 2011 a .310 on base percentage. In 2011 Ichiro wasn't even getting on base one third of the time, which is unacceptable for a player of his caliber or a lead off hitter. If The Mariners want to do good, they need Ichiro to hit like the Ichiro of past.

With The Mariners half in a rebuilding stage and half in a playoff push stage its tough to say how they will do. Being in the new and improved AL West, they will not make the playoffs. With young players like Jesus Montero, Felix Hernandez, Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley and many prospects in their farm system The Mariners can make a definite play off appearance in years to come.